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Author Topic: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.  (Read 690162 times)

Scar

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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3975 on: August 09, 2009, 09:15:50 PM »
I mean Golden Era Guts, not Black Swordsman Guts.

Both beefed up considereably in three years, both could take on armies by themselves and each had some sort of master type figure they had to overcome.
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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3976 on: August 09, 2009, 09:32:25 PM »
CotP - C Route beaten!  This means it is now Seraphic Gate time~

Anyways, rant time, I guess.

Gameplay... polish is kinda not there.   Sin is okay enough, you get rewarded by playing by its rules, which in turn makes achieving Sin requirements easier, and you get punished if you don't.  However, Sin gathering is easy enough that I never saw a Realmstalker in any of my playthroughs, so... yeah.  Hell, routinely gathering twice the required amount of Sin isn't much of a challenge at all.  The end result is a game that starts off fairly easy and then snaps itself in half for you unless you deliberately avoid using the broken the game hands you.  It's somewhat inefficient, I'll grant, but the game's system doesn't lend itself well to efficieny anyways.

As for the difficulty, the game's idea of it is somewhat akin to a monkey flinging crap at people.  This comes in the form of escort missions, which, as has been mentioned, feature the some of the most grating guest AI ever displayed in a SRPG.  Half of them are also insulting given what happens right after them, as has been noted by others, but whatever.

As for the other stuff... well, Wyl's a angry, angsty teenager who gets shat on, and VP world is not a happy place, so of course he Rages Against The Heavens.  His desire for vengence is stupid and the lengths he goes to in order to achieve it are despicable, but the game pretty much beats the fact that Wyl is not someone we're supposed to sympathize with.  As for vengence being a crappy motivation, stupid teenage makes bad decisions, universe dies of shock.  B and C Route basically show what a dumbass he is, though in different ways, while A Route has him realize it in time.  It does this... as well as it can with the level of writing the game demonstrates.   Characters being shoved into the background once they've finally joined isn't cool either, but eh.

Probably a 5 or 6.  Game was pretty fun despite its flaws, although escort missions need to burn and I can't really pretend that I enjoyed it  more than your average SRPG.

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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3977 on: August 10, 2009, 12:21:48 AM »
I mean Golden Era Guts, not Black Swordsman Guts.

Both beefed up considereably in three years, both could take on armies by themselves and each had some sort of master type figure they had to overcome.

No.

Grefter

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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3978 on: August 10, 2009, 12:33:57 AM »
I mean Golden Era Guts, not Black Swordsman Guts.

Both beefed up considereably in three years, both could take on armies by themselves and each had some sort of master type figure they had to overcome.

No.

Tropes is tropes, Guts is something else.
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Dark Holy Elf

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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3979 on: August 10, 2009, 12:44:40 AM »
Thank you, Grefter.

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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3980 on: August 10, 2009, 01:47:20 AM »
If you're looking for an RPG character who rips off emulates Guts, look no further than VP's own Arngrim. I don't think it really gets more blatant than that...

VP: CotP - Wyl is dark and angsty and I like it. It's been a while since I played a game where you are essentially the villain (and it's not some big twist or Xanatos Gambit deal). It's kind of refreshing. I find myself constantly trying to plans ways to eat ALL of my comrades in as few playthroughs as possible. Gotta get me some nummy babies to eat Plume Skills. Gwendal is also cool and has a sexy sexy accent.

Everyone else has covered the horrible bits and they really aren't detracting from the experience to me. I really liked VP1's battle system and throwing an easy-as-pie SRPG on top of it just means I have less platforming to do and it makes Plume Skills more broken.

I've only run into one Realm Stalker so far, which is unfortunate as I try to arrange things so that Realm Stalkers will appear on maps where I intend to use the Plume so that I can destroy them easily and reap the EXPs. But I keep getting too much Sin... >.>;;

The game has some of my favorite Insanity tropes, though Soul Nomad does it better. Still fun to watch characters dying needlessly.

Work has started again so who knows when I'll get to play more... sigh...

Shale

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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3981 on: August 10, 2009, 01:54:23 AM »
Bear in mind Realmstalkers show up in place of another enemy, so you don't get much extra EXP for killing them.
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Meeplelard

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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3982 on: August 10, 2009, 02:56:03 AM »
DQ4DS: Beat it.  Meh, game started getting annoying in the last few stretches and...yeah, opinion dropped overall.  Its not awful, but the game was still plagued by a lot of DQ's general issues, despite some modern polish additions.

