Freudenstachel Talk

[erka:es] made a slight error in their release of the Freudenstachel demo. According to their latest blog entry, they forgot to include the config.exe file. It is my understanding, though, that it is pretty much the same as the original, so I believe they can be interchanged. Also, new mail responses will be posted after the New Year.

Now, on to the good stuff. 2ch has been talking a bit about Freudenstachel, and a source is feeding me some of the info. Rather than saying a whole bunch of random facts, just watch this video. To those of you without Nico accounts, there are a few tutorials around on how to sign up. I'm sure a quick Google search will send you in the right direction.

I can't wait to get this game.

RKS Challenge 002: Stop and Go

No fancy graphics today. All I have to work with on this computer on the road is MS Paint, so I guess it will have to do! This new challenge is called "Stop and Go", because I couldn't think of a better name. Also, there's no backstory this time, because I'm not feeling creative enough. So grab Spiritia, and get ready for the next challenge!



Enter this password to have Luste and Sichte defeated in Arcade Mode, giving you Lustatem, Die geplante Zukunft, and Silberflugel Zwei, and head over to Grolla's stage. Your objective is to complete the stage. Fastest replay time wins!

Rules:
- You are only allowed to use Die geplante Zukunft and Silberflugel Zwei.
- You may fire Die geplante Zukunft shots during Time Stop.
- During the level, if Die geplante Zukunft depletes, you may use Lustatem. However, every fired Lustatem will add 2 seconds to your time.
- When Grolla is encounter, she must be buster-dueled. Charged shots are allowed.

Take as much damage as you need, but remember, dying will cost you some major time, so watch that health gauge! Good luck to everyone!

To submit your replays, please use the RosenkreuzStilette Uploader Site. Please follow these easy instructions.



1) Name the .rpy file whatever you want, ZIP it, and upload it here. (Note: Please make sure your replay is in a .zip archive.)
2) Enter the comment "Stop and Go" in the comment box.
3) Click here to upload the file.

Please leave a comment with your name and the number of your upload. Thanks, have fun, and good luck!

Pizza Delivery Results

1st Place: Tanin - 2'30"26
2nd Place: Nator - 2'31"14
3rd Place: Kilga - 2'33"04

The winner of the RKS Pizza Delivery challenge is Tanin! He used a fairly ingenious method of literally "taking damage to save time", a common method used by TASers. Second place goes to Nator who apparently liked that idea and tried it himself. If he hadn't tripped on that ladder, he might have just taken the top! Better luck next time, Nator; you still did well. Finally, third place goes to Kilgamayan, who did a full no-damage run and still managed to be a sharp competitor. Honorable mentions go to Otis and GammaShade for giving it their best.

Thanks to everyone who entered, and good luck in the next round! Spread the word, so we can get more entries! And remember to think outside the box!

Does RosenkreuzStilette work on Windows Vista?

Yes it does! As an XP user, I really didn't know the answer to this, but it is very comforting to see that the game works perfectly with Windows Vista without the need for changing compatibility mode options or using programs like AppLocale. Kudos to [erka:es] for ensuring compatibility.

Screenshots for RKS Freudenstachel Revealed

Sorry about the tardiness of this update, but I've been on a road trip across the southern United States, spreading the joy of winter! A few days ago, [erka:es] opened up the screenshot section for RosenkreuzStilette Freudenstachel. From the available caps, it seems that there is at least one new stage, and from the looks of things, Zorne may fight completely differently, as she is now airborne. It appears that Freudia will be equipped with her trademark icicle cannon Freudenstachel as well as her heavy lasers. It is not known how the lasers will be used, but if I had to guess, it will probably act something like Alice's buster from MegaMari. Don't quote me on that, though.

Comiket 75 is just around the corner, and soon, we should have more details with the release of the RosenkreuzStilette Freudenstachel demo being released there. If everything goes just as planned, yours truly should be getting a copy from a source, and if that happens, I'll be sure to give you guys a full review.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Video Replay: Grolla Mode - 1-Life Clear

RosenkreuzStilette player Kilgamayan has posted a 6-part YouTube video set of himself clearing Grolla Mode without dying. Considering the difficulties of a few of the fortress bosses (Cross Wall and Yellow Devil come to mind), this is quite an accomplishment. Be sure to check it out, and leave comments!

Here's the first video. I'm sure you can use links from there.

Also, the Pizza Delivery Challenge is still in play, and as of this posting, we've got 3 entries! The competition is fierce, so try it out, and submit your replays (even if they aren't so good). While you're at it, spread the word!

