Serenes Forest's Teehee Thread

[Codename Shrimp]

12 minutes ago, lightcosmo said:

CS just took it took far. 

and then they added Brave Orders

The fucking dumbasses

2 minutes ago, Benice said:

Numbers may not lie, but they also don't tell the whole story. A massive part of consuming art is the consumer's interpretation and the consumer's situation. I can tell you with 100% certainty that I played the same Three Houses* as Sooks, Ruben and Shrimpy, yet all of us came to different conclusions. Similarly, there is no stat or set of numbers within the Yakuza franchise that makes me love it, nor is there an objective reason for my love of Josette. The numbers don't lie that she is the worst in gameplay, but she is still the best in my heart. That's just how art is.

The numbers also mean you shouldn't make Nightmare mode an easy mode. That's on them. Even a little bit of playtesting would've shown how broken the system is.

[Benice]

4 minutes ago, Shrimpolaris said:

The numbers also mean you shouldn't make Nightmare mode an easy mode. That's on them. Even a little bit of playtesting would've shown how broken the system is.

Sure, but one doesn't have to constantly hate on CS fans for enjoying what they do.

Edited April 3, 2022 by Benice

[Codename Shrimp]

28 minutes ago, Benice said:

Sure, but one doesn't have to constantly hate on CS fans for enjoying what they do.

We criticize CS, if they take it personally that's on them, not on us. 

Forced and toxic positivity is the worst. Much worse than normal "hate" waves. Much much worse.

If CS fans go and hunt people on the net for criticizing CS (happened to me and to people i know, people even not involved in the community at all) then they deserve every bit of hate they get. They are the most toxic bunch of people on the net, worse than anything i met on my 20 years online.

Even a professional reviewer who is a big Trails fan got Death Threats for not calling CS4 good. So yeah, fuck em

Edited April 3, 2022 by Shrimpolaris

[Codename Shrimp]

damn it our secret has been found out

[Acacia Sgt]

So... they want to be manhandled?

I'd say that's bonking time but then...

[Lightcosmo]

1 hour ago, Benice said:

Sure, but one doesn't have to constantly hate on CS fans for enjoying what they do.

I've not once called anyone out for playing the way they want, but that doesnt change the fact that the balance is shitty.

[Interdimensional Observer]

Tried to get back into Berwick Saga after several days' hiatus (during which I listened much too much to a certain game's ost). I was so obsessed with the visible first wave that I severely underestimated the mostly invisible urban guerrillas. I probably reloaded... 20 times, and still made no progress. (At least Berwick Saga isn't Runbow.) Unless I play it really safe (I've got like 3 or 4 turns until no-priest & no-vulneraries Vester breaks down his gate and I have to start worrying about him), I'll lose someone sometime within 4 enemy actions on turn 6. The Battle Cry soldier, protected on both possible approaches with an Overwatch Brave Crossbowman (one of whom will leave the houses and team up with the BC soldier to kill if given the chance), the ballistae, the shield & horse-killing axeman, the Sleep Arrow archer, Alvina or whoever curated this army has an eye for detail. Even if I had brought Larentia or Czene, the enemy quality is sufficient that merely being able to preempt the enemies wouldn't make them easily overcame opponents.

This said, it is demoralizing. In itself it wouldn't be that bad, but when mandatory Chapters 7 and 9 also had me reloading like a maniac and the start of 10 was hell enough, the cumulative effect is wearing at me. I don't want to pause the game for a longer duration or stop here altogether, I've been very much enjoying it, and I'm well aware of my "~70% completed & leaves game to linger unfinished" tendency. I've only *counts* 10 battles left.

