The 'Shroom:Issue 233/Strategy Wing
Director's Notes
Written by: Hooded Pitohui (talk)
Hello, all you readers of The 'Shroom! What an Awards Ceremony! I'd like to give a hand to everyone who presented at Awards this year, as well as to the hard-working Awards Committee members who organized the event. It was great to see so many folks in the community turn out for the big day.
Here at Strategy Wing, we have a guest section for this month! Waluigi Time (talk) joins us once again with a Rising from Obscurity, this time centered around the oldest proper character the section will ever cover! At least, they'll be the oldest character from the Mario franchise. I suppose there could be some older figures in the world of gaming that had a later resurgence. We don't have to limit the section to Mario characters!
The new batch of reports has come in from L Corp. Manager Koops (talk) has successfully extracted enough E-Boxes to send in a new video log. Even better, thanks to some recent equipment upgrades, you should notice an increase in recording quality. However, the reports do indicate that there were issues with the in-game audio mixing, in part due to some sort of... "cog. filter"? Rest assured, the game's music should be restored in future recordings!
Aside from that, we have our usual slate of sections ready and waiting. There's excitement to be had in An Overly Detailed and Funny Walkthrough of Mega Man 6 as Sparks (talk) once again infiltrates the fortress of the persistent Dr. Wily! Back in Ancient China, Lord Kong Rong convenes Harold Harefoot (talk) and his other advisors to prepare a strategy for dealing with Dong Zhuo. Surely he won't offer any more insulting gifts as we make our preparations... There's a great Killing the Killing Game Roles to look forward to, as well, despite Roserade (talk) looking a little... greener than usual.
There is plenty to read, so I'll let you peek at Section of the Month get to it! As a reminder, if you're feeling inspired after Awards, you can always sign up to be a part of Strategy Wing. Just follow the instructions in the red box!
Section of the Month
We have a tie this month! On one side, there's Sparks (talk), who taught us how to land a hit on a wall-climbing machine and avoid the Fire Tellies to make it through the perils of Mr. X's fortress! On the other side, in Four Steps for a 3D World, "Bowser on Ice" left us out in the cold. A huge thanks to all of you for your continued support! I hope you'll keep on voting to show our dedicated team of writers that you appreciate them!
| STRATEGY WING SECTION OF THE MONTH | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Section | Votes | % | Writer |
| 1st | An Overly Detailed and Funny Walkthrough of Mega Man 6 | 4 | 25.53% | Sparks (talk) |
| 1st | Four Steps for a 3D World | 4 | 25.53% | Hooded Pitohui (talk) |
| 2nd | The Tattle Log | 2 | 11.76% | Sparks (talk) |
| 2nd | So You Want to Romance the Three Kingdoms? | 2 | 11.76% | Harold Harefoot (talk) |
| 2nd | Rhythm Review | 2 | 11.76% | Zange (talk) |
| 2nd | Killing the Killing Game Roles | 2 | 11.76% | Roserade (talk) |
Four Steps for a 3D World
Written by: Hooded Pitohui (talk)
Hello all you readers of The 'Shroom, and welcome back to Four Steps for a 3D World! Here, we look at levels from a selection of 3D Super Mario titles through the lens of a design philosophy Koichi Hayashida discussed in an interview, either mapping out how they use it or contrasting them against it.
In brief, 3D Mario game levels in certain titles are designed around an introduction (
) that lets a player learn a mechanic in a safe environment, further development (
) that builds on what the player is learning and introduces more complicated aspects of a mechanic, a twist (
) that adds some kind of significant wrinkle or challenge to force players to consider the mechanic from a new angle, and a conclusion (
) which gives players one final satisfying chance to show they've mastered the mechanic. We look at 3D Mario levels and see if they conform to this model while trying to get some insight on how a good level is constructed.
I hope you all like Super Mario Galaxy 2, because I've been replaying it and I've found, like, three more missions well-suited to this section! It turns out that the game which bridged the gap between 3D sandbox Super Mario games and the more linear 3D Land/3D World pair (where the four step philosophy crystallized) is ripe for dissection!
Flipsville Galaxy has always stood out to me for its oddness. Its inexplicable suburban house aesthetic and completely unnatural sky filled with white arrows combine with some neat uses of its gravity-flipping to make it remarkably memorable. In fact, I remember playing through it and Supermassive Galaxy one Saturday morning more clearly than any part of my original Super Mario Galaxy 2 playthrough from way back in 2010. There's a certain segment in its first mission my mind jumps to the moment folks start discussing the game.
Today, however, we're going to dissect Flipsville Galaxy's second mission. "Flipsville's New Digs" throws out the grates and Pupdozers of the first mission, cracking windows and throwing dirt around to create a new "dilapidated house" aesthetic while bringing the Spin Drill into play.
| Step | Image | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Refresher |
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The mission deposits Mario/Luigi onto the starting planet from the first mission with some substantial changes. Patches of dirt replace the grates, necessitating the use of the Spin Drill to flip between the planet's top half and underside, flipping gravity in the process. The planet is divided into open-air "rooms" by various walls, so players must navigate from dirt patch to dirt patch, finding the ones that will let them bypass the walls. They eventually end up on the topside roof, jumping down to an isolated room to reach the Launch Star. The first mission's Pupdozers are replaced here by Micro Mecha-Bowsers, which are slightly more dangerous since they actively pursue Mario/Luigi. I call this a refresher step because the devs clearly expect players to be comfortable with the gravity flipping, with navigating the planet, and with a little danger. They know that players know how to flip gravity and learned how to use the Spin Drill to go between halves of a planet way back in Spin-Dig Galaxy, and so offer this as the most baseline "remember how to use the Spin Drill?" as possible. It teaches nothing new, but that's not bad. All it needs to do is to reacquaint players with the Spin Drill, and it accomplishes that. |
| Filler |
|
Don't mind the label yet. I'll elaborate on it below. The Launch Star deposits Mario/Luigi onto a three-layered planet with a big tower of dirt running through/sticking out of each layer. There are a couple Twirlips and a Spin Drill. This planet challenges players to align themselves with the dirt towers so they can drill through them and reach a Warp Pipe at one end. It requires drilling and repositioning twice due to the alignment of the towers and the flipping gravity, but unless we're counting "do it twice" as a challenge, there's nothing here that wasn't already in the second planet of the Spin-Dig Galaxy. There is no new challenge here. That makes sense for a refresher like we saw on the first planet, but what is this planet advancing? Why is this planet here? Some developer had to take time to make it and place it here, so what were they trying to accomplish with it? This planet fascinates me, and we will discuss its implications below. |
| Twist |
|
Can we have a Twist without a Development section? Yes we can, and my evidence is what's beyond the Warp Pipe! The Warp Pipe places Mario/Luigi into a three-by-three arrangement of nine enclosed rooms separated by dilapidated walls. There are dirt strips in the walls, allowing players to use the Spin Drill to travel between rooms. Each room has its own gravity. Just as we've seen throughout Flipsville, the gravity of each room flips between two states. However, unlike in the rest of Flipsville, the player does not control when gravity flips. Gravity flips in every room on a set timer, with the music making clear the timer's duration. Taking gravity-flipping out of the player's hands is one part of the twist, though that too has appeared elsewhere in the game. Unlike in the rest of Flipsville, the binary in a given room is not always up/down. In some rooms, gravity switches between right/down, right/up, left/right, and so on. This is the second component of the twist. This divides the overall structure into certain circuits, meaning that there aren't always direct connections between adjoining rooms. This section uses its setup to send players on a Silver Star hunt, making a fun little puzzle where players have to consider what route will get them to a given Silver Star. |
| Conclusion |
|
After collecting all of the Silver Stars, a Power Star appears in the center of the central room. A player will never finish in the central room since it lacks a Silver Star, so there's always an element of "go find a route back to the center". That makes this one final opportunity for players to show they've mastered the new mechanic, so this is a textbook Conclusion step. |
This mission doesn't conform to our four steps. That's no great surprise considering the four step philosophy hadn't yet taken its final shape, even if we see it crop up in other places in Super Mario Galaxy 2. Does it make this mission bad? Not at all! As I've emphasized before, the four steps are a tool, and there are many times when it makes sense to stray from them!
If we leave off there, though, we leave a lot of worthwhile discussion on the table. To look at this mission in isolation and solely through the lens of the four steps is to limit our analysis, so let's put it in dialogue with the rest of the game and with the broader Super Mario franchise. Look through the catalogue of Super Mario missions and levels in both 2D and 3D, and it stands out that the developers emphasize introducing a new concept in every level. A new surprise or new mechanic in every mission seems to be somewhat of a guiding philosophy for Mario platformers. Sometimes that's accomplished with a new combination of old elements. For instance, by the time players reach the Starshine Beach Galaxy, they'll be familiar with Dash Peppers, Yoshi, and water, but they'll get to use Dash Peppers to run on top of water for the first time.
Just Fill Dirt?
First launching into "Flipsville's New Digs", I expected something similar to happen. Take the Spin Drill from the Spin-Dig Galaxy, take the gravity-flipping from the first mission in Flipsville, and combine them into a new and exciting experience. And that does happen! Eventually! I find the little three-by-three arrangement of rooms massively fun and brilliant as a combination of older mechanics. Until that point, however, this mission... didn't offer anything new? I can excuse the first planet. The developers wanted to reacquaint players with the Spin Drill, and returning to that starting planet to see it in a changed state helps to establish that the aesthetic has changed and makes for a less jarring shift between missions.
