Shenmue II 100% Complete Notebook Guide NOW AVAILABLE!

(Chapters 3-6)

Shenmue II 100% Complete Notebook Guide NOW AVAILABLE!

Postby Peter » Wed May 20, 2015 10:37 pm

Image




GameFAQ Online Guide - HERE






Microsoft Word Download -
Shenmue II 100% COMPLETE NOTEBOOK GUIDE.doc
(230 KiB) Downloaded 836 times







~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



STORY COMPLETION
|----------|----------|----------|----------|


MONEY INFORMATION COMPLETION
|----------|----------|----------|



TOTAL COMPLETION - 100%


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------






~~~~~~~~~~~~~
INTRODUCTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Many have tried, all have failed. Since its release, the Shenmue community has STILL to get a full 100% complete notebook guide for Shenmue II. All we have had so far are failed attempts, disappearing acts and a very incomplete notebook with no guide how to complete the entries by Julian McKenzie, which was attempted over 10 years ago. I cannot believe that no one has followed through with completing this project and over the past months I've been itching for a new Shenmue Project to work on. I chatted with Yama briefly, trying to come up with ideas, and whilst some are really good and may be seen in the future, with my technical limitations as well as my time limitations, this seemed fitting for this point in time. I've been researching all attempts gone before for the past month now, and also chatting to some people to gather resources to make sure the necessary ground work has been done before even firing up the game. To ensure the finished document will be absolutely verified, i attained the binary files of the notebook entries, both to aid me fill the notebook, and also to make sure nothing is missing or out of place. So, with that out of the way, lets start the path to completing this!




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
100% COMPLETION?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



OK, lets get something out of the way to begin with. Firstly i have never been 100% sure on this but since starting this project i have gotten my answer. The question i have always wondered is:

"Can the Shenmue II notebook be 100% filled?".

Well, it depends what way you look at it. If you mean a notebook with every page filled and no missing entries in your story, then YES it can be 100% filled. You can get entries which skip and block other entries if you are just casually playing through the story-mode, but if you follow my guide you will not miss an entry. However, in terms of EVERY notebook entry being activated then the answer is NO, it cannot be 100% completed. The simple reason for that is because there are instances where there is more than one way to get to a story point. I have called these instances, "VARIABLES", and they occur around 4 or 5 times throughout the game. So, if this is the case, then how can i call this a 100% COMPLETE WALKTHROUGH? Well, that's because i have spent hours and hours of taking notes, and testing out every variable to get their total entries. It may not seem like a big consumption of time that's needed for them, but it is. From failing each button in a QTE sequence to see where it leads, passing a QTE sequence, visiting locations in order to get a complete set of entries, meeting requirements before an event, and not having met those requirments...Its a hugely painstaking process.

Here, take a look:

Image


Image


Image


Not only do i have scrap pages of notes, i have an enlarged replica diary to capture every detail i can. Any time there has been a variable in the storyline, ive had to get the scrap paper out and begin the flow charts. What leads to where, what happens if you do this, what happens in this order or that order, what happens if you have spoken to this person or not.... you get the picture. From the scrap notes, then i have fully written out notes on each variable and what to do if you want to take one path or the other. The notebook entries that appear are usually the same size in terms of their entries to their counterpart variable. What i mean by that, if you take one route that covers 4 lines on one page, then the other will also take up the same page with 4 lines filled. It doesnt affect the overall storyline, but you do get to see some different cutscenes, which may be of interest to some of you who havent experienced all that Shenmue II has to offer.
