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Hello everyone and welcome back. Before we dive into the first Ronin mission, there's a mod I wanted to point out that I'm using. I didn't even realize it was still installed until last week when I remembered it existed, went to look it up, found the change log, and realized I had all the fixes it made.
Don't ask me how it survived being reinstalled on Steam because I don't know.
So if we look at Playa's wardrobe, we can see a little option on the bottom "(X) Switch to Store". And if we hit the X button...
Every article of clothing in the game is now for sale at our fingertips! So we don't have to track down specific shops to find that one tie tack we remember seeing once. We can just look it up on the online store.
Now it's worth pointing out that the Ultor.com store does not feature deals. So later on when we have a 15% discount for clothing, that will not apply here. Consider it a convenience fee.
Just for the sake of showing it off, and because we can later change its color scheme at will, I buy a blue tanktop.
This is the wardrobe view again and, like I said, with this mod we can customize the color of any piece of clothing we own. So if I wanted Playa's hat to be purple and gold, I could do that. We won't, but we could!
The mod also adds Jane's newscasts to the clipboard when you go to replay a mission. This mod is also responsible for the silly loading screen tips I'd been attributing to Gentlemen of the Row!
The mod is called SuperUI for SR2. If you're playing along with the LP, then give it a go! Its quality of life features are so nice.
Anyway, time to visit the Poseidon Casino...
Keeping It Simple
Pierce is seated in front of a strange cardboard edifice. Several bobble heads and at least one chess piece are scattered around the little play-house haphazardly. From the way he's muttering to himself and from how his arms are moving, it's hard to tell if he's rehearsing what's about to go down or if he's actually playing with his dollhouse.
Hearing nearby Saints snickering at Pierce, Playa finally has enough and has to ask him about it. Gat also approaches because he can't resist getting in the middle of Ronin business.
"What's up with the doll house?"
"Doll house my ass, this is how we gonna fuck up the Ronin."
"This'll be good..."
"Trust me, it is. The Ronin have a stake in Poseidon's Palace, so I figure hitting their biggest money maker is a good way to show 'em we not fuckin' around."
"Okay, sounds good so far. What's your plan?"
"You and I enter the casino here..."
"Hold up, why am I the pawn?"
"What? It doesn't matter."
"Gat has his own piece, and your piece looks like you. So why am I the pawn?"
"Because I only had these three figures. Now shut up and listen. Once inside we need to distract this security guard, I was thinking you could catch me cheating, or some shit like that."
"Anyway, while the guard's concerned with throwing me out, Gat'll sneak in through this security door...don't worry, I already got today's passcode from the blackjack dealer Shaundi's fucking."
The longer Pierce goes on, the faster he speaks. He's been planning this for a while and is pretty excited for his master plan to finally be laid bare.
"Now, once inside, Gat'll have to sneak past the guards to cut the power....when that happens we only have about 45 seconds before the backup generator turns on."
He's ready to move in for the kill with his brilliance, but Gat has another idea.
"During the blackout, though-"
"Hold up man...I mean, I love the dream house you built here and everything. But what if we just start here...walk into the casino, and just shoot all the motherfuckers that are between us and the money?"
"Well, ya know-"
"It would be a lot faster and a lot less complicated."
"And a lot more fun."
"Yeah, but..."
"Fuck it, let's go... good call Johnny."
"The heist, man..."
A purple Bootlegger is waiting outside, all gassed up and ready to go. Playa jumps in the driver's seat and Gat slides in next to her in the passenger seat.
"You think Pierce is upset we didn't go with his heist idea?"
"He'll get over it."
"Shaundi said he'd been putting a lot of work in on it."
"Yeah, but it was too complex and it had me sneakin' around. I don't sneak."
"True. Subtle isn't exactly in the Saints playbook."
"Not after what happened with Lin it ain't."
"You're gonna love what I've got planned for the Ronin."
"Do we know who's in charge?"
"A kid named Shogo Akuji. Now he probably spends more time on his hair than he does on his bike, but it doesn't change the fact that he's totally ruthless."
"I hate him already. Is Pierce takin' his own car?"
"Pierce is pickin' up some of the other Saints and meeting us there... I figure we can get the party started without 'em."
As Playa nears the marina district, her phone rings.
"Sup holmes, it's Carlos... I was diggin' 'round like you asked and I found out the guy runnin' the Brotherhood is some bad muthafucka named Maero. Anyway, Maero found out I was lookin' int-"
"He what?"
"Hey, hey... be cool it's not so bad. Maero asked to sit down and have a chat with you... he wants to work something out before things get out of control."
"Where's he wanna meet?"
"The underground caverns."
"Yeah, that's totally not a trap... set up the meet for tomorrow."
"Not today?"
"Gat and me are about to go loud on the Ronin. If Maero wants to talk preemptive peace, I'm sure he would appreciate me not bringing the shitty Yakuza down on his head."
"Yeah, I think that would be for the best. 'Aight I'll let him know."
"Thanks, Carlos."
Gat, the whole time, is giving Playa an odd look.
"Did I hear that right? Maero, the psychotic leader of the Brotherhood, wants to talk peace?"
"I know, right? Carlos said he wants to meet in the underground caverns."
"That's definitely a trap."
"Is it still a trap if you walk into it while fully aware it is one?"
"Nah, that's just fun then."
