Ashton or Opera

[Neo Android]

Heya,

So I have just acquired Ashton, I was just told I would be locked out from Opera. I’m just wondering if the game is still playable this way? I found the two dragons cute haha.

I’m on the normal difficulty with Claude. Since Opera would be a healer as well have I locked myself out of the only other healer?

Should I just go back to a previous save and say no to Ashton?

I kinda more interested on which one has a better story?

Thanks

[bkdubs123]

I personally like Ashton's little story better, but both characters are great additions to any party, really. Ashton locks you out of not only Opera but her partner Ernest as well who is a very strong, unique fighter.

You haven't locked yourself out of the only other healer, no. There's a healer later in the game that you can't miss, and both Claude (Sword of Life) and Bowman (Self-Medication) can both support heal quite competently.

The game is definitely playable without Opera, and without any healer in the party at all, actually. It helps that later you'll be able to assign healing skills to Assault Actions, so if you wanted to run a party full of fighters (say Claude, Ashton, Dias, and, idk, Welch), you would still have access to Rena through the Assault Formation.

Ashton's a really interesting and potentially quite powerful fighter, I think you'll like him! I prefer using him to Opera, though they both have different strengths.

[Malfias]

I always preferred Ashston over Opera on the PS1, but this time round as Claud I have gone with Opera, Celine, Rena, Precis & Welch so far. Later on I will take Ernest & Leon.

Technically there is an argument that if you are playing Rena's story you get Claud & Dias for melee and don't also need Ashton so you can grab Opera instead.

[Powersword]

Ashtons voice acting does my head in this version. He can even force join you too !

[bkdubs123]

Originally posted by UnholyBlood:

Ashtons voice acting does my head in this version. He can even force join you too !

What do you mean "force join" you? You can't be forced into accepting him into your party even if you go into the Salva Mines and watch him get possessed by the deagons. You can turn him down.

EDIT: He does have a derpy voice though, I agree 😅 though I find it endearing lol.

[Powersword]

Originally posted by bkdubs123:

Originally posted by UnholyBlood:

Ashtons voice acting does my head in this version. He can even force join you too !

What do you mean "force join" you? You can't be forced into accepting him into your party even if you go into the Salva Mines and watch him get possessed by the deagons. You can turn him down.

EDIT: He does have a derpy voice though, I agree 😅 though I find it endearing lol.

You’re very very wrong. This occurs after the first refusal. If you speak to him again he then force joins.

[bkdubs123]

Originally posted by UnholyBlood:

Originally posted by bkdubs123:

What do you mean "force join" you? You can't be forced into accepting him into your party even if you go into the Salva Mines and watch him get possessed by the deagons. You can turn him down.

EDIT: He does have a derpy voice though, I agree 😅 though I find it endearing lol.

You’re very very wrong. This occurs after the first refusal. If you speak to him again he then force joins.

That is really, really odd. First I've ever heard of this, and I could see a lot of people doing this by accident, but of course, if you've gone to all the trouble, you probably intend to recruit him anyway. Still... what the heck kind of game design decision was that?

I'm going to have to see if I have a save file back there just to see this for myself, I believe you, but I just need to see what the heck the designers did 🙃

[Powersword]

It’s highlighted on the map as an active event. I lost 1 hour of gameplay as I was actually trying to get opera…

[Powersword]

Also in the original I really liked his voice over. He certainly sound a bit tougher and the dragons didn’t have the lame creepy wimpy names

[bkdubs123]

Originally posted by UnholyBlood:

Originally posted by bkdubs123:

What do you mean "force join" you? You can't be forced into accepting him into your party even if you go into the Salva Mines and watch him get possessed by the deagons. You can turn him down.

EDIT: He does have a derpy voice though, I agree 😅 though I find it endearing lol.

You’re very very wrong. This occurs after the first refusal. If you speak to him again he then force joins.

So I just went and did this and actually it's so awkward and hilarious I can't even be mad at it 🤣🤣🤣

[Powersword]

He’s certainly a character. Still no proper explanation for the barrel thing even in this version. ( I also secretly wish you could get rid of the dragons too. His sword man design is pretty cool and it’s a shame the game never explains properly who he is)

[Computer]

Picking Opera lets you do some pretty heinous exploits early on that trivialize the combat while Ashton has the more interesting personality.

[bkdubs123]

Originally posted by UnholyBlood:

He’s certainly a character. Still no proper explanation for the barrel thing even in this version. ( I also secretly wish you could get rid of the dragons too. His sword man design is pretty cool and it’s a shame the game never explains properly who he is)

I have a whole backstory in my head for him, a tragic tale of a homeland lost and an orphaned boy who barely escaped a life a crime.

[Powersword]

Looks like some kind of paladin/knights templer to me.. I guess there are churches in his world so something like that seems in place

[di eshor ribly]

Originally posted by bkdubs123:

Originally posted by UnholyBlood:

He’s certainly a character. Still no proper explanation for the barrel thing even in this version. ( I also secretly wish you could get rid of the dragons too. His sword man design is pretty cool and it’s a shame the game never explains properly who he is)

I have a whole backstory in my head for him, a tragic tale of a homeland lost and an orphaned boy who barely escaped a life a crime.

Well, there's an abandoned ruins in the desert (unique location) that talks about Ashton training there (unless there's some other dual wielder around). No clue if that's supposed to be his hometown or just some ruins he chose to train in.

Now, the game considers Ashton to be a boring character. He's awkward, socially inept, and very likely trained alone in those ruins for several years, which helps explain the lack of social graces. The unexplained barrel obsession is great comedic irony - it's so boring it's quirky and endearing.

[Powersword]

Originally posted by di eshor ribly:

Originally posted by bkdubs123:

I have a whole backstory in my head for him, a tragic tale of a homeland lost and an orphaned boy who barely escaped a life a crime.

Well, there's an abandoned ruins in the desert (unique location) that talks about Ashton training there (unless there's some other dual wielder around). No clue if that's supposed to be his hometown or just some ruins he chose to train in.

Now, the game considers Ashton to be a boring character. He's awkward, socially inept, and very likely trained alone in those ruins for several years, which helps explain the lack of social graces. The unexplained barrel obsession is great comedic irony - it's so boring it's quirky and endearing.

Just found the deserts recently. Very impressive and don’t remember anything like that in the original