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**************** .hack//INFECTION Frequently Asked Questions ****************
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Technical stuff I gotta do:
Version 2.0
Date: 2004
Author: SIMSteven
A GameFAQs Strategy Guide and ONLY for GameFAQs and those I have given
permission to.  I will put their names on the bottom so don't lie!

This is a must for any FAQ, and if you haven’t noticed by now I’ll spell it
out for you:
COPYRIGHT (C) NOTICE!!!!!!!!
COPYRIGHT (C) NOTICE!!!!!!!!
COPYRIGHT (C) NOTICE!!!!!!!!
COPYRIGHT (C) NOTICE!!!!!!!!
COPYRIGHT (C) NOTICE!!!!!!!!
COPYRIGHT (C) NOTICE!!!!!!!!
COPYRIGHT (C) NOTICE!!!!!!!!
C-O-P-Y-R-I-G-H-T (C) N-O-T-I-C-E-!!!!!!!!

FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY!!!!!!!!
COPYWRITED (C) 2004 BY SIMSteven!!!!!
HAVE I MADE MYSELF CLEAR?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

I just HATE people who copy/plagiarize other people’s work and call it their
own.  What is plagiarism you ask?  It’s the technical word for the stealing
of other people’s work.  It’s also ILLEGAL in every state and country.
Patchwork plagiarism is also illegal.  This means that someone copies someone
else’s work, changes a few words and/or paragraphs, and claims that it is an
original work.  In other words: DON’T DO IT without my permission!!!!!!

Over time, I've gotten tired of all these sites asking to use my FAQ's.
People ask, "I read all of your FAQ's.  Can I use them on your site?"  First
off, I doubt anyone would really read through ALL of my FAQ's.  They probably
just looked at my contributor page and thought they'd get an already written
FAQ, without doing any work.  Then, I'd have to go and update all of my
FAQ's.

So therefore, my FAQ's will ONLY be displayed on sites of my choosing.  The
sites that already have permission to use my FAQ's may keep on using them,
but from now on, my newest FAQ's will belong to GameFAQs ONLY, and my own
site.  Other sites will be sites with special privileges, and will only get a
FAQ of mine if I contact them personally.

Now by clicking on this link, you are looking for question that are
frequently asked.  .hack is one of my all-time favorite game series, but
since many people still ask the same questions on the boards, I figured I'd
answer them as best I could, and so people could come to this FAQ for
reference.  This FAQ does not contain a walkthrough or any in-depth content.\
All that's in this FAQ is questions and answers.

***********SPOILER NOTICE!**************

As with any FAQ, there are spoilers to be found!  I am not responsible for
ruining the fun of this game because you looked up a FAQ in the first place.

Page width of this document:

This FAQ is best viewed in MS Word, Courier New, size 10 font, with 1 inch
margins around the document.  Apparently, when I change the margins in Word
to 1 inch all around, it resets the left and right margins to .92 inches.
Just to let you know.

Test:
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********************************E-Mail Policy********************************
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As mentioned above, I will not give anyone my FAQ's so don't ask for them.
Also, I do NOT like dumb questions.  Please do NOT ask me about anything that
is already covered in the FAQ.  In some of my FAQ's, I included a FAQ section
for the most Frequently Asked Questions.  Please look there, and look at the
content of the main FAQ, and if you still don't understand, ask the message
board.  Personally, I do NOT like questions, period.

Also, do NOT ask me anything about sequels, other games in a series, or
anything within those lines.  If you HAVE to ask me a question, keep it
within the game I made a FAQ for.  Praise is also accepted, but don't ask for
a response, because I won't give you one.

Honestly, I get enough junk mail day after day, and I am sick of it.  I check
my e-mail every day, but I would rather keep my inbox as small as possible.
Also, don't try to sell my anything, as your e-mail will be deleted the
moment I see it.  Thank you, and good day.


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*******************************Version History*******************************
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Version 2.0: Updated e-mail policy and distribution policy.  This FAQ might
be the final version.  Added a FAQ about Elk's area.  Added another keyword for
Cooked Biles.

Version 1.0: FAQ created.


*************************************
**********Table of Contents**********
*************************************

1) Frequently Asked Questions
   a) How long is this game?
   b) How do I make money?
   c) How do I get Virus Core [LETTER]?
   d) How do I proceed with the game (at any point in the game)?
   e) What's a good place to level up?
   f) I got this thing called a Ryu Book.  What does it do?
   g) What's with this "All Portals Clear" message?
   h) How do I beat the dungeon that Mia invites me to?
   i) How do I beat the dungeon that Elk invites me to?
   j) How come I can't restore Piros from the Love Potion?
   k) Time Armor; Chronicling Pagan Sunny Demon; why don't I have Pagan?
   l) How do I defeat Skeith?
   m) What can I do once I beat Skeith, before transferring to MUTATION?
   n) How do I defeat the Parasite Dragon?
   o) How do I defeat Martina?
   p) How do I find the rare elemental items?
   q) How do I raise a Grunty?
   r) How do I find the Grunty Foods?
   s) What's the best weapon for Kite?
   t) What's the best equipment for everyone?
   u) And where do I get that equipment?
   v) Where do I find Grandpa/Monsieur?
   w) What does the Ice Bar do?
   x) What's the purpose of the Book of Iron and Book of Law?
   y) Can I get Aromatic Grass?  What does it do?
   z) What does the Affection rating do?
   aa) How do I raise my party member's cash flow?
   bb) Can I get stuff back from my party members when I give them stuff?
   cc) What are the OVA (LIMINALITY) keywords?
   dd) Any hints on playing the game as I go through it?
2) People who I given my permission to use this FAQ
3) Credits


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************************1) Frequently Asked Questions************************
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***
a) How long is this game?
***

Yes, many people have asked this question on the boards.  I put this question
first because it's for potential buyers.  Anyways, the answer to this
question is... as long as you want. :P

Story-wise, you could blast through the game in 10-15 hours.  With all the
extra stuff you could do, it'd probably take around 45-60 hours total
(without breaking a sweat).  Overall, you could have an infinite number of
hours.  Yeah, you heard me right.  Infinite.  Why?

