#Final fantasy 8 gamefaqs

[wedlascl]

Final fantasy 8 gamefaqs

FINAL FANTASY 8 GAMEFAQS PS4

FINAL FANTASY 8 GAMEFAQS PC

Srsly I've written a review about the same issue in Star Ocean 3 Remaster where it was the same problem and what does SE do? The same stupid thing again.

FINAL FANTASY 8 GAMEFAQS PS4

The worst problem in the PS4 version is that you don't have the option to turn down the volume of music etc. I have tested it around 20 minutes and have refunded it. Everything is so blurry that it hurts my eyes to play the game. Yes the character looks upgraded but all the rest is downgraded graphicaly. It is the worst Remaster I have ever played.

FINAL FANTASY 8 GAMEFAQS PC

It is I love Final Fantasy 8 and ofcourse I was silliy enough to pre-order this game for PC and PS4. I love Final Fantasy 8 and ofcourse I was silliy enough to pre-order this game for PC and PS4. Do I recommend it?: I would recommend it mostly to those who want to get deeper into the series. Pros: + Engaging plot + Serviceable characters + Interesting mechanics + Nice music + Vastly improved graphics from previous Final Fantasy games Cons: - Weak narrative - Characters lack depth - Junction System is poorly designed - Upgrading weapons is tedious - Outdated minor elements Narrative: 4/10 Gameplay: 2/10 Content: ?/10 Characters: 6/10 Music: 7/10 Graphics/Audio: ?/10 Final Rating: 6/10 - Decent - On one hand, Final Fantasy VIII is a decent, traditional Final Fantasy experience, but on the other hand, it's filled with flaws and it's one of my least favorite games in the series. Lastly, the game does have some outdated elements. Upgrading weapons by picking up random maganizes and grinding for materials is a slog. Overall, it's kinda boring, but it's unique and I can see why some people like it. The Junction System brings some interesting ideas on paper but the execution falls short. I haven't mentioned the biggest flaws of the game yet. As you've seen so far, Final Fantasy VIII is quite flawed, but the thing is. Also, the music is good and the visuals are significantly better than the visuals in older Final Fantasy games. The characters are likable and I liked some of them more than I expected, however, most of them lack depth. The combat system is similar to Final Fantasy IX's but a bit more responsive, nothing special. Final Fantasy VIII's story is convoluted and it gets quite nonsensical at times but it's intriguing for the most part even if the writing is inconsistent. Fortunately though, it got me hooked after a while and I stayed till the end. Fortunately though, it got me hooked after a while and I To be honest, I wasn't very interested in playing Final Fantasy VIII Remastered. To be honest, I wasn't very interested in playing Final Fantasy VIII Remastered. In my opinion FF VIII is a solid title, just not one I see myself playing as much as I have played VII or IX … Expand I understand it is important to the plot but it could have been done in a better way. Also hated it when the game changed its pace when I went to the dream world to, for some reason, follow the story of Laguna and company. They aren't bad but they have moments that will make you question their actions as well as their character. Squall was the emo guy who never shared his feelings, Quistis was the know-it-all teenage instructor, Zell was the annoying loud mouth, Selphie's character is that she has none, Rinoa is the ditzy daughter of a general, and Irvine is the wannabe sharp shooter that hits on every pretty lady he sees. The characters were never too interesting to me. I always wondered if they were aware how easily their game could be broken. You can break it so hard that you can get Squall's final and best weapon by the end of disc 1, as well as spells that won't be available til disc 3 without drawing them and you can junction said spells to give level 10 characters level 40-50 stats. Luckily Square gave the ability to break the game in literally the beginning hours of disc 1. Basic enemies scale to your level making grinding kind of pointless. Drawing magic is tedious and the idea that magic is more like an item bugged me. It isn't a bad game but it isn't great either. This one usually split the So after so many years of pleading from fans, Square finally released a remaster of their classic ps1 title. So after so many years of pleading from fans, Square finally released a remaster of their classic ps1 title.

[blazehedgehog]

Have you ever played Chrono Cross?

I own Chrono Cross! Chrono Trigger is one of my favorite RPGs of all time! I was psyched to play Chrono Cross!

I was extremely disappointed by Chrono Cross!

