As in FoMT/MFoMT, you will begin the game with basic tools: a Hoe, a Hammer, a
Watering Can, an Axe and a Scythe (or Sickle). You then must use these tools
in order to meet requirements for upgrading them to higher levels. As in
FoMT/MFoMT, tools are upgraded by ordering the upgrade from Saibara's Smithy.
You must have a specific type of ore for each level upgrade. You need to
make the order by telephone but Grey will deliver the tool to your door when
the upgrade is completed.
The highest level of tool is the Mythic Tool. You need to find the Cursed
Tools and have them Blessed before you can find Mythic Stones in order to have
the Mystrile Tools upgraded to Mythic Level. Unlike FoMT/MFoMT, you cannot
have more than one Mythic Stone in your possession. You must sell or use it
before you will be able to find another in the Mine.
Tools and Energy Levels
Whenever you use a tool in the ordinary way, you lose 2 SR points. The only
exceptions to this rule are the Milker and the Clippers, consuming more energy
than any other tool. You lose 4 SR points each time you use the Milker and 8
SR points each time you use the Clippers. Whenever you charge an upgraded tool
and use that, the number of points used will vary depending on the level of the
tool and the degree to which it is charged. There are no Power Berries in this
game, so there is no way that your Energy levels can be increased on a
permanent basis. What exists instead are Accessories that can be worn to
restore or boost energy levels.
There are two Accessories that deal specifically with energy levels and Tool
use. These are the Hats. There is a Kappa Hat that decreases the amount of
Fatigue with each use of any tool and a Harvest Goddess Hat that decreases the
Stamina loss with each use of any tool.
If your Stamina is above zero, you will not gain any Fatigue when you use a
tool. The Harvest Goddess Hat, therefore, should be more useful than the Kappa
Hat. Equip a Harvest Goddess Hat each time you use any tool. In particular,
when you are mining, a Harvest Goddess Hat can give you the opportunity to do
twice as much mining as you could do otherwise.
There are four types of Accessory: Small, Medium, Cursed and Large.
Accessories that first are offered either at Jet's Shop or by Van are of the
Small variety. It is only when you find a Cursed Accessory in the 3rd Mine and
have the Curse removed that the Medium level of Accessory will become available
at a shop. Cursed Accessories when Blessed are of the Large variety.
In terms of the Harvest Goddess Hat, the Large variety will cut your Stamina
loss in half if you equip it whenever you use any tool. For example, when
using the Milker, your SR loss will be only 2 and when using the Clippers, the
SR loss will be reduced to 4. When using the Mythic Watering Can fully
charged, there is a loss of 30 SR when no accessory is equipped. When the
Large Harvest Goddess Hat is equipped, the loss of SR is only 15. The Mythic
Watering Can when fully charged can water an entire basement in a single use.
The only time the Kappa Hat is of use is when your SR is at zero. In such a
case, equipping a small Kappa Hat will reduce the amount of Fatigue gained by
the use of any tool and equipping the Large Kappa Hat will reduce the amount to
zero.
When your SR is at zero, use of any tool (without charging it) will result in
the gain of 2 Fatigue points. Remember that if your SR is ABOVE zero, you will
not gain any Fatigue when using tools. It is only when your SR is at zero that
the Fatigue factor activates. Interestingly enough, using either the Milker or
Clippers when your SR is at zero only raises your Fatigue by 2 points, like any
other tool. If you equip the Kappa Hat at this point, you will not gain ANY
Fatigue when using tools.
If, therefore, you have no means of raising your SR when it reaches zero and
you wish to continue using tools, it would be a good idea to equip the Kappa
Hat. This only would occur perhaps when you are deep inside one of the Mines
without any more items to consume and a desire to continue mining. You then
would be advised to switch from the Harvest Goddess Hat to the Kappa Hat to
avoid passing out.
In fact, equipping the Large Kappa Hat in the Mine when your SR is at 0 will
allow you to mine indefinitely without passing out as the Large Kappa Hat will
prevent you from gaining ANY Fatigue no matter how many times you use a tool.
Moreover, if you fall down a hole while the Large Kappa Hat is equipped, it
will prevent you from passing out on arrival as well, as your Fatigue will not
rise in the fall as it otherwise would with SR at 0. If you wish to mine
forever, therefore, equip a Large Kappa Hat once your SR is at 0 and mine to
your heart's content.
If you wish to increase your SR without consuming any item, you can equip the
Harvest Goddess earrings and take a walk. Over the course of time, your SR
gradually will increase.
Fatigue can be decreased by spending time in a Hot Spring. If you equip the
Kappa earrings and take a walk, your level of Fatigue will decrease over the
course of time.
The best Accessory for this is the Witch Princess Earrings, found only in the
3rd Mine. When equipped, these earrings will both increase SR and decrease FR
over the course of time. In order to restore energy, therefore, you either can
consume an item or items or equip a pair of earrings and spend time outdoors.
As time does not pass inside a building, earrings will not have an effect when
worn indoors. It therefore would not be very efficacious if you equip the
Witch Princess Earrings while you are inside one of the Mines. Although time
will pass in the Mines, it passes very slowly and you would have to wait
forever for your energy levels to rise using this Accessory. Once you are
inside the Mines, the most useful Accessories are the Truth Bangle (to keep you
aware of your SR and FR levels), the Harvest Goddess Hat and the Kappa Hat.
Fishing Rod
There is one basic tool that you will not have in your rucksack at the start of
the game. This is a Fishing Rod. In order to obtain a basic Fishing Rod, you
must visit Galen on a fine Saturday between noon and 1.00 p.m. Make certain
that you have not equipped any tool in your tool slot. Speak both to Galen
and to his wife Nina. You then will experience an Event wherein he will give
you your first Fishing Rod.
Two Sets of Tools
In this game, if you upgrade all your tools to the highest levels possible, you
will find yourself with two separate sets of high-level tools. The Mystrile
Tools can be upgraded to Mythic Tools, the very highest level of tools
available. The Cursed Tools found in the 3rd Mine can be 'upgraded' into the
Blessed Tools.
Interestingly enough, you can downgrade as well as upgrade your tools at
Saibara's smithy. As of now, I have seen no virtue in downgrading a tool.
The only time a lower level of tool is required is in the case of the Bottled
Message which can be caught only with a tool at mystrile level. It is
possible, however, to catch the Bottled Message with a Blessed or Mythic Tool
provided the player charges the tool only to Mystrile level and does not give
it the full charge when casting.