This game's basis is an MMORPG-type game.  (MMOPRG = Massively Multiplayer
Online Role Playing Game)  Even though it's an MMORPG-type game, it's
completely offline (a simulation, if you would call it that).  Anyways, in
this game, you could literally spend hundreds of hours going into the tens of
thousands of different areas in the game.  Each area takes an average of a
half-hour to complete.  Now you may not do every area in the game (it's near
impossible) but it does increase the replayability.  This does lead to a long
game.

***
b) How do I make money?
***

Sell stuff.  Easy enough?  :P

Basically, you can sell all the worthless equipment and scrolls you get from
the areas you go to.  This is the easiest way to make money.  Here's a tip
for when you start the game: buy as many of the items with a ! in front.
First, buy a couple Sprite Ocarinas.  Then, buy a few more Fairy's Orbs.
Then, try to buy 95 Fortune Wires.  As the game progresses, keep the number
of Fortune Wires up, as you go along and buy a ton of Fairy's Orbs and Sprite
Ocarinas.  Try to get 99 of each, so you don't have to worry about buying
them anymore (at least for a while).  You won't find these items anywhere in
any dungeon (with the exception of a Sprite Ocarina in the newbie area
mentioned on the Board).  Therefore, buy as many as you can.  You won't ever
have to dump one that you would find because you got more than 99 of the
item.  Therefore, you won't have wasted money. :D  Just make sure you keep 95
Fortune Wires, though, because if you open a Risky Treasure box, you'll get a
Fortune Wire instead of the item inside the box.  D'oh! :(

***
c) How do I get Virus Core [LETTER]?
***

First of all, read Helba's e-mail.  If you're asking this question, you
definitely have this e-mail.  Anyways, there are three main types of Virus
Cores.  You get them from Data Draining the normal monsters found throughout
the game.  Here's a quick list:

Virus Core A: Given by small monsters
Virus Core B: Given by medium-sized monsters
Virus Core C: Given by extremely large monsters

Now, to expand on the actual sizes of the monsters, look at their basic
height or appearance patterns.  If they are a humanoid shape or shorter than
Kite, they will most likely give you a Virus Core A.  If they are larger than
that, but appear in groups, they probably give you a Virus Core B.  If they
are gigantic and always appear alone, they should give you Virus Core C.
I'll leave it to you to find the keywords to areas with these kinds of
monsters.

Now in order to get Virus Cores, you need to first Protect Break the monsters
(hit it with either attacks of magic) and then use the Data Drain skill.
Getting the actual core is a chance of luck.  However, you have a better
chance of getting a Virus Core if your Infection rating is low.  (ex. Look at
the picture of Kite on the Data Drain skill menu.  If the picture is blue or
green, the infection rate is low.)

All other Virus Cores are obtained via bosses (ex. Data Bug monsters) and in
cut-scenes.

***
d) How do I proceed with the game (at any point in the game)?
***

There is almost always a sure-fire pattern on how to proceed with the story.
Usually, you beat an area and have to figure out where to go next, right?
Well there's a real simple way to find out.

When you finish an area, take a look on the Board.  Check all the NEW posts,
if there are any.  If there aren't any NEW posts, check your e-mail.  Keep
going back and forth between your mailer and the board until nothing is NEW.
You SHOULD get a keyword somewhere along the way.  If not, try switching
between servers.  You SHOULD get a sequence when you switch.  If all else
fails, try raising your party members' Affection.  The best way to raise
Affection is to give your party members useless scrolls (except for a Speed
Charm).  Refer to questions f and y for more information on Affection.

***
e) What's a good place to level up?
***

Ah, yes.  Many people ask this question.  It's the age-old "I'M GETTING
KILLED EVERYWHERE I GO!!!!  Uh, where can I level up?" :P

The best way to level up is to first get three party members.  You SHOULD
have three party members by now, because the enemies in the beginning aren't
hard if you do some fighting in the storyline dungeons.  Otherwise, try
various keywords with "Delta: Bursting Passed Over ______" and a random part
C keyword until you get a level 1 area.

Anyways, get three party members. :P  You'll get a third party member as the
story progresses.  Then, put them all in your party and go to an area that
has a level that's equal to Kite's level.  You COULD go to a level that's
slightly higher, as well.  That way, you can get a little more experience
without many more chances of dying.

Also, stock up on some Fairy's Orbs.  Use a Fairy's Orb in the field and on
every floor of the dungeon.  Clear all the portals on the field and on all of
the floors of the dungeon and you'll get an "All Portals Clear" message.
What does this do?  Check out the next two questions for details.

