Serenes Forest's Teehee Thread

[Acacia Sgt]

38 minutes ago, Armagon said:

Wait.......so that wasn't his stomach he was attacking me with.........oh no...........Ohhhhhhhhh noooooooooooooooo

First time seeing a tanuki?

31 minutes ago, BrightBow said:

Oh wow, nothing quite like a dull surprise face when about to put an arrow through someone's brain.

So... kinda like Shinon?

[Armagon]

6 minutes ago, Acacia Sgt said:

First time seeing a tanuki?

I didn't think tanukis were supposed to have gigantes bolas.

[Acacia Sgt]

So, coming up next in SRW V, the final route split. Well, kinda.

Unsurprisingly, part of the Gamillas fleet managed to cross the gate before it was destroyed. So now Earth Fleet Tenku will split in two to try to shake them off. Making use of a special transmitter-receiver device, they can have whoever holds the transmitter send a signal to whoever holds the receiver, allowing the latter to make a Boson Jump towards the former, no matter their positions. As such, the Nadeisco will lead the splinter group with the receiver while the Yamato keeps the transmitter. As such, the teams are as follows:

Yamato Team: UC Gundam (including Crossbone), Gundam SEED Destiny, Gundam 00: A Wakening of the Trailblazer, Yamato
Nadesico Team: Zambot 3, Daitarn 3, Might Gaine, Nadesico: The Prince of Darkness, Getter Robo Armageddon, Shin Mazinger, Full Metal Panic!, Rebuild of Evangelion, Cross Ange

So basically, Gundams and Yamato in one group, everybody else in the other. For this, I'll go with Gundam+Yamato. Secrets wise, there's only one to be found in this route. Although, it's not quite a secret, since you only need to take the route to get it, but it's still something missable so I guess it counts.

In any case, since they are also expecting Gardim to chase them all the way here, they hope they and Gamillas to also fight it out, giving them breathing room.

---

8 minutes ago, Armagon said:

I didn't think tanukis were supposed to have gigantes bolas.

Well, they've been depicted with giant scrotum, actually.

[Acacia Sgt]

Scenario 43

It seems the time finally came for Okita to reveal about his medical condition. Well, only to Bright, since he wants him to take over command of the fleet in the situation Okita dies before they can finish the mission. Not that he plans to give up just yet... but he knows he's a dead man walking.

The rest of the heroes, none the wiser, simply talk about whether or not they need to continue fighting with Gamillas, and about war in general. Either way, the Gamillas arrive to pick up another fight, quick to make a charge for it. Let's go!

Hm? Setsuna is a forced deployment here...

Edited March 3 by Acacia Sgt

[Interdimensional Observer]

1 hour ago, Shrimpy -Limited Edition- said:

Keep going strong!

I wish every day could feel like this. -But then if everyone did all the time, we'd all starve to death.😆 Nothing would get done.

It reminds me of depression, being devoured, left immobilized by thoughts, feelings. -But it's from the immediacy, the blessedness, of life. It's the pneuma, manifested as a raging tornado.🌪️ This the very opposite of existential melancholy, born of distant yet inevitable death. From that paralysis (when it happens) I try to desperately flee, and from this stunned state I never want to leave.😇

...But I should be back entirely to normal tomorrow, this can't last forever, sadly.😅 Then I'll finish Eternights on Tuesday, for a hint of longing to grow.

 

1 hour ago, Armagon said:

Wait.......so that wasn't his stomach he was attacking me with.........oh no...........Ohhhhhhhhh noooooooooooooooo

Heard of this boss years ago, actually. -I just never saw it until now.😀

39 minutes ago, Armagon said:

I didn't think tanukis were supposed to have gigantes bolas.

Play the Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 3, it ain't censored.😛

-That's a joke. But yes, in some charming Japanese tanuki statues fit for a garden, you can clearly see their -biologically accurate (maybe some exaggeration)- anatomy.:

Tanukis are supposed to be good luck/fortune symbols and the like. It's nothing unwholesome to see in Japanese culture.

