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  • Locked thread
hyphz
Aug 5, 2003

Number 1 Nerd Tear Farmer 2022.

Keep it up, champ.

Also you're a skeleton warrior now. Kree.
Unlockable Ben

Fedule posted:

Rising Star Games are just the most competent publisher.

Given that their business model is to bring games from Japan into Europe that otaku types want even if they won't sell on the mass market, they probably can't put too much into it, and honestly deserve credit for taking the risk, as without it I wouldn't have played VLR, AH3, any Blazblue game, etc..

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whitehelm
Apr 20, 2008

Sundowner posted:

drat, I don't know much about these games or games like it but at face value it seems like it'd have maybe 5-10 hours content tops mostly because the format would begin to feel a little tedious or repetitive for me. That said, I'm thoroughly enjoying the LP so far and that Easy Mode dialog is great.

Did you play or read the LP of 999 like the OP warns? The length of this game really shouldn't be a surprise at this point.

Sundowner
Apr 10, 2013

not even
jeff goldblum could save me from this nightmare

whitehelm posted:

Did you play or read the LP of 999 like the OP warns? The length of this game really shouldn't be a surprise at this point.

I have neither played the game nor read the previous LP. I probably should but I'm not too heavily vested in the game or series. I might go through it in the time between updates here.

Dr. Stab
Sep 12, 2010
👨🏻‍⚕️🩺🔪🙀😱🙀

Sundowner posted:

I have neither played the game nor read the previous LP. I probably should but I'm not too heavily vested in the game or series. I might go through it in the time between updates here.

I can tell you that the first game's plot will quickly be ruined by things in this game. You should really finish the other LP before this one gets too far in.

Elite
Oct 30, 2010

ApplesandOranges posted:

Easy Mode Sigma is pretty pathetic at puzzles. :sweatdrop: I'm anticipating everyone yelling at him while he hunches over a new one, sweat down his head as they give each other looks of knowing disappointment.

The best thing about it is how quickly he regains his confidence afterwards.

: "OH GOD, this kids maze game is really freaking hard. How the hell do you... oh I did it. Yup, puzzle badass over here."

W.T. Fits
Apr 21, 2010

Ready to Poyozo Dance all over your face.
Add me to the "I played the game on hard, so I'm looking forward to the easy mode dialogue" list.

Fedule posted:


Man, you're an idiot. I'm pretty sure that's an elementary school-level maze...


If it's so easy, you do it!


Can I?


...
...
...No! I can do it! I'll show you!


*Sigh*
All right, fine.

This was priceless. :allears:

Color Printer
May 9, 2011

You get used to it. I don't
even see the code. All I see
is Ipecac, Scapular, Polyphemus...


Sundowner posted:

I have neither played the game nor read the previous LP. I probably should but I'm not too heavily vested in the game or series. I might go through it in the time between updates here.

As someone who just finished 999 (as in 1 hour ago), I have to say you really should play it, it's pretty great.

Don't plow through it in less a few days, though, it's pretty long (especially with the multiple endings) and doing all the endings so fast can be...emotionally draining. :smith:

Of course, you should also probably play through all of it ASAP since this game will probably spoil most of the first one, and also allow a much better experience if you've played the first one, like a certain other Japanese visual novel about trapped characters. So...pace yourself, I guess is what I'm saying here.

Color Printer fucked around with this message at 00:21 on May 25, 2013

RefinedUndefined
Jan 1, 2013

Just burn everything, that'll solve your problems.

Color Printer posted:

Of course, you should also probably play through all of it ASAP since this game will probably spoil most of the first one, and also allow a much better experience if you've played the first one, like a certain other Japanese visual novel about trapped characters. So...pace yourself, I guess is what I'm saying here.

We know that, we were told in the OP to have either played or read the LP of 999 first. Did you even read it?

suddenly cats
Nov 16, 2006

Cats do not abide by the laws of nature, alright? You don't know shit about cats.

Sundowner posted:

I have neither played the game nor read the previous LP. I probably should but I'm not too heavily vested in the game or series. I might go through it in the time between updates here.

