Ar-Tonelico 2: That Freezing Glitch & New Game +

[Bernhardt]

2 questions about Ar-Tonelico 2:

...

Re: That Infamous Freezing Glitch During the Battle with Raki

How do you get around this glitch? I only get 2-3 rounds into the battle, before it freezes up no matter what I do.

I don't have a first-gen PS3, so it's not like I can download a patch onto its hard drive, and slim PS3s aren't backwards-compatible with PS2 games, anyway.

Is there a patch I can download onto my PS2 memory card?

...

Re: New Game +

Assuming I can get past the Raki battle after taking care of the glitch issue,

when you re-start the game after having beaten it once, what do you keep in subsequent playthroughs? Items, Equipment, Money, Stats, Levels, Cosmosphere progress, Conversation Topics covered, Synthesis Recipes discovered? I'd like to know what you get to keep?

[Dice]

I heard one way people get around it is just by actually beating it within that time (apparently, with the right set ups, its not that hard).
I didn't get that far before getting bored with the game sadly.

[Kevadu]

There is no patch, it's a PS2 game.

It shouldn't be hard to just beat Raki before that happens.  I didn't even do anything special, just played it like I always do.  The game is not hard and I believe you still have 3 whole rounds to lay on the damage.  If you're really having trouble use replekia or something

[Madoka]

I beat Rakki within the time frame. I think I charged one of those R-tail attacks and let it go before the the deadly turn change.

[Cyril]

The absolute easiest way to beat Raki in 1-2 turns is to use Jacqli and Chloche and Replekia.  To make it even faster, have Jacqli be your selected Reyvateil.  Actually, I've never had a problem beating it in three rounds so I can't give you an more advice than that.

If you're still having problems, try giving yourself some Guard+++, which make it easier to guard, therefore boosting the rate at which they sing.

Edit: As for New Game+, I don't believe you actually keep anything other than Bestiary/Character information.  However, you can view Cosmosphere and possibly talk topic events in the "Extra" menu.  I really appreciate that they allow you to redo the Cosmospheres and see things you miss, especially Jacqli's.

[Ryos]

There is no patch, it's a PS2 game.

Well, not a legal one. >_>  Anyway, while the required bouts are a breeze to get past, there's a workaround for the optional fights that pretty much lets you win each and every fight you need to beat to satisfy collectionist tendencies.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DNS_nWqYtI  Note that this technically works for every fight in the game (although offhand the only other way I can see using it is if you want to do some optional fights looooong before you'd normally be able to), so I guess it's a good thing Gust sucks at debugging.

There is no new game+.

[Ramza]

everything Ryos said is true. It's a beautiful irony, that the way to get around a game-freezing glitch is via a game-exploiting glitch. One glitch deserves another, or so the (modified) saying goes.

I will point out that the combat glitch can be difficult to pull off. I can get it to work inconsistently, and as such was able to get into like the 7th Raki round.

ALso, if you DID have an old-model PS3, my understanding is that you wouldn't have to patch the game: the game-freezing glitch happens because the PS2's memory banks are overloaded, and apparently this wouldn't happen on the PS3 (can anyone confirm?). I still have my Ar tonelico II save, so I suppose I could test it myself (I bought a little converter thing that lets me get PS1/PS2 saves onto my PS3's hard drive). But I don't have a retail copy of AT2 on-hand, just the advanced debug copy which won't work on my PS3. So I'd have to buy or rent the game to test.

Ramza

[Kevadu]

ALso, if you DID have an old-model PS3, my understanding is that you wouldn't have to patch the game: the game-freezing glitch happens because the PS2's memory banks are overloaded, and apparently this wouldn't happen on the PS3 (can anyone confirm?). I still have my Ar tonelico II save, so I suppose I could test it myself (I bought a little converter thing that lets me get PS1/PS2 saves onto my PS3's hard drive). But I don't have a retail copy of AT2 on-hand, just the advanced debug copy which won't work on my PS3. So I'd have to buy or rent the game to test.

Interesting.  I would like to try it but I don't have an original 60GB PS3, just an 80GB with partial B/C.  Unfortunately AT2 won't run at all on it...actually, it's the only PS2 game that I have tried for which this is true.  Had to dig out my old PS2 specifically to play it.

[Cyril]

ALso, if you DID have an old-model PS3, my understanding is that you wouldn't have to patch the game: the game-freezing glitch happens because the PS2's memory banks are overloaded, and apparently this wouldn't happen on the PS3 (can anyone confirm?). I still have my Ar tonelico II save, so I suppose I could test it myself (I bought a little converter thing that lets me get PS1/PS2 saves onto my PS3's hard drive). But I don't have a retail copy of AT2 on-hand, just the advanced debug copy which won't work on my PS3. So I'd have to buy or rent the game to test.

I'd try it on mine, but the game plays absolutely terrible on the PS3.  I actually had about 4 save games deleted before I finally got frustrated and put it in my PS2.  Some people have random freezing issues and major slowdown on the PS3, I hear.

