Games you're playing: The 2009 edition.

[Ultradude]

Excal: I wouldn't bother keeping both of the Vs around, like Snow said. Neither are particularly good outside of their SP pools, though those do give them plenty of awesome. Jiron needs to be kept leveled up though, Walker Gallier is pretty awesome if you can get Guts to kick in, and it's got just enough durability for that to not really be a problem. In fact, just send out people with Guts all over the place - you've obviously got it with Roy in the Armored Valk, and Isamu can make use of it in the YF-19. It's pretty much the only way for Isamu to take out the Ghosts earlier on without too much effort.

Mazinger Z is more important than Great right now, if only because of Kouji. Mazinkaiser simply doesn't die unless you're fighting the big-damage bosses, and Mazin Power gives it incredible offense. Turbo Smasher Punch might be the best attack in the game for post-movement grunt smashing.

I would love to suggest ZZ Gundam, but that's just my fond memories of my Alpha playthrough talking, where double acting makes the Full Armor ZZ into a MAP attacking nightmare.

Oh, and use Harry Ord. Seriously. Just put him in one of your spare UC units because of the shades. He makes good use of V2AB.

[Jo'ou Ranbu]

ZZ Gundam is kinda awful in @G. But then, there's a lot of kinda awful stuff in @G.

[SageAcrin]

It's only awful because you don't get FAZZ in all playthroughs, most notably not on Hard.

FAZZ is fine. Not standout awesome, but fine.

Edit:

KotOR - Decided to go with a Scoundrel whom I'll eventually turn into a Guardian. Also chose dual-wielding, since... I mean, come on. Two lightsabers? How is that not better than one?

EDIT: .... and then I remembered that the person who popularized dual-lightsabering was Hayden Christensen playing Anakin. So I... reverted to a slightly older quicksave and chose the Dueling feat.

Man, go two weapons, not for the two sabers(though I did that, it especially has uses if you're using an offhand saber as a tanking weapon. IT'S A SHIELD. IN A GAME WITHOUT THEM), but for the double-bladed sabers. Those things are awesome. Also they're like the middle road for style, they aren't ridiculously overhyped inanity like two sabers can be nor are they vaguely oversimplistic like one is.

[Meeplelard]

Dawn of Sorrow: Was planning on finishing this game today, but that extra "Abyss" added on right at the end (should have seen that coming, what with only 90.5% of the map completed), sort of lost my urge to finish, cause the difficulty ramps up, and don't feel like running back to the shop one last time to restock on items, etc.

I will say that the game is generally disappointing after Aria.  Main complaints are:

-Worse dungeon layout.  Things are more obnoxious for requirements, running from Point A to Point B is more tedious, and the game holds off on giving you more platforming abilities slower, such that its more just "Opening more doors!"  so the exploration element is more tedious rather than "Not only can you go further into the castle, backtracking to other areas can get you more stuff!" aspect that these games tend to promote.

-Magic Seals.  Mostly cause they're so damn finicky about when they work.  If you're too slow, they fail; if you do it fast, you overshoot your attempt, and you fail.  Then you have to kill the last 20% of the boss AGAIN and ugh.  This was not an addition that helped fights; Bosses are meant to just be straight up fights whose gimmicks are within the fight itself, *NOT* merely at the end which you have one chance to attempt before redoing shit.  And as usual, bosses aren't trivial.

-Weapons.  They suck in this game.  I'm relying a lot more on my Souls than I really should.  In SotN, you always had at least one adequate weapon that was easy to use.  AoS I seem to recall the same thing (and the game was even lenient about giving you AWESOME stuff from time to time).  CotM, you only had the Whip, but you know, boring as it was, it was adequate for an all purpose weapon that you didn't really feel the need to change.

This game?  Weapons feel so underpowered unless you're using an Axe...then its so fucking slow that its so hard to use.  It was only in the Pinnacle that I got the Lance which was good on power and not too hard to use, but that didn't last so long.  Seriously, is it so hard to ask for a simple, moderately powered sword or something?  Just someone whose power is passable and using it doesn't feel like a chore. I don't mean something broken like a bunch of stuff you can get in AoS without too much difficulty (at least SotN was smart enough about keeping the broken not the most obvious, in one way or another), just something nice and balanced. 

Yeah, its disappointing.  They basically took AoS, and tried to just make the same game over again with a new dungeon and items...and failed cause they fucked up.  Contrast to AoS where they took SotN and then reshaped the main such that he was unique compared to Alucard, and hey , it worked!