Playa and Gat ditch the Bootlegger up the street and walk in nice and casual-like. None of the Ronin milling around suspect a thing as the pair enter the casino.
The guards don't care if you're visibly packing heat, so don't feel like you need to hide the weapons here. It just means we can go loud the second we set foot in.
The first shots in the great Saints-Ronin war ring out on two unassuming guards in the casino. From there, it's all out panic.
Guests and croupiers alike cower behind the tables while assholes in yellow motorcycle jackets pull weapons out of seemingly nowhere and open fire.
Playa does similarly. She puts her twin GDHC .50s into her waistband and unslings her Tombstone from its holster inside her silk shirt.
It doesn't take long before the last of the initial guards fall. Though the gunshots ringing out are unmistakable.
"Did we ever get that passcode from Pierce?"
"I thought we weren't gonna go with his heist idea."
"He still got the vault's passcode from Shaundi's fuck buddy."
"...shit. Guess we're doing this the old-fashioned way, then."
"Watch my back while I set the charges."
Over the next several minutes, Ronin footsoldiers trickle into the casino floor and open fire on Gat. Playa rushes around and guns as many of them down as she can.
If Gat goes down, you thankfully don't fail. You just have to get him up by pouring a 40 on him.
"Get clear!"
You'll take a lot of damage and possibly even die if you're standing too close to the bombs when they go off.
Playa and Gat both dive away from the vault doors. A scant few seconds later, a massive explosion rocks the casino floor, filling the whole room with thick black smoke.
Outside, Pierce pulls up in a Mule truck.
Several minutes later, the Saints have stuffed as much money as they can carry into the back of the truck. Pierce and his crew grab the old Bootlegger to run interference, while Playa and Gat get in the truck and take off.
Johnny messes with his phone and pulls up a police scanner app a moment later.
"All units, we have a robbery in progress. Suspects were last seen entering a large box truck outside of Poseidon's Palace and were seen heading west."
"Well they called the cops... big surprise there."
"Man, robbin' casinos is easy money."
"Yeah, but before we start buying new cars we better clean this money."
"We take that money to the hideout and someone is gonna walk off with it before we get a chance to clean it."
"Don't worry about it, I'll take it to Eesh's."
"Aisha isn't gonna be a fan of that."
"She'll be fine."
Playa is surprisingly able to lose the cops and Ronin tail by taking the roundabout way through the suburbs. By the time they pull up to Aisha's house, nobody is following them.
This is a lie. The police and Ronin were hot on my tail. But the game assumes you well out of your way to hit Forgive and Forget. But there's no penalty for just going straight to Aisha's house.
Across town in an unspecified tower downtown...
The Model of Discipline
"Kono kajino no gen'ni ichi-ken wa, Akuji-san wa chotto..."
"Jyunichi, you need to relax..."
Shogo Akuji is getting a massage from a hooker while he's holding a conversation with his bodyguard, Jyunichi.
"Akuji-san kara kakusu no wa murina node wa?"
"My father won't find out about the casino..."
"Son'nani amaku wanaidesu."
"Don't question me Jyunichi...and we're in America, speak English."
"Forgive me Shogo."
Jyunichi bows low to Shogo, who meanwhile calms back down with the help of his cigarette. All of the sudden, theres a knock at the door. In one swift motion, Jyunichi pulls out his sword and adopts a ready stance.
"A little jumpy today?"
Shogo pulls the partition back to reveal it's just room service. Jyunichi looks completely stunned. The concierge looks to Shogo, who gestures into the room.
"Over there."
He bows politely to Jyunichi and walks back out of the room, hand outstretched for a tip.
Shogo doesn't care and slams the partition in his face.
Shogo collects his bottle of wine from the tray.
"Sword."
Jyunichi is careful to hide his true feelings and dutifully follows orders. But he has misgivings about his boss.
On the way back to his chair, Shogo slices the bottle open with Jyunichi's katana.
"Listen Jyunichi, I know you're having a hard time...adjusting, to the way I run things here.
Back in his seat, Shogo looks over at the hooker and snaps his fingers. He points into his lap and opens up his arms.
"But how about you let me deal with my father and you deal with whatever the fuck I tell you to deal with."
The hooker gets down on her knees and gets to work. Jyunichi bows obsequiously once again, averting his eyes from what is already happening in front of him.
"Of course Shogo."
"Excellent..."
Shogo leans back in the chair and takes a drag off his cigarette, his mind already going elsewhere.
quote:
Poseidon's Palace was the scene of a deadly robbery today as Johnny Gat and the leader of the Third Street Saints stormed the casino. The pair apparently blasted their way to the back of the casino, and then set explosives to crack the casino safes. The Saints then escaped the casino under a hail of gunfire before somehow eluding police.
"It was the god Poseidon who watched over sailors setting forth from Greece, ensuring their safety. Sadly, the Grecian deity was unable to extend this same protection to his Texas Hold 'Em tables. While details remain sketchy at best, early reports have said Troy Bradshaw is handling the investigation personally. More on this daring robbery as the story unfolds. I'm Jane Valderamma, channel 6 news."
One more intro mission to go! And you already know what it is. Next time we're talking to Maero! I know it's funnier if you save the Brotherhood til last, but this keeps the difficulty in the story missions about equivalent. It can be really weird to go from maximum difficulty at the end of a gang story to minimum at the beginning of another.
This also means that Stilwater is embroiled in chaos for as long as humanly possible instead of having it ebb and flow.