Maidens of the Kaleidoscope

~Hakurei Shrine~ => Touhou Addict Recovery Center => Topic started by: Milkyway64 on September 10, 2009, 04:46:06 AM

Title: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Milkyway64 on September 10, 2009, 04:46:06 AM: Touhou is a wonderful series. That much is generally agreed upon by everyone here. However, my days of being totally in love with dodging stuff on Easy mode, using continues and starting with max lives have passed. I have improved as a player throughout the months to regularly playing Hard on all but UFO and SA. I have already bested all my challenges on anything below.

So as a completionist I have to move on. I have to conquer it all. But I have moved into territory that just ISN'T FUN anymore. Lunatic 1ccs, Extra grinding, it all requires PERFECTION, KNOWLEDGE, AND PATIENCE. I am hardly any of those. I play games to have fun and get away from stress, but I find that I'm much more irritable lately because I can't beat Koishi despite 60+ tries going to her, and because my Lunatic 1cc ended on stage 6 despite my best efforts, only to progressively do worse on later attempts. It's packing on MORE stress and frustration on top of what was already there, however small. I rage at Touhou more than I rage at my most annoying friends. It just has a way of pissing me off.

AND I KEEP GOING BACK, for one more round of ridiculous bullet hell bullshit and restarts only to have the entire half hour crushed at the last few spellcards, or I keep telling myself the satisfaction of beating Koishi will make the 7 restarts it takes to reach her FOR A CHANCE being all worth it. And I can't go back until it is done. It's just how I am. I've already conquered easier difficulties, so naturally I want to move up and say I've beat the whole thing.

And now here I am, somewhat pissy at absolutely nothing because I BLEW LUNATIC HOURAI ELIXER AT 00 SECONDS FIVE TIMES, or YUYUKO'S BUTTERFLY WALLS SUCK ASS AND SO DOES THE SAME FIVE STAGES BEFORE I'VE RAN THROUGH 600 TIMES, and for fuck's sake I'd like to not make my friends suffer because of it.

Is this the sign of true touhou addict? Complete masochism and obsession to improve his game, even if it means throwing out what made the series good to me? I think so, and I also think it's the perfect time to take a break, and lose all my skill after the first three weeks. And that's good, because I can go back to Easy and Normal to catch up and HAVE FUN AGAIN.

</rant>
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Matsuri on September 10, 2009, 04:50:26 AM: You're just a typical shmup fan. Practice, practice, and practice some more, and we forget how to have fun, so we quit, try something else, and come back to it later. I cycle through different shmups almost weekly. This week it's ESP Ra.De and Perfect Cherry Blossom. Who knows what I'll be into next week.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Drake on September 10, 2009, 04:51:32 AM: Everyone here who plays Touhou actively goes through this. The intense frustration is all part of the joy you feel when you finally accomplish whatever. Also the feeling of knowing that you're getting progressively frustrated due to above circumstances are a part of it.

For example, I had been raped by Nue over 60 times over a period of three days. And on the third day, I rose again, and all is well with the world.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: RainfallYoshi on September 10, 2009, 05:22:52 AM: I can't tell you how much rage I had at EoSD Extra for the longest time until I finally beat it. The best thing to do is cycle games so you don't get too irritated with one.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Dizzy H. "Muffin" Muffin on September 10, 2009, 08:14:14 PM: Quote from: ドレー⑨ on September 10, 2009, 04:51:32 AM
Everyone here who plays Touhou actively goes through this.
I don't!

Mind you, I stretch the definition of "plays Touhou actively." ;)
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Seian Verian on September 10, 2009, 08:17:47 PM: Quote from: ドレー⑨ on September 10, 2009, 04:51:32 AM
Everyone here who plays Touhou actively goes through this. The intense frustration is all part of the joy you feel when you finally accomplish whatever. Also the feeling of knowing that you're getting progressively frustrated due to above circumstances are a part of it.