Sounds like DoS has a worthwhile secondary Hero mode though, which might save the game.

[Sierra]

Touhou Labyrinth Odyssey Thingy: Floor 18 boss down. After like two hours of preparatory grinding, of course. Painful offense + high speed + ridiculous HP. Augh. Came in with China/Tenshi/Yuugi/Ran/Suika/Suwako/Remilia/Aya/Sanae/Reimu/Komachi/Youmu. Durability's at a premium here, needed to make sure I could hit as many elements as possible too. Rough fight even after grinding, but came out with 7/12 alive. Not bad. Final maingame PC is sort of hilarious. 2 starting TP? Wow. I have to try that buffer; if it hits the full party, like Ran's do, then it's totally worth a slot in the party at boss fights even if the PC won't be doing anything else after that.

I undersold Tenshi before. With more time to pump level bonuses into her DEF/MND, she's really starting to mock everything's attempts to kill her. It's pretty awesome seeing Flowing Hellfire tink. Anyway, onwards to floor 19. Randoms are manageable enough and give decent rewards. Tops are annoying but probably better than Destroy Magic BS.

[Jo'ou Ranbu]

SRWW - Stage 26 = UNLIMITED CASH WORKS. Why hello there 711,000 cash to drop like a hammer on Gundam Astray.

[kokushishin]

*shrug* The argument can, and has, been made that nothing Microsoft could do would sell the 360 in Japan, not on the console development level anyway.  While securing a metric asston of exclusives might do it (see also ToV and its affect on 360 sales), my impression is that they absolutely pay out the nose in those deals and it'd be a massive money sink, and I doubt they'd make lasting gains to allow them to recoup their losses on the next iteration of the console.

Hype and grumblings aside, a small demographic+the notable splits in sales of multiplatform games doesn't bode well.  It doesn't help that they hyped Crystal Tools as an engine that would allow them to do multiplat easily.  

They then proceed to a finicky console that no one can program for, using devices they invented specifically for the system,

In other words, Sony repeated the bad parts of the PS2 and forgot about the good.


Oh yeah, playing Spirit Tracks and like it.

[Grefter]

KotOR - Decided to go with a Scoundrel whom I'll eventually turn into a Guardian. Also chose dual-wielding, since... I mean, come on. Two lightsabers? How is that not better than one?

EDIT: .... and then I remembered that the person who popularized dual-lightsabering was Hayden Christensen playing Anakin. So I... reverted to a slightly older quicksave and chose the Dueling feat.

Carth is already supremely irritating. When can I boot him for a homicidal droid?

DW isn't that great until the end of the game. Dueling is a perfectly viable option. It's fucking mindblowing in KotOR2 if you go Weapon Master, but not that great in the first because there's no Superior Two-Weapon Focus.

Anyway, you can replace Carth at your whim once you leave Taris, but the catch is that he forces himself in your group several times. KotOR may have better polish, but KotOR2 has SO much better writing.

KotOR 2 is all about reflecting blaster bots with your bare hands.

[Anthony Edward Stark]

That's Bao-Dur's job. I use lightsabers god damn it!

[Cotigo]

LFT:  About to fight the Sand Rat Cellar battle.  LFT is fun.  Fun fun fun.  Nothing like having 2 bombs keep re-raising and healing eachother while simultaneously re-raising every one of my units and having the battle go on forever for no real good reason.  On the other hand, with no real planning I managed to have a Time Mage for Dorter and expect that classes will be similarly easy to unlock.  This is a good thing.

[Twilkitri]

SD Gundam GGW -
Just finished the One Year War. That's 20 hours... for five stages. Game has an argument for being far too slow. At least there are permasaves.

Chose Kou/0083 for the next set of available units and replaced the mehish Carry Base with the Albion. It doesn't have as nice a weapon layout as the White Base, but it does carry two teams of four whereas the White only gets two teams of three.

Current setup:
Albion [Amuro '79/Gundam Basic, [Mark/Gundam X Basic, Lanalowe/Zeta Gundam Basic, Eris/Gundam F91 Basic, Aina/GM Commando], [Kou/GP-01 Basic, Char '79/Braw Bro]]

It's fairly natty how Amuro got to count as the leader for both my team and the instory team for support purposes during the one year war, but him using the instory Gundam instead of my team's Gundam Basic has meant that it's still only level 1. How saddening.
Aina was recently in a GM Sniper II but it turns out that that was a complete dead end in terms of remodelling, only able to be downmodelled to the GM Commando or the GM Sniper Custom with no upmodel options, and the Custom was what it was remodelled into the II from in the first place, so I kicked it down to the Commando in the hopes that it can be upmodelled to something better. It does have two options I don't have access to yet so things are looking hopeful in those regards.