Chrono Cross feels like a game made almost to spite fans of Chrono Trigger. Vastly different art style, vastly different world, with a lore that basically says "Remember everybody you loved from Trigger? They're dead now. And they probably died tragic or embarrassing deaths."

It fills that void with a lot of incoherency. Because Cross hangs its hat on having 44 collectible party members, very few of them have any impact and basically never participate in the main story. The English localization is even structured in such a way that most of the cast pulls from a single library of side-character dialog that gets fed through an "accent filter" depending on who is saying it. Meaning 97% of the cast is not written to have any legitimate role in the story.

What story can be gleaned is a deliberately confusing mess of mysteries layered within mysteries, none of which ever get explained until the last 3-5 hours of gameplay. So you toil for 27+ hours not having any idea what's going on or why, only to get hit by a freight train of dense lore as you start to round the final bend.

I only know this because a friend explained it all to me once, about FATE and the lineage of the Dragonians and all of that late-game lore.

In truth, I got stuck in Chrono Cross and not even pouring over 3 different GameFAQ guides could get me unstuck. It was some event involving one of the versions of Captain Fargo, or at least that's what I thought I had to do. It was some time after the "switch" event with Serge (if you know, you know) and all the guides said I had to get Fargo to go back to Marbule or something.

But it never worked. He never budged. So I didn't know where to go. After a week of throwing myself at that problem I gave up and resigned myself to never finishing Chrono Cross. This was back in, like, 2002 or 2003, so faded memories by now.

Which I was fine with, because honestly, I was getting pretty bored to tears with the game. There's only so much "you don't know what's going on because it's a 𝑚𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦" before you get tired of it, and systems-wise it wasn't grabbing me either. That was Square's "experimental" phase, where they were messing with (or straight up deleting) core RPG mechanics just to see what would happen. So Final Fantasy 8 screwed with the gear and magic systems, and Chrono Cross screwed with how you gain experience points and level up.

Which is to say you kind of... don't? Only bosses give EXP, so that basically means you're always guaranteed to level up after every boss. There's no reason to fight fodder enemies outside of getting item drops. Which would be great if they let you avoid most monster encounters, but they don't, so it just wastes time and contributes towards nothing. And battles get needlessly drawn out thanks to the elemental field system, too.

It's a gorgeous game, full of absolutely immaculate art direction. I'm a lifelong fan of any soundtrack with Yasunori Mitsuda (and I even have an autographed Chrono Cross songbook from him!) But anything about the story or gameplay is wet cardboard to me.

I keep thinking about going back to it, starting over fresh, seeing if I like it more now that I'm an older and different person. But I haven't gotten around to it yet. Like a lot of RPGs in my life right now it's locked behind the promise of "maybe after I finish Mother 3" which is going on two years now -- but I picked it back up this week and am rounding the final bend on that one, if you can believe it.

[awholenutha]

The “All Inclusive” World of Final Fantasy Maxima Guide

Hey y'all, I did a lot of researching and here's a pretty well fleshed out guide (provided by jac3r - Gamefaqs) for World of Final Fantasy (Maxima). 

World of Final Fantasy (Maxima) - The "All Inclusive" Guide https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YUmvb-Yne7FCcb7OFAxbXecH3BU5Y4cAuVZir0gOmFs/edit#gid=694652547

Summary: 

You get higher tiered spells through stacking, combining multiple mirages to one team. You can’t build for stronger spells by adding multiple high tier spells to one mirage, that’s not stacking. The points only build from stacking multiple mirages and combining their high tier spells, not just adding high tier spells to one mirage. 

Example 1: Goblin 1 [Firaga +Firaga] = N/A 

Example 2: Goblin 1 [Firaga] + Goblin 2 [Firaga] = Firaja 

Tier 1 - 1 point: Fire, Blizzard, Thunder 

Tier 2 - 2 point: Fira, Blizzara, Thundera 

Tier 3 - 4 point: Firaga, Blizzaga, Thundaga 

Tier 4 - 8 point: Firaja, Blizzaja, Thundaja 

(Note: From here down, this is not my work, just sharing for fellow gamers who enjoy Monster Catching games and Final Fantasy.)