What about when it goes from frustration to feeling like the life is completely drained out of you?
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Drake on September 10, 2009, 08:20:22 PM: Quote from: ShiningDrake on September 10, 2009, 08:17:47 PM
Quote from: ドレー⑨ on September 10, 2009, 04:51:32 AM
Everyone here who plays Touhou actively goes through this. The intense frustration is all part of the joy you feel when you finally accomplish whatever. Also the feeling of knowing that you're getting progressively frustrated due to above circumstances are a part of it.

What about when it goes from frustration to feeling like the life is completely drained out of you?
Then you have ignored those feelings and thrown common sense out the window like an idiot.

Which is also normal.

Quote from: KimikoMuffin on September 10, 2009, 08:14:14 PM
Quote from: ドレー⑨ on September 10, 2009, 04:51:32 AM
Everyone here who plays Touhou actively goes through this.
I don't!

Mind you, I stretch the definition of "plays Touhou actively." ;)
But you're a cheater and should be banished off the face of the earth for hacking in lives and bombs and such. People like you are just the worst.

Jeez, man.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Dizzy H. "Muffin" Muffin on September 10, 2009, 08:21:10 PM: (http://br.geocities.com/koolmasta_karl/suwawg.gif)
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Slaves on September 10, 2009, 08:31:00 PM: Quote from: ドレー⑨ on September 10, 2009, 08:20:22 PM
But you're a cheater and should be banished off the face of the earth for hacking in lives and bombs and such. People like you are just the worst.

Jeez, man.

yeah seriously Muffin

just slow the game down and stop being so uncool >:(

anyway, i'm pretty sure i said somewhere that in order to play Touhou effectively you have to RAGE.

the only other advice i can think of is to just play the games casually. don't sit and practice and practice and practice a stage or a spellcard for like an hour straight, you won't learn a damn thing.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Alice Fact on September 10, 2009, 08:55:09 PM: Quote from: Milkyway64 on September 10, 2009, 04:46:06 AM
Is this the sign of true touhou addict? Complete masochism and obsession to improve his game, even if it means throwing out what made the series good to me? I think so
and you would be terribly wrong, walking into everyone's favorite territory because it makes you feel good

what do you do when someone destroys that territory, and then you have no happy place
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Slowpoke on September 10, 2009, 09:04:08 PM: Maybe you should take a break from the "walls of Danmaku" Windows games and play the "killed by cheap shit you can't even see" PC98 games.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Tengukami on September 10, 2009, 09:18:08 PM: This is why I alternate between Normal mode and Easy mode - I play Normal mode to become good, trying again and again to beat a stage, then taking it to practice when I have beat it, running the practice runs over and over until it's perfect, then moving on to the next stage. I study my replays when I get stuck.

But, when I just want to have fun, I go Easy mode.

It's a game. Games are supposed to be fun. Take it easy.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Nine West on September 10, 2009, 09:51:34 PM: Quote from: Slaves on September 10, 2009, 08:31:00 PM
anyway, i'm pretty sure i said somewhere that in order to play Touhou effectively you have to RAGE.

Are you serious?

I have only went so far as to grunt when I'm frustrated. Certainly not to the extent of the end of this video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osf1fa4UhP4&feature=channel_page) Then again, I mostly 1cc Easy the games.

But yeah, do alternate between games or between Windows and PC-98 so that you don't exert all your frustration into one game, which is the reason why I'm staying away from UFO for now.

Meanwhile, I'll work on my RAGING skills.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Doomsday on September 10, 2009, 10:05:06 PM: i've never had his problem. sure, when i attempt extra stages a have a fair few tries to pass it but once i start getting frustrated i leave it alone and come back to it. more often than not i do much better then. sitting there attempting the same stage 100 times in a row is just gonna piss you off and odds are you do much worse then.

maybe its just me though
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Tengukami on September 10, 2009, 10:10:33 PM: A steady rotation of games is a good idea. When not playing Touhou, I like Fallout 3, Polynomial, Trouble Witches, Bike Banditz, Plants vs Zombies, even Luxor. Switch it up.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Slaves on September 10, 2009, 10:27:28 PM: Quote from: Nwbi on September 10, 2009, 09:51:34 PM
Quote from: Slaves on September 10, 2009, 08:31:00 PM
anyway, i'm pretty sure i said somewhere that in order to play Touhou effectively you have to RAGE.