Aria of Sorrow: Decided to skip Harmony of Dissonance cause, well, I hadn't even HEARD of the game until like half a year ago!  No, not sure why this matters, so this seemed like the next logical step!

Just got Double Jump and such, about 27% through the game, based on Map Completion.  

Initial thoughts?  Game seems considerably more interesting than CotM.  Soma takes a lot of what made Alucard interesting in SotN  (the weapon options, for example) compared to Belmont, and their clones (lets not mince things; Nathan was a Belmont in every way except Name),  and has a unique gimmick in the Blue Mage style thing.  Completely doing away with Sub Weapons was probably a smart thing, since it means they aren't restricted to shoving them in unnecessarily, especially since several of Soma's skills mimic the subweapons well enough, so you just swap there.  Otherwise, not much else to say; game seems like it should be fun enough the entire way through though.
[21:39] <+Mega_Mettaur> so Snow...
[21:39] <+Mega_Mettaur> Sonic Chaos
[21:39] <+Hello-NewAgeHipsterDojimaDee> That's -brilliant-.

[17:02] <+Tengu_Man> Raven is a better comic relief PC than A

Shale

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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3983 on: August 10, 2009, 03:16:32 AM »
Harmony is both crappy and really easy, so you're not missing anything there. AoS is the clear standout of the GBA Metroidvanias.
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Talaysen

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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3984 on: August 10, 2009, 03:31:00 AM »
Etrian Odyssey 2:

This game has a serious problem. That problem is called FOE.

Not enjoying this very much. Getting slaughtered effortlessly by things I have troubles running away from is not fun. And now the dinosaur on the first floor has woken up and is aggressive. How exactly am I supposed to deal with THAT anyway? I suppose I could make a troubadour and put it to sleep or something, but that is excessive and silly. I also dislike the fact that the game is more or less going to lock me into 5 PCs without really being able to explore the other classes. Silliness.

A) Put point in ESC Up skill for everyone.  It increases escape rate by a flat 30% (i.e. 1% -> 31%).

B) Lower right corner of the room with the FOE on the first floor triggers a shortcut you can use to get past the thing easily.

Grefter

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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3985 on: August 10, 2009, 04:03:33 AM »
You are welcome NEB.  That statement can go either way of course.
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Scar

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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3986 on: August 10, 2009, 04:45:49 AM »
Er, whatever. I guess I'm the only one that sees a resemblance.

Fire Emblem: Wii Beaten

Possible Spoilers? Sure~


Cake. Still some things are left in the air. Well mainly I want to know what or how that one duke had a blood pact with Naesela. Also, they never really went into the love aspect of Ike and Elincia much. Sephiran seemed a bit out of place. "I just want to die!" Ok... wasn't he scheduled to be put to death anyway? He seemed the most changed from the first game. Stephen never joined me either, must have missed him somehow....I did see him in a camp info section, but after that he was just gone. Still no idea what all those Dark tomes were for either.

Oh, here was my top 5 in bad assery.

5. Soren
4. Boyd
3. Shinon
2. Nephenee
1. Haar

Soren surprised me. I'm shocked Ike wasn't on this list, but then again I did have him weaponless in a lot of chapter 3.

Might jump into new game plus. What is retained from the old save?
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Dark Holy Elf

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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3987 on: August 10, 2009, 05:05:18 AM »
(FE10 spoilers)

Nothing is carried over, but it lets you get a couple new PCs (who can actually use those Dark tomes!), and unlocks some more plot (Lekain's blood pact with Naesala is one thing added IIRC) because everyone likes playing a game a second time for slightly more story.

Stefan is found in the desert, like in FE9. Needs a specific PC to step on a specific panel. Practically requires a FAQ, as always.

I pegged Sephiran as a major villain in FE10 after playing FE9, so I dunno, I didn't feel his character was changed too much. He doesn't just want to die, he wants to (spoilers) see his goddess Ashera visit judgement on the world which spurned his children as monsters and murdered his people. There's more of him in replay plot, too!

FE10 decisively tosses any possibility of ElinciaxIke in favour of ElinciaxGeoffrey. Many fans feel the game designers intended Ike and Soren to be paired up but this is the subject of some contraversy, so read into it as you will. This conversation is the centrepiece of that argument. Only way to see it in-game is to take a file with Soren/Ike A support from FE9, import it into FE10, do a NG+ of FE10, then get a Soren/Ike A support in FE10.

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Maybe.

