Vestaria Saga - SRPG series from the FE creator - second game out now

[Endemic]

When suddenly, Map #18:

I lost Thomas there to gargoyle spam.

 

[Endemic]

The Japanese versions of Vestaria I and II are still receiving updates, the following being one of the new scenarios:

A new briefing screen, featuring Ophelia:

You can now ask questions during the briefing (as indicated by the three dialogue options here).

 

[CaesarCzech]

Why are some classes outright slavic ? Setra from Sestra sister Nevesta Bride etc

 

[Endemic]

Why are some classes outright slavic ?

Part of the setting's European flavour. Venecia = Venice, Solis = steppe horsemen ala Mongols\Huns, Meleda is named after https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mljet etc.

 

[CaesarCzech]

Finally finished game, Silvanister is supposed to release soon isnt ?

 

[LESS T_T]

Second game is out now.



https://af.gog.com/game/vestaria_saga_gaiden_the_sacred_sword_of_silvanister?as=1649904300

 

[Endemic]

Cool.

"Have fun dying while you're asleep for 3 turns."

 

[jac8awol]

I got to like stage 14 or something and it just became too hard, I'm giving up for now, sorry bros

 

[AdamReith]

Kaga is no longer hindered by the suits in his quest to crush players spirits with sadistic glee.

 

[Endemic]

That's funny considering he recently toned down some of VS2's maps after player feedback.

 

[Tigranes]

I decided to start on Vestaria Saga.... by going back and emulating Berwick Saga, which I had never tried. And dear god it is a cracking good game. Every self respecting FE / similar fan should play it.

After slogging my way blind my team is grossly inadequate at Chapter 10 and I am restarting (though gladly). Some general Qs for those who played:

• The greatest mystery: in battles I keep picking up Gold and Silver coins (e.g. "Gold Coin: 10000") and it doesn't show up in inventories or in my money pile. What the hell is this? When Volo wins $ with his special property, it instead shows "102 denarii earned".
• Level ups are fairly infrequent and seem far less important - half the time it just gives the guy 1 extra HP. Given that, what's the real engine of character growth? It seems like you want to use their primary skill very often to raise their proficiency, and that's what determines their ability to use the higher tier spells/weapons?
• Some weapons and armour break into 'broken pieces' for Repairstone, while others disappear; is it generally advisable to keep unique weapons 'alive' by repairing them before they break, though repairstone is very expensive?
• I reached 'promotion' story thresholds for characters like Dean - are these available for every character (e.g. Volo)? It was tough to decide which characters are worth the investment, especially magic users - I wasn't impressed with Perceval, Owen, Aegina or Izerna, until game started throwing the super heavily armoured enemies into the fray.
• Seems you need a thief to investigate homes and grab goodies. But I never found a way to make thieves any good at fighting. They rely on dodge and crits, but in both respects they appear far inferior to the likes of Volo?

 

[spekkio]

I got to like stage 14 or something and it just became too hard, I'm giving up for now, sorry bros.

Played through VS1 without saving until I got murdered by that random lvl 17 grand guard in the city siege.

Is there anyway to stop or slow down the wagon in chapter6?

WTF??? Why is Kaga such an autistic cunt?!

So, you got filtered out by Kaga's autism, but still like to see the game to the end? Worry no more felow popamoler, BRO spekkio to the rescue!

---

How to teabag the game like a real Gigachad using Cheat Engine

---

I got to Chapter 5, realized what the game's main schtick is (heavy puzzle elements coupled with "baits" often requiring a reload - see good review here), decided to give up.

But since I liked the characters, plot, writing and most of the gameplay a lot, I've decided to go back to the game. But properly equipped this time.

Thanks to the cheat table posted here (originally by CannonFodder, later translated & edited by DrummerIX) I made the game my bitch.



Howto:

1. Get the table from here.
2. Run Cheat Engine.
3. Launch the game.
4. Open "Vestaria Saga I" process in CE.
5. Load the cheat table.

Due to the game's unusual "engine", table contains a lot of code injection / pointers, which you have to run.

But when you do, ITZ haevan!

1. Ability to save AFTER every turn

Originally you can only save after each 5 turns - 1, 5, 10, 15, etc.

