Sire

Ranking the Xenoblade games?... 1: Xenoblade Chronicles X - I gotta say this because of the gameplay and how it had me completely hooked. Yes, the main story is short and sorta sucks while the soundtrack takes a lot of adjusting to, but the sidequests, the gameplay, and the exploration was all top notch. I was addicted to X, getting clocking over 100 hours in a week or two of getting it. I may have over 200 hours clocked into X, which is way more than XC or XC2. I still want to get back to X at some point, and if it ever gets a port, I know I will happily pick up the port and replay through X again. 2: Xenoblade Chronicles - The original Xenoblade had a more epic story and a tale that I personally more enjoyed when compared to XC2. We have characters like Dunban and Melia who are some of the best characters in the XC series (in my opinion). The Mechon were interesting antagonists, and all the twists and turns of the original XC were amazing. I played the original on the Wii and years later watched an LP with updated textures, and man XC looked amazing when updated. I have more fond memories of XC than 2, which is why I rate it higher on my list. 3. Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna - Gonna keep this one separate since it is essentially XC2.5. It greatly improved upon the battle system of 2 and streamlined Blades (the Blade system in 2 is not something I was real fond of). I loved the story of Lora and company despite knowing what happens later in the main game. Yes, it did have one major flaw in its story progression, but that aside Torna was superior in almost every aspect to the base title. (The base title has the superior postgame with all those Blades, challenge quests, and DLC quests.) 4: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - While 2 is in last place, it does not mean it was a bad title or that I did not enjoy it. I loved playing through XC2 and enjoying its soundtrack. XC2's "Boy meets Girl" storyline is more personal and about the journey to Elysium, which is okay, but I find other storylines more interesting. The characters were alright in XC2 and had more presence in the story, which was something I appreciated (in the original, they may show up predominantly for their arc and then are moved to the side for extra lines). Poppi, who I initially wrote off pre-release due to her design, ended up being my favorite character in XC2. I enjoyed the rest of the main cast as well (Nia, Tora, Morag, and Zeke). Compared to the other games, XC2 had one black mark against it. I do not like the Blade system. Collecting Blades sucks, grinding out their Affinity sucks, and those damned Environmental Checks suck. Sure, XCX's main story and music may be considered a con, but I can overlook them (the main story is short and leaves us full of questions, while the music grew on me after a while). XC's original fluff sidequests may be considered crap, but I prefer them to XC2s' system of tossing them into Blade Affinities. Blades serve as a core gameplay mechanic in XC2, and while I got used to the system, I much prefer the previous entries. I deeply hope the next Xenoblade title does not use XC2's combat system (The improved Torna variant may be okay, but vanilla XC2 is a no). On a positive note, I deeply appreciate how much stuff Xenoblade Chronicles 2 got after its release. There was so much DLC and the Challenges offer interesting battles and rewards, with the special Blades available there being awesome. While I never got to fully invest myself into postgame and the Challenges, I do hope one day to go back and try to experience the rest of what XC2 has to offer. There's a ton of content in here!

I know older games end up requiring to move to a newer engine in order to make more improvements. One can only optimize and improve on so much with outdated tech. I know Path of Exile is planning a massive overhaul that will compete with a "theoretical Diablo 4," which involves reworking all the player character models and all of the equipment. PoE will remain the same (no PoE 2), and is planned to continue updating for years into the future. If/When an overhaul takes place for FGO, I hope they simply continue the baseline game and transfer everything over. FGO can continue to serve as a service platform, and we get to keep our progress! As for an estimate when this will happen, I'll bet it will be after Part II is over. Should FGO continue, we may get an EoR style "Arc 2.5" to tide players over while major work is done on the overhaul. The character arcs may be finished and the grand adventure concluded, but surely Chaldea continues to exist as an organization and new adventures await. They may not necessarily be on the level of humanity's extinction, but an adventure nonetheless. However, if they end up changing the core gameplay mechanics or want to adapt a different style, a sequel may be better. Starting all over again is probably going to suck though. I also wonder how a sequel will affect the whales who invested so much into the base game...

I dabbled a little bit in Shadowverse. I used to play Hearthstone a bit, but Blizzard starting going downhill and I wanted an alternative. Shadowverse is what I ended up playing. However, I really only played the single-player campaigns (the original heroes up to chapter 9). From my experience with Hearthstone, one needs to know the effects of almost every card and keep on top of the meta to make significant progress. This takes up more time than I am willing to invest into Shadowverse as I have other games to play. My greatest surprise of Shadowverse is learning that Luna (Shadowcraft) is voiced by Brianna Knickerbocker, who voiced Sakura in FE: Fates. I knew I heard her voice from somewhere.

I know I posted this at least once here before, but I love this track. I think it has been a while, so here it is again!