[Acacia Sgt]

Okay, upon defeating Berger, he calls forth reinforcements, intending to flank the heroes. But then a group of... alien life-forms show up, that even the Gamillas are surprised to see. One of them then proceeds to... swallow whole a Gamillas ship!? Well, more like it tried to absorb it, but the ship exploded before it could. Berger orders a retreat, and they promptly do... so now the aliens are zooming in on the heroes. Apparently they think don't, or can't, differentiate between the two groups. Initial analyzis show those things affect the minds of those they attack...

And indeed, this does translate to gameplay. Their weapons have the Fusion effect, which reduces Focus by 10. Once a unit reaches 80 focus... that's it. They count as if they've been defeated and get removed for the rest of the map. Currently they're so unknown, even their names and stuff are only presented as ???. Hmm...

Yeah, humanoid aliens are so out of style. Let's bring in space abominations to this, will ya...

Edited March 3 by Acacia Sgt

[Acacia Sgt]

I don't know if these things drain Focus by needing to connect their attacks or simply by fighting, so...

MAP weapons time!

[Codename Shrimp]

14 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

Then I'll finish Eternights on Tuesday, for a hint of longing to grow.

and then a small break before starting UO together 😄 

[Interdimensional Observer]

1 minute ago, Shrimpy -Limited Edition- said:

and then a small break before starting UO together 😄 

Filled maybe by Ys II or when the Switch is recharging during UO Time. I want that to be the next thing on the PC I play.

 

6 minutes ago, Acacia Sgt said:

MAP weapons time!

Big kaboom fun!💥 -When the enemies are properly arranged for a big hit (they're annoying often not) or you're willing to pop some Zeal/Enable, plus Strike-Valor-Cheer-Bless ofc.

[Acacia Sgt]

1 minute ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

Big kaboom fun!💥 -When the enemies are properly arranged for a big hit (they're annoying often not) or you're willing to pop some Zeal/Enable, plus Strike-Valor-Cheer-Bless ofc.

Indeed. And here it's more abusive thanks to Multi Action and Hit & Away.

Okay! They don't drain if their attacks miss. This is better...

[Acacia Sgt]

Interestingly, Setsuna and the Newtypes react to these aliens, despite their robotic appearance.

So, routing the alien group... more arrive. Setsuna attempts to try to reach out to them and communicate and... oh! These are the ELS!

Wait, WHAT!?

What are the ELS doing in the NCC Dimension!? The Gundam 00 guys are in the, well, AD Dimension! So we're finally doing the Awakening of the Trailblazer plot and... they aren't even in the same world? Well, they certainly got creative here!

I'm gonna guess the ELS were put here just so it wasn't simply Gamillas after Gamillas battle. On that subject, likely also why the Jupiter Empire allied with them, as well as Amalgam, Martian Successor remnants, and Neo Zeon holdouts. For the enemy variety here in the endgame, I guess. Since we are going to Iscandar. Anyway...

Setsuna fails to reach contact, and suffers a mind assault as a result. The ELS start absorbing the 00 QAN[T], but Tieria tries to shake the ELS off, which make them focus on him instead. He implores the team to save Setsuna and not him... and the Raphael Gundam seemingly blows up. The heroes quickly retrieve Setsuna and hastily retreat.

So... Setsuna will recover, but as for Tieria... well, looks like he did again what he did when Ribbons shot him. Uploaded his mind into the Ptolemaios computer before the Raphael exploded. He even has a spare body around to download himself back into? Wow, that's... huh. However, he's not quite in a hurry to do so, as in data form he can use the Veda system much easier, which will be a boon at the moment.

So, this is the "secret". The party can convince him to return to physical form and back in the repaired Raphael as if nothing had happened... or he can stay in data form for now, and become Setsuna's sub-pilot. In the movie, the latter is what happens, and taking the other route means it will be the default outcome as well. Despite taking this route, I am going to keep him in data form. I never planned to use the Rapahel for the endgame. So giving Setsuna, who I will use in my final team, a sub-pilot will be more useful to me.

