Serenes Forest's Teehee Thread

[Saint Rubenio]

19 minutes ago, WraithReborn said:

I have so any any complaints about Echoes are going to fall on my deaf ears.

All right. I'll still leave them here for the ears of anybody else who might be interested.

4 minutes ago, Acacia Sgt said:

Wait, so you didn't tried for Warp and Rescue tactics?

It is difficult to perform warp and rescue tactics when you lack rescue.

[Acacia Sgt]

1 minute ago, Saint Rubenio said:

It is difficult to perform warp and rescue tactics when you lack rescue.

Didn't train Shade enough? No Cleric!Faye?

[Sooks]

After convincing the door to open itself, I found that all that was in there was a super rich guy who bent light around him and made the entire room look very trippy.

After talking to the guy about finance, I could choose to propose a great business idea to him or one that’s sure to fail, and I had a 3% chance of succeeding at each. I picked the one that’s sure to fail, which I obviously failed at, but the game said failing at failing is succeeding and I actually proposed a great business idea, which he gave me five days’ worth of rent for. That was great.

Other than that I ran around for the big guy in the chair and beat up his racist underling because I forgot I could just go around thanks to befriending Cuno. The guy in the chair also made us sign some contract about building a teen centre before he would help us (because nothing like a healthy dose of corruption!) or something, but building a teen center is the same “great business idea” I proposed to the super rich guy. Coincidence?

I also sort of accidentally learned (but not internalized) ultraliberalism and uphold the status quo (essentially) as political ideologies so… oops.

[Saint Rubenio]

I just randomly came up with a task to give figurines to basically female Jesus Christ should I ever meet her.

You get one guess as to what I'm playing now.

10 minutes ago, Acacia Sgt said:

Didn't train Shade enough? No Cleric!Faye?

Made Faye a mage and I guess Shade isn't high enough, no.

9 minutes ago, Sooks said:

After convincing the door to open itself, I found that all that was in there was a super rich guy who bent light around him and made the entire room look very trippy.

After talking to the guy about finance, I could choose to propose a great business idea to him or one that’s sure to fail, and I had a 3% chance of succeeding at each. I picked the one that’s sure to fail, which I obviously failed at, but the game said failing at failing is succeeding and I actually proposed a great business idea, which he gave me five days’ worth of rent for. That was great.

Other than that I ran around for the big guy in the chair and beat up his racist underling because I forgot I could just go around thanks to befriending Cuno. The guy in the chair also made us sign some contract about building a teen centre before he would help us (because nothing like a healthy dose of corruption!) or something, but building a teen center is the same “great business idea” I proposed to the super rich guy. Coincidence?

All of this is so different from anything I've done. This game is so big, man... Well, most of it anyway. I do recognize a couple things.

Edited November 7, 2021 by Saint Rubenio

[Sooks]

Just now, Saint Rubenio said:

All of this is so different from anything I've done. This game is so big, man...

Big enough that one sandwich has eluded me thus far, but it can’t hide forever.

[Saint Rubenio]

Discoelysium.png

2 minutes ago, Sooks said:

Big enough that one sandwich has eluded me thus far, but it can’t hide forever.

Good. Keep it that way. It must be mine before it is yours.

[Sooks]

[Saint Rubenio]

I have so many failed rolls on the backburner. Priorities, however. Next level, I must level rhetoric and try to open the container again.

...And the sandwich, of course.

[Acacia Sgt]

So as I was discussing about the TH routes with someone in another site, I ended up writing a crude attempt at merging all three of VW, AM, and SS, pft. If curious:

Disclaimer - Don't own TH and only have an incomplete understanding of the entire plot.