That second planet with the towers of dirt, though... why is it here? What does it bring? It's not mechanically incoherent with the rest of the mission. It still involves using the Spin Drill to flip between two states of gravity. The trouble is, while not as overt about the gravity flipping, Spin-Dig basically already did this by having players go between two halves of a planet with dirt towers. Maybe one can argue that this planet exists for the spectacle of drilling through a really big dirt tower. We've discussed the role of spectacle before, so it's not implausible, but, again, players already traveled through dirt towers in Spin-Dig. It doesn't diminish that this is a cool moment or that it's breezy and inoffensive; it's just odd to have that kind of repetition.
I can't help but wonder if the second planet exists because the developers felt the mission was too short without it. Is this planet filler, reusing old concepts just to extend the length of a mission? Could it be that a developer had this great concept for that gravity-flipping arrangement of rooms, but not a way to extend that into a full mission? I suspect it is, but I also wouldn't be surprised if there's some other consideration I'm missing. We'll never know unless the Galaxy 2 developers decide to talk about this random planet in this random mission. I bring it up regardless because it raises an interesting question. Is there a minimum length for a mission? Is there some standard minimum amount of time or content to which a Mario mission should be held?
Short & Sweet
In Super Mario 64, even a new player who is curious enough can obtain a Star just by walking as far as the Chain Chomp and pounding its stake. That's not exactly a lengthy mission, and yet I haven't encountered anyone who decries it. If it seems unfair to draw from a fully sandbox title, in Super Mario Galaxy 2, there's "The Secret Wall Jump" in the Honeyhop Galaxy, which a player can complete in a few seconds if they happen to wall jump up in search of secrets. I haven't seen much negative reception to that mission, though I'll grant I haven't seen that mission discussed much at all. In general, I don't see people criticizing missions for feeling too short. I see plenty of criticism for other reasons, like the repetitiveness of Shadow Mario chases or Red Coin hunts or the unintuitive nature of "spray the sun from this treetop" or "zoom in on a flying taxi", but not so much length.
If that second planet really was added on account of length concerns, perhaps those concerns were unnecessary. There's no arbitrary minimum or maximum length a Mario mission should aim for. A mission should be as long as it needs to be in order to introduce a new and exciting challenge or mechanic, and no longer. If there's not enough room to avoid a new concept feeling underbaked, then make the mission longer! If there's a portion of the mission where nothing new is happening, and that portion doesn't justify its existence another way (e.g., hiding a secret or refreshing players on a mechanic), then cut it out! Let the ideas guide the length. I think that's the lesson to take away from "Flipsville's New Digs".
And on the note of not going on longer than necessary, we'll wrap up there! With four absent Toads, three rooms with Fuzzies, two Twirlips, and one planet that inspired a lot of words, this has been Four Steps for a 3D World!
Killing the Killing Game Roles
Welcome back, readers, to another edition of Killing the Killing Game Roles, the section where we analyze various player roles from past Mario Boards Killing Games in hope of answering the question, what makes for a good role? By analyzing what's come before, we can discover some tricks and tips that could even help you design your own roles!
Can you believe that the Awards Ceremony is already behind us? Several months of work from all corners of the community, all paying off in a lovely display of everyone's creativity... But while the Ceremony proper has passed, the Awards Season continues along, especially with Awards Killing Game 2x2 still in session. 2x2 roles will remain off the table for the next few months until the game reaches its conclusion, but I thought to grab a role with some coincidental relevance to 2x2's setting and lore.
After all, what's an experimental Gadd lab without some Goo lying around?
AKG3 - Ultimate Goo Assistant
- You're Gooigi, E. Gadd's creation meant to assist with his paranormal research. He attempted to send you back in time to the Mansion he met Luigi in, but an accident with the Pixelator landed you in New Wikisville right as the Party Cube arrived. Now you're trapped in this Killing Game. But it's okay. You're literally made to survive anything thrown at you, and when you finish, there should be twenty-nine new ghosts to bring to the Professor.
- As Gooigi, your most notable feature is your unique composition. Being made out of Goo, you cannot be harmed by physical means. You're completely immune to bludgeoning, cutting, stabbing, squashing, and any other physical attacks on your being. Things that would kill anyone else will only shave some Goo off from you temporarily, or, if it's really bad, temporarily splatter you, delaying you as you work to complete your night actions.
- Unfortunately, you can't handle the elements. Wind, fire, water, ice, incendiary explosives, and other such elemental forces are your weakness. Being exposed to these elements will wear you down significantly, and prolonged exposure to these elements will even kill you. Any kind of acute exposure to these elemental forces will kill you instantly, so take care.
- You have one more ability, and that's the ability to take Goo from your body and use it as an all-purpose adhesive. It's not strong enough to, say, trap somebody in place if they step on it, but it can slow them down. You can use it to prop open doors, seal cracks, hang things on a wall, or make it difficult to remove an item for players without high strength.
- As Gooigi, you have very high Stamina, and, being literally made to serve, a high social stat. Without a solid physical form, though, you lack the strength needed for demanding tasks.
- FA: E. Gadd created you to serve, so you cannot refuse any direct requests from other players. Whether during the night phase, during a day phase, or for something like a body check, you must acquiesce to anything phrased as a request.
Stats
- Strength - 2
- Stealth - 3
- Stamina - 5
- Speed - 3
- Social - 4
We're back again in the world of Awards Killing Game 3 for this month. You'll notice that I've returned to AKG3 for a good number of Killing the Killing Game Roles, and my reasoning for it is twofold. For one, I cohosted this game, so the player roles as a collective pool are much easier for me to retain, and I've had seven years now to mull over their design. For another, I've found that a lot of the AKG3 offerings stand as solid examples of specific archetypes or tropes you'll find in many Killing Games. This is one such case, and I'll discuss this role's niche in just a moment.
The Ultimate Goo Assistant was utilized by BBQ Turtle (talk) throughout her time in Peach's Castle, up until the second case of the Eternal Star merge map. She was the victim of the night, as a result of one of the more ludicrous kill methods a community KG has seen. There's a chance I'll discuss it in more details if I ever cover the other role responsible, but for now, know that it involved a magma hot tub and several Piranha Plants.
Still, it's evident that this role served BBQ well throughout the first half of the game. Just what advantages and play style does the Ultimate Goo Assistant provide her? Let's find out together.
General Overview
Before we discuss the nature of this role, we should first begin with a baseline mechanical understanding of Killing Game.
For every KG (or at least, for every that has existed up to now), there has been an agreed-upon conceit for the players: from a mechanical standpoint, every participant has the bodily anatomy and capabilities of a "standard human being". This means that while you are moving around the map, you are functionally operating on two sets of legs, and utilizing two sets of hands for actions. Every player is also assumed to be wearing some kind of outfit that is removable or recognizable as their own, with pockets that can be used to store items. And as part of this humanoid affair, every player is assumed to be susceptible to similar levels of violence, and will respond as expected to damage, be it fractured limbs or bleeding out.
Now, there are plenty of people who play characters who are not your standard human, be them quadruped dragons or fish operating robotic suits. It is true that a host might provide flavor text that would align more closely with the character someone's playing as - for instance, saying "paws" instead of "hands". Regardless of these little flourishes, though, it should be assumed when you sign up for a Killing Game that your bodily mechanics will not be informed by the character you've opted to depict. You will mechanically walk on two legs, you will have pockets, and you will bleed when you are stabbed. This keeps a neutral ground for everyone, and allows for roles to build from a standard base.
With all of that said, many KGs will have a role which fundamentally changes how the player's body functions. The Ultimate Goo Assistant is one such example. Although the humanoid, bipedal aspects remain the same, the Goo Assistant has a completely unique biological makeup compared to anyone else in the game, and therefore comes with its own set of new strengths and weaknesses.
When creating a role that's thoroughly adjusting the base player profile like this, the weaknesses are just as important to consider as the strengths. What unique opportunities does this player have to interact with the structure of KG traversal - and what do they have to offset this innate difference? The Goo Assistant navigates this dichotomy in a very straightforward way, as will be illustrated later on.
As a final note here, there have been passive discussions I've seen about the potential for KG to support more than one body type or composition. At the start of the game, players could select from one of multiple body options, all with their own strengths and weaknesses. This idea has a lot of merit, and I think it would be interesting to explore! For now, while we're looking at our standard status quo, let's examine how the Goo Assistant deviates from it.
Ability Application
He's Goo for an incredible reason!
But for real, what does being made of Goo mean for the Goo Assistant? Well, it means being predominantly immune to all sorts of physical damage that would otherwise incapacitate or kill someone. Piercing, bludgeoning, it'll all roll right off the body. Perhaps this goes without saying, but in the world of Killing Game, this is a wild boon. Many people's kill attempts will be based in utilizing things like knives, swords, or hammers, the expected forceful means of taking someone's life. From the way this role is written, I would even expect a bullet to scrape right through the player, without so much as a small chunk of Goo falling away. When you take these sorts of weapons out of the picture, suddenly the ways in which you can eliminate the Goo Assistant become a lot more narrow.
There are instances where the Goo Assistant can become "splattered", though, rendering them immobilized for some time. I imagine this is for instances where keeping bodily composition would be impossible - for instance, if they were crushed by a falling anvil. Still, having this just be a delayed "splattering" rather than an actual death is a massive strength. In general, you're capable of walking around the map with a little more security, especially when many traps will hinge on utilizing blades or larger physical weapons.
