DCFFVII Research Thread

Shademp

Shademp

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*nods in agreement*

For those curious, the Bradygames guide explicitly states that the gatling gun segment has 45 Guard Hounds while the on-top-the-Shadowfox segment has 25 Guard Hounds. Obviously this is not true. Post-JORG the count is 46 + 24.

As for JORG, the DC Complete Guide doesn't count the total number of Guard Hounds for either segment. I can't spot the number 24 (or 25) in Page 71 of the guide and the number of 45 is derived from manually calculating what is shown on Page 70.

EDIT: I am btw convinced now that Segment #3 only has 24 Guard Hounds in all versions. Although my record number of kills in the open area (in JORG) is 14 and not 15, the hound I left behind did come jumping over the arch later on.

Whether this segment was intended to have 25 hounds is completely up for speculation. My bet is that the people who designed Chapter 2 just didn't playtest their own game well enough. Feels good to know that Chapter 2 will be over soon!
 
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Shademp

Shademp

420
Legitimate rage. I've been so close a dozen times to achieving what I want for Segment #3: 24 kills + High killchain + 0 damage.

Getting those 24 kills isn't enough. I want a high killchain for the next segment, which pretty much requires that I get zero inflicted damage.

When working on Chapter 1, there were 2 or 3 days when I didn't play the game at all. With Chapter 2 I've been playing every day for 6 days now. Often with great intensity and at great length. The light at the end of the tunnel keeps mocking me. So close yet so far away! Please Dirge let me get segment #3 done right this evening! >___<
 
Shademp

Shademp

420
JORG - Hard Mode - Vincent Lv1 - Chapter 2: Showdown in the Wastes

ALL S RANKINGS!!!



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LDlbo9M.png
 
Shademp

Shademp

420
To nobody's surprise I am quite exhausted after Chapter 2. Whatever the pace of this challenge in the near future (or who knows, maybe I'll take a break) I won't repeat the intensity of Chaper 2 anytime soon.

A few bullet points.

- I AM. FUCKING. SICK. OF THE START MENU MUSIC. To hear that same tune over and over again because I have to keep restarting the checkpoint has gotten old already. I dread having to hear it for all checkpoints to come.


- Comments on the Ch2 video.

-- At 2:03, just like later on with the Crimson Hound, you can observe how the killchain from before is still active even though I have restarted the checkpoint. With the critical hit the displayed damage number is 9999. When I got a normal hit, the damage was 4021.

-- At 3:19 and 3:52 you can observe that Vincent briefly stops in his tracks. This is because the Left Analog Stick of my controller wasn't responding. My poor PS2 controller is getting worn down! The Right Analog Stick has been glitchy since a few years back, often enough leading it to tilt towards the right when it is supposed to be resting in the centre. Now the Left Analog Stick is getting glitchy too. >____>

-- When I kill the final Pegasus Rider at 5:29 and he freezes, he is not actually added to the total kill count! That's why my total count ends up at 75 instead of 76.

-- You probably didn't notice but in the video editing process I remove some seconds of loading time. That is, the loading time when there's not even any music in the background. I did this for Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 and will do so for the subsequent chapters. So in actuality the game doesn't load the checkpoints this quickly.​

- Couldn't help but notice that Tres didn't thank this post, so I'm guessing he missed it. :monster: The knowledge I acquired definitely helped in making me clear Segment #3 more efficiently.


- Don't know when I'll start work on Chapter 3, but here are the S Ranking requirements as transcribed from the DC Complete Guide.

Targets Destroyed - 70 or more
Accuracy Rate - 75% or higher
Damage Sustained - 1299 or less
Critical Hits - 45 or more
Killchains - 30 or more
Items Used - 0
Limit Break Used - 3 times or more
Mako Collected - 90% or more
Times KO'd - 0
Time Expired - Less than 20 minutes

Stage Missions:
- Protect the boy: Yes (1 out of 1)
- Eliminate the snipers in hiding: 15 out of 15


Definitely more in the vein of Chapter 1...and I'm STILL not allowed to use any items! In JORG this is more understandable though since you can just use magic to transform into Galian Beast and thusly restore your HP.
 
