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CmdrKing posted:but her specialty is Earth magic which... really, really got the shaft in Suikoden III. No, it really, really didn't. Earth Magic has always sucked in Suikoden, and when it managed to suck worse in 3, nobody actually cared.
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Dec 3, 2013 04:24
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CmdrKing posted:Belle's a bit like Joker in overall build, but her specialty is Earth magic which... really, really got the shaft in Suikoden III. The only time the Earth rune has been remotely decent was in the first one since it had Voice of Earth as a second level attack spell.
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Dec 3, 2013 04:32
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CmdrKing posted:Belle's a bit like Joker in overall build, but her specialty is Earth magic which... really, really got the shaft in Suikoden III. KataraniSword posted:No, it really, really didn't. Earth Magic has always sucked in Suikoden, and when it managed to suck worse in 3, nobody actually cared. Testekill posted:The only time the Earth rune has been remotely decent was in the first one since it had Voice of Earth as a second level attack spell. I'm going to only half agree with you guys on that one, actually. Earth magic is generally pretty terrible, yes, but I forgive it for basically every one of its faults because of how much it is going to save my rear end in a battle much later. Albeit that's the only time it's really useful, but it's just so useful for that battle. When the time comes, I will be sure to point out how that one battle redeems Earth magic for the entire game and I'll even include exclamation points and maybe some bold or italics text to go with it if I have to, because wow.
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Dec 3, 2013 04:56
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I think Earth and WInd magic would suck less if Suikoden's magic system wasn't so Vancian. They're both set up to be support runes, but battles are usually pretty short unless you're in a boss fight, so you have little cause to use a support rune in a normal battle and might be better served using your only six casts on something that kills the boss quicker like straight attack magic than something that only gives you a small buff.
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Dec 3, 2013 04:59
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Suikoden III earth is definitely a lot weaker relatively than in 1 or 2. The support spells were always niche and not useful, but in Suikoden III they're just not powerful enough to bother with, and Earthquake itself has so much innate charge time that even at high skill levels it's pretty much always going dead last in a round... which on your big MT damage crowd-clearing spell is pretty damned useless. Though sure, the argument that Earth is the weakest of the five elementals in every game in the series is pretty valid (although I'd... probably put Wind below it in V? that's about it), so I can see saying the differences are all moot.
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Dec 3, 2013 07:11
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Captain Oblivious posted:Bishounen Goggles 
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Dec 3, 2013 17:24
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Now I'm wondering what happens if you look at Sgt. Joe with the other lens. Probably one of them "divide by zero" scenarios.
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Dec 3, 2013 18:37
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You can not divide Joe by zero, you fool! You can only make him sparkle harder.
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Dec 3, 2013 19:53
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The duck has the True Rune of 
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Dec 4, 2013 00:57
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Captain Bravo posted:The duck has the True Rune
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Dec 4, 2013 02:45
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Captain Oblivious posted:Bishounen Goggles. Bufuman posted:Now I'm wondering what happens if you look at Sgt. Joe with the other lens. vilkacis posted:You can not divide Joe by zero, you fool! Captain Bravo posted:The duck has the True Rune of sudonim posted:
 You guys are the actual best people and this beautiful mess is now on the OP. This made my day.
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Dec 4, 2013 05:42
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Hugo Chapter 3.4 - You Children Who See the World in Black and White... Kicking off this update, we find ourselves in a brand new area -- the Kuput Forest.  It has a very different aesthetic from the Zexen Forest, which I rather appreciate. It is also not as much of a straight line. We'll start by taking the path on the left.  It leads nowhere. Normally there would be an herb here for us to collect, but I guess it hadn't spawned yet.  Taking the right path instead will lead us to another branching path, as well as some really nice set pieces.  Just, wow. It looks so nicely overgrown -- even the path is more of a bunch of less-overgrown patches of grass than a path. After this, you can hardly even call the Zexen Forest a forest at all.  The godrays are also a really nice touch to the atmosphere. Anyway, let's start by taking the left path again.  It slopes down as it curves in a lovely display of foreground clutter, but there's something else more interesting about this path.  You see.  As we proceed,  It gets foggier.  And then loops back to the start of the path again. There's something unnatural about this path, and we lack the means to get any further down that route at the moment.  So let's go up to the right instead.  We find ourselves en-route to yet another fork in the road.  Once again, the left path is a distraction.  Though we do find a corpse to loot in the foliage.  We also find the rare encounter for the area, the Red Mantik, hanging out with some Tarantulas. It's not too different from the treasure boss version, though I think it's actually a bit stronger. It also has a mohawk, so there's that?  Fubar and Hallec scream at their enemies, doing a lot of damage but not killing anything.   The crab counters by loving up the background textures. It does a fair bit of damage to Mua for it's efforts.  Hugo picks off the spiders to prove that he can still get ridiculous damage in, even without Fubar.  Hallec hits harder, though.  Some more attacks are thrown around on both sides.  And Hugo gets the honors of the final blow.  I hadn't shown this off because I'd never been able to get good pictures of it until now (and because Hugo won't do it while riding Fubar), but the party leader will always do something cool whenever you beat a rare encounter or treasure boss. While we're covering monsters you can find, there are a few weird things in this forest.  