Additionally, the Goo Assistant can take off chunks of Goo from their own body to use as a multipurpose adhesive. Although I assume there would be a limit to the amount that could be removed from the body, this isn't exactly specified in the role's text proper... so I guess maybe you get an infinite supply? Regardless, having a specialized adhesive is awesome for a lot of circumstances. Need to ensure that a crack in some glass doesn't break? Goo. Need to prop up an item for puzzle solving? Goo. For some reason, the specific image I keep returning to is using Goo on your hands and feet as suction cups for climbing. Now that would be wicked. If I'm forgetting an instance where BBQ Turtle actually did that in-game, I apologize for forgetting.
For me, I'd be especially curious to know if the pulled-off Goo is just as susceptible to elemental hazards as the main body is. This would act as a limitation in many respects, like you couldn't hold back mass amounts of water by using Goo on a hatch... But it would add extra potential to disguise movement or trigger traps. If you're dangling a weapon overhead and then leave a lighter burning next to it, eventually that Goo will dissolve, and down comes your kill attempt. Really fun stuff to consider.
I suppose I should mention the stat specialization. Uhhh, it probably has use. I'm glad we're past the days of concerning ourselves with stat spreads, as much as I enjoy the ttrpg flavor they add to role cards.
Drawbacks & Balances
"Wait, isn't environmental functionality usually next?" I hear you ask. Yes, it is, but because the weaknesses of this role are just as inherent to its functions as its strengths, we'll be discussing the role's drawbacks first.
The most critical piece here is the Goo Assistant's weakness to the elements. In classical Luigi's Mansion lore (and as seen in AKG2x2), these would be ice, water, and fire, which are all highlighted here. Alongside these are wind and incendiary explosives, and "other such elemental forces". I'm not sure if many more need specifying... besides maybe electricity? Anyway, the natural elements are the weakness to offset the invulnerability to physical damage. Sure, a knife won't kill you, but freezing elements will. And while anybody can fall victim to fire or drowning, I think it's clear with this role's structure that there is a more innate weakness to these things. Somebody can take a dip in the sea and presumably be alright, but the Goo Assistant might start dissolving then and there.
What this means is that, although the Goo Assistant can continue on with some reassurance, they must take extra precautions in other areas to ensure that the rain doesn't... well, rain on their parade. This isn't impossible by any means - umbrellas exist, as do flame retardant articles of clothing. Really, I think the prominence of this as a weakness is dependent on other aspects of the game. For instance, if you have a pyromancer running around, and someone else is able to use ice magic, you've got two massive threats for the Goo Assistant moving forward. Either way, this is a large limiter that stops them from being nigh-untouchable - very reasonably so!
The one area I feel like this role is missing specificity on is poisoning, be it through digestion or fumes. Can the Goo Assistant go walk through a room inflicted with gas, or does that also contribute to their spread of weaknesses?
While the elemental susceptibility is the biggest neon red flag here, there's a few other aspects of this role that can prove troublesome. For one, this is a very visible role. If someone takes a mallet to your skull, they're gonna notice the invulnerability, and likely notice a bit of Goo come off of you. Scale this attempt up further, and someone's gonna notice the way you completely splatter along the ground. This also goes for if you pull Goo off yourself; someone's capable of seeing you do this. A smart player from there could reasonably intuit the source of Goo they find around the map, and might also deduce your weaknesses based on the knowledge they've built up. It's true, the role is a good shield against attempts for the first few nights... but when players start agreeing to bring along their flaming swords in case they bump into you, then what?
Lastly, there's the Forbidden Action, which is... oh, this is a real doozy, isn't it? The inability to refuse any requests is just nasty. If you've killed someone, better make sure you don't have a single thing on your body when they request a bodycheck of you! This is mega exploitable if someone were to learn about it. They could request that you hand over all your gathered-up goods, reveal all of the details about your role... hell, there's no safeguards in place for if someone asks you to walk directly into their ice bath trap. And what if someone requests your help in accomplicing a case? What if multiple players ask you to?! Good luck coordinating all of those kills you never intended to do!
Yeah, this FA is rather unforgiving for the role it's attached to, and on top of that, it's a FA based on character flavor, rather than having any involvement with the role's actual mechanics! It's doubly sinned! For my money, a much better FA would relate to how the Goo that comes off the body is used around the map. Or... call me crazy, but maybe a role with very defined, built-in weaknesses like this... doesn't need a FA on top of those things...?
Environmental Functionality
Now we can reasonably talk about environmental functionality. It's a bit of a tricky analysis, because theoretically, this role can exist in any game. Any map can accommodate it, and none of its powers are inherently linked to a space or setting. With that said, my feelings about the map design relate back to what I said before, about how other aspects determine how much of a weakness the elemental fragility is.
Let's be straight-up about it: this role shouldn't exist in a game set in a volcano, or set in the Arctic tundra. These environmental spaces would be too unforgiving for the player overall, giving them too many passive nuisances to fully enjoy the map you've built. However, the elemental weakness should have the opportunity to be relevant. If your map has no water features, no ways to generate heat or cold, then this role is too powerful. There needs to be a middle ground here.
In my opinion, I think the best way to handle this would be the addition of one or two map features that could become relevant, but aren't encompassing the entire map or its theme. To look at the Eternal Star map, it was a magma hot tub on the rooftop that did BBQ Turtle in. You could do something similar with a large swimming pool, or perhaps there's a walk-in freezer attached to the kitchen that could be used in a kill attempt against them. The Goo Assistant should have to remain mindful of a few key features, without worrying that every single room they're walking into is their own personal minefield.
My last note is that it would probably be worthwhile to keep big map secrets away from zones where the Goo Assistant would be unable to access. Dangling the MacGuffin over a bubbling pool of lava could prove more irksome for the Goo Assistant, who has to take far more precautions to access the area than any other player. This is a bit variable, because maybe that added challenge makes the puzzle solving for the Goo Assistant even more rewarding... but I don't know, if I were in these shoes, I'd prefer to not feel especially disadvantaged when it comes to big prizes or secrets.
Player Responsibility
Is there much responsibility placed onto the shoulders of the Goo Assistant player? Not a lot when it comes to the mechanical practice of their role. They have to remain cognizant of potential hazards they face that other players won't be concerned with, but that's offset by not concerning themselves with physical weaponry, so that balances just fine.
In a stunning first for a KtKGR role, I actually think the biggest responsibility comes from this Forbidden Action! It's a high bar to ensure that you're following through with any request made of you, especially if others start cottoning onto what your FA is. It adds such a social weight to this role that it could legitimately ruin most of the Goo Assistant's fun, if the very worst happens and the secret spreads around. The final role card here absolutely deserves a recalibration in this department.
Host Responsibility
What about host responsibility to maintain this role in their game? I feel that this is a more straightforward role for the host, but there remain some important considerations - particularly, when the Goo Assistant's exposure to an element crosses the boundary from "disruptive" to "lethal". Usually this should be a pretty evident thing; if they end up walking straight into an explosion, that's pretty clear cut. What about if they get stranded outside in the cold, though? When does that become a lethal measure? It likely depends on what makes the most interesting case writing, while also aligning with the intentions of the other player. It would really suck if someone accidentally killed the Goo Assistant without even meaning to by leaving them stranded outside!
It's also up to host discretion on how much Goo the player can produce from their body, and how visible their Goo deposits are on their physical form. Both of these are important elements to scaling this role's strengths and weaknesses. I don't have a clear cut answer here on what's the "right" amount, but my ultimate advice is, per usual, keep it fun for the player first and foremost.
Overall Thoughts
The Ultimate Goo Assistant is a classic example of the body-changing trope of Killing Game roles. It demonstrates succinctly how to balance out a physical role outside of the norm of the human body... while also demonstrating the importance of FA scaling and relevance. With some trimming and redefining, this "additions and subtractions" model could very easily become a timeless role template for reiteration.
That’s all for this month. Tune in next month for more Killing Game goodness!
Pitohui's Pokémon Academy
Written by: Hooded Pitohui (talk)
Welcome in, welcome in. I understand many of you attended a large celebration recently, yes? Well then, firstly I hope you enjoyed yourselves, and secondly... where are the confections? You surely partook of the spread of sweets at your celebration. So, produce it. Where is my portion? I hope you cut a slice of cake for me - why, I've even brought an Alcremie to frost it! Come now, one of you step up and present it.
...I jest, of course, but I have brought an Alcremie for the day's lecture. Friend to bakers and bane of collectors, Alcremie has seventy different forms when including its Shiny form. We, however, are not here to discuss the factors which influence an Alcremie's appearance, but rather to discuss how you might raise one!
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The following information applies to Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet. | 
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The standard glossary follows below, should you need to consult it. If you are familiar with our terminology, please do skip it!
Base Stats: Base stats are the values associated with a particular Pokémon species, and are the same across every individual Pokémon of a given species. You have no influence on them. You can think of them as traits tied to a species. A chimp isn't ever going to be able to get as good as digging as a mole will be, and, likewise, an Abra is never going to have the defensive prowess a Shuckle has.
Individual Values (IVs): Individual values, as their name implies, are associated with individual Pokémon. They range from 0 to 31 in each stat, with 31 being considered a "perfect" IV and higher numbers corresponding to different stats. Magikarp A and Magikarp B will have the same base stats, but they may very well have different IVs. To stick with the animal analogy, one mole may be born with larger claws than another mole, and that first mole is probably going to have an easier time digging through dirt than the latter. Individual values are set in stone, strictly speaking, but you can use Hyper Training (from Generation VII onwards) to functionally get a perfect IV in a stat.