Game is being pretty awesome so far anyway. Just. So. Slow. I believe I am heading into the Gryps conflict next.

[TranceHime]

Avernum 5: wRPG by Spiderweb Software I've been meaning to play for several months now! Finally got around to doing it. Party set-up is member 4, and of course would take a Custom approach to characters.

Reona (Human) - Designated meat shield/kinda fast physical unit. Threw the Good Constitution and Thick Skin traits on her so that POIZN and most other elemental skills will tink off her. Her armor mitigation value at present is about 55% at level 2, which is very good. Though part of it is that I lump all the armor on her, so >_> Her damage is kind of bad right now but that will change a few levels from now when I start speccing into STR/Melee Weapons/Quick Action. With buffs, she can consistantly attack twice. That's not including Haste.

Slardar (Lizard dude) - Physical glass cannon. Has been felled before (resurrection is annoying in this game until you get the Revive spell) but can dish out some really nasty damage. Granted, bosses are a different story but most mobs with low armor are going to get consistently OHKOd by this guy. Otherwise they just get high 2HKOd. Also pumped some points into Quick Action for him, so he should be getting turns very fast. 40-ish damage to mooks is definitely killing them and lizard dudes have an innate 2 levels in Pole Arms, so I give him those and he goes to town.

Myrin (Human) - Ranger/Healer. Almost a Rosa clone, but trades MP for durability. Has 7 levels of Priest magic for whatever reason, I guess I overshot a bit. Doesn't matter though, the healing is invaluable considering Slardar can get 2HKOed by bosses (Reona... does not have that issue, obviously) and fighting at range is awesome. Also helps that you don't need to worry about arrows or that kinda bullshit. Just missile attack to town~

Naias (Human) - Mage nuker girl. Happens to have the Blademaster skill for whatever reason! Actually I think it's because she has the Divinely Touched trait. Which is good, because she has very little defense which is saved by that particular trait skyrocketing her natural defense to like 30%. I don't know. She also levels up the slowest. Not that I care, she nukes stuff pretty well anyway.

In terms of squishyness... from most durable to least durable...

Reona > Naias > Myrin > Slardar.

I don't know what to make of this. Really.

Anyway, I've just started, took a boatload of quests which I have to do.

[superaielman]

LFT:  About to fight the Sand Rat Cellar battle.  LFT is fun.  Fun fun fun.  Nothing like having 2 bombs keep re-raising and healing eachother while simultaneously re-raising every one of my units and having the battle go on forever for no real good reason.  On the other hand, with no real planning I managed to have a Time Mage for Dorter and expect that classes will be similarly easy to unlock.  This is a good thing.

Bombs are pretty much the most obnoxious random in the game hands down for the time. having a thief or someone with secret hunt on hand is always good, especially early when they are common randoms and like to spam spark.

DQ5- Got through the fire cave. Forgot if I posted about it! I am going to get a Wyvern/Chimera before moving on, and that will be the last of the monster hunting for me. Game is still solidly fun.

FF1/DQ4- Replaying these with CT. Kraken's shrine can burn in hell. DoS is DoS, it is a breeze to play through and well balanced for PC choice but badly needs a hard mode with better enemy stats. 

SO3- Got kicked into this. Blah. Game isn't bad (5/10 range probably), but does a hell of a lot worse than SO2. Item creation is a massive step down and is as FAQ bait as SO2's, and the game does a very poor job staggering out when you get new PC's. SO2 handed you  PC's at a very regular interval and gave you enough time to use them; SO3 keeps you with the same three PC's until late in disk one when Maria joins. Adray and Roger are gettable temps, but meh. Not enough. Feels like you get a very limited selection of PC's to work with and that I don't like. Fayt also isn't very good in combat. He literally lives on Side Kick for all of disk one, and if that doesn't work he is useless. Maria's pretty much the same, except Scatter beam is pretty godlike.

Plot/character... you have a solid core (Cliff/Fayt/Nel) and some minor players. It does make some sense, as it follows some of the same path SO2 does. Dude gets trapped on another planet, gets swept up in a war, then has to try to fight off destruction.  Luther sounds like he fills the same purpose as Indalecio, threatening to destroy the entire universe if you don't act to stop him. We'll see.

I'm probably grabbing Peppita and Nel unless Albel wows me. I got lucky and staggered into item creating a 400~ power sword for Adray and Albel before the shrine of Kaddan.

