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DontMockMySmock
Aug 9, 2008

I got this title for the dumbest fucking possible take on sea shanties. Specifically, I derailed the meme thread because sailors in the 18th century weren't woke enough for me, and you shouldn't sing sea shanties. In fact, don't have any fun ever.

zakharov posted:

I used it when I played so I could see names of monsters to look them up in the strategy guide!

There's actually two helper features in battle, which on the PC version are termed [TARGET] and [ASSIST]. [ASSIST] is the one that tells you the names of monsters; magikid is referring to [TARGET] which brings up red arrows that say "HEY MORAN THERE IS AN ENEMY HERE IN CASE YOU COULD NOT SEE IT*."

[ASSIST] is also the thing that adds the pointy finger and red arrows outside of battle.

*it's actually useful to keep on because there are some enemies that are in multiple parts and this fact may be non-obvious.

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Pierzak
Oct 30, 2010

DontMockMySmock posted:

*it's actually useful to keep on because there are some enemies that are in multiple parts and this fact may be non-obvious.
And once you Scan an enemy it'll also update it with its current HP.

VVV: Yes. I forgot these were separate and quoted the wrong part. You still forgot to mention it :v:

Pierzak fucked around with this message at 10:04 on Feb 11, 2012

DontMockMySmock
Aug 9, 2008

I got this title for the dumbest fucking possible take on sea shanties. Specifically, I derailed the meme thread because sailors in the 18th century weren't woke enough for me, and you shouldn't sing sea shanties. In fact, don't have any fun ever.

Pierzak posted:

And once you Scan an enemy it'll also update it with its current HP.

No, that's the [ASSIST] box again. [TARGET] does nothing but add those red arrows.

Rushputin
Jul 19, 2007
Intense, but quick to finish

DontMockMySmock posted:

40 is a "geezer" :confused:

Still pretty sure Gandar is the only guy over 40 in the whole bunch.

I wasn't being entirely serious. :) But we're talking about exceptions to the high-school age RPG party here, so roughly one fourth of the potential party members going towards their fourties at the least is already pretty unusual.

Elentor
Dec 14, 2004

by Jeffrey of YOSPOS

magikid posted:

You know, I meant to ask, Elentor:

Why do you use the "target" thing in battles? Do you really need help knowing where the enemies are?

Never bothered to disable it, to be honest I don't even notice it.

Vapor Moon
Feb 24, 2010

Neato!
The Human Font

Elentor posted:

Never bothered to disable it, to be honest I don't even notice it.

Isn't it disabled by default?

It's like that for my PSX & PSN versions of FF7.

Phoenix Taichou
Jun 23, 2010

"Movie reference."

FillInTheBlank posted:

Isn't it disabled by default?

It's like that for my PSX & PSN versions of FF7.

Yeah, but it's easy to flick it on once at the start and then forget about it.

I used to keep the assist on all the time, but it looks better without that big extra chunky bar in the way. Just flick it on when you need it.

As for the target thing, I don't see it as a problem someone using it like "ah, you can't find your target, you're fick innit", just think of it as something extra to help your brain process faster and get on with things. When you're in the field the pointer only appears above your head briefly when you flick it on or (I may be wrong) when you enter a new screen. And sometimes those red and green arrows can come in handy. Pretty sure I found somewhere I'd not been (or forgot about) after years because of a handy green arrow.

NikkolasKing
Apr 3, 2010



Phoenix Taichou posted:

Final Fantasy (or maybe Japan?) can't handle the majority of its main characters not being teenagers. Got some older characters? Let's have some really young characters to balance out the average age. Still comes to 16.

Xenosaga's cast consists of 14-year-old, a 22-year-old, a 27--year-old, a guy in his mid thirties and a few others who were over a hundred years old.
The 14-year-old is also an artificial lifeform made with superpowers so that kinda excuses her.

I just always liked how XS kinda broke away from that typical Japanese convention.

I wonder, how does Laguna and his two buds factor into the young FF party equation? I don't think we know how old they were when they were playable. I would think at least mid-twenties or even thirties.


Though, given the regular party were all teenagers, it still evens out like you said.

Phoenix Taichou
Jun 23, 2010

"Movie reference."

NikkolasKing posted:

I wonder, how does Laguna and his two buds factor into the young FF party equation? I don't think we know how old they were when they were playable. I would think at least mid-twenties or even thirties.

