It's here at last, my Kyodais and Anikis; Yakuza: Like A Dragon, probably the most unique and divisive entry in the series so far. The core gameplay is a huge departure from previous games, so it might take some getting used to. Thus, I'd like to offer some (spoiler-free) advice and explanations for new players and those not accustomed to RPGs. EDIT: Removed some erroneous information. I'm dividing this guide into five seperate sections: -Basics -Combat -Exploration -FAQs -Points of No Return I would STRONGLY recommend looking at the Points of No Return, if nothing else; they will save you a great deal of pain down the line.
>BASICS
-Ultimate Pro Tip #1: Save! Seriously. Losing progress is never fun. You can save anywhere at any time, except in underground dungeons, which have dedicated save-points. STORY DUNGEONS DO NOT HAVE SAVE POINTS! ALWAYS SAVE BEFORE PROGRESSING THE PLOT! -At the start of the game, you're going to be seriously strapped for cash. Don't worry, you won't be a literal hobo for too long, but try to conserve money early on. Don't forget to check under the vending machines! -You can use certain skills (like Namba's healing spells) outside of combat too! -Play the Can Collection minigame! It's a great source of low-level equipment (and some rare materials for crafting/requests), and it's all free! -The game really starts to open up in Chapter 5. That's where you'll unlock Part-Time Hero Requests, Crafting, the Job System, and the Ichiban Confectionery Sub-Game. Speaking of which... -Play the Ichiban Confectionery Sub-Game. This is a MUST! It's the easiest way to earn money in the game, and the key to unlocking the optional 7th party member, Eri. I cannot stress how useful she is; she's a great fighter, and will make a certain section of the game MUCH easier (see Warnings below). To unlock her, just reach the top 100 in the rankings, then meet up with her at the Survive Bar. -Getting the Part-Time Hero Requests will unlock also our old friend, the Completion List. It works retroactively, so any high scores or milestones you got before Ch. 5 still count. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GET 100% COMPLETION TO EARN ALL TROPHIES/ACHIEVEMENTS. -The Completion List will award you points for Ichiban's six Personality stats, which allow him to unlock new Jobs, access certain areas and Substories, and boost his resistance to certain status effects. -Once you fill up a Party Member's Bond gauge, head over to the Survive Bar to rank up. Ranking up your Bonds unlocks new jobs and makes your party more effective in combat! -Don't rush! Y:LAD is a proper RPG, so levels, stats and skills actually matter. If you get stuck, take some time to grind, get better gear, do Sidestories or just play some minigames to ease your frustration. It's still a Yakuza game, so there's always time for sudden diversions.
>COMBAT
-Watch everyone's positions during a fight, including the enemy's. If you knock down an enemy near a party member, they can of course follow up for an opportune strike, but on the flipside, you can get interrupted by an enemy if you cross paths with them while targeting another, thus costing you a turn. -If Ichiban gets knocked out in battle, it's GAME OVER. Always try to prioritize keeping him alive. His Hero Job eventually gets a Skill that will allow him to cheat death with 1 HP! -Make sure you have a good stash of healing and restorative items on hand, including medicine to heal status effects. -Some weapon types (like Namba's Staves) can regenerate MP with basic attacks! -Don't neglect your equipment! It's essential to your survival, particularly for more fragile characters like Namba. The right armor & accessories can protect you from many of an enemy's nastier tricks. -Keep an eye out for weapons with status effects, elemental damage, or other quirks. A lot of the enemies you'll face in the mid-late game will be resistant to basic Blunt strikes. -You can craft and enhance equipment at the Romance Workshop after visiting it in Ch. 5. You can donate money to upgrade the facilities and unlock better stuff. If you want to unlock the game's ultimate weapons, you'd better have have deep pockets... -If you do get a game over, you'll lose 50% of your money. If it's a boss or story battle you can 'continue' and retry the fight... for a steep price. Just like in Dragon Quest, you can stash your money at an ATM for safekeeping. -In Ch. 4, you'll unlock the Poundmates App, allowing you to summon aid during battle. You'll unlock new summons through story progression, Sidestories and other methods. The very first time you call a summon is always free, but after that you'll have to pay. Calling a summon will put them on a cooldown, so you can't spam them, and some summons are only available under special conditions. -Halfway through Ch. 5, you'll finally unlock the vaunted Job System. It may be a bit overwhelming at first, so I'll break it down:
Jobs are unlocked based on the level of your party members, Ichiban's Personality stats, and the Bond ranks of his friends.
Every character has their own unique starting Job (Ichiban has two, but Freelancer sucks), and access to 8 Jobs for the gentlemen, and 4 for the ladies.
Each Job has its own set of skills that you learn by ranking up. You can't transfer skills between Jobs; however, each Job has two permanent skills that, when learned, can be used no matter which Job you're currently using.
When you first switch to a new Job, there will be a large stat penalty due to its low rank. Don't let this discourage you; once you begin ranking up the Job, your stats will even out.
Every Job has its own weapon class. This can be kind of a hassle due to their respective starting weapons being extremely weak. You'll have to get a proper weapon elsewhere.
The two DLC Jobs have high requirements to unlock (Lv. 8 Confidence for Ichiban, and Rank 5/MAX Bond for everyone else), so consider carefully if you want them.
>EXPLORATION
-At the start, you won't be able to explore much. About halfway through Ch. 4 the map will open up, and you'll be able to roam around Yokohama freely. -Some places have tougher enemies than others. There's a danger indicator for each area on the map. Generally, you'll encounter stronger foes the further north you go. -Be careful when crossing the road. Cars hurt. -Stay on the lookout for safes hidden throughout the world, filled with useful loot. You won't get the key to unlock them until late in Ch. 3, so I'd wait until Ch. 4 before going on a treasure hunt. The golden ones require a little more effort... -INTERACT WITH EVERY TAXI YOU SEE. Unlike Kamurocho, you have to find all of the taxi stops first before you can travel to them. You also get a handy App on your phone that lets you fast travel at any time and place, so make sure you get all of them! -Sidestories are conveniently marked on the map right from the start! -Scattered all over the city, you can find little sparkly Tojo clan Pins, which you can collect and trade in for fabulous prizes! To cash them in, head to Hamakita Park in the northeast corner of the map, then enter the hotel to the south and speak with Kamuroppu the Mascot. You can farm the Pins off of certain enemies later on, and there's a very special late-game prize you might want to save up for... -Restaurants provide a quick and easy way of healing your party without using items or travelling back to the Homeless Camp, with bonus Bond points. They're pricey at first, but very useful once you have more money. -Your Party Members will occasionally start a conversation while running around town, which will net you free Bond points. Make sure to listen to them talk all the way to the end; if they get interrupted, you'll have to come back later to hear it again. -You can plant and grow crops in certain locations in the city. These crops can then be used by Survive's bartender to make nutritious (and powerful) lunchboxes. You can buy seeds and fresh veggies from a truck in the aforementioned northeastern park. There's also a truck that sells various crafting materials there. -There are a handful of secret shops in Yokohama that can only be uncovered after Ichiban gets the Foreman Job, allowing you to break down barriers in the overworld. -There are two Part-Time Hero Requests that involve finding hidden Kappa statues and missing cats throughout the city. Completing both will net you a HUGE pile of cash (and more!).
>FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Is this a good (Yakuza) game? A: Absolutely. It's different, but the good, exciting kind of different. Q:I love the Yakuza series, but I don't like RPGs. Should I buy this one?? A: It depends. Y:LAD is a simple, straightforward RPG. There's no complex gimmicks like 'fusions', 'orbments' or 'licence boards', and you don't need to grind too much unless you 're going for 100% Trophies/Achievements. At its core, there's still everything that makes the Yakuza series fun and unique, so it's just a matter of choice. Q:Is this game a good entry point for newcomers, like Xbox users? A: Actually, yes. The main story involving Ichiban is largely self-contained, and needs no knowledge of previous entries. There are events late in the story that veteran players would find very significant, as well as references and easter eggs from older installments, but nothing that would alienate newbies. Q:Subbed or dubbed? A: Subbed. The dub is pretty good, definitely the best the series has ever had, but proper Japanese just feels better to me. Q:I don't know which Jobs I should pick. Which ones are the best? A: Youtuber Rozalin has just made an in-depth guide detailing every Job's capabilities, right HERE. Q:Can I play through the game using only the default Jobs? A: Yeees... but it's not a good idea. Your toolkit will be severely limited, with no dedicated healer or consistent sources of elemental damage, and many fights will devolve into painful battles of attrition. Q:How the hell do I open these goddamn Golden Safes?! A: With a Golden Key, of course! These can be bought from hidden vendors that can only be found after Ichiban gets the Foreman Job. Q: What's the best place to grind? A: In the Underground Dungeons. You can find a rare enemy that acts like a Metal Slime (hard to kill, but gives ton of EXP). It's a bloke dressed like a hermit, with a robe and staff. Q:Where's Dragon Kart at? A: Hamakita Park, on the east side. You can't miss it. Q:Is Amon in this game? A: You betcha. Q:Where do i get dat giant vibrator bat for the mc? A: ...A shop called LOVE~MAGIC, near Hello Work and the Romance Workshop.
>POINTS OF NO RETURN
-This one's quite obvious. In Ch. 2, you'll eventually meet a dandy dude named Nick, and save him from a thug. After that, Adachi will ask if you're ready to go and confront Arakawa. If you proceed past this point, you'll enter the tutorial dungeon, which will end with you (temporarily) losing all the items and cash you had on hand. You can get them back by checking your Item Box and ATM. You won't be able to return to Kamurocho until the Finale. -In Ch. 5, after fighting Bleach Japan and starting Ichiban Confectionery, you'll be tasked with returning to the Yokohama Trading Company. SAVE HERE. Make ABSOLUTELY SURE you're fully stocked up on items and equipment, because after the events at the YTC, YOU WILL BE LOCKED INTO THE UNDERGROUND DUNGEON at the start of Ch. 6!! You won't be able to leave or restock, so watch out for that mid-chapter save screen! -In Ch. 7, you'll meet a pink-haired lady who will take you to the Spider's Den. At the end of this mini-dungeon, Namba will ask if you want to continue. The moment you say Yes, NAMBA WILL GET BOOTED OUT OF YOUR PARTY, AND YOU'LL BE DOWN ONE PARTY MEMBER UNTIL CHAPTER 10! Make sure you've recruited Eri beforehand, or you'll have to face the upcoming boss with only three people! Be sure to strip Namba of his equipment as well (he'll have new stuff when he returns). That's all! Have fun playing the game!
I’m interested in finding a copy of Dark Souls Remastered (PS4) and some recent PS4 releases like Ghost of Tsushima (as I prefer trophies) and maybe some PS3 games like Ico and Persona 4 Arena & Persona 4 Arena Ultimax.
I’m listing my whole collection as well, just in case someone wants to piece some other kind of trade together (or as an index for other trades). I’m probably open to trading a decent number of things that I have on this list (especially bolded items) for the right offer. I’ve also got a bunch of Bluray movies as well that aren’t listed (if you’re interested in any movies to even out a deal, just ask and I can put a list together). The only things that I might be hesitant to trade are some of my rare SNES & retro collection, but I could possibly if I was “blown away” ;)
Looking for something new to watch in 2019? Try Sumo Wrestling! (Links, info, and write-up inside)
Hello there. With a New Year right around the corner, perhaps you are looking at broadening your combat sport consumption and trying something new. If you are, I’m here to advocate for giving Sumo a try. I’ve been following it for about a year now regularly and wanted to write this brief guide to give you, combat sport fan, the resources to get into it if you were looking for something new to try in 2019. The basic rundown here will be structure, general info, how to watch, and FAQs. And then, if you are interested, I’m happy to answer any questions I can after the fact. This isn’t going to be a comprehensive history and explanation behind sumo (I would recommend the Wikipedia page for that), just a basic run down, instructions on how to watch, etc.
Rundown
What is Sumo? a. Sumo Wrestling is the national sport of Japan, and their homegrown folk wrestling tradition, similar to collar and elbow, catch as catch can, bakh, judo, etc. The wrestlers compete on an elevated platform made of clay (dohyo), and inside a circular ring with straw indicating its outer limit, wearing only a wrapped linen belt (mawashi) around their waist and groin, plus or minus bandages or wrappings for injuries.
What is the basic structure of a Sumo Match? a. Sumo, much like Japan itself, is steeped in Shinto traditions. The salt throwing, stomping, clapping, are all derived from Shinto beliefs and rituals. But, essentially, two wrestlers are scheduled to face each other. After 4 or so minutes of mind games, breathing, stomping, stretching, and salt throwing, they are told by the referee (gyoji) it’s time to fight. The match begins when both wrestlers touch their fists to the clay, indicating mutual consent for the bout to start. If there is not mutual consent, it is a matta (false start) and they step back, breathe, and try again.
How do you win a Sumo Match? a. The win condition for the match is to get any part of your opponent’s body (except their feet) to touch the clay inside the ring, or to get any part of their body, including their feet, to touch outside the ring. To accomplish this you may push, thrust, shove, throw, slap, lift, grab and trip your opponent. You may not throw closed fist strikes or pull hair. When a win condition is met, the referee will point his fan toward the starting position of the winning wrestler to indicate the victory. (Note: there are four judges and a timekeeper sitting around the ring. If they believe there is sufficient cause, they can call for a monoii, or judge’s conference, in which they discuss the decision, with the help of video instant replay. They then can either confirm or reverse the referees call. If it is determined to be too close, they can also call for a do over.)
How many matches are there and how do you win a tournament? a. Since 1958, the structure of the honbasho (the official tournaments) are 6 per year during every odd numbered month. 3 are held in Tokyo, and the other three are held in Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka. The tournament is 15 days long, with each wrestler competing once per day. The tournament structure is a modified round robin competition (you do not face every competitor, but you do only face a person once) scheduled two days out at a time. The wrestler at the end of the tournament with the most wins is the tournament champion. If two wrestlers end Day 15 with a tied record, they have an immediate sudden death playoff. If more than 2 wrestlers end Day 15 with a tied record, then they draw straws and have a King of the Hill Playoff (first wrestler to win twice in a row.)
What do the wrestlers win? a. Each match has the potential to be sponsored by companies, who can buy banners that are paraded around the ring before a match. The winner of each match receives white envelopes filled with the sponsorship money. Half goes to them, the other half goes into a pension and upkeep fund. The yusho (tournament championship) winner receives money, a number of different prizes, trophies, food, gasoline, and all sorts of other things that are shared with his stable (heya). All wrestlers in the top two divisions - makuuchi and juryo (think major league and AAA in baseball terms) also receive an undisclosed salary.