Effort Values (EVs): Effort values are the one thing you can easily change. A Pokémon can earn, primarily through battling, but also through means like the use of certain items or mechanics like Super Training, up to a total of 510 effort values, with up to 252 in any given stat. To finish off the animal analogy, no matter what kind of claws a mole is born with, moles who have more experience digging are probably going to be better at digging than moles which have never dug.
Nature: A Pokémon's nature is, more or a less, a stat modifier with a name meant to make it sound like a Pokémon has some personality. Natures will raise one stat by ten percent and lower another stat by ten percent. Some natures raise and lower the same stat, canceling out the effect and leaving stats unchanged. Natures can be functionally changed with the use of special mint items from Generation VIII onwards.
STAB: STAB stands for Same-Type Attack Bonus, and refers to the boosted power of moves that match the type of the move's user. To illustrate this, consider the case of a Lombre, a dual-type Pokémon which is both a Water-type and a Grass-type. Any Water-type moves Lombre uses will have their power boosted by 1.5x, and any Grass-type moves Lombre uses will, likewise, have their power boosted by 1.5x. (There are circumstances where this does not apply, and, while the 1.5x multiplier is typical, some games use other multipliers.)
Bulbagarden Archives: Not a term to be defined, but the source of many of the images used in this section. I thank those who maintain it as a resource.
For more information on the terms defined here and how you can raise Pokémon, feel free to consult this guide. It is written with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet in mind, but its broad principles are applicable through many of the main series games beginning with Ruby and Sapphire.
Beginning as always with an examination of Alcremie's base stats, we see Alcremie has strong special attack and special defense and... well, that's it. Alcremie's physical defense is middling if we're generous, and all of its remaining stats are outright poor. With that acknowledged, two paths extend before us. On one path, we turn Alcremie into a special-focused Pokémon, trying to boost its special attack while simply keeping it away from any physically-oriented opponents. On the other, we try to shore up its bulk to focus on its defensive potential. Let's consider each path.
We'll first assume that we're investing in Alcremie's special attack. What options are available to it? As special moves go, it has five Fairy-type options, four Grass-type options, three Psychic-type options, one Normal-type option, and Tera Blast. Grass is a notably poor offensive type, and all of Alcremie's options leave it struggling against Steel-types unless it uses, say, a Fire-type Tera Blast. With the right work, an offensively-oriented Alcremie is not unviable, but it brings few benefits with it.
Now consider a defensively-oriented Alcremie. Looking at its movepool, we can see Alcremie has over twenty status moves available to it. Among these are, crucially, self-healing moves and an abundance of moves well-suited for supporting an ally in Double Battles. If we increase Alcremie's bulk, it becomes an even more effective supporter. There's a synergy to take advantage of, so we will focus on raising Alcremie's defensive stats! Specifically, we will invest the maximum number of EVs into HP and defense to reinforce its weak points. We'll then put the remaining EVs into special defense.
|
Name: | Alcremie | Base HP: | 65 | |
| Category: | Cream | Base Attack: | 60 | ||
| Type: | Fairy | Base Defense: | 75 | ||
| Abilities: | Sweet Veil | Base Special Attack: | 110 | ||
| Aroma Veil | Base Special Defense: | 121 | |||
|
Base Speed: | 64 | |||
We have no use for Alcremie's poor physical attack, and special defense will most benefit from a percentage-based boost, so we'll choose a Calm nature.
As for ability, Alcremie has two options! Sweet Veil, its more common ability, protects itself and its allies from falling asleep. That's not without use, especially if you face off with a Yawn-user, but it is restricted to one single status condition. Aroma Veil, which as a hidden ability may be more difficult to obtain, offers wider protection. Aroma Veil protects against any afflictions which restrict the moves that Alcremie or its allies are able to use. This neutralizes the common Taunt, Encore, and Torment, as well as a smattering of other moves and abilities. If you can obtain an Alcremie with Aroma Veil, prioritize raising it! If not, consider using an Ability Patch. It's worth it in this case.
| Level: 56 | HP IV | 31 | HP EVs: | 252 | HP: | 191 | ||
|
Attack IV | 9 | Attack EVs: | 0 | Attack: | 69 | ||
| Defense IV | 31 | Defense EVs: | 252 | Defense: | 141 | |||
| Special Attack IV | 31 | Special Attack EVs: | 0 | Special Attack: | 145 | |||
| Special Defense IV | 31 | Special Defense EVs: | 6 | Special Defense: | 173 | |||
| Nature: Calm | Speed IV | 31 | Speed EVs: | 0 | Speed: | 94 | ||
Now we can construct a moveset for Alcremie. I've said before and I'll say again, I support teaching Pokémon their signature moves or techniques heavily associated with them! To that end, we'll begin by slotting in Decorate, a move exclusively available to Alcremie. Fortunately, Decorate lends itself well to Alcremie's support role, allowing Alcremie to raise an ally's attack and special attack by two stages each. I cannot emphasize enough how great a boon this is! The power boost turns Alcremie's ally into a formidable threat with minimal turns spent on setup, and works regardless of whether Alcremie is paired with a special attacker or physical attacker.
Now, Alcremie is likely to face an attack or two while boosting its ally. As a result, and with an eye towards extending its longevity in general, Alcremie benefits greatly from self-healing. For that reason, we'll slot in Recover. If you're willing to settle for less reliable healing and prefer to do damage at the same time, you could consider Draining Kiss as an alternative.
| Name | Category | Power | Accuracy | Description | Base PP | Learns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decorate | 
|
-- | -- | The user sharply boosts the target's Attack and Sp. Atk stats by decorating the target. | 15 | Evolve |
| Recover |
|
-- | -- | The user regenerates its cells, restoring its own HP by up to half its max HP. | 5 | Lv. 40 |
| Dazzling Gleam | 
|
80 | 100% | The user damages opposing Pokémon by emitting a powerful flash. | 10 | Lv. 35 |
| Light Screen |
|
-- | -- | A wondrous wall of light is put up to reduce damage from special moves for five turns. | 30 | TM075 |
Given that I've chosen Recover, it's all the more important that we equip Alcremie with a reliable damage-dealing STAB move. Going by base power, there are three options to consider: Dazzling Gleam, Alluring Voice, or Misty Explosion. Misty Explosion KOs Alcremie upon use, so... disregard the prior statement. There are two options. Dazzling Gleam will hit both opponents in a Double Battle, albeit at the cost of having slightly lower base power. Alluring Voice only hits a single opponent, though it retains its 80 base power, can bypass Substitute, and will confuse its target if they have raised their stats on the same turn. There's merit to both options, and I encourage you to experiment with them, but I'll lean Dazzling Gleam. While it may not be as strong, hitting both opposing Pokémon puts considerable pressure on your opponent, making it easier to control the momentum of the battle.
As for a fourth move, Alcremie has a smorgasbord of options! A pragmatic Protect can extend its longevity, Attract or Encore may allow it to cause some disruption to your opponent's strategy, and Helping Hand can compound the damage dealt by a Decorate-boosted ally. My preference is a move that benefits Alcremie and its ally simultaneously, so I've chosen Light Screen to build on Alcremie's high special defense and to blunt special attacks against its ally. If you expect to need to blunt a foe's physical attack, you could try Charm instead, although they can more easily get around it than Light Screen. Alcremie has a wealth of options, though, so do try them out and determine what best suits your particular team!
With that, you have the knowledge a battler needs in order to effectively raise an Alcremie! However, you ought not limit yourself to one discipline. Be curious, and seek the knowledge of a baker! Your assignment before our next session - which, I remind you, will be our last - is to research the methods by which you can obtain the various forms of Alcremie. Do feel free to consult a local confectioner! For now, be off, and I shall see you one last time next month.
Rising From Obscurity
Written by: Waluigi Time (talk)
Hello there 'Shroom readers, and welcome back to Rising From Obscurity, the section where I occasionally look at Mario characters who disappeared and then reappeared! The 20th Mario Awards ceremony has come and gone, and in honor of consistent competition stomper Super Mario Odyssey, and Donkey Kong Bananza, which ran away with Favorite DK Game and took home a Bonus Star in the process, today we'll be taking a look at one of the franchise's oldest characters - Pauline! No spoilers for Bananza here by the way, if you still haven't played it and somehow managed to avoid them up to this point.
Originally known simply as Lady, Pauline first appeared in Donkey Kong in 1981, alongside Mario and Donkey Kong, playing the role of damsel-in-distress and Mario's girlfriend. Although she was absent in the game's sequels, she did return for the Game & Watch and Game Boy versions of the original game (the latter more or less establishing her current design), and made many appearances in tie-in products and media like Saturday Supercade. Oh yeah, and she shows up in Pinball, weirdly enough. While Mario went on to video game superstardom and Donkey Kong later received his own spin-off franchise beginning with Donkey Kong Country, Pauline just sort of disappeared for a while. After the Game Boy version of Donkey Kong in 1994, Pauline's appearances were relegated to ports and rereleases of and references to the original arcade game.