Needle Beetles are a powered-up version of the Spark Beetle family, and are still pretty unimpressive.  There are also Salamanders because, you know. Fire dragons in a forest. Makes perfect sense. They're the same as they ever were.  You can find tarantulas on their own, as well.  Anyway, up the right path this time.  It's a straight, simple path.  And leads out of the forest.  Which means we can finally go to Chisha and hopefully repel the Harmonian army.  Oh, we're not even inside yet and there's already a cutscene. That can't be good.  : "We're too late!" : "No, there's still time. But hurry." Well said, Hallec.  Welcome to Chisha.  : "Look out!!" : "This isn't safe! We should turn back."First thing's first.  We need to take care of the soldiers blocking the entrance. : "Charge!"    Hugo and Mua kick off the battle.  Fubar and Hallec back them up by yelling loudly because I haven't gotten sick of that unite yet. It's good, dammit! The best part of that being that it actually downs the two soldiers who'd already been hit.  No quarter for the remaining ones, either!  : "Down there!" Looks like the most commotion is in the central part of the village.  : "Get ready, everyone!" Baby steps, though, because...  We're going to be stopped a couple of times on the way.  Wow, Hugo is on fire for this! Getting crits and dodging attacks. Wonderful.  Hallec and Mua are pulling their weight as well.  Hallec and Fubar teach the soldiers the meaning of getting mowed over.   The scene cuts for us to take a couple more steps before we're stopped again.    Bug troops!  More bug troops! Their mobility sure is bad for us.  : "Harmonian soldiers to the front and flanks of flying pests to the side and read. We'll be hemmed in between them!"  : "And the rear?": "Our friend Caesar will handle that.": "Let's go save that village!" The group runs to the most convenient target. : "Waaaaaaaaah!" Hallec likes to yell at things.   Dammit, I love this duck.  Like always, the riders jump off of their bugs for battle. I really don't understand why enemies can't be mounted units.    It quickly turns into a chaotic battle, as the bugs have good defense and no one was hitting as high as I thought they would, including the enemies.  We manage to take them down, though, and they retreat while they can still fly. : "Now for the others!" : "Okay.": "?"Hugo, not being trained in the military arts, doesn't get how intimidation can win battles.  Hallec yells so loudly that the screen shakes in fear. : "That one one way to say it. I know another."  : "Um..."   Best battle cries I have ever heard.  Wait, is that actually working? I mean, Hallec was pretty enthusiastic, but the rest of them?  Well, here's a new face.  : "Sir, shall we regroup and attack in greater numbers?"  : "But I'd rather go home."Wow, that is a wonderful nose. The soldier next to Dios cocks his head to the side, so he elaborates. : "We needn't trouble ourselves. We've made our appearance for today." He turns and leaves, and his soldiers follow behind.  : "They were probably here to measure our battle capability. Why risk casualties just for that?": "Is that all they wanted? Grrr...."    Finally, we can go down to the village proper. Wait, who is that with Caesar...?  Oh, no.  : "Yeah, but this isn't the end. They'll be back soon enough.": "We made it just in time." Oh, it's like watching a train crash in slow motion.  : "That's more your style, Caesar." Oh, jeez, here it comes.   She bristles immediately as Hugo stares at her. Finally, the gears click in his head.   : "!"  : "Why? What are you doing in Grassland? You don't belong here! This is our village. What do you care what happens to it!"Hugo is taking it pretty well, actually. (But only because that's how you guys voted on it -- we have the option of attacking her as well.) : "............": "Why are you helping us 'barbarians' all of a sudden?" Nash steps between the two before things get out of hand.  Our boy's not taking to it too kindly, though.  : "Why protect him, Sergeant?": "I know how you feel, but this isn't the way."He shakes his head, and the scene fades.  I guess Hugo walked off to blow off steam or something, as we find him sulking with Joe over by the side of the village.  Caesar joins them. Alma Kinan is another of the Grassland clans, in case you forgot. They haven't really done anything up to this point, and were even absent from the peace talks early on. Funny how they should ignore the other Grasslanders only to speak to a Zexen instead. : "............": "So it goes.": "Sergeant, I still don't understand why you always have to stop me.": "Hugo, you're the son of the Karaya Clan Chief. One day, you'll take her place as leader. I expect no less from you. What if Zexen found out you'd attacked one of their knights? She fought for this village!"  Wise words. : "So I should hurry up and get stronger, is that it?"He asks, crestfallen. : "No, Hugo, no... That's not it at all."The scene fades again...  : "I'm feeling tense. I heard what the village leaders are saying. Chisha Village could be in danger. Have you heard anything?": "... Something seems very wrong... Maybe I should bring in the laundry..." : "Say, do you want this? I don't know what it's for."(The child gives us Medal Set #2.) Anyway, we're now free to explore the village. It's pretty simple on the surface, with only three buildings you can go into. Directly ahead of us is the inn. To the right is the appraisal/trade shop. And to the left, just off-screen, is the armory/item shop. The building behind the inn is just for show. Well, I see Hortez wandering around, so I guess he didn't make it to Budehuc after all. Let's see if we can point him in the right direction this time.  : "This is the Chisha Village in Grassland." I'd throw in a Mario joke here, but it'd be too easy. : "Not quite. This place is almost as peaceful." : "Do you know where Budehuc is? I wish to open a shop there." : "I see. Thank you kindly!" Uh. Okay. : "Wait, wait! That way is dangerous."Well. Maybe next time. Let's explore a bit -- to the appraisal shop!  Chisha buildings are misleadingly simple.  They're small and circular, but they all descend down stairs and up ladders. It's a bit hard to see from screen shots because the camera is a little terrible in small spaces like this, but the floor is cut into just to the right of the appraiser, which would lead down.  Nothing too interesting in the attic.  : "Dad says I have to do my homework before going out to play. I told him I'd do it later, but he won't listen."Downstairs, we find the trading post. There's also a Karayan just off-screen who says this:  : "I tried a bit of trading. Didn't make much money, though. You really have to do your homework..."However, this is where Chisha starts to get interesting. You see that door to the left there?  