What’s the motivation to win, besides just money? a. Sumo is defined by its strict promotion and demotion rules. Each wrestler, except the yokozuna, are subject to clear promotion and demotion protocols within the ranking of the divisions depending on how they do each tournament. The top two divisions are fixed in the number of wrestlers in a given tournament, with rankings (banzuke) being released the Sunday before the tournament month begins. As there are fifteen days, go 8-7 or better (kachi koshi) and you move up next tournament. 7-8 or worse (make koshi) and you go down. How good/bad you do determines how high you rise and fall. The exception to this is the top 4 named ranks, which have special promotion demotion rules.
So, what’s the major league of Sumo? a. The makuuchi division is the top 42 wrestlers in professional Sumo. There are 5 different ranks.
Rank
Description
Maegashira
the rank and file. These are regular competitors who have performed well enough to make it into the top division. They are subject to standard promotion and demotion rules.
Komusubi
the first of the named ranks. These two slots are for wrestlers who had a strong performance from the rank and file, or are being demoted from higher up.
Sekiwake
the second of the named ranks. Given to a strong komosubi wrestler, or a demoted ozeki.
Ozeki
“champion”. To be promoted to this rank, a wrestler must have 33 wins over three tournaments with the rank of sekiwake as their most recent rank. They are also subject to special demotion rules: they are allowed to have one losing tournament record before they are demoted out of the rank. Two in a row, and they are demoted automatically to sekiwake, with the guarantee of re-promotion if they can achieve ten wins from that rank.
Yokozuna
the highest honor and rank in sumo. Originally, yokozuna was a special license given to particular sumo wrestlers permitting them the honor of entering alone during the opening of the day’s matches. Later, it was formalized as an official life-time appointed rank. Promotion to yokozuna is dependent on two back to back championship wins or playoff appearances (called win-equivalents) from the rank of ozeki, along with displaying the “grace, dignity, and eloquence” (hinkaku) befitting the rank. (Side note: this wasn’t originally a requirement but was used as a xenophobic justification to not allow American sumo wrestler Konishiki to be promoted to Yokozuna, despite achieving the 2 consecutive yusho. However the YDC was essentially forced to admit foreigners could have hinkaku, and compete at Yokozuna levels, when Akebono qualified for promotion.) Cannot be demoted, only recommended for retirement by the Yokozuna Deliberation Council. There are currently 3 active Yokozuna: Hakuho (Mongolian), Kakuryu (Mongolian), and Kisenosato (Japanese)). There have been 72 yokozuna to date.
That’s the basics of sumo, or what you would need to see/understand to just start watching matches. Obviously there’s a lot more information and history behind this centuries old sport, but the stuff above is the basics.
Fun Facts/FAQS/Common Questions
Isn’t sumo fixed? Like boxing or PRIDE was? I remember some big thing about match fixing. a. In 2011, while investigating rumors of baseball gambling amongst the wrestlers, the Japan Sumo Association discovered text messages that definitely proved what had long been rumored which was that wrestlers were intentionally throwing bouts to eachother. Called “the Yaocho Scandal” 23 wrestlers were eventually expelled from the sport for match fixing. Motivation for the match fixing ranged from willing acceptance of monetary prizes, promises of quid pro quo in order for a desperate wrestler to get their winning record, as well as Japanese societal pressure to “assist” ones elders by throwing matches to them, sometimes in exchange for paltry monetary rewards, but not always. Since that time the JSA has instituted policies to try to combat match fixing amongst the wrestlers.
Does sumo have weight classes? a. No. There is however a minimum height requirement for the upper divisions of 1.73m (5ft8in)
What’s with the names? Hakuho, Tochinoshin, Endo, Abi, Kisenosato? a. Sumo wrestlers take ring names (shikona) when they enter the sport. Their names are displayed in kanji (which leads to names like Crane Dragon, White Phoenix, Honorable Boulder, Morning Mountain and, my personal favorite, Mythical Fire Bird of Pine Tree Mountain) as well as typically having some sort of significance to them in regards to their stable, with the prefix or suffix usually following a stable tradition (ie. Everyone from Kokonoe heya starts with Chiyo in honor of their late coach Chiyonofuji oyakata, formerly Yokozuna Chiyonofuji.)
So the best wrestlers are just whoever is fattest, right? a. No. While size is important and weight is obviously a focus of a sumo wrestler’s development and training, being the heaviest doesn’t automatically make you the best. Skill, technique, and actual strength are all just as, if not more important.
I saw some sumo once. But there were weight classes and it was on white tarp and the guys were wearing shorts and there was girls division and… a. Stop. That’s not sumo. That’s amateuinternational/USA sumo. It’s a halfcocked bullshit version of sumo that’s trying to be an internationally recognized sport. It’s got watered down rules, is completely disconnected from the sports traditions, and is dominated by failed professional sumo wrestlers or guys who got expelled from sumo (one in particular was a Yaocho expulsion.) It’s a joke, don’t waste your time. The only real sumo is honbasho sumo from japan.
Is there a yakuza influence in Sumo? a. Officially, no. Unofficially, it’s the yakuza and an organization in Japan so probably?
So, who is the Pound for Pound GOAT sumo wrestler? a. The greatest sumo wrestler of all time, objectively, is Hakuho, one of the current active yokozuna who is nearing the end of his career. Since the modern era of sumo (1958, when the tournament schedule was set at 6 per year) the greatest sumo wrestler of all time is Hakuho by any definition of “greatest”. It doesn’t matter by what metric you measure it, by what criteria you use, whatever. He holds every record (except Futabayama’s 69 match undefeated streak), he’s the most skilled, most winningest, most championships, most wins, most dominant wins, most playoff wins, most whatever. It’s Hakuho. He recently had his 1000th upper division win and 41st makuuchi yusho, a record that will most likely never be beaten. He’s the greatest of all time by literally any definition. Every other wrestler is in a conversation for second place.
Ok, fine. Hakuho is the GOAT. Who’s the Mt Rushmore of Sumo? a. That’s debatable, but if your Mt Rushmore is structured based on a combination of the wrestler’s skill, cultural importance, work as a draw, legacy and record, all that, it’s hard to pick just 4. But the best Mt Rushmore I could give would be Taiho, Chiyonofuji, Takanohana, and Hakuho.
I know Akebono. He had a match against Big Show once at Wrestlemania and did a bunch of shitty MMA fights. Was he important? a. Extremely. Despite his somewhat embarrassing post retirement career, Akebono is hugely important in the history of Sumo. He was the first foreign born Yokozuna ever and his rivalry with Takanohana lead to a resurgence in interest in the sport in the 90’s after public interest waned when Chiyonofuji began his downward trend in his late career. Akebono and Takanohana are probably one of, if not the, most famous rivalry in modern era sumo, and they both retired with their head to head record at, no joke, 25-25. Forever tied. Akebono as a rikishi was well known for using the fact that he was top heavy to establish an almost immovable forward lean which, when combined with really strong forward palm strikes (tsuppari) leading him to a very dominating career performance.
Hey, speaking of Rikishi, what’s up with Rikishi and Yokozuna in WWE? Did they have anything to do with sumo? a. No. There have been sumo wrestlers turned pro wrestlers (Haku, Rikidozan, Tenta, and many more), but Rikishi and Yokozuna were not related to actual sumo in any way. Yokozuna obviously mimicked the salt throwing ritual, among other things, and took his name from the highest rank. Rikishi (who takes his name for the Japanese name for sumo wrestlers which is rikishi) had gear that looked like a mawashi and the front cords, but again, no official connection.