But... I rather want to swap to another PS2 title for my lone actively-played emulation game. To jump from an SRPG with: a down-to-earth medieval story, simple & crisp animations, somewhat experimental gameplay, and shoddy hit rates; to an SRPG with a fantastical sci-fi tale, flashy as flashy gets attacks, tried & true traditional gameplay, and hit rates I can lock in at 100% in a matter of moments. Not to say one is good and one is bad. To me, it's more the sun and the moon, fire and water, sky and earth; very different, and yet both are beautiful. Honestly, no offense to Berwick -as I said I do truly enjoy it- but as is, it feels like an obstacle keeping me from its polar opposite. Maybe starting it up will make me less wanting to rush through BS, and thus make it less irritable if I return to it later.

----

And I casually and while not focusing turned SMTV on again, took out the boss that was giving me trouble on the first new attempt, which I was not expecting. I had prepared heavily for it, but I'm amazed it went so smoothly. Had the boss landed a crit or selectively targeted the Nahobino or fragile Anubis, I could've easy lost. Instead, when they attempted single-target attacks, they goofed and frequently picked Belphegor, who could shrug everything off. Guess I'll continue with my trip through apocalyptic Tokyo now. Next boss will probably be cinch with my carefully fused Resist Fire Sarasvati.

 

6 hours ago, Shrimpolaris said:

*Sees pixelated Monado*

Reminds me I was listening to this demake last night.:

You can tell the underlying composition is good when you can strip it down to electric blips and it still sounds great. I first thought of this notion with the Fire Emblem Theme, and I continue to think of it with other tunes.

 

5 hours ago, Saint Rubenio said:

I mean, if you want to be that specific, yeah, but things of that ilk? A-plenty in these games. Even Berwick couldn't help itself in a couple of instances. Even if I do consider one of them to be forgivable just because of how well handled it is, for the most part.

Although I didn't comment on it earlier, I was 😬 when the arrow-seller girl had been accosted by bandits and her father and Tianna assumed that. Might as well have named the girl Thief Staff (that was her name right?).

5 hours ago, Saint Rubenio said:

Imagine my face when I saw "Sooks mentioned you in a topic: is it normal to think panne is sexy" in my notifications.

I didn't even have time to share an opinion before the thing was closed up. I mean, I can't say I necesarily disagree.

And then I you have me, who has typed "Ranulf screw me!" on these forums before. And wouldn't mind running my hands through Skrimir's long red locks, despite me not usually going for that hunk-bear hybrid physique he has. 

5 hours ago, Saint Rubenio said:

Interesting... Who is he and where is he from?

Not a game you'd care for- Xenoblade Chronicles X. Though it's not love of Xenoblade in general that draws me to him. I'm probably his biggest fan out there, and a weirdo for it.

First, let me make it clear that XCX is less... vibrant compared to its successor game. The 18 non-MC playable characters are fairly normal-looking and ordinarily dressed, all of which barring Lin are at least 18 and look the part. A bunch are tropey, but not always in the most outlandish ways possible.

Phog is pretty normal, with a fairly low-key personality. It's enough that he could readily be forgotten by most people, not very likely at all to place highly on a popularity contest, he's a total side character. Phog could slide into a non-"anime" story without coming off as out of place, as he doesn't feel "anime" in the oft-derogatory sense in any way. Could be outright insulted as "boring".

With Phog, I guess I could see "autism-coding" the way queer people have seen queer-coding in stories that are on their surface straight or nonsexual.:

• Phog is quirky, but not in the way XCX's Alexa is. She with her "I can't wait to strap into this baby!" obsession with giant robots is very "anime". Phog isn't that way at all. When he is absent-minded, it isn't because he forgot to eat in the past three days because he was too busy reading books and fainted as a result. Phog simply forgot, that's all.
• When Phog focuses in on something, he doesn't get "OMG! ISN'T THIS GREAT?" bombastic about it when others approach him, he instead is in his own little world and keeps his calm demeanor. If anything, he tends to be a little quiet, without being shy, for that is how lost in his mind he can be.
• However, Phog is not merely a nerd with a little social awkwardness. He can be a little insightful once in a while, but nowhere near being a super genius- see Lin in the same game for an unrealistic super genius. I can tell that Phog isn't "normal", there is something more to him than being a little nerdy. Would an ordinary nerd -who is very kind and shows no signs of wanting to make trouble for anyone- press the shiny red fire alarm button in school "because it was there"?

