Sire

My first impressions of Aether Raids are positive. I like customizing my Aether Keep and attacking the enemy forts. I wish I knew about getting a Bolt Tower for the defense bonus before spending all of my materials, but what's done is done. Personally I would like to be able to set up what music plays in my fort, as well as a getting a building that somehow counters dancers (Dancers are the bane of my existence). I would also like to get resources faster so I can continue tinkering with my fortress and build limited units, but I guess slow and steady is the nature of the mode. At least I like playing Aether Raids since I dislike playing Arena. For invading, I've done fairly well save for one time I ran into Armor Emblem and had no way to defeat them. Otherwise, my offensive efforts go smoothly, which is no doubt helped by the stat boosts from the Fort (O). Now I'm in Tier 4, I'm sure some savvy tacticians upgraded their defensive forts to try and negate the offensive stat boosts. Hopefully I'll still be able to remain on the offensive and do fairly well. As for defense, my first setup was mostly messing around before I scrapped it to try something serious. I still haven't won a proper victory (I won one where the invader forgot about the turn limit, they got too greedy for the last aether fountain), but my second team is far more lethal as they can defeat 3 foes out of the 4. I'll need to replace my Kagero though since she is easily countered, especially when the invader can choose from a variety of preset teams. One of the observations I had is during a failed defense. My opponent deliberately triggered a Shock Trap for a Bride!Cordelia Brave Bow Desperation build. Bride!Cordelia with a PA!Azura killed everything I had. The hostile Alfonse and Fjorm just sat in the back and did nothing. // So, Shock Traps can be used to proc Desperation and then just go to town. I also remember reading someone setting up their Shock Traps so it affects their defense units to proc Vantage, so there may be some merit there. Overall, Aether Raids are enjoyable. I hope to see improvements to the mode, and maybe some story significance...

George is 10, but I really don't field him after getting a team that kills stuff. Tamamo Cat is 10, but since she's an AoE farmer (and a Berserker), she probably won't be good for bosses. Herc is at 9, but I am confident he'll be 10 by the time Solomon comes around. I wonder if he really is a "I win" button with his Bond CE equipped. Tamamo Mae is at 8, but I am not truly raising her bond level at the moment. The main reason for her is her Bond CE for Arts teams. Seiba Artoria is at 7, but I'm not sure how useful she will be. Santa Alter Artoria is also at 7. She was my original pick for handing Solomon and I hope to raise her some more. I doubt she'll reach 10 in time though. Rider Kintoki is at 6 and I consider him to be my backup pick for Solomon. I haven't been farming his Bond Points though. * * * * * However, as my phone is on life support and slowly dying, I may not be able to actually play if my phone decides to completely call it. Hopefully my phone can survive a bit longer...

I heard about the Diablo Immortal incident. As a Path of Exile player, it was somewhat blowing up on the PoE Reddit as "Diablo Refugees" found themselves playing PoE instead and loving it. I know my dad loved playing Diablo II while I was not too big into it during its heyday. Ever since Blizzard merged with Activision, Blizzard definitely seems to have been making choices bother me. I remember when they replaced the VA for Kerrigan for Starcraft, and some other VA mixups. I remember the launch for Diablo III to be terrible, and how Diablo III can be found lacking when compared to its competitors. Stories for Blizzard products are going downhill. I don't keep up with everything Blizzard does, but it seems the the newer stuff (Overwatch, Hearthstone, and Heroes of the Storm) are an overall happier crowd than the original mainline (Diablo, Starcraft, Warcraft). I want to be excited for Warcraft III Reforged, but with what Blizzard is doing it makes me question if I want to send money their way. Maybe Blizzard got too big and the stuff that one part of it does reflects on the people who actually do cool things. - - - - - - - - - - As for Nintendo, a recent incident I can recall is the Metroid spinoff Federation Force, and how many fans were angry about that. I don't remember the specifics, just the fact that people were upset about Federation Force because they wanted a new mainline Metroid title. Then there was also the Paper Mario stuff with Sticker Star and Color Splash. I'm still waiting for a proper Paper Mario game reminiscent of the original 64 game or Thousand Year Door. Super Paper Mario was enjoyable for what it was (the story and charm held it up and the gameplay, while different, did not bother me as much), but I rather see a traditional Paper Mario game again. Now for Heroes, for the most part I'll say they are all right when addressing the community. They stated when the next Binding Blade and Radiant Dawn banners will appear, they brought us Aether Raids and a way to get limited units, and apparently learned from the Ayra incident. I think the main points of contention are the alts and some of the "filler modes" (Blessed Gardens, Tap Battle, Voting Gauntlet, etc.), while some may raise concerns about BST and the new skills. I personally stepped back from Heroes and stopped being too invested in it, so I just take developments as they come along. My main wish for Heroes is an actual developed story, and having more character interactions (like support or base conversations) would be awesome. For suggestions on how to follow PR, I would say follow Path of Exile's model (Grinding Gear Games). They are active with their community, post up development manifestos that explain why they do certain things, and even directly address concerns that the community has. Community concerns are remedied in a patch or GGG doubles down and explains to the community why a feature works the way it does.

