Skies of Arcadia - Part 15 - The Great Escape

[@SuperiorPosterior]

I love how enthusiastic Jon is about home repair. Every video he's always talking about how much caulking stuff is happening.

[@ShaimingLong]

And now I'll be hearing 'caulking' from everyone in my life that talks like that. Thanks! 😂

[@Ajax8237]

I kinda want Jon to pin this - because I will never unhear it now

[@bdarner6944]

Remember: the soldier in the room with the exploding cannon shell was not killed. He was only knocked unconscious!

[@Ryu_D]

After what you mentioned about Vigoro, the fact that he dropped the key to the "Cannon room" might be one of the most subtle and disgusting jokes in this entire game.

[@alexisauld7781]

I've had a couple characters I've disliked in this game. But I wanted to wrap Vigoro in his own intestines...

[@VyseRogue13]

Wait till you see Vigoro's ship. XD

[@l.d-b3465]

@@VyseRogue13 - Vigoro is one, very long (heh), *ick joke.

[@Arraxis_Denacia]

I have to say, I like where Gilder is aiming his gun when he shoots Vigoro. Even the evil Empress is more fun than Vigoro.

[@ZaberFangAT]

Ah, yes, the next logical vehicle upgrade after a fishing boat - an Imperial flagship!

[@Dead-EyeJuncan]

Throw the pirates in prison, but make sure to not remove any weapons or spell crystals from them!

[@TheLazyFinn]

I swear they mentioned their stuff but Jon skipped that line? Not sure though

[@Dead-EyeJuncan]

@@TheLazyFinn It is kind of a trope in RPGs, where either you just keep your equipment or it is in a chest right outside your cell.

[@TheLazyFinn]

@@Dead-EyeJuncan it's a trope for sure!

[@stevel7798]

It's almost as bad as not taking Aiden's phone in Watch_Dogs

[@MidnightVein-rz3bw]

Thank you for turning another game I wouldn't play into a series that just turns out to be better watching than all of my netflix choices

[@ShaimingLong]

47:28 Can't help but feel there was a missed opportunity to say, "So long and thanks for all the moonfish!"

[@VyseNice]

I wish Rieko Kodama was alive, and spearheaded a sequel to this game. She was so proud of SoA, and rightfully so!

[@queenannsrevenge100]

I do have to say, for a 25-year old game, this is pretty impressive in terms of story and RPG elements. Thank you for showing us this, Jon!

[@stephaniefabbro3963]

Jon, I have to send a huge shout-out to you. Skies of Arcadia is my favorite game and has had so much of an impact on my life that I decided to name my practice Rixis Dermatology. (I'm a dermatologist) Keep on keeping on and spread the love of this game beyond the sunset!!!!

[@Overlord5591]

This has to be one of the coolest comments ever! As a kid I had to go see the dermatologist like crazy because of moles, so cool that there's a dermatology place named after such a niche game. Best of luck with your business!!

[@Mokkun..]

Jon, its not the tank that got put asleap by the gunshot from Gilders gun, its the tank crew, think of it as he firing a bullet whit sleeping gass spreading at impact.

[@jacensilverwolf8953]

All hail the Delphinius, the greatest airship in video game history. I love this ship.

[@sandwich2473]

oh dang crew management?! That's pretty amazing This is a really good sibling series to the sim settlements 2 one :P

[@JoeR1066]

2:17 “got something I’m suppose to deliver, your hands only.”

[@bdk336]

I have a gigantic smile on my face with how this ended. I am really looking forward to where things go from here. It really depends on whether Gilder sticks around but it COULD be argued that we don't just have a ship but a small fleet.

[@katbairwell]

Jon, thank you for handling this with sensitivity, when the writers of the game clearly didn't! Being able to acknowledge the flaws in something you clearly love, and have loved for a long time, is something that I appreciate very much indeed.

[@jackvalior]

I mean, from what I've seen of the series, despite being very anime-ish, the dark theme punch you in the face as much as the moments when the world open up to you. You got vast open green field, infinite blue skies intersperse with mind controlling monsters. So the prison thing was definitely shocking, but not surprising, and I don't think is out of place for, well, a prison (or at least my impression of prison from the American media).