Are there many foreigners in Sumo? a. Since the early 2000’s, thanks to an influx of dominant Hawaiians and, later, Mongolians, the JSA instituted a “one foreigner per stable” rule. They have since clarified that foreigner now means “foreign born” after wrestlers began taking Japanese citizenship to skirt the rule, but, much like independent contractor status in pro wrestling and MMA, this has yet to be challenged and “foreign born” probably wouldn’t hold up if it was seriously contested by a powerful enough coach. (As of the November 2018 tournament, two (Mongolian) of the three current Yokozuna, one (Georgian) of the three current Ozeki, one (Mongolian) of the two sekiwake, one (Brazilian) of the two komusubi, and 4 (3 Mongolians and one Bulgarian) of the remaining Maegashira rikishi are foreigners. Of the 72 Yokozuna in history, 6 have been foreign born: 2 from the USA (Hawaii) and 4 from Mongolia (3 from Ulaanbaatar, one from Sükhbaatar.)
“Okay, so I saw a Sumo match once where…
Thing
Reason
One guy won, and then everyone started throwing pillows at the ring
That’s called a kinboshi (gold star victory) and is a tradition for when a rank and file wrestler beats a yokozuna. It’s considered an enormous upset and the rank and file wrestler is awarded a cash prize of approx. 400 dollars every tournament until he retires.
One guy pushed the other guy out of the ring, but then grabbed his belt/arms.
It is a common courtesy amongst some of the wrestlers that, if possible, they will prevent the other wrestlers from falling off the dohyo, if they can, when they win by push out or force out. Former Yokozuna Harumafuji was well known for the “Harumafuji Hug” he would use to stop rikishi from falling off. However, it’s not required, and some, either because of their own personality or because of how they feel about the other wrestler or the bout, will push to send the guy into the cheap seats.
Right at the start one guy slapped the other guy really hard in the face.
That opening slap is a tactic used to disorient the opponent at the charge (tachiai). It’s legal, but frowned upon. (Hakuho is notorious for these slaps and has even received reprimands for them in the past.)
After the match, the winner shoved the loser, and kind of hard too!
Dame-osh, or a post-match shove. Rikishi are supposed to maintain the stoicism and quiet respect expected of a professional athlete in Japan, however some, typically elder wrestlers or highly ranked wrestlers, will use the dame-osh, or post-match shove, as a way of communicating with the other wrestler on the ring. It’s meaning depends on the context as it can either be done as a sign of respect (Goeido after a good bout will usually give a little chest pat as an “oh ho, you almost got me but I got you in the end”), a sign of annoyance (Kisenosato shoved someone two tournaments ago after they caused 5 consecutive mattas), or a sign of disrespect (Hakuho, a Mongolian, shoved Ichinojo, another Mongolian, after Hakuho beat him when Ichinojo gave up and just stepped out when he got to the edge, a sign from Hakuho that he was disappointed in his countryman.)
One guy just jumped out of the way of the other guy.
That’s called a henka, or dodge at the charge. It is a legal move but is widely considered to be bad sumo as well as being considered unacceptable from higher ranked wrestlers. The fact is that there are tactical advantages to it, but it is much the same as a free ride walk in baseball. There is an appropriate strategy and opportunity to use it (smaller guys like Ishiura or lighter guys will use it if they are facing someone hundreds of pounds heavier than them. Some wrestlers will also use it to stunt on someone who is charging in every match with their head down.) Using it in this way, while it usually gets an eye roll form the crowd, is much the same as walking a batter to first with no outs and men on second and third. However, pulling a henka if you’re a higher ranked wrestler, for really any reason, or doing it just to be a dick (a guy is having a really good tournament and fighting well, so you henka him just to ruin his streak) is frowned upon and generally will receive audible boos from the crowd.
One guy went flying into the crowd and landed on the people in the front row!
That happens when you have an elevated ring, and is actually a selling point for the people crazy enough to buy floor seats. There are special rules for floor seats as well (you aren’t allowed to have concessions if you’re sitting on the floor so that Takayasu doesn’t end up with octopus ball skewers in his ass if he goes flying out) but the prospect of having a wrestler end up in your lap is exciting for them.
HOW TO WATCH:
Okay, so you’ve read that little write up so far and you’re thinking “I’m in. I’m gonna give this a try. How do I watch Sumo?” The answer is, if you’re not living in Japan, with some amount of effort. The reality is that Sumo wrestling is broadcast on the NHK, which is Japan’s version of the BBC and is unavailable outside of Japan. So, everything past that is going to take a little work. It airs in the afternoons, usually from about 2:30PM or 3PM Tokyo time to 6PM depending on how long the matches are. Now, NHK does have an international version of their station called NHK World. NHK World does not carry the live sumo feed, or feature the full length matches. However, NHK World does produce a highlight video, about 22 minutes in length, and uploads it to their website for free the day after that days matches, which features a more concise post production of the English language commentary (NHK has an English commentary board for each days coverage on their native feed as well, which is usually one of two English fluent Japanese commentators doing play-by-play accompanied by one of about 6 or 7 different foreigner commentators doing color.) The NHK World highlight package is a great way to casually follow just the results of the day without getting too involved in the sport. But you, dear reader, gotta have more. So, what’s the best way to get more? Well, if you really want to watch the full, uninterrupted live feed, there is typically one or two people on Twitch that livestream the Japanese commentary feed of the NHK tournaments. With that said, the NHK does not like this and typically once per tournament, the channel will get taken down. They are resilient and are usually up by the next day, but such is the risk. Also, since they stream the live feed, you are at the mercy of Tokyo Time for being able to watch it from wherever you are. With that said… YouTube is really the best and most reliable way to watch the most amount of Sumo coverage every tournament. Theres a small but very consistent and welcoming Sumo community on YouTube that all have different styles of uploading, editing, and what not to choose from, so you can find the way you want to watch the tournaments the most, pick a style, and watch just that or a combination of them. (All of these uploaders have a sort of ‘turn the other way’ relationship with NHK. They all know they could, at any point, have a video taken down, but all of them, in one way or another, have gotten some sort of wink from NHK that they are ok for now.) Kintamayahttps://www.youtube.com/useKintamayama Kintamaya uploads edited version of the NHK stream each day, cutting down the entire upper division bout set into one cohesive 15-20 min package. He puts English language subtitles to indicate winners and losers, and occasionally throws in his own brief pieces of commentary or jokes/quips as well. Uploads a few hours after the days matches have concluded. Jason’s All Sumo Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/useJasonsinJapan Jason is an English teacher that has been living in Japan for a number of years and has been following professional sumo since 2010. Jason uploads each of the named ranked matches (typically 5 or 6) each day as their own individual videos. So unlike the collection vids that start at the charge, Jason’s will show you the salt throwing, the stomping, the stare downs, etc. Jason’s channel is also much more talk heavy and personality oriented: Jason will talk during each of the videos, give his opinion, give his own sort of commentary, do history and run downs, make jokes, etc. Very much like watching Sumo on the couch with your friend. NattoSumohttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzZ8v5JF3IyxLWOCGKpcP0g Natto is more similar to Kintamaya, the major difference being that Natto pulls his footage from Abeyma (an iTV station that just recently acquired the right to broadcast Sumo with NHK) so there are different graphics, different stats, and a different camera feel. Natto does not include personal commentary or annotated opinions, typically just showing the stats and using an indicator for victories. Honorable mentions: Robert Mensinghttps://www.youtube.com/userobm999 Re-uploads the Grand Sumo Highlights package from the NHK on YouTube if you would rather watch it that way. MiseletPLUShttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl21R2SHvvjYqvsuuXxeNAg Miselet picks and chooses what he uploads. Sometimes it’s the full live feed, sometimes it’s one or two matches, sometimes it’s the juryo division. Sometimes it’s matches day by day from years ago. Interesting uploads, but inconsistent. Those are the three big sumo channels and the two smaller ones. There are many other smaller ones that pop up and go down every tournament, or are very inconsistent, but the top three are the most consistent in both their uploads, their quality and what they deliver. Check out each channel, see how you like to watch (for example, I watch Kintamayamas video up until the match that Jason starts his coverage at, and then switch over to Jason’s channel for the rest of the bouts.) and go from there!
