Hanako Games

Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#1 by Lazarae - Jul 30 2014

I've played through several times, and with the exception of when I'm trying to fulfill a full-story challenge (doing all the investments, maxing cruelty, stuff like that) I always struggle with the early game. My first playthrough I admit to cheating shamelessly to stop my constant restarting because I wasn't sure what to focus on.

If you're playing without goals, or with goals that are focused on late-game, how do you usually start? What skills do you focus on? Is there a mood/weekend activity you try to stick to? Do you try to level everything a little, or one thing a lot? Which mentor do you go with?

Mostly this is curiosity and inspiration for future playthroughs rather than asking for advice. I tend to fall into certain patterns (Elodie almost always ends with high intrigue unless I'm trying to get an ending where she can't. I also tend to ignore her weapon skills in favor of general military) and forget there are other options, so I just want to see how other people play.

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#2 by Jayrassic Park - Jul 31 2014

Personally, I try leveling little by little if I don't have a goal, with a bit of a focus on surviving the bandit attack and the chocolates. I usually have Julianna around, since I don't like killing anyone (even if she is a bit of a dick).

I usually let Divination and Ciphering languish and build up economics and medicine to pass the Printing Press and Hospital tests, too.

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#3 by ppd - Aug 10 2014

I usually start training in Expression and Animal Handling right away, because there is a bonus to them from being Depressed. Expression for the fight with the endgame boss, Animal Handling to survive the chocolates. After that point, I try to shift my mood to Yielding so I can study some Royal Demeanor and Conversation.

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#4 by zonohedron - Aug 11 2014

Lazarae:

If you're playing without goals, or with goals that are focused on late-game, how do you usually start? What skills do you focus on? Is there a mood/weekend activity you try to stick to? Do you try to level everything a little, or one thing a lot? Which mentor do you go with?

Mostly this is curiosity and inspiration for future playthroughs rather than asking for advice. I tend to fall into certain patterns (Elodie almost always ends with high intrigue unless I'm trying to get an ending where she can't. I also tend to ignore her weapon skills in favor of general military) and forget there are other options, so I just want to see how other people play.

If I don't have any conflicting goals, my first three weeks are generally the same:
Accounting and Foreign Intelligence, then go to the garden
Accounting and Court Manners, imprison Julianna, then visit Charlotte
Production and Trade, then release Julianna
because I always want to be healed by Charlotte, know both where Sedna is and what the necklace is, and be able to pay off the Ixionites. I'll need to keep raising Accounting and Trade so I can pay them off, but that's fine because that'll set me up for investing in the printing press, getting into the treasury, and having the choice not to eat free chocolates; I just don't always do the exact same thing after week 3.

I do like Selene better as a mentor in general, but unless I know how I'm going to be defeating the Shanjians when the time comes, I don't want to lock off any possibilities.

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#5 by Fairyjade - Jan 7 2015

I usually work to not get killed by cholates and get my military and get my lumen skills up quickly. I prepare battle!

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#6 by Magnificate - Jan 7 2015

I still got the five archetypal playthroughs saved, so let's look into the logs:

Fleet Playthrough Opening:
Week 1
(Studied Accounting in the morning.)
(Studied Trade in the afternoon.)
Week 2
(Studied Accounting in the morning.)
(Studied Trade in the afternoon.)
Week 3
(Studied Accounting in the morning.)
(Studied Trade in the afternoon.)

Duel Playthrough Opening:
Week 1
(Studied Decoration in the morning.)
(Studied Decoration in the afternoon.)
Week 2
(Studied Instrument in the morning.)
(Studied Voice in the afternoon.)
Week 3
(Studied Presence in the morning.)
(Studied Presence in the afternoon.)

Music Playthrough Opening:
Week 1
(Studied Dogs in the morning.)
(Studied Falcons in the afternoon.)
Week 2
(Studied Dogs in the morning.)
(Studied Falcons in the afternoon.)
Week 3
(Studied Horses in the morning.)
(Studied Horses in the afternoon.)

Mirror Playthrough Opening:
Week 1
(Studied Internal Affairs in the morning.)
(Studied Ciphering in the afternoon.)
Week 2
(Studied Reflexes in the morning.)
(Studied Reflexes in the afternoon.)
Week 3
(Studied Flexibility in the morning.)
(Studied Flexibility in the afternoon.)

