Last time, we messed around in the Debug Room. This time... let's wrap things up.
First order of business is getting everyone's FP up. We need at least 100 total.
I teach Cascada a couple Ripple skills. They'll prove useful against Dio and his minions, as we've seen.
And then we sleep.
Alicia:Help us, Cascada... you're our only hope... Cascada:...it's 3am you fuckin asshole
We've fulfilled the first two conditions: we've beaten the game at least three times and have over 100 cumulative FP. This allows us to access the third condition.
Berlin: What? Cascada: I told you... They're right here. My teammates. Berlin: !! You don't mean... Me and Alicia!? Alicia: !! Cascada: Bingo! Berlin: Don't be foolish... I already told you! Our Stand powers can't fight directly!
Cascada:So your entire plan was let the random Japanese high-school girl take care of it while you just munch popcorn and drink up people's life force? What's your fucking problem? Berlin:Maybe if you just took some corpses with you... Cascada:What's the point? Are any of these Ripple-zombies better at it than Mr. Joestar? Berlin:I, well... Cascada:You're just another asshole who thinks their thoughts and prayers are good enough to make it so you don't have to actually do anything to help people. That it's just inevitable that monsters like Dio kill people and it's got nothing to do with you. Alicia:......... Cascada:If everyone whose life energy you're taking is already "fated to die", then doesn't that go for both of you too? You're saying it's "fate" to justify yourself, but you're full of shit. I saw those will-o-wisps over the entire world! There's no way that one chicken-riding loser in Hong Kong had anything to do with Dio. Berlin:You are a CHILD- Cascada:You're saying Utah was "fated" to turn into a zombie and get put down in an alleyway!? I don't buy it! You're nothing but a goddamn coward!
We fade to black as the trio sneaks into Dio's mansion...
Alicia: Yes... This is the only way. I'll try to control my Stand... Element of Freedom... as much as I can... Cascada: So what's the plan? Alicia: To find those residing in Dio's mansion... And suck their life energy. Cascada: ...But how? Berlin: When the victim's possessed by her ability, it grants them their own will-o'-the-wisp like Stands. When they use them, their life energy is slowly sapped away... We may be able to use this to our advantage to change fate. Cascada: Okay... But how do you know that's going to work on them? Alicia: I wouldn't... worry about that...
Alicia: It isn't just a question of readiness... If Cascada is truly to change fate, then they must have the final say... Fate will only change through Cascada's intervention. Our goal is to stop the events from proceeding according to the story we know. Berlin:......... Alicia: This way... Cascada's way... We might even gather life energy exceeding what those predestined deaths would have provided... Berlin: But where could we possibly get that much energy...!? Alicia: I'm... not sure... It's only a possibility... Berlin: .........We're here. We'll never know unless we try. Alicia: Yes...
D'arby: Hm hm hm... Isn't this convenient... You'll make fine guinea pigs to test out my new power! Alicia: (There they are...! Please, defeat those soul-like Stands besides him as much as you can! The more you defeat, the more soul energy I receive! However, if I'm defeated, some of that energy will be expended to heal me...!) Berlin: (I'll try to protect her as much as I'm able, so please destroy them!)
That's the gimmick to this version of the boss rush. We're saddled with some weak party members and have to kill as many adds as possible while keeping Alicia's downs to a minimum.
There's no reliable way to increase Alicia or Berlin's stats before the boss rush. The only way to level them up is with a hidden interaction when using a Badge of Honor. If the Badge fizzles out without doing anything, A&B get 5000 EXP. If it explodes in your face, they get 10,000.
So we gotta kill as many Evil Souls as possible before killing the main boss, who'll be attacking us with impunity the entire time.
With Alicia, you want to use Push It To The Limit ASAP several times to buff her Durability, and then spam Steal Soul over and over on the wisps.
Berlin's physical attacks can't hit them and his Stand moves aren't that strong, so he's best used on item caddy healing duty.
I suppose we are at least getting the most annoying battle out of the way first. D'arby's MindRead status ruins our accuracy and Cascada's multi-target attacks are too powerful; she'll kill him before we kill enough wisps.
The Evil Souls respawn pretty much immediately, so there's no need to worry about an attack target accidentally moving to the main boss.
As alluded to earlier, if Alicia drops then she'll revive at full HP, but this draws from the pool of energy we get from defeating Evil Souls, and every wisp counts.
Which is annoying because she is literally a child and has the Durability of tissue.
Just keep targeting the Evil Souls.
