Astral Chain Fun Facts! @astralchainfunfacts - Tumblr Blog

Astral Chain Fun Facts!

Heyo, it's @cabalex!

I'm going to start a new series on here just going through my random tidbits about this almost 6 year old game (that probably doesn't have any chance of a sequel). I've shared many of these in the r/AstralChain Discord server before, but some will be entirely new!

I've spent over a thousand hours playing, reverse engineering, building tools, and modding this darn game, so I have way too many of these. And 99% of them will be entirely useless... but many will show behind-the-scenes content or ways the game works!

I'll post daily facts about this game until I run out. So stick around if you like that!

Note that many of these facts will contain full game spoilers. You have been warned! (I encourage you to play the game if you haven't, it's a real fun game from Platinum Games)

To clear up confusion, all vanilla content will be shot using red UI, while all modded/1.0.0 content will be in green. (My outfits will also be different!)

#astral chain #acff

Fun fact: In 1.0.0, File 11 Chapter 1, they accidentally placed the "Head to the ARI" pin 2.2 units too high.

This was fixed in 1.0.1. (Riveting.)

#astral chain #acff #acff: version differences

Fun fact: Julia is an avid shipper of Max and Alicia. In File 02, all of her dialogue revolves around the pair, and it even advances with the story.

She never mentions this again once Max goes missing.

#astral chain #acff #acff: lore

Fun fact: 1.0.1 added a "Legion Customization" tutorial screen after you use the training program and finish the Akira cutscene in File 03 Chapter 01. (Perhaps they realized they never properly introduced the mechanic?)

#astral chain #acff #acff: version differences

Fun fact: In a 2020 Famitsu interview with Yoko Taro, Hideki Kamiya, and Takahisa Taura, Taro mentions how he sent Taura his predictions for the game before finishing it -- including how he thought the Legions would get... pregnant.

...after I got to about [File 02], I sent Taura my predictions for what the rest of the game’s story was going to be. Didn’t I say something about the Legions getting pregnant?

#astral chain #acff: devblog

Fun fact: This is Homunculus Beta's "t-pose".

#astral chain #acff

Fun fact: For this specific line of dialogue in File 04 Chasing Shadows, they forgot to make Olive speak through the IRIS's comm system. This was fixed in 1.0.1.

Notably, they did not fix this red word's description, which says Harmony Square is in Zone 32...

#astral chain #acff #acff: version differences

Fun fact: This graph shows the number of Astral Chain NPCs that are born in each year, based on every IRIS data entry in the game. (The game takes place in 2078.)

The small blips are Yoseph (2015), Jena (2023), Max (2030), and Lappy (2076). Otherwise, it follows a stepped distribution, with a large gap between 2058 and 2066.

The disturbing gap may be because the developers didn't want to make teenager NPC models... but maybe it was caused by chimeras?? Or UNION-enacted birth control??

#astral chain #acff #acff: datamining

feeniecchi

astral chain said bi rights

feeniecchi

let me give this man my love platinum pls

astralchainfunfacts

my game was a little different...

#astral chain #acff: modding #not a fun fact

Fun fact: Alan in File 03 Chapter 01 is looking for Marie. If you play through the entire section up until you see Marie in the garage, then return to him, he'll give you the Anti-Decibel ability for your trouble.

You did see her? Well, where is she? … The garage? Of course! I guess you might be useful after all. Hey, take this. My way of sayin', "keep up the good work." [Received Anti-Decibel] This is what they give us instead of Legions. Not that I need it, but it's good enough for you.

#astral chain #acff

Fun fact: In 1.0.0, you could manipulate the File 09 cat in Harmony Square to go anywhere you wanted. This was patched in 1.0.1: the cat will now simply disappear out of existence if you try to bring it away from its intended area.

As far as I know, this didn't really break anything? The cat remained spawned in until you unloaded the area, but the main boss fight here takes place far away from where the cat can exist. I believe they did this so that you can't get the cat stuck out of bounds where you can't rescue it (though doing so would take considerable effort).

They also moved the cat so that it was more easily visible to players (previously it was placed in the nearby alley).

#astral chain #acff #acff: version differences

Fun fact: In version 1.0.0 of the game, Parnassus No. 2 actually had an ID on the IRIS! It was UCA002684.

This ID was unique and not shared by any other NPC. He was the only Parnassus to have an ID, and it was later redacted in 1.0.1. If you go check him in File 02 now, it'll just say ID: ?????????.

#astral chain #acff #acff: datamining #acff: version differences

Fun fact: In v1.0.0 of the game, it was possible to get Lappy to tell you "You got a perfect score!" when you actually only scored 75/100 points, due to a error in the talk script logic.

This was fixed in v1.0.1.

#astral chain #acff #acff: datamining #acff: version differences

Fun fact: Kijima is the only person in the game to have had their birthday retconned between updates. In 1.0.1, the developers changed his birthday from June 27, 2050 to February 3, 2050 (144 days earlier). They also added his blood type and bust/weight/hip ("size") measurements that they somehow forgot to add in 1.0.0.

#astral chain #acff #acff: datamining #acff: version differences

Fun fact: In version 1.0.1, male Akira was made 5.5 kg heavier, and Female Akira was made 3.5 kg heavier. (According to IRIS data.)

This meant Akira went from:

58.3 kg (128.5 lbs) to 63.8 kg (140.7 lbs) [Male Akira]

45.8 kg (101.1 lbs) to 49.2 kg (108.5 lbs) [Female Akira]

Considering they're both 19 years old, and Male Akira is 171.4 cm (5'7") and Female Akira is 169.3 cm (5'6"), they probably did this because the 1.0.0 numbers would make female Akira underweight, and male Akira almost underweight. The weight increase pushes them right to the center of healthy levels.

Since, I assume fighting chimeras all day would help you keep at a healthy weight!

#astral chain #acff #acff: datamining #acff: version differences

Fun fact: An unused tutorial screenshot left in the game's files shows a Harmony Square super early on in development, featuring vastly different building placements, old Legion icons, and a NieR-esque UI. The red case's name translates to "Street Artist".

This screenshot is likely a little further on in development than the one seen in the devblog "Lend Us Your Ears", whose UI is much more akin to NieR's (especially in the bottom right):