Star Ocean 2: The Second Story

The Core Video Games Forum
1

Thanks to my country being so damned isolated, I had to search twenty video stores until I found a working copy of the game. Okay, I spent only 15 pesos (5 dolars) so it came out pretty cheap, but it was still a pain.

Thankfully, I remembered about the Talent/Skill system from Star Ocean 1, but there’s so much new stuff that I am a little confused on what to raise first. It seems like unless I want to suffer painful hours of failed tries, I should get Orchestra, but I’m still not sure what to do with everything else.

I wanted to ask for advice on how to raise Claude. I’m on Claude’s scenario right after meeting with Celine on the Cross plaza.

By the way, I’m losing my time waiting to hear anything about Ratix, right?

2

Ratix isn’t even mentioned in SO2, unfortunately. There are a few references to the game here and there, but each Star Ocean is designed so that the SO newbie won’t have to worry about missing anything if he or she missed an earlier installment of the series.

Anyways, you’re right about Orchestra. It increases your chances of item creation success greatly, but unfortunately, it’s not available until Disc 2. However, I can assure you of one thing: there’s only one skill that you will use extensively on Disc 1, and that is Pickpocketing. Aside from making valuables with Metalwork and selling them, that is.

Make sure your lead character has the Dexterity talent and build up his Pickpocketing skill (Poker Face, Courage), and start Pickpocketing once your level is quite high. However, make sure that when you’re done with Pickpocketing, you work towards getting the Orchestra and Blacksmith super specialty skills for Disc 2.

The most important skill to max out first for ANY character is Perserverance. This reduces the SP cost of all other skills.

Finally, for Claude, begin with Perserverance (of course), then work your way towards boosting his attack power through Kitchen Knife. Poker Face and Danger Sense are important as well for boosting Guts and Stamina respectively (with more Stamina, your HP and MP recover by greater amounts after battle). Good battle skills to invest in include Spirit Force, Below The Belt, Gale, Mental Training and Feint. As for Killer Moves, begin by using the Head Splitter attack, then move on to Burst Knuckle, Ripper Blast, Twin Slash, and then finally Dragon Howl and Mirror Slice.

So, that’s about it, I suppose. Like I said, go for Pickpocket in the beginning (and give it to Claude since he’s your main character and thus can pickpocket during Private Actions and during a certain scene in Disc 1). Once you reach Disc 2, item creation becomes a bit more accessable and fun.

3

I knew about the Pickpocket thing (I already have it at Level 5).

A question about perseverance. Is there a point to increasing it when the SP cost of a skill is 1? I mean, shouldn’t I increase it only when a skill’s SP cost is too high?

No Ratix? They put Ronixis in it but not Ratix? That sucks. I thought he would turn out to be Rena’s father or something.

4

No, because the game “remembers” each time it was lowered. For instance, Writing will stay at 1 skill point if you increase it for example, 3 times, and then it’ll start to get higher. So even when the skill points are as low as they can go, you can still max out Perserverance without worrying that you’re wasting it. The skill points will stay extremely low for awhile and then as you increase more, it’ll jump back to the number it was at.

5

Great, I wasted around fifty of Claude’s SP.

6

No, you didn’t. You should get Perseverance up to level 10 ASAP. You aren’t wasting it because you definitely want it to happen anyway, trust me. 8p

By the way, Ratix is mentioned, exactly once, by an NPC in SO2. A cookie to whoever knows where it is.

7

Yes I did. I only increased Perseverance twice and wasted about 50 SP in skills that could have been potencially easier. I doesn’t matter anyway because I restarted (Yes, I’m a perfectionist whore). I wasn’t that far anyway but I would kill for some way to skip the scenes in Arlia.

8

Don’t worry too much about wasting SP. You can actually win SP in increments of 100 once you reach the battle arena on Disc 2.

9

SO3 lets you skip scenes. :sunglasses: WEEEE

10

I think that is a wonderful feature.

  • About twenty minutes after beating Alen * REGIS, I FUCKING GET IT OKAY!? I’M SUPPOSED TO SAVE THE WORLD CUZ I’M A BLONDE MAN-SLUT AND THIS IS A GODDAMNED RPG! JUST CUT THE SORCERY GLOBE CRAP AND LET ME AND THE ELVEN-ISH WHORE GET GOING! OH GOD NO! I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR STUPID PARENTS DAMNIT! ARRRGGHHH!

By the way Cid, can you tell me when is Ratix mentioned? Please, otherwise I’ll probably spend the entire game talking to every NPC at least thrice until I find it.

11

I’ll narrow it down: It’s someone in Fun City.

12

Close enough, thanks.

13

A Star Ocean Girl Fan in the doujinshi store in Fun City says:

“Ooooh, Rati my love…”

Also, Claude mentions that his dog was named Rati in a PA, and then mentions that his father gave it the name.

14

Thanks, I just got to Energy Nede so I haven’t seen it yet. I’m not sure I would be happy if one of my friends named a dog after me… I wonder what Ratix would think.

15

Where the heck is Fake Gallery supposed to be? I’ve been flying around Energy Nede and checking all the towns for about an hour and I still haven’t found it.

16

It’s on a tiny island south of Noah’s hometown (the one with lots of snow). There is a chain of islands below that continent, and one you can land on. Try landing on all of them, and then if you can, run around and it’ll take you into the shop.

17

Thanks. Let’s see if I can get this damned game over with.

Also, I’d like to ask a plot-realted question. There’s supposed to be a PA with Ernest that explains why Noel and Leon have cat-ears (And why Leon is a Fellpool like the guys from SO1) but since I choose Ashton and there’s not a way in heaven or hell I’m going to re-play the whole game for just a scene, I’d apreciate if someone could tell me what that was about.