Hawkwing
-
Posts
1,049 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Posts posted by Hawkwing
-
-
-
On 12/12/2022 at 9:34 PM, Hawkwing said:
Which is barely related, but I have an excuse to once again ask IS for a taguel on trampoline alt. I know it's not a very funny running gag, but dammit! I want an opportunity to at least once be that obnoxious asshole that laughs like a maniac and yells "I Fucking Called It!" while everyone else is confused. Years after people stopped caring about the game. It might be funny.Also because I'd really like for Panne and/or Yarne to get an alt.On 12/20/2022 at 10:01 PM, Hawkwing said:I know if I actually played the game I would probably be singing a different tune, but I actually kind of like the weirder banners they have. It allows the artists to have fun, and developers can get creative with how they turn the oddest things into viable weapons for a turn based strategy game. At this point I doubt a trampoline weapon would be the weirdest or even most anachronistic thing they've done. It would also be nice to have artwork of the taguels having fun, considering how Panne looks grumpy and Yarne seems nervous in most of their official artwork.
Speak of the devil...
It's not a trampoline, but I'll take it. It's nice to see Panne and Yarne in a better mood.
And official artwork of them wearing something modest.Anyway, I'm going to be visiting relatives in another state for several days, so I won't to be near my computer for a while. Thought I should be transparent about that.
On the bright side, I can feasibly see a way to cram Rook's day into 2-3 updates. It thankfully wasn't quite as wordy as last time.
May as well do replies now instead of making you wait another week:
SpoilerOn 12/25/2022 at 5:17 AM, Saint Rubenio said:Welp.
Here we go again.
Considering how many times this has happened to me, I empathize deeply.
Beat the final boss with the power of yoga.
It will be a while off, but may I make a drawing request of this exact scenario? I don't care if it's using yoga poses to defeat the boss or if they're having a workout competition, I need artwork of this.
Just, such a pretty game.
It's a broken record, but Berwick Saga needs more attention in general.
I'll note it down.
It's one of, if not thee, best looking pixel-art games I've ever seen. The story is great, and the gameplay is solid.
It mostly makes me sad whenever it gets overlooked because the game took 9 years to make and got lost in the shuffle of indie games that also used pixel art.
Also, maybe look at their next game, Vikings on Trampolines, which also looks beautiful, and I can dig their aim to create a multiplayer party game that only uses the joystick.
Actually, if you don't want to be decimated by the pros? Avoid servers. Just go casual. You find the occasional pubstompers and insane snipers that make you question if they're using hacks, but for the most part people don't play as seriously there.
Noted. I'm juggling several games at the moment, so it may be a while before I jump into TF2, but I'll make it a goal to play the game in 2023
...Of course, the bot invasion is a thing. Here in Europe, in my experience, it's completely negligible, but I don't know how it is over in the US casual servers. People in the forums direct everyone to community servers by default, but then, the official TF2 forums are a completely horrible cesspool and one of the worst online community I've ever seen, so.
Yeah, I've heard about the bot invasion. I have no idea if anything has been done to stomp it out.
Hah, I had that same "problem." Except since every single one of my cards was great, it wasn't a problem. Not for me!
It becomes a problem when you're not going to see those cards again for 5 turns, and even harder to gain experience when Rook may become fatigued before some options even show up.
Yeah, that sounds plausible. Of course, in my run I didn't fight her, so I wouldn't have known.
SpoilerIt only appears during the final boss if you use her card. If you fight her otherwise she just uses a knife.
I might come back to this point later depending on how things go, but I appreciate that Kalandra is a competent but not outstanding combatant. She can hold her own in a fight, but it reinforces that her skillset is in being a leader.
I prefer to picture it as, he doesn't give a flying damn about all that, he's just really, really afraid of water. Probably doesn't shower as a result. Rook stinks!
Considering how unclean real life swamp water is, I can't say I fully blame him.
Though that does raise the question of if anyone bothers showering in Grout Bog, if you're just going to get dirty again.
If I recall, I turned on the barons and the robot helped me murderize them.
Yeah, I'm not surprised.
You know.
I didn't.
That was only partially intentional. I wanted to get to the second attempt sooner than later.
Lalalalalalalalalalalalala not listening.
Dread it. Run from it. You will never escape the truth that Rook didn't always have his legendary 'stache!
Terrible for stealth, though. Friggin' walking nightclub.
Well, I have mentioned before that there were some situations I would have liked to handle stealthily but the game didn't provide the option. The grifters are sneaky when they feel like it.
I like the terrified smile. He looks like he's thinking "oh shit, c'mon I can't have been killed like that can I?"
Death via space mosquito would be a pretty anticlimactic way to go. Though I also wouldn't be surprised if he's worried something will burst out of his chest like in an Aliens movie.
Or maybe he's played Far Cry 2 and dreads having to deal with Space Malaria.
I liked this little thing. It grew in the background without me even realizing.
...Pretty sure it eventually only added to my power, too.
I believe that's the point.
He better be careful. If he doesn't get his act together, that mean-looking baron might have him... delt with.
I would normally facepalm, but Klei likes their puns, so this would make them proud.
Thank goodness you didn't kill Del. He's cool, we know him.
Source: https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0784.html
He's even making an evil guy pose here. I know he's going for his guns but still, he looks like he's about to explain his supervillainous plan to Chake.
Rook would give a pretty awesome villain monologue.
And now the other one.
Del and Keebee are the secret protagonists of this story.
Also Rook looks sick of running into the two of them everywhere lol
Rook's going "There are hundreds of characters in this game. Why do I keep running into these two?"
To be fair, I'll take it over the game resorting to boring generic NPC hodgepodges. Rook's campaign has the highest chance of them appearing, and I hate it.
I mean, there's a point to be made there.
I know friendship is important (and I appreciate the cheaper prices), but...
I like Kalandra just chilling in the shadows there.
It looks like she's going to backstab each of them.
Rook counters the cheapstake's insinuation by making a dumb face. Is it highly effective.
If it weren't midnight, I would have taken screenshots of Henry Stickman.
You've played the games. You know what making a dumb face can accomplish.
Not that I'm any more qualified to talk about this than you are - if anything I'm less qualified - but I will say that I feel you are correct. It's very justified to make a distinction between religions and churches. Religions are perfectly fine. Churches often end up becoming as corrupt as any other organization.
SpoilerInteresting, as I'd flip the two around, though admittedly that is because of how words are applied. Since religion can sometimes just be a description. But I've see "religious" used as shorthand for people who have it as part of their life instead of the center. The kind of people who go to church and read their Bible on Sunday but don't put those lessons into practice for the rest of the week. There are also those people that ignorantly believe that "all religions are the same" and wonder why everyone can't get along, when they don't bother to do any actual research or only dig surface deep into the matter.
As for the church, they're similar wordplay going on. It can mean a building, a group of people, or Christians as a whole. You don't need a building to have a church. Churches are made up of flawed people that stumble. Sometimes that sadly results in corruption and other evils, but Jesus didn't come to help the healthy, but to heal the sick. God is not blind to injustice, but He is also gracious and shows mercy for genuine repentance. There is also the Church that is rooted in Gods plan and will never fail, no matter how often or strongly it is attacked.
That's a pretty amazing design.
There's a reason he appeared in an announcement trailer.
I wouldn't mind if Fire Emblem took some design cues from the Spree when creating the brigand factions.
Well, well, look who it is.