Are you serious?

I have only went so far as to grunt when I'm frustrated. Certainly not to the extent of the end of this video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osf1fa4UhP4&feature=channel_page) Then again, I mostly 1cc Easy the games.

well raging doesn't have to be screaming and throwing crap(BUT IF YOU WANT TO DODGE DANMAKU LIKE A JAPANESE YOU NEED TO PROBABLY), it can just be ragequitting.

or cursing if you prefer.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: shadowbringer on September 10, 2009, 10:37:25 PM: that video is one of the reasons Kefit is awesome. The world needs more Kefit :D (more FallenAngelVeronica, more Sikraiken.. more everyone ^^)

To the OP, well, you would be disappointed if the Touhou games could be "completed" (1cced on every difficulty with all characters) without much effort, wouldn't you? (even if you don't try to score in them, because aiming for 1cc involves learning -- from personal experience, for example -- when to bomb in order to spare one life)

Perhaps if you've set the "fun factor" criteria as being able to "complete" the games, you might not have been expecting such a difficulty, or you might haven't practiced the individual stages enough times. Progress is most of times slow, hardly noticeable.

What I can say for me, is that though I have lots of problems trying to score in Touhou (especially because I can't graze well, I keep dying <_>), I haven't given up the series, and probably won't (because I'm a stubborn.. determinator (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Determinator) ). Personally, I like to score, because I'm greedy, most of the times I play, I get frustrated if I feel that I've missed enough scoring opportunities. Almost forgot.. you may want to play other shmups, and discover more options for you to entertain yourself, besides Touhou. I guarantee (kinda..) that doing so won't make you stop liking Touhou, and that this might even improve your gaming performance and/or renew your enjoyment for this series ^^
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Suikama on September 10, 2009, 10:38:04 PM: Basically Touhou is for masochists
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Patorikku on September 10, 2009, 11:29:12 PM: Quote from: Suikam⑨ on September 10, 2009, 10:38:04 PM
Basically Touhou is for masochists
This would explain why I play Dokapon Kingdom alone as well... And why I seem to enjoy eating spicy foods, even though I find it extremely hot...

No less, if you just play Touhou all the time, you'll get sick of it and never come back. Instead get out of it a few times and come back after each runthrough. If it's frustrated you to the point where you can no longer be frustrated, then stop now and go play something else until you reach that point, or play Ikaruga. That'll make Touhou seem EASY!
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Arcengal on September 11, 2009, 12:00:33 AM: Quote from: Slaves on September 10, 2009, 08:31:00 PM
anyway, i'm pretty sure i said somewhere that in order to play Touhou effectively you have to RAGE.

This is true. Angry moments tend to come right before awesomeness. Like my fondest memory.

"ARGHHHHH! DAMMIT I just died with three bombs against Alice! DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT" *goes to auto-restart...* "Actually, to hell with it, let's keep going."

Then, ten minutes later, I 1cc'd Lunatic for the first time.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: nintendonut888 on September 11, 2009, 12:18:09 AM: Amazingly, I've never gotten tired of Touhou since the day I started it. Enraged, yes, gone through a period where I'm starting to not see the fun, yes, but never have I gotten tired to the point of wanting to stop playing it for good. Maybe I'm just crazy.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: ?q on September 11, 2009, 12:28:04 AM: If you feel burnt out, you should probably try something else for a while and come back.
Usually after you do so you'll find yourself doing better now. Key word being "usually"

Besides, despite strong evidence to the contrary Touhou is not the meaning of life; fundamentally it's a game - a form of entertainment. If you are not entertained, you don't have to put yourself through playing it until you want to try it again. Sometime later, you'll probably want to come back on your own.

