Interdimensional Observer

Beautiful! You cleaned house with Anankos (and Naga knows he needs assisted living). Hope he paid well, have you seen the mess he left his kingdom in? Ruins can get so dusty! Those who say it's part of the charm, are just too lazy to grab a feather duster. Cleanliness is next to sanity you know. I tried to start my plans for a Great Master Revelation run by the way. Revelation is a little less bothersome on Normal, Icezumo is still as unpleasant as eating polar bear liver, but the rest isn't so bad. The mode wasn't balanced for difficulty, so why play it as a challenge instead of a fun time thing? The big issue for this run was that by picking Rev over BR, I was stuck with only 3 GMs until Azama showed up, so not until after Chapter 17. Oh well, Hinata surprisingly turned out decently.

Well the Crusaders would need to invent a new world order after they get rid of Loptyr. I cannot see them using Loptyrian law codes, tax systems, and morality and whatnot in their new societies- they're too tainted with EVIL! Now they could do whatever they wanted according to their own inclinations, being world saviors loved by all, with demigod powers able to crush any opposition. They perhaps could also ask Naga and Forseti for advice, since old dragon civilization might have some lessons for humanity. Yet, I don't think this would be enough for the Crusaders. Bragi did revitalize faith in the earthen gods of pre-Loptyr, on top of which the Crusaders were placed- a hybrid system of old and new. Between whatever surviving documents remained from the old days, and an oral tradition, which would perhaps have great strength in this less-than-modern world due to absence of mass literacy, they would have some stores of the knowledge of the pre-Loptyr Jugdral. So in practice, I'd expect Jugdral after Loptyr to be a mishmash of Crusader invention, and pre-Loptyr tradition. To be revolutionary, and yet also form a link between what presumably was a glorious past in the minds of those who lived through Loptyrian tyranny, which was an aberration disconnecting the natural continuity in Jugdral's history. For the farmers who presumably make up most of Jugdral's populace, by what inheritance method did they distribute the land to future generations? It is possible they chose according to their own ancestral tradition which the Crusaders played no part in. And even if their monarchal Crusader dictated primogeniture or partible inheritance, there is a chance the Crusader chose their form based on what they preferred using pre-Loptyr Jugdral as the reference point. I use the farmer inheritance hypothetical, since it is practical, mundane, and perhaps likely to have endured through the end of the Loptyr era. How many Crusaders would have a passionate and innovative approach to this topic? And even if they Crusaders were factually wrong about something in their ancient history, if they invoked on the grounds of tradition and didn't know they were wrong, then the intent remains they were trying to be historical. And that intent is more relevant than the reality in what I'm saying here. Unnecessary worldbuilding, as long as it doesn't detract from the rest of the game, I would love plenty of this. But of course, having one or three writers spend time on such a superfluous endeavor is quite often deemed just that.

Well in my absence, I couldn't help but continue a bunch of this. I did not finish any single character's story, mostly going up to the Miracle, and it needs work. Nonetheless I'm willing to present some material. To be precise, I'll present Ced. The only issue with his years is that of the actual Holy War- those will be something I work on later. Partly, it is because I have yet to define everyone, I still can't decide what the heck to do with Hodr. I took one major artistic licensing move here, with the reason being it helps flesh things out and explains how someone else found out about what was happening. For convenience, I'm breaking this down into "chapters" of differing lengths, even though I didn't write it that way. It's for the sake of making this more manageable to read.: Chapter 1- Birth of the Wind User (I think Treasure makes this his title) Chapter 2- The Acolyte Meets the Vagabond Chapter 3- The Adventures of the Acolyte and the Vagabond Chapter 4- Ced and the Truth of Jugdral's Condition Chapter 5- Ced in the Liberation Army Chapter 6- Ced and the Decline of the Liberation Army Chapter 7- Ced at the Miracle of Darna Chapter 8- The First Possession Chapter 9- How Forseti-Ced Existed and How he Interacted with Fatherhood Chapter 10- The Metaphysics of All Future Forseti Possessions Chapter 11- King Ced of Silesse Chapter 12- Ced's Retirement and Death

Looks to me like Uhai is ranked a little too lowly, he should be at least above Legault. Legault is cunning, but he admits all he ever was was a cleaner- killing off traitors. Uhai it seems to me, according to his class, was in terms of raw power much stronger. Otherwise I agree with everything else. I get the impression without direct evidence that Ursula was a Sonia appointee, owing to her great loyalty to her. Since Jaffar is also a clear Nergal addition to the Four Fangs, Ursula could be. This doesn't mean much when it comes to power though.