Speaking as someone who mistakenly played VLR before 999...

Take Fedule's advice in the OP. He's not kidding when he says this game will spoil a lot of 999's content.

Color Printer
May 9, 2011

You get used to it. I don't
even see the code. All I see
is Ipecac, Scapular, Polyphemus...


RefinedUndefined posted:

We know that, we were told in the OP to have either played or read the LP of 999 first. Did you even read it?

Yeah, I did. I was just emphasizing it for him and encouraging him to play the first game. v:shobon:v

mandatory lesbian
Dec 18, 2012

Sundowner posted:

I have neither played the game nor read the previous LP. I probably should but I'm not too heavily vested in the game or series. I might go through it in the time between updates here.

I played this game without having played 999 before hand. This is the wrong way to do it. Read the 999 lp.

Sundowner
Apr 10, 2013

not even
jeff goldblum could save me from this nightmare
I appreciate the suggestions to read the previous LP. I almost feel like I'm being rude by not going back now. I'll probably go back and read it but I was rather enjoying watching this thread and it's discussions develop.

theshim
May 1, 2012

You think you can defeat ME, Ephraimcopter?!?

You couldn't even beat Assassincopter!!!

Sundowner posted:

I appreciate the suggestions to read the previous LP. I almost feel like I'm being rude by not going back now. I'll probably go back and read it but I was rather enjoying watching this thread and it's discussions develop.
You'll enjoy it a lot more if you read 999 - otherwise people are going to be making remarks about callbacks and the like and it'll go over your head.

CottonWolf
Jul 20, 2012

Good ideas generator

Huh. Another person who's never seen the easy mode dialogue here. I didn't realise how much we were missing out on!

Nidoking
Jan 27, 2009

I fought the lava, and the lava won.
The elevator is actually a pretty nice introduction to the optional puzzles. Personally, I didn't make the "Zero III is a rabbit" connection to the buttons at all, and just pressed 0 because there were zero rabbits in the picture. Once I'd opened the safe, I recognized that there was likely a third memory card somewhere and searched around. Even in Hard mode, Sigma still mentions that the rabbit called itself "Zero III" and speculates on what would happen if he pressed 3 instead of 0. After that, I always solved the optional puzzle before leaving the room - except for the first one after the elevator, which stumped me for weeks. It did give me an interesting appreciation for a game mechanic that most people probably don't realize is there, which I'll talk more about when it's appropriate if the LP hasn't brought it up first.

And I can think of at least two times when I solved the optional puzzle without even realizing that the mandatory one existed, and I'm pretty sure there was a third somewhere simply because that's how I stumble through games.

Panboy
May 20, 2010

Le'me tell ya'll about them Apples.
supergreatfriend also streamed 999 if you would like to see his take on the events, as well as watch goons try to turn every puzzle into a train wreck. You can watch the recordings on his youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/supergreatfriend

Wes Warhammer
Oct 19, 2012

:sueme:

Nidoking posted:

And I can think of at least two times when I solved the optional puzzle without even realizing that the mandatory one existed, and I'm pretty sure there was a third somewhere simply because that's how I stumble through games.

There is at least one room in this game where the optional puzzle is actually easier than the real one (that or the solution is more apparent). I would just sit there and think "OK, now how do I -actually- solve this?" after getting the file password.

Sundowner
Apr 10, 2013

not even
jeff goldblum could save me from this nightmare
Well I don't doubt for a second that Fedule's Dragonatrix's 999 thread isn't great but reading on this screen for extended periods really hurts my eyes something terrible so I might watch SGF's stream VODs so I can quickly catch up and continue to take part in this thread. I probably will at some point go over the previous LP and catch some of Fedule's Dragonatrix's great quip, though.

Sundowner fucked around with this message at 01:21 on May 25, 2013

Kinu Nishimura
Apr 24, 2008

SICK LOOT!