Kraken Playthrough Opening:
Week 1
(Studied Horses in the morning.)
(Studied Horses in the afternoon.)
Week 2
(Studied Horses in the morning.)
(Studied Horses in the afternoon.)
Week 3
(Studied Instrument in the morning.)
(Studied Voice in the afternoon.)

Huh. These are much more diverse than I've remembered them. ;) No clear pattern aside from almost always sticking to the mood bonuses.

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#7 by Ariel Schnee - Jan 9 2015

First day : Use cheats and max everything, except cruelty(I'm usually nice) and Lumen because I haven't got the Crystal yet. Give myself all the outfits. Give myself lots of money too then.

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#8 by hanako - Jan 9 2015

Cheating is not a strategy.

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#9 by Senex - Feb 6 2015

Study whatever gets a bonus from that week's mood and hope that it all works out in the end.

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#10 by Mir - Feb 6 2015

It usually depends on what plot-related goals I have in mind. Though on the playthrough where I wanted everything to go as right as it could in the kingdom, I spent the first few weeks studying economics, but week three was a double dose of composure (I know Charlotte survives, but I always feel so bad letting her get bit and having Julianna unlocks magic sooner). I used to study royal demeanor to get into the treasury, but someone pointed out the rather extreme mood switch from yielding to willful to get the right bonuses for Lumen, so high economics it is! Plus, it allows me to get the printing press, and it always drives me crazy to miss it. Oh, and pay Ixion at a more reasonable rate and raise taxes to help cover the difference without making people angry.

I like to take the necklace on week five, because Talarist's visit pushes back the hospital lady two weeks, giving me more time to get herbs and medicines up (I usually end up picking him at the end, so it's not too dishonest...right?). I have no trouble letting him down gently because I try to get my court manners up enough to deal with Kevan next week (a bit difficult with needing Internal Affairs 30, but I've done it!). Then it's try to get Sense Magic up to 80 in time for the ball so I can get a minister, which allows me to get to Gwenelle's party with no trouble, so I can focus on lore.

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#11 by KitCat - Sep 26 2016

hanako:

Cheating is not a strategy.

Yeah... Why it was in anyway?
EDit:
Anyway, Favorite Early-Game Strategies at get not even one failed at even demo?
I mean them should go on, not failed as i anyway failed Trade+Production think .
Edit2:
How i put enough Account without debug? ( If that helps?)
Reflexes are should at it "first step" So it wery early?
Anyway... in my opinion: next game, "cheat" or "debug" should cost ( i mean not Demo/shareware version... )

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#12 by chlobo - Mar 14 2017

I tend to focus on trade + production first.

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#13 by Pokota - Mar 28 2017

I usually go for Lumen Crystal Early, regardless of whether or not I actually raise it in time for anything that asks for it, since that puts you in a nobility-neutral position with Ixion AND prepares you for the printing press event (and lets you raise taxes with precision when that question comes up).

Of course, the biggest drawback to Lumen Crystal Early is that you're treading a thin line between peace and civil war, and I still haven't learned well what actions to take to avoid it - I have to deal with a civil war about 25% of the time nowadays, so lately I've been doing Economics > War > Agility and Lumen. I want to wedge Medicine into it somewhen before week 15, but I usually can't get the emotions to line up properly.

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#14 by KitCat - May 22 2017

How early you are died? In demo my self...
or...

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#15 by Exkalipoor - Jun 20 2017

30 Reflexes - unlocks Sports for angryness and decreasing afraidness, avoids the snake (if Julianne is missing), avoids Alice, the assassin won't kill Elody instantly. Later on it can be increased to 100 Reflex, as it let's you go to the birthday, beat Togami (with Lumen) and you can dodge the evil Lumen and Kevan (Running works too). You only need one week if you are afraid, which you usually are in the early game.

10 Court Manners - Elodie can avoid to accept Thalasses present. Or she scares of Ixion (but she should marry Thalasse then).

50 Dogs - Since you start depressed, you only need to waste two weeks for that. It let's you survive the chocolates (all other checks require way more Points, though they are more useful overall).

40 Intrigue - The Agent-Checkpoint in week 18 is necessary for some events and it let you prevent the civil war or lets you to the birthday or helps in the naval battle or gives you the Magic Mirror to kill Togami later on or prevents the riot of the common folk. Just spend two weeks on it.

20 Foreign Affairs - History is almost useless but this one gives you an interesting choice to deal with Ixion, as it unlocks many events. Easy to get, unless you are Willfull.

