Serenes Forest's Teehee Thread

[Saint Rubenio]

In other news, I've figured out some pairings for the Conquest. I'm going to speedrun marriage for Arthur and Effie so I can bench Arthur quickly. Silas will marry Elise as soon as possible too, because I'm not sure how long he'll be able to stay on the team with the shitty-ass levels he's been getting. Niles will marry Azura again because I loved their support and flying Nina is amazing. Odin and Nyx will marry so I can bench their daughter for Senno. Edgiest Ka will wait for Shura.

That's it for now.

[DragonFlames]

12 minutes ago, twilitfalchion said:

  Reveal hidden contents

Ghost of Tsushima is a game that was a very pleasant surprise to me. I had only seen information or discussion about it here and there but never followed the hype myself. However, once I dove into the world of Tsushima and experienced Jin's journey, I realized how deserved the hype and praise for it was. In my opinion, this game is a masterpiece in its narrative, its visuals, and its gameplay, among other aspects. Not perfect, of course, but excellent in nearly everything it sets out to do.

Sacrificing Honor for Victory

Something I was very interested to find out is how your actions as the player influence the weather effects. Embrace the Ghost, and storms are a consistent presence to reflect the shadows Jin sticks to when approaching enemies. Embrace honor, and the principle of facing enemies head-on is reflected in the presence of frequent sunny weather and clear skies.

Certainly, Ghost of Tsushima's story is something that would not be at all out of place in a classic samurai film or other work based on feudal Japan. But this is not to say that it feels tired or uninteresting. Where the basis of the plot is somewhat basic, it is in its execution that I find Tsushima excels in offering a very compelling narrative.

Jin Sakai, nephew of samurai Lord Shimura, is quickly given the responsibility of liberating Tsushima Island from the Mongols who have invaded it. While the plot quickly develops into something overall more complex than that, this responsibility is the driving force behind Jin's actions and the source of his inner conflict from beginning to end. Does Jin embrace the "Ghost" persona, adopt the most effective tactics to protect his homeland, and forsake the code of honor that he had trained by for years? Or does he follow the path of the honorable samurai and preserve his principles, but at the expense of his countrymen and women? Although it does not significantly affect the story for the most part, the player is given that choice in how they approach each fight.

But Jin is not alone in his journey. In his travels and through other circumstances, the young samurai meets a variety of interesting people with both colorful and tragic backgrounds, some of which will join him and remain his staunchest allies until he achieves what he is tasked with doing.

And this is one area (among several) where Tsushima gets it right. Jin is indeed the main character and his story is never not the central focus of the game's plot, but other characters (each of whom gets their own chains of story-heavy side-quests) are given sufficient time to develop so the player understands their respective situations and can get emotionally invested in them. Even for the more minor side-quests, this remains true. More often than not, I found myself feeling sympathy or sadness over what had happened to a friend, ally, or even a random citizen of Tsushima because I was personally allowed to see the cause of their pain myself. Tsushima really embraces active storytelling and uses it to great effect.

A Stunning World to Explore

Tsushima is no stranger to bright and vivid scenery like these. The entirety of the island has such a colorful variety of sights to be seen, from the lush grasslands and forests of Izuhara and the wetlands of Toyotama to the snow-capped hills and mountains of Kamiagata.

I don't exaggerate when I say that Tsushima is the most visually impressive, beautiful game that I've played. Even on the base PS4 console, every part of the world is simply gorgeous. The swaying of the plant life in the wind, the rain effects in stormy weather, the radiance of the sun on the horizon - it's a treat for the eyes no matter where you are in the world. Personally, I found Kamiagata to be the most enjoyable to explore as far as the natural scenery is concerned. The wintry weather and the forests of red and white trees really stood out to me.

And the visual quality extends to the buildings and other structures as well. It's no surprise to see that traditional Japanese building styles are implemented throughout the environment, but the level of detail that is featured in every landmark shows the dedication on the developers' part to ensure that Tsushima conveys a Japanese setting in a very realistic way.

The same is very much true for Ghost of Tsushima's audio direction as well. One might call it minimalist, but the music is used brilliantly to accent the intended tone and subject for each scene. Especially in some of the most emotional moments of the game, the music kicks in and places you in the perfect state of mind to experience each part of the story.

