Serenes Forest's Teehee Thread

[Acacia Sgt]

2 minutes ago, Armagon said:

The art has always tried to go in the sex appeal route.

Which is funny because the actual games are pretty much anything but.

I get that, it's just that I feel for this one they kinda failed. Again, it's mostly just how weird the thighs looks, bulging out like that. As if her shorts, the garter, and that cloth band were compressing the body enough it all went right below or something.

Edited March 29, 2021 by Acacia Sgt

[Sooks]

I chanced upon an albinean moose in three houses so my strategy for endgame is now to cook the dish that boosts your stats as often as I can.

[Armagon]

Me: "You know, Baten Kaitos Origins has a lot of losing fights".

The game: "yeah"

I am glad that the narrative does at least make a point of how frustrating it is to lose these fights. 

Edited March 29, 2021 by Armagon

[Sooks]

104 avoid.

Step aside Petra, there’s a new dodge tank in town. Congrats Ferdinand!

Ah, I love alert stance+.

[Armagon]

The Sfida Attendant is Monolith Soft's version of Gatekeeper.

[Acacia Sgt]

Oh, hey, just like that one time the possibility was brought up, haha.

[Armagon]

Baten Kaitos Origins MAJOR SPOILERS
 

Spoiler

Damn.

 

[Saint Rubenio]

Hey @Spara, did you ever manage to make Textractor work on SRPG Studio? I've been trying to figure it out for a bit, but I seem unable to attach it to Vestaria 2. I can go to Zephgarus for the text, but I'm going to need a proper translation of stats and menus to get started.

Edited March 29, 2021 by Saint Rubenio

[Armagon]

As of this point, I don't think I'll ever get used to Baten Kaitos Origins combat. I don't even think it's bad (but it is worse than Eternal Wings imo), it's just.......not what I wanted.

But that's ok, because the writing is so much improved. It's got it's problems sure but as far as characters go, I think I would actually put the BKO trio on the same level as Xenoblade 2's cast and that is very high praise. The story is pretty good too, I haven't finished it yet, but Disc 2 in particular is very nice.

Edited March 29, 2021 by Armagon

[Interdimensional Observer]

1 minute ago, Armagon said:

Baten Kaitos Origins MAJOR SPOILERS
 

  Reveal hidden contents

Damn.

 

So you're already through the 

Spoiler

"trio of twists scene" as I'm nicknaming it.

So how does it feel to be the remnant of a dead god who has lied about it for years to the person they're inside? Shall I tranquilize a kaiju and pop you inside them?😛

The "Sagi Heart-to-Heart" is awkward. One could argue it would've been better if the "Guardian Spirit" wasn't a player-insert, but a wholly-player independent character instead. Although, the player-insertion helps maintain the facade, at least for some time, that the Guardian Spirit isn't an Afterling pretending to be otherwise.

Let me make it clear, if you had chosen for Sagi to become part of you, the game would've ended right there. Since the top option is that, I can imagine a few players who skipped through the text too fast accidentally triggered that. Good supreme ruler of the nine heavens that the game lets you save after the Guillo battle and before the Heart-to-Heart! Why can't XC make such deeply consequential bonding events?😛

The “Heart to Heart” scene was altered for North America.:

Why remove a metal cross when EWatLO had no issues tying characters to different crosses? Why do that when XenoJesus was a thing at the time? Well, Namco published EW, but BKO was published by Nintendo, publishers can take on the job of translation. Nintendo of America, 8-4, did the translation & localization, they could’ve been sensitive to religion.

Sensitivity to religion is peculiar when the localization includes Guillo using the word “wench” with abandon, Guillo shoving his hand into the mouth of the first boss, and the “tree wood” line.

 

I cry myself to sleep now witnessing how rigid the presentation is here and knowing how far Monolith has come. Imagine if Malpercio didn't stand around like idiots waiting for Guillo to kill them and actually desperately fought against this unknown threat which ends them all. Render everything in the XC2 engine and the dynamism would be off the charts! Any script & VA niggles aside, the words and events are fairly good, all they need is better lights, camera, and action.