Ishtar's up again, so of course I have to give it another try. 3 Tickets and my leftover 49 Quartz did not grant me an Ishtar, but I did get 2 First Sunrise CEs (+15% Buster, 40% Starting NP Charge). Starry Nights in December of this year is probably better, but it's something. I'm gonna keep track of how many tries it takes for me to summon Ishtar. This also counts my attempts at summoning her before Babylonia. Sire's Summoning Ishtar Attempts: 124 (~28 Tickets, ~ 259 Quartz) * * * * * * * * * * I'm probably going to be Quartz-drained in January trying to get Ishtar and King Hassan. February I may try a 10-roll or two for MHX (Alter), but after that I need to start saving Quartz for Ishtar in May. Should that fail, I'm probably screwed since there's plenty of desired Servants coming in the 2nd half of the year. Watch as I roll Ishtar somehow before her banner expires by doing Interludes and Rank Up Quests. * * * * * Edit * * * * * Welp, it's official. I'm gonna have to play the long game and try to save up Quartz. All currently available f2P Quartz (Interludes, Rank Ups, and Free Quests) have been spent. I think Ishtar has been the most draining for me, and it still sorta sucks that I haven't summoned her. At least there's another chance later in the year. However, I'll likely be running on empty due to King Hassan appearing soon. March and April will likely be the only safe months before May as I would like to try for MHX Alter. Maybe by then fortune will smile upon me and I be able to whale and obtain all the Mapo Tofus. Spend responsibility, folks! [Updated] Sire's Summoning Ishtar Attempts: 128 (~28 Tickets, ~ 271 Quartz)

Here's a link to when Artoria Alter (Lancer) appears on the banner: https://grandorder.wiki/Altria_Pendragon_(Lancer_Alter)/Campaigns From what I understand on the Class Rate Ups, only that class will be available to summon. As Artoria Lancer (Alter) shares her 4* rate with other 4* Lancers, it may be difficult getting the Lancer you want. For Merlin + Artorias, I think she just appears on the banner but doesn't have the rate-up. If you don't want to try your luck on getting her through the gacha, you can always try and just use the 4* Ticket to get her in September. Personally, I'm planning on getting Gorgon as my 4* (If I do get her beforehand, maybe Medusa Lancer or Saber Alter instead). (Off Topic, but I discovered that best boy Bedivere is voiced by the same guy who voiced Okabe in Steins;Gate. I knew he voiced Jekyll & Hyde, but not Bedivere!)

For the most part, no. However, sometimes story locks do appear on rate-ups alongside other Servants, so that may be the best time to get them if you do not want to try your luck in the Story Summon. Check the upcoming summoning banners for more details. (For Artoria Alter [Lancer]), there's a Lance Class rateup in March and August. Then there's Merlin and the Artorias in September. There may be more, but those are some noticeable ones that I've seen.) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Serenes FGO - Friend Code IDs

I was mainly looking for an NP wave clear to kill assassins, so that's probably why I was disappointed in NR. I'm too used to just using NPs to clear out mobs (which is my general strat for story missions, switching to ST when a boss or a huge enemy is involved). When it's time for single target damage, I bring out Medea and try to buff her as much as possible. Crit Jalter is probably better and universal, but I automatically try to counter enemy class advantage. I haven't put much thought into a stall team or trying to use NR as a critical caster. I suppose NR + Tamamo + Waver can be a combo for a stall team, but I'm still in the mindset of "kill stuff now instead of later." Maybe when the bosses get tougher and start using multiple HP bars I'll find more value in NR. For now I'll probably focus my caster materials elsewhere.

Looking at the Servants available for 2019, if I could narrow them down to my top 5, they would probably be... 1. King Hassan 2. Ishtar 3. Eresh 4. Merlin 5. Maid Artoria Honorable Mentions: Dantes, Mysterious Heroine X (Alter), Arthur (Prototype), Archer Artoria, Brynhild, Tomoe Gozen, Kato Danzou * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * In other news, I managed to get some funds for the GSSR roll. I wanted a Waver of my own, but Sanzang would have been okay (JotW and Camelot made me want her to join Chaldea). The following was my result. At first I was a bit disappointed when Tamamo Mae showed up again, but took comfort in the fact best wife wanted to take care of me. (I got her from a GSSR last year, so now I have NP2 Tamamo) Right after that Waver himself showed up. I thought how ridiculous it would be if I also got Sanzang and the golden card raised up me hopes, but it was just another Nursery Rhyme.* Overall, quite happy with this GSSR. I got my very own Waver now, but I'll likely keep my Tamamo in the support slot. There's enough Support Wavers as is, and it'll probably take a while for me to max him out. *As an aside, I feel like Nursery Rhyme sorta sucks. At first I was happy I had a 4* AoE Caster, but when I used her she seemed underwhelming. The DEF Down debuff and the NP charge are nice, but her damage is lackluster. I feel that Halloween Bathory is better for NP wave clearing. The only reason I don't use Bathory that much or initially invested in her is I care little for her character.