One track that really represents what I mean is "The Way of the Ghost" (posted below). In one of the most heart-wrenching scenes in the game, the music and vocals move to the forefront to reinforce the emotion of what has happened. It's fantastic how well that was implemented.

Yet visuals and audio can only carry a game so far, of course, and it is in the quests and random events of Tsushima Island that the bulk of what you'll be doing is found. Once you are given your horse (who you can name based on three choices; I chose "Kage," which means "shadow"), the first section of the world is opened up to you to explore at your leisure. At all times you have your main story goal clearly marked for you (called "Jin's Journey"). And in addition to the main story, you have several side-quests - some involving major story characters and others only minor NPCs - to complete as well, called the "Tales of Tsushima."

There is something to be said for enjoyment overriding how important flaws are for each person playing a game, but it's worth mentioning that this is one of the few gripes that I do have with Ghost of Tsushima, as much as I love most everything else. Tsushima is no exception to how open-world games are usually designed in that certain activities are repeated across multiple side quests, causing the minor side quests to feel a bit samey as a result. But as I mentioned before, when you enjoy a game enough, little things like that don't matter as much. Especially with the tales dedicated to members of the main cast, this matters very little, as the stories their quests tell are so engaging that I found myself immediately moving into the next quest involving them just to see what happens.

Moreover, other things the player can do when traveling through the world are discovering hot springs, fox dens, bamboo strikes - and more - as well as quietly infiltrating Mongol camps (or running in sword-first, if you're so inclined) to liberate each region of the map, or engaging in dramatic duels with other skilled swordsmen and women. This is where Ghost of Tsushima's excellent combat system comes into play.

Living and Dying by the Sword

Falling somewhere in between a more Souls-esque combat system and a pure hack-and-slash, Ghost of Tsushima's combat strikes a perfect balance of being fun to execute, and incredibly satisfying to master.

Not long after the player assumes control of Jin, you're given the katana of the Sakai clan, the weapon you'll wield and improve (by crafting, as you do with your other gear and armor as well) throughout the remainder of the game. You begin with a single stance (style of combat) and a relatively limited moveset. But this is a good decision, in my opinion, as it motivates the player to master the tools they're given early on before advancing and earning new abilities. As you progress, Jin will learn a myriad of different moves that he can perform with his blade and with other items the player unlocks as they go along.

While there are certainly some elements of the combat that push the bounds of realism, there's no denying how good it feels to perfectly parry an enemy's attack and end them in a single stroke of your blade. Or when you break through a shield to slice apart the one holding it through a properly executed combo. Tsushima's combat is powerful and weighty, yet it never loses the grace and speed one would expect from someone who is a seasoned swordsman. Jin is certainly very skilled with a blade, and mastering the combat lets that shine through. Quickly shifting from opponent to opponent while dodging, blocking, and parrying is part of an expertly designed system with a very high skill ceiling. It's easily become my favorite combat in any game I've played.

Of particular note is the beautiful intensity of the one-on-one duels that take place at certain points in the story or in side-quests. These instances remove your access to any other weapons you have apart from your sword. A true test of your skills, I'd say these encounters are some of the best parts of Tsushima. The cinematic flair, the emotion behind many of them, and the pure brutality of it - they get your blood pumping and have you on the edge of your seat, as one mistake can indeed be the difference between life and death.

But the combat is not just limited to swordplay. As part of his Ghost persona, Jin learns to use the shadows and other tactics for his benefit, eventually becoming a skilled assassin. Embracing the Ghost leads him to use tools like archery, smoke bombs, kunai, poison, and other weapons characteristic of the classic ninja to fight the Mongol invaders. In the same way that the traditional sword fighting was endlessly fun to experiment with, Tsushima's stealth mechanics, while perhaps more limited than those found in other games, are very enjoyable to use as well. Like Jin's sword skills, his options to attack from the shadows will only increase as you advance through the game. Chain assassinations, new arrow types, darts that cause enemies to lose their sense and attack each other, etc. The number of choices creates the potential for many gameplay possibilities.

A Lovingly-crafted Masterpiece

I doubt I'll ever tire of seeing scenes like this, both for their aesthetic beauty and for the emotional significance behind them.

