What Games Are You Playing: 2008

[Clear Tranquil]

Thanks Tal <(^^)>

AI3 - Barrel! Heading to the Crystal Valley to get a dessert recipe. Game is getting repetitive (quest, quest, quest ... story ... quest, quest, quest ... story, etc) but time passes by quickly when you aren't thinking about it and at least the party is building up well and getting rich from questing <_< Levels are Edge L15, Iris L15, Nell L14. I think Nell may becoming my favourite, Iris defers to Edge too much >_>  Blades are interesting - I'm currently using Nymph! Nell though I haven't experimented with any of Edge's yet. Bosses so far have been easy though the one at the poison altar did make me think after he statused my party and lowered their health down dangerously forcing me to heal ... and not having it work! So that's what Curse does <_< Edge actually died but thankfully I was able to revive and heal jar him as well as cure jarring the others. Healing Echo is win. I managed to get back on the offensive after that. Equipment wise not much is happening, made Edge a new sword with the lightning element, the girls have bread bikinis and Nymph! Nell Flare Rain and Flame Gaze.

Btw what the hell does "Swiftness" do? =-(

[Sierra]

AT: Climbed up to Platina. The tower's pretty neat conceptually even though it makes for a setting even less logistically sound than Discworld, what with people living on the bits of earth stuck to it and the map steadily moving upward as you progress. Fragged Bourd on the way up. He did nothing but ST 4-5HKO physicals. Pretty sad. Cleared level five in the cosmosphere for both girls, which I guess means I'm like halfway through the game? Anyway, time to decide who gets the hymn crystal. Does this make a significant difference in regards to plot/character development/gameplay?

Quotes for the day go to the mind guardians, both spoken in reference to Lyner and both very apt:

Don Leon: "I dare you to make even less sense."
Hama: "I guess I was the stupid one for thinking I could trust you for even a minute."

Also, how Misha can throw around this much innuendo and then call Lyner a pervert is beyond me.

EDIT: Also, had forgotten what a total dumbshit Lyner's father was. Seriously, Leard, you want this utter blockhead of a son to succeed you in politics? Why? Oh, right, because you're a moron too.

[Tonfa]

Anyway, time to decide who gets the hymn crystal. Does this make a significant difference in regards to plot/character development/gameplay?

Just changes who you get to use for like two boss fights. Misha has the far superior battle music though.

[Talaysen]

Anyway, time to decide who gets the hymn crystal. Does this make a significant difference in regards to plot/character development/gameplay?

Just changes who you get to use for like two boss fights. Misha has the far superior battle music though.

This.

Also, halfway point is a little into Phase 2, so you're not quite there yet.

[Niu]

AT: Climbed up to Platina. The tower's pretty neat conceptually even though it makes for a setting even less logistically sound than Discworld, what with people living on the bits of earth stuck to it and the map steadily moving upward as you progress.

That is only the mere tip of the iceburg....
Maybe I should do a phsyic lecture of AT world in fact center, it is crazier than Xenosaga science.

[SnowFire]

Looking back up...
Grefter: Might & Magic 7's plot isn't total fail?  I'm surprised.  I picked up M&M6 in the bargain bin to give it a shot after having played zillions of hours of HoMM2 & 3, and the plot was pretty terrible - lots and lots of fetch questing against hordes of monsters in not terribly well-designed dungeons, as I recall.  And it didn't really use the realm of Enroth I felt aside from mentioning Roland.  Heroes 2's plot was simple, but it wasn't actually bad - it's a civil war, you'd expect the "plot" to be about strategic concerns of how to beat every minor lord into submission.  Plus, the opening movie is pretty funny as well as properly menacing - I like how it's Roland who flees and is declared the traitor.  In some ways, it's a shame that Roland is the canon victor, since Archibald's ending left what I'd think to be plenty more opportunity for plot - Archibald is evil but not insane, and Roland isn't killed but is rather subject to the humiliation of being made lord of a useless wasteland (where he can also plot revenge?).

As a somewhat random comment on HoMM Plot, I'll just add that part of the massive fan backlash against the original leaked ideas behind the Armageddon's Blade expansion to Heroes 3.  I entered the M&M series through Heroes of Might & Magic 2, and thus the fantasy setting was well-established.  Apparently, in the first drafts of the Heroes 3 expansion, they were going to make use of the idiotic sci-fi elements randomly grafted onto the M&M setting by making the new castle be the "forge," with gunners, cannons, tanks, and other modern weaponry.  There was a giant Internet outcry about this being really stupid that tanks would be theoretically at the same level of nagas, and...  it actually worked!  (I'd only discover much later when I was older and wiser how rare something like this is.)  The designers backed off the Forge and made the Conflux instead, and had to completely retool the plot for the expansion.  Apparently the original plot went into Armageddon's Blade being some kind of supertech weapon that was trying to be captured by Evil and needed to be destroyed, and would somehow involve the (also idiotic) sci-fi origins of the various races.  Because real angels and demons are just too cool, we're going to remind you that they're only aliens or something.  Yeah.  The AB plotline they came up with as a replacement is completely forgettable generic fluff, but at least it's not made of complete fail, I guess, like it was headed toward.

