Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties

Hints and Tips:
---------------
Submitted by: David K.

-= Play order =-
Finish the full Yakuza Kiwami 3 story before starting Dark Ties. Dark Ties spoils
Kiwami 3 plot beats and Mine's role if played first. Even veterans of original
Yakuza 3 should run Kiwami 3 first; Dark Ties is a short Mine-focused spin-off
(about 4-5 hours story- only) best enjoyed after you already know the character.

-= Combat and critical attacks =-
Critical Attacks are Yakuza Kiwami 3's parry system. Each stance has its own
counter method; you cannot mix them across styles.
* Dragon of Dojima: Perfect Quickstep with R1 + X as the enemy strikes, then
  immediately press Square or Triangle for a Quickstep Attack.
* Ryukyu Style: Perfect Guard by tapping L1 on the attack frame, then press
  Square or Triangle for a Perfect Guard Attack.
* Dragon of Dojima cannot Perfect Guard; Ryukyu cannot Perfect Quickstep.
  Prioritize learning one stance's timing before boss fights. Jo Amon and other
  super-bosses expect steady parry counters and healing items.

-= Training points and Miyazato styles =-
Training Points (TP) fuel Promotion Exams and Special Ability upgrades in Options
> Upgrade Abilities.
* Fast TP: Practice at the Miyazato dojo on the second floor of Chura Bar
  (Hatsumachi Street). Talk to the Miyazato Dojo Student to start ranked Practice
  fights.
* Broad TP: Training List in Options tracks 322 challenges across Battle, Bad Boy
  Dragon, Adventure, and Entertainment.
* When you earn enough TP for your current Training Rank, Miya-san texts you.
  Return to the dojo student and choose Take the Promotion Exam to rank up and
  unlock Miyazato Styles plus harder Practice sets.
* All Special Abilities cost 28,650 TP total. Stat nodes (HP and Attack) use Yen
  instead. Miyazato Styles (see Reference) add barges, drift counters, sprint
  slams, and Tiger Drop. Tiger Drop: hold R1 and press Triangle while an enemy
  attacks to counter and launch them.

-= Health, attack, and phone gear =-
Open Upgrade Abilities early for both Kiryu and Mine. Each HP and Attack tree has
five nodes; upgrade every node four times before advancing. HP upgrades should
come before chasing expensive attack nodes. Kiryu can stack up to three Logo
Straps on his flip phone for passive damage bonuses. Unlock phone customization
through the Connected by LaLaLa Love substory after karaoke with Haruka on the
way to meet Majima. Straps are sold or exchanged in Kamurocho and Downtown Ryukyu
shops, casinos, bowling, batting centers, and shogi. Reapers and gambling
(Lullaby Mahjong for Kiryu, Dragon Palace Gambling Hall for Mine) are reliable
Yen sources for stat nodes. Save before large Upgrade Abilities purchases.

-= Morning Glory and Daddy Rank =-
Daddy Rank tracks Kiryu's bond with the eight Morning Glory children. Earn Daddy
Rank

-= Points through orphanage activities =-
* Cooking (fastest overall bond gain across all kids)
* Homework and sewing (short, repeatable sessions)
* Bug catching, Dragon Reversi, market garden crops, and beach fishing At each
  Daddy milestone, gather Cooking Request ingredients and cook with Haruka in the
  kitchen to advance rank. Higher Daddy Rank unlocks more lunch recipes, kid
  substories, and trophies. Morning Glory story concludes at Daddy Rank 6 with
  the Dragon Cake request.

