SharkLord
Smash Hero
Y'know, I've kinda been drifting away from writing big writeups. I've been meaning to do this one for a while; Better late than never, I suppose.
For this, I'll be covering Ryza, titular protagonist of Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness and the Secret Hideout, and it's sequel, Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and the Secret Fairy. Unfortunately, I've only played the first AR, so my essay will have to be limited to that. And yeah, I know she's deconfirmed, but screw it. This is for fun more than anything.
Atelier is pretty simple to explain. It's a JRPG, but instead of heroic swordsmen with crazy hairdos that exist to spite gravity and ancient gods that threaten the safety of the world, it's cute, cozy little experiences focused on personal plotlines. The gameplay's main selling point is the alchemy, where you can go out and collect stuff, then use that stuff in synthesis to create items to help you in battle. The older games used to have a time limit, but recent installments do away with that in favor of a more open world where you can explore at your own pace. The games have never made massive numbers, but aside from the couple years between the second and third games, Gust has been making games every year, plus a sizeable amount of spinoffs. For reference:
Atelier Ryza focuses on the titular Reisalin "Ryza" Stout, a girl growing up on Kurken Island. Kurken is a pretty small island, and she's at that age where she wants to go out and explore rather than remain stuck on the island, even if all the adults tell her "no." She discovers her true calling when she and her friends go to the mainland and are saved by a traveling duo, one of which is an alchemist himself. He takes her under her wing, and it's not long before she surpasses him. There's a bit more plot in there, and it's a bit darker than the standard Atelier fare, but it's not a really shocking or high-stakes one. The bulk of the game is Ryza going around the island and nearby land and using the stuff she finds to synthesize stuff.
Unlike past Atelier games, which operate on a turn-based system, Atelier Ryza shifts to a semi-real-time combat system where each combatant has a cooldown system, and everyone acts on their own instead of waiting for the turn to end. Your allies and enemies act independently, while you choose your next move. Aside from the items, there's also the Action Points, or AP, which can be spent to use skills. Alternatively, you can go to the next level when the gauge fills up, increasing the effects of the normal attacks and skills.
And now, for the moveset potential. Ryza's kit would mostly be her various gathering tools, I think. Her staff that she uses in combat is the default, but there's a couple other stuff she could use.
Aside from that, there's the synthesis. You may think, "Didn't Steve take that?", but I think it would also incorporate elements of Hero's MP Gauge and Command List too. Ryza would be able to gather materials and use them at her Cauldron, where she can craft various items that would probably work like an actual throwable item. We could have her just use Smash's items, but if we want to adhere to the source material, here's some examples:
For this, I'll be covering Ryza, titular protagonist of Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness and the Secret Hideout, and it's sequel, Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and the Secret Fairy. Unfortunately, I've only played the first AR, so my essay will have to be limited to that. And yeah, I know she's deconfirmed, but screw it. This is for fun more than anything.
Atelier is pretty simple to explain. It's a JRPG, but instead of heroic swordsmen with crazy hairdos that exist to spite gravity and ancient gods that threaten the safety of the world, it's cute, cozy little experiences focused on personal plotlines. The gameplay's main selling point is the alchemy, where you can go out and collect stuff, then use that stuff in synthesis to create items to help you in battle. The older games used to have a time limit, but recent installments do away with that in favor of a more open world where you can explore at your own pace. The games have never made massive numbers, but aside from the couple years between the second and third games, Gust has been making games every year, plus a sizeable amount of spinoffs. For reference:
Atelier Ryza focuses on the titular Reisalin "Ryza" Stout, a girl growing up on Kurken Island. Kurken is a pretty small island, and she's at that age where she wants to go out and explore rather than remain stuck on the island, even if all the adults tell her "no." She discovers her true calling when she and her friends go to the mainland and are saved by a traveling duo, one of which is an alchemist himself. He takes her under her wing, and it's not long before she surpasses him. There's a bit more plot in there, and it's a bit darker than the standard Atelier fare, but it's not a really shocking or high-stakes one. The bulk of the game is Ryza going around the island and nearby land and using the stuff she finds to synthesize stuff.
Unlike past Atelier games, which operate on a turn-based system, Atelier Ryza shifts to a semi-real-time combat system where each combatant has a cooldown system, and everyone acts on their own instead of waiting for the turn to end. Your allies and enemies act independently, while you choose your next move. Aside from the items, there's also the Action Points, or AP, which can be spent to use skills. Alternatively, you can go to the next level when the gauge fills up, increasing the effects of the normal attacks and skills.
And now, for the moveset potential. Ryza's kit would mostly be her various gathering tools, I think. Her staff that she uses in combat is the default, but there's a couple other stuff she could use.
- Scythe - A tool for precise cuts and slicing off delicate items that other tools would smash
- Axe - A heavier tool for tougher items
- Bug Net - For catching... Y'know, bugs
- Fishing Rod - Ditto, but for aquatic creatures
- Bug Net - For catching... Y'know, bugs
- Hammer - For when the hammer won't cut it and you need to get what's inside the rocks
- Bomb Rod - Explosives
- Wind Shoes - Rather than a tool for gathering, the Wind Shoes let Ryza skip across rocks and fly up using patches of wind
Aside from that, there's the synthesis. You may think, "Didn't Steve take that?", but I think it would also incorporate elements of Hero's MP Gauge and Command List too. Ryza would be able to gather materials and use them at her Cauldron, where she can craft various items that would probably work like an actual throwable item. We could have her just use Smash's items, but if we want to adhere to the source material, here's some examples:
- Bomb - More or less a stick of dynamite
- Ice Caltrops - Would cover the ground and bring pain to those that step on them
- Poison Gas - Probably something like Piranha Plant's side special
- Thorny Embrace - Something to keep opponents trapped
- Lightning Bell - An electric projectile, basically
