Serenes Forest's Teehee Thread

[Sidereal Wraith]

1 minute ago, Imperator Squilla said:

Better than whatever you want 😛 

Do you think it'll do better TH's roughly 4 million copies sold?

[Codename Shrimp]

3 minutes ago, Sidereal Wraith said:

Do you think it'll do better TH's roughly 4 million copies sold?

maybe

who knows

[Sidereal Wraith]

I just don't know if the game will have the same lasting appeal that TH has had, especially if what we've seen in the trailers is what we're going to get.

Edited December 4, 2022 by Sidereal Wraith

[Saint Rubenio]

1 minute ago, Sidereal Wraith said:

I just don't know if the game will have the same lasting appeal that TH has had, especially if what we've seen in the trailers is what we're going to get.

It isn't. The game is secretly the next Call of Duty.

[Sidereal Wraith]

3 minutes ago, Saint Rubenio said:

It isn't. The game is secretly the next Call of Duty.

Sure Rubenio, and I have a bridge that I want to sell to you.

Edited December 4, 2022 by Sidereal Wraith

[Acacia Sgt]

On turns two, T3 arrives. Domon is surprised to see Master Asia fighting Neo Zeon, but he brings up the whole protect Earth bit, so this once, they'll fight together. Ruri also tells Akito they'll just focus on the fight, they won't say anything just yet. Bright thanks Harlock for his cooperation, but he simply says they're here because they want to. Toshiro tells Kicade the weapon he and Tobia requested is done. The X-1 Kai Kai gains the Peacock Smasher attack. Judau tries to get Ple Two to stop fighting for Neo Zeon, but she won't budge. Just then, another group comes. It's Rudi! She's here apparently to "receive" T3 and orders them to stand down. They won't of course, but she has orders to resort to force. She won't say if her company is connected to Neo Zeon, but they have come to the same conclusion as VTX Union. A Mr. Siegel Seygo, who was a former VTX employee, in accounting. He was Amies' former boss, who was involved in some illegal stuff. And there's some bad blood between them, bordering on harrassment incidents. So he left the company... and was recruited by Rudi's bosses. Rudi leaves, leaving things up to Siegel. He mentions about this being a demonstration of The Company's power, which makes the party wonder if that's their name or just a shell name. And we're off, again!

The new enemies are E-Bit α's and Siegel in a E-Phas. Now that T3 is here, there's another Master Asia Point to get if he defeats an enemy. TacP Bonus condition isn't here yet, but it requires dploying ChoRyuJin. Let's go!

[Saint Rubenio]

Just now, Sidereal Wraith said:

Sure Rubenio, and I have a bridge that I want to sell to you.

Do you?! How much?

[Interdimensional Observer]

2 hours ago, ping said:

One shot 😎

(Hidden behind the tooltip: Isabella and, sword still visible, Boudica, both with 4 votes. The little corporal has two extra votes because he also follows Tengriism)

Victory. Achieved by a little science and lots of money.😁

My Assyria attempt floundered and failed to take a single city, I had the ideal army to do so, but Indonesia had a 40 Strength capital. Too much way too soon.😑 No chance of early conquest.

I decided to try Arabian conquest on a Pangaea Deity after that. I've managed to eradicate Germany, pretty effortless actually thanks to good terrain and ten horses in my two cities, but then I had to add Sydney, ally of Sweden, to my empire b/c otherwise it'd be too difficult thanks to mountain passes. I should claim the first Swedish city in about ten turns, and Stockholm should be the next city to fall after that -were it not for a Swedish navy that'll be sure to instantly reclaim their capital and I can't do anything about it. Beyond that is pretty flat terrain so I ought to be able to eradicate Russia before aircraft can ruin me. I picked Liberty and then followed it with two in Commerce to finance things, but I wish I had gone left side Honor for that +50% EXP instead, getting to Logistics faster would be great. I'm 9 techs behind the leader ATM -which will only matter admittedly once the Camels lose their usefulness.

 

6 hours ago, lightcosmo said:

So you wouldn't recommend Persona at all or just the first few?

I've been the one cautioning about Oldsona here, and I'll give my impression of it yet again.

Persona 1 is a fossil of a fossil.

