Campaign Creations

- Chapter 1 - Road to Arcadia:
+ The gameplay itself is a nice introduction to the campaign, but I feel like in the first cinematic, Shizu and Ziel talk more like common thugs than themselves. Nekurow and Johan's introduction cinematics (or even Hokuto's) are better imo.
+ For Nekurow, I thought about using Dark Lord at first because of Mana Leech, but in NG+, mana is that big of a problem and Bosses mainly use triggered spells anyway. So, I go with Lich King for the broken Frozen Tempest, and Army of the Dead to stunlock bosses.
+ For Johan, there's no wrong choice, except the ones that aren't Wallcrusher. Aura Fist is good AoE with low mana cost, Battle Charge can deal insane AoE/ST damage, and Cleave can proc on attacks, abilities, and even his Soul Power - Flame Bits. He's a monster that can deal with bunch of small enemies and bosses alike,
+ After meeting Johan, destroying the Pit is the fastest way, but I opted to go for the Bridge Repair, because I rarely did that before. Although, I already killed the Murloc Chieftain prior to meeting Johan, so the quest wasn't able to be finished.
+ In the next section, I discovered a shocking revelation that I can skip Undead Trauma and the Soul Reapers to go straight to Ziel's boss room.
+ I also discovered how to get an extra Tome of Agility +2, but it requires a very specific set-up: Stand near the bottom-right corner of Ziel's room, repeatedly cast an AoE spell on "The Oracles" that isn't based on Rain of Chaos (Dark Lord Nekurow's Rain of Fire for example) until it is destroyed. Then, Johan needs to use Battle Charge there, picks up the book, and instantly escapes through the Way Gate before "Razorclaw X" kills him.
+ As for the boss itself, both ZIel and Ekim stood no chance against Johan with Avatar. They both depends too much on parlor trick like Cyclone spam, but their damage is ass.

- Chapter 2A - Resurgence:
+ Ziel is now proper jerk, and the rest of Shizu gang are also being themselves. Much better than the Chapter 1 cinematic already.
+ For Ziel, his classes are meh, because all of his power is in Twister Form already. (maybe Weather Wizard is good in fresh playthroughs because of Freeze Building) In the end, I went for Wind Assassin, because I had a fun idea with Slow Missile Aura that I will mention later.
+ Also, is Ziel himself the weird thing spinning in the middle of his Twister Form?
+ For Shizu, it is an interesting case, because I swapped my totally-undeserved-overpowered Lolita Doll to Priestess of Water (don't remember class name, sorry) because of the broken Cone of Frost and Unholy Frenzy. The former can freeze all kinds of enemies, even Spell Immune ones, and the latter is crucial, because later on auto-attack damage are more useful than Spell damage, because Divine armor and stuffs.
+ For Scaldar, I don't even know how I got the Dragon Armor, but he deals a lot of damage and he can heal himself, so I won't be changing that.
+ Also, Carrion Armors benefit from Naga upgrades instead of Undead upgrades. I know that it's because of Book 6, but maybe an exception should be made here because we don't have access to Temple of Tides yet?
+ The no-build sections is long in this chapter, but there are a lot of Tomes scattering around to make it worthwhile.
+ The most notable loots are the Mana Stone and the Ironwood Branch dropped by the Corrupted Tree of Eternity. Czarzeau is nice enough to give me a Sobi Mask for the Branch, which is a really overpowered item, for both early game and NG+.
+ The boss is also easy, and easier so when I have 12 Crypt FIends as my meat shields. His Big Bad Voodoo is too easy to shut down, and his Dark Portals are not worth mentioning.
+ Perhaps the real boss here is the third Journal Entry, because I can't find it at all, even with iseedeadpeople on.
+ I also remember the Gate making weird demonic chanting sound when I played on 1.26, but I guess 1.31 just fucking kills the sound because the Gate makes boring generic noise now.

