Subquests and Extras in .Hack//Outbreak

In possibly the most annoying move ever, they switched triangle and circle for this game - menu and cancel - and there doesn't seem to be any way to switch them back.  Why would they do that?

Again, I'm not including anything you can find simply by reading the board.

Areas on the DVD

• Sigma Barking Hotblooded 500-Lohan (lv 62) - Ladies Gloves (in a chest on B4), Magnolia Miso (Gott Statue, trade to Flare).
• Sigma Unusual Ghostly Remnant (lv 62) - Ladies Mail (in a chest on B4), Doll Amulet (Gott Statue, trade to Stare).
• Sigma Noisy Sacred Ringing-Ears (lv 61) - Ladies Cap (in a chest on B4), 3-Floor Tower (trade to Alicia).

Note that the Ladies' Mail contains the Mumyn Lei spell, which you can use to put things to sleep.  Things like Goblins.

More Areas with Trade Items

• Sigma Entwined Prejudiced Chaos (lv 68) - Rouge Fragment (trade to Cyan), Kokoro.
• Sigma Greedy Gambler's Drift (lv 67) - Boxed Lunch (Gott Statue, trade to Benoit), Lady Killers (chest on B4).
• Sigma Ancient Destroyer's Battlefield (lv 65) - Scent of Gero (trade to Fool), Lady Shoes.
• Sigma Tested Morphean Alchemy (lv 68) - Fields Deed (trade to Waffle), Vampire's Blade.
• Sigma Abrasive False Tragedy (lv 69) - Maiden's Plot (Gott statue, trade to Teria).

Rare Trades

Alicia - Cat's Hat for 3-Floor Tower.
Benoit - Yoshida for Boxed Lunch.
Cyan - Gimme Life for Rouge Fragment.
Flare - Cat's Gloves for Magnolia Miso. 
Fool - Cat's Boots for Scent of Gero.
Stare - Cat's Armour for Doll Amulet.
Teria - Thunder Dad for Maiden's Plot.
Waffle - Dreams or Yore for Field's Deed.

I found it a lot easier than I expected to track down the people I needed to trade with.  If you've spoken to them before, they'll appear in Ryu Book III and you'll be able to tell if they're online or not.  If so, they're usually in the same server you are.  If they're not online, try logging in and out and check again.  I generally found one or two were online after each dungeon, so I just ran around town for a bit and traded a few things, then went and got the next few items.


.Hack//Sign Scenes

This is a long one, so see the dedicated post.

Areas They Pull You Out of Before You Can Get the Damn Gott Statue

• Sigma Rising Implacable Sipping Bug - Gott statue has Blazing Robes, and Scarlet Plate x2.  Pretty much everything here will give you Virus Core H.
• Sigma Sorrowful Sweltering Arena - Gott statue has Oaken Solleret, Silver Scarab, and Ivory Barret.  Bee Commandos on the field will give you Virus Core I, and Undead Voodoos will give you Virus Core G.
• Sigma Fleeting Fallow Chaos - Gott statue has Owl Crest, Ivory Barette and Scarlet Plate.

eMails in .Hack//Outbreak

Balmung
The World

• Yeah it might be -carries on.
• Hmmm -  carries on. 

Hmmm

• Yeah it might be -carries on.
• I don't think so - ends chain.

Yeah it might be

• That's not true -carries on.
• Really? - ends chain.

That's not true

• I don't know - gets final email.
• Yeah - ends chain.

Thus the best responses are Hmmm, Yeah it might be, That's not true.

Blackrose
At School

• Ah... no - gets final email for this mini-chain, but not until you've completed a specific storyline dungeon.
• No Comment - ends chain.  

Current Events

• Really? - carries on.
• Unusual Weather - carries on, but skips the 'Really?' step.

Really?

• Unusual Weather - carries on.
• Yeah - ends chain.

Unusual Weather

• Like Swarms? - carries on.
• Movie? - ends chain.

Like Swarms?

• Adventure Flick - gets final email.
• Sick... - ends chain.

Thus the best chain is Really?, Unusual Weather, Like Swarms?, Adventure Flick.

