Character Starting levels

[Celes]

Great! I'm looking forward to the results!

[highwind44029]

Here's what I have, based on memory. Some characters have more than one starting level, depending on when they are recruited or if they join you at two separate occasions.

Riou - 2
Jowy - 2/3? (if you had him die at the first few battles at the start of the game he will join at a level higher than 2 but I'm not sure if it's Level 3 xD)
Tuta - 3/19 (depends on whether you recruited him at Muse or when he automatically joins at North Window)
Gengen - 6
Rina - 4/19 (first joins at Ryube, then Coronet)
Eilie - 4/19 (see Rina)
Bolgan - 4/19 (see Rina & Eilie)
Mukumuku - 2/33 (depends on whether you recruited him at Kyaro or around Greenhill)
Nanami - 5
Viktor - 20
Flik - 20
Rikimaru - 8/19 (depends on whether you recruited him at Ryube or Coronet)
Millie - 6
Kinnison - 6
Shiro - 5
Zamza - 6/22 (depends on whether you recruited him at Toto or South Window)
Hanna - 6
Tsai - 11
Anita - 16/34 (depends on whether you recruited her at Muse or Banner)
Freed Y - 19
Kahn - 24/46 (first at Wind Cave, then at Crom)
Oulan - 27
Luc - 27
Tai Ho - 27
Amada - 27
Yoshino - 27
Clive - 16
Chaco - 1/29 (there have been cases when Chaco joins at Level 1, although I'm not sure what triggers it)
Makumaku - 33
Mikumiku - 33
Mekumeku - 33
Mokumoku - 33
Stallion - 31
Hai Yo - 33
Shilo - 28
Sid - 28
Gabocha - 28
Gadget - 31
Meg - 31
Wakaba - 31
Hix - 27
Tengaar - 27
Nina - 32
Shin - 32
Viki - 33
Futch - 34
Humphrey - 34
Camus - 35
Miklotov - 35
Badeaux - 34
Ayda - 34
Feather - 31
Sigfried - 28
Simone - 40
Kasumi - 38
Valeria - 38
Sheena - 38
Lorelai - 38
Mondo - 38
Sasuke - 38
McDohl - 41
Bob - 38
Tomo - 38
Karen - 40
Killey - 38
Hoi - Riou's Level - 10
Koyu - 46
LC Chan - Wakaba's Level + 5
Sierra - 42
Gijimu - 46
Lo Wen - 46
Hauser - 47
Georg - Riou's Level + 10
Gantestu - 27
Abizboah - 46
Rulodia - 38
Chuchara - 1
Vincent - 49
Pesmerga - Riou's Level + 5/50**
Mazus - Riou's Level + 5


The only ones I'm not sure of are Ayda, Badeaux and McDohl's starting levels.

**Pretty sure I had Pes join me at a lower level than 50 before because I distinctly recall doing the Level 99 trick at L'Renouille, but I'm going to re-play the game to make sure. I did find a post I had 7 years ago (oh geez that makes me feel old) that I recruited him with a Level 31 Riou but still joined at Level 50.

[ninjaluc79]

Great job. man!

I had a Suikoden 1 save loaded into my latest S2 save, and Viktor joined me at Lv 22, Flik at 27. McDohl joined at level 43. He was level 64 in Suikoden 1.

If my calculation is right, McDohl's S2 level is 40 + (S1 Level / 20)

[highwind44029]

I read a guide from years ago that said the S2 Level = Base Level + (S1 Level - 50)/5 or something like that, so in your game it's..

McDohl's S2 Level = 41 + (64 - 50)/5
= 41 + 14/5
= 41 + 2.8 (rounded down)
= 43

What levels were your Viktor and Flik?

[ninjaluc79]

Viktor - 22
Flik - 27

I think this is okay since you get to use Viktor in the North Window mission (~Level 20), whereas you can get to use Flik in the Greenhill Rescue mission (~Level 30)

[highwind44029]

I meant in Suikoden I. What were their levels in your SI save?