[@killean2645]

...And that's where the real game begins!

[@rigaudio]

I miss Mitten Squad

[@Lucifer_Crowe]

binged watched this series the past few days after ignoring it for some reason. Really enjoying it. some of the RPG systems seem STRANGE but a lot of it seems like with a second game to refine it could be excellent. The way all magic costs 1MP but you have a super limited amount is very interesting.

[@johnyshadow]

I really appreciate Jon using a lot of consumable items, even buying them from shops. I know I'd hoard them, and it'd hurt me in the long run. (Though I'd grind more levels looking for discoveries. Or just being lost ...)

[@Lucifer_Crowe]

@@johnyshadow same! The spell boxes are super interesting!

[@ManyATrueNerd]

On magic points, epsilon mirror gives Aika functionally infinite MP, and Fina will have over 25 by the mid game so it'll basically never run out, it's really never an issue.

[@Lucifer_Crowe]

@@ManyATrueNerd Oh I definitely realise that. The "limited" amount is something I like tbh. Though the items that refill 1MP per use seem a little pointless/a joke overall. Like double the cost and make them give at least 3 or something. But yeah everything costing 1 and just being down to Spirit to set the true cost is a fun idea! There's a lot about the magic system I've seen so far I really like.

[@SomnolentFudge]

I want a cut-seen showing the tank crew explaining to their commander how they lost because the tank kept falling asleep.

[@TheLazyFinn]

Can confirm, I slept inside a tank too, fairly often I might add

[@modermonkula]

Tanks in ghost in the shell can also fall asleep

[@TheLazyFinn]

@@modermonkula lol, I need to watch the anime if I could find it

[@specialnobody548]

This is one of the best MATN series Jon has ever done

[@snowfox9824]

As the person who immediately became infatuated with the Big Door(tm) and it's guns back in episode 4, this is quite possibly the best day of all time ever. While I still have questions about this magnificent creation, I now have some answers at the very least! For example: 1. I have a rough idea of how big the shells are, and now know that they do in fact use shells and not cannonballs! Though they are unfortunately not cute stumpy shells which leads me to my next point... 2. It seems like the Big Door(tm) is like a TARDIS, much bigger on the inside. As we could clearly see during the first escape from Valua, the gun size to door width ratio was certainly suspect to say the least. This led me to the initial false belief that the guns on the Big Door(tm) must have used some comically stubby munitions. Now this discrepancy could be written off as some scaling issue or oversight by the developers, however I CATEGORICALLY REFUSE this notion and at the end of this comment I will elaborate on this position. 3. It seems my thoughts of the Big Door(tm) having many crews inside of it to reload the guns was proven true! Not only that, but we also got to see at least part of the loading mechanism! Truly a fantastic day for Big Door(tm) enthusiasts everywhere! However this poses some immediate questions... (See my next point) 4. As we got a very good side view of the Big Door(tm) this episode, I thought it would answer a question but it instead only gave me workplace safety concerns for the brave soldiers of the Valuan Empire. The biggest and most pressing of which is thus: How do the gun crews get inside of, and leave the Big Door(tm)? Again, as we saw this episode we got a very clear view of the side and we saw not a single entry or exit point as those dastardly air pirates descended down that elevator. Does this perhaps mean the crews are eternally forced to stay inside and at their posts for all eternity? Do they have to crawl though the gun barrels to leave at the end of their shifts? Something else that has remained un answered is the most important one, job titles. Do the Valuans have a "Big Door(tm) Gun Operator" job title? Or is it expected that the prison guards also act as gunners? Do they possess special ranks or receive extra pay? I have wrote many letters to the Office of Military Affairs of the Valuan Empire regarding these questions and concerns, and at this time none have been answered. Although I think I have an explanation for the most concerning of these questions. Now before I lay out my theory that explains everything about the Big Door(tm), I must inform everyone that since my last comment(episode 4), I have gotten a PhD in Big Door(tm)-ology, and as the sole holder of such a degree I am in fact the current foremost expert in the field. All I ask is that those unknowledgeable in the field to the expertise I have accrued in the preceding month(ish) of intense study. Now without further ado, my theory that solves each and every single unanswered and unsolved aspect of the enigmatic Big Door(tm)... The Moons did it. Thank you everyone for listening to my presentation. Today was an incredible day for enthusiasts and professionals alike. Such a look at the Big Door(tm) is unprecedented, even though this access was only possible due to a horrific attack on the greatest defensive structure ever devised by Humanity. I'd like to thank the Valuan Academy of Sciences and my colleagues in the Department of Big Door(tm)-ology in particular. My studies would not have been possible without any of you. My condolences to all the families who may have lost family in todays horrific attack by the air pirate scum, their sacrifices have led to incredible advances in my field, and as such will never be forgotten. And last but certainly not least, thank you to the great and magnanimous Empress Teodora I, long may she reign! Glory to Valua!