I'm becoming increasingly curious which path you want Smith's story to take...
Oh I would, very much.
It wouldn't have been a bad idea to attack in hindsight. Ash may have died.
All this talk about expensive boots is giving me flashbacks to the outrageously pricey cloth bags from Berwick Saga lol
...You think these boots are made of the same materials as those bags? Did Bagman branch out into other markets with the riches he obtained from his baggy empire?
Bagman saw the need for boots in a marshland as infamous as Grout Bog, and decided to continue his business of overpricing much needed goods.
Oh, dear...
Wait, that went pretty well! What could have happened for you to--
...Oh.
Oh.
I mean it, I really should have just killed Ash then and there. I don't know why I forgot that Dellena was a priest who made for a poor ally. I actually had the benefit of experience there. Maybe I'm used to the Cult having some surprisingly strong combatants that I forgot Dellena wasn't one of them?
Wow, for a rather old-looking game those are some SUPER detailed reload animations. Especially for third person. Usually shooters put lots of detail in the first person animations, but then you see them in third and it just doesn't measure up.
I didn't grow up with Capcom, and the first thing the usually comes to mind are the 8-bit Mega Man games. I sometime to forget that their games can have some surprisingly high production values. Like, the Mega Man X games spriteworks still looks amazing, the recent Resident Evil games are astonishingly well detailed, and I keep forgetting Devil May Cry released years ago. Hell, as bonkers as Resident Evil can get, they're impressively diligent about characters following gun safety.
I heavily recommend Resident Evil 4, by the way. It's an amazing action game that still holds up beautifully, and the few places where it's aged are more due to being an incredibly influential game, so of course other companies polished up the flawed aspects while giving their own spin (It's part of the reason I want to try Dead Space 1 and 2 sometime, as RE4 was cited as a direct influence). It's not a scary game, but it can get pretty tense, and the limited controls do a good job of making you never feel fully in control of the situation in a good way.
Just as a heads up; the game takes place somewhere in Spain, and the enemies apparently drop some pretty strong swear words frequently in their native language. There is also a running joke that Resident Evil 4 is "Racist against Spaniards", so you'll find the representation to either be so-bad-it's-good or just tasteless, or maybe a mixture of the two.
Hah you're right, it is fun!
There is something mesmerizing about flipping between two screenshots that line up well together.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
He's trascended.
I don't really have anything to add. It's just a hilarious picture.
Oof... Yeah, that was unfortunate.
Experience is a harsh but effective teacher.
He would've saved you if he attacked Ash. Instead he said something mean to him and then watched you die. Probably did deal the finishing whack the turn after, too.
This guy's the worst.
Well, he did get those documents and didn't spend a shill on Rook...
That said, whatever organization Rook was working for is not going to be happy with Dellena. I doubt he's going enjoy his swindle for long.
On 12/25/2022 at 6:12 PM, eclipse said:Sometimes, the RNG can be a total tool. Can't count how many Sal runs ended like that.
I'm impressed that the situation doesn't occur more often, but it is frustrating when it does.
And yeah, it was a lumicyte. The best lumicyte.
Lumicytes are amazing pets.
EDIT: And as for church stuff.
The church loses its way every time it sticks its damn nose into politics. Including its own internal politics.
The older I get, the more I appreciate Paul's letters. There is a comfort in knowing that these aren't new problems and we have the tools to improve the situation.
Also, I got Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope as a Christmas gift. If you're a strategy fan of any caliber, I heavily recommend picking it up. The gameplay is incredibly unique and incredibly polished.
-
Just now, Armchair General said:
Okay, if you're ironmanning an game that you've already played, what's stopping you from being ready for the ambush spawn?I mean, when was the last time those guys didn't pop out of an set of stairs or forts? Or the edges of the map?
If the games were more consistent about reinforcements always appearing in forts and arriving on certain turns, I would be less critical. Instead, it can heavily depend on the map and game, and I'm not a fan of resorting to a guide to figure out exactly which side of the map an enemy that the game doesn't warn me about will appear on as well as the who and the when. It doesn't help that sitting on a fort to block reinforcements is not exciting gameplay.
Like I said in my first post on the topic, as annoying as cantors can be, you can at least always tell where they're going to summon monsters as well as what creatures will appear, and eventually you can get a feel when they'll act.
1 minute ago, Armchair General said:I might have had an similar issue in "Falling Short of Heaven" but I really don't remember much about that run, except that it took me an while to find the bosses. I think it was the only map in 3H that had me stretched thin. As for fliers in them, I'm going through this list in reverse order and I'm not seeing an lot of fliers in those maps. Sure, there's at least 2 Falcon Knights in Radiant Dawn, but your defending an fort in that one. I'm also seeing some pretty weak monsters in the 11th chapter of an GBA game, another where they're funneled through an fort or something. I'm halfway through, but an feels like nearly all the enemies within the fog of war maps throughout the series are ground units.
Like I keep saying, the game hides stats and weapons from you. In a series that revolves around making choices by comparing enemy and ally stats. The same class may appear twice on the same map, yet my approach on how to deal with each one could differ drastically depending on which weapon they have equipped and/or if one is faster or stronger than the other. Ambush Spawns and Fog of War hide a core part of the game, and can be overly punishing for something you don't have many opportunities to prepare for fairly.
1 minute ago, Armchair General said:Yeah, but it also eats into your budget and fighting capability if too many people go down in quick succession.
Which discourages you from playing foolishly. XCOM gives you the ability to recover from losses, even if it eats away at other resources. If you lose a unit in Fire Emblem, you have to hope the game has a replacement prepared and that they'll actually do their job of replacing that niche.
-
Just now, Armchair General said:
I kind of disagree with this on the basis that fog of war works out for other series like Company of Heroes or XCOM (in Xcom 2, you're always going in blind without an certain upgrade to your frieghter) in the sense that you're supposed to know how to think on your feet once you start seeing people. At least with FE you can kind of cheese the experience by forming an wall or something.
XCOM deals with ranged combat, and damage is effective against everyone. Accidently activating a pod can be frustrating or even mission ending in some cases, but you have enough tools and tactics to potentially get out of the predicament.
Fire Emblem, meanwhile, is largely melee focused, and ambush spawns and fog of war attacks come in all forms. An ambushing myrmidon may do nothing against a knight but it can slaughter a mage, or a Pegasus knight could fly around your wall and strike at a healer. And you won't know what kind of opponent you're dealing with until they've already shown up and acted.
XCOM also allows you to recruit rookies to replace fallen soldiers, and encourages not relying on a single team. Fire Emblem units are gone for good if you play with permadeath, and how well the series is at giving you replacements has been a topic of discussion and debate for decades.
1 minute ago, Armchair General said:But is with you people and the inability to deal with the unknown? With most RPGs, you generally have no idea what the boss of the week has on him or what he was resistant to until you've went through it once or twice. And even if you do know what's coming at you, shit can still happen because the RNG fucking hated you.
I love roguelikes. I enjoy being given random tools and a difficult situation and being told "make this work". I'm the madman who enjoys Shadows of Valentia because of the unreliable hit rates. I don't have a problem with Fire Emblem using randomness.