Sundowner posted:

Well I don't doubt for a second that Fedule's 999 thread isn't great but reading on this screen for extended periods really hurts my eyes something terrible so I might watch SGF's stream VODs so I can quickly catch up and continue to take part in this thread. I probably will at some point go over the previous LP and catch some of Fedule's great quip, though.

Old thread's by Dragonatrix, Hoss.

Waffleman_
Jan 20, 2011


I don't wanna I don't wanna I don't wanna I don't wanna!!!

Fedule didn't do the last game. That was Dragonatrix.

Lotus Aura
Aug 16, 2009

KNEEL BEFORE THE WICKED KING!

Sundowner posted:

I might watch SGF's stream VODs so I can quickly catch up

For reference, I dunno how you define "quickly" but 23 videos that average out at about 1 hour long each isn't what I'd call quick. :v:

The "novel" in "visual novel" isn't just for show. These things are really long.

Fedule
Mar 27, 2010


No one left uncured.
I got you.
Trivia: This is the second time someone has mistakenly credited me for an LP.

Sundowner
Apr 10, 2013

not even
jeff goldblum could save me from this nightmare
Excuse my ignorance, then. Like I said I don't know the first thing about these games or really any LP relating to them, I was just enjoying this thread for what it is. I probably should just read the other LP instead of continuing to make a fool of my self.

Waffleman_
Jan 20, 2011


I don't wanna I don't wanna I don't wanna I don't wanna!!!

This is what happens when you don't read the OP.

Sundowner
Apr 10, 2013

not even
jeff goldblum could save me from this nightmare

Waffleman_ posted:

This is what happens when you don't read the OP.

I read it before anything else in the thread, actually. I just didn't heed the warning at the top. I first saw this in the Sandcastle and after reading it I wanted to see more so I just stuck with this thread. It wasn't immediately pertinent to me to have seen the previous game as I was just curious about what else happened in VLR from where Fedule left off in the Sandcastle.

Omnicrom
Aug 3, 2007
Snorlax Afficionado


Fedule posted:

Trivia: This is the second time someone has mistakenly credited me for an LP.

Was the first a Fire Emblem game?

Fedule
Mar 27, 2010


No one left uncured.
I got you.

Omnicrom posted:

Was the first a Fire Emblem game?

Yeah, it was Sword of Seals. I was co-commentating in that thread, but... yeah.

Regy Rusty
Apr 26, 2010

Livingtrope posted:

To be honest, I kind of love the hidden files being minor spoilers. Also, they really do a good job of giving additional back-story in the later sections, I think.

Yeah I agree. I read every single file as I got it and found the experience to be enriched as a result. The spoilers are so small or so vague, that they just gave me more things to wonder about rather than ruining future plot events.

a spooky ghost
Jan 1, 2010

stay the same never change

Panboy posted:

supergreatfriend also streamed 999 if you would like to see his take on the events, as well as watch goons try to turn every puzzle into a train wreck. You can watch the recordings on his youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/supergreatfriend

As someone who had played and really really enjoyed both 999 and VLR by the time sgf started these streams: I think they start out a little tough to watch. Both supergreatfriend and the chat seemed to want to be overly critical too quickly. It is probably harder to buy into, and get emotionally invested in, the mystery watching these streams vs. reading the dragonatrix thread. Some things seem a lot dumber in this context.

Still, I ultimately did find them pretty enjoyable once the tutorials dried up and things started moving along.

Fedule
Mar 27, 2010


No one left uncured.
I got you.




VLR OST: [Ambidexterity]


Now let's get the hell out of here.




...
...


What? What's wrong?


...
...


Oh yeah...




I'd say that's at least six feet, maybe more.
All right, then. Climb up on my shoulders.


Your... shoulders?


Yeah, that's right. Why, something wrong?


...


Wh-what? What's that look supposed to mean?
What do you think I'm gonna do?


...


Oh come on!
I'm just trying to be rational here. No ulterior motive, hand to God.



Listen in: [English/Japanese]




I... I was just kidding.


...


...Right. Look, I'm just trying to get us out of here. You got any brilliant ideas that don't involve your thighs?