Another reason that its a painstaking task is because there is one event ive encountered so far where there is a variable within a variable!! So the possibilities that i had to figure out were multiplied. I completed all of those tonight so thankfully thats out of the way. Thats the main piece of information i wanted to address from the beginning, and as the project goes on, i will be adding more notes to this section.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WHAT TYPE OF GUIDE WILL THIS BE?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



This is NOT a complete Shenmue II guide. There are plenty of those out there. There will be no walkthroughs to unlock Fagmeis birthday, or how to get up to the 3rd floor of the Pine Arcade etc. This is a no BS, straight to the point completion of the notebook. Where to go, who to speak to, what to do, and here is the entry. This will be very much like Force Vectors original Shenmue notebook walkthrough which you can check out HERE, but i should point out that i will not name EVERY person who will reveal a notebook entry like he did. There are just far too many NCPs in Shenmue II, and to be honest, you are just grateful to find the right person to speak to in the first place. As i mentioned above, when it comes to a variable, i will outline each option, and what to do when you have chosen the path you want to take.
Some entries may appear in the notebook ahead of where you are, but thats not something to worry about. You just move onto the next entry and follow its instruction unless i will have told you otherwise.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COMPLETION TIMEFRAME
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



With the foundations laid with the prep work, things have been going smoothly as they can for 2 weeks. I work 2 jobs so its been mostly a few hours late at night and documenting everything in my physical notebook. The pace was picked up on Monday just gone, when i had a minor operation and now have a full 2 weeks off both jobs to recover. That means bored days sitting on the sofa day and night, not even allowed to leave the house since it rains constantly in Ireland and i cant get my dressings wet. That was another reason the timing of the project was perfect. This will stop me going crazy! I am cleared next Wednesday and head to a weekend festival next weekend (29th-31st May) so my aim is to have the project completed, tested and typed up before then. I am putting in 16 hour shifts in on this, and i hope it will come through in time. I cam currently playing 3 save files on the Dreamcast version of Shenmue II, and once i have reached 100%, i will be doing a full speed test run on the Xbox version to make sure everything checks out. I also want to check and make sure the entries are unlocked on a person/location based action, and not amounts of negative comments received beforehand etc. Just basic QA to make sure everything checks out ok on a separate walkthrough, but also as well as on the Xbox.

-------------------------------------------------------------


And thats it folks! I appreciate any comments, and feel free to discuss anything you have wondered about Shenmue II because i feel like i have seen everything so far, that the game has to offer. Its awesomeness was already at high levels, but with doing this project and seeing how much effort that the development team have put into this game has made it reach favourite game ever levels. I am off to get a few hours sleep before diving back into Kowloon in the morning :P

User avatar
Peter
Shenmue Dojo Owner
Shenmue III
 
Joined: February 2004
Location: Belfast
PSN: TheGasmeter
Favorite title: Shenmue II
Currently playing: Shenmue 2x

Re: [65%] - Shenmue II COMPLETE NOTEBOOK GUIDE

Postby shengoro86 » Thu May 21, 2015 12:33 am

Awesome work so far Peter!
This is truly an insane amount of work. Thank you for doing it!!

shengoro86 has received a thanks from: Peter
User avatar
shengoro86
Admin - Shenmue500K
Shenmue 500K Staff
 
Joined: August 2004
Location: New Jersey, USA
PSN: Shengoro86
XBL: Rock Is Sponge
Favorite title: Shenmue IIx
Currently playing: Shenmue III (PC)

Re: [65%] - Shenmue II COMPLETE NOTEBOOK GUIDE

Postby Brosauce » Thu May 21, 2015 2:31 pm

I honestly thought that it would much more of a pisser to complete The Original Shenmue's notebook guide due to the alternative story stuff but it seems that it's harder for the sequel. What on earth.
User avatar
Brosauce
Banned
Banned
 
Joined: April 2015
Location: In the manliest arena
PSN: Playstation Network
XBL: Xbox Live