When choosing Mirages for a stack, favor Magic, then Strength. Defense is okay to pay attention to, but the aim here is to out-damage enemies instead of outlasting them. This game doesn't benefit from trying to play it with the Tank-Support-DPS style. 

You also want to ensure your Agility is high, as this will determine how quickly your turn arrives. When it comes to abilities in stacks, don't go for abilities that duplicate the effects of items. You don't want to waste your AP casting something like Balance when a Wobblestopper does the same job. The same goes for Raise over a Phoenix Down. 

The main exception is healing, as you'll quickly outgrow common potion types. If you can stack Cura and Curaga, you'll be able to heal a lot better. 

You also need to be careful when you come to compounding weaknesses in a stack. For example, stacking Shiva+, Reynn, and Bablizz is dangerous. While your Magic stat would be perfect for this game, your weaknesses to Fire and Dark Magic will be your downfall. 

Have fun, be kind, and say thank you! (Shoutout to Madness Gaming for providing a great starting point with their videos)

[miloscat]

[Review] Game Center CX 3 (3DS)

The third GCCX game was handed off to a different developer, and the result is... different, but by no means bad.

After indieszero’s two instalments, G.rev handled the third game. They’re mostly known for shooters, but they do a decent job here; the games generally aren’t as inventive, the challenges are sometimes more tedious, and the framing sequences don’t have the same charm but you still get a good set of faux-retro games plus some bonuses.

This time, the modern Arino has been reverted to childhood—I think—and the king from the intro of the show gives you challenges. You’re still a kid who does all the gameplay while Arino verbally interjects, but they open up the premise a bit by tying in more integration with the show. For example, you build up a database of catchphrases and famous sayings from the broadcast history. There’s also a little town full of locations to visit, full of appearances by the show’s ADs (playing roles as Arino’s childhood friends) and other staff, with lots of interactions and dialogue.

Rather than magazines, I assume these conversations are the vector for delivering tips... but considering my poor fluency in Japanese (and this game has not been localised, either officially or by fans), I sped through them and tried to muddle through. There’s one thread on the GameFAQs board that helped by spelling out each challenge, but for more in-depth help I had to find Japanese written guides and auto-translate them, or skim through full playthroughs on Youtube. This was necessary for me because sometimes game mechanics are obscure; the game itself doesn’t help much either.

There aren’t really manuals this time either. There are some bland explanatory screens, but—in what’s the most glaring poor decision imaginable—these and the challenges themselves can’t be viewed while playing any of the games; you have to shut it down first. Very badly done. Unlocking games is also a convoluted process, sometimes requiring choosing the right dialogue options at certain points in the story... boo.

As for the games themselves, there’s 8 main ones: a Mario Bros./Lode Runner mashup, a Sky Kid pastiche shooter, a Tower of Druaga-style maze game, a Wonder Boy/Adventure Island knockoff, a dodgeball-themed Pong/Arkanoid hybrid, another decent Compile-type shooter, a bland 16-bit Final Fantasy ripoff, and a stage-based top-down Zelda homage. The games occasionally try and inject an innovative mechanic, but usually they’re a bit uninspired. The dodgeball and Zelda clone were the highlights, but unlocking the latter means getting through the rest of the game’s challenges, which can take a while.

As well as the 8 challenge games, there are unlockable extras that evoke other styles of retro gaming: LCD handhelds, primitive pre-NES consoles, a simple paper-scissors-rock arcade redemption game, and even vintage analogue coin-rolling games or wooden ball-maze toys controlled using the 3DS gyro. These are cool ideas, but finding them requires a guide in itself that I just couldn’t find, sadly.

Speaking of 3DS gimmicks, the main games are also playable in 3D mode in free play, which kind of works like Nintendo or Sega’s 3D Classics on the eShop. I didn’t try this much. But either way, they attempt to evoke 8- and 16-bit games, but the feel and visuals are inconsistent between them; some of them just feel like low-budget throwbacks rather than authentic retro experiences... wait... that’s exactly what they are. I guess some are just better at hiding it, and in this matter the first two games did a much better job. And the framing story’s visuals are just plain ugly, which on top of its structural problems makes it a poor replacement to its predecessors.

