Board 8 > My impressions as I play Octopath Traveler for the first time.

(+) Yeah! (+)

May Contain Spoilers.

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Just got a Switch Lite recently for Father's Day. I played through Link's Awakening and was looking for something new and came across this SquareEnix title, Octopath Traveler.

I looked up a little bit on what to expect, but otherwise know next to nothing about the stories and what not in the game. I'll keep this topic bumped with my initial impressions of each character, and my rankings of their stories as I play, if anyone would like to follow along.

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Better like the first character you pick cuz you're stuck with them

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I feel like these topics always end with them dropping the game

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I wanted to like this game and I really disliked it. Hopefully you enjoy it more!

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Do you want any general starting tips or do you want to play this entirely blind and discover everything on your own?

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I miss playing this game.

I got through so many episodes of Critical Role while clicking through battle screens.

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Tag

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mnkboy907 posted...

Do you want any general starting tips or do you want to play this entirely blind and discover everything on your own?

I did a little bit of research, I already know that none of the stories intersect, and that whomever I choose first is my "main" character.

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After some thought, I decided on using Ophelia first.

I wanted to create my own narrative that the Priest on her pilgrimage would stop to help those in need, and in return, those she helped would help her as they understand the danger she puts herself in.

It also gives me the opportunity to follow the OCTOPATH table by starting with the O and working clockwise.

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Ophelia, Chapter 1

I generally main healers in MMOs, so this is a relatable character. She is generally likeable, and her story reminds me of Yuna from FFX. I like that she wasn't supposed to be the Flamebearer and I'm curious as to how that will effect the journey.

Mattias seems to have disappeared midway through Chapter 1, so it's suspicious they introduce him with no resolution to his purpose.

Ophelia seems fairly powerful as a healer, though that could just be because she is my first character and the game is taking it easy on me still.

Overall, I give Ophelia Chapter 1 a...

7/10

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Cyrus, Chapter 1

In keeping with traveling clockwise, I visit Atlasdam next and start Cyrus' story.

I wasn't sure where the story was going with Cyrus, or how he would be motivated to leave Atlasdam on a journey, but they made it work, though his journey doesn't seem as important or pressing as Ophelia. Still she's probably grateful for the company and his analytical skills.

As for the story itself, the Headmaster is an asshole, and I wouldn't be surprised if he and Cyrus cross, uh, staves at some point. I love that Chapter 1 was like a logic puzzle. Therese getting Cyrus in trouble didn't really work for me if she likes him as much as she states, and she almost assuredly the cloaked figure following him.

I feel like Cyrus' chapter was full of lore, and found myself wondering if I missed as much in Ophelia's chapter.

Overall, I give Cyrus Chapter 1 a...

5/10

Not quite as important a quest as Ophelia, and so it loses the motivation factor.

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Tressa, Chapter 1

Tressa... is... adorable.... I wasn't sure exactly what to expect with a Merchant party member, and I'm not entirely convinced she wasn't receiving martial training behind Ma and Pa's backs. And Ma sounds like she washed from Fargo, which gave me a chuckle.

Tressa's story was very simplistic, much to it's credit. It paints her as an adorable scrapper with a big dream, and she has some quick wits to keep the adults on their toes.

I knew exactly what was going to happen with Leon when Tressa headed off to get the town treasure back, though I wasn't expecting him to be a pirate they knew and feared. Leon providing a lot of Tressa's character development was important in Tressa leaving, but like Cyrus, her adventure seems to lack urgency. I'm curious why Leon states that he and Tressa may end up as rivals though, that seemed an out of place line.

Overall, I'd give Tressa's Chapter 1 a...

5.5/10


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I'll pick up with Olberic tomorrow.

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People love to complain about this game's story/way it's delivered, but I love it

I really enjoyed how they handled the story as well. It's definitely different and isn't as good as it could be, but I was really enjoying it.

My real issue with the game is the difficulty curve. Maybe I was just playing it wrong, but I got to everyone's Chapter 3 and was getting destroyed by the bosses to a crazy degree. I'd still like to go back and beat it at some point.