[Clear Tranquil]

I am blowing all of super's money on item creation. As well as the Demon Slayer for Adray/Albel I created, patented then bought convert damage tomes for Maria and Adray. They are set with Convert damage to MP/Preserve HP and some MP regen now. We also recruited the smiith Lias and lucked out on an Elven Cloak for Adray so he also has wind absorbtion. Super's still not impressed though! Heh I never usually do this sort of stuff on disc one anyway >.> He just has the funds to break the hell out of the game <.< So I'm tempted to created a pseudo firework/orihalcumed weapon for Peppita and we'll also have a spare Tattered Tome/Elven Cloak for her. We just picked up Albel and super stripped Adray of his Demon Slayer for him >.>

[Jo'ou Ranbu]

SRWW - I just blew like 700,000 cash on the Red Frame Astray. I feel so proud of myself right now.

[Monkeyfinger]

words

Has spiderweb gotten any better since the Exile days? Jeff Vogel seems like a very un-progressive guy.

[Meeplelard]

The current game I'm playing is so ridiculous, it HAS to be written in the following format!

Onimusha 3: Abridged.

NOTE: I don't remember some of the names from characters in the intro, so I'm just gonna use generic titles for them.

*in Warring States Japan, Zombie Skeleton Demons and Samurai Ninjas are fighting.  Yes, you read that right.*
Samurai Commander: Alright, guys, our mission is to attack Nobunaga head on and kill him! And by our, I mean yours, Samonosuke.
Samonosuke: Why me?
Commander: Because you're the main character, you were in the first game, and you have all this awesome magical bullshit that renders the rest of us completely worthless.
Samonosuke: ...eh, good enough.
*Samonosuke charges in, kicks the crap out of a bunch of Zombie Skeleton Demons with magical swords and such*
Samonosuke: Man, those GENMA!!! are wimps.  That, or I'm just awesome.
*he reaches Nobunaga's room*
Nobunaga: Aha, so you're here, SAMONOSUKE!
Samonosuke: Die monster, you don't belong in this world!
Nobunaga: THIS IS DELICIOUS!!!
Samonosuke: ...ok, I'm not sure how to take it from here, so why not lets just fight?
Nobunaga: Sure!  And by "Sure" I mean GET HIM RANMARU!
*Random 14 year old bishie boy appears*
Ranmaru: FOR NOBUNAGA!!!!!!!!!
*Samonoskuke kicks his ass*
Ranmaru: Damn your magical bullshit! *dies*
Nobunaga: Uh, shit, well, um, you see, how about we have a truce?
Samonosuke: No, now I shall take off your...
*random black sphere of DOOM!!! appears on Samonosuke, he disappears*
Nobunaga: ...what the fuck just happened?  Seriously, I control an army of ZOMBIE SKELETON DEMONS and I have no clue.

