Serenes Forest's Teehee Thread

[Armagon]

44 minutes ago, Shrimperor said:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Quote

Within the Orbital Ring, there is a massive academic institution known as Aoidos. This massive institution was formerly confined to a small university laboratory. But at the beginning of the 21st century, a scientist from that laboratory found a certain magnetic abnormal matter in Africa. This matter, later to be known as the Gate, was at first simply an intriguing artifact that was stratigraphically out of place, being so technologically advanced. As research continued, it was proven that the Gate was a perpetual motion machine that defied the laws of energy, and also that this was the source of the magnetic abnormalities being detected. In response to this, the Unified Government*1 formed a research institution for further study, and because this institution required a vast amount of resources and people, Aoidos was born.

 

Interesting

So fun fact about this

Spoiler

because Takahashi is a sci-fi nerd and i would not be surprised if he considers 2001: A Space Odyssey his favorite movie of all time, he likes to use the concept of "object that defies everything found in Africa" a lot in the Xeno series. To go over some Xeno series lore (i won't spoil anything, don't worry).

 Xenogears supplementary material states that the Zohar (this thing)

was first discovered in Africa.

In Xenosaga, a different but similar version of the Zohar is discovered in the opening cutscene of Episode I

 Supplementary material for both Xenogears and Xenosaga (as in never brought up or shown in the games themselves) also reveals that, like Xenoblade 2, an experiment gone wrong destroys the Earth. Unlike Xenoblade 2 though, all it caused was it forced humanity to leave Earth. In fact, Xenoblade 2 and Torna are the only games in the series that actually take place on Earth.

Yeah, this series isn't kind to our planet haha. And then there's Xenoblade X, which in the opening cutscene blows up our planet approximately 33 years from now.

 

As for the other thing in the spoiler tag

Spoiler

yeah, the three personalities were Alvis, Malos, and Pneuma.

 

24 minutes ago, Shrimperor said:

 

Yeah, you're right. 0/10 game sucks actually haha.

 

Edited February 8, 2021 by Armagon

[Benice]

15 minutes ago, Lightchao42 said:

which requires development level 2 in Argentum, which you might not have yet).

Yeah, I'm trying to get that right now. It has not yet been reached, but at least I don't have to play Hide-and-go-seek again.

Quote

There's also one in the next area that has you give a Golden Cylinder to someone, so you can be on the lookout if you don't have one yet.

Thanks for the tip!

[Interdimensional Observer]

33 minutes ago, Armagon said:

So fun fact about this

I only just noticed...

Spoiler

That in the XCX opening...

Spoiler

The Vita was shown fighting the Ghost? Wut?

I had assumed the Vita found on Mira and the Ganglion had known it be of importance to their... whatever it is that is important to them. I didn't think the Ganglion had it but lost it after the Mysterious Flash of Light sent them to Mira. And who would be piloting the Vita? Luxaar was 30% compatible, how much better can the Ganglion have? And is it dangerous to your health to use it you aren't its one true... Animus? And why risk the "vessel" of the Great One in combat like this? Was the battle over Earth so desperate like the battle for the Lifehold Core to demand it? It didn't look that way.

 

Oh, and the Xenoblade 10th Anniversary artwork with Elma in the center. The Ares in the background might be the original Ares, not the Prog or 70 or 90. I noticed it lacks the wheels popping out above the head. Only the Ares Xeno lacks those wheels.

 

 

Edited February 8, 2021 by Interdimensional Observer

[Codename Shrimp]

Reading through Aramgons and Observers post reminds that i read somewhere that Xenoblade is a reboot of the old Xeno games after SE stopped them or something, right? And not a continuation due to copyright?

[Armagon]

13 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

I only just noticed...

  Reveal hidden contents

That in the XCX opening...

  Reveal hidden contents

The Vita was shown fighting the Ghost? Wut?

I had assumed the Vita found on Mira and the Ganglion had known it be of importance to their... whatever it is that is important to them. I didn't think the Ganglion had it but lost it after the Mysterious Flash of Light sent them to Mira. And who would be piloting the Vita? Luxaar was 30% compatible, how much better can the Ganglion have? And is it dangerous to your health to use it you aren't its one true... Animus? And why risk the "vessel" of the Great One in combat like this? Was the battle over Earth so desperate like the battle for the Lifehold Core to demand it? It didn't look that way.

 

 

Yeah i noticed that too (Xenoblade X spoilers)

Spoiler

My guess is that the Ghosts where likely a very big threat to the Ganglion. Luxaar brought out the Vita against the Lifehold Core out of desperation but remember, for most of the game, the Ganglion thought of the humans as nothing more than insects. Meanwhile, the Ghosts are shown to rival the Ganglion in technological ability. So much so that i think that wiping out humanity was actually second on the list of priorities. Human DNA may be lethal to the Ganglion but the Ghosts are a much more obvious threat.

 

11 minutes ago, Shrimperor said:

Reading through Aramgons and Observers post reminds that i read somewhere that Xenoblade is a reboot of the old Xeno games after SE stopped them or something, right? And not a continuation due to copyright?

