What is an AR Marker? How do I start the game?

Bravely Default has informed me that I need to lay my DS flat on a desk and point it at an AR Marker or something before I can start playing.

What. The. ...

What on earth does this accomplish? How do I do it? I have no idea what an AR Marker is. I've looked through all the paperwork that came with the game and still have no idea.

2 Answers

The box copy of Bravely Default came with an instructions poster which has a picture of the fairy sitting on a rock (crystal). That's the AR Marker that the game wants to see when it starts up. It uses the AR Marker as a real world reference point for a short "interactive" cut-scene when starting the game.

If you don't have the manual, you can download the cards via PDF from , or individual .JPGs from . You don't have to print them or anything, you can just show your 3DS the computer or phone screen with the image.

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An Augmented Reality (AR) Marker is effectively two dimensional symbol, similar to a QR code, that allows a camera to determine position and rotation relative to a surface. With this information, a camera can do many different things. However, in the context of the 3DS, it allows for super-imposing of 3D models onto the screen so that they appear to interact with the real world which is being captured by the camera.

The markers are not specifically found in the game. In other words, they are not digital items from within the game world. Instead you get the AR Markers from outside the game, on the Bravely Default website. The AR Cards (which will serve as the AR Markers) can be found here:

Bravely Default AR Cards

After you have the cards, you can select AR Movie from the main menu. The game will then tell you to place the cards you downloaded on a flat surface. Doing so will case the game to play a story related movie being told by one of the characters who will appear to be coming out of the card.

As to "why on earth does a turn-based RPG require AR?", it doesn't require it, it is simply an added feature to augment the game's storytelling.

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