The Arbeit FAQ
(or, how to get Gentle Mochi and Muu)
a.k.a. the Monster Rancher 2 Pocketstation FAQ

I. What is a Pocketstation, anyway?
II. Part-timing for fun and profit
a. checking crates
b. Main Menu
c. Arbeit menu
III. "Ten"
a. Rules
b. Tips and Tricks
IV. Items
a. Item List and Requirements
b. DNA Capsules
V. Acknowledgements

I. Intro - What is a Pocketstation, anyway?

At its simplest, a Pocketstation is a memory card with an LED screen readout. This description, however, is woefully inadequate. With games that support it fully, the Pocketstation becomes an integral part of the game's progress. You can, given, the game in question, download stats, train characters separately from the main game, keep notes and calendars, play games as simple as Breakout and as complex as a full-featured RPG - and what's more, create your own games and utilities.

The top half of the unit is the 32*32 bit dot matrix screen. The bottom half (which hinges so that it can fit in the memory card slot) has five buttons: four directional and one action button on the right. Pressing the action button turns the unit on. It also toggles the main screen from Date Mode (Date on top, present time in 24-hr fashion, and alarm time) to sound/ memory card status mode. Holding the down button on this screen for a few seconds will bring up the memory icons for the saved games you have on your Pocketstation, complete with any movement, and pressing down after that scrolls through them from top to bottom. Pressing right or left from the main screen scrolls through the Pocketstation-specific games.

And yes, even when the unit's battery (a CR-2032) goes dead, the memory card part still works fine.

While there are literally hundreds of import games that feature Pocketstation support (Monster Farm 2 among these), the most recognized American games that have kept the Pocketstation support in are R4-Ridge Racer, and FFVIII (also known as Chocobo's quest). And there is a surprisingly flourishing number of US websites devoted to developing games for the Pocketstation.

II. Part-timing for fun and profit

Ask any US or European veteran player of both MR1 and MR2 what MR1 feature they miss, and hands down the answer is the Jobs feature - that which kept the beginning trainer from going broke. The "Arbeit" section of the Japanese Monster Rancher still allows the enterprising rancher to make side money while raising your champion monster. The trick is, you need a Pocketstation to access the mode.

How I use the mode is this: once you get proficient at the "part-time" job, you'll easily find yourself earning at least 1700 gold in both straight cash and redeemable items. Do that once a month to cover food costs, and there's not a training system in the world you couldn't bankroll. Do it once a week, and it'll take care of stable and house upgrades (this takes considerable will power, folks). And admittedly, it's kind of cute being able to show your monster off to everybody.

a. Checking crates

The only job available is checking crates. (Why crates? In one of the Japanese Monster Farm manga collections, you see a very rich Coltia explaining the secret of her success: a Mocchi comparing crates, which leaves an exasperated Pabs yelling at Coltia, "Raise him properly, why don't you?!")

b. Main Menu

Selecting the Monster Farm game on your Pocketstation (you'll need 5 blocks free for this) Brings up the Tecmo screen, then a picture of the monster your training presently. Pressing the action button brings up the Main Menu:

Watch
Status
Arbeit
End

"Watch" lets you watch your monster (no matter which one it is, it's always the pure form of the type).

"Status" brings up your monster's stats at the time you accepted the work assignment. This toggles between two screens. The first has Life, Pow, and Int; the second, Ski, Spd, and Def.

"Arbeit" takes you into the Arbeit Menu.

"End" ends the session.

c. Arbeit menu

The Arbeit menu also has four parts:

Start
Total
High Score
Cancel

"Start" starts the game "Ten".
Total gives you your current running totals. The first screens shows your total number of points along with your success rate. The second screen shows the number of correct answers and the number of missed answers.

High Score shows you your three highest scores point-wise, and 3 highest perfect games

Cancel takes you back to the main menu.


III. "Ten"
So how do you check crates? By playing "Ten"! You have sixty seconds to rack up as many points as you can comparing as many crates as you can. Accuracy is paramount, and speed leads to amazing goodies. But first, the…

a. Rules

The screen for Ten looks like this


TEN

3 = 8

SCORE =
34

The line around this gradually disappears. When it does, the game's over and your score comes up.
Two numbers ("crates")will appear. If the one on the left is greater than the one on the right, press the left key button. If the one on the right is greater, then the right key button. If the two numbers are the same, then press the down button. If the two numbers add up to ten, press the up button. (INPORTANT PONT: when two fives come up, press up even though they are the same or you'll get it wrong),

Greater than + 1pt.
Tie = 5 pts.
"TEN" = 10 pts.

If you press the right button, the requisite number of points is added to your score. Press wrong and those points are taken away. Yes, it is possible to end up with a negative number in this game!

At the end of the game, your total number of points scored will come up. Pressing up or down will show the number of correctly counted pairs of crates, and the number of ones you missed.

b. Tips and Tricks

Start slow. Speed comes with accuracy; accuracy comes from repetition. The number sequence is psuedo random, so it is possible to memorize sections of the sequence (think "Simon") and speed up your responses that way. Doing this, incidentally, is the only way you'll get enough points to get a DNA capsule. Never play for more than ten minutes at a stretch; your eyes will get tired.

Hitting the action button while in the middle of the game will stop the game and bring up the Arbeit screen; however, any and all "crates counted" to that point will still be added to your overall totals, so beware!

Never, never, never redeem your points in the game before your total number of points reaches 9999, and your total number of crates counted is greater than 5000. Why? Read on…

IV. Items
a. Item List and Requirements

Your job value is measured not by the number of points you score, but the number of crates you count. You get ten gold pieces for every hundred points scored. By the time you hit 9999 scored (at least at the beginning) you'll have counted over 5000 crates, or be very close to that number. So at the very least you'll have 1000 gold for your troubles. However, if you've counted over 5000 crates, the Arbeit master will reward you for extra effort:

Item Requires: Redeem value Notes
Mango 5000 crates min /
High Score 180-189

Candy 5000 crates min/
High Score 190-199

Apple 5000 crates min/ 300 GP
Cake High Score 200 min

Medal 5000 crates min/ 100 GP
Perfect score 65-70

Silver 5000 crates min/ 200 GP
Medal Perfect score 71

Gold 5000 crates min/ 400 GP After you've gotten the music box,
Medal Perfect score 72 any perfect score over 72 gets you just the gold medal

Music Perfect score 73 2500 GP
Box min

Half- Earn more than 300 GP Awarded Spring and Fall
Cake 750 GP 10 times

Lump Earn more than Awarded Summer
Of Ice 750 GP 10 times

Sweet Earn more than Awarded Winter
Potato 750 GP 10 times

DNA High Score Produces Rare Monsters when combined
Capsule 225 min (see IV b)


b. DNA Capsules

The pink DNA capsule when used for combining produces GentleMocchi. What the rest produce, and how to get them, is the subject of a later version of the FAQ.


V. Acknowledgements

Thanks to the maniacs at Dengeki Playstation Magazine, who provided most of the information above.
Lisa Shock for the best d*** Monster Rancher site, period.
Sharane, my love, for her patience and interest.