Destiny of an Emperor 2 Zheng Letter Trick
Destiny of an Emperor 2
Zheng Letter Bug
Armyant reported this trick on May 10th 2006. Check out the forum for more details on the Destiny of an Emperor 2 Zheng Letter Bug
In order to perform the Zheng Letter Bug, you must have a full inventory when you get the Zheng Letter (This is after you run away from Cao Cao at Xu Zhou Castle and you’ll be with Chen Deng). If both of your members have a full inventory, he’ll ask you to drop something. Drop something and then you’ll get the Zheng Letter. Now drop an item in the opposite member’s inventory and drop that so you have a space to pass the Zheng Letter. With this open spot, try to pass the Zheng Letter and it will go to the character but won’t leave the initial character. You have just duplicated it. Note that you can’t perform the item duplication trick on the Zheng Letter as the game won’t let you drop it.
So what do you do with this stupid letter? Well, I’d make as many duplications of it as you can, as you want to use it on the different thrones around China. You’ll get various recruits depending on where you are, your party size, the order of castles you went in, and probably other variables we aren’t aware of.
Before I get into the juicy part of this, let me say a few things. First of all, from what we have found, this is an imperfect science and it varies for each user depending on their quest. However there are other things that affect either who you get or whether you get anyone or not. For one I’ve noticed that party size (specifically having only 2 or 3 characters) almost automatically means you’ll get someone at the throne if you are allowed to. There’s another catch; immediately after you use the Zheng Letter on the throne, talk to the person sitting on it (again, this varies from Sun Quan to Liu Bei to Liu Zhang). Some of them say random quotes (Liu Zhang “I will fight fiercely! Ma Dai joined”) from previously in the game. On a few occasions, Liu Bei will sputter out Yi Ji’s line when Yi Ji joins you, and when the prompt comes up you’ll get a random character. This can be Xiahou Dun or Zhang Lu (at Xin Ye when you get the Jiu and after you get the Shu Map, respectively).
Generally speaking, the characters you acquire are somewhat relivent to where you are in the game. For example you get Jin Xuan at the Wu Ling throne, Lu Bu at the Gui Yang throne, etc. Below is a list that is likely incomplete. Note that you can clone these officers by putting them in the billetting immediately after getting them and returned to their throne and using the Zheng Letter again. You can get 5 Lu Bu’s, Xiahou Dun’s, Zhao Yun’s etc.
Luo Yang Castle
– Yang Huai – Army (5200) Str (175) Int (105) Agi (115) Weapon (Sword) – For some reason, the creators of DoaE 2 are fan-boys of Yang Huai. He is at roughly 50 % of the thrones you’re going to encounter with the Zheng Letter trick. Why? I don’t know, but you might be able to tolerate his mediocrity for a while with those 5000 + soldiers.
Qing Zhou Castle
Outlaw Force – Army (0) Str (0) Int (0) Agi (0) Weapon (Sword) – Completely useless. You’ll get the Outlaw Force in about 25% of the thrones. So yes, 75% of the thrones are going to yield Yang Huai or an Outlaw Force.
Ji Zhou Castle
– Wen Chou – Army (680) Str (235) Int (45) Agi (70) Weapon (Spear) – Useless as those 680 soldiers do you no good. Oh, and getting him or any of the three above before Jing Zhou will result in a glitch where Liu Bei is all by himself (more or less because you have too many members.
Chai Sang Castle
– Zhou Yu – Army (1500) Str (185) Int (240) Agi (120) Weapon (Sword) Sea – A solid general for a while, until his soldier level becomes primitive. 185-240-120 are damn good base stats, making Zhou Yu one of the few treasures of the Zheng Letter trick.
– Zhang Zhao – Army (1400) Str (50) Int (235) Agi (75) Weapon (Sword) – I expected better out of Zhang Zhao. However he is worked in every category in comparison to Zhou Yu and is overall less useful than Lu Meng. Worse yet, for some reason he has Zhou Cang’s avatar. WTF?
– – Lu Meng – – Army (1400) Str (180) Int (225) Agi (120) Weapon (Sword) Plains – Okay, so he’s a tad lacking to Zhou Yu, but solid overall. You still don’t see too many 180-225’s other than Jiang Wei and Zhou Yu.
Yi Ling/Nan Jun/Han Castle
– Bao Long – Army (2900) Str (125) Int (90) Agi (115) Weapon (Spear) – Semi-useless general. I’ve personally found him in Nan Jun but he’s been spotted elsewhere in the area. Getting him allows you to just walk in Gui Yang without that initial battle with Bao Long and Chen Shu. I used him for a while but you’re getting Lu Bu soon so what’s the point of keeping Bao Long? Also I’d like to note that our good friend Zhang Lu found Pang Tong here, much earlier than I had found him.
Ling Ling Castle
– Huang Zhong – Army (Varies) Str (220) Int (175) Agi (150) Weapon (Bow) – Okay, so you can get Huang Zhong clones here. I’ve heard you can get him at Wu Ling Castle as well but I got him here. Anyway, acquiring him before Chang Sha allows you to just walk in the castle without a fight, along with not having to go do that Youyuu Bow errand.
Gui Yang Castle
– Lu Bu – Army (3800) Str (255) Int (50) Agi (145) Weapon (Sword) – Probably the reason to be doing this Zheng Letter mischief. You can get clones of him, I usually get about six. Just keep going to Gui Yang with a smaller party and it’ll work. Sure his intelligence is low and ultimately that will get him a seat in your billetting once Wei comes around, but you’ll love rolling with 3, 4 even 5 Lu Bu’s in battle at a time (at first)! When you initially get him, the more Lu Bu’s in your party the better.