Also and to repeat someone else, these games are meant to be hard~
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Matsuri on September 11, 2009, 01:20:02 AM: Quote from: Nwbi on September 10, 2009, 09:51:34 PM
the end of this video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osf1fa4UhP4&feature=channel_page)

I remember watching that video last year and wondering why the fuck he was throwing a fit like that. Then I started playing harder stuff and I notice myself screaming at my computer a lot. xD

I've even taken RAGE to a whole new level when I died on Yukari's second to last spell. There's still a nice dent in my wall from when I smashed into it with my palm. And I wasn't even trying that hard. I wonder if I could have broken straight through the wall if I put more effort into it...
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Naut on September 11, 2009, 02:10:50 AM: Quote from: Suikam⑨ on September 10, 2009, 10:38:04 PM
Basically Touhou is for masochists

Mmmmmmmm
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Zengar Zombolt on September 11, 2009, 02:18:16 AM: Quote from: Naut on September 11, 2009, 02:10:50 AM
Quote from: Suikam⑨ on September 10, 2009, 10:38:04 PM
Basically Touhou is for masochists

Mmmmmmmm
But you are Naut, so it doesn't count.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: _Zac_ on September 11, 2009, 03:42:51 AM: Touhou isn't about fun, it's all about seeing the "Game Clear" at the end and seeing ZUN thank you.

It's the greatest feeling ever, because it took me all summer to do in EoSD on normal.

Well, it is fun the first few times, then it's about clearing it the first time and then clearing it again on a harder difficulty.

And that's really how arcade games are: fun at first and then you get more competitive the more you play them.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Milkyway64 on September 11, 2009, 03:44:42 AM: Quote from: u? on September 11, 2009, 12:28:04 AM
Also and to repeat someone else, these games are meant to be hard~

I realize these games are supposed to be hard, and that's why I like them. They are challenging.

But there's also the difficulty select. Lunatic is the Very Hard mode of an already difficult game. It's just out of my league despite a desire to see them finished. I have the ability to do this, I'm certain, but if it means sacrificing my pleasantness as a person, no. It's not worth the bragging rights.

Maybe I should come back to these games later. I love them, I really do, but I can't take this Lunatic stuff I've moved on to. I'm not a super player, so to speak.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: RainfallYoshi on September 11, 2009, 05:27:24 AM: I know everyone says "Practice, practice, practice" when it comes to getting better a Touhou, and to a certain extent, that is true. However, I find a much better format is to just play casually when you want to play Touhou, don't think "I need to practice x or y", just play to play.

EoSD Normal was my first 1cc in the series and all I did was play 1 or 2 runs every few days. I find that when you start trying to practice and memorize things it just tends to cause more problems than anything else.

Defeating Flandre was ultimately my #1 Touhou goal and I accomplished that through casual play, so just take it easy and do other things when you get frustrated.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Ragnikarth on September 11, 2009, 05:57:11 AM: All ya gotta do is ~~take it easy~~ calm down. Just play normal or easy for a day, and realize how awesome Touhou is. Go watch a video or play a doujin or something.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Matsuri on September 11, 2009, 07:40:47 AM: Quote from: PriestYoshi on September 11, 2009, 05:27:24 AM
I know everyone says "Practice, practice, practice" when it comes to getting better a Touhou, and to a certain extent, that is true. However, I find a much better format is to just play casually when you want to play Touhou, don't think "I need to practice x or y", just play to play.

EoSD Normal was my first 1cc in the series and all I did was play 1 or 2 runs every few days. I find that when you start trying to practice and memorize things it just tends to cause more problems than anything else.

Defeating Flandre was ultimately my #1 Touhou goal and I accomplished that through casual play, so just take it easy and do other things when you get frustrated.

Yeah. I've learned through experience that if you're not doing well after two or three tries, it's just not your day. If that's the case, simply play casually and see what happens, or take a break. Pushing yourself in hopes of success most often leads to frustration.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Slaves on September 12, 2009, 01:03:04 AM: Quote from: PriestYoshi on September 11, 2009, 05:27:24 AM
I know everyone says "Practice, practice, practice" when it comes to getting better a Touhou, and to a certain extent, that is true. However, I find a much better format is to just play casually when you want to play Touhou, don't think "I need to practice x or y", just play to play.

