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Strange Matter posted:I bought this game and got to...Sector E I think before its grindiness got the best of me and I gave up. I just want you to know that this is perfectly understandable. Sector E is basically the physical manifestation of how much Atlus hates you and everything you stand for.
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Aug 6, 2011 17:24
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Tallgeese posted:This is true. The Chaos ending at least GOES somewhere, whereas Neutral is essentially "back to status quo, PS this will happen again so you accomplished nothing". Law's also got a really great set of demons this time around (probably not actually quite as good as Neutral for offense given that Fiends are Neutral in Strange Journey) whereas Chaos kind of felt like it got the short end on both utility and offense. alcharagia posted:Sector E is basically the physical manifestation of how much Atlus hates you and everything you stand for. Eh, as far as pure embodiments of ATLUS' hatred for all mankind I'd rank it: Any dungeon in the Snow Queen > Sector H> Any dungeon in the last half of the original Persona > Sector E. At least you can save in Sector H! Feinne fucked around with this message at 17:27 on Aug 6, 2011 |
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Aug 6, 2011 17:25
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Feinne posted:Eh, as far as pure embodiments of ATLUS' hatred for all mankind I'd rank it: Any dungeon in the Snow Queen > Sector H> Any dungeon in the last half of the original Persona > Sector E. Sector E is an embodiment of hatred for all mankind. Sector H is a photocopy of the main Atlus building.
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Aug 6, 2011 17:31
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Strange Matter posted:I bought this game and got to...Sector E I think before its grindiness got the best of me and I gave up. I just don't have the mindset to play pure dungeon crawlers like that. Still, it's a great concept for a game and I'm interested in seeing its completion. This is about where I ended up too before shelving for...something, I want to say Soul Silver but I think that came out the year after Strange Journey so I dunno.
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Aug 6, 2011 17:39
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Feinne posted:Law's also got a really great set of demons this time around (probably not actually quite as good as Neutral for offense given that Fiends are Neutral in Strange Journey) whereas Chaos kind of felt like it got the short end on both utility and offense. I don't buy that one. Chaos has Shiva and Huang Long, as well as better resistances in general. Law has always been given the shaft in resistances and SJ is no better at this.
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Aug 6, 2011 17:45
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Tallgeese posted:I don't buy that one. Chaos has Shiva and Huang Long, as well as better resistances in general. Law has always been given the shaft in resistances and SJ is no better at this. Decent point, I do recall my demons not having particularly exciting resistances. Maybe it's just that Law's demons are more suited to how I like to play and I'm being a bit biased.
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Aug 6, 2011 17:53
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The main thing Law has got over other groups is that they get more powerful moves earlier. This is not much of a boon when you consider that you can very easily transfer moves.
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Aug 6, 2011 18:02
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Tallgeese posted:The main thing Law has got over other groups is that they get more powerful moves earlier. I did really like the support abilities pairing Amaterasu with Norn gave me. I think I usually used the standard broken Alice or once I had her Mother Harlot in my third slot to give me some more punch, and of course Law gets the best sword.
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Aug 6, 2011 18:13
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The thing with the best sword is that you do not have to be locked into Law to get it, which is kind of dumb.
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Aug 6, 2011 18:18
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Tallgeese posted:There is middle ground in this debate.
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Aug 6, 2011 18:19
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RentCavalier posted:I still haven't beaten it. I am at the final boss and realize I am in need of some heavy grinding or else some great strategy that eludes me. There's no loving way I'm replaying this game until I beat it the first time, but grinding is sooooo loving slow--there's no handy exp bags for me to exploit, so far as I know. Boss tactics spoilers go here: It's a gimmick boss in both its forms. Hint: Its main offensive spells are elemental and hit your entire party. It is not particularly immune to the elements it uses. Yes, that's the entire gimmick. Yes, it's lame as gently caress and basically just requires grinding forever or passwords.