Ghost of Tsushima, if you couldn't tell already, is a game that I love very much. I could go on an on about so much, from the most subtle of details to the most obvious strengths, along with many other reasons why I think it's excellent, but what is most memorable to me is the impression I was left with as I played. If nothing else, I get a very strong sense that the folks over at Sucker Punch thoroughly enjoyed making the game. It's not often that I play something that draws me into its world and characters in such an intense way, but Tsushima did that.

For that alone, I highly recommend Ghost of Tsushima to anyone interested in open-world games, meaningful narratives, action-adventure games, and the like. It's an amazing experience that I will fondly remember as much as I do for games like Trails and Breath of the Wild, and I will likewise look forward to returning to the game in the years to come.

^ Random wall of text and images talking about a game I really love. Read if you want. Or not if you don't.

It's for a blog review on another site, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to post here, since I didn't say much about the game before. I also posted something similar on Backloggd.

If this ain't a love letter to a game you love, I don't know what is.
Nice write-up!

[DragonFlames]

Atlus staff member A. Hey, we need a boss theme
Altus staff member B. Hmm... I have these bells right here.
Atlus staff member C. Lemme *hic* ssssseeewhaahcan *hic* do...

The result is absolutely amazing, though.
This theme says "you're f***ed, son".

Edited May 4, 2021 by DragonFlames

[Lightcosmo]

7 minutes ago, DragonFlames said:

The result is absolutely amazing, though.
This theme says "you're f***ed, son".

Those are among the best kind!

[DragonFlames]

3 minutes ago, lightcosmo said:

Those are among the best kind!

True!

One other good one in this regard is the boss theme from Dragon Star Varnir.

[BrightBow]

That downward jumping strike with the Sword & Shield moveset in Monster Hunter Rise is so satisfying. Especially with that new Hi Ninja Sword since that one doesn't really have a shield. So you are basically just punching monsters barehanded.

[Dayni]

17 minutes ago, Saint Rubenio said:

Odin and Nyx will marry so I can bench their daughter for Senno.

10/10 decisionmaking.

So, after repeated headbashing, I managed to do it.

Vestaria actually runs.

Bad news, it is somehow chugging worse than the finale of Silver Snow. A lot worse. Well that sucks. And funny enough, changing screen sees the music keep playing while the rest of the game pauses. And crashed when I pressed B or Start (whatever Space acts as) followed by A. And Esc acting as Alt-F4 is going to kill me, thank fuck I can change controls.

Funnily enough, I changed setting and pressed Esc but it saved the settings. Good job, Kaga!

....All this would be nice (Or at worst a bit mixed when I moved to fast forward it just zoomed through fights now), but I got to the end of the first EP and it crashes the game. Shit.

[BrightBow]

I've noticed during my year long struggle with Nvidia drivers that Vestaria Saga seems to run just fine in Software Mode. At least I didn't notice any issues.

Could be worth giving it a shot if it has problems running with default settings.

[Codename Shrimp]

3 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

O.o
Bad ending my rear end! This is friggin' awesome

2 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

Also, on the subject of Warriors Orochi 4 Ultimate... this is what bias looks like

smh only 2 golden bars

2 hours ago, Saint Rubenio said:

Now I just need to time travel in order to recruit him, and we're set.

3 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

Unironically my best combat unit right now

28 mag wew. You at the end of Part 1 i guess?

Arkanum is Miracle, right? I think you could replace that with something from the Sage Class maybe, or the mage one. Something like +6 Mag on initiation skill.

Also since you have a support gambit on her, you don't need Authority skill, either.

Go overkill, i say! xD

[DragonFlames]

1 minute ago, Shrimperor said:

smh only 2 golden bars

Nice!

1 minute ago, Shrimperor said:

smh only 2 golden bars

XD
That's the skill rank, so to speak. There's normal, bronze, silver, and gold weapon skills.
It's basically just an indicator of rarity, since you can only really get gold weapon skills when playing on higher difficulties.
That setup is by far the most useful that I could find!

2 minutes ago, Shrimperor said:

28 mag wew. You at the end of Part 1 i guess?

Close! This is chapter 9!