*Meanwhile, in modern Paris, France*
NOTE: If a line is in Itallics, it is spoken in french, thus to illustrate when characters can't understand each other.
Jacques: Ah, smoking on a mundane day like this.  Nothing can go wrong here!
*gets a call*
French Guy:Jacques, we need you here, come down here will you?
Jacques: Wonder what that could be about?
*random magical bullshit*
Jacques: I'm sure that's nothing to worry about!
*scene shift*
French Guy: OH CRAP! WE'RE DYING CAUSE OUR GUNS DON'T WORK ON ZOMBIE SKELETON DEMONS!
*Jacques heroically rides in on a motorcycle, guns down a bunch of demons*
Jacques: Too easy! *runs out of ammo, random french expletive is stated*
*Black Sphere of doom appears in a near alley way*
Samonosuke: ...ok, where am I? *sees a Zombie Skeleton Demon* A Genma? I MUST PURSUE IT AND-...wait, where did my awesome swords go? FUCK! All I have is this dinky katana, a generic bow, and this GAUNTLET OF MYSTICALNESS?  *sigh* Looks like I've been struck with *zoom up* SEQUELITIS!  Anyway, about those GENMA...
Jacques: Ok, this isn't good.  We're cornered, I'm out of ammo, and I'm not Dante so being awesome with a motorcycle is out of the question...
French Guy: Face it, we're doomed.
Samonosuke: VILE DEMONS HAVE AT THEE!!!! *kills the Genma*
Jacques: Who is this guy? Why does he look different? And... *Black sphere of Magical Bullshit swallows both Jacques and French Guy*
Samonosuke: ...ok, seriously, as someone who fights this magical nonsense on a regular basis, I still have no clue what's going on...but there's Genma around and I should just go deal with them.  Maybe I can figure out where the hell I am in the process!
*Samonosuke runs around slaughtering demons until...*
French Woman: You there! Dressed in your odd attire!  Put your hands up!
Samonosuke: ...what is this demon speak you are saying?
French Woman: Do you understand me?
Samonosuke: No, no I do not.
French Woman: Oh ok and...wait, how did you know the answer to that if you didn't?  Wait, how did I know what you said if I can't understand you?
Samonosuke: ...
French Woman: ...
Samonosuke: ...
French Woman: ...
Samonosuke: ...
French Woman: ...
Samonosuke: ...
French Woman: ...
Samonosuke: Yeah, I'm...gonna sort of go now before explosions and such happen from demons.
French Woman: Wait! Where are you going? Get back here before I... *Demons attack, killing her men*
Samonosuke: That's my cue to KICK ASS! *he does so*  Now, about figuring out where I am...*his gauntlet causes a FRENCH MONUMENT to open up to a Japanese Artifact, giving him a magical twin sword* ...well, that's a surprise, at least now I'm not using this Dinky Katana anymore!
French Woman: Screw it, I'm leaving.
Samonosuke: Now, to find out where I am! *he climbs up a random tower* Damn, the architecture of this place makes no sense, I'm going to assume I'm in China.  Yeah, China sounds about right.
*some guy who will be referred to as Skeletor until a proper name comes up appears*
Skeletor: Ah, Heman Samonosuke! Long time no see!
Samonosuke: Its you!  whose...name I've forgotten...stop sending Genma or something, they're annoying.
Skeletor: Oh, sure, I'll stop.
Samonosuke: Really?  Well, that was easy.
Skeletor: Instead I'll send this DEMON WITH MOUNTED MACHINE GUNS AT YOU!
Samonsuke: What's a "machine gun"? *said demon appears* ...I wish I didn't ask...
*Samonosuke fights and wins victoriously! He then pursues french woman*

*meanwhile, back in Warring States Japan...sometime BEFORE Samonosuke teleported away...its best not to think about it...*
French Guy: Man, I'm going to die.  I could have died in any one elses arms, but why did it have to be YOU!?
Jacques:Oh just stop whining...anyway, I best figure out where I am.  I don't think we're in Kansas Paris anymore! *Jacques looks at his arm* ...ok, now I have this freaky gauntlet attached to my arm, where did THAT come from?  Screw it, I'm exploring!

*He explores and sees HIS SON HENRI attacked by a demon*

Jacques: Henri! No! I must save you! Uhh...uhh...crap, I'm out of ammo, what the hell can I do? *Laser Whip appears in his hand* What the hell is this thing?  Well, I might as well use it! *kills Demon with the whip*  Henri are you alright? *Henri disappears* An illusion? WHAT MADESS IT THIS!?
Mystical Spirit: You are a chosen one! That was a test to get you your weapon out! You will have to join with the other one whose in your time to vanquish the evil and save the world!
Jacques: What?
Mystical Spirit: You don't understand me, do you?
Jacques: ?
Mystical Spirit: ...AKO! GET YOUR ASS HERE AND TRANSLATE!
*little crow demon girl appears*
Ako: Aha! Here I am! And now that I'm here, I'll give you the power to SPEAK ENGLISH!
Jacques: Wow, I understand-...wait, how the fuck am I speaking English? And where the hell did my french accent go?
Ako: That's my power!  Oh, you're in Warring States Era Japan!
Jacques: I...see...and I take it those demons have something to do with it?
Ako: Yep!
Jacques: And you're a fairy like creature that lets me speak English?
Ako: Yep!
Jacques: ...despite how you're from Japan?
Ako: Yep!
Jacques: ...and you help me speak English?
Ako: Yep!
Jacques: ...and we're in JAPAN, right?
Ako: We've established that already, what's your point?
Jacques: Shouldn't you like, I dunno, make me speak Japanese by all logic?
Ako: Oh shut up and just continue on your quest.  I'll even help you out only so you can speak to everyone you meet along the way.
Jacques: Ok...fine...
*the two travel, run into a samurai fighting demons*
Samurai: Stupid Genma, DIE!
Jacques: Looks like you could use a hand *whips them to death* This weapon is weird...
Samurai: Ah, many thanks.  My name is Samonosuke!  
Ako: Psst, Jacques, just so you know, that's the guy who you traded places in the future.
Jacques: So...this is the guy I traded places with...and he's standing right there...
Ako: Yep!
Jacques: And he's currently in the future too?
Ako: Yep!  But this is his younger self!
Jacques: And the one in the future didn't recognize me at all and seemed to have no clue what was going on.
Ako: Yes!
Jacques: ...please, someone, wake me from this dream!
Samonosuke: Might I ask why you have a MAGICAL ONI GAUNTLET like I do?
Jacques: Beats me, I woke up with this thing on.
Samonosuke: I see...well, if you have it, it means I can trust you!  Now I have a dickish general to kick the ass of.
Jacques: Should I help him?
Ako: Yes, cause beating him will lead you back home!
Jacques: Ok.