Though for anyone who poured money and TacP on him and the Raphael... no worries. You get a full refund. So you're free to choose what to go with depending on your needs. And so the scenario ends...

[Acacia Sgt]

Scenario 44

The group go over what they've learned about the ELS so far. They do note how Setsuna reacted different than the Newtypes. Likely to make it so he's still the only one who can succeed as per the movie, I guess. In any case, the Gamillas are back!

[BrightBow]

2 hours ago, Acacia Sgt said:

So... kinda like Shinon?

Shinon? Don't recall him ever doing a baby face like that.

But I suppose with Heroes art anything is possible.

[Acacia Sgt]

2 minutes ago, BrightBow said:

Shinon? Don't recall him ever doing a baby face like that.

But I suppose with Heroes art anything is possible.

Not baby face, but he also wasn't the most emotive archer while on the job. Compare him to Rolf when they're about to save Lucia.

I was commenting on the "dull surprise" comment.

Edited March 3 by Acacia Sgt

[Acacia Sgt]

Welp, Gamillas reinforcements show up behind the party. A Pincer attack was their plan all along.

And now Gardim forces show up. Once again Jamie and the other OG protagonist. The former fires some kind of energy wave... which wakens up rock-like lifeforms called the Barano. This was all a trap all along, for the Gamillas planned to do something similar. So... what is going to happen now? Sounds like it will be a party-wide HP reduction each turn for the rest of the map, is my guess.

Edited March 3 by Acacia Sgt

[Acacia Sgt]

Hmm, in a slip of the tongue, it's revealed Gardim tempted the other OG protagonist with the restoration of the Earth if they joined them. Also, it's only now that the heroes ask Jamie if she's also an android like Ghuli was. She doesn't take the question well, and leaves with a huff. Now with the enemies routed, the group leaves the area.

With Gardim, Jamie's superior doesn't hold back revealing she is, in fact, an android... and now that she knows and has started doubting her own existence... well, it's off to the chopping block for her. Like with Ghuli, her combat data will be uploaded to their robot mooks. It does make the other OG protagonist pause, but they're assured that, not being a Gardim android, that sort of thing doesn't apply to them. They should just focus on defeating the main protagonist for the sake of restoring Earth...

Now with Gamillas, unlike our blue-haired boy, Domel is cleared of all charges and reinstated back to his position. With their main fleet still stuck in the Balun area, Domel suggests on attacking the Yamato. Because surely that has worked out so well so far. He receives the go-ahead, and is even promised to have his wife's sentence reduced if he succeeds. Before he leaves, though, Dessler has a few more tasks. First, he is to investigate the ruins of Gardim... wait, what? Are the forces the group been fighting a... what, remnant group of some kind? Anyway, the second request is not given before it fades to black... and so the stage ends.

[Lightchao42]

FE protagonists can't catch a break with their dads:

Spoiler

Also today is the Switch's seventh anniversary, it feels like it released just yesterday...

On 3/2/2024 at 2:43 PM, Armagon said:

>Half the QRTs actually defending this

Reminds me that Dragon Quest XI has some optional difficulty settings to make the game harder. "You get a game over if the hero dies" is one of them, others include that you can't shop, you can't wear armor, townspeople sometimes lie to you, characters will occasionally remember something embarrassing and be unable to act in battle, etc.

8 hours ago, Newtype06 said:

I don't even have a problem with the shorter runtime -- assuming the films expect you to have watched the anime before -- but with things like all the time jumps, uneven characterization

While you're probably right, I still liked the last film as a conclusion to the series regardless. In that regard it was better than Kingdom Hearts III and The Rise of Skywalker, but probably not as good as Cold Steel IV.

8 hours ago, Newtype06 said:

and Mari's entire existence.

Oh, yeah.

Spoiler

At least she has some funny lines though.