Shademp

Shademp

420
ForceStealer said:
Gotta get that S rank on thank accuracy :monster:
Click to expand...
*furiously gets all the senpais to notice me and records the achievement*

Though honestly my main point was to make sure that Tres had noticed the fruit of my research. The ridiculousness of how much patience and passion is needed just to figure out how to max your Guard Hound kills is insane. Not even any of the guides (V-Jump, DC Complete or Bradygames) go into this level of detail and accuracy which I strive towards.

I'm so thankful that Chapter 3 will not require nearly as much research. Why the confidence? Because I already figured out the biggest mystery/challenge.
 
Shademp

Shademp

420
In a very relaxed fashion I booted up the game again today and played through the first checkpoint/segment of Chapter 3.

My brain is being positively tickled. This chapter is so...EASY! :lol: If I put my mind to it, I know that I could complete and record this chapter in one day. For Chapter 1 & 2 this would have been straight up impossible. But I don't expect to get Chapter 3 done until next week. I'll be away during this weekend and I still feel like taking a semi-break from DC.
 
Shademp

Shademp

420
JORG - Hard Mode - Vincent Lv1 - Chapter 3: Silent Edge

ALL S RANKINGS






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CUGw3Oh.png


​
 
Shademp

Shademp

420
- While playing Chapter 3 I learned that the boxes containing 3000 gil and a Phoenix Down will disappear once you reach the third checkpoint. For a moment I thought that maybe these boxes would respawn and that I could get these rewards TWICE, akin to what can happen in other parts of the game, but these boxes disappear regardless of whether you destroyed them before or not.

The same is also true for the two DG soldiers and the 1000 gil found at 3:51 in the Chapter 3 -Part 2 video. So all these rewards (and the two DG soldiers) must be found before you reach the third checkpoint.


- The S ranking requirements for Chapter 4, as written over from the DC Complete Guide.

Targets Destroyed - 72 or more
Accuracy Rate - 60% or higher
Damage Sustained - 1999 or less
Critical Hits - 40 or more
Killchains - 45 or more
Items Used - 3 or fewer
Limit Break Used - 4 times or more
Mako Collected - 90% or more
Times KO'd - 0
Time Expired - Less than 25 minutes

Stage Missions:
- Assist the WRO members! : 20 out of 20
- Hurry to the command center! : Less than 60 seconds
- Swiftly eliminate the reinforcement squad! : Less than 40 seconds


Would ya look at that, I'm allowed to use items now. :monster:
 
Shademp

Shademp

420
The Twilight Mexican said:
What will be the most challenging aspect of this chapter? I like when you let us know.
Click to expand...
The sheer length of the main checkpoint in Chapter 4.

Ch4 Checkpoints:
#1 - Cutscenes
#2 - Moving up and down the HQ and clearing all Stage Missions
#3 - Shelke boss battle
#4 - Azul boss battle

As you can tell, the third and fourth checkpoints are immensely short (and the first checkpoint is nothing at all). I estimate that my final recording of the second checkpoint/segment will be between 10-15 minutes, meaning that retries will take longer and more mistakes will end up in the recording. It is easier to replay the segments until you get them just right when they are short. But with the longer segments I have to live with the great number of mistakes I make.

For example, I still can't shake the shame I feel for most of the Chapter 1 - Part 1 video, despite me working so hard just to get the dice to roll in my favor. >__> Like when I fail to instantly shoot these two guys at 2:51, when nine times out of ten I managed to kill them immediately no problem. Or when my killchain breaks at 4:04 or when I miss a target at 5:25 and so on. That segment of Chapter 1 was seven minutes long.

You can see then why I expect the primary Chapter 4 recording to be quite ugly and filled with mistakes. At this stage the issue isn't at all if I can achieve the requirements for All S Rankings: The question is how far I wish to over-achieve in this challenge. How do I decide when my performance is beautiful enough for a YouTube upload?
 
Shademp

Shademp

420
One piece of research that's a bit overdue: Figuring out if achieving the minimum requirements for S rankings in Chapters 1-12 will guarantee S rankings in the Cumulative Results/Rankings when you defeat Omega.

The requirements for S rankings in the Cumulative Results:

Targets Destroyed - 1360 or more
Accuracy Rate - 67% or higher
Damage Sustained - 67749 or less
Critical Hits - 725 or more
Killchains - 790 or more
Items Used - 49 or fewer
Limit Break Used - 55 times or more
Mako Collected - 91% or more
Times KO'd - 0
Time Expired - Less than 391min* and 40sec

*391min = 6 hours and 31 minutes


So if you have achieved exactly the MINIMUM requirements for S rankings when you get to the last checkpoint, what will your values be and how much of a struggle will you face in this final segment of the game?