Gardenia
Cats

• Cute - carries on.
• You don't mean... - ends chain.

Cute

• Huh? - ends chain.
• What about them? - carries on.

What about them?

• Way of life? - ends chain.
• Don't kiss up? - gets final email.

Thus the best responses are Cute, What about them?, Way of life?.

Marlo
My Life

• Uh-huh - ends chain.
• Coolness- carries on.

Coolness

• Sounds Like - carries on.
• Drunk -  ends chain.

Sounds Like

• Wannabe - gets final email.
• Fake - ends chain.

So the chain is Coolness, Sounds Like, Wannabe.

Moonstone
Pup

• Dog? - carries on.
• Please - ends chain.

Dog?

• Puppies - carries on.
• It follows you - ends chain.

Puppies

• You like dogs? - ends chain.
• 30 minutes!! - gets final email.

Thus, the best chain is Dog?, Puppies, 30 minutes!!.

Natsume
Dinner!

• Food - carries on.
• Hamburger  - ends chain.

Food

• Good enough! - carries on.
• Only three? - ends chain.

Good enough!

• Beef Stew - gets final email.
• Steak  - ends chain.

 Thus the chain is Food, Good enough!, Beef Stew.

Nuke Usagimaru
Books

• I see - carries on.
• ... - ends chain.

I see

• I see - carries on.
• OK - ends chain.

I see

• Is that... - ends chain.
• Man!  - gets final email.

Piros
Fair eyes

• Friendship - carries on.
• Tea... - ends chain.

Friendship

• No... - carries on.
• Surprising - ends chain.

No...

• Friends? - gets final email.
• Piros - ends chain.

Thus, the best chain is Friendship, No..., Friends?

Rachel
High School

• Badminton? - carries on.
• Thanks - ends chain.

Badminton?

• Oh? - ends chain.
• Too dry - carries on.

Too dry

• Art - ends chain.
• Art Class - gets final email.

Thus the best responses are Badminton?, Too dry, Art Class.

Sanjuro
Musashi

• Yeah - carries on.
• Not Really - carries on.

Musashi 2

• Really? - ends chain.
• Yeah - carries on.

Yeah

• Ambidextrous - gets final email.
• Then  - ends chain.

Terajima Ryoko

Greetings

• Thank You - carries on.
• Me As Well - ends chain.

Not at All (Thank You)

• I See - carries on.
• School Buses  - ends chain.

I See

• Field Trip - gets final email.
• ... - ends chain.

Wiseman
Card Games

• What is it like? - carries on.
• No - carries on.

No

• What is it like? - carries on.
• Not interested - ends chain.

What is it Like?

• Sounds interesting - carries on.
• I see - ends chain.

Sounds Interesting

• Digimon Cards... - gets final email.
• Strong Cards... - ends chain.

.Hack//Sign Ghosts in .Hack//Outbreak (Spoiler Free)

Throughout .Hack//Outbreak you can see fragments of the anime series .hack//sign (assuming that you've seen all the scenes at Delta Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground in Mutation).  Simply go to these places, in the following order, and talk to the ghosts.  You'll get items for this, but I'm not listing them.  You will get several Golden Grunties (permanently raises HP by 30) as well as several excellent healing items.  All of the places are root towns, so I'll just list the server rather than specifying that every time.

I have to tell you, this is a lot more fun once you've seen .Hack//Sign!

Set 1

1. Delta.  In the alley by the magic shop where you first met Mia. 
2. Theta.  Behind the Grunty farm.
3. Delta.  Under the bridge, near the weapon shop. 
4. Lambda.  In front of the Grunty farm.
5. Sigma.  Between Elf Haven and the Grunty Farm.
6. Theta.  Behind the recorders shop.

Set 2

1. Lambda.  Near the Snakey Grunty. 
2. Sigma.  Between the weapons shop and the magic shop.
3. Theta.  Near the magic shop.
4. Delta.  Under the bridge near Elf's Haven shop.
5. Sigma.  Between the item shop and Elf's Haven.
6. Lambda.  Behind the Grunty Farm.