What I do have an issue with is the series throwing enemies at you that you can't prepare for without trial and error or using a guide. Fire Emblem is heavily reliant on you knowing what your opponents are capable of as well as the abilities of your own team and planning accordingly. A single stat difference in speed can make all the difference in whether or not a unit gets doubled. I might not use a mage to attack a knight if said knight is using a javelin. Ambush Spawns and Fog of War says "screw that" and forces you to deal with a threat that you won't know the class, stats, or weaponry for. That's not a good thing in a series that has permadeath when the games range in how well they are at giving you ways to recover from unexpected losses.
Also, if you lose against a boss in an RPG or action game, learn from your mistakes and return for a second attempt. Ironmanning is a popular with Fire Emblem, and Ambush Spawns needlessly punish continuing with your mistakes instead of resetting after every loss. They're not fun.
-
I had to pay extra to get a headpiece that covered my bad eye.
-
Banned for using an image instead of text.
-
-
13 hours ago, lenticular said:
Do you think that having full map awareness for large Fire Emblem maps is something that is humanly possible, or do you think that it's pretty much required to ignore a lot of units each turn and only focus on what's immediately at hand?
Considering how many enemies some maps have, along with some games having skills to keep track of, I don't think full map awareness is truly attainable. However, it is still important to scour through the map to identify enemies that could be prove problematic, whether they're a threat from turn 1 or will be an issue later on.
Personally, I tend to focus on immediate threats and enemies who will be a problem on the next turn. I keep future threats in mind, especially if they're powerful, but they aren't a priority and I don't plan that far ahead. Especially since I prefer doing ironman runs, where my entire strategy has to change on a dime if I lose a character.
13 hours ago, lenticular said:For people who are less prone to making "oops, I didn't see that enemy" style mistakes, do you have any tips for what I should be doing to better avoid them? Is it a play-style thing? Are you just more meticulous than I am? Better at concentrating on more things at once? Or are there tips and tricks that I could use to get better at this?
As other people have said, pay attention to enemy ranges and use the ability to mark enemies liberally. Dealing with overlap or how moving a unit into position can disrupt where enemies ranges can be annoying, but it should be something you get used too.
Also, make sure you keep defense in mind when positioning for an attack. It can make the difference between whether you will be attacked by one enemy or three during the enemy phase.
13 hours ago, lenticular said:How do you feel about the red aggro lines? Do you think that they do a good job of mitigating the problem of the inherent difficulty (impossibility?) of full map awareness? Or do you think that there are better ways that the problem could be addressed in the UI to take that cognitive load off the player?
It's a nice feature that I don't mind being absent in previous games. Because it tells you who will be attacked on the enemy phase, I find myself playing more aggressively in Three Houses compared to previous games, as I know who I can safely move into enemy range without fear of them being attacked, whereas in other games I approach situations more defensively since I don't always know who the enemy will target. It's not a foolproof system, since the enemies plans can change if someone takes enough damage, but I feel like players should keep that in mind anyway.
9 hours ago, Zapp Branniglenn said:Ambush Spawns. To this day no Fire Emblem has appropriately given warning about ambush spawns. Info about unit type, quantity, what specific tiles they spawn on, how many turns they'll be spawning. These are the vast majority of my unit deaths, even when I know that something is coming. Similar to how you can walk into a big, symmetrical room in an action game, correctly guess that there's a boss fight in here, then you start the fight and get rocked anyway.
Ambush spawns and by extension Fog of War have no business being in Fire Emblem. Fire Emblem is heavily reliant on you knowing what enemies you're facing, what your troops are capable of, and how stats or weapons can completely change your approach. Mages can often wreck armor knights, for instance, but I might think twice about attacking an armor knight if they have a javelin and enough HP to survive the first strike. Ambush spawns and Fog of War say "screw that" and throw any enemy they want at you. Calvary and Wyvern riders may outpace you units, a mage could destroy your low res units, a warrior can chop through, etc. I hate that you either have to figure this out through trail and error, or just look up a guide to prevent getting screwed over, and I don't like whipping out my phone to have a website ready as the default way to play a game.
As frustrating as cantors can be, I always preferred them because at least they're predictable. You know where they're going to spawn, a look at the bottom screen tells you what they're going to summon, and will practice you can predict when they'll do so. They cause several maps to overstay their welcome, but the same can be said about regular reinforcements.
-
Oh, hey, this released.
I'm not going to be near my computer for several days due to visiting relatives in a different state, so I won't be able to check this out until later. Pretty excited to try this out as my first rom hack. It will be especially interesting as it's been years since I last played Sacred Stones and I didn't end up completing it, so going in mostly blind should be fun.
-
Raven
-
-
ROOK'S CAMPAIGN DAY 2: Robbing Robbers Goes Really, Really Wrong
Replies:
SpoilerOn 12/21/2022 at 2:07 AM, eclipse said:Update (This is a gameplay heavy one. Brace yourself):
SpoilerTime to see what Rook’s mysterious superiors want.
This is one of two missions Rook can get.
What in the world are Spree doing in Grout Bog? As valuable as Vagrant Age tech is, it doesn’t seem like the safest thing to transport, and the Spark Barons are already on the lookout for anyone trying to leave.
Regardless, this is potentially one of the few encounters with the Cult you can have during Rook’s campaign.
I head off to The Last Stand
Though not before running into a random event.
I know I joked earlier about running into Del again, but this is the third time I’ve encountered Keebee in two days.
I mean, leopards and cheetahs are by no means small and they have good camouflage. Though considering it’s sci-fi, Rook probably expects something bigger.
Treasure, you say?
To be fair, this is the second time someone has mentioned there being treasure in the Bog. All Rook got was friendship.
Griftlands has a few big creatures, and I’d prefer to fight them with help.
There will be a lot of gameplay in this update. Prepare yourself.
SpoilerI have two By The Book cards. They should prove useful against the argument-happy Spark Barons.
Annoying, but I can deal with it. For now…
It’s free, so may as well start off with Boosted Rationale.
It’s the only damage dealing card I have.
…Sure. It’s not like Roughneck has any composure to steal.
I hate this upgrade
At least I didn’t take any damage.
I can survive without these cards for a while.
Or I could get them back this turn!
I target All Business with By the Book
And predictably free the trapped cards with my second authority card!
Before attacking, I see what Trickery has to offer.
Sure
I use my last action to attack
It doesn’t land on heads…
But thanks to influence, Pleasantries still deals full damage, with two extra to boot!
I upgrade Call It to see if I get any last minute composure or deal 2 more damage.
It lands on Snails
Sigh, at least it’s gone.
Keebee adds Scruple and deals 4 damage.
And steals Grumple and Pleasantries. It seems every Spark Baron steals these two cards at least once per negotiation.
I can finally upgrade Dilemma while ending the negotiation faster.
I love seeing those numbers.
I play Sifting Pleasantries so I can prepare Grunt.
Unless I get unlucky, this should be the last turn.
This discussion is over.
I typically go with Restored Call It, as there are enough cards and even arguments that have an effect when you gamble that it’s worthwhile keeping. I’ve gotten a lot of use out of Decisive Call It, though, as being able to choose whether you land on Heads or Snails can make a difference rather than leaving it up to chance.
The original upgrade let you gamble twice, and while that was certainly more powerful, I’m okay with Klei giving the 0 cost card Replenish.
The action cost was never an issue, so I go with higher damage.
Attacking twice will do the same, if not more damage than Strained Grumble.
I go with Boosted Grunt for more reliable damage in the event I can’t prepare it. The damage difference isn’t that huge between the two cards anyway.
