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Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene
This game is dull as watching grass grow, but I'm looking forward to the actual interesting story bits.

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Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene

Zyla posted:

Yeah it's kinda this. I had to put it down because oy things get really muddled in the middle. I'm looking forward to someone actually getting through this because it does some amazing things that make it perfect for an LP over actually playing it :v:

It's a lot of things, but yeah, the middle part of III is just dull as loving dirt. It's more dull than V and parts of II, which is a mean feat.

Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene

Contra Calculus posted:

Really? I was under the impression it was considered the best in the series. I mean it's hard to beat Suikoden II what with it having LUCCA MOTHERFUCKING BLIGHT :black101:, but most people have told me III is still better.

I'm glad someone's LPing this. I have been wanting to play it forever, but my PS2 is broken and I can't be assed to go out and buy one. Also, I have no idea where to find this game. I guess Amazon or Ebay.

It has the best intro, but sadly next to none of the scenes in III's intro actually occur as shown, or at all, really. I is still better than the rest of the series, and III tries to come close and falls short.

Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene

CmdrKing posted:

Nah. Suikoden V is basically Suikoden II but made in 2006 so they knew a few more things. Regardless of whether you like it or not Suikoden III was definitely trying to be something a bit different from Suikoden II.

This is pretty true, especially considering the same large flaws in II are also present in V, aside from having an actual, and much better, war system.

Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene
Character design is definitely one of SIII's few strengths. I like the artist, and much of the character artwork was a refreshing improvement over II's.

Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene

Bruceski posted:

People seem to be calling out a lot of things as the game's "few" strengths. I do not think that word means what you think it means.

No... I know what it means. I legitimately think III only does three or four things well.

Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene

yokaiy posted:

I'm a little sad about how safe their weapon choices are, as well (unless you count Geddoe's weapon to be how good he is at magic, in which case his weapon is so unique it's not corporeal?), but then I remember that we have a duck who has a poleaxe shaped like a fish, and suddenly I am okay with everything.

In all honesty, I will probably gush about other character designs as well, when they come up. Not all of them, but the ones that really stand out as good in my mind. Many of these will probably be female, because this game handles them very well.

I mean, even Jeane is dressed fairly sensibly.


Haw haw. Nah, Harmonia is actually a space station full of aliens.


To each his own, but I'm hoping that we'll be able to help you appreciate this game a bit more over the course of this thread. :cheeky:

Of course. I am enjoying the LP regardless. Good work!

Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene

UmbreonMessiah posted:

I've just accepted that Azure_Horizon loathes Suikoden games that don't end in "IV".

I remember this part of the game being really hard because I didn't do the Saint Loa Knights sidequest (hell, I didn't even know it was there). Still, copious use of the Wind Rune will solve anything! :v:

I is my favorite and is the pinnacle I hold the rest of the series to, which I basically said in my LP of it.

Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene

yokaiy posted:



Now go to sleep.

I am now very entertained by this LP and not even because of the game.

Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene
The strategy battle system in III is easily the biggest letdown of the game. And this was coming off of the wacky RNG of II's war system.

Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene

sudonim posted:

:hellyeah:

I tried following an LP of the first Suikoden a while ago on SA, but couldn't keep interested for whatever reason. Maybe this is a more interesting game, or a better LPer, or both.

Just checked the archives. There's been two LP's of Suikoden, with latter one by The White Dragon. His FF9 LP was good so maybe I'll give it a go.

The second set of Suikoden I and II LPs are done by myself and TWD. He does a glitch/bug run that exploits the numerous issues the first two games have in their code, while I do a normal run fellating Suikoden I and heavily criticizing Suikoden II.

Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene

Speedball posted:

Well, while we're griping about Suikoden IV's character designs, let me just say that I thought it was really lazy for the cat-kobolds to look less like catmen and more like guys wearing lame cat-head mascot costumes. I'll take III's goofy duck-warriors over that any day of the week.

IV has fantastic character designs, just not enough worthwhile characters.

Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene
I love Juan because he's the chillest motherfucker in the series. Just kickin' back, sleepin'.

Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene

GulagDolls posted:

I am pretty sure that a significant amount of the "runes" in Suikoden are not really runes at all but just ways for characters to use special abilities that they have without adding another gameplay mechanic. (Falcon rune, boar rune, waking rune, shrike rune)

I mean, that's not the canon explanation, but it makes a lot more sense than a "falcon rune" being birthed from the 27 true runes somehow.
We had this discussion over in the SV thread. Skill runes are likely just logical extensions of physical and martial training, but not actually "runes" in the traditional sense. And while some of them have a runic symbol, you'll never see them in battle, which only emphasizes their "not really a Rune" sense.

Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene

GulagDolls posted:

Yeah. Anita's investigation in Suikoden II reveals that she was actually given a falcon rune by her trainer, though. But I am going to pretend that it is really a falcon tattoo.

It's the same thing I was talking about -- manifestations of physical or martial training. The same thing happened with the White Tiger Rune from L.C.Chan --> Wakaba. Anita received it from Roundier Haia much like Valeria did. The "Falcon" or "White Tiger" Rune can really be just described as sword or martial arts techniques, like Crane Fist or a riposte.

Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene
Man, and I was STILL reeling from Calax's avatar's majesty.

Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene

CmdrKing posted:

I honestly like II's army battles the least of the series. It's just a case where it feels like the RNG has a bigger vote int he battle than I do as the player. I get why people might not like III's (it's essentially the regular battles except you have less control, it tends to drag a bit) but I've always been surprised people like II's at all.

I thought II's war battles were complete garbage. Like you said, the RNG fucks with everything too much. I really don't like III's either; honestly I's and V's were the only war systems that worked on any functional level.

Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene

alcharagia posted:

At first I was like "wait but what about 4's" and then I remembered that it basically didn't exist.

Much like a lot of 4.

4's a pretty sad story

Also, I actually really like how this game handles the 108 characters thing. The rest of the series seems like a lot of the recruits just stop mattering immediately after they're recruited, and being the kind of guy who votes for Karl literally every single vote in the Tactics LP this is obviously not my favorite thing about the series. 3's spreading the 108 across four (five?) different parties is actually a very effective way to give them all at least some relevance, and prevent that from being such an issue until the 108 are inevitably just one giant glob at the end.

Of course, that wouldn't be an issue for this game. I can't very well vote for my favorite character because he's the Tenkai Star, that's moot.

I liked IV quite a bit, actually, mostly because Rune Battleship is awesome. But it's weaker than I's and V's systems.

Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene

cdyoung posted:

I've had situations in Suiko2's war battles where my units who have twice the att of the enemy getting routed. It gets annoying when a 12/8 unit is beaten by a 6/2 consistantly

Yeah, this is why II's war system is complete rear end.

Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene

yokaiy posted:

The entire castle smelled of burnt flesh for a month. Percival still has the scars, as well. Truly the thing of nightmares. No one takes any chances with cooking anymore; everyone cooks in full plate mail.


Poor Georg. He deserved better than that.

For those who never played, Georg was a star in both Suikoden II and Suikoden V. He's a cool guy, and pretty badass in both.

He's kind of a non-entity in II, though, just a wandering soldier. His only real relevance is in a hidden ending.

Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene

yokaiy posted:

I'm inclined to agree with you, but really all but A->D are fine with me. That one is just dumb.


Probably the next one, yes. That person is a pretty cool person, and I will have words regarding them after we meet them.



Yeah, Harmonia is dangerous, and the Harmonian Army is A Big loving Deal. I plan on doing an interlude for Harmonia, but it'd actually fit in a bit better after we start Geddoe 2, so it'll have to wait a bit. I sort of wish I could talk about it now, for those unfamiliar with the series as a whole, but later really is better for it. Alas.

Harmonia is probably the most interesting thing to come out of Suikoden II and III, and then the series' creator left during III's production and we won't know anything more about it.

Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene

yokaiy posted:

Haha, thanks guys. :blush: I just feel bad when the thread goes stagnant for a few days is all.

And I'm probably comparing my pace to Vilk's as well. Vilk, you're too good at this LPing thing.

Actually, a lot of the LPs I read tend to move really fast. This may or may not be because they are/have been mostly Fire Emblem? I dunno, FE LPs tend to go quickly.


:stare:

Was it at least really good?

Considering the game in question, yes. It was that good.

Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene
I feel like probably the odd one out, but I hated Yuber's redesign in this game. Just seemed goofy.

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Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene

Speedball posted:

Nah, the mocap in V was fine. The mocap in IV, though....

IV had fantastic battle animations, though.

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