Edited March 3 by Lightchao42

[Acacia Sgt]

Scenario 45

Goer isn't happy that Domel is back, as he was hoping it was his chance to climb through the ranks. Huh, Angelo is here? Seems he was among the Neo Zeon deserters. In any case, Zabine is still as ambitious as ever, which makes Goer goad him to help sink the Yamato if he wants an audience with Dessler. He's also curious about Zoellik and his rebellion, making Goer explain Zoellik descended from the old aristocracy, which he wanted to bring back as Dessler had been the one to reorganize the former Grand Duchy into the Empire. Zabine isn't impressed with the assassination scheme, though. Believing more that a noble should work their own blood, sweat, and tears for their people. Aaaah, he's a noblesse oblige kind of person. Which is why he has an admiration for Dessler, who built up the Gamillas Empire through hard work, and has the ambition to unite the Galaxy under one banner. Seems Zabine now thinks Dogatie was minor stuff compared to Dessler.

Meanwhile, the heroes talk about bread! Uh huh. Okay, it does lead to a talk how despite traveling the universe to save three dimensions, they still have to eat. A reminder that they're human. Which Kincade inwardly thinks how Zabine should never forget that, even if he cast away the Earth.

In any case, the group finally encounters hostile forces again. It's Goer's fleet, and finally, we get to fight Jupiter Empire and Neo Zeon enemies again. And it looks like they have more of those Bio Brain units. Or rather, the few the Jupiter Empire managed to take out before the plant was destroyed. And here Zabine rants how the long history of warfare on Earth showed how nothing changed, even when Newtypes started to become a thing. Thus, he thinks a new figure is needed to bring forth a new age, which is Dessler. Yep, he's back to his Cosmo Babylonia days. Gotta hand it to him. He wants to become a noble, but wants to work for it. I guess Gamillas is enough of a meritocracy it suits his needs just fine to throw his lot with them.

Either way, an interesting comment comes from the heroes about how they can no longer consider the humans among the Gamillas as Earthlings anymore. I guess it is true, all things considered. Well, time to start this. Ominously, Goer gives Zabine a three minute (aka turns) limit. Something happening after three turns, eh...

[Armagon]

4 hours ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

Tanukis are supposed to be good luck/fortune symbols and the like. It's nothing unwholesome to see in Japanese culture.

It's like the Caganers in Barcelona.

19 minutes ago, Lightchao42 said:

Reminds me that Dragon Quest XI has some optional difficulty settings to make the game harder. "You get a game over if the hero dies" is one of them, others include that you can't shop, you can't wear armor, townspeople sometimes lie to you, characters will occasionally remember something embarrassing and be unable to act in battle, etc.

This reminds me of CrossCode's multitude of NG+ settings.

 

[Acacia Sgt]

So, upon defeating Goer... or I guess three turns pass? Anyway, now Invaders show up. What, they're also native to the NCC Dimension too!? Or at least they could exist in both the NCC and UC Dimensions. Well, the two are alike in many ways, so... it's plausible. 

In any case, Goer is too scared he orders the retreat. Zabine scoffs at the idea, however, seeing the Invaders as another obstacle in Dessler's path, and so must be eliminated. Thus, he must stand his ground, since "a true noble must be ready to shed his own blood". Yeah, he'd fit right in in FE... as an enemy, I guess. Anyway, Goer is too much of a coward so he still bails out, as does every Gamillas unit still standing. The humans don't, however. The group tries to get them to stop fighting and focus on the Invaders, but Zabine won't budge on the matter. He's becoming too unhinged at this point, even saying anyone trying to flee will be shot at. Even his portrait reflects that, mostly just sticking to the manic grin expression for most of his dialogue.

Also, the Invaders are flagged in the same enemy faction as them, for some reason...

[Acacia Sgt]

So, upon defeating Angelo, he reaches an impasse. He blames the group for having led Full Frontal astray, and thus came all the way here to fight them. The group tells him that Frontal simply unshackled himself from the past, and that so can he. Angelo seems to hesitate, too conflicted it seems to let go. His mech blows up... but it seems he bailed out at the last second. This gives the party hope that he, too, can one day move on.

Zabine, instead, simply cries out to Dessler and Dogatie that he failed to fulfill his dream, and his mech blows up, killing him. Kincade comments how he lost his mind to his ideals, and thus cost him his life. He also makes an interesting comment about how mankind has sought the best method to rule, but even now they have yet to find it. Either way, he thinks Zabine was chasing a dead end with Aristocratism.