Sorry this is a little late, but congratulations! I also finished my MA this winter, just a few days ago to be precise. Not too bad. Graduation isn't until May though, being lumped with the Spring group and all for the school to save money from having to do a separate ceremony. Wish it didn't have to end, if I had the money, I'd just spend my life racking up degrees.

Loonnnngg, I tried to read a bunch of it, but it may be of some merit. Certainly a lot of passion behind this interpretation. The author's argument Stephen isn't inherently good is interesting, a way of downplaying the goodness of Neutral that isn't criticizing it for being pathetic. I'll buy that some of this was thought of by the writers, but all of it? I'll express skepticism. I'm sure one if devoted can do this with practically any game, or any story of sufficient length- it is the creative power of the human mind. Call it a cautious cynicism. For any subtle goodness of the whole thing of which the author of the article speak, it is a little too subtle for me. It was overriden by the silliness and anime genericness of the cast, which I found insufferable at times. Subtle nuance is great, but do try to have some ready appeal on the surface, not just Navarre's glowing green rear end in my face. The Divine Powers were a nice idea though, like the White, but much more appealing, since they're spiritual rebirth and freedom, and not nonexistence (not like Nocture's Reason of Shijima is all that different). And to be fair, the old Law vs. Chaos vs. Neutral system can get boring, it needs some innovation from time to time. Nocturne tossed the spirits of the Gaians and Messians into a Kalpa where they can't do anything for good reasons. I was also turned off in a crumugedon like way by the Apo's choice to separate

Don't forget Devil Summoner- the Japan-only Saturn game that was followed by the sequel Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers. I started with Devil Survivor, and overall it's great. As for a traditional SMT, best gameplay is Apocalypse, but Nocturne holds up surprisingly well despite its age I found. Not perfect in gameplay, and flat characters too, but on the whole it is amazing, and doesn't have the contradictory tone of Apo's plot. Apparently Atlus made a statement sometime this year saying they're always looking for an opportunity to remake Nocturne, hope they act on it eventually. I love the Digital Devil Saga games, but the first is a little too uneventful sequel bait, and DDS2 is sadly rushed at the very end, despite being tight elsewhere in the narrative (gameplay is good, but dungeons are a little weak).

Are you not getting enough sleep already? I'm a little surprised the game hasn't tempted me at all in the past... year I guess? Last January/MSZ is the only thing that stands out for me. *Yawn* Well there is always next year. I'm still not giving up on this game yet. The January NH I'm going to lean on not being optimistic of, but February surely must win my affections, or March at least? Sloth Orb count stands at ~820. Don't feel like discussing the disappointment of the past banners, I'm sure enough has already been spewed of them and I'd contribute nothing new. Random comment, that new sword dude reminds me of TMS Chrom a little, just from the glimpse of the login artwork. Also @Vaximillian, cute avi. Just don't end up like the cat in Christmas Vacation.

SMW is good, I actually finished it outside of the Special Zone, unlike SMB3 (made to late Pipe Land). SMW is significantly easier, although playing on the Wii U, I did restore point before every level, just to reduce my visits to the one place for lives and capes. The only bad part about SMW is the Fortresses and Castles. For some reason, the difficulty seems to massively spike with them in every single world. I had to restore point inside them to get through, which I avoided doing elsewhere. Also:

They're both pinned and translated on the Tellius boards here. Some material seems to be from earlier versions of the game, or a little inconsistent with the final products, but overall, they're good. Although I will say Tellius isn't perfect. We needed to see more of the Laguz countries for instance, but I'm someone who really likes a lot of world-building, and still loves Tellius the most.