It opens up underground, where the actual heart of the village lies. You see, all the buildings tunnel underground. Some passages don't even reach the surface. Anyway, there are a lot of people down here to talk to, so let's get on that. (We'll be skipping the red-haired girl in the foreground for the moment, though, and picking her up later in the chapter.)   : "I heartily reccomend this wine. My daily treat! A little reward for myself, if you will." : "Erm... Erm... What shall I order today? This has turned into quite a habit since I came here for the first time the other day.": "drat (hic!)!!! Everything! Everything (hic!) burnt! The house I built! My livestock! ... Gimme another drink! I need one!" : "That's my father, the man drinking next to you. I wish he'd calm down. He just can't forget what happened. I'm at my wit's end."The daughter is a little hard to see, but she's sitting behind him where the counter curves. You might have noticed the fields of grapes outside. If not, go back and look. They were everywhere. Even in the backgrounds while we were fighting. I really like how the town is centered around grapes and wine, to the point that they're surrounded by grapes and sell wine in the heart of the village. (I guess the entire village is like a giant wine cellar?) It's a nice theme, but also shows that the Chisha are a more mercantile kind of clan when compared to the other Grassland clans. I also like how the Chisha symbol is on literally everything.  The enormous barrels are nice set pieces as well.  : "We were just talking about how to get that village in Karaya back on it's feet. I'd like to help out somehow..."Says the guy directly behind Hugo who you can only see the legs of.  : "No amount of grieving can bring back a destroyed village. The important thing is to get the community back on its feet.": "I was stood up the other day... And with important things to discuss, as well! I hope things work out better today."Before we go through that door in the back...  There's a path over here that leads to a store room, but we'll be saving that for later. Just keep in mind that it's here for now.  Through the back door is a longer passage that leads to the other two shops, as well as some living quarters, like the one this boy is lurking outside.  His mother is inside making some beds.  : "Wh-what? I'm not going to forgive you just like that!"A couple argues outside.  While their friend gets annoyed at them. Hey look, another door off to the left!  There's nothing in this room aside from beds and a desk, though.  At the end of the hall is a flight of stairs.  It leads to the inn, which then takes you back outside.  Instead of running back underground, let's check out the shop from the front.  Much like the shop on the other side of town, this one has a second story, as well as another stairway underground.  I appreciate how old and disused the weapons in storage look, given the peaceful nature of the village.  Returning to Sana by the inn triggers a scene.   : "I am.": "Then why would you let a Zexen -- Why let that woman fight for the village?"  Hugo hesitates.  He's caught in a difficult transition right now. On the one hand, his pride as a warrior and his childish notions of everything being black and white are raging about Chris having done something nice. On the other hand, he's learning that maybe things are a little more complicated and hazy than that. It's a tough road to becoming a more mature person, and right now he's struggling with it.  Heading up the hill...  We find our tacticians going head-to-head with the Harmonian one.     : "I se you haven't changed, Miss Apple."Hm, our strategists seem to all be acquainted. I wonder how so.  : "I'm fine. A little put out by Caesar now and then, but fine."Well, Caesar seems displeased, at least, but Apple is much less flustered by his appearance. : "Things never change, do they?" It's interesting to see our laid-back-bordering-on-lazy friend here so upset, actually.   Well. There's a Who we've fought before. And pissed off. With a True Rune.   : "There was a woman in the battle with exquisite prowess. I want to test her. Where is she!"He seems wholly uninterested in the group, though, to the point I'd argue that we'd made such a short-lasting impression on him that he forgot all about us. Which might be good for us, actually.  Yuber quickly peers over the group, looking for Chris.  : "Wait!": "You have something to say, little soldier?" : "Hugo..."This is a terrible way to vent your frustrations, Hugo. Please stop.  : "Even if I am the son of Lucia the Karaya Clan Chief?": "I couldn't care less about the name, even if I had heard it before. Although I'm always open to new experiences..." : "He better not!" This can only go well.  And so, we find ourselves in a duel with Yuber. Unlike most duels, his little blurb at the beginning will not reflect what he'll do, and in fact, his action is decided after yours. He will also never defend.   Oh, yeah. That felt good, man. Just look at all the damage we can do with a deathblow.  Oh.  Yeah.  It's also unwinnable. Next time, I hope Hugo has a better day than this one was for him. But wait, there's more! The alternate dialogue isn't long enough to warrant it's own post, but here's what happens if we decide to attack Chris instead of have a (kind of) rational agrument with her.  The choice comes up right after the two recognize each other.  Hugo immediately grabs his knife.  But before he can even draw the blade the whole way, Nash is between them with his weapon drawn. I guess he hasn't quite forgotten how to be an assassin, even after leaving the Howling Voice Guild and getting married. He even has a neat-o anime shine on his knife.  He may come off as a goof, but he's sly enough to get sassy.  Joe jumps in to keep Hugo in check, as per usual.   Joe shakes his head. Once again, he proves to be the wisest character. From there, the scene fades out and everything goes the same as the other version. And finally, I leave you with this.  If I were Harmonian, I'd run away too.
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Dec 12, 2013 05:41
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These events, and this line in particular, stuck with me really well, even long after playing the game myself.
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Dec 12, 2013 07:10
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Vil posted:These events, and this line in particular, stuck with me really well, even long after playing the game myself. There's even FIFTY of them! 
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Dec 12, 2013 09:09
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Forget Yuber and his rune, this is the most terrifying thing in this update! ...speaking of which though, I didn't know he cheated that badly. Kind of disappointing, really.
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Dec 12, 2013 15:17
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I have a new PC, and can finally play along with this. So happy. Suikoden 3 is one of my favourite games. I also seem to remember the fights at Chisha being infinitely more frustrating. But maybe that's just because I was dumb.