What's interesting about Pauline's history is that she's had two resurgences of sorts. The first was in 2006 with the release of the second game in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series, Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis. She played the same role here as she did in the original Donkey Kong games, the damsel-in-distress kidnapped by Donkey Kong, though apparently she and Mario are now just friends, per the game's manual. She reappeared in the next four games in the series, once again being kidnapped by Donkey Kong every single time, with the exception of Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move, where they instead host minigames together. Her most recent appearance in the series to date is 2015's Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars. She was absent in the following amiibo-based game due to, well, not having an amiibo, and the Nintendo Switch remake of Mario vs. Donkey Kong since she wasn't in the original game. Outside of this series, Pauline still didn't get much focus during this point in time, being otherwise limited to the same Donkey Kong references and Super Smash Bros. cameos.
But that all changed during the Switch era, where Pauline got her second big resurgence with a surprise appearance in 2017's Super Mario Odyssey. Rather than playing the role of a damsel-in-distress this time, she's been reimagined as the mayor of New Donk City. She's also depicted as a singer, which has stuck in her subsequent appearances, performing the hit song "Jump Up, Super Star!" and the less popular but still excellent "Break Free (Lead the Way)". Now, jumping from relative obscurity to an appearance in the main series is impressive enough, but what's even more impressive is that she beat out several Mario franchise mainstays here. Luigi himself wasn't present at all in the game at launch, being added later in version 1.2.0. Another popular character, Rosalina, does not physically appear in the game despite appearances in early concept art, and was relegated only to minor cameos. Not bad at all.
Then in 2019, an update added her to Mario Tennis Aces as a playable character. This marked her first playable appearance, a whopping 38 years after her introduction, the longest gap in franchise history which won't be a record broken until Nintendo decides what Mario Kart World needs is Freezie as a DLC racer (I wouldn't be a bit surprised, honestly). She was also added as a Mario Kart Tour driver the same year, and has since been playable in Mario Golf: Super Rush (2021), Mario Strikers: Battle League (2022), Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Booster Course Pass (2023), Super Mario Party Jamboree (2024), Mario Kart World (2025), and Mario Tennis Fever (2026). In other words, she's speedrunning getting into all the spinoff games and has clearly established herself as one of the franchise's mainstay characters. She also had a small role in The Super Mario Bros. Movie as the mayor of New York City. And yet all those appearances pale in comparison to what I'm going to talk about next.
2025's Donkey Kong Bananza gave Pauline her biggest role to date, and inexplicably de-aged her in the process, opening up lots of questions! How did she get younger while the original DK got older? Is Jumpman not actually the Mario we know and love today? If potentially the entire Donkey Kong franchise is muscling in on Yoshi's territory by being a prequel to all the other Super Mario games, how big is the time gap? Nintendo doesn't answer any of these questions, and probably never will! I'm not convinced they even care! Anyway, in a reversal from the usual dynamic, Pauline takes the role of DK's sidekick in this game after he saves her from being magically turned into a rock. Her singing ability takes center stage and is apparently also magical, being used for various things including activating DK's Bananza transformations. She even has the distinction of being the only character in the game who is fully voiced.
Oh, and remember what I said before about her not having an amiibo? Well, she does now, so they can finally put her in Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge! Waiting for Nintendo to release a free update for a 3DS/Wii U game aaaany day now...
So, that's Pauline's rise from obscurity, one of the most successful in the franchise and in my opinion well-deserved considering her overall significance. I'd say the most successful outright, if not for a certain princess... maybe I'll talk about Daisy in this section someday, who knows. As for where Pauline goes from here, I expect her to remain part of the franchise's main cast for the foreseeable future. Nintendo is clearly very interested in pushing her as a character, and at this point I'd be surprised if she ended up absent from a spinoff roster. Considering her most notable roles this decade, maybe she'll even keep popping up in ways no one expected.
So You Want to Romance the Three Kingdoms?
Written by: Harold Harefoot (talk)
Hello, and welcome back to So You Want to Romance the Three Kingdoms?, a section where I give you all the tips you need to reunify China in the hit game Romance of the Three Kingdoms: IV Wall of Fire. Last month, we didn't do a whole lot! We gave out some spoils of war and managed to recruit the legendary Guan Yu to our side! But other than that, not much. This month, we're going to continue our progress of reunifying China.
Step 30: A Change of Plans
We begin this month with a change in strategy. Now, usually the way I play is that I work my way downwards, taking out smaller cities whose commanders have small armies while creating giant mammoth forces to take down people like Dong Zhuo and Cao Cao who could create large armies or hold large amounts of territory. Under normal circumstances, I would be committing our resources to prepare to invade Xia Pi and then I would work my way down and around the area to take as many cities as possible before moving onto trying to take Dong Zhuo's territory. But Lord Kong Rong is sick of swallowing insults from Dong Zhuo! He's tired of having to sit through meetings with emissaries who waste his hospitality while offering truly insulting gifts. Additionally, rumors have been flowing through our cities of the atrocities Dong Zhuo has been committing – noble women despoiled, prisoners tortured and butchered for the madman's entertainment, there are even rumors that our young emperor's life is in danger! Lord Kong Rong has rejected my advice for a long-game approach of building resources and has demanded instead that we focus on relieving the imperial capital Luoyang and, hopefully, rescuing the emperor!
In his determination, Lord Kong Rong has decided that he will personally lead the march on Luoyang and wishes to depart at once to Nan Pi. There he will link up with the forces of Nan Pi, taking 100,000 men of the current 217,000-strong force with him to Dai Xian, where Taishi Ci's forces number 55,000. While both myself and Xin Pi attempted to dissuade Lord Kong Rong from leading the forces himself by attempting to point out that Dong Zhuo would love nothing more than to capture him, there are those within in the Bei Hai court that agree with Lord Kong Rong's decision to fight from the front. Generals Wu Anguo and Wen Chou point out that Lord Kong Rong personally liberating Luoyang will greatly increase his already great reputation and prestige while showing the people of Han that he is the man to bring peace to these chaotic times.
While Lord Kong Rong wished to not take a single soldier from Bei Hai to make sure that Bei Hai remained as protected as possible, Xin Pi and I managed to impress that the roads were too dangerous, so an honor guard of 20,000 soldiers commanded by Wu Anguo will accompany him to Nan Pi, being provisioned with 1,000 pieces of gold. In his absence, Lord Kong Rong has appointed Xin Pi to govern Bei Hai. With Lord Kong Rong gone, Shen Pei and Wen Chou have been assigned the task of growing the Bei Hai economy and have been given a budget of 1,000 gold. Finally, the following officers have been ordered to engage in espionage: Ju Shou has been sent to the Yo region, Chen Zhen to the Yang region, and Feng Ji to the Yu region. Each are to conduct their operations for six months. Ju Shou and Chen Zhen are to pay particular attention to the forces of Dong Zhuo, while Feng Ji is to pay attention to the city of Ye under the control of Han Fu.
Step 31: All is Quiet on the Western Front
As May turns to June and spring turns to summer, news comes of moves within our own backyard. We receive reports of an alliance between Qiao Mao of Pu Yang and Han Fu of Ye. This is something we're going to have to watch with caution, because in theory this is bad for us. Ye and Pu Yang both border the city of Ping Yuan, meaning that either Han Fu or Qiao Mao could launch a joint invasion upon us, or, if we attempt to invade one of them, the other could send a relief force in support of their ally. We don't have much to worry about now because Ye only has a force of 77,000 troops and Pu Yang only has 33,000. Even combined, the two have less than the 135,000 troops under the command of Zhao Yun, but it is something to watch out for.
Even worse is that, somehow, Dong Zhuo has learned of Lord Kong Rong's movements. Upon his arrival in Nan Pi, Governor Gao Lan informed Lord Kong Rong that Jia Xue has arrived to meet with Lord Kong Rong. It seems that there are spies throughout our lands informing Dong Zhuo of our movements. Although why Dong Zhuo would tip his hand about this is unknown. Perhaps it's a simple power play on Dong Zhuo's part to show he knows our movements. Or perhaps Dong Zhuo is just too stupid to realize he would be showing his hand by arranging a meeting in Nan Pi as soon as Lord Kong Rong arrived. Regardless, Jia Xue has once again arranged a gift - this time 15 horses. While the number is again insultingly low, tbh, I'm never gonna turn down free horses, so reluctantly Lord Kong Rong accepts Jia Xue's gift.
With that out of the way, it's time to start the month's actions! So we're gonna start in Ping Yuan, where we're going to order newly-acquired general to head to Nan Pi, bringing with him 30,000 troops under his command. Now, because we aren't dumb, we're not just going to let Guan Yu have sole command of these forces. After all, we just killed his sworn brother Liu Bei and took his legendary weapon from him! If we give him those soldiers, who's to say he doesn't try and defect to our enemies with 30,000 soldiers at his back??? (This isn't actually a thing that can happen in-game when moving officers – but you know, flavor!) Ping Yuan civilian officer Zhang Hong has graciously agreed to escort Guan Yu to Nan Pi, taking with him 30,000 barrels of provisions.
Staying in Ping Yuan, officer Jian Yong has been ordered to attempt to talk some sense into that drunken fool Zhang Fei, who finally agrees to join Lord Kong Rong after learning that even the great Guan Yu has bent the knee and after being offered some of the finest wine in Han, courtesy of Lord Kong Rong. With that, all the prisoners from the Liu Bei have been successfully recruited. For his services, Jian Yong will be rewarded the last 46 gold pieces owned by the Ping Yuan administration. As it is nearly harvest season and we don't want any riots, Han Sui has been ordered to provide 1,000 barrels of provisions to the people of Ping Yuan, bringing the city's Spirit up to 77.
