Phantasy Star: Fringes of Algo

During my playthrough of Phantasy Star III, which is in the third generation with Sean (Sheen?) I spent quite a bit of time in Divisia, trying to find the NPCs mentioned by the townspeople. According to them, they lived in the cave that has the sub parts, which I already had, but I could never find them. There was also a mention of someone living close to the town, but, after a while, I thought this could be text shared with another hero's adventure, and left as it is in this one, even if it does not apply.

I thought perhaps I should go on and get Laya's treasure, which people said was in Aridia.

I checked a graphical walkthrough very carefully, since I did not want to spoil anything for myself. There, I saw that the step after getting the sub parts was indeed going for Laya's treasure.

I said good bye to Divisia and headed to Aridia once more. My search for the "amazing whirlpool" southeast of Robotville started.

Of course, I could see there was no body of water at all in the southeast, but I journeyed there all the same. Fruitlessly. I even went south to see if there was something where the river reached the edge of the world, but nothing. I went west, thinking the text might be wrong, but the whirlpool was not there. I kept looking for anything weird in the map, thinking the whirlpool may me made of sand, perhaps, but I could not find it.

After two or three weeks (I did not search everyday, I just left it for later), I gave up. I would have to check the walkthrough for the location of the famed whirlpool.

Just to realize it was right outside of the town!

I mean, I know it would be kind of logical to think it was somewhere around there, and it definitely had to be by the river... But why then did they have to use the phrase "journey southeast"? It was only two steps away! Something like "look outside of town", or "search by the river", or even "immediately southeast" would have made it much better...

For something that is invisible on the map, their choice of words totally sent me on the wrong direction.

Did something like this happen to any of you?

There is a perfectly good reason for this: it's Phantasy Star III.

Sean: Is this it?!
Mieu: (checks the Monitor) Nope.
Sean: (sigh) (takes two steps forward) Is this it!?
Mieu: (checks again) ......Nope.
Wren: Prince Sean, you should move towards Aridia's magnetic field. That would bring you closer to the whirlpool.
Sean: What, move towards my toenails? The magnetic field's all under the ship, Wren. (makes a few steps to his right) Mieu, am I anywhere near the whirlpool yet?!
Mieu: (looks behind her, sees the whirlpool) Nope! ^_^

Zio_Falz wrote:There is a perfectly good reason for this: it's Phantasy Star III.

I laughed.


First time I did that part, I was about 15 years old and my comprehension of the English language was lesser than it is today and yet, I don't remember struggling with it, at all. I guess I was lucky?

I think getting lucky and finding it randomly may be easier than finding it by actually looking for it. Even though it is at the only portion of the river that is south-east of Robotville...

If they had left out that "south-east" part from the text, I would have had less trouble finding it, since I would have looked around the river, instead.

I guess this is indeed a case of it being "Phantasy Star III" as the problem, heheheh.

Well, they said "whirlpool" (water obligatory) and Aridia. There's about the equivalent of 20 character steps of water in all Aridia. I mean, come on.

Man, let us whine a little.

I did check the river, but I was looking for something a little less invisible.

Sean: (covered in sand) Mieu, Wren, is this whirlpool invisible or something!? >_<
Mieu: No, it's not, My Prince! I can hear it in the river!
Wren: Aridia only has the one river, Prince Sean. Perhaps you should concentrate your search to the river itself and not the middle of the dome.
Sean: I'm going to find this whirlpool, you guys, even if it's the last thing I do! >_< (marches off into the desert)
Miun: (from God knows where) Orakio? Is... is that you?
Sean: (also from God knows where) You again?! Have you seen a whirlpool?
Miun: Have you seen Lord Orakio?
Sean: I asked you first!
Miun: Is that you, Orakio?

(hours later)

Sean: The only way I can find Orakio is if you tell me where the whirlpool is! >_<
Miun: I can only help Lord Orakio find this whirlpool...
Mieu: (around a campfire) They're talking in circles... @_@
Wren: (installs sleeping bag parts) Go to sleep, Mieu. They will be like this all night.

Too true! There is no way around it.

Hey, even if Miun had been looking for the whirlpool all those years, in order to reach Orakio, she could never have found it with those directions.

At least it's not as bad as trying to find Aerone or travel back and forth through Divisia. Doing those made me rage on my first ever playthrough.