Set 3

1. Theta.  Near the item shop. 
2. Delta.  In the alley by the magic shop where you first met Mia.
3. Lambda.  Near the Snakey Grunty. 
4. Sigma.  Between the recorder and Elf's Haven.
5. Theta.  Near the Grunty Farm.
6. Lambda.  Near the Noble Grunty.

Set 4

1. Sigma.  Between the recorder and the Grunty Farm.
2. Delta.  Under the bridge near Elf's Haven.
3. Lambda.  Near the Noble Grunty.
4. Sigma.  Between the Chaos Gate and the magic shop.
5. Theta.  On the bridge near the Grunty Farm.
6. Sigma.  Behind the Grunty Farm.

Set 5

1. Lambda.  Between the Bony Grunty and the Snakey Grunty.
2. Sigma.  Between the recorder's shop and the weapons shop.
3. Theta.  Near the recorder.
4. Delta.  Under the bridge by the magic shop.
5. Lambda.  Between the Snakey Grunty and the recorder. 
6. Sigma.  Behind the magic shop.

Set 6

1. Delta.  In the alley between the weapons shop and the magic shop.
2. Lamba.  South of the Chaos Gate.
3. Theta.  By the weapons shop.
4. Sigma.  Between the Grunty Farm and Elf's Haven.
5. Theta.  Near the item shop.
6. Delta.  Near the weapons shop.

Set 7

1. Theta.  Behind the Grunty Farm.
2. Delta.  In the alley by the magic shop where you first met Mia. 
3. Sigma.  Between the Grunty Farm and the weapons shop.
4. Lambda.  South of the Chaos Gate.
5. Delta.  Walking between the item shop and Elf's Haven.
6. Sigma.  Behind the item shop.

Set 8

1. Sigma.  Behind the Grunty Farm.  You'll need to leave Fort Ouph and come back after seeing the last one before she'll appear.
2. Delta.  Walking between the magic shop and the weapon shop.
3. Theta.  Near the item shop.
4. Sigma.  Walking between the item shop, Elf's Haven, and the recorder.
5. Lamba.  Between the Snakey Grunty and the recorder.
6. Delta.  Near the magic shop.

Set 9

1. Delta.  In the alley by the magic shop where you first met Mia. Again, you must leave the server after seeing the last scene and come back.
2. Theta.  Behind the Grunty Farm.
3. Lambda.  South of the Chaos Gate.
4. Sigma.  Between the Grunty Farm and the weapons shop.
5. Sigma.  Between Elf's Haven and the Grunty Farm.  Remember to log out and back in or otherwise leave the server between scenes.
6. Theta.  Behind the Grunty Farm.

Best Weapons in .Hack//Outbreak

When Data Draining (shortened to DD) you are more likely to get virus cores when blue and rare items/weapons when your status is riskier.

Twin Blade
Kite, Natsume, Moonstone

• Sora's Blades - Return to Lambda Stalking Betrayed Nothingness once it reaches level 70.
• Golden Yasha - DD Black Death.  Bonus boss, only one available.  Sigma Pulsating Sea of Cloud Whale, unlocked after completing the game.  In my experience, you'll need to strip its magical defence with a beast bane and use spells on it in order to get a Protect Break.
• Two Together - DD Stare.  Can be found in Sigma Unusual Soul Alchemy.

Heavy Blade
BlackRose, Sanjuro

• Five Stars - DD Star Viking. Can be found in Sigma Unusual Soul Alchemy and Lambda Stalking Betrayed Nothingness once it reaches level 70.  I had a lot of trouble getting a Protect Break on them.  I found that using darkness spells tended to be the most successful.

Heavy Axeman
Piros, Terajima Ryoko.

• Tri-Tips - DD Skull Devilgon.  Can be found in Sigma Unusual Soul Alchemy and Lambda Stalking Betrayed Nothingness once it reaches level 70.

Wavemaster
Wiseman.

• Heh Heh Heh - DD Dark Maiden.  Can be found in Sigma Unusual Soul Alchemy.

Long Arm
Gardenia, Nuke Usagimaru.