Although I do recognize the various issues of this in every facet, I have come to really like XCX. It is a shame Monolith isn't going to port it to Switch (and why can't they find someone else to do it with a small handful of Monolith overseers? Nintendo got somebody else to remake OoT and MM rather than do it themselves, how much harder could it be?), ideally with a litany of tweaks and additions to expand it. The game should be available to a larger audience. Didn't finish all the sidequests, but I do think the NPC and enemy aliens (ignoring one-offs and two-offs) were fairly well handled. My breakdown, from less to more liked: The Nopon is the worst of the bunch, being out of line with the game's general art and narrative direction, and Tatsu is a sin which Monolith can never cleanse itself of. But they do interject a little good humor from time to time as a silver lining, and Nopon Skells in that great hypothetical called a sequel could either be WTF amazing, or WTF baaaad! And it does establish them as a race present throughout the present Xeno franchise. Milsaadi- Why don't they get any sidequest attention? The bestiary stuff on them sounds good. Cave Clan Prone- just the brutes of the Ganglion, not much else. But at least they don't break the tone like the Nopon. Definians- The idea of them is cool, if generic, the problem is that they are overused and used badly in some cases, like Boze's 3rd Affinity Mission. Zaruboggans- They're barely there, but they have a purpose, which I'll get to more later. Wrothians- Beast humanoids with a Japanese flair, more fantasy than sci-fi. Not bad, their designs are cool, but nothing terribly unique. Tree Clan Prone- Peaceful people among the otherwise brutish and ugly race, this is a nice contrast for humanizing the Prone overall. Manon- We did not need the Nopon when the Manon exist. They're small and weak like the Nopon, they're lazy too with some quirks like the pizza obsession. Perhaps in a way cute to some, but certainly not as obnoxiously kawaii as the Nopon, and they fit into the overall picture of things. The Nopon, being primitive natives of Mira, do in a way allow the Manon to be high-tech, since if they were high-tech and native, then Mira should have actual civilization galore and not just wilderness. By being geniuses, the Manon provide a subtle rival among smart aliens with the best-handled alien race in XCX... The Orphe! Design-wise, their insect-inspired bodies are more creative than some of the others here, and we get a good deal of lore with them. I will add I like how we get a full hierarchy of the Ganglion system from the NPC aliens. "Ganglion" Ganglion (Luxaar and that one lady) + Ryyz (I hate her) at the top, Prone comprise the bulk of the forces, Milsaadi are elites, Definians are super-elite. Orphe provide the R&D brains, the Zaruboggans are the menial laborers doing the absolute worst of the tasks. Genius! It also makes firing off arts faster. Assign to - the AI commands, to + the Overdrive mechanic. Use the shoulders to toggle other things, like getting in/out of a Skell and swapping from melee to ranged weapon and vice versa. Also, Curator here, out to collect and research native things, be it Ganglion tech, ancient ruins from who knows when (please explain Mira XCX2), and lots and lots of indigen guano. More seriously, I love BLADE's defined divisions of labor, much as I do the Ganglion racial split. It is just a little detail, but this bit of world-building, a rational planning of workers and goals, is sound reasoning when game plots can be lacking in that. The soundtrack is growing on me too, not so much Black Tar or the NLA theme, but the rest is decent to good. It wasn't until recently that I on my own found out what "raTEoREkiSImeAra" meant, clever Sawano.

I played this game rather intensely until halfway into the last raid event, partly because I banned myself from playing anything else. I just got bored of it, might start playing it again later. During my play time, very lucky with the choir dragon though, and now I have a Jeanne and a Garuda, plus Lowen, but I still only have 3 Wind characters (maybe I should spend some of my 21000 Wyrmite). This said, it looks like they're making a lot of good improvements. Plus for the holidays they're giving an extra 1500 Wyrmite in login bonuses, a total of, if I have it right, 2500 in co-op Wyrmite bonuses, two Tenfold Tickets, plus a guaranteed 5* character ticket. That is a lot of great goodies! Maybe I'll get back into it before this is all over.