The game's opening by the way, which Sagi experienced as a dream first thing in the story, was Atria if you haven't realized it.

The one-eye buffalo are presumably some of those Dark Brethren who helped Malpercio, but for lack of presentation weren't seen ingame.

 

I would like to mention that the level 4 Special Attack you got for Sagi is fairly strong by itself. However, you can use it in Sagi's ultimate Ex Combo!:

Spoiler

Weak-Medium-Strong-Scension-Ascension-Transcension-The Godling's Rapture

No "B" versions for the Attacks.

Add a nice weapon, and this can 2-shot pretty much any boss.

 

More! It’s never stated ingame, but Sagi’s name does have a meaning to it as I was told online.:

Spoiler

Scanning Wikipedia’s long list of heron species, Sagi’s heart-wings match that of the Grey Heron.:

IRL the species can be found from Ireland in the west, to Japan in the east, and from Norway to South Africa. It makes sense its coloration would be used for Sagi’s wings then.

Why name Sagi after a heron? Well, it does form a tradition given Kalas’s name (although his wings look nothing like any raven or crow found on Wikipedia). A heron is thought of as a beautiful and graceful bird in human culture, ever heard of land called Tellius? Sagi is appropriately gentle in general personality.

But...

 

 

The homophonous nature of the Japanese language may have been used in a wordplay here. Why is Sagi a fraud? Because he says and thinks he is a Spiriter, but he doesn’t actually have a Guardian Spirit.

It could very well be that the avian name was intended to distract Japanese audiences from the true meaning of Sagi’s name. Kalas was “raven”, Sagi is “heron”, there is nothing more to it, or so they possibly would’ve been led to think.

And about the game's title...

Spoiler

The English name for this prequel to Eternal Wings is rather different from the Japanese title. It’s “Baten Kaitos II: Hajimari no Tsubasa to Kamigami no Shishi”, meaning “The Beginning of Wings and the Heir of the Gods”.

“Beginning of Wings” indicates the prequel aspect, but “Heir to the Gods” reads like the game wanted you to know Sagi isn’t a Spiriter. He makes the most sense as the Heir to the Gods, because he is the main character and uses the power of Malpercio.

Condensing the title to “Origins” comes off as poor translation, and the absence of “II” would be confusing if we had gotten more BK games. Yet I like it because it doesn’t have big spoiler in it.

Lastly! Gameplay stuff!

• You can go back to Atria, I highly recommend you do so to open those chests blocked by the flames. Be aware dragon enemies can now be fought there. If you have the Ascalon light-element sword for Sagi, you can upgrade it with a Yesterbean Quest Magnus at a shop into the Dragon Buster, which makes every hit he deals on them a critical hit. If you need to make a Yesterbean, again, find Fresh Air in Corellia's Palace and use on one of the Yesterbean spawn locations.
• Check your mail for a letter from Geldoblame, and then head to the Dark Service HQ. You should find new treasure chests in every room.
• You can go back to Diadem, Anuenue, and Sadal Suud now and confront the Machina Vanguard trio successfully now. After defeating them, you can choose to kill or to spare them. Killing them gives a weapon (Valara gives the Arondite, which can be upgraded into the godly Excalibur) and another bestiary entry, but sparing them adds slightly to the game's ending.
• For the three places you have to go to now, Guillo's has a Book of Mana tucked away in a treasure chest. This is an item that only Guillo can use and costs 1 MP to use, it fully restore living characters' HP.
• For Milly's, leave the place once you're done there and return to find three rocks you have to push to the boss screen. Doing so will give you the Imperial Ward, a piece of armor anyone can equip and costs 2 MP to equip. It reveals enemy HP, has 10 durability, and negates all damage for those 10 hits. 