3 minutes ago, Shrimperor said:

Arkanum is Miracle, right? I think you could replace that with something from the Sage Class maybe, or the mage one. Something like +6 Mag on initiation skill.

Oh yeah, Fiendish Blow. I could give that to her, since she only just promoted to Bishop. Going back a class shouldn't be too rough. And if I go full on offense with her, might as well make her a Warlock instead. Bowbreaker might be neat, too!

3 minutes ago, Shrimperor said:

Also since you have a support gambit on her, you don't need Authority skill, either.

True! It's basically just there to fill up a slot!
I was considering giving that batallion to someone else (it's the one with Stride), so she can do more stuff. Could give it to Flayn instead, for example!

5 minutes ago, Shrimperor said:

Go overkill, i say! xD

There's no such thing as too much overkill! XD

[Dayni]

7 minutes ago, BrightBow said:

I've noticed during my year long struggle with Nvidia drivers that Vestaria Saga seems to run just fine in Software Mode. At least I didn't notice any issues.

Could be worth giving it a shot if it has problems running with default settings.

A clarification: it actually crashes when a brigand attacks a ship.

It launches in Windowed mode, I presume unreleated to Software mode.

[Codename Shrimp]

Leif x Asbel, the original Zade x Theo

[DragonFlames]

Why did no one tell me this picture is a thing?

Because holy crap, this gives me flashbacks.
Of the "my god, these boss fights are fun!" kind.

Also yes, I'm an FE final boss now. Go figure. XD
Though I don't expect any FE character to live through Megidolaon.

Edited May 4, 2021 by DragonFlames

[Lightcosmo]

Ah i was one of those XC2 players that thought that Dagas was useless at first... boy how wrong was i? That's what happens when dismiss a blade at first glance in XC2.

[DragonFlames]

They should've used this for the elemental dragon fights in Nexus.

[Lightcosmo]

So we decided to play FF1 (not the NES version, that's too much BS) and while it's old and basic, i actually think it's got some well designed gameplay here and there.

Edited May 4, 2021 by lightcosmo

[DragonFlames]

Speaking of, I should probably get to Etrian Odyssey III sometime soon.
I had that thing for years now, but never got around to it for some reason.

[Lightcosmo]

When i look back, i actually haven't 100% completed alot of FF games, which is odd considering my nature.

I've done: FF8, FF12, FF13, FF13-2 and Type 0 (10-2 i have 96%) I suppose i can count FF1, but there really isn't anything to it.

[DragonFlames]

To be honest, you don't miss out on a lot by not 100%ing Final Fantasy X.
In fact, I'd say it's more trouble than it's worth. I like that game, but some of the minigames to get the ultimate weapons are... not good (screw Blitzball, the Chocobo racing, lightning dodging, and catching those butterflies. All not fun in the slightest). And the superbosses are kind of lame, too. Especially the ultimate superboss, where it's just an hour of spam this single attack until it dies, and do it in a really specific pattern, or else you'll get one-shot.

It's not challenging, it's just busywork. In my opinion, at least.

[Dayni]

2 minutes ago, DragonFlames said:

To be honest, you don't miss out on a lot by not 100%ing Final Fantasy X.
In fact, I'd say it's more trouble than it's worth. I like that game, but some of the minigames to get the ultimate weapons are... not good (screw Blitzball, the Chocobo racing, lightning dodging, and catching those butterflies. All not fun in the slightest). And the superbosses are kind of lame, too. Especially the ultimate superboss, where it's just an hour of spam this single attack until it dies, and do it in a really specific pattern, or else you'll get one-shot.

It's not challenging, it's just busywork. In my opinion, at least.

Speaking of what version have you played and is it worth bothering with later ports if you have experience with them?

[Lightcosmo]

2 minutes ago, DragonFlames said:

(screw Blitzball, the Chocobo racing,

Blitzball is easy, just takes long, and the chocobo race is also pretty easy. (I grinded it for hours practicing my tech on it and getting 0.0 isn't too bad anymore)

but the others are... awful, i agree.

3 minutes ago, DragonFlames said:

And the superbosses are kind of lame, too. Especially the ultimate superboss, where it's just an hour of spam this single attack until it dies, and do it in a really specific pattern, or else you'll get one-shot.