That brings us to the end of June, outside a few minor things like reorganizing or various city developments (such as Dia Xain running out of gold and Zhang Hong's brief relocation leaving an empty position in Ping Yuan). As the harvest comes in, news of an alliance between Cao Cao of Chen Liu and Kong Zhou of Qiao also comes in, which is less relevant to us then the Han Fu-Qiao Mao alliance since we don't currently share a border with Kong Zhou. The only way he could send a relief force is if we invaded Cao Cao or took Pu Yang from Qiao Mao. We're also visited again by fucking Jia Xue (what, does he live here or something?), who, bragging about the successful harvest of Dong Zhuo, offers us 1,400 barrels of provisions. Again, I'm not going to turn down free provisions, so we accept. 'Cause why not?
Surprisingly, there are no revolts after the harvest. Nothing bad happens at all! For our turn, our main action is going to be moving Lord Kong Rong, Guan Yu, and Wu Anguo to Dai Xian along with 150,000 soldiers, 1,000 gold, and 46 horses. Zhang Hong will also be returning to Ping Yuan guarded by 5,000 soldiers and bringing with him 600 gold. This gold will of course be used to win the loyalty of the various new officers from the Liu Bei administration. Finally, in both Ping Yuan and Bei Hai, a fresh round of conscription has been ordered, with 30,000 troops recruited in Ping Yuan bringing the force to 140,000 and 26,000 being conscripted in Bei Hai bringing its force to 88,000. To quell any protests by the common folk, provisions have been provided to both cities to compensate for the sacrifice they're making.
Step 32: The March on Jin Yang
As July turns to August and summer nears its end, Gongsun Zan once again visits Gongsun Du, asking for aid. Last time, Gongsun Du refused to help Gongsun Zan since he didn't actually have the resources that Gongsun Zan requested. His rude refusal wasn't very Confucianist. This time, having had a successful harvest, Gongsun Du agrees in the spirit of harmony to help Gongsun Zan, giving him both provisions and gold.
I don't actually know what this does? But I like doing it! It makes me feel like a benevolent man. Also this month, one of my favorite mechanics comes into play as the brutal Qiang mountain tribe launches an attack on Ma Teng's forces in An Ding. Reports are that Governor Liang Xing personally marches his troops to meet the tribe and quickly scatters them with reportedly little bloodshed. Put a pin on this tribesman attack, because we'll talk about this later!
Turning our attention to Dai Xian, we've amassed an army 250,000 strong. You might be thinking we should invade Jin Yang. Lightly defended and harboring a poor governor, its conquest would be as easy as kicking in the door and watching the rotten structure fall down, right? Well, honestly, probably, yeah. But while there are only 49,000 soldiers in Jin Yang with only the governor to lead them, they have a Train of 100. One thing I'll give Dong Zhuo credit for is that he's a skilled and resourceful general.
Meanwhile, our Train is only 68. I don't really feel like taking unnecessary casualties, so I decided instead to have Guan Yu, Taishi Ci, and Tian Feng institute a five-month training program for the troops to get them ready for battle. Unfortunately, that means it's going to be five in-game months before we can do anything, and even more unfortunately, all of my cities are, how you say, cash poor right now.
So you might be asking, "what's gonna happen during these five months?". Well, to be honest, very little, bordering on nothing! I'm not doing anything else in the month of August. Basically, all I'm going to do is check each city to see if there are any officers that can be recruited and check Jin Yang to see if the situation has changed at all. And wouldn't you know it, in the month of September, the situation has changed rapidly! Dong Zhuo and, like, all of his officers are doing an inspection of Jin Yang! If we struck now, it would be the perfect time to potentially capture some officers, maybe even Dong Zhuo! But we should probably stay the course and wait the few months, because for some reason officers who are training troops can't actually participate in wars of aggression (which I think is dumb.)
Oh, I'm being given a message from loyal civilian officer Ju Shou. It's probably a report on the progress of how the training is going or technology developments... WHAT DO YOU MEAN LORD KONG RONG HAS MARCHED ON JIN YANG???
So, uh, apparently Lord Kong Rong decided to just forgo our carefully-laid plans and strike while Dong Zhuo is weak, taking with him the generals Dong Heng and Wu Anguo along with the entire 250,000 strong army??? How did he do this without me seeing him??? So, yeah, um, fuck it, we're going to war! Might not be the smartest thing I've ever done, but we outnumber Dong Zhuo 250,000 to 49,000, so I think we're pretty safe. We're going to split the army into three infantry columns 'cause I don't wanna run the risk that Dong Zhuo puts everything at the top of the castle and makes the cavalry useless. Lord Kong Rong will command 100,000 men, Dong Heng will command 50,000 men, and finally Wu Anguo (the only one proficient in commanding infantry) will command 100,000 men.
The reason we're sending the full force is because we don't have any hostile neighbors, so we have no reason to fear invasion. We're going to take with us 1,000 gold and 3,000 barrels of provisions. You might be confused as to why we have any gold since we were broke. Basically, I noticed when I was looking at Dong Zhuo's officers that Lu Bu wasn't very loyal, so I sold a bunch of provisions in various cities for gold so I could try to steal him away. Didn't work!
That's not the point, though. The point is that it's time for war! Apparently, in return for keeping this a secret from me, by proclamation Civilian Official Ju Shou has been promoted to Governor of Dai Xian… Bastard.
Dong Zhuo for some reason again split his forces into four different archery units, which is crazy. I think the game makes the computer split the forces if there are too many generals, but, like, this is stupid, lol! Each unit can have at max, like, 12,000 soldiers now. The archery aspect is going to be annoying, though, because that means he's going to be able to pick off our men as we approach his castle and while we climb the castle. Still, our numbers alone should allow us to swamp him pretty easily.
Immediately like six of Dong Zhuo's officers flee what is sure to be an impossible battle, with officers Cai Yong and Yang Biao captured while fleeing. On his first turn, Dong Zhuo orders his units to form a straight line centered around the castle gate for maximum firing range. While Lord Kong Rong splits off on his own and goes left, Dong Heng and Wu Anguo stay close together and approach the castle's right side. The arrows fly at our units, slowly chiseling away at our men, but within three turns Lord Kong Rong and General Dong Heng have reached the castle's walls. Dong Heng unfortunately gets hit by a boulder attack from Dong Zhuo, losing 8,000 troops in the attack. As Lord Kong Rong attempts to scale the left side, he's briefly stopped by Lu Bu, who sends his men down the ladder to cut off Lord Kong Rong. I don't know how that works, lol, but the point is 3,000 men die in what I'm sure was a very confusing scene. On turn six, Lord Kong Rong scales the walls successfully, causing panic within in the smaller Dong Zhuo forces.
As Dong Zhuo's panicked forces attempt to flee, Wu Anguo's and Dong Heng's forces successfully scale the walls. On top of the castle, the fighting is furious. On turn eight, Dong Heng's forces crush the troops under the command under Xu Huang, resulting in the capture of Xu Huang and Zhang Xiu while. Meanwhile, Wu Anguo's forces pin down Li Ru's troops, allowing a mighty charge commanded by Lord Kong Rong to fully break the unit and capture Li Ru, Lu Zhi, and Huangfu Song! On turn ten, Lu Bu, realizing the battle is lost, successfully manages to flee. On turn eleven, under the thick fog of the fierce fighting, Wu Anguo is struck in the shoulder by an arrow and injured (I don't actually know what injury does – I assume it means your units do less damage and that you're probably worse in duels, but I'm really not sure).
Seeing that the battle is lost, Fan Chou and Hua Xiong provide desperate cover to allow Dong Zhuo and the remnants of his shattered forces to escape, finding themselves captured in the process.
In what was a great relief to all of us in service to Lord Kong Rong, a message sent from Jin Yang confirmed what we had all hoped. Lord Kong Rong had emerged victorious and, while Wu Anguo was wounded, his wound is not considered severe. Not only did Lord Kong Rong emerge victorious, but he sent us a list of officers captured:
Cai Yong: A middle-aged general who disgraced himself by fleeing before the fighting had even started. He specializes in recruiting, spying, and building, and has the ability to Chain ships together in naval battles! Desperate to regain his honor after his disgraceful fleeing, he spit at Lord Kong Rong, declaring he'd rather die than join him. But Lord Kong Rong, in his infinite mercy, believes some time in a cell will calm him.
Yang Biao: Another middle-aged general who attempted to flee before the fighting. He also specializes in recruiting, spying, and building, but sadly lacks the skill to Chain. Unlike Cai Yong, Yang Biao decided to serve under Lord Kong Rong in exchange for protection, fretful of what will happen to him if Dong Zhuo ever gets his hands on him – a wise fear if even half the rumors about Dong Zhuo are true.
Zhang Xiu: A skilled general who specializes in cavalry while also being able to build and recruit and spy. Misused in the battle as a subcommander of an archery unit. Captured after Dong Heng shattered Xu Huang's forces. Angered over his misuse by Dong Zhuo, he bent the knee to Lord Kong Rong, who he apparently called a proper lord.
Xu Huang: A marshal in the services of Dong Zhuo, he's an expert commander of cavalry as and archers, as well as skilled at dropping boulders. Extremely loyal to Dong Zhuo (which doesn't say much good about him), he refused to even look Lord Kong Rong in the eye. Holder of the Luminous Sword, he is currently sitting in a cell, having refused to say a word to anybody.
