What Games Are You Playing: 2008

[DjinnAndTonic]

ClearTranquil
re: Growlanser 5 ability trees - play around with them. You have tons of room for error. Later in the game you can buy an item that allows you move things around. My only suggestion is to not use all of your first column slots yet so that you can use multi-branching plates once you start getting them (happens randomly whenever you learn a new skill from your weapon/armor). Later in the game, you can also duplicate other characters' multi-branching plates, this makes things MUCH easier.

Most useful plates seem to be Spells and Stat-increasing plates, so focus on these first. Especially speed-increasing anything.

Yeah, screaper plot in GL5 is embarrassing... but political plot is relatively interesting for an RPG. Also, if you're a fan of fantasy WMDs, GL5 tosses them out there like they're going out of style.

-Djinn

[Talaysen]

Do stores ever sell stuff besides ingredients? Like, are there storebought weapons and armor?

They'll sell recipes for weapons and armor.  Check back after every chapter.

And the game pretty much tells you how to play it through tutorials.  Manuals are for weaklings.

*ATTN PLOT - You can stop hitting me over the head with the "mysterious "little girl" appears, tragedy soon follows" hammer. We get it already. We got it a long time ago in fact, soon after she was released from the mysterious barrier in the first section of the story. Can I have more details on her now instead of the same mysterious crap over and over?

No.

Most useful plates seem to be Spells and Stat-increasing plates, so focus on these first. Especially speed-increasing anything.

Spells are kind of worthless for non-mages, unless they're the buffs.  Stacking up blue plates is the way to go for fighters.

But yeah, go wild with the skill grid.  Items to manipulate the skill plates are both storebought and cheap later on.  As Djinn said, it's a good idea to keep a couple of left side slots open for dual branch plates.  In fact, I suggest just building on existing paths until you hit the right side, then find another path to build, etc., rather than filling up one column and moving to the next.

[Jo'ou Ranbu]

Started Mana Khemia. In the first area, my party wandered around and eventually got mauled by a fucking bear. It's like I'm really playing BG1 again!

Questions, since my copy didn't come with a manual:

What do I do with AP?

Do stores ever sell stuff besides ingredients? Like, are there storebought weapons and armor?

AP is your experience, working much like it works in FFX's sphere grid. You collect AP, use it to unlock abilities/stat-ups/skills. Stores sell only consumable healing items, ingredients and recipes. Your weapon and armor, you'll have to synth yourself. Granted, the stores also sell recipes for weapons/armor.

[Cmdr_King]

Since no one has mentioned it yet, the grids on the Grow Book are unlocked by making items.  The game will pull you aside at one point and walk you through making the first grid on Vayne's.  It's worth noting at this point that something like 98% of ICable items will unlock a grid on at least one character's Grow Book, ie "make every item you see at least once".

Also, although I'm probably the only person alive who managed to not see them, Student Grounds, the Cafeteria, and the Infirmary are all stores in addition to the Student Store.
Oh.  And in general, you'll want to check every location at the school at least once per chapter simply to see if any new scenes are unlocked.  These are often pre-reqs for Character Quest stuff (which... even if you dislike the cast, you'll want to do up to Scene 3 with Roxis (to get his full skillset/alchemy assist) and max out someone so you can fight the final boss.)

[Sierra]

Edit - Oh yeah for an update on the WoW world event for people not playing.  We are 5 days in and each day it has got worse.  There is less of the healers around that cure the disease for people, zombies are stronger now and slow people down so that they can't run away as easilly.  Time of infection is down to 1 minute not, from the original 10 (Went 10-> 5-> 2 ->1).  Suffice to say the majour cities are pretty brutal at the moment on almost every server.

I've decided to leave Stormwind entirely after finding the central square of the trade district carpeted with dead bodies. Lakeshire, however, remains safe.

You know, this whole thing really reminds me of Agent U.S.A. Does anyone else remember that game? I've gotta assume that at least Captain K. does.

~

EDIT: Addendum to CK's post. There's a shop in the library as well, which does occasionally update its inventory. This won't show up for several chapters, though, and it's in the middle of a dungeon.

Also seconding Tal and Djinn on GL5 Screaper plot being totally worthless. The loligoth of doom continues her cryptic appearances throughout the entire game and never says a word. It really is that stupid.

[Anthony Edward Stark]

Well, sadly, the plague seems to have burned itself out, and the event is switching gears to something else now. Sad.

[Yakumo]

I'm fine with that, honestly, since trying to level was getting really difficult.  I'm only one level short of 70, I just want it over with, and coming back to towns to find zombies and corpses instead of quest NPCs wasn't helping. >_>

[Captain K.]

You know, this whole thing really reminds me of Agent U.S.A. Does anyone else remember that game? I've gotta assume that at least Captain K. does.

Nope.  Never heard of it.  I do know what a USAgent is though!

[Grefter]

Yeah Zombie event is done.  More Scourge invasion to come it seems and some other more WoWcentric crap that isn't as cool as Zombies so I won't really discuss it here.

