Princess Maker 2
PC-98 version
So this is what it feels like to have a daughter...
The Good
Let me introduce you to the HUMAN version of Monster Rancher, wonder which game came first? Well, if you’re not familiar with either, you may be familiar with Tamagochi games. It's basically a game where 90% (if not more) of the game play is about character development...my favorite area in RPG's.
Princess Maker 2 is about you, a wandering hero, who been blessed with (more likely appointed to take care of) a child from the heavens, by the Moon Goddess. You have task to raise her as you see fit - either to become a pious well educated woman, a blood thirsty warrior, a royal princess, a common slut, or even a damned Queen of Darkness. However, you have a time limit. You only have 8 years to raise her (from age 10 - 18) until she is old enough to choose her own destiny.
The game combines a lot of game features that bring out the best in game play:
Character Development
Each month you decide what schedule your daughter should follow. In each of these months, you can choose up to 3 different schedules for the whole month. The statistics are various, from Primary Body Points (Strength, Intelligence, Charisma, etc.), Skills (Art, Cooking, Combat Skill/Defense, Magic Skill/Defense, etc.) and surprisingly Spiritual/Mental Stats (Sin, Morals, Temperament, etc.)
Character Development, primarily may only be obtained through 2 different activities:
[1] Through Schooling;
[2] Through Working.
Schools offer various stat increases. Some specialize on increasing particular stats than others. Lessons costs money…a lot of money. A lesson that states for example 40G means 40 Gold Pieces a day (for 6 days out of the week).
Working gets you money and also increases stats, though working usually is more stressing to your daughter. Also, while increasing some stats, it also in return decreases other stats, so balancing the stats is a continuous form of strategy in character development.
Schooling and Working stresses out your daughter. Too much activity and she’ll either get ill or become rebellious. A delinquent child tends to be lazy and ignore schooling and working. If you’re too harsh on her, she may run away.
Item Manipulation
Like other RPGs, the game comes with various items for use, or combat related. Weapons, armor, food, accessories, and magical items help strengthen your daughter with stats boots or specific uses during combat. Some are only useful for certain plot events. Other more interesting items are clothing. Some are used for particular seasons to help your daughter from becoming ill due to weather (Summer Dress, Winter Clothing), some more useful for competing in dance competitions (Silk Dress, Leather Dress, etc.). Usually the more “permanent” items such as clothes, armor and weapons affect the stats of your daughter. Changing them for particular events help the changes of success.
Harvest Festival
The Harvest Festival comes only once a year in the month of September. In this month, you cannot participate in any other even except the festival or resting. In this festival you can test the abilities of your daughter by competing in many events:
Adventuring usually only relies on your combat and magical skills to temper the wilderness. There are 4 areas to visit here. Each with a different set of monster difficulty. Many areas have certain mini-plots which may affect you during or later in the game. Combat occurs randomly. An encounter with a monster prompts you to fight, talk, run away, or hide. If all other options fail, combat will take place. Here your selection is only to attack or use magic until you or the opponent run away or lose the combat. Winning relies on 2 major stats: Health Points and Morality. If either stat falls to zero, that character loses. Losing to a battle while adventuring will not kill your daughter, only making her fall unconscious and being rescued by your faithful bat-like butler. Resting and Vacations
Too much activity causes stress for your daughter as before mentioned. To avoid over-stress, you send your daughter on a break in town for the week, or go with her on a vacation. Free time at town in greatly increased if you give her pocket money. A vacation is divided into two locations: [1] The Beach [2] The Mountains. All vacation spots decrease stress, however depending on season, each spot effect other stats. A summer vacation at the beach will decrease your daughter’s body weight, but only in summer. A vacation to the mountains will always increase your daughter’s sensitivity, but also her weight, since she eats a lot at the mountains. --- Your choice of activities for your daughter greatly affects what kind of person she will become to be...see if it meets your expectations or not...after all YOU raised her (yes, it's the parents fault!)
**The Bad**
Time Limit
I really, really, really loved this game. But for the same reason I loved it, I hate this game because it let a good thing end. This is why I prefer Monster Rancher - it doesn't end until you want it to end. In this game, no matter what, the game ends when she reaches 18 years old. So if you play non-stop, you'll finish this game in a day or two...which is what I did. There just isn't enough time to do everything you want...you have to pick a path and stick to it. Unbalanced Stats
Some stats are easier accomplished than others. It reaches max faster than the other. This is the Art stat. Its maximum is 100 and can be increased a little more with magical items or events. The problem is, usually when you max out this stat; it will eventually dictate the final result of your daughter, which usually is either a painter or a writer. The game ignores the fact that some of your other stats (and achievements) are much higher than your Art skills. It’s quite odd, seeing my daughter end up being Combat Arena 3 times in a row, and just because she has an Art skill of 145 (compared to her combat reputation of 600), she ends up being a Writer.
**The Bottom Line**
An excellent game that simulates the love of a parent...just be prepared to let go...
by Indra was here (20755) on July 12, 2010