Huangfu Song: A general captured during the destruction of Li Ru's forces, he is perhaps past his prime at age 54, but retains the ability to recruit as well as spy. Despite his seeming lack of loyalty to Dong Zhuo at only 68, he refused to bend to Kong Rong, claiming to be too tired for more war. While Lord Kong Rong considered freeing him, there is no doubt Huangfu Song, loyal or unloyal, would simply return to Dong Zhuo (which is 100% what happens if you free an officer while their lord is still alive – they'll return to that lord). As a result, Huangfu Song is sadly currently sitting in not exactly a cell, but instead more of a house arrest situation.
Lu Zhi: He's another marshal in the service of Dong Zhuo despite having pretty low stats for a marshal at only 82 Lead and 62 Power. In fact, I'm not even sure how he's a marshal? A general needs to have a Lead and Power that adds up to 150 to be a marshal. This oddity might be because he's currently in poor health, which might lower your stats just a bit? I'm not really sure, as you don't see that stat come up a lot, unlike in Nobunaga's Ambition.
Nevertheless, he is a skilled cavalry commander who is capable of building and recruiting, among other things. Apparently very sick, he requests to be killed. Lord Kong Rong in his wisdom has instead imprisoned him, placing him under guard with Lord Kong Rong's personal physician taking care of him. Said physician is no doubt treating him with the finest of leeches to suck out his bad blood!
Li Ru: Dong Zhuo's personal advisor with many skills! He fills the whole first column up outside of "Foreign". Forced to personally command a defensive unit during Lord Kong Rong's sudden attack while Dong Zhuo was inspecting Jin Yang, he was captured when Dong Heng shattered his forces. Having been risen to such a prestigious rank by Dong Zhuo, he refused to submit to Lord Kong Rong. As a result, he is currently sitting in a dungeon which I can only assume is much less luxurious than the palaces in Luoyang
Fan Chou: A loyal general under the personal command of Dong Zhuo. Wielder of the Sword of the Seven Stars, he was captured while desperately fighting off our forces to allow Dong Zhuo to escape. Unsurprisingly, he was less than amicable to serving Lord Kong Rong, so he is currently sitting in a cell.
Hua Xiong: The final captive is a marshal under the personal service of Dong Zhuo. Much like Fan Chuo, he was captured while providing cover for Dong Zhuo to escape. A ferocious fighter wielding a Giant Ax, Lord Kong Rong said it took thirty men to subdue him. While he respectfully acknowledged he was beaten, he respectfully told Lord Kong Rong he couldn't sever his loyalty to Dong Zhuo. Much too dangerous to set free and much too honorable to execute, Hua Xiong currently sits in a cell, with Lord Kong Rong really hoping he can eventually convince him to serve him!
With the news of Lord Kong's survival and great victories, celebrations have sprung up all throughout his domains. This section, however, ends instead on a somber note; Lord Kong Rong's letter ends with a confirmation of what we most feared – the tyranny of Dong Zhuo.
The destruction wrought by Dong Zhuo
Jin Yang is little more than a burned ruin, as Dong Zhuo waged a campaign of terror on its citizens, destroying home after home. Around every corner it seems bandits have been allowed to rob innocent peasants. Dong Zhuo's forces stripped the fields clean, having burnt them in their retreat, indifferent to the starvation of peasants. Everywhere you go is a reminder of the cruelty of Dong Zhuo…
An Overly Detailed and Funny Walkthrough of Mega Man 6
Played by Sparks through the Mega Man Legacy Collection for the Nintendo Switch. Why not the Nintendo Switch 2? That's because I have to figure out how to transfer my data safely... nothing wrong with the first Nintendo Switch, right?
Welcome to the final edition of An Overly Detailed and Funny Walkthrough of Mega Man 6! Last time, we defeated Mr. X, but he turned out to be Wily all along! Now he's retreated into his main fortress, and it's up to us to put a stop to his nefarious plans once again! Remember that special weapon energy does NOT recharge in these fortress levels!
Ready for the first stage? I am!
Dr. Wily stage 1
We begin our infiltration just outside of Wily's fortress. The first room is a hallway containing a few Mettaurs and Orange Fire Tellies that drop those flames. Fortunately, there's no oil here! There are also two destructible blocks, one of which contains a 1-Up! This part is pretty easy, but we do need Rush Jet Adaptor to scale a high wall near the end. A pit leading downwards leads us to the next room.
This stage consists of many, many small rooms that have enemies and hazards, so I won't go into detail for every single room. The enemies include those shielded turrets, ground enemies that can only be defeated with the Rush Power Adaptor, flying hair dryers, and Sniper Joes on stationary turrets. There are also plenty of spikes and some fans too, so make sure you have Rush Jet Adaptor equipped! The second of these rooms has a large health power-up atop a high ledge. Just keep falling and stay on guard!
There comes a part where you have to fall through three rooms while avoiding low spikes. The third of these rooms has a destructible block to the right with a safe ledge next to it. I didn't reach it when I played, but that path is a shortcut filled with goodies and much easier navigation. Try to get to it!
If you take the main path like me, you'll be required to use Rush Jet Adaptor to safely avoid spikes. However, you have to jump down first, and if you fall too fast, you won't be able to save yourself in time. Walk off the ledge and hold the jump button before you touch the spikes! As you can imagine, I lost a life here. Oh and by the way - no checkpoint, so I had to go through the entire level again. Thankfully it's pretty short, but you do get another opportunity to reach the shortcut! Those destructible blocks also don't respawn.
So did I reach the shortcut? No, so let's try this spike dodge moment again. This time I successfully did it, but I have to do it again, but harder. Darn! Thankfully I made it through first try. That also concludes the "falling" section of the stage! Just a few more rooms to go before the boss fight. These rooms have a samurai whose attacks can be easily dodged, followed by one of those green squid-like enemies that stays in one place and attacks with ice blocks and missiles. You can fall here, so watch out! What I did was stay far away and used Rush Jet Adaptor so I could reach and attack this thing. The final room before the boss has a Sniper Joe turret. It's easy to dispatch.
This boss is something special, you'll see!
Dinosaur fight
Welcome to what is arguably the hardest boss in the game. This dinosaur is giant and only stays in one place, but don't let that fool you, because its attacks are no joke:
- It releases platforms from its chest that fly upwards diagonally to the top left. Upon hitting the wall, they explode. The bottoms of these platforms also have spikes, so they hurt. They can be stood on, though.
- The dinosaur spits out fireballs that linger for a second or two after touching a solid surface. It spits them out so fast that it's borderline unpredictable to when it'll attack. The fireballs are also launched in multiple directions, and they do good damage, too!
The best way to win is to destroy the dino as fast as possible. Its weakness is Yamato Spear, so equip that to make everything a little easier. The dinosaur can only be hurt when its eyes are attacked, so ride the platforms and strike it when you're at the right height! It's more difficult than it sounds. Don't be afraid of using an E Tank if you're almost there! You DON'T want to fight this thing with the Mega Buster. Trust me.
Well that was hard. Let's see what stage 2 has in store!
Dr. Wily stage 2
Now to begin the process of recharging Yamato Spear... if you used any E Tanks in that previous fight, then you're in luck because there's one just behind that destructible block behind you!
The beginning of stage 2 is very icy, so be careful of sliding around. The first area is a hallway with two enemies from Blizzard Man's stage: those spinning enemies that make a goofy sound when they hit a wall, and those fast flying shield enemies. Take your time when getting through this section so you don't get ambushed! A ladder leads us above to the next room.
It's time for everyone's favorite room - appearing and disappearing blocks! Like the previous games that had these rooms, you must watch and memorize where and when they appear so you can plot a path for yourself. When you think you have it down, then make your move! You'll have to slide to reach the next ladder though, so you'll definitely need that one block to be able to do so. Remember that you can't slide if you're wearing a Rush Adaptor!
The room afterwards is a long hallway with spikes all across the ceiling, so don't jump too high! The only enemy here is that smart enemy that gets super mad when you attack it. You know, from Knight Man's stage? There's also a free E tank near the end! Fall down that pit to continue the journey. Upon landing, we get a large health power-up! That'll help recharge Yamato Spear for sure. We continue by falling once more, but there looks to be another path to the left, but it doesn't lead anywhere. Was there another shortcut I wasn't aware of? Possibly. Anyways, down we go!
The final section is another hallway with more of those smart enemies and spikes on the ceiling. There are also pits to be wary of, so don't jump too low or too high! A single large health power-up and large weapon energy capsule are placed on small platforms just beneath the spikes. Do you dare to get them with Rush Jet Adaptor?
Time for the boss fight!
Mobile turret fight
A large mobile turret stands between us and Dr. Wily. This thing constantly moves to the left to corner you, but you can attack its wheels to push it back. However, you must attack the turret directly to deal damage. Besides moving, it has two attacks at its disposal:
- The turret continuously lobs bullets throughout the fight. Just dodge them.
- The turret also shoots out explosive bubble-like projectiles that curve downwards.
This turret is definitely easier than the dinosaur, but it's another hard fight if you battle with just the Mega Buster. It's weak to Wind Man's weapon (Wind Storm), and if you use it, the fight will be over in ten seconds flat! I also learned that if a Wind Storm tornado touches the explosive projectile, it'll carry it out of the battle! Does it work against other projectiles?