***
f) I got this thing called a Ryu Book.  What does it do?
***

Ah, the Ryu Books....  Not many newbies know about these books as they are
starting a new game.  Basically, to get a Ryu Books, you need to Data Drain
10 enemies in order to get a book.  You can get the 10 at any time, simply
because the game keeps track of how many times you've Data Drained (even if
you exit an area).  There are a maximum of 8 books, so you need to Data Drain
80 times throughout the game to get all of the Ryu Books.

Now what do they do?  They basically keep track of all the little things you
do.  What's their purpose?  When you raise the numbers in the Ryu Books, you
get desktop items.  You'll get music, wallpapers, and movies that contain the
cinema scenes you watch throughout the games.  You don't get to watch them
until you beat the game, though. :(

Here's a quick list.  I won't detail the items you get or the amount of each
you have to get to get the bonuses; that's for another FAQ:

Ryu Book I:
How many areas you've visited
How many hours you have played

Ryu Book II:
How many portals you have opened
How many times you've cleared a field of all its portals
How many times you've cleared a dungeon of all its portals

Ryu Book III:
How many trades you made with other players
What players you've met
How many trades you've made with each player

Ryu Book IV:
How many different monsters you killed
What type of monsters you have killed
How many of each monster you've killed

Ryu Book V:
The monetary value of gifts you've given you your party members
What party members you have
How much money in gifts you've given to each party member
How much time each party member has been in your party
The Affection rating of each party member

Ryu Book VI:
How many treasure boxes you've opened
How many boxes/crates/skeletons/eggs/urns you've broken
How many Gott treasure boxes you've opened

Ryu Book VII:
How many encounters with Monsieur you've had
How many encounters with Grandpa you've had
How many symbols you've activated

Ryu Book VIII:
What types of Grunties you've raised
How many of each type of Grunty you've raised
How many Grunty Foods you've found overall
What types of Grunty Foods you've found
How many of each Grunty Food you've found

***
g) What's with this "All Portals Clear" message?
***

This is actually a very common question.  Many people get this message, but
don't know the meaning behind it.  Basically, it's meant for the Ryu Books.
In order to complete the Ryu Books, you need to get a lot of these over the
course of the games.  Also, there's one other reason: if gives you a lot of
EXP.  Kill everything that come out of the portals, and you'll have more EXP
than if you didn't kill everything.  Yup, that's all there is to it. :)

***
h) How do I beat the dungeon that Mia invites me to?
***

This is also another common question.  Many people get killed when going solo
in this dungeon.  There's a real simple solution: level up.  Go to a slightly
higher level until you get until around level 9.  This should make things
easier.  Also, there's a regular character named Koji.  Trade with him for
the Raitei Twin Blade weapon, and you should deal a lot more damage.  Also,
bring along a lot of Health Drinks.  They'll save you from death.  Still need
help?  Keep looking at the trade items of the regular characters until you
find a Next Necklace.  This head gear will be the best equipment for Kite
until you get a Thunder Torque at the end of the game.  Also, trade for other
goods, like the level 21-23 Fire Elemental equipment.  This should give you
the defense you need for the dungeon.

***
i) How do I beat the dungeon that Elk invites me to?
***

First, see question e for leveling up.  You'll want to have a high level
before you tackle this dungeon.  Second, get a lot of Mage's Souls.  10
should do the trick.  Third, get at least one magic attack spell, preferably
a Tornado-type spell (ex. ____ Rom).  Fourth, head for the area.

Now, if you're at a high level, you should have no problem getting through
the dungeon. It's the boss that is the hard part.  It's a Killer Snaker Data
Bug.  The best way to tackle him is to cast magic like crazy.  Issue
"Skills!" to Elk, since he is your only party member.  Kite should head in
next to the Killer Snaker.  That way, Elk can provide some damage while not
getting hit.  You see, the reason you need magic is that magic is the best
type of skill to Protect Break the boss.  If you just attacked, it might take
a while.  So cast tons of spells while you keep your HP up.

***
j) How come I can't restore Piros from the Love Potion?
***

Actually, I want to get something off my chest.  The Piros dungeon is NOT a
side-quest dungeon.  It's a main storyline dungeon that you HAVE to go
through.  With that said, follow along.

Let it be known that you weren't looking hard enough.  There is a potion on
each floor of the dungeon.  You have to search almost the entire dungeon and
open every treasure chest until you find all of the potions.  To help you
out, use a Fairy's Orb and go to every room that has a blue dot in it.  The
blue dots are the treasure chests found on that floor.  Go to every blue dot
until you get all of the remedies.

***
k) Time Armor; Chronicling Pagan Sunny Demon; why don't I have Pagan?
***

You don't have Pagan because you aren't far enough into the game. :P

If you've got the strategy guide, it says that Pagan is available at the
start of the game.  Well, it isn't.  It's an error in the guide.  Near the
end of the game, you'll go to an area where you need to find someone called
Linda.  Once you get the keywords to that area, you will have the word Pagan
as a part B keyword.  Then you can go to the best area known for getting the
Time Armor.

***
l) How do I defeat Skeith?
***

Ah, yes, the infamous Skeith.  He's probably the hardest boss in the entire
series, simply because you aren't prepared for him.  I mean, the last area
you were in was around level 23, and now you have to fight a boss in a level
28 area?  Well, I guess it's time to do some leveling up. :P

But still, even if your level is high, you'll still have trouble.  So here's
a known strategy that works: play the healer.  What you want to do is bring
along at least 50+ Resurrects, 80+ Health Drinks and several Mage's Souls.
Issue the Skills command to your party members and let them hack away at
Skeith.  Heal them and stay away from Skeith.  It helps to have a few Speed
Charms or the Ap Do spell (found on the Time Armor).

