Let's Play Long Live the Queen

[CptTagon]

​

Long Live the Queen is a 2012 visual novel developed and released by Hanako Games. You control Princess Elodie, a 14 year old who needs to spend the next ten months preparing for her coronation, after her royal mother met an untimely end.

Let's get to it, and see if I can avoid any of the dozen or so horrible deaths lying in wait for the princess.

Get it here or here

 

[CptTagon]

Intro:

This is the skills screen. At the top right, you can see Elodie's current mood (Depressed), and the effect it has on various skills. You can see the actual effect on the skill map, covering most of the screen. Conversation, for instance, has a penalty of -2.00, which means it is useless to try and study any of those three skills (Flattery, Court Manners, and Public Speaking) right now.

Some of the skills and sub-skills are more useful then others. Court Manners, for instance, is needed at least a dozen times, for events of varying importance. Dogs, under Animal Handling, though has only come up once for me, and only as one of four or so possible skill checks.

This is the Mood screen. Various events can apply modifiers to each of the moods. "+1 Yielding" for instance. You can only have one mood dominant at a time, though and if two moods are equal to each other, the older mood prevails. For instance, if I got "+2 Afraid/-2 Angry" )the effects are the same", Depressed would remain as the dominant mood. How far along each line the mood is also determines how large the bonuses and penalties for learning skills are. As you can see, Elodie starts out very depressed over the death of her mother, with a equally large penalty to Conversation, and smaller penalties to Royal Demeanor and Athletics.

This is the outfit screen. As Elodie takes classes, she can unlock various outfits to help her learn even more in those skills. For instance, a Tea Dress boosts her Conversation skills when facing skill checks, and gives her a bonus when taking classes.

This is the Class Screen. This is where Elodie decides what classes to take for the week, one in the morning, and one in the afternoon.

 

[CptTagon]

Week One:

The skills you learn from your tutors go from 0 to 100, and have a base increase of 10. Your mood modifiers and outfit can add bonuses or penalties. Every ten points, you learn a new tidbit of information, as shown above.

At the end of the week, special events can happen.

Elodie: Oh! It's my cousins! And my aunt and uncle.

Elodie: Thank you

I'm fairly certain this is the only line this guy has in the game.

Charlotte: Yup! Mommy said we're be here all month.

As you can see in the center of the screen, Elodie has gained +1 Cheerfulness. This bumps the Depression/Cheerful meter up one heart.

Charlotte: I love this room! It's so much bigger than mine back home.

Elodie: You should visit more often. It's awful that the only time I get to see you is... something like this

Elodie: I know your brother and sister are too young, but why haven't you come to school?

Charlotte: My mother worries about me. She doesn't think anywhere but school is safe.

End of Week One


In Week Two, Elodie studied Novan History in History and Court Manners in Conversation

As you can see, the previous studying in History has given me a bonus to this week's lesson in the same subject. You can also receive lesser bonuses if you study other related subjects, such as Military or Intrigue.

Elodie: What?!?

Joslyn: Your line has been traitors for two hundred years. I won't have you corrupting my daughter.

Julianna: That is for the Crown Princess to decide.

Julianna: Elodie, your mother trusted me, and I have much to teach you.

In most of these special events, you can make choices that will radically effect how the game proceeds.

Elodie: I want to hear what she has to say.

As you can see, among other things, Elodie gained a Willful point, and you can see her Willful expression.

Joslyn: As you wish.

This map shows what activities are available to do on the weekend. They all have effects on your mood, and some of them are a lot more important then just that. For this weekend, Elodie will be visiting the Duchess Ursul.

Elodie: What is it you wanted to teach me?

Julianna: First, I need to know if you have your mother's crystal.

As Elodie hasn't studied Lore enough, she fails this skill check. Failures and success on some skill checks are a lot more important then failures and success in others.

Julianna: The source of power for any Lumen is a particular magic crystal. Once you've bonded with it, it becomes a part of you for as long as you live. The Royal Crystal has been passed down from ruler to ruler for generations. It belongs to you now - except the King may be keeping it from you.

Elodie: Do you have a crystal?

Julianna: Of course.

You reach out to touch it, and it dissolved away into nothing.

Julianna: It belongs to me. No one can take it from me until I die. You need to find the crystal that belongs to you.

 

[CptTagon]

Week 3

In this week, Elodie studied Composure in Royal Demeanor

As you can see, the mood penalties for skills can be crippling. Elodie should have been at 10.10, instead of 5.05

Elodie: Lottie, do you have a boyfriend?

Charlotte: Not really. I just like to play with the flowers.

Julianna: Princess! don't move!

(Forgot the screenshot)

Hold Still
Look Down

Julianna swings her sword...

Julianna: There. It's dead

You look down at your feet and see a snake in the grass!

Charlotte: Eeeeeek!

Charlotte: Mummy, there was a snake!

Elodie: The Duchess of Ursul protected us.

Julianna: Milk Vipers are not native to this area. That snake should never have been here.

