***CONTENTS***
I. Random Disclaimers
II. Intro
III. Getting Started
IV. Principles to Live by
V. Mineral List
VI. Tha COMPLETE Customization List!!!
VII. Things Missing
VIII. Revision History
IX. Credits/Acknowledgements
=====================
I. Random Disclaimers
=====================
*The title would have been "Customization" guide, but I ran out of space for
my lovely ASCII art.
**This is currently about 96% complete...I still have yet to try some
combinations, for example with weapons that are only available in one place
which I sold for some reason, others that I haven't gotten any of yet (radio
box), or whatnot. Of course it will be 100% finished eventually.
***DO NOT STEAL!! I will know that you did, because I am omniscient. Not to
mention my underground operatives. However, if you want to copy something
from it to put into your FAQ (or put this guide on your site), email me and I
will no doubt allow it as long as I get due credit. But if you rip it off/try
to pass it off as your own work, random organs shall be forcibly removed from
your twitching corpse (if I decide to let you die first, that is) and served
to my guests with a port-wine-and-almond cheese log. As of this update, the
only sites allowed to have this guide are:
Gamefaqs.com
Neoseeker.com
Psxcodez.com
If you got this from anywhere else, then tell me where it was so I can hunt
them down and kill them--you shall be rewarded handsomely.
================
II. Introduction
================
So, you just bought Star Ocean the Second Story (SO2), and you seem to have
heard about something called "customizing" but you have no idea what it's all
about. Well, here you go.
Customizing is an item creation process, in which you take a weapon and
then somehow add a mineral of some kind to it. After the process is done,
both the weapon and the mineral will be gone, leaving a new weapon which may
or may not be a "failure". Almost all of the most powerful weapons in the
game must be acquired through this method (except those found in the Cave of
Trials), so you can't afford to do without it. Weapons can only be customized
by the characters who can equip them. ...everyone does their own
customization.
It's an exciting thing, to be sure, but if you have no clue as to what
you're doing or how do it then you can be in for a lot of boredom and
confusion. Fortunately you have this guide, so that shouldn't be a problem.
====================
III. Getting Started
====================
But how do you get it? First you must buy the skills "Craft", "Metal
Casting" and "Functionality." I forgot where you get these, so I'll try to
remember to check. Anyway, once you have those, the talents that will assist
you greatly are "Dexterity" and "Originality." If you don't have them, they
can be acquired fairly easily by doing Metalworking, Machinery etc.
What do you need in the way of materials? Well, uh, weapons and random
minerals will do... if you find yourself short of minerals, some can be bought
in stores while others you will probably have to rely on Alchemy to create.
As far as alchemy is concerned, as long as you have a Lezard Flask and someone
with level 10 in that specialty you should be able to make all of them. You
can't get the Flask until disc two of the game, but you can't get Orchestra
until then anyway. Also, most of the weapons available on the first disc
won't require the rarer minerals to customize in the first place.
Orchestra you say? Using the super specialty "Orchestra" while doing any
kind of item creation will basically increase the odds of success to about
99%, regardless of that character's talents or level in that specialty (except
Alchemy and Reproduction, which are more difficult). And since talents are
gotten through successful use of item creation, the odds of getting a new
talent from item creating increases drastically with Orchestra. One can see
how this could reduce frustration with customizing. This doesn't help you
much if you're still stuck on disc one, but that's what other guides are for
isn't it?
=========================
IV. Principles to Live By
=========================
This next section is divided into a couple of parts for your viewing pleasure.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"INVALID" COMBINATIONS AND DEFAULT WEAPONS
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Now as you most likely know, there are a number of weapons that can be made
through customizing. What you may not know is that for a given character,
only around 5% of the combinations possible will actually give you something.
For example, everyone knows that if Ashton combines a Scyther with a Damascus,
he will get a Melufa. However, if he combines, say, a Both Shaver with a
Green Beryl, he will not actually make something new per se. The same applies
with all the other "non-combinations," like Smaller + Gold, Pair Nuts +
Sapphire, etc. Let me explain:
If you are making a "real" combination (like Scyther + Damascus), you will
either end up with the true result of that combination or a failure. HOWEVER!
If you do an "invalid combination," you will wind up with one of a
predetermined set of weapons for that character. Here is an example:
Dias tries to customize an Ignite Sword with a Sapphire. He ends up with a
Murasame Sword.
He tries it again. This results in an Oriental Blade.
Dias, upset by these lackluster results, tries the exact same thing again but
this time, he gets a Pleiad Sword. Dias is now a happy camper. Of course,
Dias left his food in his tent so he will be eaten by a bear at some point,
but for now he's happy.
Do you see? Had he customized the Ignite Sword with a Star Ruby (a "real"
combination) instead, he would have had one of two results: A Soul Slayer
(success), or a Dull Sword (failure). But since he did an invalid
combination, he got random drawings from the "Invalid Combination" pile
instead. The "pile" for each character (we'll call it the Invalid Pile)
consists of a set of five or so weapons, one of which will be chosen randomly
to be the result when an invalid combination is attempted. Or you could just
fail outright. This sort of comes in handy early in the game, for if you are
crafty you can lay hands on some fairly nice equipment at a minimal cost as
far as minerals are concerned. I hope all that isn't too confusing--if it is,
mention it to me and I'll simplify a bit if I can. Bear with me though,
because now we come to the part about Orchestra and default weapons.