Targets Destroyed - 1280
80 more targets required for an S ranking. If you stick around defeating lots of Omega Buds you can get that final stretch. I have not confirmed exactly which targets count and which don't during this part of the game.


Accuracy Rate - 66.25%
Assuming that the game rounds down to the closest integer percentage, you need an increase in your accuracy rate by 3/4ths of a percent. What minimum Accuracy Rate is required before and during the boss battle to reach the final S ranking in AR?
76%. That is, again, if the game adds percentages in the same way I did just now.


Damage Sustained - 67688
You will be allowed only 61 more in damage! That will be almost if not actually impossible to achieve. But if you've played the game like me, you will be allowed to sustain thousands upon thousands in damage.


Critical Hits - 705
20 more critical hits and your top ranking will be safe. Shooting Omega's weak spot will easily grant you these critical hits.


Killchains - 770
20 more killchains. The Omega Buds and the bombs Omega send your way can provide these killchains (and more).


Items Used - 49
Using the maximum number of items up until this point means you are not allowed to use even one more item in the final stretch. This would certainly be tricky, though not nearly as nigh-impossible as receiving no more than 61 in damage.


Limit Break Used - 55 times
A reasonable demand, especially since you can't transform in the final chapter. You are always in the Chaos form.


Mako Collected - 91.8%
Since there are no Mako Points in the final chapter, the game relies on you having found enough Mako Points in the chapters prior.

My calculation here is based on assumptions, just like with the Accuracy Rate. Either way, there is no reason for you to not step on every Mako Point in the game and get 100%.


Times KO'd - 0
Self-explanatory.


Time Expired - 376min 28sec
15 minutes and 12 seconds to spare.

Keep in mind that the game timer also runs during the between-chapter menus and while on the Shera. If you have not been super-fast in the menus, taken the shortest path on the Shera and if you haven't skipped cutscenes, you'll be in for trouble.



In conclusion you are only in danger of not getting All S Rankings in the Cumulative Results if up until this point you have received the maximum amount of damage you are allowed and used all the items. I can safely say that even if I didn't over-achieve in the chapters like I'm doing now, my All S Rankings at the very end is guaranteed.
 
Shademp

Shademp

420
Begun testing Chapter 4 - Segment #2. Conclusions:

- The final recording of Segment #2 will be roughly 14 minutes long. The full Ch4 video will be be 16-17 minutes long. Because I can't upload clips longer than 15 minutes, I will yet again have to divide the chapter into Part 1 and Part 2.


- The actual biggest challenge in this segment is to achieve a high killchain in the corridor right before the battle against Shelke. It is very important that I get this killchain so that I might defeat Shelke in one or two shots. The pressure of potential failure is extra high since it will take you 13-14 minutes to even get to said corridor. Remember that in Hard Mode, unlike in the easier mode, sustaining damage will cancel your killchain. No mistakes (or bad luck) allowed. If I can just get said killchain I will forgive a poor run before that point.

(The reason I didn't bring up this pre-boss-battle killchain before was because I wasn't sure if it was even possible but now I confirmed that indeed you can achieve the boss-killing killchain)



When clearing Chapter 4 right now (just playing ahead to see that my playstyle and strategies aren't catastrophic, before I go back and do the REAL run through Chapter 4) my save file got corrupted. This isn't the first time the game gets corrupted after this particular area. Clearing Chapter 4 and Chapter 9 has repeatedly been the spots where I get save file corruption.

Fortunately I have backup saves and I have now restored an older save to my memory card. No progress was lost. :neo:
 
Shademp

Shademp

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Finally cleared Segment #2 with the full 13 killchain. Problem is...I made some embarrassing mistakes during this run. There was a bazooka guy I thought I had killed when in fact I didn't and I ended up being hit by two missiles before I realized what was going on. In general I also received more damage than I would on a good run. Here I received 989 in damage when on a good run I could limit it to 500. At a later stage when I use a drum can as a shield, I don't use the shield as well as I could have...