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Aug 6, 2011 18:19
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UselessLurker posted:Boss tactics spoilers go here: It's a gimmick boss in both its forms. Hint: Its main offensive spells are elemental and hit your entire party. It is not particularly immune to the elements it uses. Yes, that's the entire gimmick. Yes, it's lame as gently caress and basically just requires grinding forever or passwords. It's funny because honestly I thought the final boss was the easiest of the bosses in the final stretch of the game (though it took quite a while) and I don't recall particularly taking much advantage of that beyond having some things with it naturally.
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Aug 6, 2011 18:25
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Azure_Horizon posted:I would prefer if the next Persona game was basically Persona 2 again. But I don't know if Atlus has the balls to make dark games in that vein anymore, especially since they've put Soejima on main artistic duty and kind of relegated Kaneko to... well, this game and not much else. Yeah, that darkness was part of what attracted me to the series in the first place. P3's still one of my favourite games out there, but it'd be nice to see a return to old standards, or at least a couple more spinoffs like DDS. Devil Survivor was a middle-ground in a way, but still...
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Aug 6, 2011 18:27
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Azure_Horizon posted:I would prefer if the next Persona game was basically Persona 2 again. But I don't know if Atlus has the balls to make dark games in that vein anymore, especially since they've put Soejima on main artistic duty and kind of relegated Kaneko to... well, this game and not much else. EP or IS? EP was the better game.
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Aug 6, 2011 18:34
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Hell yeah, a Strange Journey LP! One of the best recent dungeon crawls. Will be following this, totally.
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Aug 6, 2011 18:37
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Tallgeese posted:EP or IS? I loved the atmosphere and stories of both games, but prefer EP because of the older cast.
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Aug 6, 2011 18:46
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I never played IS myself but EP rules. Best Persona game.
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Aug 6, 2011 18:49
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Update 1 Very well, this is working. It is working isn't it? If so, good. There it goes. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey. First, startup screen video: Startup screen and music, original size and whatnot Also on Viddler. Horizontalled and with increased size. Also on Viddler  After that, there is also the proper intro video, what happens when one chooses A NEW GAME. Let's see what that is all about. Intro video, cropped and with increased size Also on Viddler  Why yes, it is. Some of the lifeforms in it are even able to survive in the most inhospitable regiohns of it. Tardigrades! More things should have tardigrades.  Cities! Consumption of resources! Pollution! What is this, Captain Planet?   What, is this going to be Digital Devil Saga again, the sun turning black and angering Braingod because humans did not take care of their environment?  Seems like it.   Oh, no. Not at all, this time it is the EARTH that will turn black. Okay. Also, Land of Ruin without Kefka.  Of course, it wouldn't be much of a game if there wasn't a struggle, eh? On the other hand, considering that a lot of SMT happens after an apocalyptic event, it could ver well have been after the world was completely engulfed. Then again, they kind of already did that with Nocturne, the world already in the new embryonic form, or something.   And there they are, not all that clear, but those vehicles reminded me of Aliens when I first saw them. I was expecting this to be some sort off unholy mixture between SMT, 2001 and Alien from the images and name.  Yes yes, get on with it.  And there it is, the game's main setting. Antarctica. Sharing a location with The Thing is not a bad thing at all, I think. A group of people are assembled in a giant conference room. They are talking amongst themselves while staring at a large monitor. Voice: "Everything you hear in this session of the Swharzwelt Joint Project should remain, as always, secret. The civilian populace is still unaware. Our information control program is going smoothly. Ah, we're just in time for the broadcast... The news should be reporting exactly what we want."  AWN? Action World News? Also, both the Dow Jones and NASDAQ are down, it seems. >One monitor is showing a news update... Newscaster: "A new weapon seems to have been used in the increasingly prolonged Eastern European hostilities."  