Heeeyyy Brad!

Guess what?
I have a really stupid question, okay? In FFTactics, you cannot master the summoner class. Well, at least I haven't been able to. I kept someone a summoner for 2 chapters and finally learned all the abilities, but no spiffy little master star!! Aaagghh! All my efforts in vain! But I just noticed that at the bottom of the ability list for summoner is an ability with all dashes where the name, MP, JP needed, etc. should be. Is there some kind of hidden summon I'm missing?

Frum Rand
P.S. Since you loooove haiku:

Don't like processed cheese
Synthetic dairy products
Make me want to hurl

Brad:
Yes, in fact, there is one last summon that you're missing. It's called Zodiac, and only one guy in the game uses it, and your Summoner must be hit with it, AND SURVIVE in order to learn it. The surviving is the hard part, I assure you. For more details on learning Zodiac, check out the numerous FAQs written on the subject (just look for "Zodiac Summon" ... ) And as a final note, there is also one of Ramza's squire (Guts) techniques that can be learned this way: Ultima.

A person asked you a few tactics ogre questions yesterday. Regarding the angel knight thing, the character has to be a priest, I think. For getting Shelly, you can do it during training, use storm magic I think. Great faqs can be found at www.gamefaqs.com

Btw, at sages.ign.com there's a code which may not work but says you can get Lans on your team. Oh great Oracle, could it be true?

Zed- 3 endings in Tactics Ogre. 1 bad and 2 good

Brad:
I think you -have- to be in training to get Shelley, and I'm not sure about the priest thing, but in about 3 or 4 levels, I'll be finding out for myself, so I'll let ya know. I haven't tried the Lans thing... but after reading that, I sure as hell WILL try. Lans rocks. (which Lans is it, btw? I'm assuming the good one..) I also saw some other stuff on there I want to try... man, I love this game. :)

I just released a new RPG, Shadow Legend 2. It's completely finished, and contains cutscenes like Ninja Gaiden did so long ago. I'd really appreciate it if you put up the link to my page, which has the game, as I want to get as much feedback on it as I can. The site is at: http://members.home.net/rp2k/index.html. I personally think it's a good RPG, but you be the judge. It's freeware, and it's a 3MB d/l. Give it a shot?

-D. Alexander

Brad:
The difference between this and most other requests for "have people test out my game" that I get is that this one is FINISHED. Now I don't promise to ever do this again, maybe I'm just tired or something, but hey.. help the guy out or something. I'd test it out myself, if I didn't have a million other games that I've got to play first.

btw, what upgrades did u do?
i did, NO guardsmen, NO monks (Diego, Kira)-hawkknights,(Darius,Amon)-archers

-ade-

Brad:
I know I have at least one Axeguy (Guardsman), because I almost always go with Clint as a guardsman.. and I think Grog was too. The secret is to get to that little island with only two ramps on it.. stack everyone nice and tight (so the heal spells will get everyone), and then nail all the hawkmen first with archers.. after that, they can only really get you two at a time, and well... you smash 'em up. The funniest part is, you still haven't won, even after everyone is dead... you still have to run out of town. Tell ya what, though. You get a LOT of money if you beat 'em up the right way.

Hey Brad,

I noticed in your column yesterday you inquired about obtaining the older game music arranged soundtracks such as FF:Celtic Moon. Well, I am a big video game soundtrack collector, and I will give you and the audience some general info on this. In Japan, game soundtracks generally stay in print for about 2 years from when the CD is first released(the dates on the back of the Jap. soundtracks tell you this.) to decrease the surplus on the market. But, if a certain CD is popular, like any Final Fantasy or other Square soundtrack, the manufacturer(in Square's case, Digicube) will keep the CD in circulation. Examples of this are the FF4-FF6 OST's(which came out in 1994), most of the FF arranged albums(except the RARE piano collections) and some others. However, awesome soundtracks like the Falcom Ys Perfect Collections are very hard to come by and can usually only be had through eBay or Yahoo! Japan for about $100-$150. The reason such awesome CD's go out of print while others that came out around the same time stay in print(like the FF stuff) is that a small company(like Falcom) cannot afford to keep their CD's in circulation, therefore they dissapear after those 2 years. As for the Ever Anime stuff, the sound quality is the same, but the packaging is very inferior to the original merchandise. And to ascertain whether a CD is a bootleg, if the CD says either SM(for Son May) or EA(Ever Anime) on the spine, you can bet it is a bootlegged CD. Oh and by the way, the Chrono Cross soundtrack probably blows every other Mitsuda work right out of the water, including the classic Chrono Trigger OST........See ya!!