I’ve seen a lot of people online dismiss this third instalment outright, even saying it’s a good thing it wasn’t localised because it’s so bad. This attitude irritates me; to so smugly write off this effort does it a great disservice. There’s few enough games attempting this sort of nostalgia-tinged collection of fabricated games, so its successes should be celebrated, even if there are some rough patches and questionable choices here. Of course, the language and region locking barriers make it difficult to appreciate, but I was glad to overcome them to experience this.

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hello.I was wondering if you know any johnlock fics where Sherlock and John are pen pals? If you could recommend something, please do. Thank you. :)

Hi Lovely!

Ah, I’ve posted up lists before with them texting / writing to each other in these posts:

Epistolary / Texting / Letters

Morse Code

Letters After the Fall

But here are the fics specific to the topic you’re looking for! If anyone has anything else to add, let us know! :D (NOTE: anything marked with “{TO READ}” means I haven’t read it so read at your own discretion).

Dear John by starwarsfreak95 (T, 601 w. || Angst, Hurt Comfort) - Not all Dear John letters are bad. Sherlock tries to explain to John why he did what he did and how much John means to him.

Message Not Sent by Queerasil (K, 762 w. || Angst, One-Sided Texting, Pining Sherlock) - Sherlock texts John after the fall and during the hiatus. The messages are sent, but never received. Sequel to WORDLOCKED, TSTM, and Wait, How Do You Play This Game Again?

Text Me When It’s Over by immaculately-flawed  (K+, 1K+ w. || Friendship, Humour, Post-TRF, Texting, Sort-Of Pining Sherlock) – After the fall Sherlock starts writing texts to John. Of course, he never sends them… Until he does by accident. Post Reichenbach fic but not angsty.

Pen Pals by WerewolfDoctor (K, 2K+ w. || Epistolary, Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Post-TRF) – Most people don’t become pen pals by one of them writing a not-suicide note. Then again, Sherlock Holmes and John Watson have never exactly been normal, have they?

There’s Something Living in These Lines by teahigh (orphan_account) (M, 4,676 w. || Mutual Pining, Love Letters, Angst, Mutual Pining, UST / URT, Dirty Talk) – Two men, complete opposites in almost every way, who speak only in letters and pages torn from books.

Correspondence by Cleo2010 (T, 8,031 w. || Letters, Friends to Lovers, Jealousy, Dating ) – Sherlock’s been spirited away on a case for Mycroft. Part of the deal was that he and John could communicate via letter until the case was completed. Maybe the cliche is true, absence does make the heart grow fonder. Or perhaps something is growing on the feet in the fridge. Read their letters month by month.

Get It All in Writing by aceofhearts61 (T, 2,423 w., Ace Sherlock / Straight John, Love Letters, Romantic Friendship, Asexuality, Schmoop) – Sherlock and John write each other love notes. Part 8 of A Love with No Name

White Blank Page by SarahCat1717 (M, 11,936 w. || Post-TRF, Clever John, Reunion Fic, Pining Sherlock, Letters, Fantasies) – Post-fall, Sherlock is off eliminating Moriarty’s crime web. He finds he misses John. He can’t divulge that he still lives, but he placates his need to communicate with John and still feel a connection with him by sending him blank letters. But over time, this writing exercise lends itself to Sherlock exploring his feelings for his friend. What will happen when Sherlock returns to London and the man he has been “writing” to regularly for the past two years? NOT S3 compliant. Mary who?

The Dead Letters by cwb (E, 17,716 w. || Post-TRF, Love Letters / Epistolary, Forgiveness, Injury, Caretaking, POV John, Dev. Rel., Mutual Masturbation, Cuddling, First Kiss / Time) – Sherlock is dead, and John might as well be. When Sherlock breaks his silence to keep John from doing something drastic, John tries to work through his anger enough to respond. {{TO READ}}

Dear John by wendymarlowe (E, 23,031 w. || Post-TRF, Online Dating, Pining, Epistolary, Cybersex, Long Distance Romance) – With Sherlock dead, John eventually (under duress) makes a profile on an online dating site. And falls into a long-distance relationship with an enigmatic partner who reminds him of Sherlock in all the right ways. (Hint: it turns out to be Sherlock.) Part 1 of Dear John