*the two cut swath across demons, Jacques eventually gets an Ivy-like WHIP SWORD and becomes more awesome*
Jacques: So, whose this guy we're killing?
Samonosuke: Nobunaga.
Jacques: And he's in this room?
Samonosuke: I...think?
Jacques: Well, lets get in there so I can go home already!
*Ranmaru appears*
Ranmaru: AHA! Samonosuke! WE MEET AGAIN!
Samononsuke: Do we?  Are you sure this isn't the first time we've met?
Ranmaru: ...good question.  Lets just fight.
Jacques: Hey, what about me?
Ranmaru: Oh, you have a mercenary with you...who has a bad ass long coat...damn it, I'm taking this up wiht my boss why we can't get anyone like this.  Screw it, CLICHE SAMURAI ZOMBIE THING, GET HIM! *Ranmaru and Samonosuke run off*
Jacques: *sigh* Might as well make the most of this*
*one boss fight later*
Jacques: Well, I'm fine, but I wonder how my son is...need to tell him I'm alright.
Ako: Oh! I can do that! That's no problem!
Jacques: Wait, how can you talk to my son? We're 500 years (even if by my math, its only 420...) before he was even born!  
Ako: Oh, I can time travel back and forth between points! I'll be back in a jiff! Later!
Jacques: ...how convenient...

*back in Paris France*
Samonosuke: Ok, recapping, I was about to kill Nobunaga, I get sent to some place that I'm pretty sure is China, beat up some demons, Skeletor summons a giant monster with weapons I've never seen before...
Ako: SAMONOSUKE!!!!!
Samonosuke: ...and now I have to deal with a Tengu *sigh* Alright, who are you, what do you want, and how do you know me?
Ako: Oh, Jacques sent me!  He's taking your place in the warring states era while you're here in the FUTURE!!! taking his place.
Samonosuke: ...ok, that makes perfect sense, go on.
Ako: The two of you have to work together.  You do your part on this end while he does his part on his end.
Samonosuke: Wouldn't it have been easier to just let Jacques stay in this time and me stay in my time so we're dealing with familiar stuff?
Ako: Hey, I'm just the messenger!
Samonsuke: Fair enough.  So this Jacques fellow...
French Woman: Aha! There you are weird man!  ...thank you for killing the demons...
Samonosuke: Ah, no problem, and...wait, you can speak English?
French Woman: ...you can understand me now?
Ako: Tee hee ^_^
French Woman: Whose that?
Ako: I'm Ako! A Tengu!
Samonosuke: Just assume she's friendly and don't ask questions; its easier that way.
French Woman: Anyway, I need your help, you're good at GHOST BUSTING and I need to find Jacques!
Samonosuke: Jacques...won't be coming I'm afraid.
French Woman: YOU KILLED HIM!?
Samonosuke: Err...uh, I mean, no, he's sort of back 500 years in the past and I'm his replacement from that era.  Again, its best you don't ask questions, that's how I get through this stuff.
French Woman: Uh-huh...well, my name is Michelle and I'm his fiancee.  *she gets a call* What? You need back up? Ok, I'm on it!
Samonosuke: Looks like I know who my partner is for this mission.
*Samonosuke and Michelle hurry to the basement*
Michelle: What happened here?
Samonosuke: The Genma got here before we did.
Michelle: Well, we gotta find the others, come on!
Samonosuke: That sounds easy.
Michelle: This is going to require some annoying item finding, switch puzzles and possibly a password in the mix.
Samonosuke: ...nuts...
*after dealing with those puzzles, talking to some useless French Guys, and getting out of the sewers*
Samonosuke: *hears a ring* What is this odd noise? Its coming from this device that somehow is in my pocket...VILE ARTIFACT OF DEMON MAGIC I WILL DESTROY YOU!
Michelle: Err, wait! Let me take that! Its probably from Jacques!
Samonosuke: I thought I told you he's...
Michelle: I know, but let me keep my delusions of grandeur damn it! *speaks on the phone* ...ok, that was from his son Henri.
Samonosuke: I'm still confused as to what the hell is going on...
Michelle: Oh, this device lets me speak to people from far away...
Samonosuke: I see...
Michelle: Now, lets go to Jacques' house to tell his son!
Samonosuke: Ok...

