Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.

[Strago]

Dammit, why the hell won't Mysteries of Westgate install properly? What the hell.

[DjinnAndTonic]

* Can I switch control to a different character in battle?
* Why can't use items apart from Life Bottles on allies?
* How to properly utilise free run/can I use Artes during it?
* Should I be controlling Estelle?
I'm controlling Rita at the moment (I soloed the Golem with her >_>) but since I'm not used to this system I'm thinking I should have better control over healing/supports I dunno~

1. Yes, but you have to buy a synth'd item from an item shop once it becomes available (I think you can get it now, just check the last tab of the synth shop, it should be some kind of flag item.)
2. Using items on allies requires the Item Thrower skill that you learn from various weapons. Repede should have this already, and all of your characters can get it pretty early on, but Repede gets it with his starting weapon I think?
3. Free Run isn't as godly in ToV as it was in TotA. This is a good thing, it makes the game somewhat more challenging (sort of, well... it just takes a different kind of broken difficulty). You can use Artes during it as far as I'm aware, though there may be some that don't work/target properly if you do?
4. Estelle will handle Estelle. If you're really concerned about healing, set one of your Command triggers to her First Aid skill and flick it occasionally during battle to get her to do what you want (You can set this by going to the Artes menu of your controlled PC and scrolling down. You'll see four more spaces where you can assign Artes. Not only can you assign more of that PC's Artes, but you can assign other PCs' commands, too. Useful for combos or healing!). Alternately, change her Auto Strategy to "Heal" / "Use Healing Artes Only" or something like that.

If you like how Rita plays, then by all means use her. Rita is the first Tales mage to be a really viable controlled PC. Enjoy. Use her Overlimits a lot.

[Luther Lansfeld]

FFX-2. I'm in Chapter 4 right now.

FFX-2's job system is very cool, and I admit playing dressup is kind of fun even if most of the outfits are really fanservicy. The battle system proper is pretty neat, a decent implement of ATB but being ATB is still nothing spectacular. One thing I definitely like is that it quantifies charge times into something you can see on the screen. Not being able to transfer skillsets sucks, but jobs being changeable in-battle helps numb that. I'm using a Trainer/DK/Berserker right now. DK's Death is soooo good, Trainer heals, and Berserker I'm still trying to figure out somewhat. Another beef I have with the battle system is that it's too easy, although Dark Ixion challenged me more than most things have so far. I'm having fun with the battle system, not doing too many sidequests, mostly just job related things.

Chapter 4 seems...lol. Man, the world is being threatened by a giant weapon. You know guys, I think I'll dance. Man this is such a great plan thanks Brother.

The rest of the plot ranges from "Wait, did the people who made this game PLAY FFX?" when you watch Yuna scenes where she is portrayed as a petulant, selfish bitch as well portraying Rikku as incredibly immature when she was merely chipper in FFX to WOW DID THEY JUST REALLY DO THAT?! Brother is just so bad. Why is his only defining character trait hitting on his cousin? Why is he creepy stalker obsessed with her? WHY THE FUCK DID HE JUST DANCE?! Put on a shirt, dude. The only good thing I can say about Brother is that, unlike the failures of XS3 (as well as Mewt, looking bad on the worst character contest), everyone on the boat mocks him for being pathetic. They don't mock him for hitting on his cousin though, which leads me back to my conclusion that the people who wrote this never played FFX so maybe they didn't know they were related? ...but this game is so tasteless that I doubt that. I just have no idea how you'd think to yourself after playing FFX that a game starring the main female character and filling it with incest and lesbian innuendo and skankiness could possibly improve the story.

Leblanc is just mentally scarring. Her outfit is gravity defying in order to maximize skankitude. How does that outfit even work, does she tape her clothes to her boobs? Only real way that could work. God that outfit is tacky. It has lots of cloth! Just not in places that it NEEDS IT. She's an annoying bitch throughout the game, but the scene where you have to give her a back massage is just "...". First, you have to watch her pathetically seduce generic bishie #306 and be all puppy love like, and then............................................................. you have to give her a back massage where she makes lesbian sex noises every time you do things right. And you can't go on with the game without doing things correctly. Seriously, why?! WHY?!

Compared to the sheer insultiness that is Brother and Leblanc, the fact that our PCs look like prostitutes is kind of benign. Rikku, fighting monsters in a bathing suit is a bad idea. Paine, belts aren't adequate protection from the elements. And Yuna, seriously, what the fuck is up with that shirt? Paine has finally had character development but she's still a pretty bad attempt at a Auron/Lulu mix.

I <3 Baralai though. He's SO KAWAII!!

I am having fun with this game, the battle system is neat and seeing what kinds of FFX-spitting stuff they come up with next is amusing in a trainwreck way. Good show.