• Minerva - DD Skull Devilgon.  Can be found in Sigma Unusual Soul Alchemy and Lambda Stalking Betrayed Nothingness once it reaches level 70.

Blademaster
Rachel, Marlo, Balmung.

• Phoenix's Fire - DD Lich.  Can be found in Sigma Unusual Soul Alchemy and Lambda Stalking Betrayed Nothingness once it reaches level 70.

.Hack - Goblins

Infection and Mutation

Throughout the Dot Hack series, Goblins will challenge you, via the board, to play tag with them.  In other words, they are speedy little creatures who run away from you.

To easily defeat the first few goblins, use spells.  For those with Magic Tolerance (Martina) use a Beast Bane first.  Speed Charms are also pretty useful.  Both of those can be bought at the magic shop.  They're all weak against wood spells. 

Outbreak

In Outbreak, the Goblins suddenly become a lot more difficult; it's very hard to hit them with spells, and there are three instead of one per level.  It helped a lot, on the first two, to use Knight's Blood, Warrior Blood, and Speed Charms.  Bring spares, these things take a while.

By the time I got to Jonue T, it was insane.  I found that using a Knight's Blood, Warrior Blood and a Speed Charm (from the item and magic shops respectively) on Kite, and then focusing on one and using a skill whenever I got close enough really helped.  You'll generally only get one hit, but it'll be for about 250 if you're at level 70 with Sora's blades.  Once you've got one of them, that'll only leave one to heal and one to chase, so it will go a little faster.

Albert T was a huge drop in difficulty.  Wear the Ladies Mail from Sigma Unusual Ghostly Remnant, use a Hermit Blood (increases magical accuracy), a Warrior Blood (increases physical attack), and a Hunter Blood (increases physical accuracy) on yourself, cast Mumyn Lei on one of them, run up to it, and get in as many hits as you can before it wakes up.  It will wake up within seconds.  All you do is get it in your sights (use R2) and rinse repeat.  Since the Alberts will cast spells on you, they will sometimes lock you in place for a few seconds.  Just focus on one, and when there are only two left, it's a lot harder for them to do that.  The last one should go down quickly.

Martina T was also quite easy.  Beast Bane, sleep spell, wood spell, repeat.  The healing is a little annoying, but, again, it gets easier as you  whittle them down.

Ryu Books of 1000

The Ryu Books are key items that you receive when data-draining in the .hack// series.  You will get one for every ten data drains, up to Ryu Book VII.

The Ryu Books track various statistics, and will reward you for hitting specific numbers, ie, for meeting Grandpa five times.  You can get all of them in the fourth game, Quarantine.  Otherwise, a few more rewards unlock each game, as listed below.

The rewards consist of images and music with which to decorate your desktop, and videos of cutscenes, which you can view after gaining the data flag, ie, finishing each installment.  The rewards always unlock in the same order, no matter which achievements you get.

I was originally going to list all the achievements you can unlock, and which game you can first get them in.  But, really, that's boring and it's been done before.  I'm only listing the highest numbers you need to get, so you know what to aim for.  You'll only unlock the final reward in Quarantine, but you won't miss any if you hit these numbers then.


Ryu Book I
Chronicles Areas and Playtime

• 210 Areas Visited
• 60 Hours Playtime.

If you struggle with this, just hop in and out of a few areas, then leave the PS2 on overnight.  But, really, you shouldn't struggle.

Ryu Book II
Chronicles Magic Portals

• 1700 Magic Portals Opened.
• xx Field Portals Opened.
• 75 Dungeon Portals Opened.

If you struggle with field portals, just go to a low level area and open a few.  For field portals, Lambda Lonely Ghostly Feeling.  Three.  You're welcome.  For dungeon portals, try Theta Chosen Corrupted Spiral, which has six.


Ryu Book III
Chronicles Players You Have Met

• All Players Met.
• xx Trades Made. 

If you just talk to a handful of people as you run around the root towns, you should meet most of them without trying too hard.  Some characters won't appear until the game has been completed.