This all culminated in one of Phog's bonding events (none of which in XCX are romantic), where he is standing by a hot dog vendor struggling to order one. To be precise, these lines:

"I have a lot of...anxiety issues around strangers, and my brother says I have to get comfortable doing things like talking to shopkeepers and ordering food."

"What are you gonna do when you're 30 or 40 years old?" he says. "What if you still can't do this crap by yourself?"

THIS. IS. ME. By this point I'm okay at placing my order at restaurants, though it took a few tries to get used to it, but NGL, buying stuff in person is still awkward for me, not that I practice frequently enough. This can't possibly be the behavior of one those extreme shut-in hikikomoris Japan has, Phog shows absolutely no signs of being one. 

This conversation sealed the deal. Phog has high-functioning autism. He can function in ordinary society, but with a few difficulties a normal person might not be able to imagine having. Phog and I aren't the same in every way, and yet, he resembles my Asperger's syndrome self so closely that I have to abandon any reservations I usually having about diagnosing people -real or fictional- with a psychological or neurological condition, and call him what he is. And I say it with a smile on my face.🙂 Because, amid video games with so many wacky personalities that are simply out of this world, it's nice to have one oddball who is certainly different, but in a way I know to be very very real. I'd hug Phog if I could -if he wouldn't mind a hug, not sure if he'd be okay with that.

 

4 hours ago, pong said:

Hm, I wonder (and probably show my historical ignorance)... The concept, or the denomination? I know that there's a quote by Machiavelli along the lines of "It is better to be feared than to be loved"

In Machiavelli's case, I haven't read The Prince, but I overheard once it goes feared > loved > hated.

If they (your subjects) fear you, they will not rise up against you. If they love you, they aren't likely to turn against you either, but it does mean you can't risk acting parsimoniously, you have to keep the people happy. That might be a problem if you've, say, a serious national debt issue and need to cut spending on things people like or raise taxes. Being feared above all else means the people won't openly complain about taxes, you'll have a freer hand as a ruler to do what you must.

To be hated more than feared or loved is dangerous, and a sign that you must change course ASAP. If they don't love you, they have no desire to keep you. If they don't fear you, then aren't afraid of overthrowing you. And if they then hate you most of all, then they'll actually want you out of office, possibly dead. Either show them the money or start assembling the firing squads and find a way to make something in them greater than their hatred. -Provided your bureaucrats and army haven't lost their fear/love of you and are still willing to obey your commands.

I heard once that Navalny, that Russian opposition leader Mr. KGB keeps inventing new excuses to keep in jail, said in an interview that he hates that man most of all. Hatred of the dictator is what keeps him going through all he suffers. If so, and Machiavelli really did warn against being hated, then this is evidence of the power of anger (however feeble being only one's person's rage).

Edited April 3, 2022 by Interdimensional Observer

[Benice]

  

1 minute ago, Shrimpolaris said:

If CS fans go and hunt people on the net for criticizing CS (happened to me and to people i know) then they deserve every bit of hate they get.

Playing CS does not make you a good person, but it also doesn't make you a bad person. CS fans are not a single entity.

2 minutes ago, Shrimpolaris said:

Forced and toxic positivity is the worst. Much worse than normal "hate" waves. Much much worse.

I'm not asking for you to like CS, I'm asking that we stop barraging the thread with constant negativity. I got here in the morning, people are bashing CS. I work my shift and come back, people are still bashing CS. Toxic positivity is bad-But Christ almighty, the discussions about CS are often borderline echo chambers that are occasionally interrupted by an alternate opinion like 06's.