Keep away from Skeith and heal your party members when they get hit.  If you
want to make the battle go quicker, every time Skeith does his ground pound
move, wait for the damage to be done, and move in with a skill.  Any skill
will do, even the Stacatto-type moves.  While you're sitting there hitting
him, he'll probable move to another part of the arena, but you'll still do
damage.

As for equipment, DON'T equip the fire-type armor.  You'll be weak against
his Judgement attack, which is water based.  Otherwise, anything else will
work.  Just keep your HP high and stay back while your party members attack
him.  Don't forget to Data Drain him when he Protect Breaks. ;)

***
m) What can I do once I beat Skeith, before transferring to MUTATION?
***

Explore. :P

Well, if you read your e-mail and checked the board, you should have some
bonus areas.  One area would be the area where you fight the Parasite Dragon.
There other area would be the last fight with a Goblin King, Martina.  Both
are covered in the next two sections.

Another thing you can do is visit the LIMINALITY bonus dungeons.  To find
these, watch the LIMINALITY disc with the subtitles turned on.  During
various points in the anime, keywords will flash by, almost too quickly too
catch.  I put the keywords down at the bottom of this FAQ, in their own
separate section, in question cc.

One last thing that is a key point is to trade with the other players for the
rare stat boosting items.  To do this, you'll need a LOT of elemental
boosting items.  Take note, that once you transfer over to MUTATION, the
players will reset their stock, making it so you can't get the stat boosting
items from INFECTION.  How do you get these items?  Refer to question p.

Another thing that you might want to do is get 99 of every Grunty Food and
raise all three Grunties.  This is covered in-depth in question r.

***
n) How do I defeat the Parasite Dragon?
***

Again, like Skeith, have Kite play the healer.  Let your party members whack
at Parasite Dragon until he Protect Breaks.  Then, Data Drain him for a rare
Twin Blade weapon, the Hyakkidouran.  Don't kill him normally, because he
gives minimal EXP.  Another thing you'll want to do is bring attackers and
not Wavemasters.  He has a Magical Tolerance, so Wavermasters are only good
for healing.

***
o) How do I defeat Martina?
***

Yup, the last Goblin King is the worst out of the bunch.  And it's a SHE, by
the way.  MARTINA IS A GIRL; many people think she's male.  So in order to
kill HER, you need a strategy.  I actually recommend doing the Time Armor and
Parasite Dragon quests first.  Why do these?  I actually recommend using the
Hyakkidouran, despite the -15 accuracy stat.  Also, equip the Time Sandals,
simply because they are the best footwear you'll have for a looooonnng time.
(They served me well all throughout MUTATION and most of OUTBREAK.)  Also,
get a TON of Mage's Souls (at least 25, just to be safe).

At the start of battle, cast Ap Do.  You'll get this with the Time Sandals.
The battle can go two ways from here.  If Martina casts the regeneration
spell (Rig Gaem), follow her around for about a minute or two.  DON'T attack.
When you think that Ap Do is getting close to wearing out, cast it again.
Soon, Rig Gaem will wear out and you start your assault.  Keep casting Flame
Dance until she dies.  You'll probably use up a ton of Mage's Souls in the
process, but you'll still be able to kill her.  It's a strategy that works;
I've done it several times.

Anyways, if Martina doesn't cast Rig Gaem, just cast Flame Dance repeatedly.
You SHOULD have Ap Do cast at this time.  Anyways, follow the strategy above,
and you should do fine.

***
p) How do I find the rare elemental items?
***

Well, the question isn't quite "how," but "where."  I have included a
compiled list from Sun Quan's topic on the message board.  Credit goes to Sun
Quan et al.

Burning Oil: (These are incredibly easy to find.)
Delta: Hideous Destroyer’s Far Thunder
Delta: Discovered Primitive Touchstone

Cooked Bile: (Not easy to find at all.)
Delta?: Expansive Talisman Paradise
Delta: Beautiful Organ Markey Sunny Demon
Theta: Cursed Despaired Paradise (Just one room, but the dungeon’s tiny)
Delta: Silent Talisman Pilgrimage

Holy Sap: (Another easy one.)
Delta: Plenteous Smiling Hypha
Delta: Hideous Organ Market Scaffold (Rooms with twelve jars abound here)
Delta: Putrid Hot Blooded Scaffold
Theta: Collapsed Despaired Hypha

Pure Water:
Theta: Quiet Eternal White Devil
Theta: Voluptuous Eternal Scaffold

Sports Drink:
Delta: Bursting Passed Over Twin Hills (One room in the lower right end of
the dungeon)
Delta: Noisy Orange March
Theta: Bursting Passed Over Twin Hills
Delta: Bursting Forbidden Twin Hills
Theta: Raging Orange Sunny Demon
Theta: Noisy Distant Remnant
Theta: Chosen Hopeless Twin Hills

Well Water:
Delta: Indiscreet Gluttonous Pilgrimage
Delta: Dog Dancing Forbidden Scent
Theta: Dog Dancing Passionate Tri Pansy
Theta: Chosen Hopeless Nothingness