READING/SUPPLEMENTAL
Tachiai Bloghttps://tachiai.org/ Named after the Japanese term for the initial charge in a sumo match, tachiai blog is the main source for ongoing and up to date English language news for Sumo. They do daily recaps with explanations and predictions which can make understanding the narrative of the tournament a lot easier when you’re just starting out. @sumofollower on twitter is one of the writers and her feed has a lot of good Sumo information as well as coverage of the jungyo (sumo’s equivalent of the house show tour they go on during even numbered months.) @sumokyokai is the official JSA account as well and, while in Japanese, has an abundance of pictures throughout the tournament and in between as well. Grand Sumo Breakdown (Podcast)https://grandsumobreakdown.wordpress.com/ A relatively new podcast, it’s a group of American followers of the sport discussing it, usually with a beginning, middle, and wrap up episode every tournament, as well as bonus supplemental episodes that cover things like the match fixing scandal, Americans in sumo, pre modern era sumo and traditions, etc. They are learning as well but passionate, so if you ever have that “hear someone talk about this thing I like” itch, they are a good way to spend your time. Sumopediahttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3gh8X4dSmUB72HKrQldb4ziq4rlWyLRk A few years ago the NHK put out the Sumopedia video series, which are 2 minute videos that explain all of the “what is that?” questions new viewers to the sport might have. (What’s with the salt throwing, what’s with the three hand slices over the envelopes, why does the yokozuna have a white belt, why is the referee dressed like that, what is the referee yelling at the wrestlers, etc.) Excellent video series if you want to watch all of them, or if theres just one thing in particular you want to know about.
The next tournament begins on January 13th, 2019. If you’re looking for something new to get into, something exciting to follow, something with tradition and unique rules and culture and history, consider giving Sumo a try. One of the reasons I love following sumo is that while there is stuff to look at and follow and read about in between tournaments, you basically have 15 days of action once every other month. There isn’t an event every week, or 5 hours you have to follow twice a week or 162 games over the course of 4 months. 15 Days every other month. One complete story. Give it a try. Watch some old matches on YouTube. Read about current wrestlers, past wrestlers, whatever. It’s worth your time to be sure. I hope you enjoy.
Below is what I have created for my upcoming campaign. They will be mainly playing in Cape Town in Azania. - Most of this information has been created by me, as there was not a lot of "cannon" game information in the books. where there was info, I tried to use it as much as possible. (but I also had to make it mine, so...some liberties have been taken). My questions are what do you think about it, should I change or add anything...or is it a nice starting point for what players would know about the nation and city they live in. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Azania (South Africa): The Azanian Confederation was formed in 2040 when the Cape Republic, Oranje-Vrystaat, Trans-Swazi Federation, and Zulu Nation decided to combine into one nation. It fully participates in the Global SIN Registry Geography: The whole central and northern area is on a great plateau · Northern Azania is almost all rain forest · Easterly and center Azania is all arid desert · Center Azania is mostly savannah and scrublands · Westerly and center Azania is all plainlands · Southern coast of Azania is varied and mountainous There are gold mines and diamond mines that give Azania it’s wealth · It is not uncommon to see slaves and indentured servants Weather: · Generally, the climate is temperate (remember that the seasons are opposite of North America) · It doesn’t rain often, but when it does, it rains for a long stretch of time. o This doesn’t include the far northern and the eastern region around Pretoria and Zulu o This also doesn’t include Cape Town that has a dragon that makes it rain Travel: There are several highways that crisscross the nation (The below are the ones that are still mostly intact and maintained) · The N1 is the fastest route to and from Cape Town to Pretoria o The “No-Oners” is a gang that is found between Cape Town and Pretoria and frequently travel the N1 looking for those targets that are easy pickings. They are responsible for smuggling and trafficking the majority of contraband between the cities. · The N2 is along the south coast from Cape Town · The N7 will take you north up towards farmlands where it abruptly ends in a crater · The N12 breaks from the N1 and takes you north through farmlands to the “Central Kalahari Reserve” o The “Grey Coats” are a gang that operates from where the N12 breaks north, and highway road travel is safe if you pay the tolls that they enforce throughout the stretch. They are not that large though and will stay away from protected targets. · The N3 will take you to and from Pretoria to New Hlobane A super railway system runs the entirety on the country, and the main line runs from Cape Town to Pretoria · It runs semi close to highway N1 (running next to it at a few stretches and runs a couple miles away at others) · This rail system is protected and well maintained · It is also instrumental for getting workers, tourists, and cargo between the cities Languages: · English and Afrikaans are tied for the most known/used languages o English is more prevalent in the large cities and Afrikaans is more prevalent everywhere else · The second most used language is Portuguese, and the third language is German · The largest language spoken with in the Wakyambi Elves is Zulu · After that; it is crime languages (Russian, Italian, Cantonese) and dialects (Swazi, Tsonga, etc.) Flora and Fauna: · The biodiversity here is too numerous to list, but all the standard African critters are present o Awakened creatures are in excess, take a guide or ranger with you § Those that stray far from the highways and roads end up missing ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cape Town: If someone could describe Cape Town in a single sentence it would probably be… · A land where riches such as diamonds, gold, and uranium spring from the soil like savannah grass, life is still the cheapest of commodities and people are still desperate enough to indenture their offspring to corporate strip mines. It is not the biggest city in Azania, but it is the most diverse and the capital of the country, as well as being the home to the most elite and powerful creatures in the nation. <> Leadership (movers and shakers): Mujaji(f (dragon) The Rain Queen – Great Feathered Serpent) Richard Wong(m (dwarf) Mayor) Jan Vermeer(m (human) CEO of DeBeers-Omnitech ()Diamonds) Erich Sladek(m (ork) Lone Star Police Chief) Jabu Goduka(m (human) District Attorney) Tanya Solari(f (Elf) Ares District Director) Quinton Lavigne(m (human) Neo-Net District Director) Steven Mbulo(m (troll) Military General) Rondo Gibbon(m (dwarf) Shiawase District Director) Tricia Mika(f (human) Evo District Director) Newton Buccan(m(ork) Elite – Wealthy Investor) Cayla Maille(f (human) Elite – Wealthy Philanthropist) Watha Yol(m (Elf) Elite – Wealthy Investor) MabukiNjombo(m (elf) Former “Rain Queen” Shaman) LuisBarreto(m (human) Pirate/Philanthropist/Humanitarian) Malcolm Slayton(m (human) Silver Skull Transportation CEO) Parliament council members: These are a few of the persons that handle all the nation’s major decisions and also reside in Cape Town. (where-as not an official member, Mujaji is always welcome when she wants) Nancy Finch(f (human)) Sarah Tempra(f (dwarf)) Fando Vuyo(m (Elf)) Demetri Olof(m (human)) Elizabeth West(f (human)) Sean Killdeer(m (troll)) Peter Williams(m (human)) Hank Ford(m (ork)) Robben Island: · Robben Island is an island located on the table shelf and is approximately four miles northwest away at its closest. o By boat it takes approximately three and a half hours to ferry there, as there are many maritime hazards. o It is most notably known for the military base and the prison it houses § It also has a small airport and community of military family members Neighborhoods (the bowl): Those that live in the bowl are not necessarily any better off then those that live in the fringe, they just get away