*they get there*
Henri: Daddy!!! *sees Michelle walks in* Oh, its YOU!  AND WHOSE HE?
Michelle: Hi, this is Samonosuke, a Samurai from JAPAN!
Ako: AND I'M AKO A TENGU!
Henri: HUH!?!?!?
Samonosuke: This is a long story, we best explain it...
*one fade away later*
Michelle: And that's what happened...
Samonosuke: Wait, weren't you wearing a jacket earlier?  When did you take it off?
Michelle: During the cut scene shift of course.
Samonosuke: Oh, right.
Henri: So dad's not coming back for a while...GET AWAY FROM ME!!!!
MIchelle: Henri...
Ako: I don't think they get along...
Samonosuke: You can say that again.
Ako: I don't think they get along...oh, right! I gotta go tell Jacques we passed the message along, later!

*Back in Japan, Jacques is sitting down bored*
Ako: I'M BAAAAAACK! I told your son everything!
Jacques: Ah, good.
Ako: And he's a stubborn grouch like this dad!
Jacques: A cute one though!  Anyway, I guess I best get a move...say, what's in that chest? *he opens it, and finds a Rolex watch* THIS IS FROM YM ERA!? But how can that be...
Samonosuke: Ah, you found something...this is from a TRADING COMPANY WITH THE EAST!
Jacques: So...lets head on over there then?
Samonosuke: Yeah, sure why not.

And so, we leave our heroes in what is no doubt a ridiculous plot.  Stay tuned for more nonsense in the future!

[Shale]

Braid: Purchased and beaten. The puzzles are infuriating at times, but cleverly designed. The art and music are flat-out gorgeous. The plot, such as it is, is wankery of the first order, as well as the second, third, fourth and fifth.  ("No, Tim, you are the demons." And then Tim was an ogre. Or maybe just a creepy stalker. Or possibly Robert Oppenheimer. All are equally valid, which says something about the quality of the epilogue.) Still a very good puzzler. At $2.50, if any of that sounds remotely appealing, you should buy it.

[SageAcrin]

I haven't posted in here in ages.

Persona 4:

Halfway through the Sekrit Lab.

General thoughts...(Mild spoilers)

The good over P3:

Everything to do with the main plot. Hands down. The plot reminds me much more of P2. The school setting is almost superfluous to the main plot, which doesn't hurt it. Some parts of the game are a little obvious(Really, you mean the obvious as hell killer four months in when I'm at mid-game levels *wasn't* the killer even though based on the evidence he was...crazy and not the killer? I am shocked!), but in general the game is doing a very good job of making the mystery, well, mysterious and highly interesting.

To boot it's funny as hell. P3 was amusing sometimes. P4 outright cracks me up, a rare feat in games and one that makes me very much like it. Filler is actually amusing. It's nice.

Gameplay handling is generally better as well in large, sweeping areas. PC control. Separate dungeons with premade floors as well as random(though random still dominates). Resource management instead of more arbitrary battle limits. SLinks are much, much easier to manage. Social stats are much more relevant. The game handles money in quite an interesting way overall that is quite hard to describe but that I really enjoy. Remarkably well done, overall.

The bad:

Little things. SLinks now have 1/5th the writing for raw amounts. This isn't bad, I'd rather have plot in the main plot than in some little side areas. But it is a downside compared to P3. Not so much that it's worse, so much as I keep thinking "Man. I wonder what P3 amounts of SLink writing could have done with P4 SLink characters, who I like better, and P4 writing, which is far better. It sounds cool. :|".

There's some similar little problems in gameplay. The game's challenge is fitted very much to a lowest common denominator, instead of P3's "You do well or you fry.". This works for a while, first couple of dungeons are good and challenging, and then it gradually tapers off, an odd contrast to P3 where the mid-late game was hardest. There's some other little stuff that bugs me, which I'm forgetting off the top of my head(Haven't played in about a week, getting to why.), but in general the net result is that I like the gameplay a little less. Is it because it's less original after P3, or because I like it less for it's self? I think it's the latter. Still, I'm in a minority, most people are instantly going to go for the controllable characters and like the game more, whereas I barely cared in P3.