EoSD Normal was my first 1cc in the series and all I did was play 1 or 2 runs every few days. I find that when you start trying to practice and memorize things it just tends to cause more problems than anything else.

Defeating Flandre was ultimately my #1 Touhou goal and I accomplished that through casual play, so just take it easy and do other things when you get frustrated.

yeah.

recently, i've figured out that you don't even have to play the same game to be able to learn everything. i used to never get past stage 4 on PCB Normal, and after 1ccing UFO i went and tried again for the first time in about a month, and i 1cced it with 6 lives remaining.

practice, but don't practice too much.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Quintafeira12 on September 12, 2009, 02:40:05 AM: Quote from: PriestYoshi on September 11, 2009, 05:27:24 AM
I know everyone says "Practice, practice, practice" when it comes to getting better a Touhou, and to a certain extent, that is true. However, I find a much better format is to just play casually when you want to play Touhou, don't think "I need to practice x or y", just play to play.

EoSD Normal was my first 1cc in the series and all I did was play 1 or 2 runs every few days. I find that when you start trying to practice and memorize things it just tends to cause more problems than anything else.

Defeating Flandre was ultimately my #1 Touhou goal and I accomplished that through casual play, so just take it easy and do other things when you get frustrated.

I sort of found about this method with "Shoot the Bullet" of all things.
I could make a chart of my successful shot on each scene as I played, and it would invariably be a graph going down.
If I got some sleep, however, and returned to a troublesome scene later, I'd finish most on the first try. Maybe I'm just programed to be at my best after rest, but I started doing so for other games with decent success. If only I could start from Stage 6 and go down from there...
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: SP on September 13, 2009, 03:46:55 AM: I've had a ton of RAGE and frustration on and off with various Touhou games, mixed with times where I don't mind grinding to perfection. I just play what's fun :V

It certainly has made me stray away from lunatic (and for a while, StB) though. I've built up my skill doing ridiculous challenges on levels that I enjoyed more, so that I could go to lunatic/StB then beat them without having as hard a time with them even though that takes a lot longer. Weird, I know, but it keeps me from doing something like this. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxLdsTJ3OyM#t=4m2s)
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: theshirn on September 13, 2009, 04:45:11 AM: Quote from: SP on September 13, 2009, 03:46:55 AM
this. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxLdsTJ3OyM#t=4m2s)
I smash my keyboard drawer, not my keyboard (and not my monitor). At least I have some control. :V
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: ebarrett on September 13, 2009, 06:22:24 AM: Quote from: theshim on September 13, 2009, 04:45:11 AM
Quote from: SP on September 13, 2009, 03:46:55 AM
this. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxLdsTJ3OyM#t=4m2s)
I smash my keyboard drawer, not my keyboard (and not my monitor). At least I have some control. :V

I broke the keyboard foot below the ESC key and promptly went into a one-week series of breakthroughs, so I guess a middle ground is possible.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Yukkuri on September 13, 2009, 10:46:28 PM: I think I broke my speaker in one of my rages since now it never shuts off.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Cabble on September 14, 2009, 01:18:58 AM: I do in touhou what I do with music - slow it down until perfection, then speed it up little by little.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: lmagus on September 14, 2009, 01:57:15 AM: I've been playing for 2 months and a half... almost 3 months now...
Been playing on Hard for about a month, and I've already broken 3 keyboards since I started...

The worst part is that I play a lot at work, and god damn it's hard to keep from swearing so people won't notice I'm playing a game :V

I ragequit a lot and I go through all windows games at least once a day, every day.

But I found a way to improve my skill slightly without making me rage so much.
My favourite boss fight is against Sanae, and I practice it a lot.