Okay, only the Invaders left to fight...

[Interdimensional Observer]

Since it continues to predominate the mind, more Eternights exhalation.

This time, something analytical, to start.:

Spoiler

Another remark- Eternights has no female protagonist option. And the male best friend of the MC is a straight bro, not a ro’.

In limiting the MC, in making Chani sexually incompatible, it added weight. Yohan is gay, his intimacy with the MC is gay love.

To explain in more detail, with comparison.:

• With Rune Factory 5, I knew that everything every bachelor said to Ares, he’d say just the same to Alice (or slightly amended). I still greatly appreciated their dialogue, as I expressed here last year.
  • Yet, the Schrodinger of love called avatarsexuality could not be forgotten. This doesn’t add weight, it takes some away. (I still love ya Rigbarth guys! Please don’t take this the wrong way!!!😲)
• And with Haven, straight and lesbian Yuus & Kays were also possible.
  • -Which didn’t prevent that game from putting me on a male-male intimacy emotional rollercoaster.😐
• With Yohan, he didn’t magically have to be attracted to the MC, Chani just likes him as a friend. Nor is there a world where Yohan would order a girl to kiss him again. Yohan only kissed the MC me, because he was sincerely attracted to the guy in front of him. I’m the only one for him.
  • Without actively noticing it, this strengthened the precious moments’ impact on me.

 

This is in no way means I’ve suddenly turned against gender-agnostic avatarsexuality. What I’m saying, is that now I think I can better understand what restrictions add. Some would say “realism”, I’ll just call it “weight”.

Like, I’ve thought to myself before, checking the gaming news, “Another otome VN on the Switch -if only there was a guy protag option”. However, I did come to learn of the issues that such would bring, like redrawing CGs, and plot scenarios and the writing in general often demanding an expressly female protagonist in order to work. You can’t gender/sexuality-neutralize an extant dating-sim VN like you could the two Story of Seasons remakes.

After Eternights, I think I can intuit something else. If -hypothetically- I forced an otome to make a huge patch that edited in a male protagonist, I would be doing an offense to the intended audience of straight women. By converting their men from straight to avatarsexuals, I would be weakening the strength of their original convictions, of their vows to forever love the women for whom the genre was invented. I wouldn’t want to do that to them, just as I want Yohan to be eternally gay.

 

I’m still very much looking forward to Project Dragon, to reiterate that. It’ll still make me happy, if not maybe as it could’ve now.😜 And I’m still an ally of the “Make Persona Gay Again! + FeMC, Again!” camp. My Awareness stat has simply gone up a level.😛 

 

…How is a game that is noooooowhere near masterpiece status, getting me to do so much thinking?😣 Because I’m one helluva an oddball.😑

Should I have saved this until after finishing the game? I was thinking of that.😅 But I wanted to write it down now.

Honestly, it's feeling sorta painful now being this fixated, even on purest happiness.😐 I want to vent it, but at the same time, I don't. I remember last September and October, almost whole two months of my life ransacked by the depths of depression and recovery periods where I was still didn't feel good and was afraid of falling back into the chasm. So why shouldn't I permit myself to feel the contrary extreme for as long as I can? -I don't know.

I'm aware too that my ability to just get lost in these potent thoughts is an extension of my lack of a real life. -No more school, no job, nothing that prevents me thinking, thinking, thinking away. Even if I wouldn't be at full concentration, daily toil would force me to focus at least some of my thoughts on other things. -But would that truly be for the better?

Also, Xenosaga Episode III spoilers.:

Spoiler

I chose to withhold judgement on Shion last year. Her decision was wrong. Yet I would not rebuke her for making it, I was empathetic enough.

Now, take me to the ER. Not the emergency room for U-DO exposure. Red, I didn't like you, prick, but I see why you & her wanted what you did. Take me to the Eternal Recurrence. I have found a moment worthy of being my endless heaven, I shall accept it. *Gets knocks me unconscious by an unseen other XS protagonist, as I told them to for my own superior good.*

...Now how did I come to think of this? 🤣

I'm thinking way too much.

