VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action

VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action

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Mixing Drinks and Changing Lives - A Guide to Easter Eggs, Pop Culture Trivia, and Hidden Dialogue
By Link
So, there's already a Secret Dialogues guide, but its creator has gone MIA (and has a Steam level of 0, so probably isn't coming back anytime soon.) I took it upon myself to take that guide, along with forum posts both on Steam, some chan sites, danger/u/, and a few other places, and put it all in one handy guide. This guide will also contain a few tidbits and easter eggs.
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Preamble
Intro

This guide will be broken into a few sections. First and foremost, will be the Hidden Paths/Secret Dialogue, which we'll break down by day. Technically speaking, the optional endings can also be considered "Hidden Paths", but I won't include that information here since there's already numerous guides that mention how to earn those achievements/paths. Instead, we'll focus on things that aren't neccessarily obvious to the player and perhaps explain WHY these things work. Also, there will be spoilers, they won't be hidden, although I'll try to keep things vague so as not to specifically spoil the context of the conversations.

Methods of Unlocking Hidden Paths/Secret Dialogue

Your ability to change outcomes in this game is unlike most visual novels, you are very rarely represented with choices, instead you change the game based on the drinks you serve your patrons.

There are three methods of changing the dialogue:

  • The size of drink (doubling the ingredients of smaller drinks makes them Big.)
  • The alcohol content of the drink (When you generously add the optional kamotrine.)
  • Serving them the wrong drink (Sometimes you know better than the Patron, othertimes, you may just mishear them.)

With all that out of the way, let's mix drinks and change lives.
Day 1
Ingram
If you serve Ingram some Sweet drinks instead of what he requests it will unlock additional dialogue with both him (Day 1) and Jamie (Day 2.) The reasoning behind this, is that Sweet drinks are known to have a calming effect, and it's suggested that he is very tense that day.

Sei
Getting Sei drunk will unlock some gossip about her fellow Valkryries. Careful though, serving her a Cobalt Velvet or any Big drink when she asks for something Classy will cause her to leave early.

Kim
Getting Kim drunk will provide some additional scenes during Day 2.
Day 2
Donovan
When Donovan asks for a Marsblast (and perhaps on Day 3 when he asks for a Bleeding Jane), give him his regular drink (Big Beer), this will unlock an optional story route for Donovan. I do believe you still have to serve him his Bitter drink at the end of his visit.

Dorothy
Getting Dorothy drunk will unlock some humorous discussion.

Jamie
When Jamie asks for a Marsblast, you can change his dialogue up by confusing his drink with one of the other "-blasts", a Moon or Mercury will cause some new discussion.

*Kira* Miki
Get the Lilim pop idol drunk to unlock some additional scenes. This may also be a requirement for her ending.
Day 3
Alma
Giving Alma a Bad Touch today is particularly amusing. However, if you manage to get Alma drunk you'll get some additional dialogue as well.

Stella
This may involve botching the trivia challenge, in which case, you'll get Absinthe as a reward instead of Rum, which may unlock additional dialogue with Dana when you share your drink the next day. If you get Stella drunk (her sprite doesn't change) you'll be greeted with some new dialogue.
Day 4
Streaming-chan
If you don't get Streaming-chan wasted, she'll be much more involved in the discussions with the patrons who appear after her and change their dialogue as well (Betty, Deal, & Jamie.) It will also change the discussion about her show on danger/u/.

Betty & Deal
Getting Betty drunk will provide additional dialogue both today and later (Day 18).
Giving Deal drinks different from what Betty orders for him will change his dialogue as well.
When Betty orders 2 Beers, make them Big for some additional dialogue. Alternatively, make one Big and the other small. Alternatively, serve them ONE Beer for the both of them. For the 2nd drink order, serve them a single Brandtini to share. For the 3rd drink serve one Girly and one Manly drink.

Jamie
If you get Jamie drunk, he'll open up to you a bit more. Try serving him a Big Beer instead of just a Beer.
Day 5
Taylor
if you have the Absinthe, you'll get a special conversation.

Alma
If you get Alma drunk before Dorothy shows up she'll have a special conversation.
Day 6 - Beer Mini-Game
I haven't figured out the precise method to the madness yet, but...

Depending on your level of drunkeneness (6 drinks = red face) you can unlock different dialogues...

There are three or four major discussions:
  • Alma's Breasts
  • Dana's Arm
  • Virginity
  • Vacation

You can also pass out if you drink too much. Experiment!
Day 7
Virgilio
For his 2nd drink, if you serve him Rum or Absinthe it will supposedly unlock some new dialogue, but at the risk of earning his ending.
Day 8
Sei
Assuming you acquiesce to Sei's 2nd order, the conversation will end short. Unsure if that counts as "secret" or not, but... there you have it.

Ingram
Sweet Drinks again will get him to loosen him and his tongue up. Unsure if this is only a "2nd chance" if you didn't give him Sweet drinks on Day 1 or if this is entirely new content though. Untested.
Day 9
Dorothy
Getting her drunk will tell you an interesting tale about Mega Santa.

Mario
Untested: Give Mario the drinks he asks for as opposed to the ones he wants.
Day 12
"Vella"
If you serve her a Fluffy Dream without alcohol, there'll be some additional scenes involving a vending machine.
Day 13 - Truth or Dare
The Truth or Dare game has tons of different scenes for everyone depending on when/how you choose them. Feel free to experiment!