Reckless Insults: If you have reliable ways of gaining dominance, this is a solid way to sacrifice all of it to deal damage. I’ve rarely focused on cards that gain dominance with Rook, so I’ve never bothered.
Foul Mouth: A straightforward discard card. It makes up for it by giving Rook the ability to swear on demand.
Matter of Fact: I suppose it could be powerful if you’re stuck with a lot of composure granting cards and lack some method to attack, and/or you gambled like crazy and landed on the composure granting side every time. I’m going to be honest, any “sacrifice composure to do something” cards I don’t bother with, as I find their use to be either to niche or require too much set-up when a simple attack card can do the job.
I got the memo this time.
Of course we were going to be attacked. That’s why I talked you into coming along.
SpoilerPhroluk did say Grawkits were native to Grout Bog.
It still looks more like a boulder than a lizard to me.
I am once again grateful that Tight Spot can be applied to allies
Time to finally see Fralx's item item in action.
I don’t think your arm is supposed to bend that way, Rook.
Next I hit it with Shovel.
May as well give Hunker Down some much needed experience.
Keebee needlessly shoots the air to gain Power. Maybe she hoped it would scare off the Grawkit?
If that was her plan, it backfired.
Keebee’s stunned, though fortunately the lizard isn’t interested in attacking this turn.
Blast dealt 9 damage.
That’s a lot of defense to break through.
1 damage isn’t a lot, but it doesn’t keep Twig from being annoying
Though it is creepy to think of a parasite that grows like a plant, and occasionally you feel a pinch as it digs deeper…
Anyway, I gain more Overcharge, as I’ll need all the power I can get to break through the Grawkit’s defense.
Since it could use more experience I activate Ammo Pouch.
I debated a for a while whether to go with Flow or Spare Battery.
I went with Flow as it still benefits from Power and Overcharge.
I said I would go the opposite extreme when trying to catch Rook’s combat animations. I wish I was better at describing sound effects, because I really like the noise this specific shot makes.
I finish the turn by upgrading another Blast card.
Oh, they actually paid attention to Keebee’s hair when viewed from the side. That’s pretty cool.
She attacks 3 times
Grifters are immune to being stunned, so the only annoying thing about this attack is the damage I took.
It’s the only attack card I have this turn
May as well gain experience on Fully Loaded.
I would have used Brain Tick, but no one has any debuffs.
Apparently Keebee is left eye dominant. That’s the only reason one would close their eyes when shooting. Even then, it won’t be as accurate compared to keeping both eyes open.
Interestingly, professionally trained snipers actually keep both their eyes open when aiming.
Sigh, now the beast has counter.
This hand would have been really helpful last turn…
Anyway, since I can’t defend, have no debuffs to remove with Brain Tick, and don’t want to go all out on offense thanks to the Grawkit having counter, I play Deep Bog Secret.
I have no idea whether or not we’ll figure out what the Deep Bog Secret is. It’s worth unlocking, but not always going out of your way to do so.
I can still sneak some damage in, so I do it with the card that still needs experience
I don’t know what the Grawkit is doing to counterattack
Keebee uses the same attack, and the Grawkit was prepared for it this time.
I am glad I was already heading to The Last Stand. I’ll need a few meals after this.
Fatigued annoyingly appears when Tight Spot was one use away from being upgraded, but I’m thankful for the defense all the same.
May as well gain more defense and some Overcharge before ending the turn with Mirrored Blast.
Combined, Mirrored Blast did a total of 18 damage.
Keebee decides to gain power again.
I once gain Kick then defend, because I don’t see the point in wasting a Shock Core this far into the fight.
The Grawkit is planning on belly flopping next round.
Twig appears again
In hindsight I could have seen what Ammo Pouch had to offer to maybe see if I could kill the Grawkit instead of scaring it off, or destroyed Bloated before shooting, but at this point I just wanted the fight to be over.
I’m on a roll with Overcharge, so I pick the upgrade that applies burn instead.
Double Kick will ultimately do more damage.
Kickochet is an amazing pun, and I don’t want to destroy the card.
Suppressing Fire: Does solid damage, targets all enemies, and grants defense? Yes please!
Sear: A straightforward Burn card. Nice to have, but easily skippable if there are better options.
Wounding Shot: The 2 action cost is high, but the wound can last a while if you’re constantly spending charge.
I need more attack cards, cards that target all enemies, and the extra defense never hurts.
Teamwork! It keeps you alive.
Eh, there are more lucrative events, but I suppose there are also random events that have negative consequences. I’ll take the 50 shills.
Just to double check, I’m making a surprising amount of friends in the Spark Barons.
Anyway, back to The Last Stand to start my mission.
I heal first
Now to see what Dellena needs.
Also a reminder that I put up a disclaimer about the cult in the first post for a reason. I’ll be commenting on several things Dellena says. Feel free to just read the screenshots until I reach the bandits if the discussions don’t interest you.
I imagine Deltree doesn’t have a ton of space for new churches to appear. Meanwhile, a lot of Havaria is still unsettled.
I start the job
So you could avoid paying me by saying it’s “for Hesh” or something?
I’d be less critical about this point if it was for charity or missionary work, but this is to recover stolen documents that are “embarrassing”.
I have beef with the phrase “God works in mysterious ways” when used in the context of trying to comfort someone, because it doesn’t help.
I will say that God constantly shakes up how speaks to each person and what he commands them to do. Reading through the books of the prophets alone proves that. He does this to avoid complacency among believers.
Has anyone in the Cthulu mythos said a phrase like that?
Anyway, I ask for more details.
“Honest”
I doubt that’s a coincidence, but I can ask two questions before heading off.
I would rather expose this corruption than take part in it, but Rook doesn’t care.
This sadly is probably a pretty tame misuse of tithe money, considering the power plays and politicking that took place throughout the history of European churches alone. Though to be honest, I generally saw those as more as political organizations than religious ones, at least among the higher level. Popes struck me as people more interested in wielding power than saving souls, and kings seemed to care more about gaining legitimacy than actually obeying God. I imagine those lower down were actually concerned about teaching about God and repentance, though considering events like the crusades, they could still be swept up by claims without biblical backing.
I am no expert on this particular topic, however. That is simply my observations when researching other aspects of medieval history. I also know that this is an overgeneralization that may very much be wrong, and would invite specific examples if anyone feels compelled to provide them.
Time to convince these bandits that there’s a caravan to rob.
This is the one and only time that the Spree can appear in Rook’s campaign. At all.
You have the option to attack the entire camp. It’s a stupid option, but I appreciate that it’s here nonetheless. I can’t tell you the number of games where I would love to fight my way out, consequences be damned, but the game forces you to surrender or be captured or whatever.
But like I said, attacking is a stupid idea, so I tell Ash about the caravan instead.
SpoilerI have By the Book and Permits to work with this negotiation. I doubt these would have much effect on a bandit, but Rook is trying to appear professional.
Speaking of which, I start off deploying Permits, mostly because it’s free.
My next action is to defend
I may not have any composure to steal, but Roughneck does gamble…
Defense would have been nice, but I’ll take the damage.
I finish off by saying “Fiddlesticks!” Which is apparently a bad word in Havaria.
Some of the damage is blocked, but not all of it.
A reminder that Permit still reflects damage even if it’s blocked.
I hate this upgrade
Since the coin is on Snails, I may as well take advantage
I use my final action on Muck, as gambling will either defend or deal more damage.
It lands on Snails, so Muck attacks twice
Since Boosted Rational is free, I play it first.