Nintendo FC: Nintendo Network
Steam: Steam ID
Favorite title: Shenmue IIx
Currently playing: Education

Re: [65%] - Shenmue II COMPLETE NOTEBOOK GUIDE

Postby Peter » Thu May 21, 2015 3:47 pm

Damn right it is. I just spent an hour looking for one entry there. After talking to all possible NCPs to get the entry that the Dancing Dragon Bldg is "past TeaBreakBldg", I started to get angry. I knew I had to at least be in the Dimsum Qr. and NOT past the TeaBreakBldg. So after pulling out the Shenmue II Prima guide I seen there are more birds stores up on the 6th floor of the Three Birds Bldg. Of course one lift couldn't get me up there, I had to get off on the 3rd floor to get the lift to the 6th floor..... But thankfully I got it there. Madness.
User avatar
Peter
Shenmue Dojo Owner
Shenmue III
 
Joined: February 2004
Location: Belfast
PSN: TheGasmeter
Favorite title: Shenmue II
Currently playing: Shenmue 2x

Re: [70%] - Shenmue II COMPLETE NOTEBOOK GUIDE

Postby Peter » Fri May 22, 2015 3:08 pm

I am about to jump out the window because I cannot get an entry! its when yoy have to fight for the scout to notice you and I am beginning to think that it may be a missing entry. Ive spent almkst 20 hours looking for it and trting different things :cry:

If anyone has ever gotten it, or has any ideas, please please let me know. The entry is:

MachineGun Fist
-> Tiger's Eye Mil.
-> ThousandWhiteBldg
User avatar
Peter
Shenmue Dojo Owner
Shenmue III
 
Joined: February 2004
Location: Belfast
PSN: TheGasmeter
Favorite title: Shenmue II
Currently playing: Shenmue 2x

Re: [70%] - Shenmue II COMPLETE NOTEBOOK GUIDE

Postby BlueMue » Fri May 22, 2015 3:16 pm

Wow this is some incredible dedication. So much more to miss in Shenmue II, makes this a really tough job to complete.

What is the entry you're trying to get about the scout? Crazy how long you tried to get it so far. Hope it wasn't for nothing in the end.

BlueMue has received a thanks from: Peter
User avatar
BlueMue
Machine Gun Fist
Machine Gun Fist
 
Joined: August 2008
Location: Germany
Favorite title: Shenmue II

Re: [75%] - Shenmue II COMPLETE NOTEBOOK GUIDE

Postby Peter » Fri May 22, 2015 3:21 pm

Just updated my post Blue. I am depressed and so tired. Ive sat and tried everything. It has to be related to tbe Passive Raid street fighter, because after buying the scroll, a QTE then happens to allow you to win the fight. But ive failed it 10 times deliberately thinking that someone would then tell me to buy it to beat the fighter. But no luck at all.

EDIT: Oks, I think..... I HOPE I may have figured this out. So Ryo only asks general NCPs at this point where he can participate in street fights, which is no good for this entry. The only person who offers a different conversation at this time is Cool Z, who coincidentially stands and offers Ryo some advice on the fight he is watching. So in theory, he is the answer to this riddle, and surely would tell you to go to Tiger's Eye Military Surplus to buy the move! Like I said I am hoping I am right because this looks set to become the second biggest time consuming entry in the notebook (bad ending is of course number one). The problem is that Cool Z spends until 2PM at a fight venue, then moves onto another for the rest of the day, so trying to get the time to pass is a nightmare. I also dont know the locations timetable where he shows up at, so basically I have to tail Cool Z for as long as it takes. Heres what ive gathered so far:

Tuesday night - Former Barracks watching the Mongolian Wrestlers.
Wednesday morning - outside Ghost Hall Bldg. watching the Acrobat Style Master
Wednesday night - Star Gazing Point watching the One Eyed Fighter
Thursday morning - watching the Acrobat Style Master
Thursday evening - watching One Eyed Fighter


I am hoping it is a pattern and not a random location position. I am gonna edit this throughout the night and use it as my notes for this entry. I also need to complete the Money Information for Kowloon so this may seem like a good opportunity to do that in between. Fingers crossed [-o<

Edit 2: It has to be a programmed sequence. I left Star Gazing Area where Cool Z was, to start the Money Information section in Dragon St. and Cool Z was sitting at the hang out! I freaked out and went back to Star Gazing Point and he was there so it looks as if he is programmed to be at certain places at a certain time and day.

Another thing that's annoying me is why would they write and record dialogue, offering help for 3 of the street fights, and not all 6. It just doesn't make sense. God please let Cool Z go to Small Dragon Garden.