Apparently the only character it's static for is Rad Shiba.
Day 14
Art
Giving him the wrong drinks will trigger a conversation about his recent job.

Untested: Try giving him the wrong drinks on other days too! Supposedly there's an interesting scene about car windows?
Day 15
Sei
If you manage to keep Sei sober you'll hear an interesting story about Stella.

Mario
Untested: Give Mario the drinks he asks for as opposed to the ones he wants.
Day 18
Betty & Deal
Betty's dialogue will change if you get her drunk on Big drinks.

Streaming-chan
Getting her drunk will unlock some "Premium" content discussion with her and Dorothy.
Easter Eggs
Massager
After you buy the Massager item, if you click on Jill in her home she'll blush and make a sort of drunk/blissful face. This is an implication that the "Massager" is most likely a vibrator. This is a reference to the whole "Hello Kitty, Personal Massager" thing.

Exit Sign
If you click the Exit sign in the bar it also acts as a way to quit the game.

TV
If you click on the TV in the bar you can change the channel around. Additional channels are also unlocked as the story advances, such as the Magical Girl show "re-airing" according to the danger/u/ article and also the Valkyrie propaganda disappearing shortly after the bank incident.
Pop-Culture Trivia
Read Only Memories

Let's get this out of the way. Flaming Moai is a reference to "Flaming Moe" from The Simpsons. Giving it to certain people will unlock additional scenes with characters from the game "Read Only Memories" which roughly occurs 10 years prior to the events of this game in a separate city. It's also where you find the recipe to make the Flaming Moai. Talk about cross promotion!

Anime

  • Mario's red leather biker jacket is a reference to Kaneda's jacket in the cyberpunk film Akira.
  • Dana constantly calling Alma "Armitage" is in reference to the cyberpunk film Armitage, the titular (pun intended) character is a blonde android.
  • Shining Fingered is a reference to the Gundam series and a special ability/attack.

Kojima

  • Gillian could be a reference to another cyberpunk character from the Sega CD series, Snatcher, which starred Gillian Seed and was created by Kojima. It also featured a Metal Gear robot sidekick (similar to the one in MGS4 Otacon uses.)
  • At one point Dana jokingly refers to Gillian as "Gillian Plisken" which is another weird reference to both Escape from New York and Metal Gear Solid 3 (which was referencing Escape from New York) and also ties into the whole Gillian Snatcher thing... it's very meta.

TV
  • Art is based off the character George from Seinfeld and his fake persona Art Vandelay.
95 Comments
twitch.tv/TheMailman_ttv 31 Dec, 2023 @ 8:35pm 
I think Day 4 about Streaming-chan is worded incorrectly or plain wrong unless someone can tell me I'm doing something incorrectly.
I've not found a way to make her "not drunk" but also stay at the bar, therefore she is not in conversations with the other characters who show up.
Her getting drunk makes her stay at the bar and therefore has some dialogue while the other characters are in the bar. So my gut reaction from this is that there is more dialogue with her if she does get drunk as she also has a small scene the next day.
PissKidney 24 Nov, 2022 @ 12:16pm 
i'm having too much trouble with getting the Absinthe from Stella on Day 3. i tried to bbotch her trivia over and over again in every way i can think of, but i just don't get it. i don't get the rum either so i am doing something right i guess?
Tsusie 3 Sep, 2022 @ 10:40pm 
The real estate company that owns most of the city is called Realty Nua, which is a reference to the "definitive" version of the Fate/Stay Night visual novel Realta Nua
ArcadiaLunar 27 Dec, 2021 @ 5:33pm 
If you give 2 wrong drinks to Art on day 14, he would talk about finding Crimson Rose in the bank, instead of talking about her father.
SleepIncarnate 3 Sep, 2021 @ 1:13pm 
One that no one has pointed out yet. The jukebox is copyrighted to the Keereejoe Group, an alternate spelling based on the pronunciation for the Kirijo Group, a major company that shows up in Persona 3 and the spin-offs involving it.
dirtycheesedip 8 Jun, 2021 @ 2:09pm 
This entire game is also laden with Metal Gear references. From the way that conversations outside the bar are displayed in a codec form just like most of the dialogue in the metal gear series, to Nacho being pretty much a dog version of Big Boss. Also small correction "Gillian Plisken" is a reference to metal gear solid 2 not 3. Well done, compiling all of these allusions.
Sifi 18 May, 2020 @ 11:59am 
Here is my two cents:
https://va11halla.fandom.com/wiki/Sei_Asagiri
"Sei is in 765 division of White Knight, this is a reference to 765 Production, a talent agency from THE iDOLM@STER series. And 765 pronounces as Namco in Japanese, which was the original company that made THE iDOLM@STER series."
And related with that info:
Stella Hoshii and Kira Miki, Probably is a reference to "Hoshii Miki" which is an idol from Idolm@ster Series.
ProjectSALEOS 29 Nov, 2018 @ 7:24pm 
For those wondering, it's a reference to Mambo No. 5
Red 4 Nov, 2018 @ 2:59pm 
On day 16, if you give Ingram two sweet drinks instead of what he asked for, for the third drink he'll ask for a sweet drink instead of a gut punch. You also don't get any penalties for serving him the wrong drinks