Yeah, I just got wind of that. The only reason I rolled was because I was under the impression the only 4* and 5* available are from the banner. Apparently someone got a Jeanne and someone else got a d'eon in that thread. Guess I lucked out by getting Lancelot. I probably would be a bit ticked off if I got someone off banner (moreso if it was someone I cared little about).

Did a 10 roll on the Knights banner. I got myself a Saberlot for my trouble. No Saber Alter, but I guess that is for another time. Now I got Rama, Saberlot, and Artoria Lily as my 4* Sabers. I also have a NP 2 D'eon, but am indifferent towards D'eon. There is also Braze Lizzie that I could use. Between Rama and Lancelot (Saber), which one should I prioritize leveling?

Marisa. She is my main lead and I always liked her since Sacred Stones. After her, I'll probably go for the Black Knight because he is awesome. I still need to build the Black Knight for teams outside of Armor Emblem though... As for Masked Marth, I have a feeling I'll get her to +10 from TT rewards where she is given out again, so I'm not in a rush to +10 Masked Marth.

Copying what I posted on Reddit... I sincerely hope they do not kill Alfonse off. He gotten some character development and went from being a benchlord to a brazen powerhouse. I also sincerely hope they improve the writing this time around. Book II had its moments as with Book I, but saying "we noticed the feedback on the story and plan on making it better" when Book II was still meh does not raise confidence.

Heroic Grails - Allows summoning of past GHB and TT units. This is nice for me since I love Marisa and would love to get her to +10. Black Knight would be cool too. Aether Keep / Aether Raids - My Castle from Fates combined with Arena. // There are bonus units and structures in this mode too. Playtime is limited by Aether Points. Rewards are the Heroic Grails. * * * * * Eh, Aether Raids look cool and Heroic Grails are nice. Nothing that screams hype... Wait. WHAT THE **** DID I JUST SEE AT THE END. I SWITCHED TABS AND I SAW SHARENA. WHAT. (Book III starts in December.)

I managed to get all the ascension items, the 5* event CE, and clear out all the quests for the Halloween event. I'll probably continue farming getting as much as of the shop as possible. Shiki and Artoria are doing really well for me clearing the last node when paired up with a support Waver. While I am tempted to try rolling on the Knights of the Round banner for Saber Alter and Berserkalot, I gotta save my Quartz for Ishtar and Merlin. I would love to also get King Hassan too if possible, but I have a feeling I'll be lucky if I just get one of them. Man, I got so much stuff I need to do in FGO...

Welp, I started thinking too much into this and tossed everything at it. Here's my ramblings thus far. New Features Expanded/Modified Features