with more. Some well-known locales: Waterfront: · Visible from almost anywhere in Capetown, the blue harbor swarms with ships of all flags. · This is the city’s seaport and despite Mujaji’s attempts, this remains in the hands of pirates and gangs. · However, with the presence of corporate district offices, there is a common set of unspoken rules that keep trouble to a minimum. · Victoria Wharf Mega-mall · Cape Town Customs Office · Two Oceans Aquarium Mouilli Point: · This neighborhood lies west of the waterfront, but still on the coast and lies within the harbor, and it also houses the large stadium (Green Point Stadium) where several sports are played. · Several elite condominiums and resorts have also been built here. · Home to upscale fortified gated estates of the super wealthy. · This is also the home of the largest park in the city. · Metropolitan Golf Club · Green Point Stadium · The Granger Hotel Downtown: · This area has seen the most renovation and revitalization in the past decade with an uncountable amount of nuyen poured into it. · It rivals other large city downtowns like Seattle, Detroit, and Berlin in way of scope and verticality. · Several large corporations have headquarters or district offices here, as well as housing large mega-mall/apartment complexes. · Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden (Biotech greenhouse dome) · Castle of Good Hope · Cape Town City Municipal Buildings · Arcade Café (BaClub) · The Gin Bar (BaClub) · Publik (Dance Club) · Quiksotic Train Terminal · Ares Macrotechnology Capital Building The Gardens: · This neighborhood is located south of Mouilli Point and is home to middle/upper-class families and tourists. · The closer you live to the mountain, the nicer houses you will find, and the closer to the coast you will find apartment complexes. · This district is also named after its many gardens, botanical works of art, and luxurious fountains. · Newmark Hotel and Garden · Protea Zoo · Stella Varis Garden and Fountain Castlen: · South of the Garden along the coast and tucked away from the drek of city life you can find Castlen. · There are few ways to get to this uber-rich neighborhood and all are closely monitored. There is a stretch for commercial… · To even work as a servant in this neighborhood, you have to go through a vigorous background check. · The Crystal Fairway (Golfcourse) · The Roundhouse (5-star restaurant) · Bungalow 52 (Dance Club) Buisenkant: · This neighborhood is located south of the downtown district, and has some of the best nightly views, too bad it is overpopulated. · This area would be the slums of the bowl, with houses practically built adjoining and on top of each other. · Those with the most money can afford the houses closer to the mountainside and thus upper manses with views. · De Waal Park (and accompanying Molteno Reservoir) · Marko’s Killa’ Party (Outdoor Club, Amphitheater) · The Lions Hotel Neighborhoods (the fringe and sprawl): For all the money spending going into the neighborhoods of the “Bowl”, the rest of the sprawl has been left to filth and decay Some well-known locales: Lower Addeley: · East of Waterfront and northeast of Longmarket, the “Low-ady” is mostly industrial shipping and industrial manufacturing · This is also where the airport is located. · It has been rebuilt to accommodate leisurely activities. Far north, is where the dismantling of old ships happens, they are run-a-shore and those that want, get to work on them. · Cape Town Airport · Brooklyn Tower “the Brook” (Mega-mall) · Buffelsfontein Hotel Crossroads: · This area is actually four neighborhoods that all border each other where the N1 and N7 highways intersect. · These areas are mostly lower-class poor and industrial neighborhoods, that most choose to forget or look the other way. · Summer Green: Spearhead Business Park · Summer Green: Chemira Tek HQ · Edgemead: De Akker Pub (Bar) · Edgemead: Cape Town Community College · Acacia Park: St. John’s Church · Acacia Park: Maitland Cemetery · Glenwood: Planet Bar (BaClub) · Glenwood: N1 City Mega-Mall Vesperdene: · This neighborhood lies east of downtown and is one of the more affluent (but still middle-class) and commercial areas of the fringe. · It also could be because it is pretty much just a huge bazaar and one can find pretty much anything here for a price. Tourist and criminals travel these streets and visit these locales. · Indra (Dance Club) · Dunn’s Dungeon (BaClub) · Magica Roma (Bawell known magic shop) Pinelands: · The largest neighborhood in the fringe, it is located east of Vesperdene and is like a small city in its own right. · West of the N7 is mostly made up of lower-class apartment complexes and east of the N7 is middle-class suburbanite homes. There is a downtown that spans the whole distance of the N7 within the boundaries of this area. · West of N7: Star Holiday Mega-Apartments · West of N7: Neo-Net Grid Housing · West of N7: Morningside Mega-Apartments · East of N7: GrandWest Casino and Resort · East of N7: Renegades Pub (Bar) Gugulethu (the Gut): · This area is located south of Vesperdene and is a slumland. · Whereas not as bad as Longmarket, it is still the bottom of society and slummy · Belmont Square (series of Mega-Apartments) · Cambridge Quart (series of Mega-Apartments) · Rondebosch Commons (Park) Longmarket: · This neighborhood is located south of the Pinelands and east of Gugulethu. · This is also where a lot of gang activity takes place, as does smuggling and black-market importing. This is a neighborhood where even Lone Star will refuse to go to answer calls of criminal activity. · Mostly slums and nobody ever goes there to visit · These are mostly just metal shacks huddled together. Organized Crime: Mujaji recently decimated the powerful crime families, in an order to stem their illicit activities, this has left a large power vacuum in the city, that criminals and shadowrunners alike are weighing the options to take. There are three factions that have seemingly survived the “purging” and are vying for control of the cape. · With the deaths of the boss Anthony Ferraro and underboss Killian O’Neill, the Mafia has been in an inter-political war where the “capos” are struggling to decide on a leader. o Joseph Ferraro claims he has the greater entitlement to the spot, as his Uncle was the boss. § Joe is also rumored to be the richest and rumored to live in the “Castlen” neighborhood. o Sean O’Neill is demanding he is the rightful heir to command, as he is the son of the underboss. § Sean is rumored to control the largest force of mobsters. o Nicolas Panchini is claiming that it is time for new blood and ideas, as the last regime brought death. § Nick makes sure to get any rumors squashed but ask around everyone has ideas. · The Vory were also decimated and lost a lot of their command; however, they were quick to hash out new leadership quickly; and in doing so have also been able to take territory from the Mafia. o It is rumored that the new “Prakhan” (leadeboss) is “Vetka Artov”, she used to be the “Obshchak” (security overseer) § This is a tall muscular female troll, no one messed with her before, and now even more so… · The “Blue Lotus” Triad survived and has quickly claimed with force the old Yakuza territories of Vesperdene o It is rumored that have a powerful backer assisting them. Gangs: There are eight main gangs that reside within and battle for neighborhoods; then there are several minor subsidiary gangs that control smaller “blocks” within those larger main gang territories. Below are the gang names and within that will be listed a few minor gangs they control. · The “Drek-Heads” reside in and claim the northern part of the “Lower Addeley” as their own. It is rumored that the Drak-Heads are being led by Luis Barreto, a rumor that he vehemently denies. And no one has been able to expose this rumor to be the truth. o The “Scrappers” control the criminal enterprises of “Dismantlers Corner” north of “Lower Addy”. o The “Picaroons” reside in the “Racine Block” of the “Lower Addy” and are known for carjacking and piracy. · The “Clowns” used to be part of the largest gang in the entire nation, the “Hard Time Kids”, but a recent schism has wrenched them apart. They are now known as the Clowns and despite the name are just as bad, if not worse than they were. They reside mostly in the “Longmarket” but are found in the “Pinelands” too. o The “Jesters” reside in the “54th Block” of the western “Pinelands” and are more small-time criminals than