Subject: Legend of Oasis - FAQ (Scrolls, spirits, empowerment)
From: mstelzer@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Matthew Stelzer)
Newsgroups: rec.games.video.sega

This is a great game. Lots of TOUGH puzzles, and great graphics and
sound, plus tons of hidden items.  However, they did possibly the
worst instruction book ever.  After some more playing I've managed
to figure out the ambiguities of the game. 

OK, as you know there are six spirits.  You get them by defeating
boss monster.  There are also six types of gems.  Each type adds to
the power of one elemental.  Think of them as level-ups for the
spirits.

That's the easy part, next comes scrolls, weapon, and empowerment
(the seemingly non-functional X button).

There are four weapons.  It appears that each one can gain levels by
finding more powerful weapons (such as a level 2 short sword).  Then
there are scrolls, which are used to empower weapons.  The short
sword cannot be empowered.  This leaves three weapons.  Each has two
types of scroll.  That make six scrolls, one for each spirit.  In
this way, each of the three weapons can be empowered by two spirits,
as explained in the book.  Here's how:

First you need a scroll (or more than one).  If you have a scroll
for a weapon, walk across a spirit ball (they are rare) while
equipped with that weapon.  You will start glowing with the weapon's
new power.  Now for each scroll you have, you get three shots of
that special power, not including up-close shots.  For example, in
the earth labrynth you find a scroll for the rod, and there is a
spirit ball nearby, you walk across it, and you get three shots
which, as the game says, can raise the dead, and more (it does do
more, but you'll have to read my other spoiler post).

However, if you have three scrolls or more of the same type, you can
use the spirit which controls that scroll to empower the weapon
without a spirit ball.  For example, Dytto the water spirit controls
the Rod Enchantment scrolls, so they are used by her to empower the
rod.  First summon Dytto (shoot water with the A button).  Next, if
you have three or more blue Rod scrolls, press X.  This uses a big
chunk of magic, but you will now how nine or more shots with the
rod.  You can disperse the spirit without losing your shots.  This
is a very necessary technique once you figure out what else the rod
can do.

Empowering the weapons lets you do the following:  shoot arrows
through metal, cut stone, cut dead or fossilized trees, raise the
dead, and more...  Basically, this adds many new facets to the
exploration of dungeons and solving of puzzles.

Also, the Elementals can be used without empowering weapons.
Besides the obvious offensive moves, they perform other functions.
Bawu is slow, but if you stand on a crack, and call him over to you
(A, A) he will dig his over, then chew at the crack revealing nice
items.  Use Dytto to put out fire, or freeze fountains.  Use Efreet
to melt ice.


I hope this makes things more clear when playing the game, while not
revealing too much.  I hope someone puts this in a REAL faq soon.

Also, I believe that most of the fun and long playtime from this
game comes from the hard-to-solve puzzles, suc as the Earth
Labrynth.  If you get stuck, try to resist the urge to jump on the
net and find the secrets, it will make the game more enjoyable.  It
took me MONTHS to finish Legend of Zelda when I was a kid because I
had no help, and that made it one of the best games I had played.

Matt Stelzer
mstelzer@checfs1.ucsd.edu

-- 
Matt Stelzer

mstelzer@sdcc13.ucsd.edu