Edit:
Here's a link to the replay file, in case your connection isn't so YouTube-friendly. In case you're not sure how to download the files from the uploader, here's Luste.

RKS Challenge 001: Pizza Delivery

Introducing the "RosenkreuzStilette Challenges", something I hope to have on a regular basis. It's an attempt to keep life into the game and hopefully introduce new players who feel that they're up to the challenge!

The first challenge we have is entitled "Pizza Delivery". Spiritia's on a quest to defeat her fellow Magi, but she's got to think of a clever way to sneak in! After overhearing an order, Spiritia decides she's going to deliver Liebea something she won't soon forget!



Enter this password to have Zorne defeated in Arcade Mode, and head over to Liebea's stage. Upon starting, immediately switch to Zornes Bombe, set one down, and pick it up. Now, complete the stage! Fastest replay time wins!

Rules:
- You cannot throw the bomb during the stage. If you do, you have to restart the challenge.
- When Liebea is encountered, the bomb must be thrown away and is not allowed to damage Liebea.
- Liebea must be defeated with only uncharged Seelegewehr shots.
- Any damage taken will add 3 seconds to your final time.

To submit your replays, please use the RosenkreuzStilette Uploader Site. Please follow these easy instructions.



1) Name the .rpy file whatever you want, ZIP it, and upload it here. (Note: Please make sure your replay is in a .zip archive.)
2) Enter the comment "Pizza Delivery" in the comment box.
3) Click here to upload the file.

Please leave a comment with your name and the number of your upload. Thanks, have fun, and good luck!

Is your copy of RKS up-to-date?

Is your copy of RosenkreuzStilette currently up-to-date? The [erka:es] duo have made a lot of changes since the creation of the game, and you owe it to yourself to make sure that you have the most recent version of RKS to gain the full experience.

How to check:

[Step 01]
Load up your copy of RosenkreuzStilette. The version number will be listed in the Window title.


The picture says it all.

[Step 02]
Not up-to-date? Not to worry. Head on over to the RosenkreuzStilette Product Page and click on the Download button on the sidebar.

[Step 03]
Many of you probably can't read Japanese. That, of course, is why I'm writing this tutorial! Now, the first section in the Download area is where the download links for the patches are. Time to figure out which one is best for you! Refer to the figure below. If your version is 1.00a (the initial release version), then you'll want to use the first download link. If you've been updating but are still running on 1.05b, then you'll want to use the second download link. If your version is neither, then the third download link, which will update the game from any version to the latest, is for you.


So many difficult Japanese words I don't understand!

[Step 04]
Once the .zip is downloaded, extract it. If you're not familiar with extracting .zip files, Windows XP users can just double-click the .zip archive folder and drag the file inside wherever they'd like. The best place for it will be inside your RosenkreuzStilette folder.


This is the patch. For the sake of this tutorial, I've downloaded the 1.05b->1.05c patch.


Toss it in your RosenkreuzStilette folder. (This step isn't necessary, but it will help you keep track of it.)

[Step 05]
Open the patch, and follow these simple instructions:


Click "Yes". Simple enough.


Here, it will ask you to locate the folder that rks.exe, the game executable, is in. Click on the Browse button as indicated.


Select the folder, and click OK. Confirm the selection at the next screen.


The patch will then install itself! Congratulations! Your copy of RKS is now up-to-date.

[Step 06]
Here, you can do one of two things: Play your newly patched RosenkreuzStilette, or step further in and download a voice update patch for Freudia. If you're like me and don't want to leave any rock unturned, continue on. If not, you really should.

[Step 07]
Scroll down the Download page until you find the "Omake Data Download" section, as pictured. Go ahead and download the only file listed there.


The link says "Freudia 'Sound Quality Improvement Edition' Voice Data".

[Step 08]
Extract the folder "ex_voice002" from the .zip, and open it. Inside you'll find two folders and a readme.txt, as pictured. Drag the "extra" folder into the "data" folder in your RosenkreuzStilette folder, and that'll do it! This voice update requires at least v1.05b, but since we patched the game already, that's not even an issue. The other folder "Omake Voice" features two .wav files of Freudia saying "RosenkreuzStilette" and "Freudenstachel". Take a listen!


The readme.txt contains the URL that redirects to Freudia's seiyuu's website.

[Step 09]
And that's it! Everything about your copy of RosenkreuzStilette is up-to-date. Now, have fun, practice, and save your replays! Eventually, I'll have a replay archive set up for everyone to use!