Voice: "Despite our choice of viewing, the topic of discussion today is not our control of the news. We're here to discuss the newly received data. " Another Voice: "This... This is what it looks like inside that thing? But that's ridiculous! How chould there be a battlefield THERE!?"  >The news continues to drone on in the background Newscaster: "A string of lootings is plaguing many areas of Central and South America suffering from shortages."  Voice: "But look, this can't possibly be an accurate depiction of the interior. This is a shopping mall, for God's sake! Someone must have gotten the signals crossed."   Voice: "What is this, some sort of red-light district? Wrong data or no, I find this in very poor taste."  Newscaster: "Devastating pollution throughout Central Asia is sparking off riots in protest."  Voice: "Waste material, sludge... Nonsense. We still don't know what that land in the South Pole looks like."  Newscaster: "Now for more on the giant ferromagnetic blizzard occurring close to the South Pole. All nations with nearby bases have been reviewing their options in light of its tremendous force... A joint decision was reached and carried out today to temporarily withdraw from the bases."  Voice: "Yes, 'withdrawn'... We can't very well say that the bases are simply gone, now can we? If word of that got out, there'd be a panic. And if tey knew it was growing... I shudder to think."  Of course, we are going to join "them" in there.  Voice: "Be that as it may, our decision cannot be overturned. We have no other way but to send humans in to investigate... "  Gratuitous German!  And now, yet another FMV after that introductory plot dump. The Illuminati/powers that be/whatever are sending a team to investigate a mysterious and spreading phenomenon that is threatening the earth. Or something.   Four high tech vehicles in the ice/snow.    And now we see what they look like from inside of them. Seems like they are pretty big, eh?   And that doesn't really look like some sort of geomagnetic storm.  Monitor Voice:"We at the Schwarzwelt Joint Project will be praying for you on behalf of all of humanity. It's in your hands now, Commander Gore. Be safe, and make sure you complete your mission."  Meet Commander Gore. Leader of the mission. Yeah.   : "All right, crew! Your attention, please. We will arrive at our destination, the Schwarzwelt, in thirty minutes.Our mission as the Schwarzwelt Investigation Team is about to get underway. I realize you were selected on short notice and came from all over the globe to be part of this. But it's only going to be harder from here on out, so get used to it. Fortunately, you're all the elite of your respective nations' service. You can handle this. If we all lend each other our support and work as a team, this mission will go smoothly. Enough pep talk, though. It's time for our last formal briefing before entry. First, to tell us about the land we're about to enter, the Schwarzwelt... " Since the character's name is is a different color, we can safely assume that it is going to be important. Yes.   :"I am First Lieutenant Zelenin. For those of you I haven't already met, the pleasure is mine. I will now explain what observed data we have on the Schwarzwelt's inner structure." : "But this phenomenon is one of a kind. We have nothing of its like to compare it to. " : "You may have heard false reports that it is a giant blizzard, but in truth... It is an unknown spatial anomaly that destroys and absorbs its surroundings as it enlarges. When it first appeared, it was a cylinder only one meter in diameter that stretched to the sky. Since then, it has spread radially, swallowing surrounding observation bases and any investigators whole. Today, it occupies a sizable footprint with a radius of several hundred kilometers. As we speak, the Schwarzwelt continues to expand... If we cannot engineer a reversal of the process, then it will inevitably swallow the Earth." : "There is a several thousand meter wall surrounding the Scharzwelt's outer rim. This barrier is a plasma cloud that dismantles all approaching objects at a molecular level. " Well, that explains why the probes used and shown in the previous plotdump showed those... Locales. : "Unfolding within the anomaly is a bizarre landscape we've had a hard time getting readings on. This is due to some sort of property the interior has that repels foreign bodies... Whatever this property is, it's destroyed each and every unmanned probe we sent in." Not all that much, but it is a start, I guess. :"It paints a bleak picture for our mission, no matter how one interprets it... But as many of you know, we have effecttive ways of dealing with each of those obstacles. The Joint Project assembled its team and equipment based on the data we've collected so far. I am certain that if we all work as one, we can carry out our duties safely and efficiently. This concludes my report." : "Now, Arthur will confirm our mission. He'll be the one managing the assignments and duty roster." Oh. Oh no. A mission to the unknown, managed by an AI represented mostly via a spherical thing? There is surely no way this can go right, can it?  