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Dec 12, 2013 16:30
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Vil posted:These events, and this line in particular, stuck with me really well, even long after playing the game myself. Yeah. Hugo isn't my favorite, as I think I've said before, but I do really appreciate his story. Growing up is hard enough for normal kids in real life doing normal things -- Hugo had to grow up by watching his best friend get murdered. And now, the murderer who he's been seething about ever since, is helping defend other Grasslanders from being killed in the same fashion. And he's really struggling with how to feel about that. I think that Suikoden III is really largely about growing up and learning to see the grey areas in things, even for our more battle-weary characters like Geddoe, and I really like that. Hugo's story is the most like a coming-of-age story of the four, but they've all got some character development to do. vilkacis posted:Forget Yuber and his rune, this is the most terrifying thing in this update! He's not quite as dirty a cheater as I made him out to be, though I wasn't lying about his action being based on yours. If you deathblow, he'll deathblow, but for the other two he'll just normal attack. It's possible to not be taken out in one hit, but I felt like deathblow was the way to go given Hugo's state of mind. Then again, we kicked his butt earlier, so I'm gonna let him have his cheater-y revenge for the moment. Not like we won't see him again.  Tinkertonk posted:I have a new PC, and can finally play along with this. So happy. Suikoden 3 is one of my favourite games. I am happy to hear that! Tell me when you pass me, haha. I think the Chisha fights can be frustrating because it feels kind of like a race to get to the village before it's destroyed more than any level of difficulty -- you take about two steps and another battle jumps at you. Especially because you can catch a glimpse of Chris down in the center of the village while you're fighting your way down, and without knowing what she's up to, that can make you want to rush down as well.
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Dec 12, 2013 16:45
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yokaiy posted:
There are a lot of points in this game, especially the scripted parts, where you just want to scream at the screen "GO OVER THERE AND TALK TO THAT PERSON AND THIS WHOLE MESS COULD BE RESOLVED!!!!" Of course, that would break the way they told the story. I can't wait for the next set of chapters! This game is probably my all time favorite (although Suikoden V is right up there as well)
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Dec 17, 2013 03:18
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quote:That duck is SO ANGRY. 
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Dec 17, 2013 13:24
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hanales posted:There are a lot of points in this game, especially the scripted parts, where you just want to scream at the screen "GO OVER THERE AND TALK TO THAT PERSON AND THIS WHOLE MESS COULD BE RESOLVED!!!!" This game, thanks to the multiple-viewpoint system, is VERY heavy on the dramatic irony. It can be frustrating, but is definitely a necessary literary device - and honestly, it's really kind of the underlying theme of this game more than any other in the series IMO (due to reasons that actually aren't clear yet) that many, many problems could be solved if people talked more and were less of assholes to each other.
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Dec 17, 2013 16:43
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Podima posted:...many, many problems could be solved if people talked more and were less of assholes to each other.  The multiple perspectives style of storytelling really blew me away when I first played this game. Going in, the only thing I really knew about it was that it was a jRPG, and then finding out that there were "three" "separate" campaigns made it feel like I'd purchased three games in one.
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Dec 20, 2013 13:02
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Veyrall posted:It took me entirely too long to figure this out in real life too. Coming off of playing the first two, going into it was a major change. While the first two showed multiple POVs through dialogue with the silent protagonist, this game really stepped up the complexity of shades of gray. Sure, the main three are fantasy archetypes, but it's done so well, especially when some of the later events happen, that it's entirely repayable again and again, just to watch the effect.
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Dec 20, 2013 23:02
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hanales posted:Coming off of playing the first two, going into it was a major change. While the first two showed multiple POVs through dialogue with the silent protagonist, this game really stepped up the complexity of shades of gray. Sure, the main three are fantasy archetypes, but it's done so well, especially when some of the later events happen, that it's entirely repayable again and again, just to watch the effect. Not to mention that the order in which you play through the viewpoints actually changes some of the events! (in minor ways, but still)
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Dec 21, 2013 16:15
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hanales posted:There are a lot of points in this game, especially the scripted parts, where you just want to scream at the screen "GO OVER THERE AND TALK TO THAT PERSON AND THIS WHOLE MESS COULD BE RESOLVED!!!!" Podima posted:This game, thanks to the multiple-viewpoint system, is VERY heavy on the dramatic irony. It can be frustrating, but is definitely a necessary literary device - and honestly, it's really kind of the underlying theme of this game more than any other in the series IMO (due to reasons that actually aren't clear yet) that many, many problems could be solved if people talked more and were less of assholes to each other. Veyrall posted:It took me entirely too long to figure this out in real life too. Learning life lessons through videogames. It doesn't happen nearly enough, but I feel like it wouldn't feel as special if it were more common. So I guess I'm actually pretty okay with that being as rare as it is.hanales posted:Coming off of playing the first two, going into it was a major change. While the first two showed multiple POVs through dialogue with the silent protagonist, this game really stepped up the complexity of shades of gray. Sure, the main three are fantasy archetypes, but it's done so well, especially when some of the later events happen, that it's entirely repayable again and again, just to watch the effect. Podima posted:Not to mention that the order in which you play through the viewpoints actually changes some of the events! (in minor ways, but still) Yeah, I really love the story-telling in this game. Having a silent protagonist is a great way to go, and I appreciate how they pulled off still being able to see all the different angles of the story with just one character listening to others (and occasionally interjecting), but III feels deeper as well as, somehow, more realistic. The fact that you've got three characters all steeped in the culture of three separate (and conflicting) factions really helps you appreciate how terrible people are to each other and how jumping to conclusions is bad and how decisions you make as one person really affects everyone, not just you. Decisions you make as Hugo, for example, will change things when you are Chris and Geddoe and Thomas and vice versa. It's actually a very complicated system, and I find myself incredibly impressed with how well it was pulled off. Sure, the game has its rough patches, but I don't even mind. Speaking of it being very replayable, I'd actually just finished up a playthrough like a month before starting this LP, and I'm still not sick of it. I don't think I'll go for a third quick-succession run after this LP is finished, but still. I don't think I'll ever really be sick of it.On an update-related note, I'm hoping to have the next one up at some point this weekend, monday at the latest. I've got it mostly sorted out, but the next two updates are two large plot chunks with a whole bunch of random poo poo in between, and figuring out where exactly to cut it is a bit of a challenge. We're coming up on the end of the chapter, though.