[Shale]

Doesn't WoW have PvP areas with team games like CTF? There is no reason to not open up the zombie apocalypse there permanently.

[Grefter]

Battlegrounds, yeah.  They are the worst thing ever and pretty much are a poignant example of everything that is wrong with the game.  This has nothing to do with the plague though.  Battlegrounds are instanced content and are reset every match, so there is no real lasting effect to infecting one if you could have.

[Shale]

Okay, so tear them down and replace them with Zombieland. Nothing lost, right?

[Anthony Edward Stark]

Nah, arenas are the worst thing ever. Like battlegrounds, but smaller and without any objectives. They are also what classes have been balanced around.

[Pyro]

Fire Emblem 10: Beaten. Decent enough game, but nothing too spectacular. Probably the best of the FE's I've played.

Difficulty was typical FE "frustrating rather than challenging" in that I could have beaten it without much hassle but have a lot of problems letting PCs die for completionist's sake. And PCs died. A lot. I make a lot of mistakes so I guess I have no one to blame but myself. Doesn't exactly make me feel better about the game though. Its a good thing they put in Battle Saves, or I wouldn't have finished the thing at all.

My favorite parts of the game came when things like Mia + Adept + Brave Sword + Cancel = 6 damage becomes 70 something and kills a Red Dragon in one round. The skill system made for a lot of fun and is far better implemented than in FE9. Its rather frustrating, then, that the endgame were all of the same "SCREW HIGH MULTS LOL" variety. E-4's gimmick fight was probably the neatest, even if teleporting mage gimmicks frustrated me *greatly* at first. Screw the final bosses' "Only killable by a certain PC in a certain circumstance" gimmick, though. E-3's boss was straight up old fashioned FE style final boss just taken to a greater extreme.

All of them got one-rounded, though. Go-go gadget Laguz Royals and Double Bow Shinon.

Anywho. Endgame level was something like 20/20/16-20 for Beorc. Laguz... I used Royals so they all ended 2-3 levels above where they started and destroyed worlds. BEXP meant I worked up stats for my units that otherwise wouldn't normally have good growth rates. I raised Geoffery, Edward, Zihark, Marcia, and a bunch of others to decent levels in third tier and didn't take them into the final dungeon, eschewing them in favor of LAGUZ ROYAL RUSH KEKEKEKE.

The plot of the game was decent but the fourth chapter (outside the introduction of the Best Character In The Game) did absolutely nothing for me. The game didn't create enough of an environment to appreciate all the crap the PCs were sprouting. And the E-1 villain felt pointlessly tacked on more than anything else. The lack of Support scenes makes me a sad, sad FE player. Info scenes could be nice but don't make up for the character development that could have taken place in more traditional (and easily accessed) Supports. Oh well, less Marcia hype but thems the breaks.

DLwise! Uh... not sure where I see Laguz Royals as far as coming in transformed or needing a turn to transform. The former is truer to in-game (by a lot), but the latter is more consistent with how games like SRW are handled, or if some game with PC initiative had a badass buff tech or something. The Beorc in the game like the fact that Laguz fail at life as it makes them look better. Micaiah is saved from low Light or so by parasitic healing that doesn't get her doubled. The rest of the Beorc depend on whether or not they double but in general the chances of overkill are pretty good. Swordmasters game-DL translation has probably never been more accurate thanks to doubling being not guaranteed in-game. Ike wants Pavise but not as badly as he wants his FE9 form. Oh well.

So on to new things. Not a bad game by any means but not as good as I was hoping. 6-7/10 or so, I think.

[AndrewRogue]

Persona 3 Fes: The Answer

The Scene: Caina, Shadow Boss set 2.
The Situation: Yukari has 65 SP, the party is really hurting and could use some healing.
The Answer: Use a medicine.
The Result: Andrew frantically scrambles to keep the party on their feet with Aigis and repeated item use, only to barely avoid hurling the controller after Yukari is charmed and decides to use Diarama on the enemy.

[Taishyr]

I got bored and made Complete Objective* Tier List For Warriors Orochi 2.

Infinity +1 Broked:
Yoshitsune (Sho) Mina(mi)moto, Himiko, Ling Tong, Sun Wukong, Kunoichi

Massive Broked:
Cao Ren, Katsuie Shibata, Sun Jian, Xiao Qiao, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, Zuo Ci, Kanetsugu Naoe, Tadakatsu Honda, Wei Yan, Pang De, Yuan Shao, Yukimura Sanada, Ginchiyo Tachibana

Very Broked:
Diao Chan, Zhu Rong, Xiahou Dun, Orochi, Jiang Wei, Liu Bei, Cao Cao, Ma Chao, Huang Zhong, Xiahou Yuan, Xu Huang, Zhen Ji, Sun Ce, Sun Shang Xiang, Da Ji, Fu Xi, Keiji Maeda, Nobunaga Oda, Mitsuhide Akechi, Kenshin Uesugi, Okuni, Ranmaru Mori, Ina, Mitsunari Ishida, Sakon Shima, Yoshihiro Shimazu, Musashi Miyamoto, Toshiie Maeda, Motochika Chokosabe