Laguna, Kiros and Ward were apparently 27/44, 23/40 and 25/42 respectively.

berryjon
May 30, 2011

I have an invasion to go to.

Phoenix Taichou posted:

Laguna, Kiros and Ward were apparently 27/44, 23/40 and 25/42 respectively.

But they weren't the primary party, just re-skins of your current one. I don't think they count.

Skyridge
Jan 1, 2011

berryjon posted:

But they weren't the primary party, just re-skins of your current one. I don't think they count.

Well they certainly SHOULD have been the primary party.

Alkarl
Aug 26, 2011

Bonus EXP: 300
MVP: Ike
New Ally: Petrine, Greil, Soldier, Soldier, Soldier, Soldier, Soldier, Soldier, Soldier, Soldier, Petrine, Greil, Mordecai, Lethe, Ranulf, Soldier, Soldier, Soldier, Soldier, MPID_BLACKKNIGHT, Greil, Ike, Greil, Ike, Black Knight, Greil, Ike
I concur. So much hilarity. I also wish they stuck to their guns and had Basch be the main of FFXII. Ah, a guy can dream.

berenzen
Jan 23, 2012

I'm not entirely sure, but I think the [target] lines also have the out of battle effect of showing you where the exits/camera angle changes are. I might be blowing hot air here though, it's been a long time since I played FFVII.

Vapor Moon
Feb 24, 2010

Neato!
The Human Font

berenzen posted:

I'm not entirely sure, but I think the [target] lines also have the out of battle effect of showing you where the exits/camera angle changes are. I might be blowing hot air here though, it's been a long time since I played FFVII.

Hot air.

Both are activated separately.

HisMajestyBOB
Oct 21, 2010


College Slice
It does bug me that Elentor plays with both the targets in battle and that arrow thing on the map on. I always had them off when playing.

But it's such a minor nitpick, and the LP is really great, that it doesn't bother me that much.

Sefal
Nov 8, 2011
Fun Shoe
I finnaly caught up with this lp and its pretty amazing so far.

Elentor posted:



What was your favorite update, and why?

Chapter 5 - A Naming of Stoners

The whole Aeris naming thing was really hilarious and still makes me laugh when I re-read it.

What aspects of the LP do you enjoy?

I really like the humour you put in this LP and I really appreciate all the extra things you show off.

testtubebaby
Apr 7, 2008

Where we're going,
we won't need eyes to see.


HisMajestyBOB posted:

It does bug me that Elentor plays with both the targets in battle and that arrow thing on the map on. I always had them off when playing.

But it's such a minor nitpick, and the LP is really great, that it doesn't bother me that much.

The targets are pretty unnecessary since the GUI/HUD already tells you how many targets there are. But the map arrows are fairly useful, especially if you're trying to show off everything in a game... it's easy to overlook some areas if you don't get clued into the fact that a "hidden" entrance exists.

Leave
Feb 7, 2012

Taking the term "Koopaling" to a whole new level since 2016.
I find the pointer and arrows fairly useful in the upcoming dungeon. Maybe it's just me, but I find that place just such a pain in the rear end to navigate around.

Zeikier
Jan 26, 2010

"This woman...she's killed before, and not just once..."


The HUD arrows were really handy for places like Cosmo Canyon. I didn't know some buildings beyond the main building you explore could be entered, so it was good to see what could be.

Elentor
Dec 14, 2004

by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
Chapter 45 - Damsel




And on we go to Da-Chao.



While it's obvious that Da-Chao is filled with Asian imagery, I'd like to ask you to hold your thought.



Is that Buddha statue wearing a belt with bullets? Seriously.



By "we split" he means "me and Rude will just walk around doing nothing".

I'd like to develop on Da-Chao. We've seen that Wutai is based on a Chinese location. Da-Chao uses Japanese sculptures, more specifically those derived from Buddhism.



The statue that looks like Akuma is a Nioo (I believe). The concept is that while the other two Buddha statues are in a blissful pacific state, they're still vulnerable. Thus, anger is justified when used to protect good things from harrm, which is why you always see these status in one of these two states.



In this case, the angry statue is protecting the others.



OH GOD I'M INVISIBLE.

The battles in this place are against critters, mostly. Without a good supply of materias and with limited items, I try to avoid fighting here, even though random enemies in this place drop offensive items.



Being Buddhistic in nature, these statues are obviously not a design exclusive to Japan. They have their origin in India, but the concept is well spread over most Asian countries.



The mountain has some paths but it's nothing complicated. It kinda qualifies as a "dungeon" but it's fairly small.