[@hatspies7708]

On point 4: I theorise that the external gantries and lifts seen here are for emergency and maintenance access, while general access to the gunnery position from within the fortress is done through a central lift running down through the gates pivot point. Given the confined space though there is a worrying possibility gun crews may have to clamber over the trunnions to actually get to their posts though.

[@snowfox9824]

​@@hatspies7708 I really like this theory! It never occurred to me that this could be a possibility but it does make sense! Good thinking!

[@h3069]

The valuans made a magic rail gun built into a massive rotating wall capable of firing a 3×6 vyse (prolly like 210x420 inch {533x1067cm} by rough very late night screen guesstimations) shell at Mach Jesus but not actually swivel the thing up or down

[@ellaisplotting]

I love how much you love Big Door(TM)

[@ShaimingLong]

14:00 I might not agree with that line either, but between Gilder and Vigoro, at least Gilder will try to earn his popularity with women with charm and he *knows* how to take being turned down. Aika turned him down in Nasr and he just accepted that. Vigoro is clearly a man who can't take no for an answer, and that's what makes that line so much worse coming from him.

[@aardvark123]

The plot thickens. I'm glad Enrique found his conscience.

[@the_Book_778]

I was expecting Drachma to make a return, or perhaps Alfonso to switch sides but this is pretty cool.

[@ShaimingLong]

Some say ol' cap'n Drachma is still out there, still hunting his great white whale, somewhere in those briny clouds~

[@jeremylaynerogers]

This episode ends with one of my favorite video game rewards. Ever. Totally game changing.

[@queenannsrevenge100]

I was assuming from the first time we saw Ramirez, I figured from the skin and hair that he was also a Silvite; Fina’s conversation almost confirms it.

[@derekskelton4187]

I have to imagine Ramirez ordered Vigero to wear the belt as punishment, and he grabbed the key while his boss was busy

[@JimboMcBrostein]

Oh I loved the crew building, that was a nice gotta-recruit-'em-all feature

[@donovanfaust3227]

You know Ramirez is powerful because he's a white haired pretty boy in a video game.

[@ShaimingLong]

The knock-off son Sephiroth never had, nor wanted?

[@tortoiseoflegends4466]

@@ShaimingLong Powerful white haired pretty boys is an oddly specific trope in japanese media. Kakashi in Naruto, Sephiroth in FF7, Gojo in JJK, Killua in HxH, Dante and Vergil in DmC, Kaneki in Toky Ghoul etc.

[@EGRJ]

He's also got a dark, mysterious past.

[@TheLazyFinn]

@@tortoiseoflegends4466 Edward in FMA is also blonde (and mysterious kinda)

[@Captainoob]

Can’t think of a more severe tonal whiplash than the one I just witnessed. Why would they do that to Aika?