Dead Letter Office by a_different_equation (M, 20,364 w. || ‘Bartleby’ Fusion / Office Setting AU || Different First Meeting, Epistolary, John’s Blog, Angst with a Happy Ending, Pre-Canon, John Watson is Sherlock’s Boss, PTSD John, Military Backstory, Writer John, Drug Use, Texting) – John Watson comes home from the war, gets a new job and meets Sherlock Holmes through Mike Stamford. Same tale since 1891, except this time it’s 2008, John is Sherlock’s boss, and they work together at the Dead Letter Office in London. It’s not a love story, until it finally is. {{TO READ}}

The Real Meaning of Idioms by feverishsea (T, 21,691 w. || Texting, Humour, Post S2) - After two weeks away, John finally texts Sherlock. He doesn’t expect Sherlock to respond. He doesn’t expect Sherlock to keep texting him. And he really doesn’t expect things to spiral out of control so rapidly.

Don’t Leave Anything Out by lookupkate (E, 27,422 w. || Epistolary, Falling in Love, Misunderstandings, Alternate First Meeting) – The first letter John writes home from Afghanistan is meant to go to a woman he went on only one date with. How it ends up in Sherlock’s hands is completely innocent. What happens next is not. What do you do when you find out the person you’re in love with has been lying about something as monumental as who they are? What do you do when you’re the one who lied? How on earth do you put the pieces back together?

A Study In Auto-Signatures, Sniper Dolphins, and Sex Holidays by cwb (E, 32,690 w. || Case Fic, Post S3, Evil Mary, Dev. Rel., Honeymoon, Epistolary, Bottomlock, First Kiss / Time, Fluff, Secret Agents, BAMF!John) – John and Mary go on their sex holiday, and Sherlock is grumpy and pining about it. Part 1 of HOT DOLPHIN SEX

Leveling Up by philalethia (M, 36,961 w. || Video Gamer AU || Different First Meeting, Epistolary, Gaming, Internalized Homophobia, Sexuality Crisis, Past Drug Use) – John plays video games, Sherlock writes a guide on GameFAQs, and they get on quite well together… eventually.Told entirely through emails, text messages, and voice chats. {{TO READ}}

The Pieces That Fall to Earth by Itsallfine (M, 49,513 w. || S4 Fix-It, Epistolary, Love Confessions, Slow Burn, Parentlock, Past Abuse, Coming Out, Questioning Sexuality, Mental Health Issues / Therapy, Angst, Happy Ending) – John and Sherlock have hit rock bottom, but with all their armor stripped away, they can finally speak honestly, seek healing, and find the truths that matter most. An epistolary post-s4 fix-it fic. (This fic is rated T except for one very clearly marked and easily skippable chapter, which is rated M.) Part 1 of The Pieces that Fall to Earth

In the Dark Hours by hubblegleeflower (E, 51,639 w. || Friends to Lovers, Unreliable Narrator, Closeted Bi John, Angst, Miscommunications, Slow Burn, First Time, John’s Blog / Epistolary) – John, wounded and silent, drifts back to Baker Street for healing…and then goes home again. He visits, gets more upbeat, chattier, smiles, jokes… and still goes home again. Sherlock wants him to move back in - it just makes sense - but John shows no signs of doing so. This is the story of how John and Sherlock learn to say what needs to be said when they’re both so very, very rubbish at talking.

between each beat are words unsaid by darcylindbergh, hudders-and-hiddles (T, 107,998 w. || Epistolary, Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, Angst, Happy Ending) – On their wedding night, John and Sherlock gift each other with the things they each said when the other could not hear, the things they each put down where the other could not see: a collection of writings that illustrate the way their love for one another has grown over the years. Part 1 of between each beat

[canvaswolfdoll]

Canvas and Video Games

Have I talked about my Video Game history? Feels like I have, but I also can’t remember doing so. I’m also running low on possible essay topics, and haven’t finished off any media that I can review[1] recently enough to do that instead…

So, hey, you nerds, let’s talk about Video Games!

Because that’s obviously been a massive influence on my life, what with… my entire brand, really. Egads, am I a nerd, sitting here with a New 3DS in a charging cradle in front of me, trying to work out how to do better quality streams and deciding to write an essay about Video Games.