After I started playing MoF Stage 5 a lot on practice mode, my skill on everything else improved without having to get so angry at the game, because I know Sanae is hard, I don't expect to capture everything she has at once and i LOVE playing her and her stage.

Othar than that and MoF St6 I've never practiced a stage.. I find it too boring.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Milkyway64 on September 14, 2009, 02:42:25 AM: Quote from: lmagus on September 14, 2009, 01:57:15 AM
I've been playing for 2 months and a half... almost 3 months now...
Been playing on Hard for about a month, and I've already broken 3 keyboards since I started...

Wow. That's bad. Three keyboards?

You've played for about as long as I have. It feels a lot longer than it's been.

I haven't really played any of the games since I made this thread, but, I occasionally booted CtC up. It's pretty fun, though I wish it had a vsync patch as well. That, and I can't seem to unlock Extra and despite many runs on all different scenarios and difficulties, no last words either.

I think I can keep going, just stop forcing my way forward and instead just do a lot of casual play as suggested.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Slaves on September 14, 2009, 02:45:32 AM: Quote from: lmagus on September 14, 2009, 01:57:15 AM
I've been playing for 2 months and a half... almost 3 months now...
Been playing on Hard for about a month, and I've already broken 3 keyboards since I started...

wow

it took me almost a year to start playing Normal

i don't think i've ever broken anything, though..
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: lmagus on September 14, 2009, 03:25:58 AM: I've broken two by hitting on them really hard.

The third one made me stop play for almost a week. I grabbed it and hit it on my desk lol.. :V

I'll never do that again =P
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Nine West on September 14, 2009, 03:30:46 AM: Quote from: lmagus on September 14, 2009, 03:25:58 AM
I've broken two by hitting on them really hard.

The third one made me stop play for almost a week. I grabbed it and hit it on my desk lol.. :V

I'll never do that again =P

By god if I ever break anything...
The laptop that I use to play Touhou is already dying.

That reminds me, I should play Touhou more often. :P
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Bias Bus on September 14, 2009, 12:38:31 PM: I don't play Touhou as much as I used to, but I'm not good enough to 1cc anything (usually because I don't aim to do that, I usually just play it to see the end and quit after that). That doesn't mean that I had my moments of RAGE.

And those moments of rage are the reason why my printer doesn't work now. All I needed was to visualize the Touhou I hated the most at that moment and everything snowballed from there.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Onozuka Nikuyokura on September 14, 2009, 07:22:26 PM: Starting with one of the harder Touhou games as your intro to the series does a little for starting skill but still doesn't make up for practice in small bits. I think my first game over was on Satori Komeiji's stage on Easy.

I play quite a lot but I recently 1cc'd MoF for the first time on Easy, and damn all if I wasn't the happiest person in the library that day. This isn't a game I expect to get good at for a long time.
Title: Re: I need to stop playing.
Post by: Hieda no Aya on September 14, 2009, 10:19:28 PM: Did this turn into "share your experiences with getting better at Touhou"? Kay!

I've been playing for almost a year now and I'm still terrible. Haven't managed to 1cc anything on normal, and I've done everything on easy at least once but there are a couple I can't get consistently.

Oh well. I don't want to ever stop improving, and seeing myself get distinctly better feels good when it happens, but I'm not a competitive person at heart and I've accepted that I have to move at my own pace, which is slow. I can't stand doing the same stage over and over again, indeed I can't really commit to playing every day even though I enjoy the games. And oversaturation definitely happens; there's a point when I know I've been playing too long because I start flying directly into everything, which is annoying if I still actually want to play. I'm not one to rage either. The games are what I came for and I have a lot of fun with them, but these days they're not my only draw by a longshot. I'd just like to be able to do Extra stages someday, even if it takes ten more years...

Oddly, although I've yet to 1cc a normal mode, the one I've come closest with is SA. Why? Because it's the most likely candidate for my favorite Touhou game overall even though it kicks my ass, and I've played the _literal hell out of it on easy. Surely, if I best SA normal, nothing should be able to scare me anymore! But I've barely played anything other than UFO lately.