It's not like there is a precedent of AIs going rogue, or having conflicting priorities, or... Anything that can go wrong. Nope. No sir. Not at all.  : "It may feel strange to take orders from him at first, but you'll quickly get used to it. Please continue, Arthur." So far so good.  So, if the opportunity presents itself, there is the posibility of stopping the thing entirely? Not just an investigative mission, it seems.  Considering that all they have are images of conflicting nature and strange landscapes before the probes were destroyed, that is kind of understandable.   That's kind of hopeful, isn't it?    Amphibious? It looks pretty land-based to me.  See? Wheels. And guns.  Oh. Well, it can fly as well for a while? That makes things slightly different.  High over the several kilometers tall plasma wall? That is SOME flying.      Red, blue, Elve and Gigantic. Got it.  : "A detailed survey of the anomaly, previously impossible with the unmanned probes: This is our duty. I look forward to all of your support." : "With all the ships working in tandem, investigating that place is far from impossible.. Our mission may be to challenge the unknown... But we can make of it a unique experience of saving manking, and go home proud of what we've done!"  : "We have a few visiting team members handpicked by the UN for this investigation... I see some of you haven't finished your introductions."  Oh my, this is ALSO one of the few SMT games where the main protagonist is not from Japan. Well, I think he IS from Japan in the Japanese version, but that does not matter much here, does it?   READER PARTICIPATION TIME!  And there it goes, our strapping protagonist. What should he be called? Luisfe fucked around with this message at 19:15 on Aug 6, 2011 |
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Aug 6, 2011 19:04
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Just for reference, I could not resist the temptation to name him Dale Cooper when I played it on the DS. Dunno why.
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Aug 6, 2011 19:13
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Keanu Reeves.
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Aug 6, 2011 19:15
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Luisfe posted:Just for reference, I could not resist the temptation to name him Dale Cooper when I played it on the DS. Dunno why.
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Aug 6, 2011 19:18
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Damon Blessed. Possibly related to a certain Devil Summoner. WHO KNOWS?
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Aug 6, 2011 19:18
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I thought Emerson (as the last name) had a good ring to it, no real preference on the first name, since nobody ever calls you that. For what it's worth, I do like how for once, you have a team of professionals investigating the Weird poo poo instead of being a kid who was in the right place at the right time to make a difference. It's really nice to see people being skeptical and carefully using information to progress, rather then just let themselves be led around by the nose. Also. Arthur is probably in my list of "Top AI Characters'. Mostly because he never actually falls to any of the real AI issues in fiction, and his actions on the Neutral Ending almost brought a tear to my eye. I wonder how many people who don't read this spoiler are going to assume he'll go crazy and be a Bad Guy? This was such a great game, even if it was nerve-wrackingly difficult, made it to Sector G myself before circumstances kept me from playing anymore.
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Aug 6, 2011 19:19
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Dale Cooper was a fantastic choice. I can spend the entire game thinking the main character just wants a nice cup of coffee with pie.
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Aug 6, 2011 19:20
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I made it to Sector G as well but I stopped there because I kept getting brickwalled by the boss rather than anything else. As for a name, Tadano Hitonari even though it's probably not gonna win.
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Aug 6, 2011 19:21
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Strange Matter posted:York Morgan
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Aug 6, 2011 19:21
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I don't know why, but John Matlock feels right. I'm pretty sure the main character was Japanese in the original, no idea why it changed (if it did).