The [Dragoon Lance] obviously is for Cid. It's also a reference to what his "Class" is. In this case, Cid is a Dragoon, a spear-wielding Class or Job traditional in previous Final Fantasies. Many of his Limits are also a nod to that.



The dark purple color in the Dragoon Lance is, I think, a reference to Kain, from Final Fantasy IV, a Dragoon Knight. Stat-wise it's from the group of "Strong Damage, lots of unlinked materia slots".



There's no way to extinguish the flames in this area for now. We have to turn around.



I didn't think anything I'm just randomly entering places.



Only one place left. Prepare yourself for a journey of mystery, emotion, etc.




















Wait what



Oh God no



Jesus Christ.



This is so, so very wrong.



For all the wrong reasons.



Don Corneo is easily the most disgusting character in the game, and one of the most disgusting I've seen in any game.



The guys nailed "horrible, horrible human being" very well.





It's loving horrible.



The only appropriate reaction.





This is what I hear whenever Don Corneo says whee.







[Team Planeteers] go!



There's a certain aspect of surreality to all of this.



For example, right now these two girls are in a danger we can relate to. Anyone in that situation would be terrified. At the same time, we are in a world where people fall from 160 feet tall buildings and survive.



Nevertheless the danger is quite there, and it's coming from someone who happens to be very loving stupid and of no physical prowess, simply because he's rich. And as much of a bad taste as this is, he's doing it for a completely mundane reason, with no special agenda in mind.



The whole sequence is hilarious to some, controversial to some, and downright offensive to others. I find it interesting because there's no gray zone in it - What Corneo is doing is played as downright bad, to the point where two enemy factions will ally temporarily to get him down. He's not glorified for doing it either - he's creepy, and the game treats him as such.



And mostly, I find it interesting because it shows that Cloud & co. are not above the system. This entire side-quest is a good reminder of that. They're stolen by a thief, betrayed, and now a danger is presented from someone whose only resource is money. They got severely side-tracked and all of them are dealing with serious consequences for being naive.




This is something I particularly enjoyed in older Final Fantasies. Things have consequences, and sometimes they're pretty down-to-earth.





Anyway, guess what! It's BOSS TIME!




Rapps is Corneo's newest pet. He's not a particularly difficult boss except for one reason - you're poo poo out of luck with no materias.

The enemies around Da-Chao can drop the powerful level 3 Materia-equivalent combat items, so this fight can be cheapened if you don't have the resources or limits.

I'm not gonna use the items against this boss though - I need these damage combat items for another upcoming boss battle. This leaves us with standard attacks and limits.

I'd like to apologize in advance, the next video came out a bit weird/glitched, I'm not sure what happened during the recording. I think it captured some other game or something.



His Aero3 is Brutal. The only reason I didn't give him a 5 to Attack is because there are many ways to mitigate that damage and his normal attack is fairly weak. You have plenty of room to heal it, but if you're not on the Back Row (which you should always be) like in that video - it can insta-kill you.

Anyway Rapps is vulnerable to Stop, to make up for the fact you're screwed. So yes, this is another boss vulnerable to Stop, and another boss we get to obliterate with ease.



Our reward is a [Peace Ring], which protects us from Confusion, but also from Sadness, Berserk and Fury.



You know, all the stat ailments we love.



Talking about that - I love Cloud's character, really.





Of course, this is - again - a trick question, just like the first time in the slums.



And just like the first time, it means we're tricked.



Yes, he turned them upside down. This is getting ridiculous.





They didn't censor the T, so I'm reading ASSHAT there :colbert:



The great thing about Corneo is that he gets to you. I mean, I don't look at Sephiroth and think "man I want to punch him in the face".



No, people draw horrible fanart and write even more terrible fanfic. Don Corneo on the other hand is simply repugnant. There's no way to sympathize with him.



Cue awesome music.




There's something amusing about this situation -



He's only here because of us. Because he leaked the secret to us, which allowed us to live.



And to add to the fuckedupness of the situation, the Turks allied with us to take him down. So it's a full circle.



You'd think that if he wasn't a humongous idiot and didn't kidnap Elena this wouldn't happen, but Elena was kidnap for personally hunting him in the first place. He was screwed from the start, it just happened that this bizarre triangle ocurred on top of it.



RUDE OUT OF NOWHERE



Pro knife-tossing skills

Wait, that isn't working?



Alright guys, listen.