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Dec 21, 2013 18:10
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Hugo Chapter 3.5 - Flame Chump Oh, man.  Where are we?  Hugo looks around wearily. Seems to be in one of the underground rooms in Chisha, but I'm not sure if he's really registering much of anything right now.  : "Be grateful Chief Lucia's offspring are born strong."Joe walks over to Hugo's bedside to encourage him a little.  Hugo's not really feeling it, though. : "You must curtail your recklessness! You do not think before you act!" You're probably sick of me pointing out my favorite animations at this point, but once again I feel the need to do so here. Hugo scoots over to the edge of the bed to face Joe, and it just looks really good and natural in a way that this gif does not do justice. : "Sergeant, I...": "What is it?": "I can't forget how Lulu died. I couldn't even defend him! It's driving me crazy!": "I feel the same way, Hugo. I know what you're going through." : "..........." : "I..." Sana walks in and interrupts the moment. Also, the Jordi count is now up to 2. : "Hmm? Oh, you want to talk in private.": "If you don't mind, yes."  Joe takes a moment to look back at Hugo before complying.  Hugo closes his eyes, ashamed. But Sana talks anyway, softly. : "While you were asleep, I talked with Sergeant Jordi."(3) : "............": "The woman who fought for the village was Lady Chris. I'm eternally grateful to her.": "............" : "... Me?": "Long ago, I knew a boy like you: rash, wild, always stubborn. Despite his faults, he became known as the Flame Champion. You know this story?" : "If you met him, what would you do?": "Well, I'd like him to protect Grassland. I'm tired of our people being taken advantage of.": "But what would you do, Hugo?": "Me? ... What would I do?"I kind of like this conversation.  It's cut a bit short, though, as we get word of the Harmonians returning to continue their attack. : "I'll be there shortly. Hugo, we can talk more later." The villager rushes out as quickly as he came, and Sana follows behind, albeit a bit more slowly.  Hugo's still a bit hung up on her words.  And with that, he's back up and ready to figure out how the village is faring now that Chris is uhhhhh somewhere.  : "I'm looking for things that can be used as weapons... I can't see anyone winning a war with this, though..."The man saying this is examining some hoes and a sickle leaning against the building. : "If worst comes to worst, we'll need anyone we can get to help with medical treatment." : "... I was asked to pick any grapes that looked edible. Seems it's for the war effort."  There are a bunch of villagers outside who are rightly flipping out about the Harmonians being on their doorstep. If we want to go see them for ourselves, though...  We need to talk to Caesar. : "... What are you doing?" : "They look anxious to fight. Chris is gone, too!"As usual, Caesar is talking with his hands just as much as with his words. : "Dios is in command. I've met his before in Crystal Valley. He may act like a fair-weather soldier, but he's intent on winning.": "Worse, they don't think the Flame Champion or Fire Bringer are still alive. That's trouble." First thing we do when we finally come face-to-face with Iroh -- I'm going to punch him in the face. Any complaints? Good. : "We're told the Grassland army will be here in half a day. It might be sooner, but there's no way to know."  The scene fades out and back in a few minutes later, after I assume a very wordy explanation that confused Hugo so much that he agreed just to make Caesar stop talking.  : "All right. But why me?" : "What about you?": "Me? Ha ha ha! I don't have a warrior inside me." There are so many ways this could go wrong and I love it.: "I don't feel like much of a warrior now, either."Hugo, later.  Caesar isn't having any of Hugo's insecurities, though. : "I guess."Well, he's as ready as he'll ever be. : "Good. You're our only hope."No pressure, though. Just know that if you fail, we get crushed by the Harmonian army.  Oh, and look. The Harmonians have their bishop-general with them.  He doesn't seem particularly excited to be there, though. : "I'd very much like to go home."Actually, I don't think any of the Harmonians are really happy to be traipsing into enemy territory murdering innocents. Which is perhaps a bit surprising, given how good they are at doing that.    : "Dios, what's this?"Very impressive, Hugo. You aren't trembling yet or anything.  : "............": "Very well, but your silence won't keep us from entering this village to search for the Fire Bringer." Caesar shakes his head nonchalantly. : "No? Why is that?" Caesar whispers to his companion, hopefully quiet enough that the Harmonians don't hear. : "Oh, right..."Hugo might not be shaking, but he's still too nervous to be thinking entirely straight.  : "What sort of petty play is this?": "As he says, he's the one you've failed to stop. They head of the Fire Bringer, none other than Iroh himself.": "Bah! You think we'll retreat just because we see this kid's face?" : "A secret agreement...?"Mind you, Sasarai doesn't seem surprised in the least about this. I'm not actually sure how "secret" their 50-year neutrality was.  : "Most definitely! Why do you think Harmonia hasn't taken any of their endless chances to move troops into Grassland? It's because of the secret agreement. Harmonia often makes such unwritten deals, do you not? If all of a sudden you break the agreement now..."She begins adressing Caesar and Hugo, but turns to Sasarai and Dios for the latter portion. : "And the proof?": "My exhaustive research! Any complaints?": "None from me. But they may throw out a few." : "There was such an agreement. But it is long past being valid. Or so I hear."Again, Sasarai answers this aloofly. : "Shall I send for confirmation?": "No."Sasarai turns back to our heroes.  : "In that case, we deserve to have your forces pulled back while you check.": "That depends on whether or not this boy can prove his identity.": "We tried...": "Can you prove it or not?": "You see, um..."Our strategists are too quick to give up, methinks.  : "Hugo, knock it off! We don't know who they've got over there."Caesar and Hugo share a hushed discussion.   Sasarai smiles inwardly. This man is coy, I don't trust him. : "How about it, Dios? Feel like a fast and easy duel?": "Hmm? Ah. Unfortunately, the sword I have today is just an ornament. It, um... It doesn't have a blade.": "Is that so."  : "Is this Flame Champion for real?": "Don't be a fool! He's long since dead. This is a hoax.": "But there were those stories about him being whole legions..."The soldiers aren't really feeling up to it either. They all look down at their feet, embarrassed.  : "But, Sir!": "Why such concern? You don't think this little brat can beat me, do you?": "But Sir, if he is the real Flame Champion...": "Don't tell me you believe his ruse?" It's funny to see Dios so flabbergasted at his superior's actions, he seems the type to be well put-together and not easily flustered. Sasarai and Hugo both step forward toward each other.  I take it back, I like you. Hugo, he's not any bigger than you. Sasarai is an entire centimeter shorter than you. Even the model is slightly smaller. They're both about 5'4'', for reference.  No, Sasarai, you really don't. Our laid-back bishop-general here is over 30 as he claims, though. He's 32. : "I'll show you what I've learned in my many years!" Bring it on.  : "I'll go easy at first. Are you ready?" So, this duel is a huge contrast to our last one. While there was no way to beat Yuber, you'd have to be playing blindfolded not to beat Sasarai.  Not because he's weak, mind you.  But because he's really not even trying. As far as normal attacks are concerned, Sasarai and Hugo are about even with each other.  However, Sasarai doesn't give a poo poo. He defends a lot, and he broadcasts his deathblows so loudly that it's like he wants you to defend against it.   Hell, the man is actually encouraging Hugo to try harder in the middle of their duel. Anyway, the duel is technically timed -- it's something like 10 turns or so? You have to win or tie within that time, but if you lose you get a game over. Honestly, though, if you lose, you deserve that game over.  Naturally,  We win.  : "That... That means he is... The real Flame Champion?": "I wonder... He should look many years beyond my age."He also didn't use any fire magic, in case you guys hadn't noticed. Really, they should have had him put on gloves or something, you can tell pretty easily that he doesn't have his gently caress-off-plot-laser just by looking at his hands. Of course, Sasarai probably has, and is just being an rear end about it. : "Uh..." : "What! We aren't prepared for this. Sir, retreat is... preferable.": "Agreed."   : "Indeed." The two turn and leave.   Hugo promptly falls backwards onto his butt, his legs finally giving way. I'm so proud of him.  The scene jumps to after everyone gathers in the town.  : "I kept thinking about time. Keep stalling, stalling..." Dammit, Joe.   : "Then I arrived to find you defending the village!": "I didn't do it on my own." : "Right, well. Yes, um..."Hugo's not used to this. : "Why are we talking when we should be celebrating! This is reason for a festival!" Fast forward to Hugo sneaking away from a party...  The duck parties hardest. : "I could never quite fathom celebration after battle. It seems more like they're trying to forget what happened.": "After all this, I agree with you.": "Hugo... Do you truly wish to meet the Flame Champion?" : "If so, what would you do? Earlier, you said you would have him protect Grassland.": "I did... but..." I'm so proud of him.  : "Do you know where Iroh is?": "I do. I will tell you. Go and see him for yourself. Then decide.": "Huh? I will. Thank you." Oh poo poo, it's the duck! Run! : "Hi, Sergeant!": "Sounds like you will have a chance to meet someone very special. Naturally, you'll take me with you. Right?": "Yeah... Don't worry..." : "Do you understand what an accomplishment it would be to bring the Flame Chamption back to help Grassland again?": "You can count on me. I won't come back alone." : "Sure, Sergeant, I'm right behind you."The scene fades out as Joe walks off, Hugo in tow.  We rejoin them again the next morning. : "Are you okay, or did you celebrate a little too much?"  : "I'd never seen Alma Kinan villagers before. They came to defend us. We were so grateful to them, and to you too, of course!"We don't have much to do in Chisha anymore, but some of the villagers have new dialogue.  Anyway, proceeding up the hill will get us to the final bit of plot in Chisha for the moment.  : "As ready as I'll ever be.": "Remember to be careful, my son."She moves closer to him, but...  Hugo's had entirely too many bone-crushing hugs in this game so far. : "What's wrong?": "You were going to do... that thing to me." : "I promise." : "Hugo, the Sergeant is ready. Who else will you take?" The party selection menu comes up automatically, if you couldn't guess. Joe is already in the party, and we're not allowed to boot him. Though, honestly, why would we want to?  I grab Fubar, Hallec, and Mua, of course, as well as Belle and Guillaume because why not.    The trio all have unique dialogue if you bring them along. Belle and Guillaume are, uh. Somewhere. So they don't.  With Capital Letters. : "Thank you for believing in me." The hideaway is north of Chisha, up in the mountains. There's no route between it and Chisha, which is a little strange, but we're gonna be putting off going there anyway. Hugo has a fair number of things he can do during this break, and dammit, we are going to do them.  While cutting through the Kuput Forest, we run into the Red Mantik again, so let's take this time to see what Belle can do.  She has her own unique Rune to play with, so that's something. There's not another one in the series. It does more damage than normal to an area. Naturally, we target the Mantik.  Belle runs up to the targeted enemy...  And smacks them with her hammer. It's a little flashy.  Oh. That's terrible. Okay. Well, now we know. It also leaves her unbalanced so she can't act next turn.  Fubar and Hallec show her how things work.  Joe's not taking any poo poo from any spiders either.  We need to train this man. When he hits, he can hit for upwards of 400, but his accuracy is an issue.  Not much else happens in the forest. We cut through the plains as well, which is also uneventful.  As to where we're actually going, we're headed for Caleria.  The treasure boss has, of course, respawned on the Mountain Path. Like always, he's impossible to go around.  Unlike always, the Rock Golem is actually a challenge for this party, since we have a grand total of zero magic nukes to throw at it. I put Hugo back on Fubar for this battle, since his pitiful defense and small pool of HP would be an issue in this fight otherwise. Belle's not going to be having a great time either.  Hugo and Fubar make the first move. Even with their combined attack, they can't hit it very hard.  Yeah, this is gonna be a long fight.  The Golem, on the other hand, has no issues dishing out some serious hurt. Belle is going to be spending the vast majority of this fight healing.  