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Olberic, Chapter 1

Olberic's story starts pretty cliche, but it grew on me. Phillip and his mom, and maybe soon to be daddy Berg in the quiet little village sells it well. It's also nice to get another character who's boss and Chapter 1 story arc actually lend motivation to their journey and setting off from their town, unlike Tressa and Cyrus who's bosses were just local hooligans and weren't motivating their departure. I'm curious what happened to the Brigands at the end of Olberic's Chapter 1 though. The little town doesn't really have much in the way of a gaol, and the Brigand Leader sounded like he wanted to turn over a new leaf, but I doubt the townsfolk are just gonna let them get away with everything they've done.

Olberic is an addition to my party that I probably desperately needed. SP was an issue with so many caster types, and I was only getting some physical coverage from the Warrior-Merchant. I think he ends up being the only tank of the initial 8 too, so he'll probably be in my party for some time. I found it humorous that Olberic can challenge anyone to a fight, including old men, ladies, and children, and they can't say no unless I am not leveled enough.

Overall, I'd give Olberic's Chapter 1 a...

7/10

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Character tier list thus far...

1. Tressa - "You got more than you bargained for!" is one of the best victory lines in any RPG ever. Finding random money lying around has been so useful in gearing up out of starter stuff. She's my only chararacter that covers 2 physical and a magical element so far, giving her the most versatility, and I'm saving tons of money through purchase and making tons of money from collect so I'm able to use the best things I've seen purchasable.
2. Ophelia - I can only imagine the amount of healing grapes I'd be going through if not for Ophelia. I can't believe you can't use Grapes out of combat and have to use the healer too, that adds a bit of additional challenge, and would make not grabbing healers early rather tricky I'd imagine. She's quite a potent damage dealer with Holy spells too.
3. Cyrus - I like his analytical skill that reveals vulnerabilities before I even need to take an action. It saves me some trial and error on exploiting weakness. Cyrus spends much of the beginning of battles just being kind of worthless, but once I've saved up some of my boost, I let loose with the big spells. I was going through too much SP early on just using his spells for breaking.
4. Olberic - Right now, Olberic is new, and I'm sure this spot will change. He has the AoE physical attacks which is good, but not much else to say about his abilities to warrant something higher on my list.

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Cyrus the best tag
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Primrose, Chapter 1

Oh boy, now we're talkin'. This is an adventure starting Chapter. Everything fits for me. Motivation, character development, boss that ties it in. Best Chapter 1 so far. I like the mystery of who killed Primrose's father, and I could totally see Primrose and Cyrus discussing the case while travelling (just as I'm sure Cyrus and Olberic talk about the fall of Hornburg).

Primrose being a Dancer (and probably more than that considering the commentary from her "Master") is not something you would expect a hero to rise out of, but she put herself there intentionally, and she reminds me of Black Widow from Marvel in that regards. We are showcased the pains she endures, mentally, physically, and emotionally, and the Chapter delivers well on it all. When Yusufa is killed at the end, Primrose's story had it's hooks in me. I even created my own narrative that if I had started the game over, it would be Primrose as my main as she helps others with their turmoils, or just charms them into joining her lol.

I swapped out Cyrus for Prim's chapter, and I feel like I struggled a bit more than I normally did on the previous chapters. I had to guess a bit more on weaknesses, but I also didn't really have a heavy hitter (Ophelia 4x Boost Holy Light and Luminescence were my nukes). I was able to take two NPCs into battle with me with Guide and Charm, so they ended up doing the bulk of the dps with Tressa picking up the rest. None of that detracted from the enjoyment I had on this particular chapter, however, and I'm excited to see where this leads.

Overall, I'd rate Primrose's Chapter 1 a...

9.5/10

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On a side note.

I'm not sure if I should have both Ophelia and Primrose in my party simultaneously since they have overlapping path actions.

Taking out Tressa or Cyrus removes a lot of dps and both have options to earn items and money from their talents and path actions.

Challenge hasn't been a major change to game yet, and maybe Olberic can sit out, but I won't have a tank type character.

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I can only imagine how much more difficult juggling party members is going to be when I pick up the last 3 characters.

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Primrose is indeed the best OT character/story

colliding posted...

Primrose is indeed the best OT character/story

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Alfyn, Chapter 1

Alfyn's story is extremely tame after the exciting one Primrose just offered me. Like Tressa, I really have no idea what to expect with the direction of his story; it seems very open to possibilities. The only things that might come into play are the man who saved him and his mother's past.