[Dhyerwolf]

WTF. Was the back massage part optional, because I don't remember that horror? I know the job system washed over most of the my memories of how bad the other things were, but I don't think it would override that.

[Yoshiken]

Back massage is compulsory. End of Chapter 2, IIRC, where you have to sneak into Chateau Leblanc in the Leblanc Syndicate costumes.

[Luther Lansfeld]

I have no idea how you forgot it.

[Shale]

I'm sure with therapy he can break down that mental block and relive the glory of that scene.

[Talaysen]

* Should I be controlling Estelle?

Yes and use nothing but Pikohan~

I used Rita for most of the game, myself.

Cross Edge - Managed to get a kill on Jedah.  Got a kill on the boss after that, but thought I could get an overkill.  Sadly barely missed it.  Oh well.  Went back and got a bunch of souls after that.

Also, the first optional scene right after Jedah?  One of the best scenes I've ever witnessed.  Pure awesome.

[OblivionKnight]

Rita, Estellise, Judy, Repede.  The puppy and his harem.  Best party in the game.

[Jo'ou Ranbu]

I'm sure with therapy he can break down that mental block and relive the glory of that scene.

Needs less FFX-2 plot, needs more 1-3.

[Pyro]

CT: If you are still having problems with the Wolf and can't get around it, set the difficulty to Easy and go from there.

Alternatively Yuri's Destruction Field spam under Overlimit works really well there (Wolf is fire weak)

[Hunter Sopko]

AT- Misha's singing her song again, taking away a ton of good crystals in the process, as is the usual. At least I have Aurica back now. Shame they cut off that whole half of the story from you. As it was, Misha's path was kinda weak. Oh well. Better than having Radolf and LOLtane in my party for a long spell. Can't seem to make Aurica talk to me to access her next Cosmosphere. Oh well.

Plot twist for the next piece of the story was eh. Heading back to check on Misha at the moment.

[NotMiki]

Godhand - Beat.  My god was there a lot of spanking in this game.  Also, possibly the best ending credits ever.  Game starts slow, but better moves and a steady string of fights that are hilarious and fun give it good momentum.  Deliberate touches of absurdity raise a plot that could be generously described as bad to a level of self-parody that is almost Zen-like in his transcendence.  Good stuff.

[Taishyr]

Maverick Hunter X: Vile Mode beaten. Vile's actually pretty cool when you get some weapons for him.

Warning: Maverick Hunter X rambling below.




Weapons thoughts, while I'm at it:

Gatlings: Distance Needler >>> Zip Zapper > Cherry Blast >>> Buckshot Dance >>> Triple 7.
Distance Needler is highly damaging, pierces Shield Joe shields and other monster barriers, and isn't really slow. (Normal X-pace shot). Everything else kinda pales: Zip Zapper has situational use, Cherry Blast is low-energy... Buckshot Dance has spread but that's not that impressive, and Triple 7 is an unparalleled energy hog.

Missiles: Eh.
All have use, none are stellar; Popcorn Demon's probably the best, here. Distance Needler >> Missiles > Rest of Gatlings, to me; Missles do more damage and have interesting features.

Fists: Infinity Gig >> Golden Right > Go-Getter Right = Egotistic Pill >>> Spoiled Brat. Infinity Gig's homing is damn nice. Golden Right is really powerful, but melee range. Go-Getter Right and Egotistic Pill are about equal use. Spoiled Brat lacks damage.

Overall... Distance Needler = Infinity Gig > Golden Right = Popcorn Demon > Go Getter Right = Egotistic Pill = Rest of Missiles = Zip Zapper > Cherry Blast > Buckshot Dance > Spoiled Brat > Triple 7.

Cannons: Fatboy > Longshot Gizmo > Front Runner > Fire Murrain > Trident Line. One shot of damage is better than one shot of damage even if five shots work, but it's stronger than Front Runner. Fire Murrain has... uses? Sure. Trident Line is just kinda bad, tho.

Lasers: Straight Nightmare >>> Rising Specter = Nervous Ghost > Cerberus Phantom. DNR Necro Blast. Straight Nightmare is Storm Tornado. Rising Specter and Nervous Ghost can pinch hit, Cerberus Phantom kinda sucks, Necro Blast is... well, maingame you'll never use it. Ever. So. (Aftergame, its energy cost doesn't matter when equipping so you can use it pretty well. It's a random purger.)

Boomerangs: Marooned Tomahawk > Quick Homesick >>>>> everything else. Marooned Tomahawk is insane good against anything. Quick Homesick sucks but gets you items so is awesome. All the rest are trash.

Overall: Marooned Tomahawk = Straight Nightmare > Fatboy = Quick Homesick > Longshot Gizmo = Rising Spectre = Nervous Ghost > Cerberus Phantom = Front Runner > Fire Murrain > Trident Line > remaining Boomerangs.

