List of Demands (Reparations) (Day 339)

I am most likely going to be playing Borderlands 2 for a pretty long period of time tonight, so I may not get another chance to post this entry! I really need to get back to Front Mission 3 before I lose motivation, but there'll be plenty of time for that over the next week. I don't really like how my schedule is laid out because I'm working every other day. This means I frequently have days off but they're never consecutive. It's a very disorienting and uncomfortable schedule, but I guess it'll still leave me with plenty of time to make progress. Until then, I'm going to try to sync up with my friend who has a busier schedule than me and try to make as much progress on Borderlands 2 as possible.

I'm also trying to inch my way through New Mystery of the Emblem on lunch breaks at work, but the amount of preparation required to advance is pretty insane. I should have known it would be like this if I went with hard mode because I do have a lot of experience with the series. Every movement must be painstakingly calculated. To be honest, I could make things a lot easier if I was more restrictive with my character choices, but I want to buff up some of my weaker characters just because I really like them. That's half of the fun of a Fire Emblem game--babysitting your weaker characters until they turn into unstoppable monsters. I'm hoping this will be the case with some of my lower leveled characters like Norne the archer and Cecile the cavalier.

Some of my characters are already monstrous either due to their natural stat growths or a considerable amount of luck on my part. Palla the pegasus knight, for instance, has a whopping 17 strength at level 17 unpromoted. This is insane for a pegasus knight because they generally are a lot weaker to compensate for their sky high speed and mobility--and the fact that they use spears which have high damage and accuracy. She is by far my strongest character, but Marth is progressing quite well also. Fire Emblem protagonists can sometimes be very weak. I'm thinking of characters like Roy and Eliwood in particular. I'll admit I don't really remember how strong he was in Shadow Dragon, but it looks like his stats are going to end up being really solid here, even though I doubt he'll be anywhere near as strong as Ike from Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn.

My avatar character (whom I've named Brea) is a myrmidon and the only sword user in my current roster aside from Marth himself and Cecile the cavalier who more commonly uses lances. Her skill and speed are monstrously high but her strength is really lagging behind. This is really common for the class but I'd feel a lot better if it was a few points higher. I think of classic Fire Emblem myrmidon/swordmasters like Guy, Rutger, and Joshua and I feel like their strength was generally quite a bit higher than that. If anything, her growths remind me a lot of Mia from Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn. I did like her a lot, but her strength was lacking. I'm hoping I'll get a pretty nice bonus to her strength when she promotes--and a passive bonus to crit would be great too. I know Swordmasters get that in later games but I'm not sure about New Mystery of the Emblem.

Sentimental X's (Day 338)

I feel like it's been really difficult to find the time to write these entries over the past few days--which is not to say that I haven't had plenty of free time, because I have. I have to be at work by 8 AM tomorrow, but even that's not all that restrictive when you consider I got off work at 5 PM today. However, I did some grocery shopping and had a conversation with my cousin once I'd gotten home. After that, I played Borderlands 2 with a friend for a few hours. It's the same guy that I played several co-op games with earlier this year like Seiken Densetsu 3 and Path of Exile.

In case it wasn't obvious by the content of this blog, I'm not really a shooter aficionado. For the most part, I find them pretty boring. Admittedly though, I've never given them an honest chance. I find console shooters hopelessly unplayable, but games like Borderlands on PC feel very natural to control with a mouse and keyboard. Years of playing WoW have made me more than comfortable with the WASD style of movement and the aiming comes with some practice. I'm still not a great shot, but I'm good enough that I can somewhat fend for myself.

What differentiates Borderlands 2 (and the original game) from other shooters is that extra element of progression. It's very heavy on RPG elements. Your characters level up and you acquire gear from slain opponents, shops, and your environment. Skill points can be allocated to talent trees to further customize your character. This is what gives me the incentive to keep playing. Don't get me wrong--the gameplay itself is quite fun. Even just that alone would probably be enough to get me to play it for a little while. However, I doubt I'd be motivated to finish the game if there wasn't that aspect of customization and progression present.