There's not much to say about Alfyn's story. He's a healer, he's not in it for the money, and he just want's to help people. He's a snake whisperer too. I don't think Alfyn would make a good lead character, but I can definitely see him interested in tagging along to patch up our rag tag bunch.

I didn't really have much more of a take away from his story, which is sad to say, so I hope it picks up down the road.

Playing through his story was slow but easy. Having two healers trivialized the difficulty of encounters, but without much dps, it took some time. I learned from the previous chapter, and decided to go with Ophelia, Alfyn, Cyrus, and Olberic as my team, which made the boss easy.

Overall, I'd rate Alfyn's Chapter 1 a...

3/10

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Therion, Chapter 1

I'm of two minds in regards to Therion's story.

On one hand, it's actually quite good in comparison to all the other characters so far. I like the premise, motivation, and character development. It's a good way to get a Thief to go on an adventure.

On the other hand, Therion's narrative really only benefits the story if he's the main character. Moments before my party happens upon him, he's already declined help from other thieves and says he works alone, and the nature of his plan probably isn't best executed with 3 other people with him any ways. On top of that, Cyrus, Tressa, and Olberic all do not care for thief type characters, so there should be some dissent in joining him to steal something.

If Therion is played first, these plot holes cease to exist, and his wonderful first chapter remains. So I must wonder if when playing these chapters that I should almost pretend the rest of the party does not exist, and only the party member of which the story is about is the only character present.

It's a bit of a conundrum in regards to story telling within this game.

As for Therion's story, as mentioned, I'm not sure if Therion is a good or bad person yet, but Lady Ravus seems smitten with him, and I'm going to assume Therion will end up being an anti hero of sorts.

I feel very guilty about using Steal, it's the only ability that feels wrong to use, but I tend to lean neutral or lawful gameplay in general, so I can just not use it if it feels wrong. Procurable items can probably be purchased by Tressa I would guess, though I will use the Steal if the narrative supports it. I absolutely have no interest in save scumming to steal these 3% drop rate items that are probably meant for mid to end game.

Anywho...

Overall, I'd rate Therion's Chapter 1 (in a bubble) a...

8/10

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Haha, sneaking into towns I shouldn't be in yet and robbing their citizens blind was one of my favorite things about the game.

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Reminder Therion's voice actor is a rapist.

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BakusaiTenketsu posted...

So I must wonder if when playing these chapters that I should almost pretend the rest of the party does not exist, and only the party member of which the story is about is the only character present.

It's a bit of a conundrum in regards to story telling within this game.

Be prepared for a lot of this

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TheRock1525 posted...

Reminder Therion's voice actor is a rapist.

Erk...

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https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Niosi

It only mentions that he admitted to emotional abuse. Rape isn't mentioned.

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BakusaiTenketsu posted...

So I must wonder if when playing these chapters that I should almost pretend the rest of the party does not exist, and only the party member of which the story is about is the only character present.

It's a bit of a conundrum in regards to story telling within this game.

People gave me grief for saying this in my legendary topic "In Defense of Octopath Traveler's Story," but I'll say it again: the game relies on players using their imagination to fill in the gaps here. For some this is a huge, game-breaking weakness. These people say that this is "bad writing" - but I wholeheartedly disagree. It's the writers using the conventions of 16-bit era storytelling to create immersion in a game by asking players to be an active participant in creating a narrative.

Everyone who plays Octopath Traveler, if they so choose, can supply their own narrative to how these characters interact and get along outside of their individually-focused stories. What is actually there - in terms of skits and overarching lore, is enough to provide a foundation on which to build. Again, some people will argue that if you have to "imagine the story yourself" that means there isn't a story there. I see where these people are coming from but I also think this way of storytelling reminds me of some of my favorite gameplay experiences as a child, where games didn't have fully fleshed out narratives and character development: early FF, FF6's World of Ruin, Saga Fronntier, etc.

Therion was my first character too. It fit, and at least it let me open all the chests.