- Chapter 2B - Resistance + Interlude:
+ The chapter I help ruined because now, I can't skip 90% of the map with Battle Charge anymore. RIp.
+ Anyway, Hikaru gang got some nice character development at the start. Nekurow may be an edgelord, but he says many things that makes sense.
+ For Miranda, I picked Star Princess, because of the same reason I picked Wallcrusher. Insane AoE damage, everything can proc Cleave, and she even has innate Endurance Aura with Radiant Spiral and Howl of Terror.
+ With the whole team assembled, I cleaved my way through the Mech Rider, crashed Shion's Graveyard, and invited myself into his chamber. But before that:
1: The Scroll of the Beast dropped from the Necropolis can't be picked up, because the next section instantly starts when it is destroyed.
2: Coldrazor the Enduring is a Satyr that works for Shion, which is unique, because all other Satyrs in the game belongs to the Radik Empire. He's not a spy either, because at the Book 1 Epilogue, he stays near the Fountain (alongside Fire Spite the Colossal), waiting for Shion to return to his post, because he can't return to the Radik and are also disliked for being a Satyr by his allied Nerubians. Also, according to Book 6 Free Mode epilogue, Kazgaroth was sent by the Legion, so maybe he arrived alongside other Satyrs too, which led me to think, was Coldrazor the first one to defect from the Legion, alongside Fire Spite, his pet lizard? Maybe Coldrazor realized Emperor Radik doesn't show up because he was merely a concept made up by Kazgaroth to fear his subjects? Please give this man a dedicated arc.
+ Back to Shion. Tight spaces everywhere, and Shion himself + his illusions must have boasted more than 20 total spells to use in all situations, and he's spell immune. Phase 2 put me in a tighter hallway, and when Shion's wounded. he even retreated to an isolated square in the middle to continue channelling his spells. If it weren't for the Runes of Restoration, he would have defeated my overpowered heroes.
+ Now, I normally hate tight space, but it fits Shion's character well. He's the brain, not the brawn, so there's no reason for him to fight in an open arena like all other bosses. He knows Hikaru and Nekurow are forces to be reckoned with, so he puts them in the most disadvantageous positions possible to gain an edge in combat. Needless to say, one of the toughest NG+ boss.
+ Mizuki's dragon and Ayame/Chika's Kirin Tank are super weak compared to Shion, and did nothing to avenge him. Kosseimaru is rightfully angered by this pathetic display, but then again, I also kind of pity Chika because of her inferiority complex.

- Secret Level - Fallen Angel:
+ There's not much to say here, except for the fact that I think Tanya helps Miranda shows her more 'adult' side, and character development like that is always good. Also, I feel like more can be expanded upon Eustace's character, but sadly, he never appears again.
+ On the bright side, I discovered new dialogue lines. Yay.
- Chapter 3 - Returning Home:
+ The map itself is quite plain, but the interaction between Shizu and Hikaru is worth it.
+ Is Corbeau a foreshadow of the Dragon Slayers? Also, Veranda is much easier than I remember.
+ Now that I think of it, Hokuto is creepy af. Not in a scary way, but in a mentally-ill way. She was also the one to advise Shion to send Ziel and Shizu away, which caused him to be killed (not permanently, but still) shortly afterwards. Now, she appears to screw up Hikaru's head.
+ Hikaru is also a self-righteous ass here, but it's kinda impressive how he managed to subdue not just Shizuka, but Shizuka/Deathclaw all by himself.
+ The Shizuka escape section is hellish on a fresh playthrough. Spell-immune Witches and enemy heroes at every turn made it hard af to run past, and the Snowmen would catch up to me if I dallied too long near the Fountain. Unfortunate for the Zande, my overpowered Shizuka+Dragon Horn+Mask of Death has no such weakness.

- Chapter 4 + Chapter 5:
+ I'll put them both here, because Chapter 4 is kinda lacklustering other than a few dialogue lines to flesh out Kanna's character, while as Chapter 5 is always a pain in my ass whenever I try to speedrun. I guess my beloved Staff of Teleportation can help here, but then, Kanna would lose an item slot, which she could use for Crown of Kings or Keg of Ale or etc.
+ Bugs (or not, just oversight): Kanna's Death Wave has Kuth'kullen's Death Wave's description. One of the tips also says that Kossei's Raise Dead gets stronger as he levels up Dark Ritual, but I think that's no longer the case, since it scales with his level instead.
+ Another also, Mana Synthesis is a Caster upgrade (in its Stats - Class), which causes it to overlap the Adept Training in the spellcaster's upgrade card. It's hard to explain, but basically, it's like this: - Chapter 6 - Rebellion:
+ I like the opening cinematic, because it foreshadows future events, and fleshes out Nekurow's character. His dialogue shows that just because he'd suffer doesn't mean he wants others to suffer as well. I have a soft spot for well-written edgelords. + This map also has quite a few book drops, one even hidden in an observatory-doodad thing. There are also a few ones on cliffs, which I think are exclusive to Wallcrusher Johan? I can't think of any other hero class from Hikaru gang that can grab those.
+ There's also Keg of Ale, which is a slightly better Sobi Mask. Grabbing it is almost a must for every run.
+ There's a bug: Soul Powers don't work in this map. And another annoying thing is that the Blade Kraken is hard to select during its attack animation, which makes it hard for Nekurow Wolf to purge it during the Summoner's Fight.
+ Ayame/Chika themselves are pushovers. Their magic damage can't do a thing to Johan's Avatar, and their Fusion Dance is just Ekim with slightly more hit points.