anything else. § The 54th Block is also the location of the “Morningside Mega-Apartment Complex” o The “Ha-ha Boys” reside in “Beggar’s Point” in “Longmarket” and are more violent than the clowns. · The “Harvesters” are mostly found in the Matrix where they steal and extort the common wageworkeslave. Outside of the Matrix they reside in southern “Buisenkant” and deal in counterfeiting, Loansharking, and gambling. o “DotEXE” works for them outside of the bowl and resides in the “Frankfort Block” of Vesperdene. · The “Tusks” are primarily an ork and troll gang that will sometimes allow those that are not orks and trolls entrance if they prove their worth and dedication to the gang. They reside in within the “Acacia Park” region of the crossroads. o There are no smaller gangs that work directly for the Tusks. o The Tusks associate with many gangs and on any given day they could be an ally or an enemy. · The “Reapers” are the only major gang that requires you to be awakened to join. They mostly deal with the occult and some even call them a cult with their rituals and practices. They reside in “the Gut”, but their influence is felt through-out the entire city by way of the astral realm. o The “Spirit Guides” are an organization that claims no affiliation with the Reapers, however, most of the known members of the Reapers were once Spirit Guides. The guides are a pseudo religious group that worships astral creatures. They have “lodges” located all over the city. However, unlike the Reapers they will recruit non-awakened. · The “Draak Elwe” are a group of gang bangers that consider themselves trophy hunters more then a street gang. They call Vesperdene their home, but travel throughout the city and nation hunting the Zulu Wakyambi and other; quote, “over-abundant species’. o There are no smaller gangs that work directly for the Draak Elwe. · The “Red Demons” are the city’s resident go-gang. They reside and strike bystanders along the northern part of the N7. This leads to clashes with the Drek-Heads and the scrappers. Lone Star has also upped its manpower in this region, but with an already tight shift of officers working night and day, it has been hardly an improvement. o The “Speed-Freaks” are a gang that deals with primarily moving cargo safely for a cost. They can be found in any blackmarket where one would need to get things into or out of city limits. o The“Road-Master” is a gang inhisown right, although there are many who take up the mantle of road-master within it this gangs ranks, it is believed that there is an original person, an old shadow-runner, that controls the far northern stretch of N7, by the boarder through military like force. No one has ever seen him or has there been a recent accounting of an attack. · The “Sisters” were recently run out of Acacia Park and their church, the famous St. John’s Church, by city municipalities and have moved to the “Summer Green” region of the crossroads. They are a religious gang that is all female and is militant and brutal. o The “Crusaders” are the militant arm of the Sisters and are just as violent and vicious as their historic counterparts. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pretoria-Witwatersrand-Vaal (Johannesburg): Northeast of the center of the country you will find the remains of Johannesburg, a once great city is now just a huge slum encircling the inner city reserved for the elites and administrators that run the labor camps. · This is the largest city in Azania, but that size comes from two cities merging and the vast sprawl that extends from the center <> Leadership (movers and shakers): Marielle Castilione(f (human) Mayor) Trenton Jobs(m (human) Metro Police Force Chief) Tandi Izula(m (ork) District Attorney) Galen Kader(m (human) Saeder-Krup District Director) Vala Ifu(f (Elf) Neo-Net District Director) Ganya Ulwazi(m (elf) “King of the Garden” ()lord of the slums) Malik Basset(m (shapechanger) Prime Minister of Azania) Nandi Mogayna(m (human) Council of city affairs – Transportation) Darron Frack(m (Elf) Council of city affairs – Logistics) Lori Hadel(f (human) Council of city affairs – Human Services) Zonke Opopa(m (dwarf) Council of city affairs – Safety) Ingwe Layga(f (human) Council of city affairs – Operations) Parliament council members: The Parliament Building can be seen in the very center of the picture above These are a few of the persons that handle all the nation’s major decisions and also reside in Pretoria. (where-as not an official member, Mujaji is always welcome when she wants) Yuko Locke(f (Elf)) Kwanele Nana(f (human)) Lunga Catz(m (human)) Cole Hayland(m (Elf)) Mercy Bennett(f (human)) Jama Mange(m (human)) Kennith Stoyer(m (dwarf)) Maddie Sharp(f (ork)) Ndonsa Endika(f (troll)) Gentry Foster(m (ork)) Eli Wood(m (human)) Nolan Richards(m (human)) Kayla Steward(f (Elf)) Abelo Nowlz(m (human)) Ufasimba Dulaka(m (Elf)) Isabelle Mitchel(f (human)) Neighborhoods: The neighborhoods are broken into zones, these zones have names associated with them, but can be commonly identified by numbeletter Zone “A” and “B” are both inside the massive walls, the other six zones are numbers and represent 1/6th of the outer portion of the city, alphabetically. Zone A – (Randburg – dual inner circles ): · This is where the elite and rich live, and it is protected as such. · Most of this part of the city is clean and white · Travel to and from and even through in some places is closely monitored and check pointed. There are no ground passageways outside of this zone that lead outside of the walls, that are not heavily monitored. Zone B – (Johannesburg – outer circle)): · This where the uppemiddle class and also the servants live. · Travel through-out this area is as free as any other city, however, there are check points to move outside of the walls. · Lone Star has a national large headquarters here. · The largest “Urban Brawl” stadium is located here and spans several city blocks Starting clock-ways (north) and going around... Zone One – (Tembisa): · This is mostly commercial and lower-class to middle-class residents that live in this zone. · This section is built up and is mostly made up of multi-story buildings and well-kept streets. Those that visit Pretoria for work or pleasure will often stay here if they cannot afford the inner circles. Zone Two – (Kempton Park): · Mostly lower-class residential, and unmaintained parks dot this zone with habitation. · This glorified slum is not as densely populate as zone 04 or 05, and as such, the shacks are a little more well build and most are built on a stone/brick foundation and have a second or third story. · The further you get away from the city This zone is farmland. Zone Three – (Alberton): · One can find mostly slums and industrial parks here, it is not uncommon for large caliber weaponry to be brandished here with no repercussions. · For a price though, you can rent personal security while there. · The “king” controls this zone as well and has his own personal security force that he employs to keep the peace. Zone Four – (Soweto): · This cesspit and slum, is also the largest zone, and extends out to the Driefontein Mine · This zone is controlled by slums Ganya Ulwazi, the self-proclaimed “King of the Slums”. As such no work gets done without his approval and assistance. · This zone is mostly comprised of tightly condensed shacks. Zone Five – (Roodepoort): · This is all lower-class with a few strips of slumlands near the south · This zone is mostly farmland and that land acts as a barrier from the slum of zone 04 and the nicer zone 06. · Parts of the southern region and the farmlands of this zone are controlled by the “King” and his “Pretorian Guard” · It is crucial that the food crops are maintained and defended. Zone Six – (Steyn City): · One of the smaller zone, it is sandwiched between Pretoria and “The Cradle Game Reserve” · It has some of the best gardens in any of the outer zones and a lower-class population that works diligently to keep and maintain the look. However, they do not take kindly to visitors or tourist. · Everyone here feels a duty to pitch in and help out. Organized Crime: · Most of the criminal activities are handled by the gangs of Pretoria o They constantly work together to make sure not one gang gets too big to take control, and this is all rumored to be orchestrated by one man. The “King of the Slums” o There is a rumor that this is enhanced by the vast wealth exchanging hands and no one wanting to rock the boat · The Metropolitan Police