***
q) How do I raise a Grunty?
***

The typical way to raise a Grunty is to fist get several different Grunty
Foods and many of each.  Then, when you get to Theta Server, find the Grunty
stable and feed the baby Grunty what it wants.  If you get it right, you'll
probably get an Iron Grunty.  If you mess up a couple times, you'll get a
Poison Grunty.  If you totally ignore what he wants, you'll probably get the
horrid Noble Grunty.  Once you raise the three different kinds of Grunties,
you can't raise any more.  Now, here's a list of formulas for getting each
Grunty, if you don't want to do what was mentioned above:

IRON GRUNTY FORMULAS:

1. 4 Piney Apples, 3 Snaky Cactuses, 12 Golden Eggs

2. 5 Cordycepses, 1 Grunt Mints, 2 La Pumpkins, 2 Mandragoras, 5 Immature
Eggs, 5 Invisible Eggs

3. 2 Grunt Mints, 4 Mandragoras, 1 Mushrooms, 7 Oh No Melons, 5 White
Cherries, 6 Immature Eggs

4. 4 Grunt Mints, 5 La Pumpkins, 5 Mandragoras, 2 Mushrooms, 7 Oh No Melons,
7 White Cherries

POISON GRUNTY FORMULAS:

1. 1 Cordycepses, 1 White Cherries, 7 Immature Eggs, 7 Invisible Eggs

2. 4 Piney Apples, 3 Snaky Cactuses, 11 Golden Eggs, 1 Immature Eggs

3. 2 Grunt Mints, 5 Mandragoras, 6 Oh No Melons, 5 White Cherries, 6 Immature
Eggs

Thanks to Coconut from the message boards for this info! :)

***
r) How do I find the Grunty Foods?
***

I've probably included too much info on this question, but here you will find
a list of single keywords, plus a list of useful three-word keywords that
allow you to get a ton of foods.  For foods like the Eggs and Piney Apples,
you should be able to run into the dungeon or field, nab the food, and head
back into the dungeon/field in minimal time.  As for the Piney Apples, some
of the keywords set you right next to one right when you enter the area.

Thanks to Coconut for this first list. :)

CORDYCEPS
Field Type: Water 1 (Snowfield with Buddha statues)
Part B Keywords: Someone's
Part C Keywords: Holy Ground

GRUNT MINTS
Field Type: Fire 2 (Lava field)
Part B Keywords: Primitive, Agonizing
Part C Keywords: Great Seal

LA PUMPKIN
Field Type: Darkness (Wasteland)
Part B Keywords: Talisman
Part C Keywords: Paradise, Fertile Land

MANDRAGORA
Field Type: Wood 1 (Grassland with windmills)
Part B Keywords: Organ Market
Part C Keywords: Aqua Field, Twin Hills

MUSHROOM
Field Type: Wood 2 (Mushroom field)
Part B Keywords: Orange
Part C Keywords: Hypha

OH NO MELON
Field Type: Fire 1 (Desert with barnacles)
Part B Keywords: Destroyer's
Part C Keywords: Sea of Sand

PINEY APPLE
Field Type: Wood 3 (Jungle)
Part B Keywords: Solitary
Part C Keywords:

ROOT VEGETABLE
Field Type: Earth (Grassland with forts and statues)
Part B Keyword: Law's
Part C Keyword: Fort Walls, Spiral, Nothingness

SNAKY CACTUS
Field Type: Fire 4 (Desert with ribs)
Part B: Hot-Blooded, Golden
Part C: Fiery Sands

TWILIGHT ONION
Field Type: Fire 3 (Lava field with giant weapons)
Part B Keywords: Gluttonous, Geothermal
Part C Keywords:

WHITE CHERRY
Field Type: Water 2 (Snowfield with stonehenge, fish, ark)
Part B Keywords: Her
Part C Keywords: White Devil

BEAR CAT EGG
Dungeon Type: Castle Walls (Found in Water 1, Water 2, and Fire 3)
Part B Keywords: Someone's, Her, Gluttonous, Geothermal
Part C Keywords: Holy Ground, White Devil

BLOODY EGG
Dungeon Type: Flesh Walls (Found in Fire 1, Fire 4, Darkness)
Part B Keywords: Destroyer's, Hot-Blooded, Talisman, Golden
Part C Keywords: Sea of Sand, Paradise, Fiery Sands, Fertile Land

GOLDEN EGG
Dungeon Type: Any

IMMATURE EGG
Dungeon Type: Stone Walls (Found in Wood 1, Earth)
Part B Keywords: Organ Market, Law's
Part C Keywords: Aqua Field, Fort Walls, Twin Hills, Spiral, Nothingness

INVISIBLE EGG
Dungeon Type: Cave Walls (Found in Wood 2, Wood 3, Fire 2)
Part B Keywords: Orange, Primitive, Agonizing, Solitary
Part C Keywords: Hypha, Great Seal





And now for the three-keyword list.  Credit goes to Sun Quan et al.  I took
this right off the topic, no modifications:

Cordyceps:
Delta: Detestable Oblivious Holy Ground
Theta: Voluptuous Eternal Scaffold
Delta: Indiscreet Law's Holy Ground

Grunt Mints:
Delta: Raging Passionate Melody
Delta: Discovered Primitive Touchstone

La Pumpkin:
Delta: Bursting Passed Over Paradise (I personally picked up 52 La Pumpkins
in one visit to this field)
Theta: Bursting Passed Over Paradise
Delta: Hidden Talisman Sunny Demon