Spoiler

As it is, Chapters 13 and 14 are virtually the same in all three routes. Reunion at the monastery and defending it form Randolph, so just have it be a joint effort with all four of Byleth, Seteth, Dimitri, and Claude instead of just the one and Byleth. 15 is the same: Ambushed by Gwendal at the Valley of Torment. A unified route would just have both Rodrigue and Judith supply reinforcements, instead of just contacting either of them. 16 is also the same. Even if you play in Azure Moon it's still an invasion of the Empire through Gloucester, against Ladislava and Acheron. And in Silver Snow you still have the Kingdom march through the bridge once you take it. A unified route would just go more like Azure Moon. Claude has Nardel distract the Count like in Verdant Wind as he joins the coalition to take the bridge. 17 is the first true divergence with Azure Moon and Verdant Wind being the Gronder battle while Silver Snow skips straight to Fort Merceus. Instead of a tree-way battle, it's simply the coalition against the Empire. Alternatively, have a mini route split where after the Valley of Torment, if you chose the Blue Lions back at the beginning of the game, we get the Kingdom capital liberation chapter against Cornelia as Chapter 16 and having chosen the Golden Deer then we get the Bridge of Myrddin chapter instead. Then if you chose the Black Eagles and chose to not follow Edelgard, you get a prompt choosing who to go with. Then both armies reunite for Gronder as Chapter 17, then 18 is Fort Merceus. Merceus can be another mix, with the starting positions split between the two starting points. Or you start depending on who you went with in Chapter 16 while the other side are Allied NPC's or forced deploys. Almyran reinforcements can show up regardless. Then we can have it where Jeritza dies like in Azure Moon, but in his last breath warns the Coalition about the Light Javelins like in Verdant Wind and Silver Snow. Then Chapter 19 is Enbarr, Chapter 20 against Edelgard in her Hegemon form like Azure Moon. Chapter 21 then is Shambala, and Chapter 22 against Nemesis. In my opinion, there's no need to fight Rhea as the Immaculate One, so she can just retire like in Azure Moon. Or if we really need to have deviations, then Chapter 22 is another split situation using the original ideas. Instead of Hegemon form, it's regular Edelgard fought in Chapter 20, then if you chose Blue Lions, the Slitherers basically revive her in Hegemon form and unleash her for Chapter 22, then it's Nemesis instead if you chose Golden Deer, or we have Rhea going berserk as the Immaculate One if you chose Black Eagles.

Now, I won't pretend this way of a unified "Against Edelgard" route is better than the three separate ones we actually got, but I wouldn't think it's without merit, or that it can't work just as fine for a game instead. Ultimately, structurally wise all three routes are the same. SS only skips Gronder while AM trades Shambala and Nemesis/Rhea for Cornelia and Dierdru.

Yeah, far from perfect.

Edited November 7, 2021 by Acacia Sgt

[Saint Rubenio]

I've failed nearly all the rolls and made no progress whatsoever.

I love this game.

[Dayni]

2 hours ago, Saint Rubenio said:

Hot take: The swamp maps are not as bad as this. Usually you're harried by enough enemies that trudging through the swamp is at least mildly interesting. This horseshit of a man has you walking for a hundred turns while the only opposition is extremely weak gargoyles. Nuibaba's spell ensures all manner of aggressive approach is completely impossible, so all you can do is either abuse retreat or do it the tedious, unfun way.

I hate this map so much.

Nuibaba is probably the worst individual map in SoV by a long shot. I said before that the first time I played Duma Tower caused me more frustration, but yeah that's a whole dungeon as opposed to one map.

Also, why Dread Fighters are good there on top of having at least decent Res is that Medusa's to 1 HP effect is also halved.

I GOT OFF MR. FUGA'S WILD RIDE! Even got three prisoners this time including two Falcoknights.

Edited November 7, 2021 by Dayni

[Lightcosmo]

Dread Fighter class was 0/10 balance lmao.

[Acacia Sgt]

Well, finally. Got a job interview for tomorrow near noon. Hopefully this is the breakthrough I need to get employed again.

[Benice]

2 minutes ago, Acacia Sgt said:

Well, finally. Got a job interview for tomorrow near noon. Hopefully this is the breakthrough I need to get employed again.

Good luck!

[Dayni]

1 minute ago, Acacia Sgt said:

Well, finally. Got a job interview for tomorrow near noon. Hopefully this is the breakthrough I need to get employed again.

High 5!

