Are dialogues options important?

[Asakura Shinichi]

One of the biggest issue i have with some games is when certain events are permanently locked out of the game if you dont do specific choices, which means that to get the true ending or good ending you actuall need a giude. This is one of the biggest reasons why i still did not bother playing Agarest Senki series. So is Banner of the Maid using dialogue options this way, or you can still get all quests and everything else in one run, without the need to replay or follow a guide.

[南极的豆豆（lilurx80）]

no
┓( ´∀` )┏

[Y8S8]

They give you reputation to different factions, and the factions unlock different upgrades for you to buy. Choices are also affect the recruitment of some characters.

[Asakura Shinichi]

Originally posted by Y8S8:

They give you reputation to different factions, and the factions unlock different upgrades for you to buy. Choices are also affect the recruitment of some characters.

I can take some choices leasding to get a one character instead a different one. What i was asking is if i have to carefully consider the choices or i can just go with the way i want to answer and still will be able to max all the factions but other means, like doinig quests and stuff.

[Histidine]

If you don't optimize your faction rep gathering you'll probably end up with one or more factions at reputation level 3 (max is 4) until the post-epilogue/NG+. This doesn't lock you out of any missions or characters though, you just won't be able to buy the 4th level gear and items from that faction.

(I forget if Royalists level 4 is required to buy the second batch of unit promotion medals. If so, not having those might be annoying. Royalist rep should be pretty easy to max out though)

[hydralisk_mk2]

You almost need to follow the perfect guide completely to max all factions (especially for General Mode).
--
Otherwise you can not unlock special characters, all tier 4 skills, swords / rifles / accessories or special consumables that increase character state permanently.

For "Officer" mode, all factions start with 50 reputations; "General Mode" starts with 0.
(Story mode probably starts with 100 but I am not sure.) However, turning down the difficulty will NOT "refund" the faction points for you.

Before a specific patch, some factions were even "impossible" to max (lack of total faction points in game, and some bugged events didn't trigger reputation gain). So the earlier versions of the guide encourage you to sacrifice tier 4 skills (which faction WAS impossible to max) and invest to rifles upgrades asap because upgrading rifles has significant impact on gameplay (higher damage and range than swords, also all strong units use rifles).

It was fixed several months after the game's release by adding faction events and bug fixes. But you'd better follow the guide if you don't want to regret and start all over again.

Even if you are playing on "Officer Mode", you only have about 1~2 chance (depends on which event) to miss the "correct" options. Beyond that you can not fix it, I mean no chance to max all factions with all characters joining you.

The bad news is, you don't know what are the correct options. There are no direct hints, you have to calculate all needed faction points and list all options and optimize them! My friend found a series of excel guide written in Chinese (it has been updated/corrected a lot of times) that optimizes all options in order to max all factions. That guide was discussed and corrected by a lot of players that played multiple playthroughs.

To be honest I can not approve this faction/reputation design. It's NOT like "little bonus" for you if you max a faction, no, it's a "huge penalty" if you do not max any of the factions. Image that you cannot buy better gears, no better skills unlocked, and strong characters do not join you. I can't blame people using cheat engine, there are way too many unnecessary designs that frustrated players. Another example besides exp grinding is game difficulty is solely based on the unknown situation changes, usually weather changes / enemy reinforcements pop at critical spots at the worst time. Play a mission 2nd time and it will be easy, not because you have become better, it's because you already know what will happen. It's more like a puzzle than strategy.

Anyway, if you really want to play a good playthrough, you'd better follow the guide. However the best guide from the internet is a screen shot of an excel table written in Chinese (you can not google translate it). But finally... someone wrote a guide in both Chinese and English on steam guide pages!
--
But if you are not a perfectionist, you can choose whatever you want. Even if you messed up with multiple factions, it is still possible to finish the game in General mode (with some regrets).

EDIT: The guide on steam page has been updated, you just need to know that all 4 side factions require 600 reputations to max.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1926382265

[Hentaika]

I made a route that works for those who are too lazy to calculate it all..

