Gimmicky Gary
Low stat runs
#1 by Gimmicky Gary - Jan 14 2013
Hi! First off, I really enjoyed Magical Diary. The game is pretty well written, with both touching romance, and surprisingly good representation of things like sexuality and weight issues without any of the issues being intrusive. I've played through it four or five times now and decided to post a couple things I found.On to the thrust of my post: When I was trying to figure out the use of the some of the spells, since between a couple playthroughs I realized I barely used most of them, it hit me that "push object" lets you blow through about half the exams.
This got me thinking, and I eventually came up with the idea of trying to see how minimalist I could go on learning spells. The result was Mageless Nospells, where I tried to learn the absolute minimum of magic to pass everything.
Since I mostly did it on the fly without pouring over event lists, it's pretty inefficient. I'm trying one where I go 5-8 in red magic (still need to experiment with some things to see how much I need), 28 strong, and 25 smart. That's using equipment though- if you skip on equipment, you need 33 strength (in order to survive Ellen's plan without being able to cast anything to help), 30 smarts (to cast Slash on the Hodag three times), and 20 red magic (to learn Breeze, Push Object, and Slash, the only three spells you need.) Obviously I overshot on the smart and slightly overshot on the strength for Mageless, because I was focussed on the magical skills.
Either way, it made me laugh so I thought of something else: Who said I needed to pass the tests? What if, instead, I tried to make the absolute worst student I could, while keeping them juuuust good enough to not get kicked out?
Meet Worst Passing Student. Worst Passing Student managed to stumble through freshman year with no spells, and left weaker and dumber than she came in. By the end of the year she didn't know anything about any kind of magic. She failed all but one exam- and the one she passed, she paid off her opposition. (I did this because it was the only way I could figure out to finish on 45 demerits instead of 40)
I'd be interested if anyone else has done similar challenge runs like this, and what you did.
If anyone's interested, here's my "walkthrough" of sorts:
You can't sleep in the first week or the detention you get throws a point into all your magics. So, first day take a class in anything (I did Red Magic just because) and make sure you only get 1. Then sleep all week, and go to the mall on the weekend.
Take Damien's hand. His path is vital to this run.
Make sure you choose the knives response. The cute/weird doesn't matter, but the pie scene does.
Every week just continue to take all rest actions, and go to the mall every weekend. I usually just window shop, but it doesn't matter as long as you don't spend money.
At Sept 21 or two weeks after it, go to the food court and buy the cheapest food you can, then share with Virginia to drop a point of strength.
Don't go to the study session, obviously.
Accept the detention from Potsdam. It opens up a way to get merits from Donald and dodges some demerits (15 in total).
On Sept 30, I used the "have Ellen teach Virginia" option to get Donald to leave while making him friendly.
Agree to go with Donald for +10 merits. This bumps you up to 0 merits just in time to run for president!
Run for president.
Eat the pie by yourself. Since you chose knives in the poem, you'll drop another strength point to hit 18.
Pick Lady Lampshade Head, everything else is largely unimportant. I bought posters and badges, and to give free hugs. The election speech I picked at random because it hardly matters. Don't pick any of the mean options though. This way you get the ten merits from Potsdam, the only reason you bothered with the presidential stuff.
Give up on the second exam.
Go to the mall and recommend "something musical" to keep on Donald's good side.
Keep the letter from Damien and agree to stay friends.
Accept Damien's invite, don't skip the date. How you deal with your roommates doesn't matter.
Don't bother going to the play.
DON'T make candles with Donald. You already have all the merits you need to end on -50 exactly, and you get the +5 later on.
Give up on the third exam.
If you ended up getting the invite to the secret society, don't take it. You shouldn't get it, though.
Skip sports to play with Damien, Virginia points don't help this run.
Relax on December 14. You can take the demerits hit, and it lets you avoid studying.
Don't go with Donald.
You'll probably end up giving a card to Virginia, give her a rock stars one. If it's for Ellen, give her cakes.
Think about Damien at christmas.
Don't gamble with Bingo.
Give up on the fourth exam.
Go out with Damien.
Give up on the fifth exam.
Give Damien a romantic valentine.
Talk to the hooded figure, then chase him to the door. When he's at the door, talk to him again. On the turn that he breaks the door, talk to him a third time and bribe him. MAKE SURE HE BREAKS THE DOOR FIRST since you don't have any spells.
Agree to give Damien your soul. This seems like it should make you drop to 8 strength, since you lose ten, but for some reason you only drop to 10 strength. Oh well. Either way, you're now at 10/10 0/0/0/0/0. Choose love to make sure the route continues.
Avoid any non-Damien events from here on out (April Fool's joke, Kyo/Minnie fight, etc)
Don't destroy the letter from Damien. Tell him you still love him.
Ask Postdam to let Damien back in to annoy your roommates.
Fail the final exam by refusing to leave Damien.
There you go! You screwed up horribly, but you passed the year! Good on you!