Leg: All of these are pretty damn awesome, so let's just run highlights on the best. Splash Hit is a cheap, spammable, charged Storm Tornado. This is good. Bumpity Boom is cheap and high damage, too. Peace Out Roller and Sword Bouquet are both spammable; Sea Dragon's Rage and Dragon's Wrath are both good flamethrowers.


Legs got the best stuff, really; the only true duds are the Territorial POW and Wild Horse Kick.

[Cmdr_King]

Suikoden Tierkreis- Beated.  Very low starcount since I was feeling lazy.

Strange game.  Aside from the obvious, saddening lack of the normal Suikoden setting (and really, this is why we accept even Suikoden IV into the family, it's still setting!), it's largely Suikoden still.  But it's... also kinda dumbed down.  Like, all the games have betrayal and friendship and Destiny vs Freedom, but Tierkreis really hounds on those points and goes to great lengths to make sur eeveryone knows that those are the themes of the game.  I guess they were trying to market it for younger people and thought too much subtlety would be a turn off?  I dunno.  To a lesser extent this follows into the battle system; while by about mid-game weapon options and the subsequent stat bonuses add something resembling twinking, it's still the lowest twink power since Suikoden 1.  Sad panda.

For all that it's never a bad play, and generally interesting throughout.  Very fast flow helps.  It's kinda a lowish 7/10 I think.

DL-wise, I was really surprised at how many characters were viable.  Tenkei has three people in his posse, Arad and the two magedom royals, four Blades, two giants, two dolphins, the innkeeper, Hotpura, the three defectors... oh, probably the Doctor.  He kinda sticks in the ol' memory.  ohh!  three cat-folk, and probably Jale's Mom.  So 25 there.  Yeaaah.  Too many to bother listing, for the most part people in this group have either stats, damage, or status, and probably largely swing from solid Middle to good Heavy.

(not that enough people are likely to play Psykoden to make it worth ranking >.>)

[Scar]

MK

Just got into chapter 11.

Isolde was very very sad. I hope there is another version of her to justify her Godlike rank.

[Jo'ou Ranbu]

Strange game.  Aside from the obvious, saddening lack of the normal Suikoden setting (and really, this is why we accept even Suikoden IV into the family, it's still setting!)

We do?

PW1 - Man, long case is long. Also, von Karma's crossdressing powers are sublime.

[Dhyerwolf]

Having played a bit of S4 again recently, I find it completely worthy of contempt and having spell charges, Jeane, Viki, and a true rune certainly isn't going to change that!

Also, did FF X-2 have sceneskip. I might have seen what was coming and cut to the chase.

[Nitori]

Strange game.  Aside from the obvious, saddening lack of the normal Suikoden setting (and really, this is why we accept even Suikoden IV into the family, it's still setting!)

We do?

DQ5DS: Why did I decide to look for another 1/64 rate monster, the Slime Knight will probably hold out the rest of the way~

[Niu]

If you like how Rita plays, then by all means use her. Rita is the first Tales mage to be a really viable controlled PC. Enjoy. Use her Overlimits a lot.

coughcoughHaroldcoughcoughMaocoughcoughAngecoughcough

[Shale]

Also, did FF X-2 have sceneskip. I might have seen what was coming and cut to the chase.

It did, but it didn't let you skip a playable sequence. I'm still blaming massive psychological trauma.

[Grefter]

FFX-2 has bonus points for epic fail there unless I am mistaken as well.  To get 100% you had to see all scenes to unlock things (and get the good ending).  This meant you had to watch them all, which I guess is a good enough argument in and of itself in that if you give a shit you won't skip them, still fuck you FFX-2)

[Taishyr]

My solution to the "watch them all" is to turn the TV off whenever one starts playing and do something else for ten minutes. Turn TV back on, presto, scene watched! Granted that's my kind of logic.

[Yoshiken]

So, people in chat yesterday would've caught me ranting about this, but whatever.
I HATE THIS COMPUTER. Two blue-screens in two days is not fun, especially when I'm playing FFI on an emulator and it doesn't store my save data unless I close the emulator. This time, I lost completion of the Underwater Temple and Mirage Tower/Floating Castle. (That place is also made of pure hatred and evil. Gah.)
Went and did training because I'm too lazy to play those through strategically again and blitzed Kraken and Tiamat. So, back to the final dungeon again.

Oh, and I actually made sure to keep a space for LFE2 & NUKE this time, so if someone could tell me where I find those, that'd be muchly appreciated. <3

[TranceHime]

coughcoughHaroldcoughcoughMaocoughcoughAngecoughcough

The real question is has Djinn even played the games where they came from.