@> From: "A bug! Naaa...that's a feature" @> Subject: Re: Brandish info quasi faq These are just notes to myself on the game and possible problem area's. In it's current form I wouldn't call it an FAQ. Let me know what you think. Ronm --------------------------------------------------------------- Probably the 1st notes s/b on the display and controls... SEL - toggles main view window between gameplay and menu/options this also appears to function as a pause. RUN - toggles lower right window between auto-map and statistics cross-pad - obvious character movement direction with no buttons. used to activate optional items in (what I call 'action windows') with (A+B) ex...It appears that the 4 window area under the weapon,armor,shield at the top right is activated by both buttons/plus(u,d,l,r), certain items maybe slot dependent? Ex..((A+B)+d) then ((A+B)+r), if applicable the 1st combo activates the item in the bottom window followed by the item in the right window. Items that can be placed here are the Magic rings/books. Healing potions, enviroment manipulating objects Ex...'hammers' that can break walls whenever possible, 'stones' that activate floor traps ahead of you. Area under this is for objects picked up from chest or bought from shops. As one can see there is a limit on what can be carried. As the game progress's you find suitcases that allow you to carry more items. Some items are potions(magic/healing/poison), keys(normal/special),gold,weapons,etc... A - jump with cross-pad (u) A - fast shuffle and lock character orientation with cross-pad(l,r). This becomes usefull later in the game to get by certain traps. B - main attack/shield button. B - raise hand..with cross-pad (d) B - on option/item screens, used to select choice. Screen has a # of functional windows, which once you get the hang of things, is quite accessable with a control pad. There is no doubt in my mind it was originally setup for a mouse or k/b. Game allows 2 saves. Select File# then either load/save. Hit B then B again to confirm. Game is divided in an area/floor arrangement. Once an area is left you cannot comeback. At least I haven't found a way yet. When you leave an area a 6 digit # is displayed, I'm not sure what this means. When I finished the game I received a password, don't know why as there is no password opton to my knowledge. Screen has 3 windows. Main play area which is the largest, then to the right there are two smaller screens. I'm still not sure exactly what the urns contain. I suspect invincibility/invisibility. Obviously I didn't use them much. Never found a use for the POISON(healing/magic) other than to irritate me if I wasn't watching carefully when I obtained it from a chest. It will subtract from your good stash. Maybe that it's goal in life, to keep you on your toes. You start out with no protection/weapons/magic, but those will eventually be found or bought. The weapon system is very different than what I have played before. Here is a brief description of what I have discovered so far. The windows in the upper right hold current weapon/armor/shield. If no weapon is displayed you use bare hands. One will notice the # near weapons...this indicates how many times the weapon can be used...yep you got it, there not limitless. This makes the game early on quite challenging. Just figure out an enemies attack pattern and block till one can strike. Hit points can be recharged by life giving streams staggered throught the game or with potions picked up or bought. Magic points are charged up(slowly) in between usage or by potion also. Typical with this type of game is leveling up of Hp's/Mp's. This appears to be related to a use/enemy ratio. Similar to how Secret of Mana on the SNES works, if one is familiar with that action/rpg. You do not earn money from direct battles, only experience, which goes into the formula of leveling up your character. Money is only available in chest or selling off items in shops. Initially this is painfull as not much is available. On the environment. Typical is Monsters/badguys in rooms that need to be cleaned out. Keys become very important as a # of doors/chest are locked Shops allow you to look at clues/hints. Some cost money, some do not. I didn't find this usefull as I cannot read Japanese. I have an accompanying write up which is a synopsis of the animated intro. I have xlated info on the puzzle/riddle for Fortress B1 There are a number of encounters with characters, particularly the girl throughout the game. I have no xlation on these. They haven't stopped us in finishing, but it would have added to the storyline immensely. Same goes for text/dialog between areas and in shops. This game is not really that difficult in gameplay. The enjoyment for me was the exploring/what's around the next corner had me hooked. Part of that was not understanding the Japanese clues strewn throughout the game. The following hints may take away from that. I've indicated before the graphics are a mixed bag. Mostly though they are very good to excellent. BGM is very good in most areas, though I must admit to having it disabled when scouting around. The animated sequences where all excellent. With the worst being the intro(IMHO). Game has a number of areas. Ruins,Tower,Caves,Dark Zone,Fortress I don't know if I should list how many floors too each area. Ruins,Tower,Caves have 10. Dark has 2 but there nasty. Fortress has 7. Tower,Fortress also have a top floor. 