[Taishyr]

Yeah, the Forge town looked... silly. Glad that didn't go through.

Also, Mighty Gorgons 4eva lolol.

Anyways.

[TranceHime]

Moemon hack. It's taking me over.

I have too much Moe in my life. :[ Even Pokemon look like cute little girls to me now.

[DjinnAndTonic]

AT physics lecture in Niu's fact center is relevant to my interests. I say go for it. I always found the setting of AT to be its most unique point.

-Djinn

[Grefter]

Sci Fi stuff randomly is part of M&M plot actually, it wasn't ever really big part of Erathia stuff though, it comes up at the end of M&M7.

Might and Magic plot is all in the main questline and setting though rather than individual quests.

Edit - THe mix of sci-fi and fantasy isn't uncommon in those old dungeon crawls though.  Wizardry is chock full of it, more so than M&M.

[Hunter Sopko]

Hahahaha. I got a Billy Bucket already on my first day of Billy Lvl 3. In yo face, Magic.

[Taishyr]

Grefter: Yeah, but it's kinda awkward to drop it into the part of the series that had never seen it before and was kinda appreciated for its lack thereof. I do remember how it was a part of the MM side, tho.

[Clear Tranquil]

AI3- Chapter Five already. Wow Chapter 4 seemed relatively slow for some reason but maybe it's just me. Nymph! Nell learned all her skills so now she's Siren! Nell. Edge is still Ninja! Swiftness despite it's name apparently raises the number of hits physical attacks do - I wanted a speed boost grrr. Elemental Conversion and Team Kobold ftw! <_<

Blink Attack really is something else though. It's ftw ftw. I've had Edge get four or five turns in a row before thanks to it ;o

Crowley's *little* surprise was slighty scaree if only because I discovered Iris was taking extra damage from it because she went in weak to it's element or something.

[Sierra]

AT: Climbed up to Platina. The tower's pretty neat conceptually even though it makes for a setting even less logistically sound than Discworld, what with people living on the bits of earth stuck to it and the map steadily moving upward as you progress.

That is only the mere tip of the iceburg....
Maybe I should do a phsyic lecture of AT world in fact center, it is crazier than Xenosaga science.

Do it, man. The physical design of the world is crazy nuts in a way I approve of.

AT: Gave Misha the hymn crystal because she needed the DP more...only to be denied any material rewards in the boss fight you get her for. Damn you! The music did kick ass, though (as do the songs Claire sings, incidentally--I forgot to mention earlier how much I liked her singing sequence. She can herd cats with her voice!)

So anyway, fake ending get and then we spend a lot of time on IC and cosmosphere stuff. Cleared Misha through level seven and Aurica through level six (ran out of cash, otherwise they'd be even). Opted to help Misha afterwards and am now preparing to go after Tenba. I hope that this will result in her looking her normal age again because that would make her advances on Lyner less creepy.

EDIT: Forgot to mention that I'd been wondering why the hell Tastiella didn't just teleport the party where she wanted them to go if she can do it so easily herself...and they actually answered this! Hah, nice.

[Shale]

FFX International - Blitzball! Called it a night after losing the tournament match 2-1 in triple overtime (man, I hate the default Aurochs. Remind me why I can't bench one of the losers with single digits in every stat instead of Tidus?). Liking the new Sphere Grid a lot - I'm currently sending Yuna, Tidus and Lulu down their own paths with the intent to teach Lulu some white magic and get Rikku's utility moves for Tidus, Wakka's grabbing a couple of Auron's breaks before getting back to his regular grid, and Kimahri's learning Haste. Whee, options.

[VySaika]

Hahahaha. I got a Billy Bucket already on my first day of Billy Lvl 3. In yo face, Magic.

Good for you. I am now on day 4 of spamming nothing but Taijutsu B missions to try and level Pinky. I've done her leveling mission 13 times now. No level. SO. MUCH. HATE.

EDIT: Make that 16 times after today's grind. ARGH.

[Otter]

PW4: finished the third case, started the fourth one.  Trucy is GOB.





ILLUSIONS, Michael.  A trick is something a whore does for MONEY.

[Strago]

Or cocaine.

[Talaysen]

Swiftness despite it's name apparently raises the number of hits physical attacks do - I wanted a speed boost grrr.

Yeah, sorry for not answering earlier, but that's what it does.  It's kind of good for getting Burst up but useless otherwise.

The music did kick ass, though (as do the songs Claire sings, incidentally--I forgot to mention earlier how much I liked her singing sequence. She can herd cats with her voice!)

I was wondering when you'd start hyping Claire!  Make sure to go back and talk to her often for more scenes.

---

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney - Finished.  I'm pretty satisfied with that ending and the game as a whole.  Good stuff.  Not sure where I'd place it in the series yet but oh well.  Better to just not think about it!