That was the only code I've been (initially) interested in, but to my surpise, it wasn't present in DrummerIX table. Luckily for me and you, I was able to quickly figure out, that the code for turn number is located very close to the code for money. Rest was piss easy (copied the "money" pointer and modified it). So that's my little addition to the table.

How to use is properly? Well, you can simpy set the code's value to 0 and freeze it (crossed box):

Before:

After:

Click "End Turn", and:

BUT(T)!

That's not advised, since a lot of events are being triggered by turn number.

Much viser choise would be to "decrease" turn number manualy, when you want to save at the start of NEXT turn (sadly, it's not possible to enable save during CURRENT turn).

So, if you want to save after turn # 1, 2 or 3, set the value to 0. If it's turn 5, 6, 7 or 8, set it to 4. Etc. Just make sure you never increase the value (for example setting it to 9 during turn #6), or some triggers may not launch. OFC if you fuck sth up, you can always set turn number back to lower values, and just keep ending turns a couple times.

Tested in like 7 missions and everything works fine.

2. Changing amount of money

P. self-explanatory:

3. Allowing units to move infinitely

That's useful if you just want to quickly open all chests before finishing the mission, or move items between units fast.

Open first script, set the value of "UnlimitedMoveEnable" address to 1:

All characters will be able to act again indefinitely.

4. Changing characters' stats

IMO popamole - I went with changing growths values instead - see below. But if you're lazy...

- Open first script, set the value of "UpdateCharBaseAddrEnable" address to 1:

- Start switching between characters (LB/RB or A/S keys). Values below "MaxExpEnable" should fill up automagically thanks to THE POWER OF POINTERS, BABY!

- Choose a character in game, switch to CE, go to the "Character Stats":

These aren't equal to the values shown in character's screen:

Since "final" values are sum of "character stats", "class stats" & "stats limits" (explained below). But still, modifying them "works":

Important info:

These new values will get written into savegames.



As you can see, only the PROF (weapon proficiency) didn't reach the limit. Dunno why it's missing from the cheat table, but it goes up nicely during level-ups, without playing around with it.

Anyway, this modification is totally popamole IMO, much better idea is sth else.

5. Modifying characters' growths

Growths are generally shit in this game. Check here if you don't believe me. But that can be fixed.

- Open first script, set the value of "UpdateCharBaseAddrEnable" address to 1:

- Select a character in game.
- Find the "Stat Growth" section:

- Modify to more interesting values. Personally I've increased these by 20-25 p.p. except the "mov growth", which I've set to 10% for all units.

And it works fantastically, no more "empty" level-ups (0 stats had increased). Sometimes it's glorious:

And sometimes only 1-2 stats will go up. RNG in this game is shit too...

This modification is not THAT popamole IMO, 'cuz:

• There's still RNG involved, so you won't get the maximal values (limits) right away, just faster than without cheating.
• If you don't want to play around with stats with 0 growth (luck, move) - don't. Pussy.
• Same way as in previous method, stats' values won't go above the limits, which are hardcoded into the game.

What does the last line mean? Well, the increased stats will get written into the saves (good), but the moment you reach the stat limit, you won't get increases for this stat during level ups anymore (also good).

6) Fuck this, I want to go beyond the stat limits!!!

Well, you can / can't. DrummerIX has found pointers for "stats limits". And you can modify them.

- Enable "UpdateCharacterLimitBaseAddr" section, select a character in game, scroll down to the stats limits:

As you can see, these are limits for Athol, shown in Section #5:

You can modify them:

And since I've set all their values to 99 in the "Character Stats" section (see above), now our little princess looks like this:

Problem: characters' stats limits are hardcoded into the game files, so if you save the game, close Cheat Engine and load the savegame, you'll be back to this:

So, shit's not worth the hassle (you would have to modify the "limits" after every load).

7) Modifying weapons' "durability"

Tired of buying weapons over and over and restocking your units with new weapons constantly? Well...

- Open first script, set the value of "UpdateCharBaseAddrEnable" address to 1.
- Select a character in game.
- Find the "Item Durability" section:

- Modify:

!WARNING!

These values (weapon durability) are also hard-coded in game files, so if you save the game and then load this save, they will go down to the "max" number of uses.

It's much easier to just make infinite items...

8) Making items' uses infinite

Tired of buying herbs / resupplying units with them? Want to repair your weapons really fast? Well...