If you pick what is circled - you will reach 600 reputation(lvl 4 faction) with all 4 side factions as well as get all missable girls recruited.
This works on general difficulty but will be pretty precise(some factions will be fully completed near the end only)

https://i.ibb.co/DtD1GKj/1.jpg

Ignore the numbers near the bottom, was something I used in the process of calculation.

[Asakura Shinichi]

Well this sucks, it looked like a fun game and turned into a game simulator,since it only simulates being a game. From what you guys say this is not really a game, cause it gives 0 freedom as there is only one correct way for you to play it. In my book this is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. I see if i can refund this but im a little over 2 hours.

[Hentaika]

Originally posted by Shineek:

Well this sucks, it looked like a fun game and turned into a game simulator,since it only simulates being a game. From what you guys say this is not really a game, cause it gives 0 freedom as there is only one correct way for you to play it. In my book this is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. I see if i can refund this but im a little over 2 hours.

Nah, you only need very little planning on officer(there is good chance you will still max out with random choices of your own)
Needs actual planning on general difficulty and that is ONLY if you want to max out all factions to 4, which you can do in NG+ anyway if you care.

You still have freedom of choice - you can choose all options for 1 faction and get that faction to max super early.. the rest of the factions will still likely end up not far from max level.

Max achievement is lvl 3 for each faction.. which I think you get no matter the choices if you simply play game with sidequest completions.

This is mostly strategy tactics game, the story is just nice flavor... think fire emblem series.

[hydralisk_mk2]

Originally posted by Shineek:

Well this sucks, it looked like a fun game and turned into a game simulator,since it only simulates being a game. From what you guys say this is not really a game, cause it gives 0 freedom as there is only one correct way for you to play it. In my book this is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. I see if i can refund this but im a little over 2 hours.

I think he means not only the faction system, but also the "strategy" part of the game. Like those negative reviews mentioned. It does require the "correct" solution to finish certain maps / challenges , mostly turn limited. And most of those hard missions are in early stages because you have no way to farm exp or money at that moment.

So, this game is not what I thought to be honest.

[Hentaika]

Originally posted by hydralisk_mk2:

Originally posted by Shineek:

Well this sucks, it looked like a fun game and turned into a game simulator,since it only simulates being a game. From what you guys say this is not really a game, cause it gives 0 freedom as there is only one correct way for you to play it. In my book this is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. I see if i can refund this but im a little over 2 hours.

I think he means not only the faction system, but also the "strategy" part of the game. Like those negative reviews mentioned. It does require the "correct" solution to finish certain maps / challenges , mostly turn limited. And most of those hard missions are in early stages because you have no way to farm exp or money at that moment.

So, this game is not what I thought to be honest.

Sure the first like 2-3 chapters which are also technically tutorial for different mechanics are mostly without much variety, especially on general difficulty they are kind of tutorial for a reason.

After that it becomes of hybrid of puzzle stages and tactics stages. Puzzle stages still need you to find solution but tactics stages allow you to play how you wish to fully.

It's obviously not as good tactic wise like say... fell seal out of latest games - that's pure tactics game with no puzzle elements.
But IMO the puzzle stages were the most fun ones - in desperate situation how would you get out of it and such is more fun than just grinding and grinding each stage.

My only complaint about the game would be how chinese voices ruining the french atmosphere.
As much as I love chinese RPG's and culture - the game would be better without voices IMO.

[Asakura Shinichi]

Well what i wanted was a tactics RPG, not a puzzle game with some tactics elements and try hard rougelike choices. I got the money for refunding so i will add some more and buy Gundam Cross Rays instead.

[Hentaika]

Originally posted by Shineek:

Well what i wanted was a tactics RPG, not a puzzle game with some tactics elements and try hard rougelike choices. I got the money for refunding so i will add some more and buy Gundam Cross Rays instead.

Puzzle stages are tutorial + a few side quest stages honestly.. the further you go the better it gets, which is rare for a tactics game, where you usually faceroll once you are past early game.
Getting bard unit and especially getting 2nd one is when the complexity goes through the roof and the amount of possible strategies is staggering. Not to mention skills like replace. Combine that all with exchange and you can do incredibly complex moves.

Maids vs cross rays - maids all the way.. cross rays is a typical wannabe fire emblem that does pretty badly overall.. lots of content there is the only positive side, you will grind and grind and grind.