Also, Rook winked here, but instead we end up with another funny face.
I finally upgrade Trickery
I certainly want more Options this turn, so I pick it.
They’re both hostility cards, which affects Escalation. I play Speculative Pleasantries first.
And it lands on Heads
Grunt will deal enough damage to destroy the argument
Not only that, it dealt full damage!
The damage is blocked
Stem appears again, increasing the cost of one of the Call It cards.
Pocket Bomb also activated, which also meant Ash gained Impatience
I attack with Sifting Pleasantries in order to use Grunt again.
I gain experience on Call It for the experience, as Grunt will finish this negotiation.
Talk’s over
I predictably go for the upgraded cards
Bluff: Risky, but there are playstyles that benefit from gaining more cards.
Vulgar: Situational, but I suppose it has its uses if your deck is focused on hostility cards.
Dig: The damage itself is reasonable, but more importantly you will often have the chance to play it for free.
Like I said, you have the chance to play this card for free
“Too good to be true” and “Take what you can get” are both descriptive of Grout Bog.
With Ash convinced, I head towards the caravan.
Allyn reappears. Is she transporting new boots?
Queek is here again? I’m running into everyone today.
This is tempting, and I know @Saint Rubenio would be happy for me to beat up a merchant…
But it would be safer to negotiate.
SpoilerRight, this is an intimidation. We’ll see if any of these cards prove to be useful.
I also gain Proper Channel and By The Book.
Snails starts off the round dealing damage
Since it’s already on Snails, I use Visionary Grumble.
And end up drawing Roughneck.
I see if Crown Rationale will land on Heads for once.
I hate this upgrade
Muck is free, so I play it.
As annoyed as I am about the lack of defense, I’m at least happy I’m doing a ton of damage this turn. I don’t need Kickback clogging up my deck.
I start realizing that even if there is no composure to steal, I can use Roughneck to gamble.
I take 4 damage and gain Kickback
I want to get rid of Money Talks sooner than later, and Mirrored Grumble will help do just that.
I destroy it with the card that doesn’t cost shills to play.
Sifting Pleasantries deals 3 damage, and allows me to prepare a card when I don’t need to.
I see what Call It will grant
I suppose I was going to lose Influence no matter what
Intimidated is added twice
I lose Influence, and my core argument takes no damage.
The coin may not be on Snails, but a free card is a free card.
Allyn is annoyed that Rook went Super Saiyan right in front of her.
I’ll be saving the Flourish, as I’m over halfway through her resolve.
Hopefully Trickery will offer new cards.
It doesn’t, so I decide to defend.
I once again take no damage
Sigh…
It’s free, and will help deal damage over time.
I play Foul Mouth next, and use Hesh’s name in vain.
I discard Bad Deal to avoid taking 8 damage
I finish the turn by upgrading Call It.
Of course it gives the defense to an argument that’s not being attacked this turn…
At least Proper Channels deals 2 damage.
Meanwhile, I take 4.
It’s not enough to break through Allyns composure, but I’ll take gaining some of my own.
I defend the rest of the turn.
Proper Channel does 3 damage this turn.
Allyn doesn’t break through my composure.
Pocket Bomb strikes
And my final action Allyn is to Grunt.
Same as last time
Obligation: I’ve gotten use out of this on the Switch version before. It’s pretty nice when you have several cards that benefit from being Prepared, as well as those that utilize Influence.
Blank: A straightforward “Gamble and potentially deal more damage” card.
I gain enough influence that even if it doesn’t land on Heads, I should still deal a fair amount of damage.
I suppose Dellena was a cheapskate with the caravan he sabotaged.
That, or Ash doesn’t realize how lucrative the market for boots is in Grout Bog.
I forgot the game used “Shite” more than once
I should have just killed him right now, and saved myself the trouble of having to redo Rook’s story all over again.
Instead, I make up an excuse.
I suppose Rook isn’t exactly lying here.
SpoilerI once again gain By The Book twice. Hopefully it will be useful this time around.
I start off the negotiation by activating the Coin Juggler flourish again.
It may as well be Rook’s only flourish for how much I use it, but it is one of the best negotiation flourishes in the game.
It’s free, so I see what Promoted Trickery has to offer.
I forgot to screenshot the options, but I chose Aloof to defend.
Technically I gamble twice here.
I end the turn with Foul Mouth to give it more experience. For once Rook says something actually foul.
Despite discarding Stem, Mirrored Grumble still costs two actions.
All the coin flipping pays off as I take no damage this round despite having no defensive cards.
Free damage is free damage
The coin lands on Snails. I deal 5 damage instead of 6.
I gamble twice with Call It
The coin lands on each side
I deal three damage and draw a card with Visionary Grumble.
The card I drew was Erchin Musk, but my plan was sound.
I lose Influence
Though my Core Argument takes no damage
I see how much damage Boosted Dilemma will do
Could be better. At least it was free.
Sifting Pleasantries will nicely destroy the argument while also letting me Prepare Boosted Grunt.
I draw Cordinal Pleasantries, and can potentially win this turn if I get luck with gambling.
First, I upgrade Rationale
Then I see what will happen when I play Cordinal Pleasantries
Coin Juggler gambles on Snails! I win!
I wish all my Rational cards on Rook’s campaign would upgrade to the Boosted variant.
All of these have shown up before, and I don’t need any of them.
…
I unknowingly march to my doom.
Annoyingly, this includes Authority Cards.
This is the fight where I die.
In hindsight, even if I won this was a foolish idea, as Priests aren’t good at surviving fights.
As if it’s a bad omen, I take damage from Twig on the first turn.
Regardless, the only thing I can do this turn is defend.
I’ll try to keep Dellena alive as long as I can.
In doing so, I activate Rook’s Combat Flourish!
Interesting that Rook’s guns reload in that fashion. Reminds me a bit of the Broken Butterfly animation from Resident Evil 4. And while I’m at it I’m just going to share the rifle reload animation from Resident Evil 4, because I love it.
If anyone knows what the term for this type of gun is, feel free to tell me.
Since this is going to be a long fight, I start off dealing damage to all enemies with Salvo.
Dellena wisely defends
Favored by Hesh increases the amount of resolve someone loses from killing them. It’s useless to me, as I need to keep Dellena alive.
I block this…
…But gain Cleaved.
Also, Flead Ball
Ow
Fortunately, Dellena doesn’t take any damage.
Just what I need! A high damage weapon that hits everyone and applies impair!
I catch the grenade being thrown this time!
Tight Spot appears just in time once again!
Since I’ve already attacked, I don’t mind getting rid of my temporary power.
I don’t know how Brain Tick works in-universe; I’m just glad it heals me.
It was really fun alternating between these two screenshots
Ow
That doesn’t help me at all, and it will be a few turns before Brain Tick reappears.
I really hate how much damage thieves do
I decide to gain even more overcharge along with 4 defense.
I aim to get rid of the Flead first, at is has the lowest amount of health.
It should retreat after taking damage from burn
I target Jaseg next, as Ash will take a while to take down.
Finally, I defend Dellena.
It ain’t damage, but I’ll take it
The flead retreats as everyone takes burn damage.
I was already planning on killing Ash. This guarantees his spot in the afterlife.
Apparently those are called Knuckles. I don’t know how they got the name, or why the Bog would have knuckles.
Anyway, I start off by defending.
I’m thankful for the counter.