But yeah, hard to top Primrose's first chapter-wise.
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H'aanit, Chapter 1

Dost thou even hunt? H'aanit's chapter 1 was over before I knew it. I'm not sure what I was expecting before I recruited H'aanit, maybe a redneck with a bow or something, but what I got was a pleasant, though often text rereading required, character. Her old English is rather awesome, and she is such a noble character. I'm not sure why she has the Rogue action of Challenging, she seems equal if not more noble than Olberic.

Her Chapter 1 is quite straight forward. Master leaveth on a quest to slayeth a beast that tormenteth some neighboring people. Master nevereth cometh hometh.

I got the impression that the boss of H'aanit's story was driven there by the beast her Master was hunting. I'm not sure if that was important or not. Regardless, not much was really gleaned from Chapter 1, so I'll have to wait and see where this goes.

I love the capture mechanic, it reminds me of Gau from FF6. H'aanit also seems like she has the potential for the most coverage of elements. I caught a 5* enemy on the way to her boss, and after rebuffing the boss, a 4x boost from this 5* Creature did over 3k damage, which is massive when even a 4x Boost from Cyrus on a broken enemy's vulnerability ever only hit for 700ish.

Still such a short chapter, only saved by a likeable character.

Overall, I'd rate H'aanit Chapter 1 a...

5/10

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Chapter 1 ranking recap:

Primrose - 9.5/10
Therion - 8/10
Ophelia - 7/10
Olberic - 7/10
Tressa - 5.5/10
Cyrus - 5/10
H'aanit - 5/10
Alfyn - 3/10

After playing them, and comparing them. I'm going to make a few adjustments.

New rankings:
Primrose - 9.5/10
Therion - 8/10
Ophelia - 7.5/10
Cyrus - 7/10
Olberic - 6.5/10
Tressa - 6/10
H'aanit - 5/10
Alfyn - 4/10

The biggest change is Cyrus. I probably over criticized his story after experiencing them all. The logic puzzle element was cool, and I find myself a bit vested in the Cyrus and Therese ship.

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Character Tier List (disregarding story)

1. Cyrus - He's been mostly invaluable in mook clearing to speed up dungeons. On Boss fights, his analysis makes it easier to figure out breaks. He's been a staple party member and needs to take a small break to allow other characters to level lol.

2. Ophelia - Given the formula of "create your own narrative," I'm surprised a main character is forced on you at all. That said, I'm still not disappointed in my choice. She's no slouch in combat, even when Light isn't a vulnerability, and I've only only had one character KOd on her watch.

3. H'aanit - She's just barely level 7 and still consistently hits harder than anyone else in the party when it matters. Spend a few random encounters to capture some stuff that will decimated bosses, or just rain arrows on the enemies. Either works.

4. Olberic - He's starting to get beefy, and he's the only real tank, so he's kinda important. I wish he had a bit more coverage for various vulnerabilities, but as long as he can soak damage, his weaknesses are overlooked.

5. Tressa - Moneybags Warrior Merchant Tressa. I've been keeping her Elemental and Physical attacks fairly close, and she's been a consistent damage dealer, but she's definitely getting outclassed by the pure damage dealers. Finding random money everywhere is worth keeping her in the party whenever I can though.

6. Primrose - She hasn't quite had enough time to develop, but I can see how she'll be vital as the game gets more difficult. Buffs, the only Dark magic, and a secondary Summon will probably be extremely useful down the line.

7. Therion - Purple Chests. Really, that is the only reason he's not #8. He's not a very strong damage dealer, and SP management (and lots of plums in stock) haven't given him much use. None of the bosses so far have had anything really worth the effort of stealing, maybe that changes later.

8. Alfyn - Honestly, if Ophelia wasn't my main character, I might see his rank higher. I actually went out of my way to try and use as many mixtures as I could while I used him (and had ingredients), I figured the sooner, the better. My top 2 characters just kind of render Alfyn a backseat.

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So, I'm at a point where I probably should check out these side areas that were on the roads between towns. I also should go back to every town an pick up every side quest I can.

Ophelia, despite being in my party since the beginning, is only level 16, and everyone else trails behind her. However, the lowest Chapter 2 is 21 for Primrose, so it's probably worth grinding out some experience on side stuff.

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TheRock1525 posted...

Reminder Therion's voice actor is a rapist.