It all started with my brother, old Foxface himself. As the family lore goes, my parents once didn’t want video games in the house, what with… the social stigma, I guess? It was different times, alright?

Point is, my brother’s speech teacher was all ‘Hey, you know what may help with speech? Video Games! Get him video games.’

And so my parents did, despite any reasonable connection or evidence in the above argument.[2]

So they bought him the Sega Genesis, the only non-Nintendo console we’ve ever owned. He played Sonic the Hedgehog! Also… no. It was mostly just Sonic.

Obviously young Canvas was also interested in the wonder of interactive media, and the running rodent, so I’d watch him play, and occasionally step in as Tails or try to play it myself. And I was terrible at it.

Eventually, the Nintendo 64 was released and added to our fleet of hardware, and we never looked back! Ha ha!

That’s the console that we really cut our teeth on, with it’s many beloved games, from Mario 64, Star Fox 64, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (first Zelda game I was ever aware of), and so on and so forth. We ended up with most of the major releases.[3] Also Mischief Makers for some reason.

It was also the height of Video Rental stores, though I never got to choose games to rent. Vulpin stuck with Space Station Silicon Valley which… might deserve an HD Remake, to be honest. Such a bizarre premise people would eat up, nowadays.

The Game Boy Color arrived, carrying Pokemon and various shovelware, plus a few Zelda Games. Tried my best with them, but for the longest time I never actually completed a video game, or got that far, though I did finish Johto in Gold, which is something.

Gamecube came out, the Dreamcast died, and I began to become aware of the surrounding culture as my capabilities to use the internet matured. We also continued a trend of our person game libraries for the generation growing larger than the last. Lots of GameCube games.

Animal Crossing was a Christmas gift early in the cycle, and it was the first video game all of the kids in the family played, to various extents. Elder Sister was her usual perfectionist self, paid off her house, then pretty much stopped playing video games forever afterwards. Little Sister still plays the occasional game (mostly Paper Mario), but largely it’s just Foxface and I who are deep into the gaming scene.

But, like so many things, tracking each and every experience would be a rather sisyphean task, so I should try and refocus here.

Video Games have always been a presence in my life, and thus had its effects on my creative self, from imaginary friends to the little stories I’d crafted pacing the backyard. They were my chief insight into narratives and various genres, design (whether costume or set or mechanical). Nintendo Power helped educate me on the concept of news and industry, as well as the community that could grow from a hobby.

In fact, Pokemon was the main driving force behind the event I joke is the time I’ve ever made friends myself,[4] being approached while reading a book related to the franchise during second grade. It was nice.

Learning about the internet and GameFAQs hinted towards the wider world and culture, and eventually I came upon 8-Bit Theater, which fired up my love of comics in a big way. Comics and stories made from and about elements of video games? That’s so cool!

Then Nintendo Acres happened.

The diminishing use of quality sprite work in video games makes me sad, by the way. There’s just something about the GBA/DS era graphics that invokes joy in my heart, by now even Pokemon has left sprite work behind for models, and even kitschy independent games tend for the super minimalistic version of 8-bit and… whatever one would refer to Atari graphics. Had I artistic talent, I would slather my media in 16-bit evocative of Friends of Mineral Town or The World Ends with You.

In fact, I think that’s one of my main hurdles getting invested in Stardew Valley[5] and Undertale. They just look ugly, even by the standards of kitschy 8-bit style. Frisk is malformed, and all the Stardew characters are in the wrong perspective for the rest of the world. Sprite work can be so beautiful, and yet no one puts in the effort anymore.

Look, sprites aren’t the only aesthetic I love, just so we’re clear. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, I just prefer bright, cheery worlds. Tale of Symphonia is one of my favorite games, if not my absolute number one.[6] There’s just something very nice about a fantasy world that looks lush and vibrant, where you’d be happy to live just for the scenery. The Tales series and Rune Factory also made me very positive about oddly intricate characters in fantasy. I’ve never liked the dirt covered fantasy of… let’s say Skyrim. Fantasy should be about escapism, grand adventure in grand landscapes, not the crushing reality of medieval times.

More Ghibli, less brown is what I want in general.

I may be an oddball for the elements I look for in video games. I like RPGs (obviously) but there’s very few members of the genre I actually enjoy. I flat-out can’t stand western Video Game RPGs.