Sorry for the necro-ish reply, I haven't been here for a while. I do like V's gameplay a lot, much better than anything else from 4-8 and 10. I'm waiting for the Switch port of Zodiac Age, and I'm really wanting to try it out. I loves a good class system. I'll use all 12 classes. I heard anyone can be anything and you won't fundamentally mess up, although I will play with natural stat leanings. So Ashe and Penelo will get -Mages, the non-Tidus dudes physical classes, Tidus might be a good dual cannon it seems, so he'll be getting Red Mage I've decided, Fran gets whatever is left. I really haven't looked any deeper into things, trying to keep it blind, but I was fearful of messing up and had to check a little. As for VIIRemake stuff. I wonder how far Episode 1 will go? Midgar + the dreaded Nibelheim flashback would work, if they could somehow fit in a Sephiroth battle. But while this gives sufficient intensity, and is a good break point in terms of the story, the stuff after that is much more low key, it seems short. Unless they add new stuff while in Midgar, perhaps before the game's classic opening the bombing mission? Or after that but before the rest of the Midgar arc stuff unfolds? I also asked for the controversial XIII for Xmas. At only $5, if it is as bad as they say, it'd be a small loss. I just want to experience it for myself, rather than only read what others have to say about it. After leaving things halfway into the Chapter 1s, I finally got back into Octopath Traveler. It wasn’t hard to readapt to it. Took two days to finish those first chapters, which were something of a slog. I find for the story moments, I prefer to play docked, and but for anything else, I feel the big screen is a bit “tiresome” for when I’m just walking from town to town or grinding. I find standard battles to drag on sometimes, because enemies when they aren’t broken take too little damage. I am patient though, and now that subjobs are becoming mine, things are proceeding at a faster pace. And after the first couple bosses, I think they stop being HP sinks, if you have a team able to hit weaknesses and break them more quickly that is. That shouldn’t be such a problem with secondary jobs. Character-wise, they’re all nice. Gameplay-wise… I’m mostly playing blind. Though I did hit GFAQs just to see if there was a difference between Inquire and Scrutinize, or Allure and Guide- that there really isn’t much of one is a shame, because Path Actions are a nifty idea. Different info and different summon Skills from NPCs would be one way of correcting this. Or perhaps every NPC could be in need of some health product, and Alfyn could concoct different remedies for them, receiving a reward little or great for doing so. Getting back on track, I also looked at when subjobs become available. Apparently, now that I have Chapter 1 done for all, I was ready to go for getting the subjobs, which I read were somewhere near the Chapter 2 towns for the most part. I was really raring to get them, since they're adding a heckuva lot of flexibility that I was lacking on a 4-traveler crew. So far, I’ve nabbed half of them, surprised to see that they’re just in a straight line in the open in their semi-secret caves, though I do like the locations being hidden if just a little. Why not hide them in the back of the optional enemy-filled areas? Oberic really wanted Hunter, because having access to four weapon types makes him so much more versatile (even if Apothecary has the Axe skills). That Crit & Accuracy buff should help fix Thousand Spears. As for the rest, well since I can shuffle them around, Cyrus will just take whatever gives him elemental weakness targeting for a given boss. Therion could grab Dancer for bosses to buff Oberic, but Merchant, as redundant as it is with Thief’s HP and SP drains, would give him four weapon types for normal affairs. Ophilia, healing will take up the majority of her time in boss fights, but Warlock for some versatile offense makes the most sense to me. H’annit if I can find room for her, will do the same as Oberic, but in reverse and take Warrior, or Thief. Lastly, I also got a little lucky and killed two of those Caits. I had glanced on GFAQs that they can be OHKOed with a M Soulstone, and indeed that works with anybody. I could’ve killed a third, but I tried using an S Soulstone, and that isn’t enough. Therion and Tressa will have to keep me stocked with a few just in case. There are plenty of other games, RPGs and not (a second BotW run, finishing Plague Knight), that I want and should be getting to, such XC2 and VC4. But I’m waiting until I get a larger Micro SD Card for Xmas for those two, since I don't want to have to shift their data from one card to another later.