Berlin: ...It looks like he's used all of his life energy up. Cascada: ...So... this is what happens... Alicia: ...When all life energy is expended, fate will claim their lives by whatever means necessary. Because it's their destiny to die...
Kill a certain number of Evil Souls, and the boss fight ends automatically.
Despite what I just said, it's worth opening the fight with a big blast just to lay some status effects on the boss.
The fewer actions this dude has the better.
Evil Souls have 300 HP, which is beyond the damage range of most of Cascada's single-target attacks.
Meanwhile Alicia's Steal Soul has a high chance of OHKO, so she's actually quite a bit more efficient at harvesting them than Cascada.
On the rare turns where Berlin doesn't have to pipe more curatives into Alicia's IV, he can help a bit too.
Berlin: ......He's used up all his life energy. Both: ......... Cascada:...Do vampires have more life energy than humans? Alicia:I... I'm not sure... Berlin:All living things consume other life energy to live... Just usually not from other human beings... Cascada:I'm not here for the vegan lecture, man.
Alicia: Nnh... Berlin:Are you alright? It's past your bedtime... Alicia:...I'm okay... Cascada: -huff, huff, huff, huff-... W-we just can't catch a break... But... Now Dio has no-one to protect him... Maybe this isn't such a bad thing after all... Berlin: L... let's hurry... We've no time to waste!
We get an opportunity to save here, which might screw you over if you haven't been grabbing Evil Souls.
Dio: What do you say? Won't you serve under me, Dio? I can grant you life everlasting. That goes for the two standing behind you as well. All: ............ Dio: Killing a skilled Stand user such as you would be a waste. Be it wealth, power, or fame, I can grant you whatever you desire. After all, you had no ties to the Joestars from the very beginning... What reason do you have to risk your life for their cause? Cascada:Your argument's got no legs. Assassins were trying to kill me the MINUTE I got a Stand. Dio:And you've overcome them all... Proven that they were unfit to serve me. Cascada:Tell me something I DON'T know. Berlin:Casc- Dio: Make your choice.
Cascada:I'm obviously not by myself. Alicia:I'm here too... Berlin:......... Dio:......... Cascada:......... Alicia:...-ahem-... Berlin:-sigh- And me.
Cascada: You fight only for the sake of evil. To crush those weaker than you beneath your heels... No matter what fate has in store for me, I will never stoop to that level! That is my answer.
Dio: You will learn better than to defy me! The World!! Cascada: Vaporize this "fate"! Quicksilver!!
Cascada:(They really don't notice at all... What a terrifying Stand.) Alicia:(Yes...)
Dio isn't as actively annoying as D'arby, but we've seen what he's capable of already. At any moment he could choose to use Time Stop and then kill Alicia outright. She's gotta buff up.
You know, it's not often the Evil Souls actually get an action out. Ideally you're keeping apace with knocking them out.
I think it's because we're spending extra turns making sure everyone's healed.
It's really more tedious than anything else.
Sometimes the Evil Souls move into Short-range, which does at least make them easier to kill with Berlin's attacks.
Dio: Worthless humans! I control you now! Prostrate yourself before my power and knowledge! Cascada: Rgh...! Dio: Well, playtime's finally over. I think I'll hang your bodies up as ornaments by the entrance. What will Mr. Joestar and the rest make of that, I wonder? Mwahaha! I can't wait to see... Die!! ...!?
Cascada:-huff, huff, huff, huff- See... that... wasn't THAT hard... Alicia:Is it... really over? Steel: Not yet it isn't... Things aren't finished until the book called The Path To Heaven is destroyed. It should be in a library in the basement. Destroy it, and everything will be decided! Cascada: ...!! I-it's gone! "The Path To Heaven" is missing! Berlin: ...? Is this blood? It leads outside... Alicia: Let's follow it! If we don't destroy it soon...!
Vins: Those vampires and illusory Stand users did take up quite some time... Cascada: You!? But you died in the ruins in Aswan...! Berlin: The Slave to Fate! Alicia: And that book in your hand...! Vins: Hm... hm hm... T-this book... You think you'll get it from me this easily...?
Ah jeez, looks like someone goofed up the settings on this fight. The event data calls for the "[bridge]" background rather than the "[moonlit-bridge]" one, which means we're on the generic RPG Maker bridge background instead of the JoJo bridge background.
Once again, Vins is substantially less dangerous than Dio, but we still must be vigilant in killing Evil Souls. Even if you play perfectly, you won't have harvested enough of them entering this fight.