My values for an S ranking are still well within safe values. I have already achieved enough killchains, critical hits and I have a decent Accuracy Rate, even before the two boss battles.

I was hoping to redeem myself by achieving a great run instead of a good run, but I have not succeeded. Feeling shaky and my nerves are punishing me for investing so much energy in this Dirge of Cerberus run. Not exactly optimal conditions for achieving the great run I desire.

Yet I am tempted by just getting the two boss battles over with and uploading the video(s). I'm torturing myself by going for over-achievements in this run and for my mental health I should lower my expectations sooner or later... But what if I regret uploading the video with all the mistakes of Segment #2?

Damn it. Fuck.

EDIT: Nerves not helped by the fact that I get so darn close to a great run but then I fail in the final thirty seconds, repeatedly.
 
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Shademp

Shademp

420
The failure. I had complete victory in my hand. The run was pretty much perfect. But I was one millisecond too late. Failed right at the very end. Chest burning. Head pulsating. This is too cruel. This despair... It is like when I almost got 8185 points in the Speed Square but had to settle for 8184.
 
Shademp

Shademp

420
The Twilight Mexican said:
What's the difference between great and perfect runs to people who have never managed either?
Click to expand...
What's the difference between a perfectionist and a madman? :monster:

Not dismissing you, I appreciate you trying to help. The best I can do now is to leave the console off and wait until tomorrow to see how I feel. Right now I am in my super-concentrated obsessive mindset, where my own desire to get a beautiful recording is too dominating.

Usually the way this works with me and Dirge is that I struggle to the point of insanity and then finally get the result I want. But this time I've gone the distance of reaching insanity, being shattered and then re-shattered (as I kept trying even after the last post I made here), without the expected reward.

I shouldn't be surprised. Segment #2 of Chapter 4 is simply too long, with too many places where mistakes can be made. Then after 12 minutes of playtime, everything rests upon those final thirty seconds. The stress of that final stretch is even more visceral now that I'm merely trying to "improve" my result, instead of achieving something for the first time.


The morrow will inform me of my next move. I did at least get the reward today of finally achieving the killchain and seeing what it looks like to defeat Shelke in one shot.

xZcg9Zn.png
 
Shademp

Shademp

420
After playing intensely for two hours this morning, I finally achieved a run through Segment #2 that I can be proud of. The point of creating these videos is to provide me with a sense of lasting, recorded victory. If I upload a video with a feeling of defeat then the entire point is lost. There was no way for me to feel victorious about the first run in which I succeeded in getting that 13 killchain. There was no way.



:D

There is also no denying the truth that yesterday Dirge of Cerberus physically and mentally hurt me. The double-edged sword of passion sliced me. I have no simple solution to this. All I can do is hope that eventually, be it sooner or later, that I will take an extended break from this All S Rankings run. I can't keep up this pace and intensity all the way to the finish. The real challenge there is to find something else to masturbate my obsession gland while I rest from DC.



Confirmed btw that a killchain of 10 will not instantly defeat Shelke. She has about 1/5th of her HP left after a critical hit. I feel confident that the minimum required killchain, with my setup and with Vincent on Lv1, is 11 or 12. With the 13-killchain, even a normal hit will instantly defeat her.
 
C

Clement Rage

Pro Adventurer
Reeve: Oh shit, I gave him the explosive rounds instead of the tranqs!

Vincent: Nope, I'm just that good.

Seriously, take care of yourself.
 
Shademp

Shademp

420
JORG - Hard Mode - Vincent Lv1 - Chapter 4: Headquarters Under Siege

ALL S RANKINGS




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Compare at your leisure how well above the minimum requirements I got:

Targets Destroyed - 72 or more
Accuracy Rate - 60% or higher
Damage Sustained - 1999 or less
Critical Hits - 40 or more
Killchains - 45 or more
Items Used - 3 or fewer
Limit Break Used - 4 times or more
Mako Collected - 90% or more
Times KO'd - 0
Time Expired - Less than 25 minutes


7NzIQTT.png


Stage Missions:
- Assist the WRO members! : 20 out of 20
Everybody saved!

- Hurry to the command center! : Less than 60 seconds
Final time: Just below 27 seconds!

- Swiftly eliminate the reinforcement squad! : Less than 40 seconds
Final time: Just below 28 seconds!

​
 
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