Aiming for the upgrade, I use Blast.
I use my final action looking though Ammo Pouch.
I once again use Blowout.
This turn was a good example of using Fully Loaded at max charge to gain counter, then spending it for more defense.
Like I said, NPC’s will target these things even if it’s a terrible idea.
I gain Cleaved again
Though this time I counter
The thief gains power.
Yes, please! I’ll take the extra defense!
Since this thing will target Dellena, I kill it.
I agree, Ash.
Pfffffft Hahahahahahahahaha
This picture is golden.
This will be annoying…
Like I said, I hate the high damage of thieves.
I hope to cause Jaseg to surrender this turn.
I succeed. Next I defend.
In hindsight, I could have used the Shock Core.
Hard to beat shooting fire into Ash’s face, though.
This should have helped…
I use the opportunity to heal.
And lament my inability to attack this turn.
Attack Dellena! They’ve already surrendered!
Now everyone gained power
Let this be a lesson that a few bad hands can still lead to your demise. Just like a single bad mistake can end any run in a roguelike.
I take damage multiple times from Bleed.
Why didn’t you do that last time?
Now the thief is back in the fight
I protect Dellena again.
I decide reducing damage is more important than dealing it this round.
I defend as best I can.
Oh NOW is when I get nothing but attack cards!
It’s the best I can do in terms of defense.
I’ll still die even if I do this.
Fuck you for not attacking, Dellena
…
FUCK
*****
Well, at least I get past Day 2 in my next run.
I wrote this update in a day because I am a madman. Being almost literally snowed in gave me ample time to do so.
Given that it’s the holiday season, I would like to spend the next few weeks with my family. I have no idea when I’ll get back to the let’s play, but rest assured it will go better than this one. There will also be different perspectives and new missions, so there will still beb things to look forward to.
-
-
HEMA
-
-
ROOK'S CAMPAIGN DAY 2: Playing Both Sides
Bad News and Good News:
SpoilerBad News: I died on Day 2.
Good News: The missions on Day 2 were fun as well as short, so it shouldn't take long to reach the point where I died. On my second attempt, I managed to complete Day 2, and there were enough differences between both runs that I don't mind retreading old ground.
I know that is disappointing to hear after I spent nearly a month getting through Day 1. I apologize if it seems like I wasted anyone's time.
Replies:
SpoilerOn 12/17/2022 at 10:10 PM, eclipse said:Oooh, pets! I managed to snag one towards the end of Rook's story. Was the best doggie, but couldn't stand up to the final boss.
I don't know if you're referring to an autodog, a cobbledog, or a vroc. Regardless, all pets are competent to some degree, though I'm not surprised the final boss took it out. It's a long fight and that damage adds up.
3 hours ago, Saint Rubenio said:Honestly, I'm the other way around. The more I see, the more certain I am I will enjoy it.
I'm becoming more and more tempted to go into the game without looking at any reviews or getting player feedback, just so I can give my blind reaction to everything.
Like, seriously. Yoga Emblem almost killed me. In a good way. They've given every pretense of sanity the middle finger and just done whatever the heck they felt like, and I'm all for it.
My one genuine, non-joking hope is that the game allows for group exercise sessions. It would allow several characters to gain stat boosts at once, and we get to see Alear lead an exercise class like they're filming a home workout video.
Part of me hopes that the developers realize how odd a yoga minigame would be in a series focused on war, and they don't push the mechanic too far and allow the player to gradually get used to it.
The other part of me hopes they go absolutely fucking wild with the mechanic. Complete side quests so countries give you treadmills and exercise bikes! Fulfill optional objectives to unlock mini-trampolines and exercise balls! If you save all the green units, one of them is an personal trainer that joins you and makes yoga sessions more efficient! It's already weird, so go weirder!
That lance-charging animation is a work of art, I swear.
It's pretty telling that any game I can think of that has better spritework than Berwick Saga came out at least a decade after it released, all with the aid of technological improvements.
Also, play Owlboy. It makes me sad whenever that game is overlooked.
I cannot wait to send Alear to war in sweatpants and a t-shirt.
I am simultaneously dreading and excited to see the memes and fan art that will arise from engage. The costumes and Yoga minigame alone seem like a gold mine.
I agree, I want one o' those too. It'd make Heroes 0.02% less bad, which is a great improvement for it.
I know if I actually played the game I would probably be singing a different tune, but I actually kind of like the weirder banners they have. It allows the artists to have fun, and developers can get creative with how they turn the oddest things into viable weapons for a turn based strategy game. At this point I doubt a trampoline weapon would be the weirdest or even most anachronistic thing they've done. It would also be nice to have artwork of the taguels having fun, considering how Panne looks grumpy and Yarne seems nervous in most of their official artwork.
Ahhh, you'd be surprised. To this day I still see soldiers trying to shoot at me with the rocket jumper. For reference, that's a rocket launcher that's designed to help new players to practice their rocket jumps, since it does no damage. It does have its unironic uses, seeing how it grants you unparalleled mobility, but it's obviously a bad option offensively.
What I'm trying to say is, TF2 really isn't that kind of game. If you play casual you'll meet players of all levels of skill and seriousness both. Occasionally you'll find servers where nobody even is fighting at all! If it's tryhards and sweating that you fear, please don't. You encounter those types too, but the game really isn't that serious.
If anything a worse fault is its craptastic tutorials lol, game teaches you absolutely nothingI see. Most of my knowledge with TF2 in regards to gameplay comes from Lazypurple and Uncle Dane. When I find the time and space to play the game, I'll ask four your help on finding a server where I can learn how to play the game without being decimated instantly by pros.
It's all right. Some boots are just worth killing for.
This sentence is the best summary of Neo Scavenger I can think of.
Oh God what did I just...
I'm glad I'm not alone.
Sorry. Just a poor jest, I suppose.
Don't worry, man. It's just frustrating how needlessly complex discussing some topics are nowadays.
I suppose it depends on how lucky you get with your cards. I remember dealing a crapton of damage to everything consistently come the lategame. Even the final boss fell like nothing.
It's amazing how much Rook can snowball if you let him. To the point my biggest struggle with Rook, especially when I first started playing Griftlands, was picking too many good cards, and I kept ended up with overstuffed decks.
Hebbel doesn't have anything to read? Not even a newspaper?
It appears Grout Bog is too much even for the postal service of Havaria. Which is saying something considering how dedicated and persistent mailmen historically are.
I went with Fellemo first as I said, so I completely missed this. I'd be interested in hearing about this guess if and when it becomes relevant, if you wish to share it.
My guess isn't anything too special:
SpoilerI personally think it's the weapon Kalandra uses during the final boss. It's powerful, doesn't appear anywhere else in the game, and seems like the kind of tool the Spark Barons would like to keep for themselves. Nothing backs this up; I just find it to be the most practical, if admittedly boring option available.
Knowing what I know of Fellemo, I really don't think he cares what it looks like.
You're right. Fellemo does seem like someone who only cares about results, methods be damned.
Rook is scared of swamp water.
Amazing.
Considering an alternative way for the event to end is for the Jake to attempt to sacrifice him, I can't say I blame Rook for being nervous.
One of these days I want to have a master gunslinger character with a legendary reputation for being undefeated in duels to start a duel, do this and just... lose their head before the duel even starts.
I fully expect this to have happened in at least one black comedy. If no-one has done this joke before then someone needs too.