We kept trying to figure out what that weapon looked like

Borderlands 2 is very much akin to traditional computer action RPGs like Diablo in that there is a heavy emphasis on level grinding and sorting through endless piles of loot to determine the exact right item to upgrade your DPS by 1.2%. Fortunately, many weapons you encounter in your journeys will have interesting and occasionally hilarious effects that have tangible effects on your gameplay. You might find weapons by certain manufacturers that can be thrown like a grenade once the magazine is emptied--only to magically rematerialize in your hands after the explosion. You'll find scopes on shotguns and bullets that discharge electricity in all directions. All of these elements were present in the original game as well, so if Borderlands 2 loses anything, it's that it so far doesn't get any points in originality.

The sequel does introduce some new classes to the mix, though. Although the Siren returns, she's not quite like her old self--and along with her she brings the Commando, the Assassin, the Gunzerker, the Mechromancer, and the Psycho. Unlike Diablo 3 or Path of Exile, each class is associated with a unique character in the Borderlands universe. I like this aspect of the game because the characters pack a lot of personality, as evidenced by the off-the-cuff remarks they'll lob during combat and while exploring the world.

Although Borderlands 2 does feature a lot of elements that I'm familiar and comfortable with, the gameplay is more or less completely alien to me--or at least it would be had I not played the first game in the series. As it is, it seems like more of the same, but it's so polished and downright fun that I can easily forgive that. I've also only put in a few hours so far so there may well be gameplay elements that drastically expand on its predecessor that I just don't know about yet. Even if not, though, I think it'll still be a really solid and enjoyable game.

Coltrane Sundia (Day 337)

I had a great day at work today and my video card came in! Today could not get any better! Ok, I could find out that I don't have to work tomorrow for some bizarre reason. That would be pretty cool. But it also won't happen. I'm going to spend the rest of tonight playing League of Legends and probably testing a few games I have installed to see how they look on high settings. I might also see if multitasking is any easier--as far as watching videos in VLC while playing games or watching Netflix while playing games goes.

Truth be told, I'm a little scatterbrained today! I had a great day and felt really good about myself. This really surprised me because I was feeling pretty apprehensive about starting up work again after my three-day absence. It went well, though. I was very personable and I sold a lot of phones. It's still not guaranteed that I'm going to meet my monthly quota but I'm feeling a lot more confident about it than before. I'd really like to keep this job because I genuinely like it. I don't like everything about it, but I think that would be a little unrealistic to shoot for.

It's already 9 PM as I'm writing this and I've gotten very little of note accomplished--but that's okay, because I had some fun with some friends, my video card came in, and I'm pleased that my day went well. My desktop looks nice with a higher resolution and an HDMI connection, but it's still going to take some getting used to. It feels squished to me, but I think it would be more accurate to describe the resolution I was previously using as squished. It's just something I'll have to get accustomed to.

For the next few hours, I'm going to give a few games I haven't touched in awhile a spin. I might briefly play Diablo III, Rift, Torchlight 2, and also load up Borderlands 2 and see what it's like. There are other games I'd definitely like to try, but I have to remember I have a backlog that I still need to get through. I'm still pretty focused on that. I'll always make time for co-op games, but I definitely shouldn't be buying any  new single player games right now. I have over 30 of those waiting in reserve.

Yikes. I'll have a much more coherent entry tomorrow.

Kohntarkosz Anteria (Day 336)

"No, man, I'm telling you--I haven't seen her. I haven't seen anyone else. No one but you. You're the first human being I've laid eyes on. For all I know, maybe ever."

"You don't know anything, " retorted the bearded man to the lanky dark-haired young man before him. "You can't even remember your own name! Maybe you just don't remember seeing her. Maybe she was here. She had to have been here."

The other man, his wavy hair and soft features surprisingly unblemished considering the circumstances, shot him a sympathetic look. 

"You don't know your name either."

The bearded man grimaced. 

"You don't remember anything. We're the same. We both ended up here. We ended up here alone."

"But I remember her," the bearded man insisted, kneading his brow vigorously. 

The dark-haired man shrugged. "Maybe you do. It's not my place to say. I remember bits and pieces from before, but it's all blurry. You know what I mean? It all fades in and out and it all blurs together. It's like if you flashed a bunch of brightly colored lights in front of your eyes and you squeezed your eyes shut tight and you stared into that afterimage. That glowing, indistinct light that you can still see through the darkness. It's like that, I guess. But I can't remember people or places or anything really important like that."

"We don't have to be the same."