Doublepost because I do not want to edit and somehow lose the wall of text I just wrote. * * * * * Remember that NA may not exactly follow JP's schedule, but looking at the following link... (My dates are rough estimations, not exact or accurate.) https://grandorder.wiki/Summoning_Campaigns_(2017/2019) January: - Musashi - Ishtar - Kintoki (Berserker) - King Hassan - Dantes Feburary - Da Vinci - Mysterious Heroine X (Alter) - James Moriarty - Yan Qing - Hessian Lobo March - EMIYA (Alter) - Arthur (Prototype) - Amakusa Shirou - Okita Souji April - Hijikata Toshizou - Nero (Bride) - Gilgamesh May - Meltlilith - Passionlip - Suzuka Gozen - Sessyoin Kiara - Ishtar June - Shuten-Douji - Minamoto-no-Raikou - Scheherazade - Wu Zetian - Penthesilea July - Tamamo Lancer - Anne & Mary (Archer) - Kiyo Lancer - Rider Mordred - Archer Artoria - Marie (Caster) - Punch Saint (Martha Ruler) August - Sherlock Holmes - Nero (Caster) - Fran (Saber) - Nitocris (Assassin) - Nobu (Berserker) - Artoria (Rider Alter, Maid Artoria Alter) - Helena (Archer) - Raikou (Lancer) - Illya September - Brynhild - Nero (Bride) - Okita - Hijikata Toshizou - Merlin - Da Vinci October - Parvati - Musashi - Tomoe Gozen - Chiyome - Hozoin Inshun - Shuten-Douji - Minamoto-no-Raikou - Munenori Yagyu - Kato Danzou - Osakabehime November - Amakusa Shirou - Ishtar - King Hassan - Circe - Nezha December - Abigail - Queen of Sheba - Ereshkigal January 2019 - Katsushika Hokusai - Other important people, this post long as is.

2018 in retrospective? Let's see... (Random Note: Going back in time for the start of 2018 of this topic is page 55. That's a lot of pages!) TLDR List

Further tried for Merlin. *Despair Intensifies* // rip Tickets and 20 Quartz from New Years. Why must all of my luck go to Dragalia Lost? I wanna Merlin and FGO stuffs, damnit! If I'm lucky, maybe Ishtar will take pity on me and show up when I toss what fragments I have her way. It's no treasury of Babylon, but she'll remember our antics in the singularity. Right? Right?... // Then there is Gramps whom I will have nothing for. King Hassan, I have failed you. Then there is also... - Mysterious Heroine X Alter in February - Arthur (Prototype) in March - Archer Artoria in July - Maid Artoria Alter and Illya in August - Bryn, Merlin, and the Artorias in September - Ishtar and King Hassan in November - Eresh in December Help. I don't have enough quartz for all of this... - - - - - As for the guaranteed summon, while I would like to do so, I am unsure about current funds. Best of luck to those who do toss money at the banner to get who you want!

It's been long enough methinks, so here's another track!

Welp, its official. No Merlin for me. Abandon hope all ye who enter here. There is no Merlin. There is no Avalon. The King of Mages was right! Humanity should be incinerated! *cough* Anyways, I tried using Jan's Summon Tickets for Merlin. Needless to say, the attempt failed and I got nothing of value. If you still want to try for Merlin, try to get the Summoning Tickets before the banner itself expires! * * * * * The Tamamos and Kiyo buffs look nice. Now just to wait for them to come to NA...