 

Phew! That took a lot out of me!😵

[Spara]

38 minutes ago, Saint Rubenio said:

Hey @Spara, did you ever manage to make Textractor work on SRPG Studio? I've been trying to figure it out for a bit, but I seem unable to attach it to Vestaria 2. I can go to Zephgarus for the text, but I'm going to need a proper translation of stats and menus to get started.

I got it to work just fine, but if you want to translate stats and menus (I still dunno how to do that without trial&error in the dropdown), you can just kinda write stuff down from this spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1shXiBSnuj4a5fCJ-ubZPI8QbZ-JnHzGGvegQJlHBT8Q/edit#gid=807276806

 

[Saint Rubenio]

6 minutes ago, Spara said:

I got it to work just fine, but if you want to translate stats and menus (I still dunno how to do that without trial&error in the dropdown), you can just kinda write stuff down from this spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1shXiBSnuj4a5fCJ-ubZPI8QbZ-JnHzGGvegQJlHBT8Q/edit#gid=807276806

Thanks. That will be very useful. I might start this game soon, then. Where did you find that, if I may ask?

Anyway, I'm seriously bored, I've nothing to play other than Sun God's Wrath, and I don't want to go too quickly on that one haha. So yeah, maybe soon I'll get into what seems to be Kaga's weirdest game yet.

Edited March 29, 2021 by Saint Rubenio

[Spara]

1 minute ago, Saint Rubenio said:

Anyway, I'm seriously bored, I've nothing to play other than Sun God's Wrath, and I don't want to go too quickly on that one haha. So yeah, maybe soon I'll get into what seems to be Kaga's weirdest game yet.

Either it's the weirdest or second weirdest. I think "funniest" is probably the best descriptor, though, because it really is brave PRF emblem with absolutely off-the-wall unit concepts and maps.

Edited March 29, 2021 by Spara

[Saint Rubenio]

Just now, Spara said:

Either it's the weirdest or second weirdest.

Which one would even beat it, though? Berwick? Because Berwick's not all that weird. It's very different from FE, but once you get a hang of its mechanics I'd argue it feels more grounded than TRS and Vestaria.

On the other hand, from what you've told me VS2 sounds like a fever dream of a game that Kaga made after he discovered LSD. Unless it's the one that he's developing that is just not a SRPG... But well, no matter. I'll find out.

Just now, Spara said:

I think "funniest" is probably the best descriptor, though, because it really is brave PRF emblem with absolutely off-the-wall unit concepts and maps.

So like, Vestaria but times 2.

[Spara]

2 minutes ago, Saint Rubenio said:

Which one would even beat it, though? Berwick? Because Berwick's not all that weird. It's very different from FE, but once you get a hang of its mechanics I'd argue it feels more grounded than TRS and Vestaria.

I would say Berwick is weird mechanically, but not at all janky like the other kaga sagas can be at times. HSoS is weird AND janky.

[Saint Rubenio]

2 minutes ago, Spara said:

I would say Berwick is weird mechanically, but not at all janky like the other kaga sagas can be at times.

Yes, you phrased what I was trying to say better than I did.

2 minutes ago, Spara said:

HSoS is weird AND janky.

I cannot wait.

[Sooks]

When you look up facts on a specific topic for a school assignment and the first result has exactly the amount of facts you need.

[Acacia Sgt]

Likely made by someone who got that same assignment long ago.

[Sidereal Wraith]

 

[Armagon]

51 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

So you're already through the 

  Reveal hidden contents

Spoiler

52 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

So how does it feel to be the remnant of a dead god who has lied about it for years to the person they're inside?

Weird.

The whole Guardian Spirit thing is weird, that hasn't changed from Eternal Wings. But i do appreciate that Origins acknowledges that others exist.

54 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

Let me make it clear, if you had chosen for Sagi to become part of you, the game would've ended right there. Since the top option is that, I can imagine a few players who skipped through the text too fast accidentally triggered that. Good supreme ruler of the nine heavens that the game lets you save after the Guillo battle and before the Heart-to-Heart! Why can't XC make such deeply consequential bonding events?😛

Oh so that's why the save prompt showed up. 