  
Ryu Book IV
Chronicles Monsters

•  All Monsters Fought.
  

There is an excellent bestiary here.  When you reach Quarantine, simply look up any monsters you've yet to meet and go exploring.  Don't bother doing it earlier; you'll probably run into them anyway, and the effort will be redundant.


Ryu Book V
Chronicles About Your Friends

• 350,000GP in Gifts.
  

I hit twice that just by making sure everyone had the best weapons in each game.

Ryu Book VI
Chronicles Treasures

• 1500 Treasure Boxes Opened.
• 1400 boxes, cask, jars and bones destroyed.
• 85 Gott Statue Treasure Opened.

If you leave and re-enter a room, boxes and casks will reappear. Try Omega Chosen Solitary White Devil for Gott Statues; a two floor dungeon, with no forced battles.

Ryu Book VII
Chronicles the Spring of Myst and Symbols

• 55 Encounters with Monsieur.
• 55 Encounters with Grandpa.
• 140 Symbols Activated.

For Symbols, try Omega Bigoted Snowflake's Capsule.  There are two immediately to the west of the dungeon entrance. You'll easily meet enough grandpas and monsieurs while completing the item list.

Ryu Book VIII
Chronicles About Grunties

• All Grunty Foods Collected.
• All Grunties Raised.
• 230 Grunty Foods Obtained.

See my post here for where to find the food and the stats for the Grunties.  You should pick up enough Grunty food easily if you just grab a few whenever you go past.

Grunty Food & Stats

Once you reach Theta, you'll find grunties, little piglet like creatures whom you can feed.  Once you've fed them enough to raise their size enough, they'll turn into a specific kind of grunty.  In Mutation, you can race them, and in Outbreak they will search for either food, portals, or the dungeon entrance on the field when you press circle.

In each new game, go back to earlier servers and check your grunties trade items.  The ones in Carmina Gardelica and Fort Ouph will get another Golden Grunty and a Silver Grunty to trade.

This table shows where you can find Grunty food as well as decoding how the grunty asks for things. These aren't the only places you can get them, just places where I've found them easy to locate.

Food	Description	Hint	Location
Bearcat Egg	Really Sour	In a very fancy gallery	Theta Quiet Eternal White Devil On the big room on the right, on the 1st floor of the dungeon.  Two more on B2, in the big room and in the t-shaped room just north of it.
Bloody Egg	Like Blood	In the stomach of a very scary monster	Delta Chronicling Pagan Sunny Demon There are two in the first two little rooms on B1 of the dungeon.  Just run in and out of the dungeon a couple of times.  Complete the time trial here first.
Cordyceps	Cold and Spicy	Near a large statue of Buddha	Theta Quiet Eternal White Devil From the dungeon, go straight east till you hit one of those fire switch things.  Go south from there and you'll find three.
Golden Egg	Really Expensive	Inside an important story	Delta Buried Pagan Fiery Sands In the first room of the dungeon.  Just run in and out a couple of times if you need them.  Really though, they show up in most dungeons.
Grunt Mints	Minty	Near a very hot square face	Delta Raging Passionate Melody. There are some just south of the dungeon.
Immature Egg	Really Bitter	Deep in a really dark labyrinth	Theta Chosen Hopeless Nothingness In the first room after the entrance.
Invisible Egg	Really Salty	Inside a very deep cave	Delta Putrid Hot-blooded Scaffold There's one in the first room north of the entrance, and two more in the rooms to the east and west, as well as a golden egg in the room to the north.
La Pumpkin	Really Sweet	By a big coccoon	Theta Great Distant Fertile Land You'll find five or six just to the east of the dungeon, and three right in front of the entrance, near a symbol.
Mandragora	Noisy	By a pointy tower	Theta Beautiful Someone's Treasure Gem There are three just north of the dungeon entrance.
Mushroom	---	In the shadow of mushroom boulders.	Delta Putrid Hot-blooded Scaffold There's one just outside the entrance to the dungeon.  Just wander in and out a few times.
Oh No Melon	Really Sweet and Round	Near barnacles	Delta Buried Pagan Fiery Sands There are some just west of the dungeon, and a few more to the south of it.
Piney Apple	Crispy and Sweet	Deep in the green forest	Theta Soft Solitary Tri Pansy There are three in the small areas to the south, and one in the northernmost area.  This is also a very good area for getting all the field portals open.
Root Vegetable	White and Spicy	By a wall at the end of a maze	Theta Soft Smiling Fort Walls You can definitely find some earlier than this, in an area you have to visit.
Snakey Cactus	Juicy	Near ribs that were once an ocean	Delta Discovered Primitive Touchstone You can find two just to the east of the dungeon entrance, in the ribcage.
Twilight Onion	Raw and Spicy	By a very old, strange weapon	Delta Hideous Destroyer's Far Thunder There are some to the east of the dungeon.
White Cherry	Cold and Sweet	By a very old pillar	Delta Detestable Golden Scent.  You have the benefit of no portals here.