I want my Viktor to get the highest level bonus for my game, so I can beat the crap out of that Abomination when I run through. xD

[highwind44029]

YES! Viktor got the bonus in my game. He joined at Level 33, Flik joined at 28, making the formula I posted above off by one point. Both were Level 96 in my Suikoden I save file. I was afraid McDohl was going to get it because if he did, he'll go over Level 50 and I won't be able to boost him to Level 99.

[highwind44029]

Humphrey and Futch joined at Level 47 even though they were only Level 96 in S1. That's a pretty huge boost (13 levels) I'll check on other recurring characters and see what level they ended up with. I didn't bother leveling Pes to 70+ during S1 though so I can make sure I recruit him at his base level.

Edit: Luc was also Level 96 in my S1 file, and he joined at Level 37, 10 levels higher than his base level. The level bonuses are rather inconsistent, which leads me to believe they might be percentage-based. All Level 96 characters in S1 consistently have +40% level bonus. Clive joined at Level 19 (3 level bonus, 20% of base level) but he was only Level 71 in my S1 save file.

Another update: Hix joined at Level 37, same as Luc (+40% bonus) but he was only Level 94 in my S1 save file. Tengaar joined at Level 35 (+30% bonus), she was Level 87. Meg joined at Level 43 (+40% bonus), she was also Level 96 in my S1 file, so the formula seems to be consistent for those Level 90+.

Tai Ho didn't get any bonuses, level or weapon. I think he's the only recurring character to not get any.

[highwind44029]

Well, that blows chunks. Hoi and LC Chan both joined at Level 99, so that's kind of a bust on confirming LC Chan's level. I'm doing a compilation of initial equips much like was done for Suikoden I though. I'll try to get it finished when I can.

Also, Lorelai joined at Level 53, so that kind of screwed me over for the Level 99 trick. So far she's the only one that joined at a level greater than 49, but I assume the same concept applies to Sheena, Valeria, Kasumi, and McDohl, so I advise not getting them to Level 99 if you want them to be boosted to max level in Suikoden II. 3/4 of those are quite difficult to get to Level 99 though, with Sheena having to be recruited at Level 1 in Suikoden I, Valeria needing to be recruited at Level 96+, and all of them having a fixed rune.

[gildedtalon]

How to get chaco lvl 1? Maybe I'll just make a new topic

[wataru14]

I've also been working on collecting data for starting levels/starting weapon levels/starting equipment. I am doing a run with no uploaded data from S1 (I will use Gameshark to allow use of McDohl with no data loaded). Right now I am about to take North Window Castle. So far the starting levels I have are consistent with what Highwind listed above. When I get to the "problem" characters (Hoi, Mazus, Pesmerga, Georg, and LC Chan) I was thinking of using Gameshark to set Riou's Level at 60. That way Level +5 and Level -10 things would be easy to gague. And since no data was uploaded, there will be no skew from S1 level bonuses. I think I will also set Wakaba at 40 or 45 or so to see if her level affects LCChan (I think it was ninjaluc that alluded to that). I should probably test it with Riou's level at a couple of different values to see if there is any consistency.

[Celes]

The starting levels combined with the equipment will make a fine list. As soon as it is done, I will put this on the website and give you credit for this, of course

[wataru14]

It will be a week or so until I complete it (work and whatnot), and I have no idea how to code things, but once I have the data collected I will submit it.

[wataru14]

Progress report on the Initial Levels/Equips guide:

Just about to beat Luca Blight on my standard playthrough. Then I just have Tinto and the Liberation of Muse and Greenhill. Once that's done I just have to check what is and isn't locked on characters and I will have my first set of data. Then I have to go back and get the alternate recruitment info for Mukumuku, Nanami, Rikimaru, Zamza, Tuta, and Anita. I also forgot to list the number of uses the scrolls that Rina, Luc, Tsai, Jowy, Kahn, Tuta, and Anita start with, so I have to get that data again. Should have everything done in a few more days.

[ninjaluc79]

FYI: Jowy Blight (aka Sword Jowy) starts off with the following:

Wind Hat
Silver Armor
(no shield)
Goldlet
Winged Boots
Kindness Rain x4.

All of these are not locked to him.