Force is also a well-paid elite subsidiary of Lone Star and does its best to keep crime to a minimum throughout the city and the subsequent zones. Gangs: There are three main gangs within the city of Pretoria and one that plies in criminal activities but rumored for the good of the people…sort of like the old stories of Robinhood. · The “Hard Time Kids” reside in Alberton (Zone 03) and are the original gang before the schism that broke the most powerful into the two most powerful and largest in their respected cities. o The “Bucket Brothers” · The “Tusks” that reside within Pretoria are a colony gang that broke away when those from Cape Town started allowing non-ork and non-trolls into their ranks. They reside in Styen City (zone 06) o Like their counterparts, they are too violent to work with any minor gangs for too long. · The “Stutzer” are a white only branch of the Humanist Poli-club that works exclusively in South Africa. They reside mostly in Kempton Park (zone 02). They attack everyone that isn’t human and white. o The “5th Reich” is a German only branch of the Stutzer and a lot of members are in both gangs, you must speak German as a natural language and be able to trace your lineage. It is rumored that they are the ones that are actually in command. · The “Pretorian Guard” are as much a gang as any other group of misfit criminals. They reside primarily in Soweto (zone 04), but their reach extends all the way into the capital and inner circle. They act as defenders of the people more than violent hoodlums. o The king is a Wakyambi (elf) and is believed to have been in the city before everything went down 60+ years ago. Thus, he has a lot of pull and influence within the city and its residence. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Zulu Nation: Far to the east along the coast is the home of the Zulu tribal Nation of Elves. Visitors need to get special permits to travel past their boarders into their capital of New Hlobane; and even if you are an elf your chances are not good. There are even Wakyambi that are not even allowed to enter. Being banished is a fate worse than death to most nationals. The N3 is the highway that cuts through the capital of New Hlobane <> Leadership (movers and shakers): Celogal Xanth(m (elf) Prince) Eragor Kant(m (elf) National Military General) Larry Walker(m (elf) Chief City Relation Advisor) Arien Lace(f (elf) Chief Royal Attendant) Grant Evans(m (human) Pretoria Diplomat and Ambassador) Yalaris Moot(f (elf) Cape Town Diplomat and Ambassador) Camanchi(f (shapechanger) Willowton District Alderman) Wami Chundo(m Lincoln Meade District Alderwoman) Olas Munga(m (elf) Loop District Alderman) Reidrey Hado(m (ork) Downtown District Alderman) Eris Jalamba(f (elf) Clarendon District Alderwoman) Popau Lolula(m (elf) Scottsville District Alderman) Neighborhoods: These areas are broken into districts that each have a representative on the “High Seats” these members along with the price oversee the affairs and direction that the city will take. · Willowton o This district is northeast of the loop and is comprised mostly of industrial factories and the slums that surround them. When one pictures slums, they picture Cape Town’s Longmarket or Pretoria’s Soweto neighborhoods, but this would be more like lower-class in those cities. The nation of Zulu prides itself on maintaining their empire. · Lincoln Meade o This district is located east of the loop and is comprised of middle-class families and large parkland, that of which rivals the loop. It is one of the newer districts and is still in development, thus the lush natural aesthetics that still remain. · Loop o The Loop is the district that binds all the other districts together, it is at the center of the city and all the major roadways converge in this area. It also has the most parks and gardens of any other district. · Downtown o This district is northwest of the loop and is all larger buildings and vertical gardens. The city is surrounded by an unrelenting jungles with many unpleasant creatures and this makes it hard for farmers to keep land safe. So downtown has become the largest food depository in all of the nation. At least 2/3rds of all the high rises have some sort of agriculture built into them. · Clarendon o This district is located north-northeast of downtown and is mostly middle-class single-family homes broken into suburbs. Most of the working class live in this zone and the houses are the oldest in the city. · Signal Hill o This district is west of downtown and the loop and is a gated community and a small town in unto itself. It is also where the royal family lives in their castle and surrounding them are the uber-elite mansions. · Scottsville o This district is located south of the loop and is includes mostly tightly packed lower-class suburbs and a few middle-class houses sprinkled throughout the area of those that haven’t moved out yet. This district also has the most apartment complexed save for downtown. Organized Crime: · It is alleged that technically there is no organized crime within the Zulu nation. This is speculated with rumors and whispers that the Zulu nation is in fact a criminal organization that actually controls the nation. · This conspiracy theory is backed by stories of Zulu nationals in other parts of the country intertwined within other criminal networks. Gangs: · The “Pack” is the only one main gang within the city boundaries and it likes to keep it that way. They are rumored to be unofficial defenders and protectors of the city and the nation. They can be found throughout the whole nation. o It is mostly comprised of shapeshifters and unbound spirits
Like any other Yakuza game there are plenty of side activities to undertake. To obtain this trophy all you need to do is play the Minigames of the Kiwami world. There are 17 games to choose from around the world, but playing them is far easier than the Completion Point requirement in many situations. Yakuza: Like a Dragon offers players an myriad of experiences from racing through the streets of Ijincho on a go-kart to even hanging out with hostesses. Each of these activities works in tandem Welcome to IGN's complete list of Yakuza: Like a Dragon achievements and trophies including secret Achievements/Trophies. We've got everything you A list of all trophies in Yakuza: Like a Dragon and how to acquire all of them while playing the game. This includes the base game and premium dlc trophies. Welcome to the Yakuza Like a Dragon Trophy Guide! This is the 8th main series game in the Yakuza series made by SEGA’s Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. Like a Dragon is meant as a fresh start for the series, with a new main character and cast set in a new primary location, along with a massive overhaul to the battle system, turning the game into a turn based RPG. Yakuza: Like A Dragon - Bond Events Guide. When you reach level 5 with Nanba the trophy will unlock and you will also get Skill Tag Team: Heat Buster. Friends on the Force. Maxed Adachi's Bond Level. Youtube. Bond levels will be introduced to you during the story when you visit Survival Bar for the first time. Finished Yakuza 3-5 Remaster Collection a while back. I've got my feet in the Trails of series right now, so I might not buy the English release of this game until the price drops way down. 1.2: 3/1/2020, added a bunch of sections (cat search, kappa search, company management!), still working sections that require tables of lists (like shops), and the entertainment spots (looking at you Dragon Yakuza Like a Dragon has 52 Substories (Side Quests). Completing all of them unlocks the Stories of the Streets trophy or achievement. This guide will walk you through all Substories (side quests) in the game. Substories are extra side quests you can participate in throughout the game for various rewards. You’re introduced to them early […] Yakuza: Like A Dragon Trophy List • 63 Trophies • 5,631 Owners • 48.21% Average Full list of all 63 Yakuza: Like a Dragon trophies - 58 bronze, 3 silver, 1 gold and 1 platinum.
That One Trophy In Yakuza: Like A Dragon That Nearly Broke ...
Please Read Video Description Subs & Comments are greatly appreciated! This trophy achievement requires someone to get ran over by a passing vehicle,... Welcome to our new show "That One Thing" where a member of the Access team shares the story of one single element of a game they found particularly challengi... About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators ...
