Fantasy Life Online: FAQ
Dec. 9th, 2021 06:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
estirose(Very much in progress!)
So, I've been having quite a time with Fantasy Life Online (and enjoying it, but Your Mileage Might Vary). I wanted to put this FAQ in just in case there are people who have questions like me.
1. What is Fantasy Life online?
Fantasy Life Online is a semi-sequel to the 3DS game Fantasy Life, and is a gacha townbuilding game. Be aware that this is a freemium game, so you can try before you purchase any in-app currency. (And if you're impulsive or have kids, maybe disable in-app purchases.)
1a. What is a gacha game?
It's a game where you spend in-game currency (or real currency) to pull an item or NPC ally for your use.
2. Would I enjoy this game if I haven't played the original?
Maaaybe? I've tried out some games that I have some or little knowledge of and didn't find enough interest in to keep playing, and some I liked despite not being familiar with the source. Again, your mileage might vary.
3. Does it feel like the original game?
Sort of. There is the buy-buy-buy and energy aspects that are common to gacha games. On the other hand, you still have the lives, you can still switch classes (after a certain part of the storyline), a lot of the characters are familiar (even if some of them seem to be a bit OOC... I'm looking at you, Heyho, Jude and Noelia), a lot of the star quests are the same and you've still got the same Masters (and a bunch of new ones). Maps are true to the game for the most part.
4. What are the differences?
Tons! I'm going to have to write an entire FAQ on the subject.
Some changes:
* Certain characters are missing or behave a bit differently from their canon counterparts.
* Backpack and storage work differently, same for your quick retrieve.
* Some of the storyline plays out a bit differently.
* Crafting and gathering characters now attack with their tools instead of daggers, but can only attack with their tools and not, say, a greatsword or wand.
* You now gain levels in each individual class as well as ranks in it. (So, your character could be a level 1 fledgling blacksmith while also being a level 17 adept mercenary, for example.)
* No more unlimited revives, so you need to choose your characters carefully on missions.
5. Why the naming differences for people/certain items?
I think it's translation team differences for raw materials such as oak nuts and some place names. (Noelia and Yuelia, you lived on Lunares, not Lunare, aargh!) For North American players, be aware they are using European naming convention, so some peoples and place names will be different (so don't get thrown when Woody's little sister's name is now Cherry).
6. Do I need to spend money to win?
I put some money in to test this theory (so you don't have to) to do a premium gacha pull. I'd say that the items and characters I got are useful but not critical to win, same for the clothing packs and the other premium items that can be bought for paid diamonds. I swear up and down that the expanding the amount of buildings and inventory/backpack space required paid diamonds, though I tested it and it only seemed to require regular, free diamonds (which you get a fair amount of). There is also storage that starts at 0 and you have to use paid diamonds for, and I'm not sure why you'd do that as long as you can expand your backpack.
There are several codes that you can put in to get free diamonds, which I don't have at the moment, but confirmed that at least one worked.
(Also, my login bonus is currently giving me the dragon costume from the original game, so some of the other items might also come up as login bonuses.)
Be aware that from my search of the Interwebs that Boltrend Games, who handle the non-Japanese version, have a reputation for buying up niche Japanese online games on the cheap and and milking them for all the money they can. That being said, despite some very weird translations, this game has proved to be less money-grubbing than I expected.
7. Do I need to start as one of the combat classes? I noticed the crafting classes were marked as "advanced".
I ignored the advice to start out as one of the combat classes and went to the Tailor life first thing, and I was fine. The game is as tutorial-heavy as the original, though it does space the tutorials out a bit better, I think. That being said, a fairly high level combat class (or giving really good gear to summoned ally and leveling them up a lot) is very useful for the boss battle in chapter 4.
8. How do I change classes?
Get past a certain part of the story line and you'll be given the opton.
9. How do I get the honey and apple trees in my town to blossom?
Go to the water around your town, click on it. You'll get water. Then click on the trees and select the option to water. They'll blossom.
10. How do I get better armor/tools and my crafting supplies?
You'll get a Plushling merchant early on that can supply you with a lot of the stuff you need early on in the game. There's also a set of merchant stalls just beyond the East Grassy Plains in the area where in the original game where Yuelia and the doomstone crashed down in the original game. Each of these areas have a certain limited supply of items so you might have to go to several if you're looking for a lot of a certain item.