[Interdimensional Observer]

Week 2 Day 4 over, I liked the game/urban legends aspect of the day. Like Day 3 before it, until the day got to the end, it felt fairly chill, but it is building up towards something narratively. Hopefully the payoff will be worth it. As for specifics of the plot.:

Spoiler

So Shinjuku was wiped completely from the record of existence. This actually explains what the Composer meant when Conductor Megumi tried to stop him. Not the first time I've seen removal of a place result in its prior existence becoming undone as well in a Square game. The stakes for NEO are now well and truly clear, they go above the personal, to concerning the fate of the entire world in a microcosm. Didn't it take until Week 3 of the first game to go beyond Neku to world stakes? NEO is proceeding faster on getting to this.

The breaking down of the UG-RG boundaries seems like a first symptom in existence-undoing, the second is likely those incomplete Noise you couldn't actually fight. When they indicated strange Noise, I was thinking "ah, there are Taboo Noise around this time", but they don't seem like the same thing. Not that I remember why Taboo Noise exist, if they were ever explained. More, the impression from the new Noise is that either:

• The Noise are straddling multiple planes of existence, one or more of which the heroes cannot reach.
• Or, the Noise have had their existential data so messed up, to the point of becoming likewise intangible.

The Shinjuku Reapers came crying crocodile tears to Shibuya and took it over after Shinjuku disappeared three years ago. The game is suggesting it's the Shinjuku Reapers' fault, and they aren't exactly making the impression that they aren't, but the first impression has to be to some degree a lie. Is it the fault of Miss "No More Games!" Harajuku? Is there some element of a desperate resistance against her in the Shin Reapers' plans? But Shiba is so calm and smug and nobody seems worried at all about her. And what of the Ruinbringers? They seem aligned with the Shin Reapers, but to what exact extent? And why, when the game is so willing to show me Iguana Lady, does it keep hiding the third Ruin player from me?

And yet again- where is Joshua? Uzuki said "Composer" aloud, yet nobody bothered explaining the term to the newbies, who didn't ask about it either. He, Neku, and Hanekoma are still all unaccounted for. As is Sho now. Joshua was willing to destroy his Shibuya, but then changed his mind, did he change it back? Did someone defeat him and send him MIA, before the Shin Reapers took over? Is this yet another cosmic bet? Hanekoma couldn't possibly allow it after he had secretly resurrected Sho last time.

Getting away from the important oldies and returning to the new guys, what of Swallow in the first? Day 4's end clearly infuriated Rindo, I don't see his trust in Swallow as totally broken, I feel that could be a fatal error, because the very real possibly of enemy/manipulator has opened up. Whoever they are- Neku, Hanekoma, or a new individual -perhaps the Ruins' third player- it's going to be quite the moment when they reveal themselves. 

Now about that gambit against the Ruinbringers... how it is going to fail? Will Kanon betray, and when? Either immediately after the appearance of defeating the Ruinbringers, will it be after defeating one or two of them, but the overeagerly before the third? Will Motoi stop acting sweet and sharply turn cold and or psycho and deal a shocking blow to Rindo's morale? Will the alliance actually work, and the Ruinbringers and or Shin Reapers overpower it anyhow? It's gotta fail for Week 3 to happen, how spectacular will that fail be?

(Aside on speaking of Kanon and Motoi. The team themes are pretty modern and I like that. This said, the nerds and too-stereotypical gays are pretty unappealing. The Purehearts, soft modern men, yet not gay, is left the only truly appealing one thematically. And why other than Nagi, Kanon, and Mr. Mew Girl, are there no girl players? This isn't a pre-contemporary army, this is the gathering of civilians in who either died, "died", or in a tiny handful of cases might've have been selectively chosen. Is this some kind of IRL subconscious societal bias against harming females?)

There feels like there are too many active agents out there. As if Kanon and Motoi would both have to be erased this week to make enough room for everyone else of plot importance. If the game really keeps to a three-week structure, Week 3 is going to feel rushed. That, or I'll be left with a little indigestion from character bloat, does Iguana Lady really need to exist? The cast might be a touch too big.

