Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.

[Niu]

SMT Strange Journey- This thing is awesome,  too bad ToV is draining all my time. God, can I finish all the games in time???

[Clear Tranquil]

Super I have no idea but why did you PM your data to me? >_>

SO3-Gutsy Bunny challenge thingy. Galaxy because enemy attacks are really predictable under the 4D no movement glitch (you just stand beside them, let them move and see what they do) plus Peppita can do things like dance w/th impunity without No Guard under it so yeah. Analysis of the final boss, I could probably counter his base physicals asleep/with my eyes closed so yeah I stand by allowing Peppita to counter base physicals in the DL. As for specials Expansion Force and Flaming Divide are easily countered/sidestepped/hit by AAA but Perfect Symmetry and Insanity Prelude are tricky beasts. You have to wait until the balls of light are lowered before countering PS for example so yeah precision. Thus for specials I understand that Peppita's counters require precision in the DL and why people won't vote for them because for that. As for me I'll continue to allow counters vs base physicals and just go by gut apart from that. No countering through extra long ani moves for example.

Laser Beams is a giant hit me sign from the boss for Peppita to smack him w/th her short O for damages or to have him set it S/R while you head just into L/R and fire off a Power Dance > Instanto Blast for teh buffs. Or AAA Stun, Power Dance for his first form.

Long X - Power Dance
Long O - Instanto Blast
Short/Counter O - Increase HP damage
Support - First Aid

Accessories - Gutsy Bunny + Bunny Shoes

AAA - Stun/Wide Area Homing

I'm thinking of trying a Counter Stun set up post game (Stun on Peppita's short O/counters) It's good to be back =-)

[superaielman]

IGnore that, I meant to PM it to myself.

[Grefter]

Super's fail, so high he can't even successfully hit on himself.

[Unoriginal]

@People who play WoW:

I'm thinking of seeing how WoW PCs would rank by compiling some stats. Anyone else interested? Throw me some armory links.

Eh, why not: http://www.wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Andorhal&n=S%C3%A8rra

Haven't played since June, so I'm missing whatever stuff drops for that other 25-man instance, but she's in fairly good gear for the time I quit.

[Meeplelard]

FF1- Testing the DoS fiends. I'll hopefully finish this.

Edit: Question- I'm ending up around level 20-21 for Lich, and in the late 20's for Kary. That sound right for DoS/PSX version, assuming I skip the extra areas?

End game, IIRC, is about 50 in DoS, so those levels sound about right.  I've never done a playthough with totally skipping extra areas (though, by Whisperwind, I was running from half the randoms just cause it was much faster), as even my replay, I still did at least one run through of the first 2.

[hinode]

Checking my DoS file, I was around ~27 for Lich and ~34 for Marilith. No idea why my levels are so much higher - maybe I got lost somewhere.

[DjinnAndTonic]

VPDS - Back to this, B PATH! Chapter 5.

Ugh, the writing is so much worse in B Path than in C Path. Also, Heugoe/psychotwins are far worse characters than Gwendal for a Ch2 option. C Path at least has Wyl as a murdering bastard throughout with no remorse for what he's doing, so it was far more interesting to watch the death and destruction through the eyes of the angry psycho.

Mischka/Mirielle are the least creepy bloodthirsty child characters I've ever seen, and I hate them. Seriously, I haven't actively -hated- any of the VPDS characters until these two.

Lieselotte is fun at least. Also, sexy sexy VA. MVP, too.

Prince Kristoff is more believable than Langrey, but so, so, SO much less fun to watch.

Current party is Wyl/Mischka/Lieselotte/Cheripha. Despite hating Mischka and getting both a replacement Archer AND Greatswordsman with Valmur/Phiona, I'm really used to how these four combo, so I'll keep them.

Well, I might replace Mischka for Phiona just for "LOL Wyl Harem!" Party. But his jewel-collecting ability is just broken.

Thoughts on rankability: I'd definitely support a somewhat limited ranking here. I'd limit it to characters who the player is guaranteed to see in battle at least once in each path. Haven't beaten A Path yet, but I think Lieselotte, Rosea, and Phiona fall under this (boss and temp forms). Maybe Natalia does? Obviously Lockswell and Cheripha do. And I'd allow the prologue characters too for Gwendal, Heugoe, and Ancel. This hits all of the main classes (Swordsman, Greatswordman, Archer, Mage, Lancer), 3 of the 4 Mages (the most unique PCs) and most of the story-important PCs.