Grefter

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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3988 on: August 10, 2009, 05:10:51 AM »
All canon plot is hidden away in carry over data on replays.  Didn't you know it makes Suikoden 3 like a million times better?
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The king perfect of the DL is and always will be Excal. - Superaielman
Don't worry, just jam it in anyway. - SirAlex
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Niu

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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3989 on: August 10, 2009, 06:04:21 AM »
I pegged Sephiran as a major villain in FE10 after playing FE9, so I dunno, I didn't feel his character was changed too much. He doesn't just want to die, he wants to (spoilers) see his goddess Ashera visit judgement on the world which spurned his children as monsters and murdered his people. There's more of him in replay plot, too!

FE10 decisively tosses any possibility of ElinciaxIke in favour of ElinciaxGeoffrey. Many fans feel the game designers intended Ike and Soren to be paired up but this is the subject of some contraversy, so read into it as you will. This conversation is the centrepiece of that argument. Only way to see it in-game is to take a file with Soren/Ike A support from FE9, import it into FE10, do a NG+ of FE10, then get a Soren/Ike A support in FE10.

Intersting fact, over at bbs.fe, FE10 has been universally known as the "grand victory of yaoi fan girls". Haters and lovers alike.After Senelio there is Rai. And the influx of yaoi topic it createdis just scary.

Anyway, on Sephiran. Really, most problem is his own fault. If he NEVER made that lie about the branded, the prejudice in the world would never be that outrageous. He started everything and now he blames on everyone else? Yuno should seriously have beat him thoughly when she found out. Seriously, he made the lie and the credit it to her? Fuck off you hypocrite, you have absolutely no rights to brag about anything. YOU are the one who should have died for your sins, and it should be a cold painful death. Fuck true ending where he lives off happily with his goddess, just FUCK.

Cmdr_King

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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3990 on: August 10, 2009, 06:15:32 AM »
*debates spoilerness of this discussion, decides to smalltext it.  Mutter*

  I was under the impression that, being a creature of perfect order, Ashera had mandated the separation and structure of society, and that's why Sephiran decided to play to people's natural unease around the branded and treat them as sins against nature.
If that's not true, then... couldn't he have used the ability of the different clans to have children together to break down the walls between them, maybe even prevent the rising hostilities between Laguz and Beorc?  Man, critical PR failure Lehran.  Especially considering his obvious affection for his decendants and generally seeming to be a friend to all who live at heart.
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Niu

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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3991 on: August 10, 2009, 06:56:10 AM »
No, he lied about the whole branded deal after his first child is born. The very first branded.
When his child was born, he lost his power. He quickly gone paranoid as he has been using his own power as the OOracle of the Goddess to maintain the peace of the comtinent back then. He fear that chaos would ensue if people finds out he lost his power, thus lead to possibel rebellion aginst him.

So Sephiran decide to just retire quickly as if nothing happened. Then he make people Empress's blood line can now hear the divine as something that just happen. Just to make sure no one knows his power is lost. And to further cover this up, he forbids the teo races from cross breeding and claim it is the will of goddess. He LIED just to prevent peopel from finding out that if two races cross breed, the parent would lose their power to the child, trying to eliminate all clues that the loss of his power can be exposed.

This is why Yuno goes "the FUCK?" when she found this out. The goddess never said such a thing, it is all Sephiran and his own insecurity.

Cmdr_King

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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3992 on: August 10, 2009, 07:08:28 AM »
*facepalm* Bah, I forgot the bit about Laguz losing their powers.

I dunno, though.  It seems to me that, in the absence of other information, concluding that it was a punishment from the goddess is the most logical conclusion.  So, his actions in the beginning seem like a desperate but perhaps necessary step in order to hold things together and prevent further damage.
The bad part is that he felt so guilty over this, and was so busy feeling sorry for himself/the branded, that he neglected his role entirely and let the world go to shit around him.  Essentially, while he might have prevented a panic in the wake of his original loss of power, without its key mediator the world ended up in exactly the same position... except even worse because the one guy Ashura might have listened to was urging her to judge everyone as unworthy out of guilt and despair.
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Jo'ou Ranbu

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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3993 on: August 10, 2009, 08:55:39 AM »
[01:08] <Soppy-ReturningToInaba> HEY
[01:08] <Soppy-ReturningToInaba> LAGGY
[01:08] <Soppy-ReturningToInaba> UVIET?!??!?!
[01:08] <Laggy> YA!!!!!!!!!1111111111
[01:08] <Soppy-ReturningToInaba> OMG!!!!
[01:08] <Chulianne> No wonder you're small.
[01:08] <TranceHime> cocks
[01:08] <Laggy> .....