[@williek08472]

At 38:44, it’s probably the pilot being put to sleep. We saw someone pop out in the Wheel Blast animation, so clearly this thing isn’t automated

[@Jon_the_Wizard]

Yeah, I never noticed that chastity belt on Vigoro before. I like to think either he hit on Belleza and was very "pushy" or the other admirals just caught wind of his reputation and collectively were like, "yeah, we can't trust this guy to not try something," and forced it onto him or he'd have to relinquish his post or something. Because given how we've seen him act in cutscenes up to this point and with Aika, do you really blame him? For a mercy, though, the last Admiral we meet is the best. Like, I named a Pathfinder character after the guy and did everything I could think of to mimic him, that's how much I like him.

[@TheRedWon]

I'm still waiting for Drachma to rejoin the party

[@Bread505-ec8ho]

Such a great series

[@MartinGiadrosich]

I'm wondering if the Valuans couldn't stop Vigoro from doing things to prisoners so said "here have a belt" and that was their solution.

[@ellaisplotting]

Why give him the key then?!

[@TheLazyFinn]

You can actually watch the gate close while walking on the catwalk!

[@inkyGhosty]

Best part of the week is here. Oh, and Jon's uploaded a new video too. Awesome 😁

[@utahjohnnymontana3373]

I think the padlock looks more like a codpiece. Either way, kind of a creepy character in an otherwise chirpy game.

[@GrandiaKnight]

Moonstone Cannon time! I've been waiting for this episode!

[@mid-nite_drive-thru]

I'm really enjoying this game, Jon. I never played anything on consoles. (Well, not since the Atari 2600.) So without your love for this game, I would have missed this definite gem. Thank you.

[@Ruku032]

Damn I love that giant ship

[@djricecakes6035]

The recruitment could be a very fun game mechanic. Like Radiata Story.

[@VyseRogue13]

I can't wait to see Jon show off the best attack in the game. XD

[@Colette-q1c]

oh yea i'm pretty excited for this!

[@stephanied3970]

Wow this game just went full upgrade! Wish I could play it for a reasonable price. Only played the very first part at someone's house once, but wow you can set up your own crew...awesome!

[@thatguyoverthereinth]

No! You just got the ship you can't end it there!

[@HauntedCorpseGaming]

Oh man, been waiting for the Delphinus to arrive. :D 47:35 Remake NOW Sega....

[@NoReplyAsset]

Aika couldn't use magic to kill Vigoro ...because the plot needed her to be rescued by her teammates. that's dumb. kinda wanna pirate this game, it's pretty fun and it's what the air pirates would want. 👍 really reminds me of Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky, which also had air pirates, a floating island, child labour, and power struggle. :)

[@michaeltalpas]

I'm with Aika. Friendship is great. I have friends. What I need is money. lol

[@AaronCorr]

8:10 this reminds me so much of SAO. After three seasons, I had to wonder, why every season has at least one case of assault. Is the answer just "Oh, Japan"?

[@jamesclarkson156]

I looked it up cause I was curious. If you were high enough level or cheated, you might be able to beat Ramirez. The internet is unsure but he either has infinite or 10 million HP. But even if you win the game treats it as if you lost. So since John only does a few hundred per round, it would take like an entire day to beat him.

[@ManyATrueNerd]

Plus, after Round 3 or 4, he just starts spamming his S-moves, so it's almost impossible to out heal him, even if you use sacrum crystals for team healing.

[@katieheys3007]

I tried it once. Took hours and I got him down to about 1/8th HP but he just does his crazy super move over and over (and it takes forever) and it ground me down.

[@wolfgang313i3]

Canon room key... lock on belt...canon room... Oh no

[@katieheys3007]

The best series continues! Thanks Jon! )

[@fraggelofthewastes]

It's-a me, Vigoro!

[@Oymon]

Assuming you spend a chunk of the next episode recruiting crewmembers, may I suggest the title 'Crew Cut'.

[@charlesfranks1902]

I love the game history too.

[@Xarestrill]

So here's an idea... it's so important that the bad guys don't get the crystals and revive the super monsters... Why not just throw them off the edge of an island? As far as I can tell there's nothing down, they'd eventually come to rest at whatever the core of the planet is, and I doubt there are ships that can go that low, and eventually they'd be buried under all the other stuff that falls (like all the moon crystals that don't land on land). Or just destroy them like the prince said he was going to.