Wu Ling Castle
– Jin Xuan – Army (1800) Str (95) Int (105) Agi (55) Weapon (Sword) – First of all, I’ve heard you can get other’s here (like Huang Zhong). Personally, I’ve had Jin Xuan clones both times I went through here. Not particularly pleasing or useful but it’s better than getting Yang Huai. Plus Jin Xuan works his ass off to prove he’s one of the top five worst playable characters.
Chang Sha Castle
– Huang Zhong – Army (Varies) Str (220) Int (175) Agi (150) Weapon (Bow) – Another potential Huang Zhong port, although I usually find one before Chang Sha.
Xin Ye Castle
(returning from receiving Jiu)
– Ma Su – Army (Varies) Str (170) Int (210) Agi (110) Weapon (Sword) – Okay, when you get back from Uniting southern Jing Zhou, talk to Ma Liang and Ma Su to recruit them. Now if you return with the Zheng Letter and use it around this time (up until you go to Han Zhong) you can get Ma Su clones. Better yet, if you talk to Liu Bei immediately after using the Zheng Letter he’ll get off the throne and join you, but it won’t be Liu Bei it’ll be Xiahou Dun or Zhang Lu!
Xiahou Dun – Army (3600) Str (230) Int (155) Agi (115) Weapon (Spear) – Another quality addition. I’ve got him both times right after I’ve acquired the Jiu. I went and used the Zheng Letter on Liu Bei to get Ma Su and then I talked to Liu Bei right after and he did the Yi Ji line and joined me. Instead it was Xiahou Dun who actually joined and I got 5 clones of him happily. I tend to use him into Wei if my party is of a low level and I find his value higher than Lu Bu’s due to his balance. He matches up similarly to a Ma Chao or Ma Dai but is a little slower and doesn’t gain soldiers.
– Zhang Lu – Army (5100) Str (170) Int (190) Agi (175) Weapon (Sword) – So, Zhang Lu has been a part of this larger recruiting scale that stems from the madness that follows the Zheng Letter duplication trick. Even compared to the rest of the generals you can now get, he’s still a balanced force and his 5100 is better than anyone you’re going to get except that Yang Huai fellow, who gets beat out badly by Zhang Lu in other categories. Anyway, I initially recruited Zhang Lu after receiving the Shu Map, but I’ve since had luck recruiting him earlier in the game as well, like right after I return from securing south Jing Zhou.
Fu Shui Castle
– Fa Zheng – Army (varies) Str (110) Int (205) Agi (105) Weapon (Sword) – As soon as you get to Fu Shui, you can get Fa Zheng clones here. Don’t know why you’d want to though.Yang Huai – Army (5200) Str (175) Int (105) Agi (115) Weapon (Sword) – I list him because I got him after getting Han Zhong.
Zhao Yun – Army (varies) Str (240) Int (200) Agi (180) Weapon (Spear) – Get your Zhao Yun clones! I got them after Pang Tong’s death, when you have to go back to Fu Shui as part of the story. Use the Zheng Letter and repeat if you wish.
An Ding Castle
Pang Tong – Army (varies) Str (150) Int (245) Agi (125) Weapon (Sword) – This is where I recruited Pang Tong, although he’s been recruited in Nan Jun also. Wherever you get him you’ll be stuck with him (it’ll say he has a vital mission and can’t be in Billetting). Thankfully for Pang Tong, his rating has shot off the roof and he is far and away better than Zhuge Liang if he has a Treatise.
Tian Shui Castle
Li Dian – Army (750) Str (130) Int (100) Agi (105) Weapon (Sword) – Worthless at this point.
Chang An Castle
– Pang Tong –
Again, I haven’t got him here but I’ve heard he can be recruited here.
Random Zheng Letter Bug Facts
If you’ve paid attention, you’ll notice the Zheng Letter doesn’t work in throne rooms like Jing Zhou or Xia Kou, where there is a bed to the left of the throne.
– You’ll also notice that each enemy that you recruit has some non-battle appearances in DoaE 2. Go through the list, it’s no coincidence.
– Some generals have been acquired but we’ve forgot where we got them. Liu Bei and Guan Yu were found by Zhang Lu.
Most useful recruits; Pang Tong, Xiahou Dun, Zhao Yun clones, Lu Bu, Zhou Yu, Lu Meng.
sweet xiahou dun and lu bu only wish xiahou yuan and xiahou ba and guan sou could be gotten this way
My copy gives me the King’s letter in place of the Zheng letter. Duplication won’t work; the letter simply passes back and forth normally. Is it still possible to recruit?
I discovered something using that glitch. I actually beat Xiahou Dun with Guan Yu and Pang Tong that I recruited with a letter. When you beat him, you’re forced to battle him again, except there won’t be any enemies in the battle. If you beat the “nothing” with the Attack command (not All Out), Gan&Mi will transform into a Liu Bei named 00. He won’t have any troops, but will still do some battles, until he is considered dead. You’ll be stuck in a loop of battles against nothing, until you use run twice.
If it matters, I didn’t use the Hu Ban letter (put it in storage), and beat Wang Zhi in the burning inn. No idea if it’s related too, but I had two Guan Ding when I recruited him. (Until the cutscene where you recruit Guan Yu and Zhang Fei again)
That happened to me too!
Because I went to fight Xiahou Dun with level 25 and I did kill him.Gang&Mi turned into Liu Bei and his name was the same,00.
But when I run for him and recruit Zhou Cang , he was a weird red Zhuge Liang sprite, and when I saw his status , it just said:
D4ng5lo4ng
Str:26
Int:255
Ági:111
Tactics:210
Portrait:Zhou Yu
So I don’t know if someone happened something like me.