For bosses, I'd rank the final bosses of each splitpath (which in this case, only requires two ranks), and probably Kristoff and Langrey (boss and temp forms means that they aren't completely splitpath/Seraphic Gate at least).

That's... still a 14-character ranking, but I like it better than a bare-bones ranking and waaay better than the duplicate-filled full-PC rankfest (24+, depending on if you add more bosses or SG characters than I have mentioned).

[Dark Holy Elf]

More characters than I'd like, but I can see it. Definitely don't feel Huegoe and Gwendal's prologue forms HELP their ranking, though - it's a FE7 Wallace situation where you get no sense of them whatsoever, and I actually think it may hurt them. Phiona has no battle form in A route, and while I at least like her for no really rational reason, I probably wouldn't support her. Ancel's the best greatsword dude to rank because he has plot, though... A route only. Could see passing.

The whole game has issues as a ranking idea, of course. Wyl has an annoying votesplit. A and B route finals have plot, but that whole 1/3 splitpath thing. Cheripha and Lockswell are innocent enough ranks, I guess, and I'd be fine with ranking more mages because they're all reasonably plot heavy on every route and have skillsets!!1 Ancel is A route only aside from the early form which again, hurts. Not too impressed here, but a small rank is possible down the line. I guess.

[DjinnAndTonic]

Ancel being the most recognizable non-Wyl PC is probably his best argument, regardless of his prologue form not being the best representation of him.

I'm thinking more along the lines of "Ranking a bunch of duplicate characters is a bad idea", not "Splitpath, therefore NO". Being prominent in multiple paths is simply a better indicator of their amount of plot, really. You may not pick the path that gives you Heugoe or Gwendal, but at least you know who they are. And since VPDS characters are pretty much clones of eachother anyway, even if you don't get them specifically, you'll have gotten at least one character who plays like them.

Bare minimum ranking for me would definitely be Wyl, Ancel, Cheripha, Lockswell, Rosea, Lieselotte. Garm/Thyodor just have too much plot for me to ignore them, so I'd support them strongly. Gwendal/Heugoe, too, to a slightly lesser degree due to the above. Also, Heugoe fills the final 'basic' class that the above 6 don't cover. (Could be convinced to support Natalia/Ushio/Auguste for being unique classes. Natalia and Auguste at least have battle forms in 2/3 paths, too. For all that I like Natalia, though, currently leaning no on these.) Kristoff/Langrey I'd support, but I wouldn't be opposed to dropping them, too.

So... 10 characters isn't a huge rank and it represents VPDS pretty well to me. If the game suddenly picks up a ton of players in the near future, I could even be convinced to support up to 15. Still better than 24+. Sucks about Phiona not having a battle form in path A, though. Does anyone else besides Rosea/Lieselotte have battle forms on all three paths?

[Cmdr_King]

Not on the PC side.  Kristoff, Langley, and Roienberg are always visible in some form or another, although the gap between "Guest" and "VPDS Boss" is enormous so I dunno if that's actually helpful to their cause.

And Auguste.

[Shale]

Who, who and who?

[Jo'ou Ranbu]

Those royal family intrigue people you don't care about in C5.

[Shale]

Oh. Them.

Don't rank them. At least Lieselotte reliably gets a chance to attack before you vaporize her.

[Cmdr_King]

So I'm thinking of starting up P1r in earnest this weekend.  So I'm curious, how's the Snow Queen quest compare to the SEBEC?  In particular, how long is it relatively, and what does the level curve look like?

[Dhyerwolf]

Oh. Them.

Don't rank them. At least Lieselotte reliably gets a chance to attack before you vaporize her.

I'm pretty sure Roienberg in C at least can't really be prevented from attacking! Also, Guest Langrey has Prevent Motion (and...well, HP), so it's better than the boss form (Which may have a turn 2 PWS and no HP!). Note that this actually makes me want to rank him less, since his money move is on his guest form, which sucks.