On your knees.


...What?


You're a little tall for me to just jump up on your shoulders.
And I'm certainly not going to give you the satisfaction of making me climb.
So, kneel.


Oh... Okay.




Heh. Thanks.
A little step up is just what I needed.


What?! Wait, what are you going to do...?


Quiet. Here... we... go!


!




(Sh-She can fly?! How in the hell...)
...



Listen in (recommended!): [English/Japanese]


All right, give me your hand.


What? Oh... uh.
...What the heck are you?




And I'm not Batman, or Spiderman, or Aquaman, or a merman, or a wolfman.
I'm not a brahman, or common, or ramen. I'm not a caiman either, so you don't really need to worry about anything.


...




I guess you could say... I am no man.


...


Just come on!





Our lead characters, ladies and gentlemen. Funfacts: "Sigma" is the 18th letter of the Greek alphabet, most commonly used in its uppercase form ("Σ") to denote the summation operator in mathmatics and in its lowercase form ("σ") to denote a standard deviation in statistics. "Phi" is the 21st letter in the same alphabet, commonly used in uppercase ("Φ") in philosophy as shorthand for a generic act and in lowercase ("φ") in mathematics and the arts as shorthand for the Golden Ratio (1 + (√2/5)).






VLR OST: [Sinisterness]



Listen in: [English/Japanese]


It sure doesn't look like an elevator shaft.
Some kind of warehouse, maybe. Or a hangar...


So we were in an elevator that doesn't... elevate.


Yeah. It wasn't going to go anywhere..


When that rabbit said it was gonna fall, he was just screwing with us?


So it would seem.


Then why...?


Forget it. Look.




Looks like an old guy, a young man...
Two girls, and...


...A kid?


They're all wearing bracelets.


Probably safe to assume they're trapped here too.


Right, well, let's go say hi, then!






Hey! Hey there!
Any of you guys know what the hell's going on here?

Listen in: [English/Japanese]


No, we don't.
I haven't been out here much longer than you.




...Grabbed...?




Oh... yeah... I got in my car...
I went to start the engine and then there was this white smoke...

Listen in: [English/Japanese]




The smoke seems to be some kind of general anaesthetic.
When I woke up, I was in one of these "elevators".


All five of you were in one elevator?




Mr. Dio and I were in the same elevator, but...


Wait. Which one of you is Dio?




This little guy here is Quark.



Quark is voiced by Erin Fitzgerald in English and Rie Kugimiya in Japanese. Erin Fitzgerald is another pretty prolific voice actress in games and anime (and cartoons); her longest gig was as May Kanker/Nazz in Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy, and she was Polka in Eternal Sonata, Parasoul from Skullgirls, and two, shall we say "secret" characters in Trigger Happy Havoc née Dangan Ronpa. Rie Kugimiya has been dubbed the "Queen of Tsundere" due to roles such as Shana in Shakugan No Shana, Rena in Hand Maid May and Nagi in Hayate the Combat Butler - despite the enormous fame she accrued voicing Al in Full Metal Alchemist.

Dio is voiced by Liam O'Brien in English and Yoshimasa Hosoya in Japanese. Liam O'Brien got famous as Gaara in
Naruto and has since been Caius Ballad in Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Asura in Asura's Wrath. Yoshimasa Hosoya has been Subaru Hidaka in Robotics;Notes, Wataya Arata in Chihayafuru and Kazuichi Souda in Super Dangan Ronpa 2 - and Jacob in the Japanese dubs of Twilight. Yeah.


Uh, right, nice to meet you too.
So... what about the rest of you?

Listen in: [English/Japanese]




Correct me if I'm wrong...




So... you'd be Tenmyouji then, right?


Yup.


And Alice is...?




She's Luna.




It's very nice to meet you!