You have to harvest at least 45 Evil Souls. Every Alicia KO removes one.
We slowly get it done.
Oops. Vins died to a damage over time effect rather than from running out of life energy.
Vins: Ngh...... Ah...... T-this... can't be... happening... Wes... Wes... My... Wes... We...s... Alicia: !! My body...! Berlin: We're going back to our original time! Now you won't be the one to die at Cape York... Alicia! Live on! I'll always be watching you! Alicia: Berlin!! Berlin: Now... it's time for our final task in this world! Alicia: ...Yes... Got it...!
We did it!
Abdul: Mr. Joestar's right! To think you went into Dio's lair all alone... Kakyoin: I'm glad you're alive... But everyone was really worried about you. Cascada: ......... Polnareff: Mr. Joestar, there's no need to get so angry! She defeated Dio, so it all turned out fine in the end, right? Joseph: ...But... All by yourself? I didn't think it was possible... Abdul: Yes. Though it was reckless of you... We did make it out without any casualties, so we do have you to thank. Cascada:Frankly, y'all would have held me back.
Cascada: ! No... it's nothing. Joseph:I'm curious, though... what was Dio's Stand like? You must have figured it out! Abdul:Yes, what was The World's ability? Cascada:Oh, uh... it was weirdly just like Star Platinum. That's how I figured out how to handle it in a fight. Jotaro:Hmm... Cascada:It did have another special ability, though... it could stop time for a few seconds. Kakyoin:!! What a terrifying power... Cascada:I handled it somehow. If he could have stretched out its fingers, then we might have had a problem... Jotaro:(Stop time... I wonder if I could...) Polnareff: All right! I guess it's happily-ever-after for us now! Kakyoin: Are you always so excitable? Oh, wait...
Credits! Again!
The more I play this game and poke around in the files and scripting, the more impressed I am.
This ending in particular nets us special interstitials of the cast. Kakyoin gets to actually go to school after being almost killed on his first day.
RPG Maker 2000 dips down to $2.50 on Steam several times a year. People still use it to make games. Maybe you can too!
We even get a cameo from the Morioh Boys. Some Tumblr types started to work on a 7th Stand User 2 taking place during Part 4, but they haven't posted any updates since 2024 and I was not terribly enthused with the demo they put out. I don't know if $100 a month on Patreon can match the power of a Japanese housewife's autistic hyperfixation.
Thinking about it, maybe adding color to 7th Stand User wouldn't be quite as difficult as it seems. Presumably you could "just" edit all the tilesets, since their placement data wouldn't change.
Abdul gets to live out his fortune-telling days in peace.
Even if you were making games in more modern versions of RPG Maker, there might be something to pursuing Game Boy style or otherwise antiquated sprites (like Scarmonde). It's an immediately readable aesthetic and I think there's some truth to the idea that limitations breed creativity.
Polnareff gets to go back to Europe, but some weirdo is watching him from the shadows...
The music in this game is actually pretty good. Because the tracks are all MIDI maps, they can sound completely different depending on the synthesizers and soundfonts you have installed.
Iggy didn't have to chew his own arm off. Maybe he can move to Vegas and use his sand powers to score at the casinos or something.
And thank you for reading.
As for me... I work as an ally of justice, snuffing out problem Stand users located by the Speedwagon Foundation. Jotaro's currently traveling across the world making a name for himself in the field of marine biology. Mr. Joestar's been slowing down due to his age and has entered a long-overdue retirement. I hear that he's come to Japan to take care of something... It'll be nice to see him again after so long. Kakyoin, much to my surprise, became an elementary school teacher. His work brings him and Jotaro together quite often, so they've been chasing after a mysterious Stand-inducing bow and arrow... Polnareff, who's still in France, has been investigating a drug trafficking ring while looking for the same bow and arrow. Looks like he still loves to get in above his head... ...But as long as Abdul's there, he should be fine. They're probably squabbling with each other somewhere as we speak. Not much has changed after all these years... Speaking of, Iggy hasn't changed much either. At over 10 years, he's quite old for a dog, but he loves to make fools out of people all the same. He mostly hangs out with Polnareff these days.
...
Cascada: ...My day-to-day life has become very happy. But sometimes I still wonder... This "fate"... This "life energy"... Who is it for? Does my good fortune now come at the cost of another's? And if so, who is the unlucky person that has to shoulder the burden in my place? Cascada: ...........But... my life now... It isn't just my own... but a treasure that I've inherited. ...This is my chosen fate... I've decided to live for today.