You can unlock three grunties per server.  There are easy ways to get them, but I find it more interesting to give it whatever it likes, then adjust the stats when it starts asking for Golden Eggs.  If you want the recipes, look at the wiki.

Types

Iron Grunty (Theta)

• Size: 30
• Body Odor: 3 to 17
• Rebel: -2 to 12
• Brutality: 13 to 27
• Intelligence: 8 to 22
• Purity: -2 to 12 

Your grunty wants to grow up to be an Iron Grunty.  Give it whatever it likes, and that's what you'll get.  Once it has the iron stats, it'll only ask for Golden Eggs.  Your Iron Grunty will take you to the Dungeon Entrance, in the field.


Poison Grunty (Theta)

• Size: 30
• Body Odor: 0 to 20
• Rebel: -5 to 15
• Brutality: 10 to 30
• Intelligence: 5 to 25
• Purity: -5 to 15 

The poison Grunty will take you to magic portals, on the field.

Bony Grunty (Lambda)

• Size: 40
• Body Odor: 13 to 27
• Rebel: 3 to 17
• Brutality: 8 to 22
• Intelligence: 8 to 22
• Purity: -2 to 12 

Grunties in Lambda want to grow into Bony grunties; just give it whatever it asks for.  The Bony Grunty will take you to the dungeon entrance on the field.

Snakey Grunty (Lambda)

• Size: 40
• Body Odor: 10 to 30
• Rebel: 0 to 20
• Brutality: 5 to 25
• Intelligence: 5 to 25
• Purity: -5 to 15 

The Snakey Grunty will search for magic portals in the field.

Aqua Grunty (Lambda)

• Size: 40
• Body Odor: 8 to 20
• Rebel: 8 to 22
• Brutality: -2 to 12
• Intelligence: 13 to 27
• Purity: 3 to 17 

Grunties on Sigma want to become Aqua Grunties.  Give them whatever they ask for.  Aqua Grunties will take you to the dungeon entrance on the field.

 Milky Grunty (Lambda) 

• Size: 40
• Body Odor: 5 to 25
• Rebel: 5 to 25
• Brutality: -5 to 15
• Intelligence: 10 to 30
• Purity: 0 to 20 

Milky Grunties will search for magic portals on the field.

Rocker Grunty (Omega)

• Size: 40
• Body Odor: 3 to 7
• Rebel: 8 to 22
• Brutality: -2 to 12
• Intelligence: 8 to 22
• Purity: 13 to 27

 Grunties in Omega want to become Rocker Grunties.  Give them what they want. Rocker Grunties will take you to the dungeon entrance.

Wooden Grunty (Omega)

I couldn't find any information for the stats on these.  According to the wiki, the stats are identical to the Rocker Grunty, which obviously can't be right.  So, I used 4 Cordyceps, an Immature Egg, and enough Golden Eggs to raise its size to 40.  The one stat that differed from the Rocker Grunty with this method was the Rebel, which can therefore be as low as 7.  Wooden Grunties will take you to magical portals on the field.


Noble Grunty (All)

If your grunty's stats do not fit the requirements for the other two grunties on the server, it will become a Noble Grunty.  Noble Grunties will search for food on the field.