What I usually look for in games is both a compelling narrative and interesting mechanics, with allowance for the ‘Classics’ and trendsetters.[7] This is something I find lacking in Western-Style RPGs, with their focus on customizing and granular stat advancement. Sure, I understand someone’s desire to try and put a popular character in an Elder Scrolls, or place some curious limitation on themselves while crawling around Fallout’s wastelands.

But because the game needs to allow the player to make whoever they want, it severely cripples the writer’s ability to write the “main” character into the plot, lest they step on the agency of the player. So, from my perspective, we end up in one of two situations: the PC is a non-entity in the plot, with the narrative happening around and to them instead of with them. Or, we get a Mass Effect situation, where they treat it like Choose Your Own Adventure, and you end up shooting a dude when you thought you were just going to arrest him.[8] That’s why I much prefer being handed a protagonist with a history and personality.

Now, those familiar with my tabletop philosophies, and namely my disdain for randomized Character Gen because it takes away player agency might be tilting their head at this inconsistency.

Well, it’s a scale thing. I realize Video Games have a limitation, and thus it’s unreasonable to expect it to cater to you completely. Tabletop, however, allows endless narrative possibilities, because it’s being created in the moment. So, with Video Games, I’m more willing to just let the story take me along as an observer, like a TV Show.

Which is to say, I don’t really project on the Player Character, and am I happy with that. It’s a division between game and story that may seem odd, but it’s what I look for: every piece having a narrative purpose, especially the loser who’s carrying us on our back.

So, narratively, I prefer the style of JRPGs (also, I like Anime and it’s tropes, so…). Yet, I have never really gotten engrossed in any Final Fantasy Game, because list combat is very dull. I mean, grindy, set the auto-attack against opponent style of Western RPGs[10] aren’t much better, but at least it’s got a hint of visual interest.

What am I left with? For a while, Tales of Symphonia, but now I’ve got Rune Factory, with it’s rather simple combat, but still mostly fun (helped along by other elements), and especially Fire Emblem, which what I wish battlemat D&D combat could be: quick, clever, strategic.

Though I’ve only played the 3DS installments thus far, due to lack of accessibility to the early games, which I couldn’t be bothered to try when they were released. Did try the first GBA game to be ported over, but that ended up having the worst, most micromanaging tutorial I’ve ever seen, and thus I am incapable of completing the first level.

I know how to play video games, Fire Emblem. I am aware of the base concept of pressing A. Yeesh. You’re worse than modern Harvest Moon games!

I’ve also never gotten invested in military FPSs, as a mixture of finding the gameplay boring, difficulty mastering it, and mockery whenever I was roped into playing one with friends.[11] In general, I don’t like being in first person view, as I find it limiting to controls, and responding to things that get behind me is annoying, because I flail trying to find the source of damage, then die.

Though, with time, my avoidance has decreased. Portal has a first person camera, but in a mixture of a more puzzle focused game and excellent integration of tutorial into gameplay,[12] it takes an agitating limited camera and makes it very workable, while also teaching the player how to interact with a game in first person.

I also played a little Team Fortress 2, and now Overwatch. The difference with those two over, say, Modern Duty or whatever, is the tone. The two games are competitive, yes, but also light hearted and goofy. Death is cheap and non punishing, the addition of powers make character choice widely different and fun, and, when I do get a little frustrated, it’s very easy for me to take a breath say ‘It’s only a game’ and let it go. Which is important when playing video games, sometimes.

Because that’s what games should always be: entertainment. It’s why I don’t try and force myself through games I’m not enjoying or lose interest in (though obviously I do try and come back and finish the plot) and why I very rarely strive for 100% completion. Because I want to enjoy myself, not engage in tedious work.

It’s also why I don’t care about ESports. Because I don’t care about sports. People doing something very well doesn’t really appeal to me. High-level chess players aren’t interesting to watch or study, seeing two teams of muscled people charge one another isn’t fun, and fight scenes with the usual punching and kicking is dull.

Because, what I look for in most cases is novelty.

Seeing a master craftsman make a thing once can be interesting, just to see the process. See a master craftsman make the same thing a 100 times is uninteresting, because nothing new is happening. When it comes to sports and games, it’s more interesting to see novices play, because they mess up in interesting ways, spot and solve problems, and you get to sit back and go ‘Now, I would’ve done this.’