You can also build shops in your town and upgrade them to get higher-level items using dosh. It takes a certain amount of time to build/upgrade each item. You're not limited to waiting to unlock a story area. (Which is good, because it takes 30 energy each to leave town for the free roam (field search) "missions".)
11. Do I really have to put all the buildings down for the various classes?
I believe it is required for the crafting classes, but optional for the non-crafting classes. So if you need to make room/don't have enough slots for buildings/decorations, you should be good.
12. How do I clear the trees/rocks?
You'll get a couple of "divine axes" and "divine pickaxes" to start, which will allow your plushling construction crew to remove the items. You get more for certain achievements (for example, boosting the level of your armor or tools).
13. Where's Castele?!?
Don't worry, it hasn't poofed out of existence! Off the road at the entrance to the East Grassy Plains. You meet some of the Castele characters in the storyline, but as of the end of 2021 you can't get there yet.
14. How do I get Joy, and what is it used for?
Joy is accumulated naturally by your NPCs and certain landscape decorations. You can apparently use it as a kind of currency to get certain items. It doesn't seem to be like Bliss (some of the Bliss functions are present in the God Bonus that you get from clearing parts of the storyline, but instead gives you a chance at another prize box.
14a. How do I check my Joy anyway?
My Friends -> Smiley.
15. How do I swap items from my storage to my easy-retrieve bag? (And how do I get more slots?)
There are probably a few ways to do this, but I usually go to Growth -> Bag and then move the items in and out. It should auto-replenish to the max 20 items in the easy-retrieve but it sometimes doesn't.
You can get more slots as part of the God Bonus.
16. How do I enhance an item?
First of all, you need an NPC ally or have a class that can enhance the item. So if you're enhancing a wizard's robes, you need to have a tailor NPC or have tailor class levels yourself.
The fastest way to get to the enhance menu is choose Growth, then go to Item/Arrange, tap the item you want to select, and then tap "enhance". Then choose items from your inventory to enhance with, each of which will give you a certain amount of xp. (Obviously, if you're enhancing an item cheaply, pick up a ton of dandelion cotton/wool/etc. from the East Grassy Plains.)
Enhancing items will give them stronger stats.
17. What happened to strength, dexterity, luck etc?
Stats are totally gone!
So, I've been having quite a time with Fantasy Life Online (and enjoying it, but Your Mileage Might Vary). I wanted to put this FAQ in just in case there are people who have questions like me.
1. What is Fantasy Life online?
Fantasy Life Online is a semi-sequel to the 3DS game Fantasy Life, and is a gacha townbuilding game. Be aware that this is a freemium game, so you can try before you purchase any in-app currency. (And if you're impulsive or have kids, maybe disable in-app purchases.)
1a. What is a gacha game?
It's a game where you spend in-game currency (or real currency) to pull an item or NPC ally for your use.
2. Would I enjoy this game if I haven't played the original?
Maaaybe? I've tried out some games that I have some or little knowledge of and didn't find enough interest in to keep playing, and some I liked despite not being familiar with the source. Again, your mileage might vary.
3. Does it feel like the original game?
Sort of. There is the buy-buy-buy and energy aspects that are common to gacha games. On the other hand, you still have the lives, you can still switch classes (after a certain part of the storyline), a lot of the characters are familiar (even if some of them seem to be a bit OOC... I'm looking at you, Heyho, Jude and Noelia), a lot of the star quests are the same and you've still got the same Masters (and a bunch of new ones). Maps are true to the game for the most part.
4. What are the differences?
Tons! I'm going to have to write an entire FAQ on the subject.
Some changes:
* Certain characters are missing or behave a bit differently from their canon counterparts.
* Backpack and storage work differently, same for your quick retrieve.
* Some of the storyline plays out a bit differently.
* Crafting and gathering characters now attack with their tools instead of daggers, but can only attack with their tools and not, say, a greatsword or wand.
* You now gain levels in each individual class as well as ranks in it. (So, your character could be a level 1 fledgling blacksmith while also being a level 17 adept mercenary, for example.)
* No more unlimited revives, so you need to choose your characters carefully on missions.
5. Why the naming differences for people/certain items?
I think it's translation team differences for raw materials such as oak nuts and some place names. (Noelia and Yuelia, you lived on Lunares, not Lunare, aargh!) For North American players, be aware they are using European naming convention, so some peoples and place names will be different (so don't get thrown when Woody's little sister's name is now Cherry).