This is the most fitting awesome ending to this arc possible.







IN YOUR FACE



You know.



We're about two updates away from the game going turbo-crazy and poo poo start happening.



This sidequest is a good change of pace, because as soon as we're out, poo poo starts to get real. All the things that happen post-Midgar are kinda a setup for what's coming next, starting two/three updates from now.



I'm sorry, there's just not much to say over this. It's simply awesome. Why is it awesome?

1) Because it's awesome.

2) Because the Turks are smooth.

3) Because they manage to present these characters as badass without having to resort to commonplace anime stereotypes.




* Cellphone rings *






Elena: "Was that the Company?"



OH SHI -





And with that another awesome quote, thus ends the greatest display of badassitude in the game. I would golden this quote but I'd really have to golden pretty much everything Reno says in this update.



Oh.

And that concludes the update.




Next time!

We're still not done with Wutai! MORE BOSSES! More Enemy Skills! Field encounters! Glitches everywhere! GOOD LORD WHEN ARE WE GETTING OUT OF THAT TOWN.



Elentor fucked around with this message at 08:24 on Feb 23, 2012

Some Numbers
Sep 28, 2006

"LET'S GET DOWN TO WORK!!"
I'd honestly forgotten how awesome the Turks were in this whole arc.

Namtab
Feb 22, 2010

I used to avoid going to wutai until I was insanely overleveled for it just because I hated having to fight without materia.

Then again, I was like 10 and didn't know any tricks so I just left wutai as long as possible.

E: I never answered the question but my favourite thing about this LP is seeing all the little tricks on how to do things well seeing as my strategy was to just make cloud do everything

Namtab fucked around with this message at 00:43 on Feb 23, 2012

Momomo
Dec 26, 2009

Dont judge me, I design your manhole

Elentor posted:

This is probably the best line in the game.

Mr. Soop
Feb 18, 2011

Bonsai Guy
I always liked this story arc. It shows how the Turks aren't really bad guys so much as they're just doing their job. And that they even sort of respect Cloud and his ragtag group of miscreants. :)

Adus
Nov 4, 2009

heck

Elentor posted:



I love a squashed tomatoes.

I don't think the Turks are all that badass here. They essentially make you do all the work and just wander in to take the glory of killing that fat gently caress.

Think about how Reno says it at the end: Why do you think we went through all the trouble teaming up with those guys to get to you?

Because it's our job.

It's your job to team up with the enemy and do nothing yourself?

Brainamp
Sep 4, 2011

More Zen than Zenyatta

Adus posted:

It's your job to team up with the enemy and do nothing yourself?

Economy's tough right now, you take what you can get :v:

Cangelosi
Nov 17, 2004

"It's cute," he said to himself warily, "but it's not normal."
Wow, this game is not so nice to fat people. First Wedge gets dropped during the pillar fight, then President Shinra is Masamune'd, then Palmer gets hit by a truck, and now Don Corneo falls miles to his death.

Sort of a hidden social allegory beneath all of that, don't you think?

TravBot
Oct 10, 2004

If we can hit that bullseye the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards Checkmate

Cangelosi posted:

Wow, this game is not so nice to fat people. First Wedge gets dropped during the pillar fight, then President Shinra is Masamune'd, then Palmer gets hit by a truck, and now Don Corneo falls miles to his death.

Sort of a hidden social allegory beneath all of that, don't you think?

Pretty sure that anything beneath that is quite flattened at this point.

Azure_Horizon
Mar 27, 2010

by Reene
Now that you have Meteorain my big negative with the game appears -- once you have that Limit Break, the game might as well be over. No story boss will be able to come close to defeating you.

But I have to admit I did not know that boss could be paralyzed.

Cerebral Bore
Apr 21, 2010


Fun Shoe
The Turks are Boss as all hell. They're doing the dirtiest of jobs, yet they find pride in doing it well, and they keep a gentleman's agreement to a fault.

Seriously, this adds so much to the game, and it fleshes out the Turks from a bunch of annoying minor villains into real, good characters. It really cannot be overstated how much better the plot becomes when your antagonists are shown to be deadly competent instead of comic relief.

Illuen
Feb 18, 2011

All comedy is derived from fear.
Can I just reiterate how awesome the soundtrack is to this game? It breathes so much life into the characters. Listening to Don of the Slums gives you a complete image of who Corneo is as a character, as the song practically exudes slime. The Turks' Theme is just as good at just breathing life into these characters as the ultimate "relaxed badasses".