- Open first script, set the value of "UpdateCharBaseAddrEnable" address to 1.
- Select a character in game.
- Find the "Item Durability" section as before:

- Set values FOR ITEMS to 0:

This actually "overclocks" the addresses, making their values ultra-high. And turning items into the "infinite use" type:

These values will get written into the savegames, so you don't have to re-set them after every load.



Just DON'T TRY THIS with weapons, since they will simply break after single use.

Now let's end this post with a bang!

9) Teleportation

Want to end the mission, but your tief is still 20 turns away from some chest? Forgot to load Cezar on the boat in Mission #5 and there's no way of opening the bridge for the rest of your units now?

Well...

- Open first script, set the value of "UpdateCharBaseAddrEnable" address to 1.
- Select a character in game.
- Find the "pos x" and "pos y" section:

Modify:

And voila!

And that's all, kids and trannies, see you in Mission 30...

Useful shit:

• Walkthrough with most of mission quirks (what to do and when)
• Characters' Description (whom to keep and whom to kick out)
• Skills List (don't know what certain learnable skill does, since the devs cannot into coding? - check this shit out here)
• Recruitment FAQ (you really need certain waifu in you team? - learn how to pick up chicks with ease)

 

[Tigranes]

What, Youtube doesn't work in your cave?

Game is definitely on the heavy puzzly side, but surprisingly I didn't end up frustratingly stuck that often. Save every 5 turns + you can play this game really fast in terms of animations and UI, sometimes less than a minute for a full turn with your ~20 units.

 

[Endemic]

VS2 chapter 7-2 (raiding the supply wagons) is one of my favourite missions in the game:

Spoiler

You start with a small group of cavalry in one corner of the map, and you need to chase down the wagons before they reach the exit in the northwest.

Enemy reinforcements arrive behind you after a few turns.

The layout of the valley forces most of your units to follow the road. Luckily, you do have a steppe-style horse archer who can cross the high ground.

 

[spekkio]

After 3 Houses, VS1 feels like a breeze of fun and intelligent design. Despite "puzzle-like" gameplay and engine quirks.

 

[Nutmeg]

That's funny considering he recently toned down some of VS2's maps after player feedback.

So this is why we can't have nice things. Players.

 

[Endemic]

That's funny considering he recently toned down some of VS2's maps after player feedback.

So this is why we can't have nice things. Players.

If you don't mind playing it in Japanese, the original is still available.

 

[Endemic]

Also, I missed this, but Kaga said a few months back that he's working on a VS1+ edition. Apart from some UI and graphical changes, there are new mechanics and rules aimed at Saga veterans:

1. Evaluation points: Starts at 100, but decreases each time you perform an in-game load (for experienced players).
2. Shield items: Automatically triggers when necessary, reducing its durability.
3. Saviour-type skill(s): Functions like in Berwick Saga.
4. Lances: Function like in Berwick Saga (boosted by movement distance).
5. Limited number of shop purchases.
6. Many special attack skills that can be used before moving (consumes HP).
7. RNG fixes.
8. Items for provoking foes.
9. Separate physical/magical damage for defensive skills like Magic Shield and Axe Defence.

It would be nice to have the option to unequip all weapons for that rare situation that calls for it (chapter 7), so hopefully that makes it in too.

 

[spekkio]

I'm currently after mission #15 of VS1. Great game, considering engine's shortcomings and budget. Puts "modern" Fire Emblems to shame with its simple yet fun gameplay.

 

[Endemic]

May as well reply to Tigranes' comment here since this is the Vestaria thread:

I will probably start Vestaria 2 soon, though its opening didn't impress me after V1.

Both of them start slow and get more interesting a few chapters in. Unfortunately SRPG Studio lacks a lot of features like fog-of-war that the in-house Berwick engine had.

I think the TBS spinoff (Norden Civil War) will have more novel mechanics since Kaga hired a programmer for it and the engine is customised.

 

[Endemic]

Kaga finally broke radio silence about Vestaria recently. Or as he put it, finally posting some updates and making excuses (for his absence) https://twitter.com/Ks_vestaria/status/1754111592588025947#m

Also, he has pretty taste in games if the screenshot is anything to go by: https://twitter.com/Ks_vestaria/status/1761148869533130844