6. Do I need to spend money to win?
I put some money in to test this theory (so you don't have to) to do a premium gacha pull. I'd say that the items and characters I got are useful but not critical to win, same for the clothing packs and the other premium items that can be bought for paid diamonds. I swear up and down that the expanding the amount of buildings and inventory/backpack space required paid diamonds, though I tested it and it only seemed to require regular, free diamonds (which you get a fair amount of). There is also storage that starts at 0 and you have to use paid diamonds for, and I'm not sure why you'd do that as long as you can expand your backpack.
There are several codes that you can put in to get free diamonds, which I don't have at the moment, but confirmed that at least one worked.
(Also, my login bonus is currently giving me the dragon costume from the original game, so some of the other items might also come up as login bonuses.)
Be aware that from my search of the Interwebs that Boltrend Games, who handle the non-Japanese version, have a reputation for buying up niche Japanese online games on the cheap and and milking them for all the money they can. That being said, despite some very weird translations, this game has proved to be less money-grubbing than I expected.
7. Do I need to start as one of the combat classes? I noticed the crafting classes were marked as "advanced".
I ignored the advice to start out as one of the combat classes and went to the Tailor life first thing, and I was fine. The game is as tutorial-heavy as the original, though it does space the tutorials out a bit better, I think. That being said, a fairly high level combat class (or giving really good gear to summoned ally and leveling them up a lot) is very useful for the boss battle in chapter 4.
8. How do I change classes?
Get past a certain part of the story line and you'll be given the opton.
9. How do I get the honey and apple trees in my town to blossom?
Go to the water around your town, click on it. You'll get water. Then click on the trees and select the option to water. They'll blossom.
10. How do I get better armor/tools and my crafting supplies?
You'll get a Plushling merchant early on that can supply you with a lot of the stuff you need early on in the game. There's also a set of merchant stalls just beyond the East Grassy Plains in the area where in the original game where Yuelia and the doomstone crashed down in the original game. Each of these areas have a certain limited supply of items so you might have to go to several if you're looking for a lot of a certain item.
You can also build shops in your town and upgrade them to get higher-level items using dosh. It takes a certain amount of time to build/upgrade each item. You're not limited to waiting to unlock a story area. (Which is good, because it takes 30 energy each to leave town for the free roam (field search) "missions".)
11. Do I really have to put all the buildings down for the various classes?
I believe it is required for the crafting classes, but optional for the non-crafting classes. So if you need to make room/don't have enough slots for buildings/decorations, you should be good.
12. How do I clear the trees/rocks?
You'll get a couple of "divine axes" and "divine pickaxes" to start, which will allow your plushling construction crew to remove the items. You get more for certain achievements (for example, boosting the level of your armor or tools).
13. Where's Castele?!?
Don't worry, it hasn't poofed out of existence! Off the road at the entrance to the East Grassy Plains. You meet some of the Castele characters in the storyline, but as of the end of 2021 you can't get there yet.
14. How do I get Joy, and what is it used for?
Joy is accumulated naturally by your NPCs and certain landscape decorations. You can apparently use it as a kind of currency to get certain items. It doesn't seem to be like Bliss (some of the Bliss functions are present in the God Bonus that you get from clearing parts of the storyline, but instead gives you a chance at another prize box.
14a. How do I check my Joy anyway?
My Friends -> Smiley.
15. How do I swap items from my storage to my easy-retrieve bag? (And how do I get more slots?)
There are probably a few ways to do this, but I usually go to Growth -> Bag and then move the items in and out. It should auto-replenish to the max 20 items in the easy-retrieve but it sometimes doesn't.
You can get more slots as part of the God Bonus.
16. How do I enhance an item?
First of all, you need an NPC ally or have a class that can enhance the item. So if you're enhancing a wizard's robes, you need to have a tailor NPC or have tailor class levels yourself.
The fastest way to get to the enhance menu is choose Growth, then go to Item/Arrange, tap the item you want to select, and then tap "enhance". Then choose items from your inventory to enhance with, each of which will give you a certain amount of xp. (Obviously, if you're enhancing an item cheaply, pick up a ton of dandelion cotton/wool/etc. from the East Grassy Plains.)
Enhancing items will give them stronger stats.
17. What happened to strength, dexterity, luck etc?
Stats are totally gone!