[Acacia Sgt]

And it's over. With Zabine dead, the threat of the Jupiter Empire is no more... or is it? Well... hmm... technically. In any case, the heroes retrieve any survivors, Angelo among them. They're to be POW's. Angelo still clings to the past, though he seems willing to hear Riddhe out.

So, the Yamato is one warp away from the Salezar System, where Iscandar is. Though it also means encountering yet even more Gamillas forces. At this point they receive a message from the Nadesico. They also encountered the Invaders, but a different kind. It's possible the ones from the UC Dimension followed them all the way here. In addition, they also got attacked by Exev's forces and one of the Mycenae Generals, which also chased the party all the way here. Wow, how determined. Both were eliminated, it seems. Bad news, however, Leonard kidnapped Kaname... again.

In any case, the time has come for both groups to reunite, so the Yamato activates the transmitter, and the route split ends.

[Acacia Sgt]

Scenario 46

The two groups reunite, and a meeting ensues on recap and the next course of action. The fact so many enemy groups also traveled to the Large Magellanic Cloud of the NCC Dimension indicates they have their own warping systems... or perhaps just the one? Also, Kaname wasn't so much kidnapped as she joined Leonard willingly... implying Sophia has taken over her again. Ashura was among the Mycenae forces they fought, and the Great General of Darkness also made his appearance. But perhaps the most ominous thing they encountered was Exev's Aura of Evil. Mechs bathed in it will come back on matter how many times they're destroyed. So basically zombies, but with robots. They were countered through Innocent Waves, where Sally made herself a conduit to draw everyone's Innocent Waves and amplify them. Not that they can replicate that again... not on purpose at least. Also, just like how the Yamato group took POW's, the other group did the same with the DG Alliance. Since their last defeat prompted Exev to abandon them. And it was in fact Professor Wolfgang who built the amplifier device for the Innocent Waves.

So, turns out the Invaders, evolved through exposure of Getter Rays and seeking to empower themselves further, consider the Wave Motion Engine of the Yamato to achieve something similar, hence why they're now in pursuit of the ship. Though it seems Iscandar is now in their sights too, so it's now a race to stop them. On that subject, the Tarantula Nebula is now all that's between them and Iscandar, but crossing it won't be easy, and alternatives just don't exist.

Naturally, Domel anticipated this, so his fleet is already in position to intercept. Well, the man himself is not here, but likely he's bound to appear as the battle goes on. Welp, time to break through!

One turn in and we already get a scene of a Zaltzian Group readying up. Their plan is to infiltrate the Yamato and kill Yurisha. Also, the Gamillas can now warp over units, not unlike Boson Jumping. Tsk.

Then come turn two, an old pilot does a suicide run to launch... something, at the WMG. It starts draining the ship of power, and as the crew tries to fix it, the Zaltzian sneak in. Welp, the Yamato can't move now.

Edited March 4 by Acacia Sgt

[Acacia Sgt]

So, two of Domel's subordinates, Kreize and Getto, die here. A third, Berger, retreats instead. Once all four main ships are defeated, the Yamato crew has finally figured out the thing that lodged itself in the WMG is a repurposed mining drill. They managed to hack it and sent it backwards, where it blows up without causing further damage. But now the Zaltzian infiltrators have revealed themselves. They captured their target, and one of them stays behind to buy time for the others to escape. They... captured Mori, not Yurisha? Their aircraft leaves the ship and... a ship warps out from subspace. They retrieve the aircraft and warp back. Bummer. At this Heidern orders the retreat.

Now Invaders show up. Ah, good, the Yamato can move again. Let's continue with this...

Destroying a few Invaders, and now Domel finally shows up. He is willing for a truce until the Invaders are taken care of, at least. Are you the Camus?

As a matter of fact, it's an enforced truce. Despite Domel still being a Red unit, we can't attack him at all.

Edited March 4 by Acacia Sgt