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Aug 6, 2011 19:24
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AmadeusVonBlastoise posted:I don't know why, but John Matlock feels right. I'm pretty sure the main character was Japanese in the original, no idea why it changed (if it did). He was. Again, it was changed to open the game up to a wider audience. And if we're going into the Antarctic to hunt things, I have to go with Norris McReady
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Aug 6, 2011 19:33
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Strange Matter posted:Actually do they refer to you by your first name or last name? If the latter, then Francis York Yeah, I'd also like to know this before I pick a choice. Though Dale Cooper is pretty cool no matter what I guess.
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Aug 6, 2011 19:38
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Kaboom Dragoon posted:He was. Again, it was changed to open the game up to a wider audience. Seconding this. There are some things we need to handle.
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Aug 6, 2011 19:38
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I'll go with York Morgan.
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Aug 6, 2011 19:44
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Strange Matter posted:Actually do they refer to you by your first name or last name? If the latter, then Francis York Characters usually refer to you by last name. I don't remember if anyone calls you by your first name, but you are commonly addressed as your last name. Also, for a name, I would say John Shujinko, since John is an American name, and "Shujinko" is Japanese for "Protagonist"
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Aug 6, 2011 19:46
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Kaboom Dragoon posted:He was. Again, it was changed to open the game up to a wider audience. Oh drat you, I was all set to vote for York, but I'm gonna have to vote for this. And Tallgeese, your love of Law is truly sad to see. By the end of this game your single human is a walking death machine, a collossus, an ubermench, the greatest and most powerful embodiment of all mankind can achieve. With technology and the sheer will to survive you have illuminated the darkness and brought devils and angels to your feet. Mankind ill needs gods to tell them what to do. We are gods. When the demons try to end the world, we end their lives. What greater law can there be than the law of man, he who created God in the first place? Neutral is the only path a true warrior takes. The path of killing everything. FrickenMoron posted:Which one? There are two different final bosses. I didn't have too many problems with the one you're more likely to meet, a few retries were needed though. I'm on FINAL BOSS SPOILERS ON THE SECOND PAGE LOOK OUT AND STUFF Mem Aleph. To all you giddy newbies who moused over that spoiler without having played the game, I will tell you it isn't related to what you think it is related to.
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Aug 6, 2011 19:48
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William Dyer I can't be the only one feeling At the Mountains of Madness from this, can I?
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Aug 6, 2011 19:50
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Waffleman_ posted:William Dyer Until then we'll have to settle for Mara.
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Aug 6, 2011 19:54
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RentCavalier posted:We are gods. When the demons try to end the world, we end their lives. What greater law can there be than the law of man, he who created God in the first place? This is bad logic, since in SMT it is well known that God created man. Even those in the position to know the most about the origins of humanity acknowledge that this is true, and a bunch of them wonder what He was on and where to get some. Way to be wrong yet again, Rent. Not to mention be extraordinarily bloodthirsty. Besides, everyone who plays the actual game knows that the demons do most of the work. So much for the ubermensch.
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Aug 6, 2011 19:55
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Madrick11 posted:Characters usually refer to you by last name. I don't remember if anyone calls you by your first name, but you are commonly addressed as your last name. Voting for this because it makes sense and naming characters after pop culture references is boring.
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Aug 6, 2011 19:55
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Strange Matter posted:Unfortunately the comparisons are pretty superficial. One of these days though someone at Atlas will come across a Lovecraft compilation and you'll be able to summon Old Ones and Elder Gods. Cthulhu and Nyarlathotep were recruitable in SMT 1 and 2, if I recall correctly.
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Aug 6, 2011 19:55
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Strange Matter posted:York Morgan Or Morgan York depending on the name the game mostly uses. (Call me York!)
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Aug 6, 2011 19:55
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Strange Matter posted:Unfortunately the comparisons are pretty superficial. One of these days though someone at Atlas will come across a Lovecraft compilation and you'll be able to summon Old Ones and Elder Gods. Nyarlarhotep or however it's spelled is in Devil Survivor. Cthuhlu was in the first SMT IIRC.
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