Anyways, I'd say Wyl, all the mages, one of each of the main classes (Cheripha/Huegoe/Gwendal would see to be the best choices, although I could imagine Ancel. Ancel...is far more interesting than Gwendal, but his issues are obvious), Natalia (Good visibility, and interesting PC at endgame; Granted, based on a weapon that comes late), and Garm.

[Cmdr_King]

I can help but note that, if we're ranking Garm, we're taking a base assumption that the majority of players see the A ending, in which case players who only see Ancel in early-game form would be a minority.  Granted, I suppose some might be uncomfortable with an endgame temp who only faces the final boss.

[Dhyerwolf]

Yeah, Garm is infinitely more notable in that fight.

[Jo'ou Ranbu]

If nothing else, JENOVA MEIDO~ sorta has a memorable ring to it.

[Bardiche]

Inspired by the GameFAQs Top Ten, went on a Dis2 run with Taro.

Definitely my MVP. Killed Zenon with Taro at level 62, Adell at level 65. Taro was reincarnated once, Adell twice. Rozalin... and co were still building levels. So a level 42 Rozalin, level 20 Hanako, level 20 Etna, and a level 70 Prism Mage. Some losers not worth mentioning.

Penultimate level was hilarious. >_> By the end I had Rozalin toss Taro in the safezone, then everyone but Taro was dead... Taro had 300 HP. Drank milk and countered the final enemy to death. 8,000 HP at 500 damage per counter, d'oh-hoh-hoh.

[Dark Holy Elf]

I'd assume that if A route is the most commonly played in VPDS for a variety of reasons... completionists will want to get it straight off, and I bet anyone who plays the game through twice (like me) will do A and something else. This does help Ancel and Garm at least... but this is still pathsplit on a game which is a marginal ranking idea. I don't think you people have enough respect for the problems that creates in general.

EDIT: Though, for what it's worth, I'm prettty sure Ailyth and Ancel are easily two of the three most notable characters in VPDS storywise. This is the just another reason I am inclined to support them and turn up my nose at these horrible splitpath fighters. <_<

I see no need for one of each class when every class is just "boring fighter" for the most part. Gwendal and Heugoe remain ridiculously stupid ideas which are worse in every way than FE7 Wallace (at least he has plot in his forced appearance, and it's 50% to see him again instead of 1/3) whom we rightly did not rank.

EDIT: Also Langrey is a boss on two paths, and a guest (apparently) on just one, soo yeah, hype for ranking him as a guest can die. I see no reason whatsoever to rank the trio besides the fact they have cool boss music (which is to say, no reason at all).

[Grefter]

I'd assume that if A route is the most commonly played in VPDS for a variety of reasons... completionists will want to get it straight off, and I bet anyone who plays the game through twice (like me) will do A and something else.

Nah,that would be the worst way to play it as a completionist (see: Most of us/them are power gaming it as well) given VPDS system.  You go C route to get more skills on Wyl first to make replays easier (or maybe B route).  But this changes nothing, just saying you have miss read part of the personality there >_>

Regarding Snow Queen Quest, haven't done it myself but by reputation entirely?  It is probably closer to P3 style, it is really just a big dungeon crawl, reportedly harder than the main game, but a bit shorter maybe (think it is like 4 dungeons or something?).  Not much of a response CK, but no one else has given you anything and thought you would like something to go off.

[Dark Holy Elf]

By "straight off", I didn't mean first, I meant they'd want to get it for sure. Basically if you only wanted to do one playthrough, you would do A, because it's the "real" final boss and reveals the most about the game's mediocre politics plot. If you wanted to do two routes, you would do A and [something else], because B and C tread down similar territory while A is notably different. If you want to do three you do all three. Either way A ends up the most played. Order isn't really relevant here.

[Jo'ou Ranbu]

Of course, you wouldn't know any of this without either FAQing, asking people who had played the game or playing through them anyway. VPDS's handling of the routes honestly needed a hammer to the joints.

EDIT: Oh right this wasn't about VPDS failing it up on things, it was about ranking. >_>

[Dark Holy Elf]

Not like ranking isn't something VPDS fails it up on anyway. <_<