doublepost So, I've been playing this for about a week now. I absolutely love the game, but definitely see where the grind wall is. Despite that, I find it fun enough to continue playing regardless. It helps that the devs behind the game seem to be extremely generous and pretty cool (unlike another certain mobile game Fire Emblem Heroes) I do wonder how long the fun will last though, as when the grind begins determines if one truly enjoys the game or not. * * * * * As for my progress... - Player Level 40 - Chapter 6 of Story Cleared (Normal) - Highest Team Might: 8686 - Notable Adventurers: Mikoto, Christmas Cleo, Julietta, Ieyasu // Christmas Nefaria, Addis, Sazanka, Althemia - Notable Dragons: Dragonyule Jeanne d'Arc // Ifrit, Pheonix - Castle Stuff: Halidom 4, Smithy 4 // 4* Equipment (Primary Weapons: Sword [Euden], Dagger [C!Cleo]) ... I think all my luck went into Dragalia Lost. I got Julietta from the 5* Summon Ticket, and I got C!Cleo, C!Jeanne, and Pheonix from my initial summons. I still have excess Wrymite left over too! Meanwhile in FGO I'm trying to get stuff for Merlin but am failing miserably. * * * * * Now for the elephant in the room, the grind wall. I've hit it. While it has been fun doing story quests and the dailies for the past week, when I took a step back and looked at the bigger picture, there is A LOT to do. When Dragon Trials opened up, I didn't see too many problems. When Imperial Onslaught became available, I died a little inside. Each day, one should... - Do Avenue to Power, Avenue to Fortune, and Elemental Ruins (easy stuff, no sweat // One can even just turn on "Auto Play" for these to farm or do the dailies.) - Do Dragon Trials (A bit difficult, especially when trying to maximize rewards by doing higher ranks. Focus on the materials one needs from Dragon Trials instead of trying to do them all each day.) - Do Imperial Onslaught (Oh dear Ilia, why. It doesn't help a substantial portion of of mid-game to end-game stuff is locked behind Imperial Onslaught, and it can be pretty rough. While Dragon Trials is more of a skill check, Imperial Onslaught is more of a gear check. I don't have the equips to do IO properly, and I'm getting flashbacks to MMOs where there's all this awesome stuff but I can't do it because no equips and no guild.) -- Doing dailies each day may take 30 minutes to an hour. Then after that, one can mess around doing other things such as Story Mode. However, if an event is going on, most likely one will be farming that for the rest of the day. From the Christmas Event, I'll say set a goal and try to reach it. Don't bother trying to max out rewards unless one wants to no-life this game. Yeah, Dragalia Lost requires a lot of time investment. While each battle may not last more than 5 minutes, it takes many, many battles to get to where one wants to go. * * * * * Like I said before, I have been enjoying Dragalia Lost (moreso than Granblue Fantasy), but I am worried about that grind wall. Time will tell if I manage to stick with the game long enough or if I just play Dragalia more casually. Right now everything is mostly positive, and if I can pass the hurdle of Imperial Onslaught, then I'll probably continue having fun. Otherwise, casual inefficiency for me!

I've been playing video games since I was basically born, so my memories may be fuzzy a bit... My first game was probably something on the NES since my dad played some video games, so I'm just gonna say Super Mario Bros. I never got far in it, but I did mess around and play the game. I was a Nintendo man from the very start. // On the PC side, I have fond memories of playing the original Warcraft and Red Alert. While I've been playing video games, I guess what really got me into gaming (and game design) was Warcraft II. I absolutely loved the map editor and would make my own campaigns. When Warcraft III came out, it became my main game for years because of its custom maps. I never got my head around the more advanced mapmaking mechanics of Warcraft 3 at the time, so I ended up playing maps more than making them. - - - - - What skyrocketed me to my current state was looking up videos for World of Warcraft: Cataclysm and discovering Total Biscuit's coverage. Finding him led me to Space Pirates and Zombies (a fun game despite the name), which led me to Steam. SPAZ was my gateway to the wider PC gaming world and Steam, and now I got more games to play than I know what to do with... I guess I'll also give a mention to Fire Emblem Heroes to getting me into mobile gaming. I always thought mobile games to be "super casual" (Candy Crush and the like) and there was no real games on there. Now I play Fate/Grand Order and Dragalia Lost, amongst other things.

The final rounds was rough. First time around I got unlucky and the boss had a sliver of health left. Instead of using my Command Seals, I just withdrew and restarted the fight with some minor adjustments. The finale itself was a bit easier, but that may be because I had Jalter around to seal buffs. Herc ended up saving my butt for the finale. (Sure, he got screwed over for my first fight, but disregard that.) I ended up not using Georgios, but maybe his time to shine will come later. Also, here's something to watch after completing Part One. I found it originally linked on FGO's Reddit. // Edit: Just watched it. I teared up a little... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQQBqx99IEM * * * * * As for my story thoughts...

Still no Merlin for me, but maybe something will happen before the banner expires. (I think all of my luck ended up in Dragalia Lost. I got two 2 5* Star adventurers and two 5* Dragons. I even ended up getting a duplicate 5* character [Christmas Cleo], as well as a duplicate of Christmas Nefaria who is a 4*. I just started, so I don't know if its beginner's luck or what.) I'm waiting for the end of Part 1. I have an idea of the ending, but can't wait to experience it myself. I may have to try and bring out Georgios to the final battle since I usually have him benched since DPS is best. I'm also probably bringing along Herc, because I raised him for this very Singularity (and because he's Herc). Berserker has been saving my butt this entire Singularity, and he'll probably do so again for the finale. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Serenes FGO - Friend Code IDs