Halfway there! Onwards to stage 3!
Dr. Wily stage 3
For some reason, Wily's fortress has a large water area. The first section of this level is a hallway filled with water. It also contains piranhas, spikes, and some goodies to grab, including health, weapon energy, and an E Tank. There's also a brand new enemy here - a stationary fan that pulls in Mega Man. After a few seconds, it'll turn around and start blowing him away. It repeats this process until destroyed. Look at the arrow on its side to see which direction it pushed Mega Man!
I highly recommend using Rush Jet Adaptor here to make the jumps much easier. There's a part where a fan helps you by pulling you safely from the spikes after a large jump, but you probably won't need it if you use Rush Jet Adaptor. Make sure to defeat the fans if you wish to obtain power-ups located between two walls of spikes! A ladder at the end leads us upwards, away from the water.
We're led to a small room with three wall turrets. Dispose of them and climb another ladder, which takes us to a teleporter. After entering it, we enter a room with eight other teleporters, making this the Robot Master Rematch room! Remember that every Robot Master leaves behind a large health power-up upon defeat! Here's where they're found:
Oh, and if you're wondering, I forgot to get a screenshot of the teleporter room. Oops! Thankfully it's very similar to the ones from the previous games. Sorry about that!
- Top left: Yamato Man (use Silver Tomahawk)
- Middle left: Plant Man (use Blizzard Attack)
- Bottom left: Knight Man (use Yamato Spear)
- Middle bottom left: Centaur Man (use Knight C.)
- Middle Bottom right: Wind Man (use Centaur Flash)
- Bottom right: Tomahawk Man (use Plant Barrier)
- Middle right: Flame Man (use Wind Storm)
- Top right: Blizzard Man (use Flame Blast)
After the defeat of the final Robot Master, another teleporter appears in the center. Upon entering it, the stage is cleared.
Just one more level to go!
Dr. Wily stage 4
This stage is super duper short. We emerge from the teleporter and fall down a short corridor. While falling, there are two ledges: the left one has a large weapon energy capsule; use it to recharge Silver Tomahawk! The right ledge has an enemy turret to taunt you. After falling some more, we land on solid ground. To the right is a Mettaur spawner from Tomahawk Man's stage. Take the time to recover your weapon energy from the Mettaurs before moving on! Make sure you recharge Silver Tomahawk! Afterwards we reach the boss gate, but wait! Eddie is here to give us one last item before the final boss. He gave me a large weapon energy capsule. Thanks Eddie! Now to take down Wily.
Dr. Wily fight
This is it! Dr. Wily is inside a large machine with spikes at the bottom of it. Thankfully they only hurt and don't outright one-hit KO, but they're still dangerous. Anyways, this battle is split into three phases, and I shall go over each one:
In the first phase, Wily jumps to the opposite side and fires three large swirly projectiles in three set directions. Afterwards, he'll jump to the other side and repeat. During this phase, the screen autoscrolls to the left, so moving to the right is more difficult.
When Wily jumps, slide beneath him to avoid being crushed, then dodge the projectiles. He's weak to Silver Tomahawk in all three phases, so make sure you max it out beforehand. This phase is the easiest of the three, mainly because of Wily being predictable.
When Wily loses all of his HP, his machine receives some damage, revealing Wily inside of it.
Phase 2 is similar to the first, but now Wily is unpredictable. He now jumps to random spots and fires only one swirly projectile, but it's aimed in Mega Man's general direction. Additionally, the autoscroll directions changes every time he jumps.
You'll have to focus more for this phase, as you may have to slide to the other side unexpectedly. Thankfully, Wily may "stay" on one side of the screen and not jump to the other side, like what happened for me. Silver Tomahawk will shred this phase like the last one.
When Wily loses all of his HP again, his machine is totally destroyed. Don't celebrate just yet, because this battle's not over!
Wily is now inside his Wily Capsule, appearing to attack before hiding. Wily appears in a random spot and releases four swirly projectiles in four directions that curve towards Mega Man slightly, making them difficult to dodge. This is the toughest part of the fight.
Out of curiosity, I tried using BEAT in the fight, but he didn't do anything. He never flew towards the boss at all. I tried holding the shoot button, and still nothing happened. Maybe he only attacks normal enemies? I don't know. Silver Tomahawk is your best friend for this phase too!
After the Wily Capsule is destroyed, Wily gets launched out and lands on the ground, where he does his usual "I'm so sorry! Forgive me!" thing. We have won the game!
Mega Man has had enough of Wily and his schemes, so he has him arrested! He's now behind bars, unable to cause any more trouble. Heck, it even made the newspaper headline!
Triumphant at last, Megaman arrested the notorious Dr. Wily and brought him to justice. Sentenced to prison for his crimes, Dr. Wily now rules over a prison cell. At long last, the world is at peace.
Before the credits are shown, all eight Robot Masters and their designers are shown in a montage.
And that is Mega Man 6! With Wily now in jail, surely everything will be fine now... right? If so, then why are there still five more classic games to play through? Well... you'll see in September when I begin Mega Man 7, the only classic game for the Super Nintendo! See you then!
The Death of the Player
Life is a series of trial and error.
Another series of days, another handful of cuties to make sure are feeling good - give them a round of applause, everyone!
Notes from a Crazed Researcher
"The final chapter ends with the phrase: "Born again"."
Classification Code: T-09-78
Risk Level: HE
Our second tool abnormality! This one's simple. If you don't follow the rules, you explode and probably drag a few others down with you in the impact. The rules themselves? 1. Do not try to return the Notes within 30 seconds of having equipped it. 2. Do not try to return the Notes without doing any work with another (non-tool) abnormality. 3. Don't take too much damage while holding it. This applies to both work damage and combat damage. Thankfully, the notes themselves provide a pretty nice boost to your work stats, meaning you rarely need to actually worry about blowing up mid-work if you know what you're doing. A pretty straightforward abnormality with a pretty straightforward ruleset and a nice boon to your own stats - let it never be said you don't care for your nuggies.
Scarecrow Searching for Wisdom
"The city still remained a beautiful place where the emerald roads sparkled bright as ever."
Classification Code: F-01-87
Risk Level: HE
E.G.O: Harvest
Preferred work type: Insight
Resistances:
Red - 0.8
White - 0.5
Black - 1.2
Pale - 2.0
Work Result range: 0-8 / 9-14 / 15-18
We have a certain wizard to thank for this one, or something. I dunno. I never read the Wizard of Oz. Anyway this scarecrow is, as the name suggests, starved for wisdom, and sadly for him, he won't find any of that here, not with yours truly at the helm. Won't stop him from trying, though, and my god does he try! Very, very capricious entity, sporting a qliphoth counter of 1, and two, very simple breaching conditions. Our friend here will start rampaging around the facility at either a bad result, which is easily avoidable, or if a nugget with Prudence level higher than 2 finishes working with him, regardless of the work result. And well... not only does he deal 2-6 White work damage, but his preferred work type also happens to be Insight, the very type that trains your Prudence! This means you'll need to take extra care to make sure you always have a nugget on hand below a certain Prudence threshold, and to make sure they can handle the work without getting mind-broken to boot. Suffice to say, as long as he's still extracting his EGO gear, this is one high-maintenance abnormality we got.
Suppression is not too hard to deal with, but can easily get out of hand if you let him go to town. Any death by his hands will cause him to heal up and undo a not negligible amount of your progress chewing through his 500 HP (expertly demonstrated in a certain moron's recording above). Clerk deaths count for this, so even if your nuggets are holding up fine, you might still struggle with that happening. He is fairly weak to Black damage, so it shouldn't be tough to gang up on him with a few nuggets that have that, though you might also want Black suits to go with that too as he deals that while breaching as well. Either way, so long as you have stuff like the Today's Expression EGO gun, it can't be too bad. And for what it's worth, Scarecrow's EGO itself is not bad. The weapon is a spear that deals 6-12 Black damage, while the suit resists Red and White at 0.6 and 0.8 respectively, and well, he does yield 18 whole boxes, so while the risks are there and he might be annoying to keep around, it might be worth biting this bullet now to have an easier time later.
Rudolta of the Sleigh
"With my infinite hatred, I give you this gift."
Classification Code: F-02-49
Risk Level: HE
E.G.O: Christmas
Preferred work type: Insight
Resistances:
Red - 1.5
White - 0.5
Black - 1.0
Pale - 2.0
Work Result range: 0-5 / 6-11 / 12-18
3-4 White work damage, qliphoth counter of 2 that lowers by 1 at 50% or 70% chance for a Normal and Bad result respectively, 450 HP, 5-7 White damage while breaching, 18 boxes, a decent White damage EGO weapon, a decent EGO suit (that even has a 1.5 on PALE damage)... For how horrifying this thing might be to look at, it's rather docile and lucrative to have, even. With how easy to work with it is, it may as well be a net positive to your facility. The ideal Prudence levels for work results are 2-3, but even then, a nugget with enough Temperance will even the odds out anyway and a breach is far from the end of the world. A very beneficial - if not a bit boring - abnormality to harbor.
Another month, another successful harvest. Let us pray the next one is just as bountiful. See ya!
| The 'Shroom: Issue 233 | |
|---|---|
| Staff sections | Staff Notes • The 'Shroom Spotlight • Poochy's Picks • Credits |
| Features | Fake News • Fun Stuff • Palette Swap • Pipe Plaza • Critic Corner • Strategy Wing |