- Chapter 7 - Fated Hour:
+ Not much to say, except for the fact that I'm still finding new speedrun strats after you fixed the exploits.
+ The memory crystals explain the appearance of the Army of the Dead, and foreshadows the Black Moon's appearance, which is nice.
+ BGM is banger.

- Chapter 8 - Retaliation:
+ Finally it's time for Nekurow's Army of the Dead to shine. The ghouls slap Kosseimaru so hard that he can't do anything other than casting the triggered knockback spell. Healing Wave and Defile Life can keep the ghouls healthy enough to finish the job in merely 1 minute and 30 seconds.
+ Also, Journal pages: 0/1. Where page at?
+ Sarah is psychopathic af and makes Kosseimaru looks like a good guy. Hikaru's fault for not heeding Shizu's warning.
+ But crazier then is Hokuto, who instead of speaking to Hikaru directly, tries to inject mumbo-jumbo into his dreams. Imagine if Shizuka wasn't there to keep her in line.

- Epilogue - Orpheus' Hunger:
+ It's good for the player to have a last look at Coron-Nerub, but narrative-wise, it wouldn't make sense. Ziel and Johan are out for blood, and Scaldar is supposed to help them sober up, not wandering around.
+ Still, the Tomes are out there, so I made Shizu wait for a few minutes while I go loot them.
+ For some reason, in this playthrough only, Shizuka doesn't play her death animation correctly. I guess it has something to do with her being a Lolita Doll, and me watching the full cinematic for the first time in forever.
+ The summoner's duel is easy (like, Nekurow can't even cast Purge ffs). Even if somehow I lose both Hydra and Tengu, Deathclaw himself enters the field, with both Wolf and Juggernaut not even able to touch him. It would take special talent to lose in this section.

- Chapter 1 - Fire in the Sky:
+ SImple minigame, except for the fact that dumbass me can't tell extra lives apart from enemies, so I shot them all and still won.
+ Also, relatable dialogue from my man Johan.
- (uh, I don't know how to attach more than five images, so just pretend that there is an image of Johan saying to Hikaru: "You're one lucky guy; your girl is real, at least.")

- Chapter 2 - Expedition:
+ Asides from the conversation between Shizu and Hikaru, not much is there to be said. The only oversight is that, if I destroy the Darkviper Clan, beat up a few Satyrs, and then loop back through the Way Gate, Kosseimaru and Scaldar still acts as if they encounter those Satyrs and Zande for the first time.
+ The Furbolg will talk when Shizu gang approach him, even if he was killed by the Zande beforehand. There are a few more instances of dead units talking, but I forgot where.

- Chapter 3A - Forgotten Tower:
+ Escort quest is boring. At least my Lv10 Ziel can handle everything the Zande and Radik throw at him, so I can have some joy in running ahead and destroying their bases.
+ Bug: Upgrades are capped at 1/1 even with Journal upgrades.
+ Also, a lot of Zande and Radik gathered outside, but none of them actually entered, almost as if they were waiting for someone to deactivate the defense, before they themselves enter to reap the prize or something...hm...

- Chapter 3B - Shadow of the Tower:
+ This mission is super boring on fresh playthrough, but quite fun in NG+. There, I'm strong enough to slay Sypha for the most powerful item - surpassing even Orb of Death and Crown of Kings - Mask of Death. I can speed run with Burrow/Battle Charge, and I can smash Zava at the end.
+ The boss in Kossei's section can drop Alleria's Flute. Just want to mention that since Warsong Battle Drums and Legion Doom-Horn were renamed, this thing should also be renamed. Not gonna use it because Kitty Band exists, but still.
+ Also, this chapter shows that Hokuto can, sometimes, be helpful instead of creepy.