• I don't mind 1st-person dungeon crawling, even if it's a little old, I played the GBA-iOS version of SMT1 and Soul Hackers 1 (the latter released like a few months after P1). Yet this could be a turnoff for some.
• The turn-based combat has a grid system, which isn't a bad idea, but combat is slow and besides the grid is a bit basic. It slogged down the experience, and when combined with the 1st person dungeon crawling, ended up feeling far worse than Etrian Odyssey which I do so enjoy.
  • There are places in the game that goes over to a 3rd person isometric perspective, but you can only move in a straight line. Which is a jarringly rigid quirk.
• Storywise, it invented what Persona is about. I don't think it's an inherently bad story, yet it isn't amazing either. It's not good enough by itself to justify playing the game.
  • There is also the strange story split between SEBEC and Snow Queen Quest.
  • Imagine if Byleth, instead of going on some early story mission, chose to stay behind at school while CDE left on the mission. Garreg Mach is going to put on a school play, and Byleth, helping out, finds a mask in box curiously sealed with a talisman, gives it to Rhea, and it glues itself to her face and the academy freezes over. Byleth and those still at the school are isolated from the outside world, venture through three labyrinths that you can't leave or save in once you enter one of them, assemble a magic mirror, and then destroy the cursed mask. After which CDE come back to school and the factual 3H story resumes offscreen as the credits roll.
  • Why does the Snow Queen Quest exist?🤨 It feels like it should've been its own game and is wasting space on the disc that should've gone to the (already lengthy I admit) SEBEC storyline.
• Character-wise, there are nine playables over the two story routes including the flavorless silent MC. Although some characters are mandatory and or exclusive to one side, and one basically requires a guide to find. You get to use five per battle. 
  • The issue that I don't think any of them get fantastic characterization, not that I remember. Even the important ones. They can be chatted to when in isometric sections of the game, which adds a little characterization, but I think some characters are still underbaked. 
  • Character artwork has aged like milk you left in the fridge before visiting relatives abroad for a month. The character portraits are shabby. And I don't think their signature Personae get any official artwork even.
    • The visuals overall aren't anything remarkable.

I ended up dropping Persona 1 (PSP version ofc, the PS1 has an infamous localization) during like its third dungeon or so. I watched the rest of the story online. Every little deficiency added up, even if I don't dislike the game. 

Now, Persona 2: Innocent Sin (PSP version)...

• I kinda had to force myself to finish the last stretch of this, but I did. I don't regret playing this.
• Combat remains turn-based with all five heroes out at once.
  • The grid was ditched, as was having everyone carry both a gun and a melee weapon, but I don't think anything of importance was lost with these changes.
  • The addition of Fusion Spells performed by having several characters use specific skills on the same turn was a neat idea. I liked it.
  • The primary issue of the combat is that, even with the appreciated QoL improvements of the PSP port, it's a little clunky and slow.
  • Persona 2 comes at the very end of the Classic SMT combat. The PS2 would usher in SMTIII: Nocturne and Persona 3, both of which would tweak turn-based combat to their more "modern" incarnations, which have been used ever since. It's the finale of a style, one that perhaps was very arguably due for an update.
  • Leveling individual personae can be a bit slow to unlock their full skillset, though it is easy to do.
  • To get more personae, you need tarot cards or blank cards you have the Demon Painter turn into a specific arcana's cards, which you then give to Igor to get a Persona of the appropriate arcana.
    • To get those cards, you'll be needing to chat up a lot of demons during your dungeon visits. Trying not to get them angry, and instead one of the other emotions. Success can get you those cards, this can be a bit tedious, but you have to.
• Dungeons- they have no/poor design. No longer 1st-person, but things have barely improved past that.
• This desires special mention- the encounter rate is the true villain of this game. The PSP version gives you an indicator for roughly when the next one is going to happen, and they do. Not. Stop!
  • Get a persona with Estoma as soon as one becomes available and keep it always. It'll shut off encounters altogether once your level exceed that of the local encounters.
  • Thankfully, SP replenishes naturally by walking, so running out isn't a big concern. And with Estoma you'll be back to full in no time.
  • I don't mind random encounters myself, yet they're the not-so-innocent cardinal sin of this game, and it deserves eternal punishment.
• Storywise, I think it's better than Persona 1 I would say.
• Characters- It's a good cast IMO. It's smaller crew than P1, which I think I helps. Sure I'd take more of each of them, yet despite whatever aging happened to them over the years, they're a solid bunch.
  • The ingame portraits are decidedly less moldy than P1's. Visually it's no looker of a game but the crew and their starter and ultimate personae now have good official artwork. 
  • Music, a couple hit tracks as is oft the case with games, but on the whole forgettable.