Mana Khemia - More night time battles!

Scylla - Physical TANK + resists non-elemental magic!  First time I just tried slugfesting him normally, but the fighters didn't do enough damage and Ice Volley owned me.  Second time, I gave everyone Straw Dolls and Ice Rings and just spammed elemental magic at him.  He never used Ice Volley though...

Treasure King - Owned by Slow!  Though, Choke OHKOd Jess which was sad.  Thousand Curse had potential to be evil but he just didn't live long enough.

Fallen Angel Forces - Chain battle again.  Bosses actually do stuff if you leave them alive though...  Some MT 2HKO+status in there.

Family - They all basically have a 2HKO, which gets stronger when one of them dies.  Neat battle, but spreading out damage kind of screws up their gimmick.  Granted, I had twinked HP, so...

Glass Dragon - ...lol.  Got a grand total of three turns, two to use CURSE, and one to attack Vayne for like 7HKO damage.  AT NIGHT.  Pathetic.

Dark Forces - Chain battle.  Yawn.

C8 boss - Also got a grand total of three turns.  One of which was to use a physical attack against Pamela.  GOOD JOB.

Conclusion: Kaiser: Aqua Heroes break the game.

[Mad Fnorder]

Disgaea 2- Beaten. Very enjoyable, basically polished N1. Vaguely dissatisfied at the ending. I felt the cast was just starting to get interesting before the "ta-dah" finale. Still kind of unclear about exactly why was Adell being not effected by the curse of Zenon. Will probably never do aftergame, and youtube the appropriate scenes.

BvS- Can't start Reaper 3 until I finish Reaper 2, which can't be done until Jonin. Can't do Trade 2 without getting 70K friend points with the Note Duo. Fine, I'll try for Floating On Air- only that requires 80K friend points with Bruce Jr., combined with the partying nerf, and all I can do is grind the missions out 200 friend points at a time. at a time. Grr.

[superaielman]

They explain it pretty clearly.


*Spoilers*

,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,
,,,,,
,,,,,
Adell's an actual pure demon, which is why the curse didn't work on him. Remember who his parents are? *spoilers*

....


Yeah.

[Grefter]

Quote from: Clear Tranquil on Today at 09:10:40 AM
Swiftness despite it's name apparently raises the number of hits physical attacks do - I wanted a speed boost grrr.

Yeah, sorry for not answering earlier, but that's what it does.  It's kind of good for getting Burst up but useless otherwise.

Uh yeah that is part of what makes Ninja so good.  It is great at getting Burst and does phenomenal damage during Burst and you can squeeze out a ton of damage just at the end by spamming the instant attack.  Once you have Ninja I see no other reason to use another class for Edge outside of levelling them up.

Holy shit someone ran out of cash in AT?  Outside of the start?  Oh well you will have unlocked the nigh unlimited cash stuff by now El Cid.  Look it up, abuse it.

[Talaysen]

Uh yeah that is part of what makes Ninja so good.  It is great at getting Burst and does phenomenal damage during Burst and you can squeeze out a ton of damage just at the end by spamming the instant attack.  Once you have Ninja I see no other reason to use another class for Edge outside of levelling them up.

While this is true, Jiptus Edge also has the merit of having better raw damage, and Soul Burst at the beginning of Burst mode is a solid 2HKO against bosses, and it's easy enough to get the extra damage needed before even blowing that.

That said, Plua and Jiptus are the only Blades Edge ever needs, and they're both damn good.  And honestly, I think Grefter's still right on Plua being better, but just pointing out Jiptus DOES have uses.

---

Mana Khemia - Night time bosses~

Dunkelknight - Just has a 3HKO with POIZN.  Onoes.

Poltergeist - Bobomb Ice x3 -> Globe x2 -> Victoly

Gear Sprite - Meh, didn't do a whole lot.

Rowdy Leader - lol!  Killed him before he got a second turn.  The first was used to hit Pamela with a physical attack.  GOOD JOB.

Dragon Forces - Chain fight.  Boring.

Megingjorz are slightly broken.

[Jo'ou Ranbu]

FFX International - Blitzball! Called it a night after losing the tournament match 2-1 in triple overtime (man, I hate the default Aurochs. Remind me why I can't bench one of the losers with single digits in every stat instead of Tidus?). Liking the new Sphere Grid a lot - I'm currently sending Yuna, Tidus and Lulu down their own paths with the intent to teach Lulu some white magic and get Rikku's utility moves for Tidus, Wakka's grabbing a couple of Auron's breaks before getting back to his regular grid, and Kimahri's learning Haste. Whee, options.

Speaking of FFX!

FFX - whee celestials. Also, Arena hunting should not be as fun as it is.

[Mad Fnorder]

*Spoilers*

I guess that makes sense, but I was confused as to what actually was implied, given what they said about giving up their demonic powers "to live as humans". Also, I guess I was thinking someone would notice that he was as such. They sure talk about it enough.