Orchestra...an invaluable tool for item creation, as mentioned before. It
brings something entirely new to the field of customization, namely in the
Invalid Combination department. With "real" combinations, using Orchestra
will generally allow you to get the successful result on the first try. But
with an invalid combination, something different happens. Instead of getting
a random drawing from the Invalid Pile, you will get the default weapon for
that character (actually there's a .001% chance you won't, but it's only
happened to me once, ever, so who cares). The default weapon is still a
member of the Invalid Pile, but it is generally more powerful than the others,
quite rare, and difficult to get without Orchestra. But turn on the
orchestra, and a Long Sword + Iron can become a Pleiad Sword like that (I
snapped my fingers, you just couldn't hear it)! So what it amounts to is that
if you use orchestra with a combo that doesn't really do anything, you will
get the default weapon instead of a selection from the Invalid Pile.
Now what about the magical rasp you say? Oddly enough, the Rasp has little
effect as far as customizing goes, except for one thing. If you don't have
it, and you do an invalid combo with orchestra, you now have "only" about an
85% chance of getting the default weapon. I would have given this more
discussion, but basically by the time you get Orchestra you can get the Rasp
as well. In addition, the Rasp seems to increase probability for any
combination's success, but once again, you should already have Orchestra by
then so the benefits are kind of nullified. So it doesn't matter a whole lot.
Blacksmithing, on the other hand, is another story...but that's not what this
guide is for.
In summary: If you do an invalid combination, regardless of the quality of
the items included, you'll get a random weapon from the Invalid Pile. So you
can add another Mithril to that Eternal Sphere of yours, and still end up with
a Long Edge. Certain weapons can only be acquired this way; unfortunately
there's no way to affect the outcome in this situation so a number of these
can be hard to get. If you do an invalid combo while using the Orchestra
super specialty, you will get a set (default) weapon for that character, which
is available from the Invalid Pile but only rarely.
Further note: Trying to combine a Default weapon in anything other than a
listed Real combination will always result in failure. Simply put, there is
no higher weapon in the Invalid Pile, so your greed is punished with total
failure. Not to mention, it would be really weird if you combined something
and ended up with the same thing.
++++++++++++++++
GENERAL CONCEPTS
++++++++++++++++
These are concepts that apply not only to Customizing, but to item creation
in general. They are by no means essential knowledge, but who cares. Read it
anyway; you might learn something mildly interesting.
First off, how to determine the result of your item creation. This is a
simple one. You know how during the little morphing animation, the appearance
of your creation switches around a few times? Well, basically the first thing
that the "consumed item" turns into is the thing that you will end up with.
If you're using alchemy, and the picture of the element stays the same for
awhile, rotating, then you will get that element. If it immediately turns
into a rock and switches back and forth, you will get a rock. If something
turns into a "?" bag right away, you'll definitely get a "?" bag. Simple
enough. This isn't particularly useful as such, but at least when you're
making something you don't have to hang in suspense til it's finished.
And--hum, I thought I had something else to say, but I guess not! Maybe
there'll be more at a later date. Now, on to the tender, juicy meat and
creamy, buttery potatoes of this FAQ. Kind of.
===========
V. Minerals
===========
All right, so maybe this section isn't really part of the succulent meat &
taters of the FAQ. Sorry to get you worked up. This is a list of the
minerals in the game and their descriptions, including their defensive/other
properties. I'm not sure why I put it in here, but what the hey--it seemed
like an okay idea.
Iron: Iron ore. Can be refined by reducing the iron oxide contained therein.
(Hit +1)
Gold: Gold ore. However, it is low in purity and of little value without
being refined. (Avd +1)
Silver: Silver ore. However, it is low in purity and of little value without
being refined. (AC +1)
Sapphire: This is the name for gemstones of corundum that are not red. The
right amount of titanium impurities makes it look blue. (+ Water)
Ruby: Red corundum owes it's [sic] appearance to chromium impurities. (+ Fire)
Green Beryl: This gem is called an aquamarine if it contains iron as an
impurity, or an emerald if it contains chromium. (+ Wind)
Crystal: Quartz crystals. (+ Thunder)
Diamond: The hardest stone known to nature. Its structure is of pure carbon
atoms aligned in rows of perfect squares. (+ Thunder)
Star Ruby: When polished and held to the light a small star-like pattern can
be seen in this ruby. (+ Fire, + Dark)
Damascus: An odd, black metal possessed of elasticity and durability. (+ Dark)
Rune Metal: Said to be a magic crystal, but no one has verified this yet. (+
Thunder)
Orichalcum: A legendary flying metal said to have been produced in Atlantis.