I stuck with Persona 2: Innocent Sin because I liked the cast, the plot, and the gamepl *encounter* despi *encounter* ...was worth tolerating to see it through.

I didn't play Persona 2: Eternal Punishment b/c only the PS1 version was available in English, I watched it. Gameplay-wise, it's more of the same as Innocent Sin, a pinch more refined.

Earlier this summer, a fan "translation" copied the official PS1 translation with a few corrections to names and terms, plus the bonus scenario (but not entirely?). Considering the PSP version has some QoL updates, and I could lower the difficulty to easy, I'm seriously considering placing EP in my endless backlog for the sake of it. Although it sounds like the fan translators might not have translated a bit of dialogue I would've wanted translated🤨, not like I have an IS PSP save file anymore to use for transferring.

Atlus some critics would say has forgotten P1 and P2, aside from a little merchandising and anniversary celebrating.:

Maya has a smartphone, a girl who debuted in a 1999 game with a "modern" setting.🧐 How things age when you try to be "contemporary".

That would partly be owed to P1 and P2 not having the massive success gameplay formula that P3 invented. Though it may also be b/c after Eternal Punishment, the lead writer for the first three Persona games -Satomi Tadashi- left the series. Respecting Tadashi's wishes might be why they haven't done a full remake of these games, the PSP EP bonus scenarios were written by a now-freelancer Tadashi himself.

[Acacia Sgt]

Oh yeah, there's also two more Ple Points in this stage, by having Judau fight and defeat Ple Two. Well, time to rush everyone over there. Still plenty of enemies left...

[Armagon]

Sometimes I fear my job will make me hate people. My co-workers are cool. 90% of the customers that walk in through those door are legitimately stupid, incapable of doing basic tasks like flipping over the tag to find out what the price of the shirt is. They will look at two pants that aren't their size before giving up and asking "you got these in a large?"

I figured out how to shop competently when I was 12 and we got grown-ass people who look at the shirts in the kids table and think it's adult-sized.

Don't even get me started on the people who don't know their size. Or the ones who ask "you got a fitting room", seemingly forgetting that this a clothing store.

[Sidereal Wraith]

3 minutes ago, Saint Rubenio said:

Do you?! How much?

 

[Saint Rubenio]

5 minutes ago, Armagon said:

Don't even get me started on the people who don't know their size.

[Codename Shrimp]

10 minutes ago, Armagon said:

They will look at two pants that aren't their size before giving up and asking "you got these in a large?"

 

10 minutes ago, Armagon said:

Don't even get me started on the people who don't know their size

ermmm

that's pretty normal tho?

10 minutes ago, Armagon said:

Or the ones who ask "you got a fitting room"

Usually by that they mean to ask where it is

[Acacia Sgt]

Defeating enough enemies, the party is starting to feel overwhelming... and then arrives none other than the Shin Getter Robo!

Koji and Tetsuya are surprised to see Ryoma free, but he brings up the whole thing was a set-up. Prime Minister Yumi approved his release on account of things being dire once again. The Shin Getter was the late doctor's last creation, to be used by the Getter Team to battle the enemies of mankind! They're here to join T3, Ryoma, Hayato, and... Musashi! Yeah, T deviates on the Armageddon storyline, likely for compatibility purposes. As such, Musashi is alive here! For now? Anyway, they haven't come alone, for GekiRyuJin is here too, a new unit of the China Institute of Science, ready for field combat it seems. Like ChoRyuJin, it's a combination of two Super AI mechs. Though it seems they've been instilled with some military drilling behavior protocols, for he's quite gung-ho, even willing to kill the Neo Zeon human pilots.

In any case, now the TacP Bonus is open. GekiRyuJin must defeat an enemy while ChoRyuJin is deployed. Easy enough. Already got the Master Asia point too. Now I must finish this within five turns and have Judau defeat Ple Two.

 

[Acacia Sgt]

10 minutes ago, Armagon said:

Or the ones who ask "you got a fitting room", seemingly forgetting that this a clothing store.

I don't know about where you live, but over here there are some clothing stores without fitting rooms. One even just said the bathroom was the fitting room.

[Sidereal Wraith]

It's the simple things in life.

[Acacia Sgt]

Hm, I've just noticed that anytime the Martian Successors show up, it's the same two Muzuras being deployed, and the Hokushin Six pilots keep talking about retreating... am I actually fighting the same two guys every time? Seems like it.