To be more accurate, that would be Xenosaga. Xenogears was originally supposed to be a six-part series (of which Xenogears the game was the fifth one) but development on a second game was scrapped because of Square Enix wanting to focus on Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within as well as FF8. Takahashi wanted to continue his story but he couldn't with Square Enix so he and bunch of the Xenogears dev team left and founded Monolith Soft. But Square still holds the copyright so Takahashi had to reimagine his vision, and so Xenosaga was born. And then Xenosaga as a whole underperformed, Monolith Soft was bought by Nintendo, and you know the rest.

In a general sense, the Xeno games are different interpretations of that original six-part story Takahashi had envisioned for Xenogears. 

Edited February 8, 2021 by Armagon

[Codename Shrimp]

2 minutes ago, Armagon said:

In a general sense, the Xeno games are different interpretations of that original six-part story Takahashi had envisioned for Xenogears

So 3 more games to go (if you count x?)

[Lightchao42]

I would say that Xenosaga is a sort-of reboot of Xenogears, but Takahashi gave up on it after Xenosaga was cut short and made the first Xenoblade its own thing (and X is also its own thing). Xenoblade 2 reuses various themes and concepts from Xenogears, but not enough that I would call it another sort-of reboot.

Edited February 8, 2021 by Lightchao42

[Interdimensional Observer]

9 minutes ago, Shrimperor said:

So 3 more games to go (if you count x?)

No, not exactly. Xenoblade 1 is not any particularly Xenogears planned episode that I can think of, even though it borrow the same "Gnostic trinity" concept of XG.

XCX is a new "Episode 2", Episode 2 in XG being defined as "crash on another planet". Episode 1 "departure from Earth and important stuff happens in space" IIRC, which XCX also kinda is, but not so much. Again, going off my memory of it.

As for Xenoblade Chronicles 2... SPOILERS

Spoiler

is Episode 5, the episode Xenogears itself, outside of flashbacks to stuff in Episodes 2-4, was.

And Land of Morytha is Episode 3- "Humanity brings the planet they inhabit to ruin and civilization collapses". But we've never had an actual XG Episode 3 game.

Episode 6... nobody knows what it was supposed to be. The art book never defined it, and being after Episode 5, Xenogears itself, we're at a complete loss about what was going to be about. Not helping is Xenogears wrapping up the two major threads that united Episodes I-V. 

Edited February 8, 2021 by Interdimensional Observer

[Lightcosmo]

Wow, I missed alot. First, glad to see you enjoyed XC2 Shrimpy!

The Xenosaga reminders, though... why?

[Armagon]

1 minute ago, Shrimperor said:

So 3 more games to go (if you count x?)

Ah, to clarify, i meant that each of the games in the series has been different interpretations of the different parts of Xenogears. The full Xenogears storyline is referred to as Perfect Works (after the art and lore book of the same name).

• The entire Xenosaga trilogy is a different interpretation of Perfect Works Episode I.
• Xenoblade X is a different interpretation of Perfect Works Episode II.
• Perfect Works Episode III doesn't really have a game yet, though it's concept is used across the series.
• Torna is a different interpretation of Perfect Works Episode 4.
• Xenoblade 2 is a different interpretation of Perfect Works Episode 5. 
  • Both Torna and Xenoblade 2 have a lot of similarities to the events of Xenogears, both in some story beats and some locations. Different execution obviously but the parallels are there.
• Future Connected is a different interpretation of Perfect Works Episode 6, although even in the book, Episode 6 had like no info on it so this is just guesswork.

Xenoblade 1, on account of not intended as a Xeno game in the first place, isn't mentioned here although you can make the argument that it is also a different interpretation of Episode 5.

[Lightcosmo]

Something I dont understand: why did the Xenosaga series do poorly? To me, they are perfectly playable (well, 2 is questionable) 

[Armagon]

@Shrimperor this is like the most obvious similarity found between Xenogears and Xenoblade 2.

Here we have the city of Thames in Xenogears

 

and then here is Argentum in Xenoblade 2

Yeah.

Just now, lightcosmo said:

Something I dont understand: why did the Xenosaga series do poorly? To me, they are perfectly playable (well, 2 is questionable) 

Well for starters, Episodes I and III were never released in Europe.

I feel like Namco kinda had too high sales expectations. Because the sales weren't actually that bad but Namco wanted more i guess.

But also Episode II killed a lot of hype because of how bad it's gameplay was.

[Interdimensional Observer]

12 minutes ago, lightcosmo said:

The Xenosaga reminders, though... why?

Haunted are ye? Like Ghosts hovering around one's head? Before you go to bed every night, do you hear nothing but the quiet flow of water? A reminder of the incomplete?

 

24 minutes ago, Armagon said:

Xenogears was originally supposed to be a six-part series (of which Xenogears the game was the fifth one) but development on a second game was scrapped because of Square Enix wanting to focus on Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within as well as FF8.

I heard someone say Chrono Cross also ran into development issues because of resource diversion to Final Fantasy IX. Some of whose dev team members, who may have worked on Xenogears, also joined on at Monolith. Squaresoft (not yet merged with Enix), had to feed everything to its firstborn, and admittedly highly successful at the time, child.