Clear Tranquil

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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3994 on: August 10, 2009, 11:11:19 AM »
Just see the bad endings, reset and see the better endings afterwards. Good ending has enough sap to make an army of CKs happy as well, so I'm sure you'd appreciate it.

Thanks Snow~

P4- Teddie just picked up the MT Attack buff. Aww yeah! Chie is about to learn Counterstrike but she already has Counter - do those *stack* or should I just forget Counter? Yosuke spends his time using Diarama and/or items on turns when I want Teddie to use ice offence or alternatively uses Garula when I need MT heals from Teddie.

I just have four words to say to the last boss - Go to hell!

Serious pain in the ass. I had to improvise with a few things for that fight. I did try numerous times with what I had but it just *wasn't* working so I said to hell with it. First order of the day seeing what I could rumble up with fusion. That turned out to be an Ose and I picked a delightful choice, if I do say so myself. Power Charge is yummy, oh yeah. It was also pretty awesme seeing all the boosts he got from a L7 Fool link. Next I decided to go ahead and train to let Teddie learn Ice Boost. With both of them knowing Ice Boost + Bufala I now had solid reliable offence options for both Chie + Teddie. I decided to stick with that with Chie instead of my normal Tara + Rampage tactics with her because Rampage can miss and I couldn't afford *anything* to miss vs the boss. Yosuke's damage wasn't as good as Chie + Teddie's but it was close with Garula. All that and I still lost because the boss is cheap and always pulls on something like hitting weakness or hitting weakness *+* one more combo with Magidola  or w/e it's called. Finally before my winning attempt I found a Patient Collar and equipped that. It turned to be a good luck charm more than anything though because this time everything went my way in the fight and I ended up not needing it.

It took me most of a day to finally clear the Game area. I fail I know. I did go back to the club though for it's extra boss and to fight for money + items though. I managed to get the blacksmith to whip up some new armour for Souji + Yosuke from that =-)

**

Story - Cook out, watermelons, festival and school trip were all fun. Yuki sure was on fine form at the club (I'd say Teddie but Teddie's always on fine form >_>) Also she looked cuter than Rise. Rise's "drunk" features were just scary.

S-Links - Thou' has formed an unbreakable bond with Dojima! Yay. I went all out working on his in case it's needed for the ending or something. Finishing up Nanako's next. Chie is a girl after my own heart, warrior maiden sticking up for the weak and passionate against bullies. I adore the skip dance she does when gearing up for a fight too. I told those chicks bothering Yosuke to shut the hell up (well as close to it as I could get) and I really like Kanji's S Link as well. That's some talent he has and his contrasting of personalities is amazing. Hmmm ... I think I'm leaning more towards liking this cast better than P3's after all o_o
« Last Edit: August 10, 2009, 11:14:17 AM by Clear Tranquil »
"A Yeul that loved to sing. A Yeul who wished to travel. A Yeul that collected flowers.... Every one of them was unique"

superaielman

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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3995 on: August 10, 2009, 02:01:49 PM »
The counter skills don't stack, sadly. Just replace them as you get better versions in general.
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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3996 on: August 10, 2009, 03:19:42 PM »
Scar: I'm really not surprised Soren's in there. He's surprisingly evasive and fast for a mage, hits well with Adept & Flare, and if you give him Vantage, he's basically unbeatable. I did that on both FE9 and 10, and Soren was always my top killer, despite me rarely initiating attacks with him, relying solely on his own Vantaged 'counters'

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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3997 on: August 10, 2009, 03:57:34 PM »
Started DQ4r while I had some downtime in New Jersey, and kept at it yesterday evening. Finished Taloon's quest. Entertaining game, but the multiple-heroes gimmick isn't really doing a lot for me when it means you're leveling your party up from 1 five times instead of once. Also, grinding for armor and swords instead of just letting Taloon's chapter end was not a brilliant design decision.

Blazblue: Played some of this in Jersey too. Specifically, I tried Bang again. More specifically, I pulled off Bang Install.

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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3998 on: August 10, 2009, 07:16:07 PM »
CotP, Seraphic Trainwreck Edition - Isn't it sad, Hrist? ;_;

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Re: Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.
« Reply #3999 on: August 10, 2009, 07:18:09 PM »
P3: The Answer- Through Cocytus, about to head into Caina. The narrative is much better than The Journey! Just... needs more substance, really.