Lastly, Rindo's hesitation on the matter of alliance. As a very indecisive person IRL, who has drifted by in life not having to make a bunch of the big decisions (and should at least decide on a future job), I don't mind Rindo's hesitation. He did act rude to Fret, but I absolutely concur on him calling out Fret's love-induced-stupidity regarding Kanon. I think I might have a similar tendency to get a bit rude if pressed on a hard choice. Although sometimes I stay cool, and just recite my lack of opinion, which can be enough to annoy people.

Speculation over for now. Maybe I'll actually get somewhere into Day 5 later tonight and see what the actual course of events is. It's keeping me interested, even if I'm always wary that it's going to turn out horribly, because hoping for the best outcome, whatever that is, will lead to disappointment.

[Acacia Sgt]

Now that I think about it, as an addendum to the above:

Spoiler

Could be a merge instead of split with Hegemon Edelgard at Shambala, Nemesis for Ch22, and a new Ch23 with the Immaculate One. But only if you want to squeeze all three to be fought in the same playthrough.

 

[Codename Shrimp]

30 minutes ago, Acacia Sgt said:

Well, finally. Got a job interview for tomorrow near noon. Hopefully this is the breakthrough I need to get employed again.

you can do it!

[Armagon]

2 hours ago, Saint Rubenio said:

God, this map is horrible. It's just so fucking shit. Only reason I didn't suffer as much as last time is that I turtled like a madman and picked the enemies off one by one. Horrible, horrible, horrible map

Me, who cheesed the map with Silque/Faye Warp -> Rescue shenanigans

1 hour ago, Saint Rubenio said:

It is difficult to perform warp and rescue tactics when you lack rescue

Skill issue.

39 minutes ago, Acacia Sgt said:

Well, finally. Got a job interview for tomorrow near noon. Hopefully this is the breakthrough I need to get employed again.

 Nice nice. Hope it goes well.

 

[Acacia Sgt]

Or, as an addendum to the addendum:

Spoiler

Since Nemesis and the Elites being brought back and Rhea going berserk are plot points that only seem to exist for the sake of having every route have a different final boss, then they can be excised and just keep Hegemon Edelgard as the final boss after the fight at Shambala.

 

[Saint Rubenio]

56 minutes ago, Dayni said:

Nuibaba is probably the worst individual map in SoV by a long shot. I said before that the first time I played Duma Tower caused me more frustration, but yeah that's a whole dungeon as opposed to one map.

Nuibaba's Abode cons:

- Everything.

Nuibaba's Abode pros:

- Nuibaba.

56 minutes ago, Dayni said:

Also, why Dread Fighters are good there on top of having at least decent Res is that Medusa's to 1 HP effect is also halved.

Dread fighters is peak Kaga balance.

...Well, okay, no, Sierra is. But they're up there.

56 minutes ago, Dayni said:

I GOT OFF MR. FUGA'S WILD RIDE! Even got three prisoners this time including two Falcoknights.

Way to go!

8 minutes ago, Armagon said:

Me, who cheesed the map with Silque/Faye Warp -> Rescue shenanigans

Skill issue.

You know, that does not make the map good. You're still turtling and tediously killing enemies one-by-one. Those two spells just streamline the process, but ultimately, you're still breaking the map. Because the map is horribly conceived and you have to break it.

I know, I know, you're messing with me, but... God, this map is hot garbage. Ranting about hot garbage overrides acknowledging the humorous intent of the post.

[Sidereal Wraith]

 

[Acacia Sgt]

Okay, enough Writer's Mode. Time to do Little Lamplight related stuff. Including actually going away instead of heading to Vault 87 just yet.

[Acacia Sgt]

Looks like the Sinnoh remakes got leaked.

Okay, some Fallout 3 and perhaps start diving into spoilers goodies next.

[Armagon]

16 minutes ago, Saint Rubenio said:

Nuibaba's Abode pros:

- Nuibaba

Something you wanna share with the class Ruben?

10 minutes ago, Acacia Sgt said:

Looks like the Sinnoh remakes got leaked.

Pokemon moment.