Overall it's a better game than P3 was, pretty much indisputably and no matter what your problems with P3 were(Unless you wanted more fanservice or something in your P3). I still have kinda stalled on it a little, partially because I don't like the Lab hugely as a dungeon but mostly because, like P3, I stalled on it due to how completionist I am. <_<

Knights of the Old Republic:

Completed this in tandem with P4 play. Went with a light side Scout(L2)->Sentinel(Those are the tank Jedi, right? Or was that Guardian.).

Generally slots right between BG2/PS:T and everything else remotely similar, for PC RPGs that I've played.

Plot is BG2's, it gets the Star Wars feel down very well(To the point where you can use movie logic and figure out if it's going to give you dark/light side points rather than real logic, which amuses the hell out of me.). Otherwise it's basically generic save universe plot with okay but unbalanced game play and a fairly decent set of amusing little side quests and etc, basically what you'd expect out of something between BG2 and say IWD or BG1. Unlike those it actually has a plot, the plot exists, it doesn't get in the way and some of the characters are interesting and well written.

Not a lot to say about the game. It's a very good PC RPG for people that don't play PC RPGs, the system is fundamentally simple(The most tabletopish thing about it is how saving throws are handled and the fact that defense is evasion, and since the game spells out both things that's okay.). It could use better balance in some areas, it could use more writing in some areas, but overall there's nothing bad to say about it. It just doesn't massive stand out at anything either. Enjoyable though.

KotOR2:

Started this up. Using a Consular, going with Swordmaster is the plan. Still on Perasus or whatever the first area is, but about to leave.

Generally seems better written and balanced than KotOR1 was. Using a mod Monkey kindly linked me to that lets me have something approaching an ending! Woo! Yeah, initial impressions are better then KotOR1 in most every way, but we'll see how that holds up.

[Sierra]

Touhou dungeon-crawling: 3/4 of the floor 19 bosses down. Cosmic is a jerk, double-power Ether Flare = fuuuuuuck.

[Anthony Edward Stark]

The thing I like the best about KotOR 2? You know how Carth bothers you, but no matter how mean you are to him you still have to sit through his exposition?

You don't have to do that in KotOR 2. It is a system that should be used in all RPGs, ever, forever. Of course if you took all the character exposition out of FF7 you would have an entire continent of nothing.

[Strago]

STRAGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

.... yes?

[Cotigo]

LFT - Beat the Thieve's Fort.

Setup is Ramza as Oracle w/ Guts, a Thief w/ Charge, Priest w/ BM, and a Time Mage w/BM.  Delita is Archer or Knight as necessary.  Status is gooooooooooood now.  Thieve's Fort fell largely due to Paralyze and Don't Move coupled with Poison.  I think I'm gonna see how long a party that relies on status lasts me. 

Sand Rat Cellar took me a bit to beat.  FFT AI and poor planning lead to a few resets, but eventually protect, poison, and charm lead me to victory. Status. THIS IS THE WAY.

[SageAcrin]

The thing I like the best about KotOR 2? You know how Carth bothers you, but no matter how mean you are to him you still have to sit through his exposition?

You don't have to do that in KotOR 2. It is a system that should be used in all RPGs, ever, forever. Of course if you took all the character exposition out of FF7 you would have an entire continent of nothing.

I sometimes wonder if I am the only person on earth that likes Carth more than Juhani.

I mean, okay, Carth's whiny, that's basically inarguable, but he has at least solid reasons to be whiny and, when he isn't talking about his past, he's fine(sadly this is just most of his lines if you try to break into his dialogues).

Juhani tried to kill someone, wussed out after thinking she successfully did so, ran, was talked into not being evil when in fact she was always about as evil as, say, your average angry teenager, and proceeded to gain almost nothing in the way of personality from her quest(Which, incidentally, I never could get beyond the "Hey we just met this guy I hate let me talk about him still even after the point of no return." part.). She goes from generic lousy evil to generic lousy trying to not be evil, and to boot Bastila does a better job of the struggle idea in the same dratted game. Oh well.

The important thing is that Jolee and HK kick ass.

[Grefter]

Juhani doesn't have much work put into her because she is by far the most optional PC in the game.  The most disappointing part to her is that you are entirely unable to convert her going Dark Side when she is probably really one of the few that it would have worked well with in KotOR 1.  Bonus points to KotOR 2 for making the Dark Side route with the party if not more believable at least a lot less annoying and just generally more effective.