Brad:
Check the column next weekend when I do a little bit of layout changes so that information like this doesn't leave me rambling about nothing, because I really can't say much about just a general informative comment like this.

Brad:
Just to give credit, I nabbed that image from wm.themes.org, the -best- site to grab themes for X out there.

'Cause I'm working on this damned project for grad school! I want to play Front Mission, dammit! Why, WHY is the contents of my vector spontaneously changing addresses, making my pointers suddenly point to garbage?!?! AARRRGGHH!!!!!

The Sesquipedalist

Brad:
The most common errors with points occur when you accidentally use pointer math somewhere.. or as Spencer just now points out, if your pointer has more scope than your data, sometimes the data will get destroyed when you exit a function and suddenly your pointer, (which still exists) now points to de-allocated memory. You're saying that the data itself is moving.. anyhow, these things are -the- nastiest of programming errors to fix, and more often than not, it's one character (a + instead of a -, or a misplaced . .. ergh) or something else that's really 'simple' .. but hard as hell to find, that drives all programmers off the edge, eventually. :D

<Vicks> !8ball Is Googleshng a male?
* Da_Man shakes the 8ball... Vicks, the 8-Ball says, "No"
<Vicks> !8ball Is Googleshng a female?
* Da_Man shakes the 8ball... Vicks, the 8-Ball says, "Slight Possibility"

So is it right to tell the world about this, well that's your call, seeing as you're the Oracle, and already knew this.

-Vicks "Has Da-Man working for him" Eddington

Brad:
There is actually conclusive evidence somewhere on the RPGamer site right now, -recently- and NOT in my column about Googleshng's gender. See if you can find it.

Hi Braddy-boy!

I've got questions 'bout
Star Ocean Two
will you answer, oracle?

.... my first haiku... it sucks doesn't? And I'm not even sure if it is a haiku... boohoo.

1. what in the hell are these "galaxy" and "universe" modes that everyone {even the game [when you use oracle(that specialty command)]} keeps talking about?!?

The galaxy and universe modes are harder versions of the game (the enemies get tougher) that are unlocked when you have a certain number of the sounds in the sound test thing unlocked.

10. where I could bump my levels up before that cave with those guys made of rock? And what characters I should use? I have Claude, Rena, Celine, Precis, Leon , Noel and Chisato. My levels are around 45-64 ... ^_^;

I don't remember exactly what you're talking about.. but since you're most likely on Energy Nede, try going to some of the 'field' dungeons, they're generally fairly good for experience. If you're way past that.. just sit in whatever dungeon you're supposed to be at, stay near the entrance, and whap things there. As for party Members.. use Claude, Rena, Chisato, and hrm.. Ashton. I know you don't have Ashton. It's your own damn fault. He rocks. I guess Leon or Celine's not too bad a choice.. but get Opera or Ashton next time through, okay?

11. Mighty Oracle what will I do if Claude ends up together with that ditz in the end? How can I prevent that? BTW "ditz" is Rena.

You can prevent it by treating Rena like crap in the PA's :)

101. will you answer this too? I need to know what is this limiter?

The "limiter" is a thing that makes Indalecio ... easier. Yes, he's very hard. He's a LOT harder without his limiter. If you do the PA that takes his limiter off, then you're asking to get your butt kicked. But hey, it provides a new level of challenge for those who like that sort of punishment fun.

Thanks my mighty oracle!

--Arasir

Fat Chocobo III

Brad:
Ahh.. so that's how it works. Thanks!

Calmness does not work
All the time. It has missed me.
I swear, dude. No lie.

CyricZ

Wasn't it you who always drank orange soda. Wasn't that what give you your infinite Oracle wisdom? Or am (I thinking of someone else?

The Brad-ku

Brad Brad Brad Brad Brad
Brad Brad Brad Brad Brad Brad Brad
Brad Brad Brad Brad Brad

--The Geek

Hey Braddie... in SO2, what happens if you choose NOT to let characters join your party?

-Lord Xyyn Dragon-

Closing Comments:

Well, there ya go.. I'm out for the week, have fun with Google.. but not TOO much fun. I want to see ya'll back here next weekend, y'hear? </texan> :)