This may be nostalgia induced (although I do feel differently about it than just straight up nostalgia bombs like Trisection), but very few video game soundtracks stick in my head the same way, and I think it is one of the biggest strengths that contributes to how likeable the world building is in FFVII.

Glazius
Jul 22, 2007

Hail all those who are able,
any mouse can,
any mouse will,
but the Guard prevail.

Clapping Larry

Cerebral Bore posted:

The Turks are Boss as all hell. They're doing the dirtiest of jobs, yet they find pride in doing it well, and they keep a gentleman's agreement to a fault.

Seriously, this adds so much to the game, and it fleshes out the Turks from a bunch of annoying minor villains into real, good characters. It really cannot be overstated how much better the plot becomes when your antagonists are shown to be deadly competent instead of comic relief.

What is Shinra's motive right now, anyway? They just want to rule the world with fear and terror, and Cloud and his little posse would get in the way of that? They're not really bothering with Sephiroth because aside from indirectly promoting Rufus he hasn't done nearly as much to harm the corporate interest?

Dr. Dos
Aug 5, 2005

YAAAAAAAY!
I had a ton of trouble with Rapps as a kid before using the strategy guide which pointed out that if you use Barret's Mindblow limit (which is otherwise useless everywhere as far as I'm aware) you can drain enough mp that it won't be able to keep casting Aero3 on you.

Oxxidation
Jul 22, 2007

Glazius posted:

What is Shinra's motive right now, anyway? They just want to rule the world with fear and terror, and Cloud and his little posse would get in the way of that? They're not really bothering with Sephiroth because aside from indirectly promoting Rufus he hasn't done nearly as much to harm the corporate interest?

They're tracking Sephiroth under the assumption that he's making his way to the Promised Land, which Shinra's highly competent research team has assured them contains "all the mako. All of it."

Taking out Cloud and his posse is kind of a secondary priority, probably because Rufus is still a little annoyed at the terrorist assault on his building and repeated interference in his travels.

Schwartzcough
Aug 12, 2009

Don't tease the Octopus, kids!
Yeah, Rufus is probably still sore about you stealing the Tiny Bronco out from under him.

So after Corneo "picks" Yuffie and your team shows up, Vincent will say something like "I don't care about what you're doing, just the idiotic way you're doing it." When I was young I just assumed that means he didn't really care about the whole kidnapping Yuffie thing. Now, after seeing The Dark Id's LP of Dirge of Cerberus and Vincent's questionable "relationship" with Shelke, I'm thinking maybe he meant "I'm cool with your planned statutory rape..."

Macaluso
Sep 23, 2005

I HATE THAT HEDGEHOG, BROTHER!
I just found this thread thanks to the quotes thread. I just want to say that the boss fight at the end of Cosmo Canyon's stupid dungeons is so ridiculous. I sat there mouth agape when I first fought him because he was pushing my poo poo in left and right, and then I accidently used a phoenix down on... I could not believe a phoenix down would kill him instantly. I didn't read any manuals the first time so of course I had no idea healing stuff worked on that boss.

Anyway I love final fantasy 7 to death and I'm going to read through the rest of this LP now!

Xander77
Apr 6, 2009

Fuck it then. For another pit sandwich and some 'tater salad, I'll post a few more.



It's almost like Reno didn't kill Cloud's true love interest most of Avalanche and a hefty chunk of the slums population. But he's just so cool about executing people in an inventive fashion :love:

Xtanstic
Nov 23, 2007

Namtab posted:

my favourite thing about this LP is seeing all the little tricks on how to do things well seeing as my strategy was to just make cloud do everything

Mine too. My solution was to grind and overlevel until I got sick of the game. I made it all the way to the last dungeon too but I never finished the game. I'm really enjoying having the story finally explained to me and showing all that is possible gameplay wise.

George
Nov 27, 2004

No love for your made-up things.

Elentor posted:

Elena: "Was that the Company?"

Why isn't this portrait upside-down?

Edit: Much better, thanks.

George fucked around with this message at 13:06 on Feb 23, 2012

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Zeikier
Jan 26, 2010

"This woman...she's killed before, and not just once..."


Man, this goddamn scene. I love the two reprises of the "Why do you think..." question, and how the Turks are badass while they do this, with a nice sense of dark humor thrown in.

This is one of my favorite parts of the game because of how they develop the Turks. Professional trashmen, but they have a sense of sportsmanship when they need to have it.

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