Lucille: This is unacceptable. I can't have my daughter remaining in such a dangerous place! We are returning home to Merva at once.

Charlotte: Awww...

Weekend Event: Talk with King Joslyn

Elodie: Can I have it?

Joslyn: No.

Joslyn: Meddling with magic killed your mother. I don't want that to happen to you. Once your crowned Queen, I can't stop you from doing anything you want, but for now you're still a child.

End of Week 3

Unlike the Lore check last week, this week's Composure check is very important. If Elodie fails it, she looks down and panic, prompting the snake to strike. Charlotte knocks her aside, and gets bitten instead. Her mother, like this time, takes her away from the capital, and later you get a letter saying that Charlotte is recovering fine. However, a successful Herbalism check has Elodie remark that milk viper bites are often fatal.

On that cherry note, of Elodie surviving her first assassination attempt, and of her close cousin possibly dying to save her, I close for today. Feel free to post any questions or comments.

 

[doomlord9]

A Let's Play done entirely in pictures and text. I applaud the effort that goes into it if nothing else.

You might want to put the pictures in spoilers though, the load time is already fairly long.

 

[Plotvitalnpc]

A Let's Play done entirely in pictures and text. I applaud the effort that goes into it if nothing else.

You might want to put the pictures in spoilers though, the load time is already fairly long.

Click to shrink...

This was where they started.

Also, spoilers do nothing for that. The pictures are still loaded when you open the page.

LINKING the pictures would help, but...

 

[doomlord9]

This was where they started.

Click to shrink...

Well that's...interesting. How did that work with more active games like FPS or RTS?

Also, spoilers do nothing for that. The pictures are still loaded when you open the page.

LINKING the pictures would help, but...

Click to shrink...

*checks the image location*

AH! They're on Imgur already, make them into albums and link the albums. A different album per day wouldn't be too bad and you could still link to the individual images for certain parts of the text.

Actually you might be able to put the text for each little bit on the image itself.

Hmmm...a Let's Play done via Imgur album....could work and would be less of a strain on the QQ servers.

 

[CptTagon]

*checks the image location*

AH! They're on Imgur already, make them into albums and link the albums. A different album per day wouldn't be too bad and you could still link to the individual images for certain parts of the text.

Actually you might be able to put the text for each little bit on the image itself.

Hmmm...a Let's Play done via Imgur album....could work and would be less of a strain on the QQ servers.

Click to shrink...

I'm already organizing them into 2 week albums on Imgur, just so I don't have to look through several hundred pics to make the update. I'm not a fan of how Imgur doesn't load pics until you're looking at them, and it would be harder to provide commentary for the game. I'll consider it.

Commentary is very important for this game, given the huge amount of variables. For instance, locking the Duchess of Ursul in prison can lead to a rather different path, the most obvious being she isn't there to save you from the milk viper. And once the engagement requests start pouring in, well...

 

[Plotvitalnpc]

Well that's...interesting. How did that work with more active games like FPS or RTS?

Click to shrink...

It didn't.
The origin of let's plays was people doing games that worked well in screenshot and text format on forums like Something Awful.
It grew out of the After Action Report scene regarding games.

 

[CptTagon]

Weeks Four and Five

It is in reverse order, so scroll to the bottom of the page to see the earliest images.

In Week Four, Elodie studied Court Manners and Foreign Intelligence. Over the weekend, she talked to the Duchess Ursul, who said that getting the former Queen's Lumen crystal was absolutely necessary. If Elodie can't find a way into the treasury where it's being held, the two of them may have to take drastic action. This discussion bumps Elodie into Willful.

She takes classes in Week Five on Flattery and Internal Affairs. Near the end of the week, a package from the Duke of Sedna arrives. It is a beautiful necklace, intended as an engagement gift between Elodie and the Duke. Divining his intent (a Court Manners test) Elodie refuses to wear it, as it would imply they are engaged, both to the Duke, and other noble and royal families. She spends the weekend holed up in her quarters, playing with her toys. (+1 Lonely, Cheerful, Yielding).

 

[CptTagon]

Week 6

As you are walking, you spot a familiar figure in the palace gardens.

I should have displayed this earlier, but named characters have a short biography attached to them, accessed through the small box on the bottom left. The information can change during the game. For instance, it displays who Elodie is engaged to.

Then you notice that seated besides her is a woman in the robes of a priestess. They are very close together, their hands gently touching as they speak.

Elodie: Looks like she's busy!

You turn and walk in a different direction, so as not to disturb them. At that moment, you notice something unusual. It looks like someone just left the palace grounds by going over the hedge. Was it a servant? A thief? Or ... an assassin?

Climb over the hedge
Call the guards
Run and Hide

Click to shrink...

However, by the time the response is organized and directed to the area beyond the palace, there is no sign of any intruder.

Weekend: Go to the treasury

Week 7

Elodie: No real harm done. Please be more careful in the future.

Alice: Yes my lady. Thank you

+1 Cheerful