What does this add to anything? Is he supposed to just stop playing or not use the character?

Just let him enjoy the game, jeez.

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TheRock1525 posted...

Reminder Therion's voice actor is a rapist.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/78857771

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So, question.

Can I reorganize abilities a character has unlocked? I'd like to put all similar abilities next to each other.

For example, right now on Ophelia, my Cleric actions are listed:

Heal Wounds
Holy Light
Sheltering Veil
Luminescence
Revive
Heal More

I'd like to put the heals together, followed by the revive and buff, and then the Light attacks.

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I don't see an option for that, but I could just be missing it too. But now that I have the game open I guess now I'm doing the next story chapter (Alfyn Ch. 3). I got burned out before I finished all eight stories, and this is my first time coming back to it in over a year. Thankfully the journal is fairly decent for recaps.

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I don't think there's a way to rearrange moves.
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I've been to a few of these level 15-20 side regions and only found chests, though there appear to be places for bosses I think. One of them had a monument.

I'm guessing they are side quest relevant, maybe I'm not supposed to be there. I've been getting the chests and leveling at least though.

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Alfyn is actually the most busted character in the game from midgame onwards
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BakusaiTenketsu posted...

I've been to a few of these level 15-20 side regions and only found chests, though there appear to be places for bosses I think. One of them had a monument.

I'm guessing they are side quest relevant, maybe I'm not supposed to be there. I've been getting the chests and leveling at least though.

yeah if you've stumbled upon a dungeon and gotten to the end and found a "boss area" with no boss, you're there a bit too early.

and yes, the game WILL get harder, don't worry...

Found a Scholar Shrine on my way to Primrose Chapter 2 and unlocked the Secondary Job system, yay! Decided to make Primrose a Scholar secondary. Haven't really had much of a chance to mess around with it, but I'm gonna go hunt down the other shrines.

As for Side Quests, I've completed about half of the ones I've found so far. Most seem to be solved by buying some items in town, gathering information people, or beating up someone lol. I did find two quests where people asked to be taken to other towns to meet people, so Guide came up there. I don't know how to solve the rest yet.

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I found two more shrines, but now realizing that I shouldn't just slap sub jobs on characters willy nilly since JP isn't exactly flowing in quickly.

I'll probably keep the Scholar on Primrose, especially since I've already spent JP on it for her, but I'll need to map out the rest of the sub jobs for everyone else to come up with synergy without overlap since I can't double up.

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I'm not sure when I'll get to Chapter 2 for anyone. Ophelia is 22, but everyone else is still in their teens.

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I would just say don't worry too much about the recommended levels for the chapters.

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So here's what I'm thinking on my sub jobs so far...

Primrose: Scholar
-She'll still buff with dancing, but the she can nuke after the buffing. I already applied Scholar and invested some points, so felt committed, but think it's not a bad option.

Olberic: Apothecary
-Apothecary gains bonus HP, and a cleanse and heal, so this should help him tank I think without burdening other members.

H'aanit: Warrior
-Mostly just to add two more weapons and more strength to make her a physical powerhouse.

Ophelia: Dancer
-Make her a pure support.

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Not sure about the rest...

Therion: Hunter or Merchant
-Either could improve physical repertoire. Hunter more physical, Merchant more support.

Cyrus: Merchant or Thief
-He'd still be a nuker. Merchant might be slightly better with wind abilities, but Thief has SP Thief.

Tressa: Priest, Thief, or Hunter
-She's so flexible. I probably could have made her Scholar too if I hadn't already committed Primrose to it.

Alfyn: Hunter, Thief, Merchant, Priest
-I don't really use Alfyn, but he'd probably fit Merchant or maybe Thief to just add an extra theft or collect, and open up more weapons. Priest could double down on healing, but Ophelia is my main. Hunter would allow me to DPS with him more.

Honestly, I think solving Therion and Cyrus will make the other two fall into place.

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Actually, I forgot about Rest on Merchant.

So Cyrus should be good as Merchant and Therion as Hunter.

Tressa as either Thief or Priest, and Alfyn as the other.

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I chose H'aanit as my main at random and I'm so glad it worked out that way. Her leghold trap ability was invaluable.

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I just noticed that the characters change clothes when they equip a second job lol.

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