Mandragora: (Note: Just about any keyword that ends in Aqua Field will have a
Spring Of Myst as well as a number of Mandragoras on it. These two keywords
just have a LOT.)
Delta: Bursting Passed Over Aqua Field
Delta: Discovered Passed Out Twin Hills
Theta: Noisy Law's Twin Hills

Mushroom:
Delta: Bursting Solitary Hypha
Delta: Plenteous Smiling Hypha
Delta: Putrid Hot Blooded Scaffold

Oh No Melon:
Delta: Expansive Haunted Sea Of Sand
Delta: Detestable Golden Messenger
Delta: Expansive Passionate Sea of Sand

Piney Apple:
Delta/Theta: Collapsed Solitary Scent
Delta/Theta: Putrid Solitary Scaffold
Delta/Theta: Soft Solitary Tri Pansy
Delta/Theta: Boundless Solitary Melody
Delta/Theta: Closed Solitary Scaffold
Delta/Theta: Expansive Solitary Messenger
Delta/Theta: Bursting Eternal Remains
Delta/Theta: Chronicling Passed Over Melody
Delta/Theta: Distant Beautiful New Truth

(Note: The forest fields should be the same in both servers.)

Root Vegetable:
Delta: Hidden Passed Over Fort Walls (There were only about seven on the
field, but one was right next to the place where Kite enters the field, so
you can just grab it, go back to the Root Town, go back to the field, grab
another, and so on…)
Delta: Detestable Golden New Truth
Delta: Bursting Forbidden Spiral

Snakey Cactus:
Delta: Expansive Despaired Fiery Sands
Delta: Discovered Primitive Touchstone
Delta: Chronicling Pagan Sunny Demon

Twighlight Onion:
Delta: Hideos Destroyer's Far Thunder

White Cherry:
Delta: Voluptuous Oblivious White Devil
Delta: Discovered Eternal March (Found around forty-two here)
Delta: Greedy Her White Devil
Delta: Detestable Golden Scent

Golden Eggs:
Delta: Sinking Smiling Fort Walls (Go down, left, straight. In the first room
there is a portal and bearcat egg, go left and there is a golden egg. If you
go straight again there is another portal and a bearcat egg. Get the eggs, go
out of the dungeon and it will reset, then go back in.)
Theta: Voluptuous Eternal Scaffold
Delta: Putrid Hot Blooded Scaffold
Delta: Dog Dancing Forbidden Scent
Delta: Bursting Passed Over March
Delta: Bursting Passed Over Twin Hills
Theta: Soft Solitary Tri Pansy
Theta: Beautiful Someone's Treasure Gem
Delta: Bursting Forbidden Twin Hills
Delta: Boundless Solitary Melody

Bear Cat Eggs:
Theta: Voluptuous Eternal Scaffold
Delta: Sinking Smiling Fort Walls (Go down, left, straight. In the first room
there is a portal and bearcat egg, go left and there is a golden egg. If you
go straight again there is another portal and a bearcat egg. Get the eggs, go
out of the dungeon and it will reset, then go back in.)

Invisible Eggs:
Delta: Plenteous Smiling Hypha
Delta: Hideous Organ Market Scaffold
Delta: Putrid Hot Blooded Scaffold

Immature Eggs:
Delta: Bursting Forbidden Twin Hills

Bloody Eggs:
None yet (Just use the part B and part C keywords mentioned above.  Bloody
Eggs are pretty common anyways.)

***
s) What's the best weapon for Kite?
***

The best weapon for Kite is more of a personal preference item.  For me, the
best weapon is the Hyakkidouran, which you get by Data Draining the bonus
boss, the Parasite Dragon (beat Skeith first).  Otherwise, the next best
weapon is the Hell's Gate.  After that, it's the Bom-Ba-Ye.  To get a Hell's
Gate, you should get an Anshou, which can be Data Drained from a Metal
Goblin, and then toss it into a Spring of Myst in a level 24+ area.  Make
sure the area has nice weather (use the part C keyword "Aqua Field" for best
results).  To get a Bom-Ba-Ye, Data Drain tons of Mu Guardians until you get
one.  The Bom-Ba-Ye is one of the more rare items in the game as far as Data
Draining goes.

The reason why most people don't like the Hyakkidouran is because it reduces
your Accuracy stat by 15.  What I'm saying is that this is NOT a problem.
Kite has a naturally high Accuracy rating to begin with, so it won't hurt him
very much in INFECTION.  There's only a few enemies you'll have trouble with
once you get to level 32+, and those enemies have a super-high Evade stat to
begin with (Ex. Phoenix Queens).  These enemies are best to be killed with
magic.  Therefore, it's best to equip Kite with some armor that has strong
magic, as well.  For example, the Storm Bracer, which you can get by trading
or by Data Draining some Woodstock enemies.

***
t) What's the best equipment for everyone?
***

Personally, I go for armor with skills over armor with stats.  Later on in
the games, you'll realize that stats won't make too much of a difference.
Your overall level is the most important stat, because with every level, HP
and SP are the best stats you'll have.  Also, your core stats will be boosted
higher than your weak stats.  Now for Wavemasters, Twin Blades, and Long
Arms, the Wavemaster-type equipment is your best bet unless the stronger
armor has the same skill set.  As for Heavy Blades, Blademasters, and Heavy
Axemen, you'll want to cover their weaknesses, which are their magic stats.
Their physical stats will be higher than the other characters' physical
stats, so focus on their magic instead.