Hallec heals himself with his Rune for the first time it's actually been the right situation for it.   Hallec and Hugo compete for who can do the most damage.  Hugo wins.  Belle loses. Oh boy, does she lose.  The Golem starts casting, which would probably destroy this party completely.   But Mua takes it down soon enough that it's no issue.  Levels for all!  Things! Not pictured: some medicines, a shield, and a ?Statue. Not as good a haul as usual.  Now then, on to Caleria!  There is some pretty neat dialogue in the area this time around, though not everything is new. As per usual, I'll be showing off the relevant ones.  Hey, there. This already happened. And it was no victory at all! We drove him away. Or, rather, he left. But that's good enough for me.   : "They say that the Grasslanders were swept aside at the last battle. That's Sir Albert for you!" : "Women! All they do is gab. Hey, I'm going on ahead!" : "Mommy, can we go now? I wanna have a soda." This man gives us the Copper Hammer, a new tool for Peggi. With it, he can temper our weapons up to level 12. That is a good thing. This is one of the two reasons we came here aside from worldbuilding. I blame you, Vilk.  I like this man, he seems pretty decent. Good thing all the mercenaries are out at the moment, I guess. : "Our soldiers have made the children so excited."Their children are running around nearby.  : "It's not fair! I want to be Sasarai now. I'm always the barbarian."Hey, now.     Good for you, lady! The bujutsu teacher is just off to her right.    Learn how to hit things! Multiple times would be nice too!    You know, all things considered, they're starting to look pretty good.  This is the real reason we're here, though.  : "I must have finally found it. So this is Budehuc...": "You've come to Harmonia's citadel of Caleria.": "What now?! You say this is not the castle? Remember, any effort to fool me will not be tolerated.": "What makes you think I'd lie?" : "Can you help me?"Here's hoping they have a better sense of direction than you do, pal.  : "Make another left, then a right at the third fork."Hugo begins to give some very detailed instructions, to the point that the game actually fades out and back in so you don't have to read it all.  Hugo waits for confirmation from Hortez but, upon getting nothing, turns around to find...  : "Grandfather, I want to go.": "............"I will have you yet, Hortez. And very soon.  Now, we head to Duck Village.  Here, we find Hortez once more. : "Is this the rumored Budehuc? I see the water... The castle is much smaller than I imagined.": "Budehuc? No, this is the Duck Clan Village in Grassland.": "Goodness... Are you saying this is not the castle I seek?": "Budehuc is very far from here.": "Do you know the location of Budehuc? I wish to open up a shop there."I feel like we've done this before.  Here's something different, though. : "From here, you can swim to Budehuc in about four days.": "Hm, a tough journey. But I am not daunted. As a seventh-generation Hortez, my success is guaranteed!" He walks off.  And then, into that inn room???   About time. We'll see what he does a little later.  Our travels next bring us to Brass Castle, because I was not lying earlier about saying that Hugo had basically the entire map to traverse before we see the end of this chapter.  Oh, hey, there are Karayans here again. : "The sorcerers of Karaya say the earth spirits are uneasy. I wonder what has happened...": "At last, I thought, I can reopen my business. But then I hear Harmonia's on the move. They won't come to this area, will they...?" There is actually a LOT of new dialogue here now.   : "Captain Lucia sent me here to stock up on medical supplies for the wounded.": "I can't let my husband stand alone amidst such danger. The whole family will fight alongside him." : "When I grow up, I'm gonna become a fighter to protect my mom and dad!"'Captain' Lucia? Translation error aside, it seems interesting that Lucia would go to Zexens for aid.  You get one guess as to which castle is the 'northern castle.'  : "Harmonia, huh? Against such a huge country, even Lady Chris might not...": "I miss my mom kissing me good night..."  It's a valid concern.  : "You shouldn't walk around here. I don't want you to get hurt." : "Hearing about the battle makes me feel anxious. I wonder if this area is safe?"I've got to say, the Zexen Knights seem much nicer this time around. That one there is not the only one to express concern for Hugo's safety while he's here. Really makes me wonder what happened here while we were gone.   : "As soon as the battle is over, we're going to move to Budehuc Castle. I think we can live happily there." : "Oh, the spirits must have listened to my prayer... I'm so glad to see you safe..."Oh, yay. These two are back together.  HMMMM. And that pretty much covers the castle, except one small thing I glossed over in the mess hall.  This guy.  Well, that was rather direct.  : "But I think I heard a quick mention of it in passing." : "I'm reporting the story for an article I'm writing. I can't seem to get anything out of the Zexen knights who chased the trespassers. All they'll say is that they pursued the culprits to the kitchen and promptly lost sight of them.": "Really? That's quite a story!": "Yeah, I think so too! This could me a major scoop for me if I can scrounge up more details. Are you sure you didn't see anyone leap over the wall, or anything suspicious?":>"Don't tell him." >"The facts are that, um..." : "You know something about it!": "Well... I might know something, I might not."Way to not be suspicious, Hugo.    : "Secret holes in cooking ranges?!"He's very excited by the news.  : "A-ha! This must be how they escaped. Now we can follow their trail!"  Haha.  So, this place hasn't really changed at all.  Somehow, I managed to find the rare encounter of the area. Honestly, I didn't know there was a rare encounter here.  Yeah.  It's, uh.  It's pretty unimpressive.  Moving on, it doesn't take long to get to the end. Once we make it out, we get one more scene with Arthur.  : "But, know did you know?":>"It was... I who broke through the checkpoint." >"Don't tell him."  : "Now that's what I call a scoop! I need to finish what I'm writing now, but I'd love to interview you later! I'm going to submit this story to the Budehuc Times. Come read it, if you get a chance.": "I look forward to it. Good luck!" Arthur runs off.  And we get notice of his joining the stars!  We'll cover what he does a little later. For now, it's been a pretty long update, so I'm gonna call it. Next time, do we finally get to meet the Flame Champion?!?! Suspense!!