What was your first Smash Bros game? - Smash 64 Which Smash games have you played so far? - Smash 64, Melee, Brawl, and 4 (Wii U & 3DS) What's your favorite Smash game? - Brawl (I loved the aesthetic and Subspace Emissary. I also enjoyed the slowed down gameplay as well.) Who's your favorite character in the parts you have played - 64: Kirby (I was young, so I believed all I really did was spam Kirby's Down+B.) - Melee: Kirby (I still used Kirby a fair amount in Melee, but I started to play all the characters about equally.) - Brawl: Mario, Ike (I really started to play everyone in Brawl, but I mained Mario and Ike. Mario is a classic character I like to play while Ike is a powerhouse.) - 4: Ike (Ike smashing things is the way to go. Also, it's RD Ike!) Who's your least favorite character in each part you have played? - 64: Jigglypuff (I distinctly remember having problems with the Break the Targets as Jigglypuff.) - Melee: ??? (I don't remember disliking anyone in Melee.) - Brawl: Olimar (I never figured out how to exactly play him, even though I love Pikmin.) - 4: Villager (I honestly do not care for the Animal Crossing franchise.) What's your favorite stage in each part you have played? - 64: Mushroom Kingdom (I loved the Warp Pipes.) - Melee: Fourside (I never knew what Earthbound was, but I loved this city stage.) - Brawl: Big Blue (While I believed I loved it in Melee, I loved it more in Brawl.) - 4: Boxing Ring (I fell in love with Little Mac, and so too did I love his stage.) What's your least favorite stage in each part you have played? - 64: Super Happy Tree (While I loved Yoshi's Story, this stage never really resonated with me.) - Melee: Icicle Mountain (A vertical scrolling stage.) - Brawl: Rumble Falls (A vertical scrolling stage.) - 4: Pac Land (I don't even understand this stage.) What's your favorite music theme in each part you have played? -64: Metal Mario Fight - Melee: Fire Emblem (I had no idea what Marth and Roy were at the time, but I loved the theme whenever they showed up. I would discover Fire Emblem properly when Brawl came out alongside the Lyn Assist Trophy.) - Brawl: Main Theme (Best main theme, period. Brawl also has tons of other amazing tracks, but I have to list the Main Theme for this one.) -4: I haven't played enough of 4 to etch a music theme into my brain. What's your favorite mode in Smash overall? - Subspace Emissary (Adventure Mode and Smash Run for the other titles.) What's your favorite item? - Smash Ball (Unleashing Final Smashes is fun.) What's your favorite taunt? - Don't have one, honestly. Do you rather play alone or with friends? - I have no friends around to play with, so I usually play alone. What's your favorite free for one mode (time, stocks or coins)? - Stocks. (3 Stock, 5 Minute Timer) What's the perfect Smash battle for you? (stage, characters, items (?) ) - There is no perfect smash battle. Do you usually play with items? - Usually yes, but I change things up on occasion. What has been the hardest challenge (events, all star mode...) for you? - All Star for Smash 4. So many characters to fight, and one is supposed to do it with every character (and on both versions!). Are you excited for Smash Ultimate? - Yeah, I suppose so. If so, in what are you the most excited for? - World of Light. It looks cool, but I am concerned that it will not be as amazing as Subspace Emissary.) In which new character are you the most excited for? - Simon, Inkling In which returning character (character who wasn't constantly in the cast since Melee) are you the most excited for? - Snake (While I don't play him much, I absolutely love having him in the game. I didn't think he would return.) In which classic character are you the most excited for? - Mario (Gonna go back to my Brawl instincts and beat everyone up with Mario.) What's your opinion about the Echo character? - They are essentially just clone characters but with an official term. I have no real opinion of them. Any character you want to see in Smash, but hasn't made it into the cast yet? - James Bond, played by Pierce Brosnan. We need our Goldeneye 64 representation! - Honestly, I just go with the flow with the reveals as I have no one I desperately want into Smash. If Banjo and Geno make it in, that'll be nice to see. In which videogame series did Super Smash Bros introduce you? - Fire Emblem (I liked Marth and Roy in Melee with their music, but it was Lyn from Brawl who prompted me to look up what Fire Emblem was. Sacred Stones ended up being my first game.) - Mother (While I have never played Earthbound or Mother 3, I have looked into the franchise. It seems interesting.) Have you ever built a stage? - Yes. I loved building stages in Brawl. 4's stage builder was crap. I don't think Custom Stages are coming back for Ultimate though... Could you imagine that Smash Ultimate that could become the final part of this series? - Yes. I doubt it though, but I wonder if the next Smash title will take a step back or continue trying to outdo itself with each installment. Have you ever played competitive? - No. I have no interest in competitions. With whom can you go under Final Destination? - Never tried. How much do you care for tierlists? - I find it fun to look at occasionally and feel happy if a favorite character is on the list. Otherwise, I don't pay much attention to it (at least for Smash Brothers). How would you describe your experience with the Smash Bros series in three words? Gentlemen, Let's Brawl.

Agreed. I know I loved the cutscenes in Brawl, but newer Smash Bros tends to allocate "cutscene budget" to character trailers. They are still awesome, but there is a difference between characters being awesome and characters interacting with each other. I remember on a GameXplain discussion there were some inconsistent with the Simon reveal trailer, with some speculation that parts of the trailer may be cut from an actual in-game cutscene. At the very least I expect bosses to be cutscenes.

Piranha Plant eh? An interesting and amusing choice. A shame there is not another Xenoblade Chronicles rep (a costume does not count), but it is what it is. I would have liked to see what is coming for DLC, but I guess it is under wraps because some characters may be third party and negotiations may still be in progress. Adventure Mode saved the Direct for me. A shame it is not apparently a "deep storyline" like in Brawl, but I'll take it. I loved the opening cutscene, especially the bit with Shulk and Snake. And of course Kirby starts everything off. Kirby is the most OP character confirmed! // I just wonder if there are platforming stages in Adventure or if it is normal battles with a twist (with some boss encounters here and there). Not too keen on the lyrical song, but it may grow on me. My favorite Smash is probably still Brawl because of its music, Subspace Emissary, and overall aesthetic. Also, no Stage Builder this time around? I just remembered about that and not having a Stage builder sorta sucks. I loved that feature in Brawl...

Honestly, I'm not feeling it so far. The Ken reveal and cinematic was cool. Aside from that, I am indifferent to Pokemon and Spirits Mode is just a next iteration of "Brawl Stickers" and "4's Custom Fighters." I never believed in the leak but I have a feeling it affected my expectations for this Direct. It also seems the Direct is full of padding to fill out the running time... Hopefully they cover the bosses and a possible story mode. If there is no story mode, I'm gonna be disappointed.

And the list is back to not being editable again... Anyways, here is the updated one. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Serenes FGO - Friend Code IDs