[Bernhardt]

Anyway, while the required bouts are a breeze to get past, there's a workaround for the optional fights that pretty much lets you win each and every fight you need to beat to satisfy collectionist tendencies.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DNS_nWqYtI Note that this technically works for every fight in the game (although offhand the only other way I can see using it is if you want to do some optional fights looooong before you'd normally be able to), so I guess it's a good thing Gust sucks at debugging.

everything Ryos said is true. It's a beautiful irony, that the way to get around a game-freezing glitch is via a game-exploiting glitch. One glitch deserves another, or so the (modified) saying goes.

I will point out that the combat glitch can be difficult to pull off. I can get it to work inconsistently, and as such was able to get into like the 7th Raki round.
Ramza

THIS IS PERTINENT INFORMATION. You, sirs, have my eternal gratitude! I used your advice, and it worked! FLAWLESSLY!

There is no new game+.

How painful, that truth rings...I guess I won't mind replaying the game over one more time, but if I can get cheat codes this time around, that'll REALLY help...

...

So, how do I know if I got a "Good" ending?

Luca and Croix ended up swearing undying love for each other, Jacqli gave Cocona a Heart of Gaea to take to the Tower of Tyria, and the game's ending tagline was along the lines of "We must appreciate what the land allows us to have."

I never could unlock Luca's final level of her Cosmosphere...

[Aeolus]

Anyway, while the required bouts are a breeze to get past, there's a workaround for the optional fights that pretty much lets you win each and every fight you need to beat to satisfy collectionist tendencies.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DNS_nWqYtI Note that this technically works for every fight in the game (although offhand the only other way I can see using it is if you want to do some optional fights looooong before you'd normally be able to), so I guess it's a good thing Gust sucks at debugging.

everything Ryos said is true. It's a beautiful irony, that the way to get around a game-freezing glitch is via a game-exploiting glitch. One glitch deserves another, or so the (modified) saying goes.

I will point out that the combat glitch can be difficult to pull off. I can get it to work inconsistently, and as such was able to get into like the 7th Raki round.
Ramza

THIS IS PERTINENT INFORMATION. You, sirs, have my eternal gratitude! I used your advice, and it worked! FLAWLESSLY!

There is no new game+.

How painful, that truth rings...I guess I won't mind replaying the game over one more time, but if I can get cheat codes this time around, that'll REALLY help...

...

So, how do I know if I got a "Good" ending?

Luca and Croix ended up swearing undying love for each other, Jacqli gave Cocona a Heart of Gaea to take to the Tower of Tyria, and the game's ending tagline was along the lines of "We must appreciate what the land allows us to have."

I never could unlock Luca's final level of her Cosmosphere...

The only differences in endings is who you end up with at the end of the game (and given your description you must've gotten the 'Luca' ending). What determines which ending you get is which girl did you end up siding with at the end of chapter 1, and which of the girls' cosmosphere did you enter past level 5. The "Bad End #1" is achieved if you take more than one girl past level 5. The other "Bad End #2" is achieved through means that I do not fully understand nor seek to. D:)

[Ramza]

The "Bad End #1" is achieved if you take more than one girl past level 5.

Slow down tiger. It's my understanding that this is impossible. Once you take one girl past level 5, the game blocks you from going there with anyone else. True? Untrue? It's been over a year since I played the game but that's what I remember.

I'd think a bad ending would come from not going past level 5 for ANYONE. But is that possible to do by game's end? I don't remember either.

Ramza

[Kevadu]

Slow down tiger. It's my understanding that this is impossible. Once you take one girl past level 5, the game blocks you from going there with anyone else. True? Untrue? It's been over a year since I played the game but that's what I remember.

That is my recollection as well.  But maybe there is some special way to do it?

I'd think a bad ending would come from not going past level 5 for ANYONE. But is that possible to do by game's end? I don't remember either.

Ramza

I think it is quite possible to not take any of them past level 5.  It never really occured to me to try it, though.

Man, I am going to have to reply this game now...

[Cyril]

Getting any one girl over 5 gives you their ending.  You can only bring one girl over 5 per game.

Taking none over 5 gets you

Code:

The Cocona ending.

I don't believe there's a "bad-bad" ending.

[Aeolus]

The "Bad End #1" is achieved if you take more than one girl past level 5.

Slow down tiger. It's my understanding that this is impossible. Once you take one girl past level 5, the game blocks you from going there with anyone else. True? Untrue? It's been over a year since I played the game but that's what I remember.

I'd think a bad ending would come from not going past level 5 for ANYONE. But is that possible to do by game's end? I don't remember either.

Ramza

You're probably right. I was under the impression that there was five endings.

Getting any one girl over 5 gives you their ending.  You can only bring one girl over 5 per game.

Taking none over 5 gets you

Code:

The Cocona ending.

I don't believe there's a "bad-bad" ending.

Its probably not so much a "Bad End" as its a "JAPAN!!! End" which is essentially the same thing at this point.