So, yeah, not a big fan of Counterstrike and League of Legends news, even besides the toxic communities.

Public perception of video games turned rather quick in my lifetime. It used to be such a niche hobby, enjoyed by nerds and children and so such. Yet… well times change, don’t they? Obviously children grew up and brought games along with them, but the hobby has expanded to become mainstream, a console being as necessary as a television, where those without are viewed as bizarre, despite it not being a physical need.[13] We all remember the children who noted their family doesn’t have a TV (or keep it in the closet), and I wonder if XBoxes have gained the same traction.[14]

If only tabletop games could get the same treatment.

Though I still wouldn’t be able to find a group, but still…

Now that I’m an employed adult, I have even more control over the games I play. Which means a Wii U and a custom built PC.

That I built myself, because I also enjoyed Lego as a child.

Between the two, I tend to have a wide enough net to catch the games that interest me. Sure, there’s still some PlayStation exclusives I’d love to try (Journey, Team ICO’s works, plenty of Tales games…)[15] but some of those games are slowly drifting over to Steam, and I already have a backlog, so I can wait it out.

That’s my stumbled musings about video games… Oh! I stream them! Over here! Watch me! I love to entertain and amuse!

Also maybe consider supporting me through patreon? Then I can put more resources into being amusing!

And share any thoughts you have. I’ll listen. Until then…

Kataal kataal.

[1] Did finish rereading Yotsuba&! but there’s nothing to say about besides “Read it!” [2] Certainly didn’t help me. [3] Though not Harvest Moon 64. One day, I will slay that whale. One day… [4] The rest are inherited after old friends leave. [5] Someone on Reddit commented its port to the Switch may help scratch the itch left by Rune Factory. They are, of course, dreadfully wrong. [6] I still dislike do rankings. [7] IE, I’m not a big fan of hallway-bound FPS games, but have played through the Half-Life series. Mostly for the connection to Portal. [8] I know it was in the ‘Renegade’ position, but I thought it’d be played as ‘I’ll risk losing the Shadow Broker to book this small fish’ sort of thing. I’m not very clever, okay?[9] [9] I actually never progressed much further than that. Perhaps it’ll be on CanvasPlays someday. [10] I don’t care if you have a list of subversions of this style, by the way. I really don’t. [11] I once annoyed a former friend for not knowing there’s an aim button. I didn’t know this, because I don’t play FPSs. [12] There’s a very nice Extra Credits about this somewhere. [13] Though as a cultural need… [14] Nintendo Consoles, of course and unfortunately, being considered the off-brand. [15] the PS3 port of Tides of Destiny. Yes, it’s a disgrace of a Rune Factory game, and it was also on the wii but… well, sometimes I’m an insane collector![16] [16] I don’t even need a PS3. I can get it used for, like, five bucks from GameStop…

[fightitemrun]

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance

So the RNGods at random.org have selected Final Fantasy Tactics Advance to be our first game of this blog.  Released in the US on September 8, 2003, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance was probably the biggest and highest regarded Strategy RPG titles for the Game Boy Advance, a console that saw quite a few quality SRPGs during its lifetime.

Stephanie: Even though we chose the game randomly, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance was actually one of the first games I remember buying knowing that both of us would have the game.

Rich: I remember being excited about this game when it came out, because I had missed out on the original Final Fantasy Tactics on the PlayStation. I’m not sure why it didn’t get too much play back then… I may have been playing Final Fantasy 11 at that time… (So much time wasted in FF11…)

Stephanie: Yeah this is one of those games that really exemplifies the blog, because I was really excited about a portable FFT game, and I played five missions, then… nothing more.  I don’t remember losing interest, either.  Something else must have come out to distract me.  I ended up only putting 2:25 on it.  I’m hoping to double that up this week.

Rich: It looks like I had put 10 hours into it (20 missions). I’m sure that what happened for me was the inevitable analysis paralysis that I get when you start to get more options for customizing your characters.

Stephanie: That fear of missing out really is a pain when you don’t have time to play the game through twice or three times.  At least this time, GameFAQs exists to help keep us focused.