It's not challenging, it's just busywork. In my opinion, at least.

This is also true, unless you grind HP spheres like mad, which would take too long before you lost intererest in the game.

[Lightcosmo]

2 minutes ago, Dayni said:

Speaking of what version have you played and is it worth bothering with later ports if you have experience with them?

If you mean the PS3/4 ones, if you have never played either, it has the international content in it. (I.E the expert sphere grid, some new abilities, some changes to already existing ones.) I would reccomend the PS4 one as the PS3 loads like poo.

Edited May 4, 2021 by lightcosmo

[DragonFlames]

2 minutes ago, Dayni said:

Speaking of what version have you played and is it worth bothering with later ports if you have experience with them?

I played the original on PS2 back in the day, and I've played the HD remaster on PS4. I'd say, if you still have a working PS2 and/or you can emulate it well enough, you don't really need to bother with the HD remaster, because other than updated graphics, they haven't changed a whole lot. Or anything, really. Not that I remember, at leas--

2 minutes ago, lightcosmo said:

If you mean the PS3/4 ones, if you have never played either, it has the international content in it. (I.E the expert sphere grid, some new abilities, some changes to already existing ones.) I would reccomend the PS4 one as the PS3 loads like poo.

Unless you didn't have access to the international content that I just now learned existed.

I got the HD remaster for two reasons: my PS2 broke long before it was announced, and I had never played X-2, which was included with it.

1 minute ago, lightcosmo said:

Blitzball is easy, just takes long, and the chocobo race is also pretty easy. (I grinded it for hours practicing my tech on it and getting 0.0 isn't too bad anymore)

The thing about Blitzball for me is that it's just really tedious. I'm not that big into any of the ball sports anyhow, and the Chocobo stuff is... eh. Not my thing, either, honestly.

Not too big on the whole minigame stuff in general, if I'm being totally honest. I like it if it's non-intrusive and not mandatory to do for any main game stuff (as in, don't tie someone's ultimate weapon or other crucial items to a minigame), but otherwise, it just annoys me more than anything else.

5 minutes ago, lightcosmo said:

This is also true, unless you grind HP spheres like mad, which would take too long before you lost intererest in the game.

Yeah, true. Having HP spheres would at least prevent the one-shots well enough.
Doesn't really change that the battle itself is just mindlessly wailing away at an enemy that has wayyyy too much health. xP

[Lightcosmo]

3 hours ago, DragonFlames said:

Unless you didn't have access to the international content that I just now learned existed.

I got the HD remaster for two reasons: my PS2 broke long before it was announced, and I had never played X-2, which was included with it.

The thing about Blitzball for me is that it's just really tedious. I'm not that big into any of the ball sports anyhow, and the Chocobo stuff is... eh. Not my thing, either, honestly.

Not too big on the whole minigame stuff in general, if I'm being totally honest. I like it if it's non-intrusive and not mandatory to do for any main game stuff (as in, don't tie someone's ultimate weapon or other crucial items to a minigame), but otherwise, it just annoys me more than anything else.

Yeah, true. Having HP spheres would at least prevent the one-shots well enough.
Doesn't really change that the battle itself is just mindlessly wailing away at an enemy that has wayyyy too much health. xP

10-2 also has international content.

Oof, that's sad. Poor PS2.

Yeah... it's not fun, but i wanted to say i did it at least once! The chocobo thing was me being stubborn and refusing to give up rather than actually enjoing it.

Yeah, that way it's mindlessly wailing on both sides! XD

[DragonFlames]

Just now, lightcosmo said:

10-2 also has international content.

Oh, neat!
I had no idea!

Just now, lightcosmo said:

Oof, that's sad. Poor PS2.

Yeah, I'm a little sad, too. But hey, what can you do?

1 minute ago, lightcosmo said:

Yeah... it's not fun, but i wanted to say i did it at least once! The chocobo thing was me being stubborn and refusing to give up rather than actually enjoing it.

Congrats on that! ^^
I don't usually have the patience for that kind of stuff, haha!

1 minute ago, lightcosmo said:

Yeah, that way it's mindlessly wailing on both sides! XD

True! XD