Transformation (Legend)

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• Summary of info from the 1990s Game Boy Players' Guide.

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Transformation is a class-change mechanic in The Final Fantasy Legend. It is used exclusively by monsters recruited into the player party.

Overview

As the player party battles enemy hordes, there is always the chance that one monster enemy may drop a piece of meat that can be eaten. Eating this meat has no effect on Human or Mutant units. Monster units, however, will undergo metamorphosis from their current species to one in an entirely different genus. Depending upon a hidden level variable of the meat dropped, the monster being transformed may evolve and gain the stats and abilities of a higher species, or it may devolve and revert to a lower species altogether. Though the process of transformation is algorithmically controlled and can be manipulated to an extent, it has enough variability as to be somewhat unpredictable. Hence, parties comprised of multiple monsters are frequently discouraged in both game materials and strategy guides.^{[citation needed]}

Transforming

Monster transformation can occur in 26 genera, with each genus bearing six species. The transformation from one genus to the next is determined by a fixed table. The resultant species is determined as follows:

1. Read the current monster and the dropped meat.
2. Check the current monster's level.
3. Check the meat's level.
   1. If higher, transform into a monster at or near the meat's level.
   2. If not, is there a target monster in the table at the same level as the party monster?
      1. If TRUE, transform the monster
      2. If FALSE, compare monster to target at meat level.
         1. If no target exists, attempt to move up one level, then transform.
            1. If no target is there, move down until a target exists, then transform.

Due to sloppy programming in the original release, there are a few monsters into which the party monster will never transform, since the target monster is lower in level as a party member than as meat.^{[citation needed]} There are also cases where the transformation algorithm is bugged such that transformation always results in a lesser species.^{[citation needed]}

Example and mini walkthrough

In 2002, GameFAQs contributor "s/p" completed a transformation walkthrough using only meat from the World of Continent. With the method below, it is possible to generate a tier 5/Level 13 monster before ascending the Tower. At Level 13, a monster cannot devolve, but can always change form and use the abilities of the target genus.

Sequence

1. Begin as a Goblin or Wererat.
2. Eat a Zombie → Obake
3. Obake + Albatros → Oni (Tier 2)
4. Oni + Zombie → Phantom
5. Phantom + Goblin → Gecko (Tier 3)
6. Gecko + Zombie → Red Bone (Tier 2)
7. Red Bone + RedBull → Hornet (Tier 3)
8. Hornet + Lizard → Catwoman
9. Catwoman + Skeleton → Eagle (Tier 2)
10. Eagle + Wererat → Mosquito (Tier 4)
11. Mosquito + Albatros → Beetle (Tier 2—can exploit Saw bug)
12. Beetle + Zombie → Ogre (Tier 3)
13. Ogre + Zombie → Buruburu
14. Buruburu + Wererat → Behemoth (Tier 4)
15. Behemoth + Skeleton → Giant
16. Giant + Lizard → Warrior (has Saw)
17. Warrior + Goblin → Salamand (Tier 5)

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