[Ending Spoilers]

[Outsider]

I have a bunch of questions:
Is there a way to save Royal somehow during escape from the moon?
Why bird's name doesn't show in the credits, should I beat it on harder mode?
Is Laurie NPC somehow related to robo-Laurie, or whatever her name was, from Noitu Love 2? Are these two games set in the same universe?

[Dexter]

I remember when I was trying to save Royal there was a ladder newr the midway point that I couldn't go down. Weird.

[Shiroi_Karasu]

The ladder is blocked by a horizontal platform that can't be jumped down.

[Atmey]

Thought there were multiple endings, with the choices and all, also the red boxes on the moon base looked suspicious, like they shouldn't be there, without removing them (assuming you pass the door) you wouldn't be able to jump over them anyway.

[ROTBLOOD RAIDING PARTIES]

Originally posted by Luck Mostly:

Seems like you should be able to save Royal by using the position swapper to place him on the other door sensor and then keep walking, sad that it doesn't work.

I think it's impossible because the second sensor was damaged iirc. But yea, could be a cool secret happy ending.

[gatesda]

Confirmed that there are alternate sidequest endings. Refuse the Cream Horn a couple times and she'll instead give you a Strange Slip (white ticket) which will actually make Michi happy. You get the same schematic in this case, though.

I checked this playthrough, and you get the Anxiety schematic at the same time as the rejection letter so it's possible there's a different reward if you wait until his project's done. The name wouldn't fit unless he's anxious over something else later. Like, say, his upcoming wedding...

[Venus 以星 ♀✦]

about the weird ladder in the moon base--i noticed one more or less just like it in the rocket platform base, during mina's section, just before she reaches the launch room. it also seems like it's impossible to go down it. the presence of those ladders is really weird, and i feel like they're pointing to something hidden.

[a cartoon duck]

I think the ladder in the Mina section is there only to make the player try pressing down and jump to learn that Mina can slide, then slide through the tiny gap right into the control room.

[abstractAPPLE]

Originally posted by Austell:

about the weird ladder in the moon base--i noticed one more or less just like it in the rocket platform base, during mina's section, just before she reaches the launch room. it also seems like it's impossible to go down it. the presence of those ladders is really weird, and i feel like they're pointing to something hidden.

Maybe it's just there to show you that this building has a bigger underground part and isn't just a couple of hallways that have no purpose.
I don't feel like you can save Royal, he kinda gives up on himself and even says that you should leave him to die. In the end this game has a habit of simply killing off nearly everyone you meet.

I tried to save him but considering that Royal put all the lives of the main-characters at risk (especially Erlos) and fooling them (and this not for the first time) into thinking he could stop the Starworm and failing pathetical at trying it (clearling showing he had no plan nor idea of what he dealt with) made me actually not care at all that i left him behind.

Overall, even though he maybe only a missguided and naive guy, Royal, to me, is the biggest douche bag in the game.

[ROTBLOOD RAIDING PARTIES]

Originally posted by a cartoon duck:

I think the ladder in the Mina section is there only to make the player try pressing down and jump to learn that Mina can slide, then slide through the tiny gap right into the control room.

Heh, nice approach I think. Although a player can discover that she can't climb ladders earlier in Ash fight.

Originally posted by RAACCOON:

Originally posted by Austell:

about the weird ladder in the moon base--i noticed one more or less just like it in the rocket platform base, during mina's section, just before she reaches the launch room. it also seems like it's impossible to go down it. the presence of those ladders is really weird, and i feel like they're pointing to something hidden.

Maybe it's just there to show you that this building has a bigger underground part and isn't just a couple of hallways that have no purpose.
I don't feel like you can save Royal, he kinda gives up on himself and even says that you should leave him to die. In the end this game has a habit of simply killing off nearly everyone you meet.

I tried to save him but considering that Royal put all the lives of the main-characters at risk (especially Erlos) and fooling them (and this not for the first time) into thinking he could stop the Starworm and failing pathetical at trying it (clearling showing he had no plan nor idea of what he dealt with) made me actually not care at all that i left him behind.

Overall, even though he maybe only a missguided and naive guy, Royal, to me, is the biggest douche bag in the game.

For some reason Royal was the only one character I cared about in this game from the start and felt bad about necessity to leave him die. That stupid sensors :'(

[Mates]

Originally posted by gatesda:

Confirmed that there are alternate sidequest endings. Refuse the Cream Horn a couple times and she'll instead give you a Strange Slip (white ticket) which will actually make Michi happy. You get the same schematic in this case, though.

Is it true about the white ticket? There is a hidden room in One Concern West with memo mentioning it:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1284862921
Maybe something happens when you go there with the ticket in your inventory (before giving it to Michi)?