It was a pretty great mechanic, I agree. I believe I usually tried to keep it charged up? I think.
Depends on my deck and grafts for when I lean towards spending or saving charge, and I love that both are viable options in different situations.
I need a combination of this expression and the :V face.
I knew Rook's mustache would get some commentary, but I never expected his faces would be so glorious.
Heh.......
Griftlands! The game where friendship literally pays off!
Oh yeah, I had almost forgotten. Spent the entire run expecting her to do something because of the theme, and then she never did.
It really depends on how you act for the lieutenants to appear. Sometimes they'll both will make an appearance, while other times they may only appear once.
The shit-eating grin. Beautiful.
It's even better when combined with him stating all the reasons he's a good spy, and Arnit only partially falling for it.
Oh I think I saw this one in my run. It went... it went, to be sure.
Do you remember what happened to the robot?
Pretty sure the implication is that both things happened regardless of who you choose to see first. Rook's weaving a wide net of lies. Only question is, where it will all lead.
I really appreciate how the developers handled the whole situation. Canonically, both factions contacted him, and he's working for a third party anyway. Avoids the headache some other games call fall when they have to continue off a game that had multiple choices.
...And then you updated again.
Damned vicious weapons, scythes. Fucking Death is a pain in the arse in every single Castlevania.
I really need to check out the Castlevania games at some point.
Imagine that. Gaining defense from leaving yourself open to self-damage.
Gun-twirling aside, I appreciate that Griftlands implies that defense is more than just blocking damage. Most of Sal's defensive cards implies she feints and dodges attacks, Rook has him take cover, and Smith...
Actually Smith literally braces himself for the attack.
Wow, that was not fortunate.
At least the decision was easy.
HAHAHAHAHAHAH THE FACE THO
f
F
He looks like he's asserting dominance.
Armpit reloads; The Griftlands way to assert dominance.
I mean, I'd feel pretty indimidated if someone just morphed their guns into their armpits.
It's certainly a unique animation for reloading.
Oh I agree. That's just diabolical. Okay, headcanon: He usually wears a full, bushy beard. I refuse to imagine this man clean shaven.
I'm sorry, man, but:
SpoilerCan't have nightmares if you don't sleep. Good idea, Rook. Until you collapse from exhaustion in the middle of a mission.
How much sleep the Grifters get is a question for the ages.
Update:
SpoilerThe first day was the set-up. Today we’ll figure out our loyalties.
First things first, I see if Pengemunt has any new coins.
I choose the Bog Coin because both sides are equally powerful.
You gave me the coin yesterday. Do you get nostalgic that quickly?
I also switch into a new outfit.
Rook’s room, which contains two odd plants and a poster of a quarter of a gear.
The “Saboteur” is my favorite of Rook outfits. It looks similar to the original while still being distinct, and despite the odd gizmos has a “military” feel to it.
Since I started off with the Rise, I meet with Kalandra first
Though not before running into a random event.
If you lost any resolve before this event, it would be regained now.
New cards?
Yeeeah, Rook now has a parasite inside of him. These effects are annoying, if minor at first, but the more they appear the more they grow…
If you’re familiar with TV Tropes, Fridge Horror is a good way to describe the Bog Parasite. I love the descriptions for the cards, and for a while I thought it was the scariest parasite I saw in fiction.
Then I learned about System Shock 2 and Homeworld: Cataclysm. Weirdly enough I own both games but have not played them yet because they’re sequels and I want to beat the first games beforehand. And now that I think about it, both System Shock and Homeworld are games I haven’t truly dove into yet because of their unconventional controls. They’re games I need to focus on solely instead of juggling alongside a dozen other games
…I was not expecting such similarities between the two series.
Meanwhile, Rook just shrugs it off.
I take some notes while playing if a joke comes to mind or if there is something I want to comment on. Right now they saved me the brainpower of memorizing a simple word.
Off to collect some robot cores.
Hey! Del’s back! Wonder what he’s doing here?
Pffft okay. I appreciate that Rook won’t solve this problem for us.
Del clearly remembers how our last talk went, and I doubt he wants to be near any combat mechs for our second (technically third) interaction.
Trinary apparently means “Consisting of three parts”, which makes me wonder how the automech got its name.
This seems like an uneven fight.
Good thing, too, because this brawl is timed.
Shovel is my only attack card right now. Tempting as it would be to gain Overcharge, Shovel wouldn’t benefit from it. I wish I could spend some charge first, but beggars can’t be choosers.
Still, may as well gain Overcharge now as it will carry over to the next turn.
I also play Fully Loaded to give it some experience.
As well as Hunker Down.
Everyone seemed focused on gaining power over dealing damage this round.
The combat drone will automatically surrender if Kheven falls, so I don’t need to bother attacking it.
Since once again I only have one attack card, I see what Ammo Pouch has to offer.
Tracer Round is the only card of the three that deals damage, so I pick it.
I know I joked last time about constantly missing the amount of damage Rook’s attacks dealt, but rest assured, It’s all uphill from here on out.
…To the point I occasionally went the opposite direction and now have more screenshots to dig through. That won’t mean much on your guy’s end, but needless to say I overdid it at points.
I finish off the turn by defending.
Sorry, I couldn’t resist. (And I’m still annoyed I have to specify which Battlefront I’m talking about)
Kheven takes burn damage
Why would you thrust with a club? A staff, sure. The ends may be flat but the point is narrow enough that the damage is focused. With a club that size you’re spreading the damage around, reducing its impact.
The drone deals 3 damage to Rook.
Fortunately, I can apply Tight Spot to someone other than myself.
It was tempting to give experience to my other two attack cards, but Kick costs 2 actions and is closest to being upgraded out of the three, so I use it.
Seeing as they’re probably just run off and join the reinforcements if I leave them alive, I execute them.
I get rid of the drone first.
I’m wasting Spark Baron dollars. I consider that a win.
Dammit, I miss the animation twice.
Needless to say, Rook has the most brutal yet the most practical execution animation in the game. Instead of double tapping, Rook Triple Taps. With two pistols. That he fires simultaneously.
I appreciate that whenever Rook kills someone, he either kills them with one clean shot like he did with Fralx, or he double taps to ensure they’re dead. He’s the oldest of the Grifters, and it’s an effective way to show he has the most experience with killing.
Also, poor Kheven. He was killed in one of Rook’s trailers.
I barely use Shock Cores. Being able to Stun on demand is nice, but that just means I tend to hold onto it until the situation is too dire.
Arc Deflection: While it requires consistent Overcharge to use efficiently, sacrificing overcharge to gain up to 6 defense with 6 counter isn’t a bad trade off if you really need the extra defense over more damage.
Ego Rip: Requires a specific deck build to truly take advantage of, though Rook does have enough options for adding debuffs that this can be a viable pick.
Tempting as Arc Deflection was, I don’t want my deck clogged with defensive cards. I also pass up on getting another Tight Spot, as that’s just asking for a situation where they both appear during a turn when I’m not being attacked and could go all out on offense.
Sigh, at least this one only lasts a single negotiation.
I could kill the foreman for 60 shills…
Or I could let him live for an extra ally.
Rook’s not forgetting the dastard skipped safety protocols in the past.
Can’t really complain about having two authority cards to pick from during negotiations.
With the cores collected, I head back to Kalandra.
Sure, I’ll take even more power when Fully Charged!
…Does Grout Bog even have bathrooms? It’s a swamp; I don’t think pissing in the water or on a tree is going to make the smell any worse.