"You're right. We don't. But I have to wonder, friend, if you're just trying to separate us. Maybe you just don't want to believe what I'm saying."

"Why would I do that?" asked the bearded man. "You're the first person I've found. I've come across what was left behind and I've walked a long way. . .but you're the first person I've found, alive or dead. I don't understand what that means, but shouldn't I be happy to see you? Shouldn't I be happy to share our common experience?"

"I dunno, man. Are you?"

"Yeah," the bearded man replied, but he didn't sound convinced. "Yeah, I am. I mean, as happy as I can be, given the circumstances. I don't know what's going on here, man--but I just know I've gotta find her. I have a feeling she's. . .still okay. I just have a feeling."

"I wish I remembered someone," said the dark-haired man. "Maybe I'd feel like I had something to hold on to. Maybe I'd feel like I wasn't falling."

"Falling?"

"Yeah. Somebody cut the ropes and I'm falling off the mountain. It's only a matter of time until I hit the bottom."

"That sounds dramatic."

"Yeah. Sometimes dramatic is pretty true to life, though."

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

The bearded man's mind was swimming with thoughts. He'd just met this stranger on what was ostensibly an abandoned playground. Had it really been abandoned or did some unforeseen phenomenon whisk all of its inhabitants away suddenly? As little credence as the man was prone to give to supernatural events under normal circumstances, his faith in the natural order of things was certainly currently being put to the test. Where was everyone? Where was she? 

"I can't remember anything from before, at least not with the clarity that you claim to remember this girl," said the dark-haired man. "Tell me, what was her name?"

The bearded man hesitated before answering.

"You don't know it, do you?"

"It was Ashley," the bearded man replied with some confidence. "Her name is Ashley."

"I see. It's a nice name. I hope you find her."

Kobaia Is de Hundin (Day 335)

ANOTHER GAMEPLAY VIDEO?!

Front Mission 3 is next on the agenda and I've already clocked about 4 hours of gameplay. I've played a pretty significant amount of it before but for reasons that I can't recall at the moment I completely stopped playing it and ended up eventually losing the save data. I'm surprised that I didn't finish it the first time because so far I'm taken aback by just how fast paced the gameplay is, especially for a strategy RPG and especially for a Front Mission game.

My favorite part

 I loved Front Mission 4 (and liked the original game a lot too) but if there was one thing that frustrated me about it, it was its relentlessly sludgy pace. Missions were very long and laborious and combat animations were slow and needlessly lengthy. In addition to this, the combat preparation phase was incredibly involved and time consuming. I can forgive that aspect of the game though, because that was a big part of what I found so engrossing about the game. The level of strategy present in choosing the right parts, weapons, pilot skills, and computers was intense. Unfortunately these parts and components were quite expensive and the funds acquired from standard missions was seldom enough to cover them--which meant I had to do simulation missions to acquire additional funds before I could move on. These simulation missions were often just as long as standard missions.

Kazuki's wanzer in all its purple majesty

In Front Mission 3, missions are very short and focused, at least so far. Animations are concise, effective, and satisfying. Destroying enemy wanzer parts awards you medals which contribute to upgrading the proficiency of your weapons. You'll also frequently learn new combat abilities while in combat. I like this method of learning new abilities because you get to see the effect of the ability just as soon as you learn it. It's exciting when something new activates in combat because it strengthens your pilot's options in combat immediately.

As far as I can tell, Front Mission 3 doesn't have traditional levels and instead determines the strength of your wanzers based on parts, upgrades, pilot weapon proficiencies, and combat skills. I have to wonder why Front Mission 4 returned to the traditional level system. It really did introduce some cool new mechanics (I particularly liked pilot links) but I sort of wish it had retained some of the features introduced in its immediate predecessor..

I'm not far into the game just yet so I've probably displayed some ignorance on its mechanics, but I'm really enjoying it so far. I expect it'll take me some time to get through it, but I don't imagine I'll hit any roadblocks since I'm enjoying it quite a bit.

It'5! (Day 334)

In only a few days and with a feverish pace, I've managed to claw my way through Tales of Destiny, but my overall opinion on it has not changed much. It is overcrowded with dungeon after tedious dungeon crammed full of esoteric and confusing puzzles and features a cast of mostly unremarkable characters. I can at the very least say that no one from the cast struck me as particularly annoying, and the relationship between Stahn and Rutee is cute, even if the game refuses to explore it further. Some of the more interesting characters will leave your party before the final stages of the game, as well. 