 

24 minutes ago, Armagon said:

and so Xenosaga was born. And then Xenosaga as a whole underperformed, Monolith Soft was bought by Nintendo, and you know the rest.

Hey! Be nice to Xenosaga. BK likely underperformed even worse. 😛

 

2 minutes ago, Armagon said:

I feel like Namco kinda had too high sales expectations. Because the sales weren't actually that bad but Namco wanted more i guess.

To be fair, they did have an in-house success story to "excuse" bashing Xenosaga, it's called Tales. The original GameCube version of Symphonia sold over 950k copies globally alone, and the Japan-only PS2 port another 486k to sales.

 

1 minute ago, Armagon said:

Here we have the city of Thames in Xenogears

 

and then here is Argentum in Xenoblade 2

Liar!

XC2 has no Men of the Sea! Actually that scruffy dog mutant captain would found Rex very Man of the Sea. The Thames has the original salvagers. Now if only Rex was a genderbent Elly, hello XC2 opening with Emeralda instead of Pyra.

 

Also, I edited my above post to mention one tiny and unimportant detail I noticed from that Xenoblade 10th anniversary artwork.

[Codename Shrimp]

18 minutes ago, lightcosmo said:

though... why?

A newbie asking questions, sorry xD

 

7 minutes ago, Armagon said:

Yeah.

Oh yeah i see it.

Now i am kinda intereated in "perfect works'

*googles*

>300 pics

Well, i should check em out sometime

Maybe aftee i finish Torna

[Armagon]

5 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

BK likely underperformed even worse. 😛

Tbf, Namco never told Monolith Soft to cnd Baten Kaitos. 

If Nintendo didn't come in, we might've gotten that Baten Kaitos game on DS.

3 minutes ago, Shrimperor said:

Now i am kinda intereated in "perfect works'

*googles*

>300 pics

Well, i should check em out sometime

Reading Perfect Works will actually spoil Xenogears, keep in mind. I know you don't intend to play it since random encounters but if you want, i can give you the cutscenes later.

[Acacia Sgt]

Hmm, I wonder.

I could just stop CKII at December 1444AD, which is EUIV's starting date. However, I could go ahead all the way to 1453AD, and convert. The date will jump back (though the fan converter allows you to resume straight on the displayed date), but eh...

We can chalk it up to ATL's Julian-to-Gregorian transition.

[Interdimensional Observer]

21 minutes ago, Armagon said:

If Nintendo didn't come in, we might've gotten that Baten Kaitos game on DS.

*Checks Wikipedia as to why*

I see, the Nintendo acquisition of Monolith was quietly underway in the background, and Nintendo's publishing of Origins instead of Namco likely left Namco unwilling to finance the game. A game that... well would they have partial ownership of it? The two-game series as Smash as has shown is stuck in a legal limbo, Origins being okay, but EWatLO no. Even though that infamous Pac-Man sidequest means Origins isn't entirely in the clear either. But when Namco has developed the past two Smashes, why should there be Namco resistance to including The True Mirror Guitar Version? 

And how'd you find out the details of this development stuff? Spoil yourself at all to either game? Just askin'. 

Edited February 8, 2021 by Interdimensional Observer

[Armagon]

5 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

And how'd you find out the details of this development stuff? Spoil yourself at all to either game? Just askin'. 

Nah, I'm still in the dark as far as the Baten Kaitos stories go (except for something major I accidentally got spoiled on a while back)

Spoiler

Kalas is the final boss of the first game appearently. I don't know the context tho (don't tell me, I still intend to finish these games).

I just saw on Wikipedia a section about any potential future the series might've had.

 

Edited February 8, 2021 by Armagon

[Interdimensional Observer]

23 minutes ago, Armagon said:

Nah, I'm still in the dark as far as the Baten Kaitos stories go (except for something major I accidentally got spoiled on a while back)

Oh dear... 

To be fair, I had the game guide, so I knew in advance myself for a different reason.

May I correct one little bit of what you were told however? Or do you wish to remain uncorrected?

Edited February 8, 2021 by Interdimensional Observer

[Armagon]

20 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

May I correct one little bit of what you were told however?

I wasn't actually told anything, i just saw a YouTube thumbnail and was like "welp".

Although if it's without context, yeah, correct me.

[Armagon]

Gamera was doing Kaiju Fatalities before it was cool.

[Benice]

13 minutes ago, Armagon said:

Gamera was doing Kaiju Fatalities before it was cool

I don't know what I just witnessed, but I am frightened.

[Sidereal Wraith]

 

[Sidereal Wraith]

The only good thing that’s come out of this virus is that although there is about 2 feet of snow where I’m from in the U.S. because the children are working routinely from home they’re not getting any snow days off from school.

Edited February 8, 2021 by Wraith

[Dayni]

Petition to ask Wraith to add a description as "One of the Ten Who Were Ducken"?

Also, why be so mean to the kids? At least they could get snow there. 😞