Games You're Playing Right Now III: Return Of The Protagonist

[チソウ タイゼン]

Kingdom Hearts I on Proud is much, much harder than II. Just so you know

[Esper]

Kingdom Hearts I on Proud is much, much harder than II. Just so you know

ohshitwhat

Should I start with Break of Dawn (Top choices for all three questions at the start of the game) or Dead of Night (Bottom three choices)?

What should I pick and what should I discard?

[I have no name]

Break of Dawn and take the sword.

Always take the sword at the beginning of the game (I usually drop the staff)

[Esper]

Break of Dawn and take the sword.

Always take the sword at the beginning of the game (I usually drop the staff)

But the abilities

I NEED SCAN :c

[Chaotic Phoenixma]

Dawn is more experience early levels, less late levels. Night is the opposite.

I prefered Night, Take Shield, Drop Sword.

[Zengeku]

Still playing Final Fantasy XIII-2. I'm actually quite enjoying myself despite the issues I have with it. One rather large issue is really annoying though.
Wild Artifacts. How the hell are you supposed to know where you already got them? Why couldn't there be some indication on the Historia Crux that a certain area in a certain time holds a Wild Fragment?

It's complete BS. I was trying to unlock a gate in the Augusta Tower 200AF and then I was missing a Wild Fragment. So I had to look up a guide and try looking for a Wild Fragment that I don't remember picking up. Turns out one is in Oerba in some obscure corner you need to throw the moogle at. Wow. How the hell did they expect you to find these? It's not like it's some random accessory or weapon either. It's a bloody important key item!

EDIT: And it turns out I'll need another wild fragment to open another gate in Oerba 300AF. I guess it's time to use a guide and the process of elimination to find out where I'm missing one. Fuck you game.

[Tamer Anode/Cathode]

So giving Tribes Ascend a shot since I was able to get the starter pack for cheap. This game is so fun but I am so awful at it.

[Garlyle]

EDIT: And it turns out I'll need another wild fragment to open another gate in Oerba 300AF. I guess it's time to use a guide and the process of elimination to find out where I'm missing one. Fuck you game.

Wild Fragments are kind of ass

In other news, while streaming Binding of Isaac yesterday, I got my second mom's heart kill - which proceeded to turn into my first Sheol kill as well.  And the whole time I was going "Y'know I'm pretty sure I could go straight onto Sheol and beat it, but the game will totally not let me in"

Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, can I just take some time to pimp A Valley Without Wind?  Discovered it yesterday thanks to a friend of mine.  It's a procedurally generated game that has a very Metroid-esque feel, with individual rooms being generated in a sidescroller as opposed to a single, huge, wide-open world.  However, there's an absolutely huge number of these adventure fields being generated, all comprising a single massive map which is a fractured world that you develop outwards into and develop civilization in, between missions you undertake in every and any corner of this place, with the ultimate goal of destroying the 'Overlord' of the continent you're on.

It's a bit different from other procedurally-generated games as a result, and it's amazing like that.

[Dr.Strafe]

Still playing Final Fantasy XIII-2. I'm actually quite enjoying myself despite the issues I have with it. One rather large issue is really annoying though.
Wild Artifacts. How the hell are you supposed to know where you already got them? Why couldn't there be some indication on the Historia Crux that a certain area in a certain time holds a Wild Fragment?

It's complete BS. ... Wow. How the hell did they expect you to find these? It's not like it's some random accessory or weapon either. It's a bloody important key item!

Preach on, preach on. I tell ya, these are my exact thoughts regarding those damn Wild Artifacts. There were a couple of times where I thought I couldn't advance through the game because I thought I misused one of them. Especially since I had a difficult time seeing them to be able to find them. No shame in looking at a guide just to find these alone.

Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, can I just take some time to pimp A Valley Without Wind?  Discovered it yesterday thanks to a friend of mine.  It's a procedurally generated game that has a very Metroid-esque feel, with individual rooms being generated in a sidescroller as opposed to a single, huge, wide-open world.  However, there's an absolutely huge number of these adventure fields being generated, all comprising a single massive map which is a fractured world that you develop outwards into and develop civilization in, between missions you undertake in every and any corner of this place, with the ultimate goal of destroying the 'Overlord' of the continent you're on.

It's a bit different from other procedurally-generated games as a result, and it's amazing like that.