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Dec 23, 2013 22:46
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So when you finally give Hortez the wrong directions, he goes the right way instead?
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Dec 24, 2013 00:20
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He made out like a guddamn bandit.
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Dec 24, 2013 01:02
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Raitzeno posted:So when you finally give Hortez the wrong directions, he goes the right way instead? That was always my favorite way to recruit a guy. Then again, I'm partial to characters with no sense of direction, on account of being a fan of Ranma 1/2.
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Dec 24, 2013 06:29
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Y'know, I'd actually forgotten we didn't have the newspaper kid yet. Funny thing. Granted, I'm not sure when his best feature pops up. I want to say immediately, but I could be wrong. Erk in Danger!!
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Dec 24, 2013 10:15
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Raitzeno posted:So when you finally give Hortez the wrong directions, he goes the right way instead? Unbeknownst to him, yes. He'll still ask where Budehuc is when you talk to him in his shop. You'll see in the next update.Bufuman posted:That was always my favorite way to recruit a guy. Yeah, he's one of my favorite random side-characters because he's so ridiculous. It's a shame he's terrible outside of his magnificent recruitment. CmdrKing posted:Y'know, I'd actually forgotten we didn't have the newspaper kid yet. Funny thing. It's immediate. You'll be seeing that in the next update as well. We get things strangely late in Sui3, actually, so it's not surprising you forgot. I think it's an after-effect of the split-party thing, where they held off on a lot of series staples until the main characters all join up. Which is unfortunate, but understandable. Fast traveling would be pretty great, though. Regarding the latest update, I'd actually drawn a dumb thing for it before I started actual work on it. Naturally, it didn't really fit anywhere once I actually finished the update, so here you go:   Basically I am very fond of Sasarai. He's a little ridiculous too, but in a different way.
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Dec 24, 2013 18:09
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yokaiy posted:Regarding the latest update, I'd actually drawn a dumb thing for it before I started actual work on it. Naturally, it didn't really fit anywhere once I actually finished the update, so here you go: I bet he could have won if he still had his awesome hat ! In all seriousness, I do enjoy the way this game fleshed out Sasarai compared with his brief appearance in II. Made him into more than just "high ranking general from the vaguely threatening religious super empire."
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Dec 26, 2013 07:58
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yokaiy posted:
My legacy endures And yeah, the bit with "flame chump" Hugo and Sasarai is definitely a high point. So are the illustrations. ..."Oh poo poo, it's the duck! Run!" would have been a pretty good thread title, too.
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Dec 27, 2013 01:47
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Sasarai is my favourite character.
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Dec 27, 2013 04:18
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I always wonder if Sasarai doesn't have his sweet hat because it would be too difficult to render. I mean, it probably wasn't difficult but I do miss it.
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Dec 27, 2013 04:28
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Verant posted:I bet he could have won if he still had his awesome hat ! Testekill posted:I always wonder if Sasarai doesn't have his sweet hat because it would be too difficult to render. I mean, it probably wasn't difficult but I do miss it. I think the running theory in the thread was that it was ditched because it kept blocking people in shots? Truthfully, his hat was super rad, but I don't really miss it too much. That might actually be because I became familiar with the series through III, and thus saw him hatless first. vilkacis posted:My legacy endures   Amidiri posted:Sasarai is my favourite character. vilkacis posted:And yeah, the bit with "flame chump" Hugo and Sasarai is definitely a high point. So are the illustrations. Verant posted:In all seriousness, I do enjoy the way this game fleshed out Sasarai compared with his brief appearance in II. Made him into more than just "high ranking general from the vaguely threatening religious super empire." Sasarai is probably up in my favorites as well. He's very different than you'd expect a high-raking bishop-general of the Holy Kingdom of Curbstomp to be, but in a surprising and very good way. He's sly and cunning, but also pretty playful and laid-back, preferring to lose a duel so he and his men can head home than win and have to conquer an entire clan. And that makes him interesting in an approachable but dangerous way. If that makes sense.
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Dec 27, 2013 06:29
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That was actually an interesting way to get both sides what they wanted. The villagers didn't want the Harmonians to invade, the Harmonians didn't want to invade, they were only looking for the Fire Bringer. So when the villagers only move was to send out a kid who was clearly not the Fire Bringer just to make them go away, the Harmonians got what they wanted: confirmation that the Fire Bringer wasn't in that village, so why bother invading?
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Dec 27, 2013 17:33
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We need to get more people posting in this wonderful thread. Three posts worth of images is murdering my browser.
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Dec 27, 2013 21:38
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Stabbey_the_Clown posted:That was actually an interesting way to get both sides what they wanted. The villagers didn't want the Harmonians to invade, the Harmonians didn't want to invade, they were only looking for the Fire Bringer. "Iroh, the Harmonians are here to getcha!" "Send out a kid to act like he's me. They won't have the balls to kill a child." Ehh? Ehhhhh? It could happen.
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Dec 28, 2013 00:55
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We could talk about Sasarai's manga introduction, but it reveals things we don't know yet... (I thought it was a really cool introduction though. He was awesome in the manga as well). Instead, let's talk about whether or not he really thinks he looks his age. My money is on 'no, that was a dumb joke because he is taking this mission super seriously'.
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Dec 28, 2013 01:19
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| # ? Apr 24, 2024 14:44 |
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Captain Bravo posted:"Iroh, the Harmonians are here to getcha!" Personally, I'd expect that someone with the True Flame Rune would see all problems as a pile of dry tinder. Also, new page in...
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Dec 28, 2013 01:22
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