-= Dark Ties and Kanda Damage Control =-
Dark Ties follows Yoshitaka Mine in Kamurocho. Progress Kanda Damage Control to
raise Karma Rank and fund Mine's upgrades.
* Helping the Little People: short street tasks similar to Reaper jobs.
* Damage Control Challenges: activity checklist like Kiryu's Training List.
* Good Deeds: thirteen optional substory-style quests from Zenba at Nishikiyama
  HQ (see Reference). Unlock after Chapter 2: Complicity by clearing Nagatani
  Family at Senryo Avenue; first Good Deed needs Karma Rank 2 from other Damage
  Control work. Good Deed #1 (Coliseum Investigation) unlocks Hell's Arena.
  Survival Hell has five stages; Brawler Hell tournaments sit at the NPC right of
  the Survival Hell reception. Clearing Survival Hell stages is required for the
  final Good Deed payout. Spend Yen on Mine's HP and Attack trees before tough
  Good Deeds. Improve Mine's Upgrade Abilities for easier brawls.

-= Coliseum (Kiryu) =-
Kiryu's Coliseum opens in Chapter 8: Conspirators. Reach Chapter 7: The Mad Dog
and enter Purgatory through the West Park public toilets in Kamurocho. Beat
Majima in the arena, exit to central Purgatory, then follow Nishida's tip. Talk
to reception in the west building to pick fights. Faster clear times raise your
Coliseum rank.

Reference:
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-= Miyazato styles =-
* Dashing Iron Heart - Guard with a two-handed weapon (L1), hold X to charge into
  enemies..
* Deadly Drift - Dojima: perfect quickstep a special attack, then Square or
  Triangle. Ryukyu: perfect guard a special, then Square or Triangle..
* Meteor Slam - While sprinting (hold X), hold Triangle for a running slam..
* Tiger Drop - Hold R1 and press Triangle during an enemy attack to counter..

-= Promotion exam training points =-
* Beginner - 1,500; Dashing Iron Heart.
* Advanced - 4,000; Deadly Drift.
* Assistant Instructor - 10,000; Meteor Slam.
* Master - 20,000; Tiger Drop.

-= Kiryu HP and attack node costs =-
* 1 - 6,000 Yen.
* 2 - 30,000 Yen.
* 3 - 100,000 Yen.
* 4 - 200,000 Yen.
* 5 - 500,000 Yen. Four upgrades per node before the next node unlocks. Attack
  tree uses the same costs.

-= Mine HP and attack node costs =-
* 1 - 70,000 Yen.
* 2 - 350,000 Yen.
* 3 - 1,000,000 Yen.
* 4 - TBD.
* 5 - TBD. Nodes 4 and 5 costs were not documented at launch. Four upgrades per
  listed node.

-= Kiwami 3 chapter list =-
* 1 - New Beginnings.
* 2 - The Ryudo Encounter.
* 3 - Power Struggle.
* 4 - The Man in the Sketch.
* 5 - The Curtain Rises.
* 6 - Gameplan.
* 7 - The Mad Dog.
* 8 - Conspirators.
* 9 - The Plot.
* 10 - Unfinished Business.
* 11 - Crisis.
* 12 - The End of Ambition.

-= Dark Ties chapter list =-
* 1 - Hunger.
* 2 - Complicity.
* 3 - The Kirin's Ambition.

-= Dark Ties Good Deeds =-
* Coliseum Investigation - 2; Hell's Arena access, 300k Yen.
* Homeless Outreach Effort - After #1; 300k Yen.
* Employment Assistance Scam - After #1; 600k Yen.
* Graffiti Eradication Campaign - After #1; 600k Yen.
* Operation: Balls - After #1; 1,000,000 Yen.
* Maintain Safety For Sex Workers - After #1; 600k Yen, Staminan X.
* Vehicle Burglary Prevention - After #1; 700k Yen, Narukami Shock Gun.
* Public Intoxication Awareness - After #1; 700k Yen, Demon Kitchen Knife.
* A Shift in Kamurocho's Working - 4; 600k Yen.
* Girls.
* Panty Thief P.I. - 4; 700k Yen.
* To Catch a Serial Killer - 4; 1,000,000 Yen.
* Uncover Police Corruption - 5; 1,000,000 Yen.
* Coliseum Investigation Results - Clear Survival Hell; 2,000,000 Yen. Return to
  Zenba at Nishikiyama HQ between quests. All listed deeds also award Karma
  Points.

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