What you're left with is a mostly unremarkable RPG with an excellent battle system. It seems right at home in the Tales series, but I definitely can't say I'd recommend it to someone looking to try the series themselves. Truth be told, I'm a relative neophyte to the series as well, having only completed this title, Phantasia, Symphonia, and Abyss. I've got my sights set on Eternia sometime in the future, but after that, I'd be more than happy to tackle Legendia, Vesperia, Graces, and/or Xillia. I figure I really only have up to go from here. Destiny, although not a terrible game per se, is definitely relegated down to the bottom of my initial rankings for the series, right there with Abyss.

Why did I power through the game even though there were many things about it that I did not like? Well, I had an interesting conversation about that with a friend of mine recently. I've challenged myself over the past year or so to make a concerted effort to finish every game that I start, regardless of how I feel about it. I'll generally find something about these games that I enjoy but even if I don't, it's a challenge that I've set for myself to overcome. I'm not going to say that I have completely stuck my ground on this principle because there may have been a few games I started and abandoned because I really wasn't feeling it--but for the most part,  I finish what I start, especially where RPGs are concerned. And if I don't, I add it to the backlog and I get to it eventually. . .

What's this?!

One thing I decided to do for this game is record the final encounter. After some research, I decided on using Open Broadcaster, the streaming program, to record my game. It uses a lot fewer resources than Fraps and doesn't take up nearly as much hard drive space once the recording is finished. I think it came out really well, even if the final battle depicted in said video is a little sad to watch. Seriously, after such a grueling series of dungeons, they pit me up against three alarmingly weak bosses in a row and then the game is over. What an anticlimax.

As for what's next, I haven't decided yet! I technically only have one game left in my PlayStation backlog, but my obsessive tendencies are making it difficult for me to confidently move right on to it. I'm going to look into my options and maybe play a few minutes of a few games to get an idea of where I'm going. This is a decidedly different strategy than what I've employed for the past few weeks in that I've launched myself wholeheartedly into each new game right away--but that's fine. I like to switch things up every now and then so I don't get bored!

Bye bye, Tales of Destiny

Cosmic Powers (Day 333)

I have the next three days off and my video card is on its way. Unfortunately, I have no reason to suspect that I'l be receiving it any sooner than Wednesday. That's okay, though. I should still have plenty of time to finish Tales of Destiny and move on to something else. In fact, I might go ahead and do that tonight if I manage to motivate myself enough. I'd also like to make a little more progress on New Mystery of the Emblem but the mission I'm on right now is really difficult. I've been stuck in one spot for probably a week now.

Even though I've been hyper focused on clearing out my backlog lately, that doesn't mean that I haven't considered some new game purchases. Playing all of these RPGs in a row has made me sort of crave something more action-oriented. I think I'd like to eventually purchase Dragon's Crown and Persona 4: Arena. Vanillaware's Muramasa was really enjoyable and Dragon's Crown looks like a lot of fun, especially if I managed to snag a co-op partner. In the case of Arena, I haven't played any fighting games in a really long time and I think I'd like to give it a shot. It helps that it's a spinoff of one of my favorite RPGs of all time.

My friend has already purchased Borderlands 2 for me so I'll definitely be playing that some once my card comes in. Normally I'd be skeptical that I could complete a game like that, but I"m sure playing it cooperatively will be more than enough motivation to power through it. I did enjoy the original Borderlands but I doubt I would have found it engaging enough on my own to play through the whole thing.

Having three games on my radar to play makes me a little itchy because I've made so much progress recently. My aspiration is to get to the point where the only games going into my backlog are new games that I just purchased. It's a difficult task and it will be very time consuming, but my progress so far this year has been really encouraging. I think I've beaten something like seventeen games, some of which where games I'd been meaning to finish for years and years. For the most part it's been really fun revisiting these games and analyzing why I stopped playing them in the first place--as well as writing about what's also very strong about them.

If I could hit 30 games finished this year, that'd be pretty amazing--but that's probably unrealistic. The highest I've ever gotten was 22 and I was probably unemployed for a lot of that year. Then again, I haven't been as determined to eradicate my Backlog in a long time--so we'll see what happens.