User avatar
Peter
Shenmue Dojo Owner
Shenmue III
 
Joined: February 2004
Location: Belfast
PSN: TheGasmeter
Favorite title: Shenmue II
Currently playing: Shenmue 2x

Re: [75%] - Shenmue II COMPLETE NOTEBOOK GUIDE

Postby Peter » Sat May 23, 2015 2:55 pm

All of that above work was for nothing lol. But great news is I got it!! It was the strangest thing too. After talking with Stuart on Facebook (Miles Prower) he told me that it was actually Sam who tells you the entry! Not only that, but after he told me, all of a sudden Sam appeared at the PassiveRaidMaster fight lol!

I have a theory I am testing out now though, about what actually makes him appear so once I have it nailed then I will continue on.
User avatar
Peter
Shenmue Dojo Owner
Shenmue III
 
Joined: February 2004
Location: Belfast
PSN: TheGasmeter
Favorite title: Shenmue II
Currently playing: Shenmue 2x

Re: [97%] - Shenmue II COMPLETE NOTEBOOK GUIDE

Postby Brosauce » Mon May 25, 2015 2:54 am

Are you going to release it when you have completed it? Make it mobile compatible somehow or you can provide a .pdf link if you want. I want my hands on this...
User avatar
Brosauce
Banned
Banned
 
Joined: April 2015
Location: In the manliest arena
PSN: Playstation Network
XBL: Xbox Live
Nintendo FC: Nintendo Network
Steam: Steam ID
Favorite title: Shenmue IIx
Currently playing: Education

Re: [97%] - Shenmue II COMPLETE NOTEBOOK GUIDE

Postby Peter » Mon May 25, 2015 10:39 am

It's just gonna be .txt file, in the same form as any other walkthrough that they have over at gameFAQs. Like Force Vectors original one. It should be uploaded by Thursday at the very latest.

The guide is at 100% completion in terms of that I have now achieved all of the notebook entries through game play, and how to unlock them. I am just in the process of typing it up now, and it will be available for download both from here at the Dojo, and also gameFAQs as well. Stay tuned!

Peter has received a thanks from: IlDucci
User avatar
Peter
Shenmue Dojo Owner
Shenmue III
 
Joined: February 2004
Location: Belfast
PSN: TheGasmeter
Favorite title: Shenmue II
Currently playing: Shenmue 2x

Re: [97%] - Shenmue II COMPLETE NOTEBOOK GUIDE

Postby Peter » Sun Jun 07, 2015 1:28 pm

Just an update, and apologies for the delay as I had some life stuff going on which has now passed.

I will be back to typing this tonight and the plan is to have it up on GameFAQ by Thursday evening.

Peter has received a thanks from: rome
User avatar
Peter
Shenmue Dojo Owner
Shenmue III
 
Joined: February 2004
Location: Belfast
PSN: TheGasmeter
Favorite title: Shenmue II
Currently playing: Shenmue 2x

Re: [97%] - Shenmue II COMPLETE NOTEBOOK GUIDE

Postby rome » Wed Jun 10, 2015 1:17 am

Peter wrote: Just an update, and apologies for the delay as I had some life stuff going on which has now passed.
I will be back to typing this tonight and the plan is to have it up on GameFAQ by Thursday evening.

Wow Pete, that's some crazy dedication. Awesome job, I look forward to eventually going over it all myself.
User avatar
rome
Machine Gun Fist
Machine Gun Fist
 
Joined: February 2004
Location: Phoenix
Favorite title: Shenmue
Currently playing: Shenmue II

Re: [98%] - Shenmue II COMPLETE NOTEBOOK GUIDE

Postby Peter » Sun Jun 21, 2015 4:41 pm

Ok guys, this is full throttle now.No excuses. All my time is going into finishing this! I am currently finishing off typing up the Kowloon segment of the game (exact type point - P155, Looking for Yuan).

I am aiming to have this fully completed and uploaded within the next 7 days.

Perfect timing for all of those who really want to play Shenmue 2 in depth, just in time for Shenmue 3!

Peter has received a thanks from: Miles Prower
User avatar
Peter
Shenmue Dojo Owner
Shenmue III
 
Joined: February 2004
Location: Belfast
PSN: TheGasmeter
Favorite title: Shenmue II
Currently playing: Shenmue 2x

Re: [98%] - Shenmue II COMPLETE NOTEBOOK GUIDE

Postby Locke_cole » Sun Jun 21, 2015 4:50 pm

Godspeed
User avatar
Locke_cole
Alpha Trading Boss
Alpha Trading Boss
 
Joined: September 2003

Re: [98%] - Shenmue II COMPLETE NOTEBOOK GUIDE

Postby Miles Prower » Mon Jun 22, 2015 4:18 am

Looking forward to it Peter, and glad I was able to assist :)
User avatar
Miles Prower
"Keep Friends"
"Keep Friends"
 
Joined: May 2003
Location: UK
XBL: sppeac1987
Favorite title: Shenmue II

Next

Return to Shenmue II

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

Powered by phpBB © 2000-
ShenmueDojo.net