60 Lore - This saves Briony (if you can make it to the Birthday) and you can avoid the civil war and/or Kevan that way.

50 Accounting, 30 Trade, 30 Production - You can get the Lumen Crystal in 5 weeks that way. It also allows you to get the print press and you can pay off Ixion. In combination with Military, you can buy more soldiers and build new battle ships. You survive the chocolates as well.

80 Sense Magic - You can recruit Lucille (unless you execute someone at the ball) so you can go to the birthday and won't get chocolates. You also can spot the evil Lumen, can recruit Serene and you need max Lumen later on anyway if you are dealing with Togami, be it through the Lumen Concert, the Duel or the Earthquake.

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#16 by Queen's prince - Jul 8 2017

My favorite early game strategy is to serve to Elodie's name... In translation Evil-lodie :3
However, it's not my most used one, since I have only 15 achievements unlocked

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#17 by Gamer - Feb 3 2018

So I somehow migrated this game to Steam. How can I accuse Uncle Laurent for an attempted assassination without being a Lumen? I know I've done it before and I don't know if anything has changed since the last update.

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#18 by Gamer - Feb 15 2018

Can anyone help me find a way to accuse Uncle Laurent for an attempted assassination without being a Lumen? I started playing this game again so I've become a little obsessed. Haha.

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#19 by somestrangecircus - Feb 20 2018

You get the option to accuse Laurent of treason if you face an assassin in Week 16 and can then decipher the coded letter that they leave behind, and it says that the assassin came from Merva. It's possible for this assassin to be from somewhere other than Merva though, if I recall correctly.

As for the assassin, if you aren't a Lumen I think you need to pass checks for Reflexes, Flexibility, and either Polearms if you choose to fight him or Running if you choose to run away.

(Someone correct me if any of this is wrong; it's been a while since I've loaded this game up.)

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#20 by hanako - Feb 20 2018

Even I would have to look it up to be sure but - I think in order to trigger a Mervan assassination attempt without being a Lumen yet, you would need to have found a reason to write to Charlotte. Which would require that Elodie gets bitten by the snake and healed by Charlotte, then maxes out meditation enough to get the 'glowy' effect, then talks to her Lumen mentor about these mysterious non-Lumen powers.

But this is off my memory.

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#21 by Gamer - Feb 20 2018

I believe you need the crystal (hence become a Lumen) and have high meditation to write to Charlotte.

Could you falsely accuse Laurent of sending an assassin if Banion sent it after you instead? I tried that as well but didn't work.

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#22 by hanako - Feb 20 2018

Okay, I had to dig for this. What should trigger the possibility to accuse Laurent without being a Lumen:

+ Julianna had to be present when the snake attacked, to warn Elodie that someone was trying to kill her.
+ There had to be an actual assassination attempt at the parade
+ Elodie does NOT have enough Ciphering to know for certain where the assassin came from
+ Elodie DOES have Internal Affairs 10

If all that happens, she becomes suspicious of Laurent and has the option to accuse him.

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#23 by Gamer - Feb 21 2018

It worked. Thanks!

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#24 by KitCat - Mar 31 2018

At time at demo, i succes only these thinks well, when i debug... without it, i only can select what is most needed succes...

And yeah... at even that time that saddest end be possilble...

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#25 by Gamer - Jul 27 2018

Hey, I read in LLTQ wikia that you can get Julianna to vote 'no' at the ball if you get the crystal and refuse to accept it multiple times. Is this true and if it is, how do I achieve that?

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#26 by hanako - Jul 27 2018

It's in my script notes but it's been long enough that I don't entirely know what my script notes mean.

That is, my notes say that Julianna votes against you if you have refused "again" to become a Lumen.

My best guess is that you have to get the crystal early, talk to Julianna, and then when she asks if you're ready to become a Lumen, say no. If you do this before the parade, then you should get the salt water omen at the parade. The weekend after the parade and before the ball, talk to Julianna again, and she gives you a second chance to become a Lumen. Say no again.

Then, if there's a vote of no confidence, she should be fed up with you.

I don't know if anyone's actually ever done this, though!

Re: Favorite Early-Game Strategies?

#27 by MillaMaxwell - Jul 29 2018

I just tried it and confirmed that it works:



This resulted in basically only Joslyn and Armand taking Elodie's side. When I tried again and specifically aimed to improve noble approval (and didn't invite Talarist to the ball), then Severin joined Elodie's side too. I don't think it's possible to have the voting scene and then win the game without Julianna's vote.