Again, I genuinely do not care about CS. I've never played it, and it's possible that I never will. It's about the fact that I'm not seeing healthy discussion at all, full of sweeping generalizations and personal insults. I've seen a lot of statements that are kinda like how Brightbow's assertion that the writers of Awakening are morally bankrupt and as evil as the Beignet senators; it's an incredibly strong opinion not really founded in logic. I'm not telling you this because I hate Sky, you or anything else-I'm telling you this because I believe that you aren't trying to be toxic and I wanted to say that, to me, the conversation surrounding CS has been toxic as of late.

[Codename Shrimp]

4 minutes ago, Benice said:

Playing CS does not make you a good person, but it also doesn't make you a bad person. CS fans are not a single entity.

Yeah i am talking about out the ones who do what i am talking about

4 minutes ago, Benice said:

I'm telling you this because I believe that you aren't trying to be toxic and I wanted to say that, to me, the conversation surrounding CS has been toxic as of late.

you're free to look away

I'd rather not talk about Trails at all if possible, but i can't force the whole thread to shut up about Trails or CS considering how many in the thread play the games

Edited April 3, 2022 by Shrimpolaris

[Acacia Sgt]

 

[Acacia Sgt]

I started writing a Chrono Cross fanfic a couple days ago, in light that the remaster comes this next Thursday.

... sadly I'm back to my FE fanfics, hahaha...

[Codename Shrimp]

...i am watching 3H video with Berwick Music in the background...

😄

[null]

I miss writing fics, ngl

but I also hate the fics I wrote

so mehhhhh

slaksjdfaklsfhka

[Codename Shrimp]

I get ideas and plot bunnies on bed

Once i am on PC they all gone lol

[Acacia Sgt]

I mostly only have to fight against my own unwillingness to write... despite wanting to write. It's like social anxiety but with writing, even if no one would read it unless I actually share it.

[Sooks]

2 hours ago, Benice said:

Ruben what did you do to Sooks

Believe it or not, I’m actually even better than “and sometimes, I even win the battles!”

18 minutes ago, Shrimpolaris said:

...i am watching 3H video with Berwick Music in the background...

😄

Meanwhile Ruben:

 

5 minutes ago, twilitfalchion said:

I miss writing fics, ngl

but I also hate the fics I wrote

so mehhhhh

slaksjdfaklsfhka

You can always improve at it! And the best way for that is by doing.

[Sidereal Wraith]

8 hours ago, Newtype06 said:

Eh, I'll take it.

Finally, a drinking partner! Here you go Newtype…Newtype? Where are you? Hello?

Edited April 3, 2022 by WraithReborn

[Lightcosmo]

1 hour ago, Benice said:

I'm asking that we stop barraging the thread with constant negativity

I actually said that the game had a fine base, just that the devs cant do their jobs right, the two have nothing to do with each other at all. 

That has nothing to do with anyone else's feelings but mine. 

So you might be overstating that just a bit. 

[Lightcosmo]

And that isnt directed at just CS, that goes for many games (KH III being a big offender here for example) 

If something is wrong (I.E inaccurate imformation or something doesnt operate as intended) then yeah, im gonna call them out. (Again, see KH III.)

[Venger_06]

I have a hard time putting my thoughts into words, so I always get stuck when I try to write something down. I hope I can participate in this month's WYBO.

2 hours ago, Benice said:

Hey, at least I get to look at that guy's hair more often!

Are you talking about Kamille? Yeah, his hair is really nice. Also, he gets a nice character arc that stands out in the middle of Zeta Gundam's weak cast. And like 90% of Zeta's cast, who end the series either dead or broken physically and mentally, so does he, so that's a plus. Also,

2 hours ago, Benice said:

-Combat is really satisfying, fast, and looks absolutely stellar. I've never seen a JRPG whose combat looks as nice as LAD's does.

From what I've seen of the combat, it actually looks pretty, and it still retains the signature craziness of previous Yakuza.

2 hours ago, Benice said:

-The story is also superb, in my opinion. One of Yakuza's best.

But that's not much, is it?