For INFECTION, here's a cookie-cutter equipment setup for the armor you will
need.  For information on how to get these equipment setups, refer to the
question below.  I also included a different setup for Kite and Natsume,
since Kite should get the best equipment, and Natsume is your only other Twin
Blade:

Twin Blades:

Kite's Equipment:
Weapon: Hyakkidouran
Head: Thunder Torque
Body: Quakebeast Fur
Arms: Storm Bracer
Legs: Time Sandals

Natsume's Equipment:
Weapon: Hell's Gate
Head: Thunder Torque
Body: Quakebeast Fur
Arms: Storm Bracer
Legs: Thunder Boots

Wavemasters:

Weapon: Dark History
Head: Thunder Torque
Body: Thunder Cloak
Arms: Storm Bracer
Legs: Thunder Anklet

Long Arms:

Weapon: Million$ Spear
Head: Thunder Torque
Body: Quakebeast Fur
Arms: Storm Bracer
Legs: Thunder Boots

Heavy Blades:

Weapon: Sakabatou
Head: Thunder Torque
Body: Quakebeast Fur
Arms: Storm Bracer
Legs: Thunder Boots

Blademasters:

Weapon: Phoenix's Wing
Head: Thunder Torque
Body: Quakebeast Fur
Arms: Storm Bracer
Legs: Thunder Boots

Heavy Axemen:

Weapon: Giant Hill
Head: Thunder Torque
Body: Quakebeast Fur
Arms: Storm Bracer
Legs: Thunder Boots

***
u) And where do I get that equipment?
***

Well Thunder Torques should be on the top of the list, since they have La
Repth and Rip Maen, which are VERY good spells.  You can get as many as you
want by trading with the other players at the end of the game.  Just check
Ryu Book III and look for a player who has one.  Ryu Book III will tell you
if the player is online or not, too.  If the player isn't online, switch
servers, and if he STILL isn't there, Log Out and try again.

For the Storm Bracers, follow the method for the Thunder Torques or Data
Drain a Woodstock.

The hard part is getting the Quakebeast Furs, Thunder Boots, Thunder Cloaks,
and Thunder Anklets.  You best bet would be to upgrade armor in a Spring of
Myst or by opening some Gott Statues in areas with a level of 28 and above.
For the Springs of Myst, find high level area with Twin Hills as the part C
keyword.  Also, get some Holy Tree Mails, Spirit Armors, and Oak Anklets, and
Ranger's Boots in the higher level areas.  Upgrade the Holy Tree Mails,
Spirit Armors, and Ranger's Boots once for Thunder Cloaks, Quakebeast Fur,
and Thunder Anklets.  Upgrade the Oak Anklets twice because you'd be pressed
to find a Green Guard anywhere.

As for the weapons, you should be able to get tons of rare weapons by Data
Draining tons of monsters in the area at level 28 and above.  Here's a list
of monsters you'd want to focus on:

A Mu Guardian gives you a Bom-Ba-Ye.  Find it in level 28 Earth areas.
A Phoenix Queen gives you a Dark History.  Find it in level 30 Wood areas.
A Cursed Blade gives you a Million$ Spear.  Find it in most level 28 areas.
A Hell Hound gives you a Sakabatou.  Find it in level 30 Fire areas.
A Mystery Rock gives you a Phoenix's Wing.  Find it in level 30 Earth areas.
A Mantis gives you a Giant Hill.  Find it in level 28 Water areas.

The other two Twin Blade weapons are mentioned in the previous section.

***
v) Where do I find Grandpa/Monsieur?
***

Monsieur is found in the low level areas of Delta and Theta servers.  He'll
appear in areas below level 14 and 24 in the Delta and Theta serves
respectively (with exceptions).  Grandpa can be found in areas above level 14
and 24 in the Delta and Theta Servers respectively (with exceptions).

The main reason to find these guys is to upgrade you weapons and armor, and
to complete your Ryu Books.

***
w) What does the Ice Bar do?
***

The Ice Bar is a trade item that you will want to save for when you convert
to MUTATION.  Once it MUTATION, find a guy named Panta and trade him the rare
Key Axe for the Ice Bar.  Then stash it, because it's a rare item.  You can
also make the trade in later games, too.  To find the Ice Bar, you need to go
to one of the bonus areas shown in the LIMINALITY DVD.  The keyword is in
question cc.

***
x) What's the purpose of the Book of Iron and Book of Law?
***

Here's a SPOILER for MUTATION if you haven't been there yet.

The Book of Iron and the Book of Law are items meant to delete Kite and/or
the Bracelet of Twilight that he has.  Early in MUTATION, Helba reveals that
the "rare items are a vaccine" to delete some part of Kite's character data.
However, the protection on Kite's character is so strong, the overwrite
cannot be carried through.  You'll also get another item in MUTATION called
the Book of Absolute.  It serves the same purpose as the other items,
although it STILL does not work.

***
y) Can I get Aromatic Grass?  What does it do?
***

In .hack//INFECTION, there is only ONE piece of Aromatic Grass in the game.
To get it, raise an Iron Grunty and trade with him for one.  In future games,
you can get one Aromatic Grass from one Grunty in each server.  So the Iron
Grunty will have an Aromatic Grass in all four games.  One Grunty in Lambda
Server will have one in the next three games and so on.  This gives you a
total of 10 Aromatic Grasses.  BTW, that is NOT a spoiler.  One of the
e-mails you get right at the beginning of the game tells you all the servers
in the four games.