Yeah, I picked this one up a few weeks ago after Extra Credits mentioned it. I've always been a fan of 2D platforming games, and Metroidvania titles are lots of fun. The game just had an update which greatly changed its flow. Missions now grant you Spell Gems instead of ingredients to make them, which is kinda cool. I was 80% through my first continent when these changes occurred, and after the update, it instantly made all of my skills Level 5! So, I just plowed through the rest of the continent with little-to-no problem. I'll probably scrap this world and start another one based on the updated game, mainly because I had generated so much of this world going into many many many missions to earn crafting materials.

Also, I really wish that they allowed you to choose characters from different eras at the start, instead of having to rescue them along the way. Well, I could live with that if they didn't lock 2 specific classes in areas that do not generate on the first continent. Still, it's a lot of fun.

[チソウ タイゼン]

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey.

My first party setup is
MC Lv. 50
Gucumatz Lv. 43
Kingu Lv. 46
Tonatiuh Lv. 45 (+Resist Ice haha!)

My second party setup is
MC Lv. 50
Tangata Manu Lv. 5
Angel Lv. 7
Harpy Lv. 9 / Dwarf Lv. 20

The latter was much more successful in killing Captain Jack; but the remainder of the battle didn't turn out as planned, unfortunately.

With the first, there were always situations like Rain Strike getting in before Tetrakarn, making Tetrakarn a horrendous waste of MP every other turn, and the turns where not only does Jack go before Gucumatz, but he heals himself, making the Tetrakarn unnecessary in the first place.

Hurk.

Fornax is still incredibly easy, though. Mitra's, Horkos's, and Morax's upgraded formes were all nary a threat to me and my party's all element coverage and shared alignment.

In fact, the one trouble spot I ran into the entire time with Fornax was when I was Enemy Searching, slapping around the Kinnamon here and there and then suddenly running into a nearly level seventy Black Rider that has a peculiar fondness for the Megidola spell, which deals 500 damage to characters with 490 HP. It really is rather disheartening.
*sigh

Oh, and this got a laugh out of me:

[Got to the fifth level, and] I reached the end of the map and the boss but by that time I was fed up for having already invested 30 hours into bumping into walls and consulting online maps. Due to my constant wandering and being lost my team was so highly leveled that random encounters and bosses no longer provided a challenge or entertainment.

[Zengeku]

I cleared some more stages on Koumajou Densetsu II. That is to say, from Stage 6 and to the final chapter. I had loads of fun in the stages but both Yuyuko and Ran left me wondering how you are supposed to tackle these guys just with your knife without taking boatloads of hits in the process. At least both are easily disposed of by using Reimu and Alice respectively.

I did ragequit on the Final Boss though. Yukari herself was quite a douche but manageable. I even managed a no-hit no-sub weapon battle on her. I have no idea how. Then we go to memorize-fest final boss and let's just say that trial n' error, unskipable cutscenes (especially the final one where you can't even skip through dialogue) and hard hitting attacks doesn't mix well for me. 

EDIT: Turns out there are updates around that other than adding a Phantasm Level also grants the ability to skip cutscenes along with Stage select from the continue screen. Neat. I think my affection for this game just went up a few notches. I don't know if it was possible before but it's possible to give myself 20 lives per credit now which will make practicing Remilia far more convinient.

[Chaotic Phoenixma]

I'm still trying to get through Ys Origin Nightmare.

But is there any sort of good strategy to use for the boss at the end of the 4th area? I'm obviously overleveled for the fight as is considering the enemies before the boss give crap for experience. I keep getting destroyed, and experience being scaled based on level makes it take long if I want to grind any. I'm level 36, and it was bad enough that enemies showing 300+ experience in the monster list were giving me around 40. Then when I hit level 36, it dropped to around 20 experience per. And that's with the 1.99x experience multiplier for keeping up a hit chain. And it takes over 10,000 experience to go from level 36 to level 37, screw that.

[Phlegeth]

I'm still trying to get through Ys Origin Nightmare.

But is there any sort of good strategy to use for the boss at the end of the 4th area? I'm obviously overleveled for the fight as is considering the enemies before the boss give crap for experience. I keep getting destroyed, and experience being scaled based on level makes it take long if I want to grind any. I'm level 36, and it was bad enough that enemies showing 300+ experience in the monster list were giving me around 40. Then when I hit level 36, it dropped to around 20 experience per. And that's with the 1.99x experience multiplier for keeping up a hit chain. And it takes over 10,000 experience to go from level 36 to level 37, screw that.

