User:RustyVanBurace/Sandbox8
This page covers the Alignment mechanics in Shin Megami Tensei.
Overview
The Alignment mechanic is used to determine the game's ending route, the kind of Demons that the Hero is able to recruit and use, as well as the kind of equipment that party members are able to equip.
The Hero's current Alignment is determined by a score range between 0 to 255 Alignment points. 0 to 111 points is Law-aligned (with 14 and below regarded as extreme Law), 112 to 143 is Neutral-aligned, and 144 to 255 is Chaos-aligned (with 240 and above as extreme Chaos). At the beginning of the game, the Hero starts off Neutral-aligned at 128 points.
| Alignment Scoring | ||
|---|---|---|
| Law | Neutral | Chaos |
0–111 |
112–143 |
144–255
|
Points are determined by a number of factors within the game, which includes various choices made during the progress of the game, which healing stations the Hero chooses to heal at, as well as certain interactions made with encountered or recruited Demons. These factors are outlined in the sections below.
The Heroine's Alignment is initially locked to Neutral. When the Heroine joins the party during the events of Tokyo 203X, her Alignment will mirror the Hero's current Alignment. This mainly affects the kind of equipment she can equip.
Story Progression
Throughout certain points in the game, the Hero will be confronted by diverging story events corresponding to whichever character of a particular Alignment he chooses to side with or his own current Alignment. Choosing a side will have the Hero perform different tasks, such as defeating a character of the opposing Alignment, and greatly shift his Alignment score. Some points allow the Hero to take neither side, putting him in a Neutral position that usually involves defeating characters of both Alignments. While these diverging events will slightly change the story by tasking the Hero with different objectives, the main story stays relatively unchanged until the game's Alignment lock during the events at Tokyo Destinyland, whereupon the ending route will be determined.
This section contains spoilers. (Skip Section)
Diverging story points involve Ambassador Thorman versus Gotou, Lord Yama's judgment, Haniel versus Echidna, the Four Heavenly Kings, the Octopus versus Turtle, Vishnu versus Ravana, and lastly Michael versus Lord Asura as the game's final bosses.
The game's ending route is determined by the choices the Hero makes at Tokyo Destinyland, in which the Hero can choose to either side with the Law Hero, Echidna, or with neither. Choosing to defeat Echidna and agree with the Law Hero's views will open the Law ending route, while choosing to defeat Haniel and agree with Echidna will open the Chaos ending route. If the Hero disagrees with both sides and defeats both Demons, the game will lead into the Neutral ending route. In any case, this will lock the Hero's Alignment and pre-determine all other diverging events thereafter.
Extreme Alignment ranges will force the Hero into taking certain sides without choice, essentially forcing the Hero into a particular ending route. If the Hero's Alignment range is in extreme Law, he will be forced to side with the Law Hero. Likewise, if the Hero's range is in extreme Chaos, he will be forced to side with Echidna.
- End of spoilers.
Alignment Check
The overworld map icon indicates the Hero's current Alignment by the direction it spins. Spinning clockwise is Law-aligned, counter-clockwise is Chaos, and turning back and forth is Neutral. If the Hero is in an extreme Law or Chaos state, the icon will rapidly spin.