[@ardamas7657]

Actually fair point but if you remember correctly, Fina said at the beginning that she was tasked to bring the cristal back to the silver temple wherever it may be. (There are other reasons on which I won't get into for spoiler reasons)

[@Xarestrill]

@@ardamas7657 Did Fina say she was tasked to bring the crystals back? I guess I missed that somehow. Also I appreciate not spoiling things. These are just my thoughts as someone who doesn't know the game. Also, I'm just vindictive enough that when I'm about to be forced to surrender to the bad guys I'd chuck them off the edge in front of them and give them the finger. ^_^

[@bobbys332]

Can those items that made your ship better (captains stripes?) be used on this new sexy beast? If so, is it worth hoarding them instead of using them on the LJ since Drachma and it are gone?

[@atoth62]

They're applied automatically to the new boat as well. No point in hoarding them.

[@DemonLordSparda]

It's always a good question to ask, but luckily any used Captains Stripes apply to the Delphinus. Hoarding them just makes Little Jack Fights harder than they need to be.

[@mariosoto2588]

5 minutes in I pressed the like button and immediately knew I made a mistake. I took too long to do it. Where can I give the like for the future video??

[@bulshock1221]

Yeah, Vigoro is the single member of the Valuan Armada that we see that I actively want dead in the specific. The others it's either obvious they are BBEG/The Dragon (think Darth Vader to Palpatine's BBEG in the original Star Wars trilogy) material, are humorous, or seem mostly reasonable just on the wrong side. But Vigoro? Nope.

[@mateobonavento3939]

Vigoro's actions don't feel too out of place when you remember the Valuans are supposed to be the equivalents of the Spanish conquistadores. Aika is lucky to be a video game character, the real life Vigoros were messed up garbage people (and unfortunately some of their descendants still have a similar mindset towards us Latinos). They did considerably worse things than taking off their shirt before having their way with defenseless women.

[@Amstroid]

That is some huge floor in the prison :o

[@Planeseeker]

The whole escaping from the grand fortress has an escape the death star vibe to it. And if that's the case. Vyse would be Luke Skywalker, Gilder is Han Solo, Fina is Leia, which means...Aika is Chewbacca. 😁

[@ianresc3615]

Crew mechanics. I like that.

[@Mathmachine]

We Steve McQueen-ing it now folks. In the sky to boot!

[@joshuayoung7279]

I should have known that Marco would have found a way to catch up with Vyse...

[@ardamas7657]

Please next occasion you get to fill your focus bar... Fill it entirely, there are a few good surprises when you do 😊. Also you saddly missed "Antonio 3" (not really antonio but the centries are calling a war beast when they succeed)

[@fraggelofthewastes]

4:45 Theodora's smile makes her look like she's got a pencil mustache!

[@JaminPRose]

Vigaro feels like a dark version of Gilder. Also, Vigaro's scene makes sense. It's Valua, the dark nation hellbent on dominating the world, it's no wonder it would attract the darkest sort. Plus he represents the darkness that lies within all of us.

[@Alltaer]

I love (watching you play) this game, but honestly if I played it myself, I think that scene would make me uninstall it, depending on my age at the time.

[@ellaisplotting]

I have to agree- I'm trusting Jon that it doesn't get worse than that, but it gave me serious pause.

[@shadowingyou]

It's crazy how the quality of game design changed.

[@tite93]

Ooooof, Vigoro aged even worse than that creepy ahh priest...

[@dang5736]

Holy shit I did not see that coming

[@crisis8v88]

This game needs a remake if only so that you can look out at the scenery from the bridge of the Delphinus.

[@cebraulkenne8571]

Aika is 17... Let that sink in. Thanks anime.

[@alexwatts1064]

Those are some Warhammer 40k ass macrocannons, lmao

[@chrsjxn]

The main cast being teenagers makes this bit extra weird, too. It's the kind of thing that makes going back to 2000s era JRPGs feel a little gross.