First I’m baaaack! And now with an MA earned with distinction (although I kinda took the easy route by not doing a thesis). I criticize my sloven nature as I am oft to do to no effect, but somehow like always I came out on top. I don’t get me. Anywho, as I shifted my procrastination habits elsewhere, I stumbled on something that isn't a timeline shenanigan that made me a little upset about The Legend of Zelda lore and junk. I've since cooled and accepted this, but this is from when I was hot. Not sure how well-known this new information is. According to Zelda Wiki, the new Hyrule Encyclopedia declares that Termina was created when the Skull Kid put on Majora’s Mask. His own sorrows and memories combined with the diabolical powers of the mask, formed the foundation of Termina. The Four Giants were based on four old friends of the Skull Kid. After Link destroyed the evil in the mask and left, Termina shortly thereafter ceased to exist. So congrats Link, you spent 3x* days saving a total of two people and two fairies. You selflessly braved terrible evils and helped dozens of nonpersons from a falling Moon that would destroy this world which had existed for no more than a few months in Hylian time. Where was clear and beyond a reasonable doubt evidence for this in the actual game? When did Nintendo decide this was the case? Was Termina always a fiction? Or is this a modern retcon? There are things, like Termina celebrating masks, having the MM painted on blocks and elsewhere, and the Skull Kid’s paintings in the one Spiderhouse. But none of this inherently has to mean Majora’s Mask spontaneously created it all, you could certainly conceive of other possibilities. I can say I don’t like it. This cheapens the entire MM experience. What motivation do I have now to save anybody when nobody is real, when the ancientness of the Ikana Kingdom is falsehood (or at least a 1000+ year history that unfolded at a immensely accelerated pace of time vis a vis Hyrule- a Deeprealm to speak in FE language)? Link’s journey in this glorified toy box of Majora becomes less meaningful in ways, and I’m partial to the Hero of Time. Now there will be counterarguments. All video game worlds are a fiction, which is true, but typically, I’m supposed to believe they are real, and few times is it said in the game that they aren’t. Another argument is more obvious- Link’s Awakening, for reasons anyone who has cleared that game knows, and probably many who haven’t. But Link’s Awakening is different, because you find out in the game itself the truth directly, whereas MM itself as said above does not appear to provide such evidence. Others might say that there is something beautiful or nuanced in Link doing all he can to save these people who ultimately don’t exist, that he is truly selfless in helping those who are but illusory constructs. For one who is absolutely virtuous, all forms of life, semi-life, or that which they think is alive, are sacred and hence worth aiding. However, Link likely didn’t know Terminians weren’t real, which could lead one to think Link only helped them because he thought they were real. Although Link not having a selfish bone in his many bodies, he probably would still help the Terminians even if he knew them to be false. Although you could say that Terminians are conscious, intelligent beings who have real emotions, despite their origins. The shortness of their existence, inevitably destined to soon end either by the Moon’s apocalypse or Link’s “salvation”, should not detract from that fact they did for a time exist. That Kafei and Anju did love each other deeply cannot be denied, that Link saved their romance is a heroic thing, even if within minutes of the wedding vows, all faded to void. But I do think it more than not makes the Termina sidestory null and hurts MM than it helps. Not to mention it sounds a little like Nintendo found that dead Link creepypasta and decided to do something somewhat similarly psychological. P.S., this means that all the four transformation masks were therefore the MM’s creations. The Kishin (Fierce Deity, the SMT fan in me makes me say Kishin) Mask’s mysterious past is no mystery, it is the MM’s own dark powers turned against it, willingly turned against it in a whimsical way. From one perspective, this is cool, but it leaves me wondering if, sadly, upon completion of MM, all of Link’s newly acquired gear including the Kishin, disappeared. Not that Link needed it anymore, but still. P.P.S. What does this make of the Deku Butler’s Son? He is found cursed outside of Termina. Does the Deku Butler, assuming he remained there long enough, survive the demise of Termina? Or does he too fade away? The unnamed location is between Termina and Hyrule, whether it survives the end of Termina or not is uncertain. That the Butler and Son survived out of Termina does suggest that Terminians did not have to be in Termina itself to continue existing. Bound to MM’s powers they were, but they were not wholly facades it seems.

Reminds me of this: As for Alm, neither. He borrows from Nomah instead, and ignores how people start calling him "Spinach Rag".

Silly human, you can look up my dress all you want, but just remember that when I feel like it. I. Will. Kill. You.

...to assemble whatever food you on hand into a makeshift broom and use that. So if you have french fries and hot dogs, you use the fries as your broom's head, and assemble the hotdogs into the stick, making a glue out of condiments to hold it all together. The proper way to use an umbrella is...

Here is an even BETTER question: Why does Hell have (with a few individuals holding multiple titles): 9 Kings 23 Dukes 7 Princes 15 Marquises 5 Counts 1 Knight 12 Presidents and only one top chef?

One, I have my doubts about Ogre Battle 64. Two, Dr. Mario and Pokemon Puzzle League aren't on here. Nor are Quest 64 and Superman 64. And if you're including Konami, then Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon and Goemon's Great Adventure are possibilities, more so the former.

You don't, you instead invest in smart-endoscope. Why does Hell have a paymaster?

Goes down in history as the victim of genocide in the 1840s in Ireland. And presently would be staging a campaign against oil attacks, unfortunately, it backfires because too many people find the imagery graphically delicious. In an alternate universe where the US Post Office delivered mail by missiles...

Sound cool, but how hard would it be to walk in them over a metallic surface? And how much magnetism would they need to lift a human being, of upwards of say, 300 pounds? If they threaten to cripple your electronic devices, or interfere with clothing, or medical implants, then they're useless outside of dedicated magnet boot recreational rinks. As for daily use, they'd need, if it was feasible to walk in them, magnetic walking paths specifically for them, or to repave old ones in a thin sheet of something magnetic. And worse, even if it was possible to walk in them, would it end up being more calorically intensive than normal walking? If so, then they're nothing more than a workout fad. Cool at first is a 8/10, practical implementation sounds more like a 4/10. An oven that can scan the surface and internal temperatures of whatever you are cooking, and then display the thermal mapping of such to you.

Looks to be on the surface of the Sun.

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Why not Togetic/Togekiss? Or perhaps Blissey?