- Chapter 4 - Family Reunion:
+ A possessed human leading an army of spiders, trolls, and dragons against the imbeciles of Zande and Radik. A straightforward mission, but I wish that our enemies would attack from different directions, or even set up bases around Gold Mines that are normally occupied by Furbolgs.
+ Sazabi can use a better skillset too. RIght now, he's only a remodeled Rokhan.
+ Vadis has Slow Poison, but I think he can only use it on air units (because ground attack is Missile (Splash) which can't apply poison). It greatly limits its usefulness, because the Zande barely uses air units, and the Radik only has Shadow Hydras which can't attack air, or Carrion Birds which are easily killed by AoE damage, like Hanami Festival.

- Chapter 5 - Foreign Ruin:
+ Defense mission is boring. However, since I have lv10 Heroes, I preemptively destroys every base by myself, before Kossei is even half way done. Scaldar's Lunar Dragon Strike helps a lot here, because the last AoE attack deals ton of damage to structures.
+ Lots of Magic Vaults. I save-scummed a lot to get good +6 gears back in the days, but nowaday, I value mana regeneration more, so no farming needed.

- Chapter 6 - Showdown:
+ How did the Zande employed so many pandas to fight for them?
+ Somehow, the bears posed more of a challenge than Fake Shizu. To call her a boss fight is an insult to all bosses.
+ Nevermind, Medusa is even weaker.
+ The puzzle sections are also easy to figure out. I played this map too many times to ever forget about them.
+ Night Dragons put up a fight. Not a good one, but a fight nonetheless.
+ Now Shyron is challenging. The way I see it, I had three ways to deal with her:
1: Brute force. To help with this strat, Soul Power is almost a must because it deals Chaos damage, and I can also apply Lightning Shield to Shyron for her to damage Shizuka, which makes Shikigami procs more often.
2: Freeze: Cone of Frost disables evasion. Nuff said.
3: Death and Decay: Kosseimaru's classic. Too much collateral damage, but it works.
+ I also accidentally let Kanna dies at the same time as Shyron, but I use the "Load Game" trick to proceed. I wasn't able to skip the cinematic as my punishment.
+ Kossei also said this, which made me crack up:
+ This cinematic also explains the existence of Journal pages, and I like that there are lore behind gameplay mechanics.



- Chapter 7A - Fallen Comrades:
+ Old map from Book 1 - Chapter 5, so there's not much to explore. However, I like the twist of having various old friends repaying Shizu and Hikaru's good deeds by joining their forces, so this is a plus.
+ Higure is invulnerable, but he is a dumbass. If I attack multiple bases at once, he doesn't know where to go and end up getting stuck in the middle of nowhere.
+ The main quest itself is meh, however, just doing the same exact thing for five times in a row. Higure without invulnerability is also not a threat to anyone, since the only spell he uses is Water Elemental.
+ Also, bug: If Shion died, then is revived, he will be duplicated after Chika is rescued.
+ Or maybe, there had always been two Shions all along?

- Chapter 7B - Spider's Song:
+ Reiko is patient. Even when I sit relaxedly in a corner, waiting to summon all 9 of Mizuki's monsters, Reiko still lets me do so. It's a shame she has to die.
+ Hikaru the Zealous is Hikaru, but with his self-righteousness and obnoxiousness at maximum. However, he's nothing compared to the real one, and was destroyed without mercy.
+ WIth all obstacles cleared, time to move on to the last chapter of Book 2. The final boss fight.

- Chapter 8 - Fatal Duel:
+ Alright, I'll admit it. All this time, I've been hiding a very important thing. The thing that whenever appears, causes my run to be much smoother and easier. And with that, I present:
+ Lore-Accurate Kosseimaru. After accumlating hundreds of tomes throughout 10s or 20s (or even more) playthroughs, this is the result. The ultimate culmination of power.
+ But even then, Metal Arcadia is still the toughest boss, dealing massive AoE chaos damage, has a huge HP pool and can even use Soul Power. However, remember me using Star Princess Miranda, Wind Assassin Ziel and Lord of Chaos Hikaru. The combination of Demoralizing Shout, Slow Missile Aura, and Sentinel's Cripple reduces her damage by more than 100%. She can't soften my team up to go for the kill with Soul Powers anymore, so in the end, I got her with 0 death. Hard difficulty finally beaten.

- I recently got curious and dug through your triggers, and I got to say, it's a treasure trove for a map-making fledgling like I am. Can I have permission to use/edit some of these custom systems (specifically Item Stack) and custom abilities to be used in my own map in the future? Credits will be given to you and whoever is the co-author, of course.
- Another stupid question, but I also dug through the Affection system and well, the EventFlag[64] and EventFlag[65] are certainly interesting. So, why exactly do they boost Johan's affection?