2 hours ago, Benice said:

-Side content is very strong in this one; the karaoke is on point, the substories are varied and interesting, and many of the minigames are great fun. The only real complaint I have on this front is that the business minigame is rather lacklustre.

Good, because minigames are kino. I unironically spent 10 hours in Kiwami doing random side content just after the map opnened after chapter 4(?) .

2 hours ago, Benice said:

-It feels like it's part of the same universe as the other Yakuza games, but it doesn't require you to have played all seven preceding mainline Yakuza games; it'll spoil you a little bit on The Song of Life and Yakuza 5, but that's about it.

That's actually my biggest issue about it. I'm interested in the game and the franchise, but I'm afraid to play the games out of order and ruin the experience.

2 hours ago, Benice said:

-Ijincho is wonderful. One of my favorite moments in this game is after a really intense and emotional part of the story, I just walked around the city, admired the views, found some areas I'd not seen before, watched the ocean. It was therapeutic to simply take in the lovingly crafted town.

How does it stack up to Kabukicho?

2 hours ago, Benice said:

I'm not a good salesman, so I'll also give the cons to the game, in my opinion.

That's good, actually. If you told me the game was perfect I would not have believed.

2 hours ago, Benice said:

-There aren't very many playables, but a couple still ended up underdeveloped. It's quite a shame, but it doesn't ruin the game for me at all.

-The game is very easy until the last quarter of it-there's a very defined wall at which point the game becomes much more difficult, and, IMO, fun. I wish that it had turned up the heat sooner.

Not a problem.

2 hours ago, Benice said:

-The game's story is MOSTLY excellent, but there is one character who temporarily drags it down.

Spoiler

Who? I don't mind spoilers.

2 hours ago, Benice said:

-Occasional tonal inconsistency. There are a couple of parts where the game really should have locked the player into following the main story (for plot reasons), but you can still do whatever you want. Thusly, you can end up with an FE support situation where a character is completely different from one appearance to the next.

I'm a JoJo fan, I don't mind it.

2 hours ago, Benice said:

Numbers may not lie, but they also don't tell the whole story. A massive part of consuming art is the consumer's interpretation and the consumer's situation. I can tell you with 100% certainty that I played the same Three Houses* as Sooks, Ruben and Shrimpy, yet all of us came to different conclusions. Similarly, there is no stat or set of numbers within the Yakuza franchise that makes me love it, nor is there an objective reason for my love of Josette. The numbers don't lie that she is the worst in gameplay, but she is still the best in my heart. That's just how art is.

The eternal battle between Empiricism vs Rationalism. Spot on.

32 minutes ago, WraithReborn said:

Finally, a drinking partner! Here you go Newtype…Newtype? Where are you? Hello?

Here I am

[Sooks]

I need to participate in at least one WYBO, but dunno what to write about.

[Sidereal Wraith]

39 minutes ago, Newtype06 said:

Here I am

Cheers!

[Sidereal Wraith]

3 hours ago, Shrimpolaris said:

damn it our secret has been found out

Shrimp-kun…I found something that you’d want a helluva lot more than this.

https://www.siliconera.com/trails-of-cold-steel-rean-schwarzer-dakimakura-cover-announced/

[Codename Shrimp]

1 hour ago, Sooks said:

Meanwhile Ruben:

Ü

You undersrand me too well

6 minutes ago, WraithReborn said:

Shrimp-kun…I found something that you’d want a helluva lot more than this.

https://www.siliconera.com/trails-of-cold-steel-rean-schwarzer-dakimakura-cover-announced/

I see the emperor has finally forsaken you.

Enjoy the Daki, i guess

[Sidereal Wraith]

7 minutes ago, Shrimpolaris said:

I see the emperor has finally forsaken you.

Enjoy the Daki, i guess

I walk in the Emperor’s light and will do so forevermore. I was referring to you Shrimp-kun because I know your a big fan of the Trails series. My money is better spent on buying obscure fantasy books such as Nifft the Lean and Tros of Samothrace.

Edited April 3, 2022 by WraithReborn