I keep forgetting you can buy cobbledogs and other supplies at the Rise HQ while on a Rise mission.
Since I’ve run out of space for combat grafts, I go to the black market to make room for more.
More affordable than I expected, though the shill discounts helped.
While I’m here, I may as well add another negotiation graft slot. I’d rather have one go unused than pass up on a good graft.
First time I’ve seen the “That would kill you!” text. Usually I lack the shills instead of the HP.
A problem I’ll be solving now.
At least Fssh gave her terrible food a fun name.
The bright side about Rook having the lowest starting health (alongside Prestige 5 upwards reducing your maximum health and resolve) is that it doesn’t take much to refill it.
Now to see what Fellemo wants done.
This is far from the hardest mission in the game, but it is perhaps the most deceptively simple.
Losing a job this way doesn’t look good on your record. Considering it’s Grout Bog, I don’t blame anyone for employing this trick.
Sometimes. Implementing “simple solutions” can have more moving parts and complications to them than most people realize.
That ain’t an excuse for shitty practices, by the way. Just that these changes don’t happen overnight.
Is it? Gode stole enough money that the Rise thought he was on their side for a while, when in truth he was just slacking off.
Time to beat up a worker. Thrilling.
So attack Chake without killing him, got it.
Weird thing to say to a man that uses pistols, even if his kicks do more damage.
But seriously, treat guns with respect. The threat a gun can pose is enough to defuse or even prevent situations, but only if they're handled properly.
Interesting buildings in the background there. Not entirely sure how they work as living spaces.
I meet Pazlock for the first time.
I debated for a while whether or not to pay off two of the workers, as if you don’t they’ll jump to their friends defense. I’ve straight up died before because I overestimated Rook’s ability to fight multiple opponents this early on.
I decided to be safe rather than sorry. It helps that this quest’s reward is extra shills, so I should be able to cover the cost.
You can get this mission on Day 1. Because it’s Day 2, more people will join in.
Now to talk to Chake.
…Yeah, I feel someone wants him beaten up for a different reason…
Much as I’d like to talk…
I still have a job to do
You can’t back out of this conversation, which is why I paid off the workers first.
I block all damage early on.
Once again, I resort to Ammo Pouch for offensive options.
I mentioned this before, but Blowout is the strongest and most versatile card you can draw from Ammo Pouch.
I have an excuse to use Tight Spot. I could care less about protecting the Spark Mine, but at least the card isn’t going to waste.
Also, this is a place where people are supposed to rest and sleep, and a random spikey mine just popped out of the ground.
I finish the turn by using the only attack card in my hand.
Chake seems really angry about the mine just showing up in front of his bunk.
Attacking an explosive doesn’t seem like a good idea, though.
This will be a pretty straightforward turn. I use every card you expect me to.
I can win this turn, so I gain experience on Hunker Down first.
Time to end this
He surrendered. My job here is done.
Attacking twice is always nice, and I never bother with Destroy.
Brain Tick: Get this card. Healing 2 per debuff may not sound like a lot, but it keeps you alive, and Fatigued counts as a debuff, meaning that you can reach a point were this card is always beneficial. It also allows you to remove annoying debuffs on yourself or allies or get rid of debuffs on enemies that aren’t doing much while getting free healing out of the deal.
Lucky Shot: A handy card to have, and it can deal some respectable damage in the right situations. It also gets bonus points for referencing the “one bullet left” trope that shows up in westerns and other action movies.
Posture: The defense is nice, but Concentration goes a surprisingly long way. As much as I don’t mind Griftlands randomness, being able to deal more reliable damage is a welcome option.
2 health isn’t a lot, but free healing is free healing.
Rook seems a little too happy about this. It can be hard to tell when the dude is genuine or putting on an act, which was likely the intention.
I go to get paid
To put it politely:
You’re a jackass, Fellemo.
Before seeing what this mysterious third party wants, I go through one last random temporary event.
I keep mixing this event with the one that allows you to increase your maximum HP. At the very least, I’ll take the free healing right now.
Not the most exciting way to end things, but the next update will be more gameplay heavy, and hopefully you'll learn from my mistakes…
-
-
Just now, Armchair General said:
The only thing that I've seen about this is how erratic XCOM 2 is. Had random crashes because I've been playing on one file for too long, occasionally got an noticeable drop in framerate whenever I (unintentionally) set an house on fire, the game occasionally has trouble rendering the flying cargo ship after an certain point in the campaign.
To be fair, XCOM 2 is infamous for having bugs and graphical hiccups even on the PC version. And slowdown if you spend too much time on a Lost level.
It's really action based titles that seem to struggle on Switch nowadays. My problem is more how there are a number of third party games that I think would be a good fit on the Switch but are either too powerful for the system and/or can't fit on a cartridge. The fact that some retail games still need to download data onto the Switch storage or how some companies use cloud versions to get around the hardware and/or space issues is pretty telling.
-
Hope I have a spear nearby
-
Would be really interested in playing Warhammer 40K: Mechanicus
-
Hell
-
Well this is new. Usually when I hear complaints about the Switches graphical capabilities, it's about the systems performance and how some third party games straight up can't run on the system, or require a lot of optimization wizardry to get it working. Granted, I am in the "The Switch needs a hardware upgrade" camp. Mostly because I'm tired of how even recent first and second party Nintendo action games can sometimes struggle to run properly, and if I want a good fast paced title, I usually have to look earlier in the systems life or buy an E-Shop game that's usually a port of a decade or two old game. There's a reason people were annoyed at how the last (non-movie related) Nintendo Direct largely consisted of JRPGs and farming sims.
4 hours ago, henrymidfields said:And it feels like some of the graphics aren't worth it when I hear bad rumors about shoddy gameplay or poor story etc.
Game development is a wild beast, and it's usually a group effort. Sometimes the team in charge of graphics and art direction is focused and produces something wonderful, while the team in charge of writing may have struggles that result in a flawed story, and/or the development team may not be able to find out solutions to gameplay problems in time. Sometimes these situations are flipped, and you can have games with a wonderful story and terrible gameplay and graphics, or a game that has amazing gameplay that isn't much to write home about in terms of looks or plot. No one sets out to intentionally make a bad game, and money and time constrains and other unexpected issues always play a factor. Heck sometimes players will turn a blind eye to these issues, recommending a game for the story or gameplay alone even if other aspects are lackluster.
4 hours ago, henrymidfields said:But Mario? Fuck you man, you just a polished turd to me when it's just the same her royal idiocy lacking the brain to use her Smash Bros moves against Bowser and at least put up a fight.
We get it. You hate the Mario series. Just say it's not for you and move on. You don't need to keep saying it's a "polished turd" or whatever just because the games don't place emphasis on their stories when that was never the focus.
And if you want Peach to do something, look at the spin-off games. Maybe you'll find one you actually like?
4 hours ago, henrymidfields said:Or Link's Awakening Remake? Fuck you too - you're no different to the GB original with only a couple of extra content.
The graphical upgrade wasn't made overnight, and the Game Boy original could have really used the extra buttons. It was an impressive game for it's time, but it was trying to be a console Zelda game when it didn't necessarily have the controls for it. It was a game that would have benefited from a remake, and it did.
It shouldn't have been $60 though, but I haven't heard anyone defend the price.
-
-
Game
First word comes to mind
in Forum Games
Posted
Coolmath