Broked:
Sun Quan, Zhou Tai, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Guan Ping, Xing Cai, Dian Wei, Zhang Liao, Cao Pi, Zhou Yu, Taishi Ci, Lu Bu, Taigong Wang, Nu Wa, Goemon Ishikawa, Oichi, Magoichi Saika, Hanzo Hattori, Ieyasu Tokugawa, Nagamasa Azai, Nene, Kotaro Fuma

Somewhat Broked:
Da Qiao, Zhang He, Zhao Yun, Pang Tong, Yue Ying, Gan Ning, Lu Meng, Dong Zhuo, Meng Huo, Kiyomori Taira, Kojiro Sasaki

Not Really Broked:
No, Shingen Takeda, Masamune Date(1), Sima Yi, Zhuge Liang, Xu Zhu, Huang Gai, Lu Xun, Gracia

Yoshimoto Imagawa:
Yoshimoto Imagawa, Zhang Jiao

*Or something like that
(1) If Volley boosts his R1 damage, move him to Massive Broked. Yes, that's how much his R1s matter for his skillset.

[Xeroma]

Worth noting that Gracia's barrier R1 move can infinite damage people if you push them into a wall with her, Tai.

[Taishyr]

Yeah, but that requires both luck and multiple uses to hit them to the wall. I dunno, I don't feel it deserves much credit, but your mileage may vary.

And without that she has... her C2.

Yeah, no.

[Xeroma]

A shame, she was one of my favorites in SW2XL.


Star Ocean First Departure - Beat it, then beat the Seven Star Caves. Now I just have to beat up Gabriel.

Overall, a pretty fun game. Nothing outstanding, but it provided me with 30~ someodd hours of entertainment and the party possibilities allow for some decent replaying. Final party at the end of the Seven Star Caves was Ilia/Millie/Phia/Welch. Ironic that I had no male characters then.

Characters...

Roddick felt like Claude but a bit worse overall. Dragon Roar was really nice but that was mostly it.

Ilia kicks ass, probably my MVP. Gamebest speed, fast attacks, and after her initial failure at techs she gets some really good ones, including MT damage. Oh and the ridiculously huge hitrate on her weapons is a bit of a boon at times.

Millie's... a worse Rena and in a game that doesn't need it as much on average. Useful endgame though.

Ronyx really, really, really wishes he wasn't an SO2 mage. Poor guy.

Ashlay was Roddick with a worse physical but better techs. Pretty good.

Mavelle is a great ranged spammer, but her lack of speed became an issue in the aftergame. Well that and her ultimate having an element.

Phia's fun. Only outsped by Ilia and had good long range supporting attacks. Mostly just spammed Sylvan Shot by the end there. Also has the crit rate of DOOM.

Welch is more amusing than useful, but she had some decent techs. Also, NIBELUNGALING!. At least she had good equip selection/stats.

[Captain K.]

Yeah, Gracia is arguably the worst character in the game.  And that's *with* her infinite wall trap and being rather good on a horse.  The rest of her moveset is that bad.

Also, apparently that flamethrower move of Zhang Jiao's has a pretty high damage multiplier.  So that helps him a lot.

WO2:  I'm missing about six treasures now.

BvS:  Had a good day working at Burgerninja.  Got Lulu, Su-Chan, and two Knightframe pieces.  And leveled my Doujutsu up to a whopping 4.  Luckily Legacy doesn't care about slow levelup rate, since they can eat ridiculous amounts of Greassy foods per day.

[Anthony Edward Stark]

Ronyx really, really, really wishes he wasn't an SO2 mage. Poor guy.

Did Ron get nerfed, then? In the SNES version he was a beast. Probably the best mage in the entire series. He had good spells, but if you ran out of MP? Holy shit he wears fighter armor and does fighter damage from across the screen.

[Dark Holy Elf]

. And the E-1 villain felt pointlessly tacked on more than anything else.

What? He's like, the main villain.

(spoilers~)

The Begnion senate is behind pretty much all the shit that happens in Parts 1 and 3 (Part 2 being a sidestory more or less). The corrupt occupation of Daein, the war against the Laguz Alliance which Ike becomes involved in, the Blood Contracts with Daein and Kilvas... all can be lain at Lekain's feet. And although Part 4's plot is more the work of the second-to-last boss, Lekain has a pretty direct hand in it too, since he leads the Disciples of Order.

I just can't see how you can arrive at him being tacked on in any way. Unless you mean "where was he in 9?" in which case the answer was he didn't matter specifically for 9, since Ike doesn't really deal with the Senate much.

[Xeroma]

Rob: He's durable, but his physical is terrible and he has SO2 magic. The fighters don't cheese out multihit moves as much as SO2, but it's still underwhelming. So yeah I'd say he's nerfed.

[Niu]

The fighters don't cheese out multihit moves as much as SO2

You sure you are using Ashlay correctly?

[Rozalia]

BvS- Looped and now a Redeye. Looking forward to having 3 arena powers.