Okay, turn three, almost all the mooks done. Then I can throw everything at the bosses.

Alright, got Judau to fight Ple Two. Now to defeat her...

Edited December 4, 2022 by Acacia Sgt

[ping]

19 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

Victory. Achieved by a little science and lots of money.😁

Once Marrakesh reached size 42 and I transitioned into external trade routes, I was indeed quite rich.  

21 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

My Assyria attempt floundered and failed to take a single city, I had the ideal army to do so, but Indonesia had a 40 Strength capital. Too much way too soon.😑 No chance of early conquest.

Yeah, early conquest can be a bitch even on Emperor. On Deity, I imagine that anything before Xbows will be practically impossible to pull off against the bonuses that the AI gets.

Good luck with the Arabia game! Personally, I usually open with Tradition (what can I say, I like big cities) and occasionally Liberty. I never open Honor or Piety, since the lack of economic bonuses is just too painful - Piety might be the pre-Rationalism filler tree of choice if I have strong faith generation, but Honor is honstly a tree that I never even consider for that. I think Liberty is the best pick to have made in your scenario, with the +1 Happiness per city, less severe culture slowdown, and small-but-significant production bonus for every city.

[Lightcosmo]

39 minutes ago, Armagon said:

Sometimes I fear my job will make me hate people. My co-workers are cool. 90% of the customers that walk in through those door are legitimately stupid, incapable of doing basic tasks like flipping over the tag to find out what the price of the shirt is. They will look at two pants that aren't their size before giving up and asking "you got these in a large?"

I figured out how to shop competently when I was 12 and we got grown-ass people who look at the shirts in the kids table and think it's adult-sized.

Don't even get me started on the people who don't know their size. Or the ones who ask "you got a fitting room", seemingly forgetting that this a clothing store.

Sorry to hear that its so stressful sometimes!

[Codename Shrimp]

Monday is coming

WHYyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

[Acacia Sgt]

Alright, August down. He flees.

[Lightchao42]

4 hours ago, Acacia Sgt said:

Though that means Monolith Soft as we know it wouldn't. So I guess erasing Xenosaga and Xenoblade as they exist right now is an acceptable sacrifice, then?

The Spirits Within lost Square over $100 million, so I think they would be grateful if it didn't exist at least.

4 hours ago, Saint Rubenio said:

Let's be honest here. Does anyone really want to subject themselves to another 10 hours of "Ruben does not like masterpieces and is vocal about it"?

Obviously you don't have to play it if you don't want to... but it would be funny.

54 minutes ago, Sidereal Wraith said:

I'm curious gentlemen, what do you think the sales figures will be like for Engage?

There's a decent chance it will do better than Three Houses, since Scarlet/Violet had a bigger launch than Sword/Shield and Kirby and the Forgotten Land outsold Star Allies.

35 minutes ago, Armagon said:

Sometimes I fear my job will make me hate people. My co-workers are cool. 90% of the customers that walk in through those door are legitimately stupid, incapable of doing basic tasks like flipping over the tag to find out what the price of the shirt is. They will look at two pants that aren't their size before giving up and asking "you got these in a large?"

I figured out how to shop competently when I was 12 and we got grown-ass people who look at the shirts in the kids table and think it's adult-sized.

Don't even get me started on the people who don't know their size. Or the ones who ask "you got a fitting room", seemingly forgetting that this a clothing store.

Remember, Malos was right.

I'm surprised you worked for so long with your faith in humanity still intact. I think things will be better when you get a non-retail job... not that I would know, granted.

[Codename Shrimp]

4 minutes ago, Lightchao42 said:

I think things will be better when you get a non-retail job

Non retail worker here. Just 2 days and i lost faith in everything and if i don't turn off my mind from Monday to Friday i think i would've done something to myself

Edited December 4, 2022 by Imperator Squilla

[Acacia Sgt]

Alright, Judau defeated Ple Two! She still repeats that Glemy ordered her to, but Kamille points out her mind is being bound. Judau, angered, activates the Gundam's Bio-Sensor, stating he now knows why he must fight. To stop people that stoop so low to take control of others to satisfy their own egos. Kamille likewise angry, also activates the Zeta's Bio-Sensor. Ple Two sense their feelings, but rather than afraid she feels warmth. Judau tries once again to make her stand down, but the now conflicted Ple Two flees. Still, Kamille is confident Judau did managed to reach out to her. So for now, they must stop the colony drop.

[null]