[@jazzart223]

It's a me! Vigoro!

[@bonkiatsu470]

What is this game omg😂 I love that ship!

[@Aliamus_]

Using the voice of Mario could a slap at Nintendo? Its the only thing I can think of.

[@Kushrenadat]

Time to go pick up Pow

[@Isabingus]

jesus christ, I wish the gang broke the rule about only knocking out baddies for vigaro. Also what age rating was this game for again???

[@katieheys3007]

He's a gross individual. I understand too that that scene was toned down for Western audiences, so I dread to think what it was in Japanese :/

[@alexisauld7781]

Fricking same. I've never wished for a character's outright d3ath so hard...

[@LillyP-xs5qe]

if you think vigiro was a tonal shift, wait till you play dragon quest 11...

[@matthewknight8850]

I would guess that Vigiro is voiced by Mario in some attempt to smear Nintendo a little. After all, when this game came out Sega and Nintendo were mortal enemies.

[@ShaimingLong]

The rivalry rather died down during the Saturn era. Sega put both feet in it's mouth there and Sony had stepped into the ring giving both Sega and Nintendo a bigger foe to fight. Why and how do you think Sega pretty much just ran to Nintendo post-Dreamcast? The feud was two generations ago. Not entirely saying you're wrong about the attempt to smear Nintendo a little, but they were far from mortal enemies by that point.

[@thereforedragons]

I've never particularly understood why the game treats Galcian and Ramirez as unstoppable forces of nature early on. There just... isn't really an in-game reason for it. I get the trope and the mechanical implications of getting stronger as you get more experienced, but... Nothing really changes between the scene with Ramirez here and when you fight him later. The plot just decides he's not invincible anymore. There's a perfectly valid way to enforce the getting captured plotline without resorting to that: he's got an invasion fleet like immediately overhead. I'd have more respect for the scene if it let you fight him fairly. Maybe he beats you, maybe you just end up surrounded by guards. But all the Sephirothish hype just feels completely unearned. ...aaand apparently I've just been sitting on that rant for years and years. XD

[@johnsmith5669]

I will say, not to defend the rape scene (which as a rule is almost anyways in poor taste), that this is a T rated game which means that it’s not for children. What’s weird is that they felt it was necessary to have these really dark elements in tiny chunks of the game (execution, colonialism, rape, etc.) while the rest is so childishly cutesy. That would probably be the biggest criticism I have of the game is its very weird tone.

[@EGRJ]

"Sinister bad guy shows up to menace captured female protagonist with [naughtiness]" seems pretty consistent with classic adventure novels and movies, like the game's obvious inspirations. Or more modern ones, like On Stranger Tides.* Which heavily inspired Disney's Pirates franchise. In fact, I think those airport thriller-type books still use it. And we just had an unprovoked attack on a nation that explicitly killed countless innocent people to switch the tone. Seems like a bigger tonal shock than the cell scene. * If a book is old enough to have grandkids, does it count as a "classic"?

[@EGRJ]

I also like how the ship is called the "Delphinus" (dolphin), but it's pretty clearly based on a whale (balaena).

[@librarianseth5572]

Day 117 of requesting Age of Mythology- a full play through if possible Guilder is a true fantasy swashbuckler. He used his Willy to get out of trouble

[@arden_blade]

This game is so lovely and I am greatly enjoying the series. Although, it has not aged well and I hate the constant objectification of women. First Vyse was swooning over the dancer in Nasr, then the priest being gross, and the patrons of the Nasr bar, now Vigoro. It is disgusting that so many men in this game act like that. I'm not sure if it is a design choice or a sign of the times, but it really shows how far we've come in such a short amount of time. Not to mention Gilder chasing after women and other situations i'm forgetting.

[@jessie699]

Day 139/1230 of requesting Jon play a game nobody will remember, like Majesty: A Fantasy Kingdom Sim.

[@Castlemight]

Day 43 of requesting Jon play Okami HD

[@TheNeonCriminal]

It truly breaks my heart to see how much of a Bethesda hater you've become.