What do they do?  There is almost no use for this item, but if you give them
to Mia, it'll raise her affection rating by a lot.  I just stash it in the
Elf's Haven because it's a rare item.

***
z) What does the Affection rating do?
***

Affection is one of the very few known stats in the game.  Only your party
members have it, and its value is shown in Ryu Book V.  To put it short,
Affection is how much your party members like you.  Affection will never go
down, only up.  (Although I heard that if you give them Piros's Diary, it
will go down.  I haven't confirmed this, so I don't know.)

To raise Affection, you need to give your party members items or let them
spend a lot of time in your party.  Affection will go up by 1 for about every
few minutes they are in your party.  Affection will go up by a 10 if you give
them an item that has some value to it.  For example, give them any scroll
you can find in a dungeon, and their Affection will go up by 10.  Buy them
any scroll in town (besides a Speed Charm), and their Affection will also go
up by 10.  Giving scrolls one at a time is the easiest and cheapest way to
get Affection ratings up to their maximum for the game.  (You can't give them
a ton of scrolls all at once, because it will only go up by 10.)  A good idea
is to max out Affection right when you get a new party member.  (The max for
INFECTION is 250, MUTATION is 500, OUTBREAK is 750, and QUARANTINE is 1,000.)

Now what does Affection do?  First off, it allows you to get the e-mail
chains so you can get to better know your party members.  Sometimes, you
won't get an e-mail chain even if the Affection rating is maxed out.  Just
proceed with the game and usually you'll get one.  I haven't finished
OUTBREAK and QUARANTINE yet, but I don't think that Mia and Elk will ever
give you an e-mail chain.

Another thing that Affection does is make your party members more efficient.
They will respond more quickly to Chat Commands if their Affection rating is
high.  This is one good reason why you should max it out ASAP.

One last thing Affection does is it allows you to do side-quests.  Certain
bonus party members (like Gardenia) will send you an invitation to another
area once you give their Affection rating a major boost.  I also think that
there's a storyline dungeon that you can't do unless you increase Mistral's
Affection.  That means, you HAVE to boost her Affection in order to proceed
with the game.

***
aa) How do I raise my party member's cash flow?
***

First off, I must say that your party members' cash isn't really necessary.
The only thing they use it for is to buy 5 of every basic item.  You'd be
better off with buying the items yourself and giving them the items they
need, in mass quantities.

Second, to answer the actual question, your party members will sell stuff
every now and them.  For best results, give them a ton of scrolls.  They'll
sell just about every scroll except the Summon scrolls.  After you give them
several different items, they'll sell stuff every now and then.  They tend to
keep their starting weapon since it's a unique weapon.  Everything else is
most likely going to get sold.

***
bb) Can I get stuff back from my party members when I give them stuff?
***

Absolutely not.  Once it's gone, it's gone.  You'll have to reload your file
or start ALL over in the case of a rare item.  That's the only way to fix
your error.

***
cc) What are the OVA (LIMINALITY) keywords?
***

First off, let's go over the OVA acronym.  It stands for Original Video
Animation.  If you're wondering what the special keywords are or how to find
them, you need to turn the subtitles on.  That means you have to stop the
video and go to the main menu.  Go to "Language," and then go to "Subtitles."
Select "On," and watch the video.

The keywords appear and disappear just as quickly.  They usually appear where
books show up.  There's one where Mai and Masaya are in the Library, one in a
flashback where Mai is kissing Tomonari, and one in a flashback where
Tomonari is talking to Masaya.  The last keyword is actually a storyline area
mentioned Mr. Tokuoka.  If you want to know, it's Chosen Hopeless
Nothingness, and is the last storyline area in the game.

Anyways, here are the keywords:
Delta: Voluptuous Her Remnant
Delta: Hideous Organ Market Scaffold
Theta: Dog Dancing Passionate Tri Pansy

In Delta: Voluptuous Her Remnant, you will find the Kagayuzen in the Gott
Statue and the Rusty Nails in a normal treasure chest on the bottom floor.

In Delta: Hideous Organ Market Scaffold, you will find the Ice Bar in the
Gott Statue.  Keep this for when you convert to MUTATION so you can get a
rare item.  (See question w for details)

In Theta: Dog Dancing Passionate Tri Pansy, you will find the Ceramic Helm in
the Gott Statue and some Soul Blades in a normal treasure chest on the bottom
floor.

I won't ruin the fun, but in Theta: Chosen Hopeless Nothingness, go into it
prepared, because there's a certain boss that gives many players trouble.
I'll let you find out just who that is.

***
dd) Any hints on playing the game as I go through it?
***

Take it SLOW!  Sure the story is gripping and all that, but if you rush
through the story like crazy, you'll probably wind up weaker than you should
be.  Take some time with this game and enjoy it.  I've played through game
several times, and I frequently find myself quitting right around the time I
beat the game.  I've remedied this a little bit by visiting a few random
areas every time I do a storyline dungeon.  Doing this helps me get some EXP
so I'll be better prepared for the dungeons ahead.  Try and balance out the
side-quests with the storyline.  It'll increase your replay value when you
play.


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*************2) People who I given my permission to use this FAQ*************
*****************************************************************************

1) www.gamefaqs.com
2) www.geocities.com/simsteven01


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***********************************3) Credits********************************
*****************************************************************************

1) To me, of course.  ^_^

2) To CJayC for being the greatest webmaster around.

3) To GameFAQs for being my number one source of gaming info.