Tenmyouji is voiced by J.B. Blanc in English and Rokuro Naya in Japanese. J.B. Blanc got his big break in film, as Luigi Vampa in The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) but also has like a million "Additional Voices" credits in games - mostly for Russian characters. More recently he was Boris in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and Wonder Yellow in The Wonderful 101 - both of whom are, coincidentally, Russian. Rokuro Naya has been voice-acting since the 60s and was briefly the Japanese voice of Mickey Mouse. His most recent big role was Cristophe Blanc in Eureka Seven: Ao.

Alice is voiced by Tara Platt in English and Atsuko Tanaka in Japanese. Tara Platt was Temari in
Naruto and Raine in Tales of Symphonia. Atsuko Tanaka has a few interesting appearances; she's been the Japanese Lara Croft five times, Lisa Lisa in JoJo's Bizzare Adventure, and Major Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell.

Luna is voiced by Laura Bailey in English and Mamiko Noto in Japanese. Laura Bailey is one of the most prolific female VAs of our time: Catherine in
Catherine, Serah in Final Fantasy XIII/-2, Rise Kujikawa in Persona 4, Chun-Li in the Street Fighter series, Cheria in Tales of Graces ƒ, Marth in Fire Emblem: Awakening, Alice MacGregor in The Wonderful 101 ...on and on. Mamiko Noto has had a whole host of roles that got her a reputation for cuteness and femininity, which she has been fighting ever since with roles like Ai Enma in Jigoku Shōjo Futakomori and Masane Amaha in Witchblade... but none of that stopped her from being cast as Luna.


Um... Hey... Nice to meet you too...
(What's she so nervous about?)




Right. Uh, I'm Sigma...
And this bundle of laughs is Phi. Good to meet you all, I guess.

Listen in: [English/Japanese]


Say. That. Again.


And this malnourished harpy is Phi. Better?


Bastard...


...
...
Um, are you two...


Ha! Not likely. That elevator was the first time we'd seen each other.
I... think...


You think?


Uh, never mind. Forget I said anything.
We met, just now, in that elevator. That's the truth.

Listen in: [English/Japanese]




Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure.




And yours..
...Phi, right? Let me have a look.




What?


Quark, you and Dio show them your bracelets.






They both say "PAIR" and have a number 3.
Just like Phi and I.
...No, wait, the color's different.




Sharp eye there.


What about yours, uh, sir? ...Tenmyouji, right?


Hn. Show him yours, too, ladies.








Oh... Red, blue, and... green?
They're different.
You've all got 3s, but your bracelets say "SOLO".

Listen in: [English/Japanese]


Right.




Figure what out?


Sigma and I are the red pair. Dio and Quark are the blue pair.
Each pair got put in the same elevator.


But Tenmyouji, Alice, and Luna were all solos, so..


...So they got put in their own seperate elevators.


Hm.


Ok, that's great and all, but...
What do "PAIR" and "SOLO" mean?


...
...




Well, that's helpful.


I don't know why we're split up like this either.


Does anybody know what the "3" means?


Maybe it has something to do with the game.


Game? Oh, yeah..




You guys saw him too, right? That... rabbit... thing?




He said something about the elevator falling.





Listen in: [English/Japanese]


You think we'd have done it last if there was?


There's some sort of.. I dunno, machine, off to the left here, but...


Well, give it a shot why don't you?




Hm. Looks like force probably isn't going to work either.
drat... Well, I didn't really think that'd work anyway.


I don't think you'll be able to force that door with anything short of a tank.




I told you already. Each one's got a digital lock on it.
We can't pick the lock, and we can't break down the door.


You sure about that?




Hmph.
Okay, are there any other ways out?




Great...


Well, there is one thing I'm a little curious about.


And that is?




That means I know who was in which elevator.
I watched all of you come out, after all.


...And?


Well...






Your elevator was second from the left, I think?


Good memory. Yeah, that's where I was.




You climbed out of the rightmost elevator, didn't you?


Yes. That's the one.




You came out of the elevator next to Luna's.
Right?


Yeah, we did.




The third elevator from the left.




Yes.
No one has come out of the leftmost elevator.






Maybe we should go take a look?


Yea, good idea!