[Venus 以星 ♀✦]

Originally posted by a cartoon duck:

I think the ladder in the Mina section is there only to make the player try pressing down and jump to learn that Mina can slide, then slide through the tiny gap right into the control room.

okay that's a really good point, especially since pressing the down button in the moon base escape reminds you that you can drop Royal, which you have to do in order to get out. it does seem like a pretty foolproof way to get you to try, even if it did leave me wondering!

honestly i'm not terribly broken up about Royal's death personally, but considering the point he was at—having decided to stake everything on the assumption of his own divine and innate importance, which throughout the game no one meaningfully challenges, only to have that assumption completely annihilated by the starworm itself—i really feel like there was room for his character to finally start developing from there.

also he's the only party member who dies in the entire game, which bothers me.

[ROTBLOOD RAIDING PARTIES]

Originally posted by Austell:

Originally posted by a cartoon duck:

I think the ladder in the Mina section is there only to make the player try pressing down and jump to learn that Mina can slide, then slide through the tiny gap right into the control room.

okay that's a really good point, especially since pressing the down button in the moon base escape reminds you that you can drop Royal, which you have to do in order to get out. it does seem like a pretty foolproof way to get you to try, even if it did leave me wondering!

honestly i'm not terribly broken up about Royal's death personally, but considering the point he was at—having finally decided to stake everything on the assumption of his own divine and innate importance, which throughout the game no one meaningfully challenges, only to have that assumption finally completely annihilated by the starworm itself—i really feel like there was room for his character to finally start developing from there.

also he's the only party member who dies in the entire game, which bothers me.

It's always sad to lose characters the moment they realize their mistakes but with no chance of redemption. If author wanted to say that "even if you don't know what you're doing wrong, the punishment will reach you anyway", he could at least let him shine in his new light at least a bit and then kill him. That way it would really be sorrowful. Originally the pity for him kinda lessened because at that moment he whined about being worthless and wanting to die. And Robin like "welp, okay, die, you asked for it, no?". Not mentioning that he didn't even react to the fact of being left behind. But still, personally for me, this made me feel sorry about him anyway.

[H_____locke]

I think Royal's death "fitted" because every other member of the One Concern died if i'm not missing anything (except that girl that followed the books guy), i think his death represents the whole religion thing dying so the world can begin anew, if ya get what i'm saying.

[Venus 以星 ♀✦]

Originally posted by Horderlock:

I think Royal's death "fitted" because every other member of the One Concern died if i'm not missing anything (except that girl that followed the books guy), i think his death represents the whole religion thing dying so the world can begin anew, if ya get what i'm saying.

i do want to point out that not only did Tolo survive, but so did at least some of gen. Chrome's separatists, who went with him—you see them pledging allegiance to him in the credits. we didn't see ferrier, darland, and the other leaders die either! but it is true that the one concern as an organisation in power was already utterly destroyed after the death of Mother and Chrome's rebellion.

i do hold some... resentment... towards Royal for his aforementioned complete certainty in his own importance, the primacy of his life story, his judgements and decisions, and his worldview above all others, and the things that result from that; but his death feels pretty unsatisfying because by that point he doesn't actually pose any threat. he was excommunicated by Mother, every member of the one concern who's met him hates his guts, and by the end, so does he. no one is going to rally behind him. he has neither the desire nor the determination nor the talent to lead any kind of renaissance—Tolo is way more representative of what shape the remnants of the concern might take in future.

even if he doesn't change (which is possible, considering even in his despondency he's still making everything about himself and expecting you to either comfort him or validate his dramatic self-loathing), this is Royal at his absolute least threatening! so while i wouldn't say he doesn't deserve to die there, i just feel more sour about it than if he'd died while he was still being a nuisance.

it's a nice tragedy!

[a cartoon duck]

The game has a bit of a Greek tragedy feeling to it at times, in that most of the character's problems are self-afflicted.

Elro genuinely cares about his family, but always puts his own feelings first and puts his family in danger or even gets them killed, and in turn loses a part of his body every time he does so (killing an agent in rage and endangering his family cost him his eye, pursuing his revenge quest over helping save Samba cost him his arm, rejecting Robin's wishes and attempts to save the world because he just wants her to do what he says costs him his leg). By the end of the game it's arguable how much Robin still cares about them (rejecting family is an explicit choice in the final nightmare sequence) and is now physically incapable of putting himself first.

Royal does want to be a capable leader and help his flock, but he also desperately craves approval. In a sense he is the opposite of Elro, most of his problems stem from putting others ahead of himself but then lashing others don't laud him for it (trying to get Robin a promotion and derailing a train, trying to protect Mother's honour and accelerating the end of the world, trying to heal Elro and starting a civil war, trying to save humanity but dooming it instead). Whereas Elro is destroyed physically for putting his own wishes ahead of others, Royal is destroyed mentally and emotionally by putting others ahead of himself for selfish and immature reasons, losing the support of his people, Mother and even god and completely crushing his self-esteem.

Kinda leaving my thoughts unfinished here but I don't have the time to ponder and write about Mina since she kinda breaks those patterns but maybe I'll finish this up later.