I just started playing this game (on loan from VE) and while most of it is simple enough, there are a few things I think I might need advice on:
1) Weapon Synthesis- I just got this ability and have not tried it yet. Let me see if I got it right: this does NOT really cause a permanent change on your weapons- it just add a combination of abilities (up to three) from Mana crystals you create, right? And you can later remove them and add them to another weapon? Or am I way off base? Is it even worth doing?
2) Mana Health- Ok, I know the Manas lose health when used for synthesis. And that they get restored with items. Some are obvious (wood items for the Wood Mana, etc.) but, is it worth it giving them Mana stones? Or are they too rare for that? Overall what are the best gifts?
3) Mana Bath- Now this is a truly unusual feature… a process to keep a Player Character alive! Would she actually die if not administered, or just run out of mana? Or be incapacitated? More importantly how often should I treat her?
4) Rare Items- Finally, are there any items I should preserve, because once used you never find anymore?
(Yeah, I could go to a FAQ, but I don’t want to have to read tons of pages or lists, I just need some tips so I can then judge things on my own.)
Weapon Synthesis - theoretically useful, but I never bothered with it at all. Mana stones are more useful to be sold for money - easiest way tog et money in this game.
Mana Health - see above for giving them Mana Stones. Honestly, each mana is different in what it lies, but I found giving them medicines worked best.
Mana bath - heal her pretty much after every dungeon. She doesn;t die, I don;t think - there’s a cap to how low her MP drops. but it does impact her fighting abilities, especially with bosses.
Rare items - Dragon horns (or Virum Horns) are one of the rarest items in the game. if you somehow get one, keep it. You need… I think at least three, to get a perfect game. Hollow Pumpkins, as I recall, are harder to find as well. and the Invisible Gear - there’s really only one in the game, but luckily, there’s only one recipe that needs it. That covers most of it…
Comet Stones (Or something with such a name) are in somewhat abundant stock, but become inscreasingly scarce for a while until much later on when you get an unlimited source. Just ration them for a while since the ring you make with them is used in a several components.
Lita won’t die permanently, and she actually gets very good power-up when she’s just about to run out (Though obviously, she becomes useless after that runs off) so just heal her every time before going to a dungeon like Val said and it’ll be fine.
I usually kept my mana at top condition since they make extra items when they are near 100%. Just feed them shitty stuff that matches their element yet you can get anywhere and it’ll be fine.
And good lord I just remembered what a shitty battle and alchemy system AE1 had. Looking at every title leading up to Mana-Khemia, it’s really impressive how well Gust learnt and kept improving with each one.
By the way, once you get to… that other town. There’s like three of them anyway, the one with the bakery: There’s a store in there that stocks a Dragon Horn once in a blue moon. If you, by some miracle, ever see it in stock, BUY IT. They’re a pain in the ass to get, even once you get to the enemies that drop it (Who are in the final dungeon, are pretty strong, and have a minuscle drop chance)
Thanks, guys, I’ve taken note of your tips. I’m going to be very careful- making sure I have at least one of every item left, JUST in case (I like to do that in most games anyway.)
I already tried making a Mana Crystal- and got something with an unpronounceable name (what’s up with that?) that fit only into a few weapons. But, it’s a start.
Btw… is it me, or is there a certain amount of- ecchi material in this game? No, nothing blatant like pantie flashing or such, but there’s been a fair amount of nudity (with ‘naughty parts’ blocked from sight), suspicious references by characters, etc. and I’m only about 14 hours into the game! WHAT? No it’s not just my dirty mind!! You’re not going to tell me that Lita’s and Marietta’s first meeting- when both were stark naked- was not meant to titillate the viewer! And how about Lector being obsessed with petting Norn? That was kinda creepy…
While AE2 was pretty bland and Ar Tonelico consisted of “hang in there until the bitch finishes chanting”, Grand Phantasm and Mana-Khemia made a whole lot of improvements to the system. It’s not so noticeable in Grand Phantasm since it’s still needing a few improvements and it’s masked by how much everything else sucks, but the latter made battles a whole lot more strategic while keeping a fairly fast pace.
Alchemy doesn’t change much as a whole on the long run except for making it more productive and less stupidly exploitable (lol AE2, as if the game wasn’t easy enough on its own). Ar Tonelico was the first system I really had fun tinkering with (Shurelia and Lyner’s comments parodying the whole thing might have helped) but by Mana-Khemia you actually have a lot of control and some room for customization. It actually feels like you are making stuff yourself rather than just gather A, B and C and putting them together.
Also, I bloody hate AE1’s weapon customization. I ignored the whole thing until post-endgame, and even then the benefits of the best enhancements weren’t even that noticeable, let alone enough to justify the effort.
When I played Ar Tonelico, m sister and I could not stop laughing at all the innuendo. Espeically about Misha’s worries about her first time “diving.” I mean, Jesus!
I didn’t find Weapon Synthesis to be too bad actually, but yeah, a lot of it is annoying. There are a couple of skills that you want to work on getting that are massively useful, other than that, I just kinda put the slightly more useful stones on weapons I liked and sold the rest.
Also, this has been bothering me, the description of Mana Khemia on ebgames.com says that it’s the 5th Atelier game to be released in the US, so what’s the 4th? Ar Tonelico?
It’s a very vague and badly researched review. Mana-Khemia isn’t even part of the Atelier series to begin with. The only Atelier games released in English have been the three Iris: Eternal Mana, Eternal Mana 2 and Grand Phantasm.
By the way, for completely unrelated and wholly legal reasons, anyone happens to have a decently sized scan of the Mana-Khemia US cover?
Originally Posted by Seraphim Ephyon By the way, for completely unrelated and wholly legal reasons, anyone happens to have a decently sized scan of the Mana-Khemia US cover?
Ok, I’m 50 hours into the game now, and I just cured Lita of her problem. (Yay!) And btw… I have TWO Dragon Horns. Really. Got one at the store, the other dropped off a dragon in Silentia. Guess I got lucky.
I guess I can make the Ultimate Armor now- BUT! I would have to sacrifice the Gogo Suit for it. (NOOO!! :bowser: ) Actually, what worries me is that I need the suit for a quest involving Delsus. To make another, I need a carved pumpkin… can I find another somewhere in the game?
PS: Does the Bunny suit go with something else for a special effect? It says “part of a set.” The Paw Gloves, maybe?
OK, I’m now about to face Mull, which I guess means I’m next to the end of the story. I’m almost sad about it; I’ve enjoyed the game so much. (And yes, I know about the post-game dungeon, I intend to tackle it too.)
Of course, before I face Mull, I intend to finish ALL the sidequests and synthesis I have left to do. I think I finally have all the ingredients for Veola’s Chronolex, for example, and I can’t wait to see how her plotline ends…
Oh yeah, I found another hollow pumpkin! So now I can make another Go-Go Suit to complete Delsus’s subquest AND still make that Ultimate Armor. (And in case you’re wondering, I have Delsus currently wearing both the Gogo Suit AND the Gogo Pants. It just seems to fit him, I think. ) Staying Alive! Staying Alive! ♪
:hahaha;
Aaargh, I was wrong- I’m still missing two ingredients for the Chronolex: The Twilight Board and the Annual Gear. Where are they? In Mull’s castle? Or do I need to expand somebody’s shop to get them- like the ones in the Hidden Village?
If I remember correctly, the Annual Gear and Twilight Board are both made in that… thing’s shop. The little critter in the Hidden Village. Forgot his name. Yeah, if he doesn’t have the option to make them yet you’ll have to expand his shop.
(And yes, I know about the post-game dungeon, I intend to tackle it too.)
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