*bang-bang-bang*


Hey! Anybody in there? If you can hear me, just... I don't know, make some noise!

*bang-bang-bang-bang*


Listen in: [English/Japanese]




Hey, look at this...




Is that some kind of card reader?




There's one next to each door...




Well, it says it on all six of the elevators...




Oh, the "Nonary Game, Ambidex Edition"?


Maybe, maybe not. I don't think we really need to worry about that right now, though.
We should be figuring out what's inside this thing.
Anybody got a key card?




So, they've taken everything we were carrying? Wonderful.



My own were completely empty -- there wasn't even any lint in the creases.

Listen in: [English/Japanese]




No! There is. There's gotta be..




Huh? Uh... Well...
Um...
...
...






Look!
It's opening! There was someone in there!



VLR OST: [Eeriness]


What the... Who the hell...?

Fedule fucked around with this message at 22:26 on Aug 11, 2014

Color Printer
May 9, 2011

You get used to it. I don't
even see the code. All I see
is Ipecac, Scapular, Polyphemus...


I, uh, didn't expect 999 to become relevant this fast. :stare: Twice, even.

Also, Sigma's constant quips are really making me wish he was voice acted because holy crap.

Green Intern
Dec 29, 2008

Loon, Crazy and Laughable

Clover and...a robot monk?

Zandar
Aug 22, 2008

Green Intern posted:

Clover and...a robot monk?

I guess Snake's really upgraded his prosthetics. Also, I just realised that Zero being a rabbit is probably supposed to bring Akane's rabbit story to mind. They're definitely not shy about references to 999... or Lord of the Rings, for that matter.

Those coloured doors are in secondary colours (magenta, yellow, cyan), so I'm guessing each will require a combination of two bracelet colours to open. Everyone's bracelets being 3 probably means that three people will be required if the nonary theme holds, too, so each door would have a pair and a solo going through. That means our choice would be between Tenmyouji and Luna, conveniently avoiding any returning characters for the moment.

The Ambidex rooms are also interesting. They seem like they might have something to do with the bracelets... maybe they let people change their numbers or colours? That would make any keycards they find extremely valuable.

PaleBlueDot
Feb 13, 2012

All the way from
Transylvania
Well, I think I can safely discard the fear that VLR does 999 again with the names changed around. Everyone is 3, or are they mirrored E or tilted M? Fool me once, Zero Escape. :tinfoil:

100percentjesusfree
Mar 18, 2009

FOE! FOE!
100% FOE!
The "Listen in (recommended!): [English/Japanese]" bit around where Phi denies being batman, both links seem to link to the English version, just as a heads-up!

Fedule
Mar 27, 2010


No one left uncured.
I got you.

100percentjesusfree posted:

The "Listen in (recommended!): [English/Japanese]" bit around where Phi denies being batman, both links seem to link to the English version, just as a heads-up!

Fixed. Good catch!

jaydee864
Aug 15, 2010

Life is such a drag when the whole world's falling apart
That Batman bit sounded like a George Carlin wordplay sketch, specifically reminding me of this one, and that's awesome. This update has pretty much guaranteed that Phi is most likely going to be my favorite character throughout this game.

Also, for gently caress's sake, Alice, they're called shirts. Learn 'em, love 'em, wear 'em, please.

KamikazePotato
Jun 28, 2010
Alice's outfit is the worst part of the game. That thing is ridiculous.

Count me in as someone who is loving this Easy mode dialogue they missed out on by playing Hard.

legoman727
Mar 13, 2010

by exmarx
...Okay, Clover, what the HELL happened to your outfit? You are not Yoko from Gurren Laggen, stop it.

And I know we had this discussion in the 999 thread, but can we assume that Alice is the mummy from the end?

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tiistai
Nov 1, 2012

Solo Melodica

legoman727 posted:

And I know we had this discussion in the 999 thread, but can we assume that Alice is the mummy from the end?

Do you want to be spoiled? You can assume it if you want, she's clearly meant to remind you of the mummy.

  • Locked thread