Ugh...that boss.  It was such a pain with Yunica, even on Normal.  Are you destroying the tentacles first?  If you wail on them from the corner they can't hurt you.  Unless it gets new moves on Nightmare.  And then you just wail on the roots.  I had to use the mouse controls to keep on them though.  Also spamming her Wind attack on them helped and you can get two if they're close together.  It took me around four to five phases to kill it.

[Ionasal kkll Solciel]

Huge  now that I've seen the Carpe Fulgur Collection as part of today's Steam Sale. I've had Chantelise for a while, and I have enjoyed it, I bought Recettear earlier during the sale, and I've played it exactly once since I bought it. Figured I might as well complete the collection and grab Fortune Summoners while it's on sale today.

That aside, the end boss of the third area in Ys Origin is kicking my ass. I know how to dodge its attacks, I just can't do it well enough to figure out how to deal severe damage to the boss before I die.
EDIT: Whupped it. Evidently I was attacking from the wrong angle.

Also, 307 in Splice is simply a mystery to me.


...It's a good thing I'm hoping to save up enough for a gaming rig, I can't even play some of the games I've bought recently on this laptop, and I'm rapidly running out of space on this old 160 GB drive.

[Zengeku]

Now playing Arkham Asylum. The Arkham games are so damn awesome. You feel like a real badass when you leap into a group of thugs and then beat them up with a like 54 hit combo with anyone daring to fight back being served a counter-attack. Of course playing on Hard difficulty since having an indication of when enemies are attacking is ridiculous and kills the challenge.

[Garlyle]

Finished the future arc of Tales of Graces f this morning.

For those who've been curious about the game... my personal feelings are as follows.  The downsides of the game are some horrendously boring dungeon designs and some really uninteresting main plot (I actually think it's probably the worst plot in the Tales series that I've played; and I have played several of the spinoffs, so...).  The soundtrack is also really weak - a lot of it is absolutely minimal and loops within seconds and just... yeah.  It's completely uninspired.  The upsides?  The cast of characters is wonderfully enjoyable and develops well (which makes the story bearable), and the battle system is just leagues above other tales games and an absurd amount of fun, with each character feeling and playing completely different from one another.  I'm honestly going to have a hard time going back to any other Tales Of game after this.

But, the next major game on my list isn't a Tales Of game... it's Xenoblade Chronicles, and what little I've had the chance to play of it so far... it's basically looking to be XII without some of the things that people usually complain about?  Which is to say things are looking up

[Formless God]

I got doter 2, woot

Spoiler:

Here's hoping the dickery is less bad than in 1

EDIT: and VF5FS for the xbawx. Online is a ghost town.

[Reddyne]

Narration performed by Rod Serling:

"In a town in America, similar to any other, a young man plays Alan Wake's American Nightmare. Its presentation heavily inspired by The Twilight Zone, it takes place in rural Arizona using the original Alan Wake mythos as a backdrop. The young man guides Alan, the Champion of the Light, in his journey to defeat his twisted doppleganger, Mr. S*****h, the Harbinger of Darkness. Though the characterization isn't as strong as the main story's, guiding Alan has become more enjoyable due to a greater variety of enemy types and larger focus on combat, proving to be an effective combination. But the young man's experience with a time loop plot line wracks his brain - blatant cracks in a mask barely covering recycled environments and characters. Such is the tale for those who play Alan Wake's American Nightmare."

[Ionasal kkll Solciel]

Huh. Qoga's battle system is actually pretty hard compared to 1 and 2. I've had to burn revival and healing items at feverish pace, for cryin' out loud. I'm at the Ciela Gate Reservoir right now.

Also didn't even realize Purge is one of four buttons instead of holding all four until the battle where it was introduced was nearly over. I was wondering why doing it that way only fired the spell.

Also not sure how to deal with the monsters I need to slay to empower the Evil Ring in Origin.

[Garlyle]

Day 1 of Xenoblade Chronicles
10 hours of playtime

oh my god this game is so good

[Zengeku]

And now I'm playing Lost Odyssey and Tales of Phantasia.