2 additional short floors for endgame. Possible problem areas: Ruin area, last floor. After mapping/finishing the last room, you must return to the fairy a get a gold stone. This needs to be activated in an action window by the exit. Tower 2nd floor There is a troll/monster that offers a clue/hint fot lots of cash. I have no idea what it is. Tower 9th floor. Make a '35' pattern on the floor tiles. Door you wish to open is too the top. Caves B1. There is a chest over to the left side of area, hidden behind a false wall/floor trap, protected by ninja's. Only way I have been able to open this is by obtaining a key from a shop on B3. Amount is 200000 for key. Item in chest is a quake magic book. Have never seen this offered in a shop and don't know if it is necessary to win or important, but it does appear to be unique. Maybe of value in Fortress B1. Same floor. There is a room roughly in the middle of this floor that has many opened chest. If one interrogates them they have cash in varying/strange amounts. Ex.13,15,105,etc..I've tried to read something into this but it appears that they are only here to build up money total. Beware though that once the key described above is bought/used, the recursion capability of accumulating wealth is hampered immensely. Fortress B1 Their is an invisible teleporter in the large room with all the quake generating switches. In reference to the teleporter...move 2 d, then 2 left. One should have a pillar directly in front of you when facing north providing this is a virgin room. While facing north raise your hand. Fortress B3 Clue given for switch room is, F=forward, R=turn right, L=turn left, J=jump. It is important to note that turning is a unique move onto itself. Only turn, do not actually move. Fortress B5 --> B7 These floors are quite interconnected, similar to Caves B3/4/5/6, but devilishly clever/frustrating if you have not saved often or mapped things out well. Yes...I needed to write stuff down. :-) Fortress top There is a hidden/invisible teleporter on this floor. It's marked by pillars in a unique configuration. Once you see them you will know what I mean. Turn and face out from the configuration and raise hand. Picked these up from a Japanese gamer. This is the intro. Ths story line behind brandish is follows, but poor english... And proper noun's spelling is probably wrong. # Correct spelling isn't written in Japanese manual. --- In kingdom "Bitol" protected by great dragon, the king "Bistal" had an ambition , which was to get power greater than he had then. King went to a tower where exist spower source which control all things. A archibishop "Basnoa" wanted to stop him but couldn't and killed by king's night. King got power source and he was changed to evil and ugly shape because of his evilness. Thousand years passed ... The kingdom and the tower and the king were lost and everyone has forgot. The place there was kingdom "Bitol" is now kingdom "Banould" where outlows gathers. At evening , a man came into the bar. His name is "Ales", and he was offered a prize of 1,000,000 gold. But he is too strong to kill. He heard from bartender "In north east of Banould there is big hole monsters come out and treasure". Beside of the big hole, Ales met a girl whose name is "Dola". She has been storking him from 5 years ago because she think he was killed her master "Balkan". She attacked him with Fire ball, but the fire ball didn't hit him and went into the hole. Then began earthquake. The fall into .... --- Bye. Tsuyoshi Itokawa When I was stuck on B1 fortress the person who sent me the intro sent me this. Ronm So I played this game BRANDISH 3 years or more ago, I can't remember details of this game. Then I looked at floor "fortress 1F" using my saved data when I completed this game. In this floor there is one message plate on the wall. The massage plate is written as follows. After quake , something changes in this floor. Detect what has changed you think , raise hand to the north. If you understand this message , and do as this message says , you'll be able to find new teleport zone in this floor ( I think ). What floor switch should kick on I have forgotten . Sorry. But the number of switches to kick on is one.( Not Combination of switches ) @> From: Stephen Sidler >Made some progress into the TOWER of brandish, although I seem to be caught >in the first 4 floors (at one point I found a stair on F2, but didn't use >it instead opting for more exploration, now I can't find it again!), and I >see what you mean about those walls that you can walk through. .. One thing about this game is if you try to rush through it, you are in deep trouble. One wrong turn or missed secret entrance....Kapoof! I never mapped out on paper any floors, but forgetting where stairs were happened occasionally. Don't read the following unless you are into the CAVE part (after tower) and are having some difficulties. But your ability to see the character flow in the debug screen should help you. The following is hazy, but it is the best I can recall. Am telling you now in case you get there on weekend...... Possible help........... OK...I noticed something weird in the game. There is a fairy/imp that you speak to on the bottom floor of the cave. I went back to her after a while and she transported to the front of the entrance to the next floor and then I went back a third time, and she disappeared. Do not know significance of that, but if for some reason you are stuck, try going up a few floors, and returning to her, and see what change transpires. She might be some sort of a trigger mechanism for another floor. Don't believe she left an item that appeared in my inventory like the previous encounter with the blue girl on Ruins 10 that gave you that item to open up door. I knew you couldn't resist!