(+ Dark, + Void)
Rainbow Diamond: A rare diamond that gives off seven colors when it shines. (+
Star, + Light)
Moonite: A magical stone with mysterious powers. Said to be a piece of the
moon. (+ Vacuum)
Sage's Stone: An alchemist would spend a lifetime trying to create this
mineral. (+ Light, + Dark, + Void)
Meteorite: A piece of a meteor that possesses a mysterious shimmer and magical
power. (+ Dark)
Mithril: A magical metal thought only to exist in legend. (+ Light)
==============================
VI. Combination Lists for All!
==============================
At last! The part you may or may not have been waiting for!! The actual
customizing lists for everyone. I guess in effect, this will end up being a
true complete weapon list. They are in alphabetical order by character and
will follow this format:
Person's Name
Inv: (List of weapons in person's Invalid Pile)
Def: (Default Weapon)
Fail: (Weapon created if customization fails)
Fun: (Weapon won by this person when they beat Fun City rank A Duel Battle)
Other: (List of weapons that can't be bought or customized, along with where
to get them)
<>
(List of all "real" combinations, with their results)
###Note--If the names of the weapons to combine looks like this...
Weapon/weapon/weapon/weapon + Mineral = **New weapon**
...then that means any of those weapons can be customized with that mineral to
get that result. It should all make sense when you see the real thing. Also,
the attack strengths (and magic, if applicable) of the result items are listed
in brackets next to their names. If you want to know all the attributes, you
can check them in the game or look at someone else's FAQ. Or I SUPPOSE you
can ask me, but you can really just find out yourself since I tell you how to
get everything. So here they are.
===================
VII. Things Missing
===================
Mainly I'm missing a few combinations for people whose weapons I've lost,
sold, etc, or stuff I didn't want to bother with (like customizing the Eternal
Sphere). Kind of irritating that some stuff is available only once in the
game (like the Leather Whip). Also, Dias apparently has a "Bastard Sword"
which you must steal near the beginning of the game, so eventually I'll try to
get one of those. And so far, I haven't gotten any Radio Boxes for Opera but
I know they exist. I'm also planning to include some random silly comments
about people and stuff.
Combinations not finished:
Ashton: Doubledemon Sword, Guard Sword, Twin Swords
Bowman: Hard Knuckles, Flare Burst
Celine: Done
Chisato: Aero Gun
Claude: Sharp Edge, Minus Sword, Eternal Sphere
Dias: Bastard Sword
Ernest: Cat o' Nine Tails, Leather Whip
Leon: Ancient Wisdom, Book of Chaos, Holy Scriptures, Illustrated Book
Noel: Done
Opera: Psycho Box, Radio Box
Precis: Hyper Punch, Magic Hand, SDUGA Punch, Straight Punch
Rena: Hard Knuckles, Knuckles
======================
VIII. Revision History
======================
12/14/000: First, "rudimentary" version completed. Copies were
sent out to the eager, greedy unwashed masses who were interested enough to
ask for one. That version wasn't submitted to GameFAQs because, after all, it
wasn't complete.
12/27/000: At last! I filled out the sections that were blank,
corrected some errors, altered the format a teeny bit, and deleted a section
(don't worry, you won't miss it). It is submitted to GameFAQs...let's see if
it gets posted.
1/7/001: Yay! It's up! Let's see...I freaked around with the
disclaimer, added random fece, and--this is big--I altered the format of the
tables/lists, so that they line up better. Thanks to Nash (GameFAQs guy, not
the wrestler) for telling me to fix it. I hope this is what he had in mind.
*_*; Also, I changed some phrases and uh...I forgot what else was changed,
but it was probably good. I hope to get more of the customizations done for
the next revision.
2/6/001: I ripped out the "option" section, since I'm making a
random fact FAQ. A mild ASCII art tweak. Found out Leon's Fun City item.
Aaaaand, I added some more combinations.
===================
IX. Credits/Whatnot
===================
All content was written by ME!! And no one else!!! BUT, there were a
couple FAQs that I looked at now and then to make easier the writing of stats
and listing of a few items, and also to double-check a couple of my numbers.
Also there are a few normal people to thank. But all of this is my work as
far as customizing is concerned. I can email you my spreadsheets if you doubt
me (don't ask). Anyway, here they are.
Contributions:
(None so far)
Other Sources:
"Star Ocean Weapons Guide" by Vercingetorix (richardk@prtc.net)
Pretty good weapon list, and largely complete for the most part.
"Star Ocean 2 Item List/Item Creation FAQ" by Matt Hobbs (yelseyking@aol.com)
and Sir Aronar (sir_aronar@msn.com)
Good format and whatnot, and excellent sections on metalworking etc.
Unfortunately, it seems that it has never been updated. Maybe they died.
Thanks:
BristalC from the GameFAQs message board, for instantly jumping down my throat
and abusing me when I was a newbie. But in doing so, he inadvertently
inspired me to prove my merits by finishing this guide which I'd shelved a few
months previously. YaY!
Tenchisama (also from the board) for constantly spewing phrases about my FAQ
that make no real sense.
My aunt & uncle in California, for giving me the free laptop computer that I
wrote this on.