The former is a tad too slow-paced but other than that it seems good. The first two bosses almost killed me which is quite surprising. Well okay, the first boss killed me twice because the RNG dictated that the boss should overuse his super attack.

The latter is a really fun old Super Famicom RPG. I don't know enough japanese to play it though so I'm relying on a fanmade patch and ehh... i'm not sure how authentic it is because it contains quite a lot of foul language but to see that kinda thing in so old a game is nice still. The story? I dunno, they sent me off to three different dungeons before allowing me to get to Maxwell (who I found seriously cheap with that attack of his.) but other than that it seems to be okay.

Oh and I don't like how a single grain of dust landing her shoulder is enough to cause the white mage to stop casting her spell. I'd want for the characters to just restart their spell if they get interrupted instead of depending on me to give the same order again.

[Cookiejesus]

Currently playing Donkey Kong 64 again. I bought the game when I was young but didn't get very far, because all those minigames make me rage.

[Chaotic Phoenixma]

Finished Yunica's playthrough on Ys Origin. Not sure whether I'll start up Hugo's or play Felghana first.

[Garlyle]

Aw yeah, guess who beat the La Mulana remake on Hard!  THIS GUY!

But I'm not quite done.  Tomorrow afternoon I'm going to livestream Hell Temple blind.  I'll gladly link it here when I do (The target time is about 3PM PST at the moment) and you can all come laugh at me

EDIT: WE ARE GO
EDIT EDIT: Got through 25 rooms today.  here's a summary

[Red Frost]

Pokemon Emerald ~Nuzlocke Challenge~
1: The first Pokemon you encounter within an area is the only Pokemon you may capture within that area.  If you already own it, then the next Pokemon that you encounter (but do not own) is the only one you may catch.
2: Each Pokemon is given 2 lives.  After getting knocked out twice, you may never use it again.
3: Every Pokemon you capture must be nicknamed.
4: Shiny Pokemon may be captured, regardless of rule 1.


"Alright, Wattson's Voltorb is level 20 and they don't learn Selfdestruct til later, so I'll be fine!"
*Voltorb used Selfdestruct!*
"..." *turn off/turn on, withdraws Aron*
*later*
"I got stuck with a Slugma in Fiery Pass, so I have more than a 5% chance of getting Skarmory on Route 113."
*Spinda'd*
"... Eh, I figured... I'll go train it and come back here later."
*second encounter yields a Skarmory*
"OH GOD DAMN."

[Ionasal kkll Solciel]

Really,

Spoiler:

Ayatane

, can't you just stay with your mom, where you belong?

I'm not entirely sure why, but Falcom's appearance in Neptunia made me nearly pass out with laughter. Maybe I'm playing the Ys games too much?

Illusionist/Cannoneer seems a bit OP, despite the whole "need two characters" thing.

[Phlegeth]

Doing Old World Blues in New Vegas.  It's really entertaining.  But a lot of robot scorpions and robot dogs.  My shotgun fist and this halo thingie I found are expensive to repair and I'm running out of caps.  The halo thingie isn't too bad since I had Salt Upon Wounds hat coming into it and I can find more to repair it with.  But the shotgun fist is a problem.  I left my Mantis Claw and She Claw back in New Vegas  :V  And I haven't found any Unarmed Weapons yet.  Found a kick-ass Ax though.

[Anima Zero]

Darksiders - Jesus this game is fucking amazing.  Basically it feels like Zelda meets a bit of a God of War meets Soul Reaver for me.  ~ 6 hrs and 45 minutes in on Apocalyptic difficulty and I'm currently hunting for the Griever in what appears to be a mostly water based zone.  Fantastic D:.

Lost Odyssey - Just hit the 2nd disc and got Ming in my party.  Now to steal a ride and get my tail out of Numara.

[Garlyle]

Growlanser IV is out!  After years of waiting there is finally new Growlanser game! that isn't a shitpile like V was

I hope I don't end up so deep in this game that I forget to stream hell temple today @_@

[Reddyne]

Crysis 2 was more impressive than the first, which is saying a lot. It might've sacrificed open-endedness, but lost nothing anywhere else. Scale was fantastic, Weapons felt real beefy, enemies are tough, sometimes to a painful extent, and patience and cunning are almost always rewarding. What a thrill.