Can't believe there was a choice that mattered. And there seem to be more coming up.

55 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

Sensitivity to religion is peculiar when the localization includes Guillo using the word “wench” with abandon

Wait, "wench" actually means something beyond just being a rude word to call a woman with?

56 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

I cry myself to sleep now witnessing how rigid the presentation is here and knowing how far Monolith has come. Imagine if Malpercio didn't stand around like idiots waiting for Guillo to kill them and actually desperately fought against this unknown threat which ends them all. Render everything in the XC2 engine and the dynamism would be off the charts! Any script & VA niggles aside, the words and events are fairly good, all they need is better lights, camera, and action.

I have a feeling it might be because of the GameCube's lesser power.

Xenosaga, particularly Episode III, was doing dynamic cutscenes already, of which we would later go on to see in the Blade games.

59 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

It could very well be that the avian name was intended to distract Japanese audiences from the true meaning of Sagi’s name. Kalas was “raven”, Sagi is “heron”, there is nothing more to it, or so they possibly would’ve been led to think.

And even if the Japanese player hadn't played Eternal Wings before, Sagi has white wings so they'd just go "oh, heron".

Speaking of the wings, i do find it very curious that the Wings of the Heart can actually be ripped out. I always just assumed they were like, a spiritual thing and it wasn't something that one could just rip out so easily. I know Kalas did it but that was more of him just breaking free from Malpercio's control.

1 hour ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

Condensing the title to “Origins” comes off as poor translation, and the absence of “II” would be confusing if we had gotten more BK games. Yet I like it because it doesn’t have big spoiler in it.

I will say, even though it is "origins", the game feels more like the story just happens to take place before Eternal Wings. There's the whole thing with the world of the past and all but so far, this doesn't feel like a game that would lead into Eternal Wings. Heck, even Geldoblame doesn't seem all that bad yet.

But i'm still not done so we'll see how well this comment ages.

 

1 hour ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

You can go back to Diadem, Anuenue, and Sadal Suud now and confront the Machina Vanguard trio successfully now. After defeating them, you can choose to kill or to spare them. Killing them gives a weapon (Valara gives the Arondite, which can be upgraded into the godly Excalibur) and another bestiary entry, but sparing them adds slightly to the game's ending.

Kill them for the 100% if you want but let them live for a bit more ending, got it.

Considering Sagi doesn't have any actual personal beef with them, i think it's more fitting to spare.

[Benice]

47 minutes ago, Saint Rubenio said:

Anyway, I'm seriously bored, I've nothing to play other than Sun God's Wrath, and I don't want to go too quickly on that one haha.

There's another game avaliable on steam you could also get!

It's called...

Yakuz-

I Love you, Colonel Sanders!

[Acacia Sgt]

And SRW is always an option.

[Sooks]

“Catherine falls off in part two”

[Acacia Sgt]

Looking forward to Another Eden's Steam release.

[Saint Rubenio]

4 hours ago, Benice said:

Then, I am going to finish my LP.

Oh, I almost forgot to acknowledge this! I cannot wait for the epic conclusion to the LP that was this close to making me revisit FE7.

Then I read the actual LP and remembered why I haven't played FE7 in like 7 years.

28 minutes ago, Benice said:

There's another game avaliable on steam you could also get!

It's called...

Yakuz-

23 minutes ago, Acacia Sgt said:

And SRW is always an option.

Stop, you two! I am the Kaga guy! I must stick to my character trait!

Quote

I Love you, Colonel Sanders!

...Maybe I will consider this one.

18 minutes ago, Sooks said:

“Catherine falls off in part two”

I feel bad for everyone who hates this woman. She's like, the best unit in the game if you recruit her early.

Edited March 29, 2021 by Saint Rubenio