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 Or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the Space-Time Oscillation Bomb. What game is this? Super Robot Wars (SRW) Z was the last game of the series to be released on the Playstation 2 and, while the series has a couple of games released in the west (and a few others received English patches), it is completely understandable if you’ve never heard of it. SRW games are, essentially, massive crossovers of mecha anime that have been built around a solid strategy game – all the different stories are tied together by an original plot (the Z games are rather known for the specially great quality of their crossover). Such was this game’s success that Banpresto (the developer) created an expansion-esque Special Disk that included, among other things, 20 extra missions which will also be covered in this LP. Why LP this game? My first LP was of SRW W (which you can find in the LP Archives) and I can say that I really enjoyed it – it took a long while to get there but, when things finally clicked, it was good fun. As such, I’ve decided to go for another one and Z is one of my all-time favorites. Of course, like with W, this is both a labor of love and also an effort to give a more in-depth display of what this game has to offer! What series can be found here? SRW Z’s roster is quite large but there’s also an interesting tidbit about them: it was (at the time) the game that had the largest number of show debuts in the game series and it’s quite impressive that they created such a compelling story with shows that they hadn’t worked before. The shows you’ll find here are:
How will you play this game? Like a good bunch of other SRW games, this one had a story translation done by Mark Neidengard, though not word-for-word. As I did in W, I will be using that guide as a baseline and expanding upon it with a translation of my own. To assist with that, I’ll be joined by the wonderful Caphi (who LPed Z2.1 and provided great help in W) and Dr.Pepper; while most scenes will be summarized, particularly important or amusing moments will be directly translated by us.  One last thing: half of the fun in these games is the anticipation of what might come next. Series spoilers are allowed as long as they are tagged but original story spoilers are OFF LIMITS - it is a very interesting story and it should not be spoiled. What about those original characters? Z has two selectable characters: Rand Travis/Mel Beater and Setsuko Ohara/Toby Watson/Denzel Hammer. Both groups have huge amounts of exclusive missions (and the game itself is quite big), so I’ll be handling Rand’s path, as it already has that base translation, and Setsuko’s path will receive a fresh translation from Caphi, with Dr. Pepper creating the updates themselves. Now, let’s meet our protagonists:  Rand Travis is a “wandering repairman” who, together with Mel Beater, runs the “Beater Services” company: a kind-hearted, boisterous man that can, at often times, come across as a bit slower than most. Nevertheless, he is passionate about his job and always keeps an eye on Mel. You may call him THE HEAT. Voice Actor: Yoshihisa Kawahara (other known works: Kippei Tachibana in Prince of Tennis and Adams Tinel in Gundam AGE).  Mel Beater is the de facto owner of Beater Services, which was created by her father: her personality is very perky but she shows real dedication towards helping Rand and her company get along. She is certainly smarter than Rand on most aspects. Voice Actress: Mai Aizawa (other known works: Ayano Minegishi in Lucky Star and Mio Naganohara in Nichijou/Regular Life).  Setsuko Ohara is the rookie of the Glory Star team who make their living as test pilots for UC Gundam's Earth Federation: she’s very shy and insecure, often unable to stand for herself. Still, her team-mates take good care of her and, despite it all, she is more than willing to fight to prove herself and her team. Voice Actress: Yukiko Takaguchi (other known works: Hinata Miyakawa, also in Lucky Star and Mitsuko Isurugi in SRW OG: The Inspector).  Toby Watson is Setsuko’s superior officer and, in direct contrast to her, is an outgoing and cheerful man - he can get serious when push comes to shove, though. He is very encouraging to Setsuko and, alongside their captain, constantly tries to help her overcome her insecurities and grow. Voice Actor: Takashi Kondo (other known works: Faust in Guilty Gear, Suigetsu in Naruto and many others).  Finally, we have the captain of the Glory Star: Denzel Hammer! (  ).On top of having a badass name, Denzel is an overall cool older guy: he’s a great pilot, cares deeply for both his team-mates and knows when to relax or when to crack the whip. Alongside Toby, he does his best to help Setsuko come out of her shell and become a proud member of the squad. Voice Actor: Hiroaki Ishikawa (other known works: Ushiyama in Gaogaigar and Stoneman in various Megaman animes). Brunom1 fucked around with this message at 23:14 on Jul 12, 2016 |
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Dec 11, 2013 02:23
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Ye Olde Super Robot Discoteque 1) Banpresto Original 
2) After-War Gundam X 
3) Overman King Gainer 
4) Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam 
5) Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny 
6) Combat Mecha Xabungle 
7) UFO Robot Grendizer 
8) Psalms of Planets Eureka Seven 
9) ∀ Gundam 
10)Invincible Superman Zambot 3 
11) Super Gravity God Gravion 
12) Space Emperor God Sigma 
13) Aquarion of the Genesis 
14) Super Dimension Century Orguss 
15) The Big O 
16) Space Warrior Baldios 
17) Getter Robo G 
18) Great Mazinger 
19) Mazinger Z 
20) Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3 
Brunom1 fucked around with this message at 00:16 on Jul 7, 2016 |
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Dec 11, 2013 02:24
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Before the title screen, the game treats you to an awesome cutscene to showcase all the series that are involved in the game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr-Tf9HEjzE Very nice, indeed.  With that done, welcome to the world of Rand Travis and his awesome Super Robot, Gunleon. For those that are unfamiliar with the genre, a Super Robot is, essentially, any big, hulking power-based machine that carries ridiculous weapons – rocket punches, HUGE swords and planet-busting weapons are all a-given when you’re dealing with them. It’s among the oldest genre in anime and notable examples include Mazinger Z (the first, true-to-form Super Robot), Getter Robo (the first combine-able Super Robot) and Gaogaigar (the first  Super Robot).No, Tetsujin was not a Super Robot. Go away!  Like most console SRW games, it gives you the option to choose the birthday and blood type of your chosen protagonist and, while this may seem like a purely aesthetic choice, it does have an impact on your gameplay. You see, each different birthday/blood type permutation carries a list of Spirit Commands (“spells” that your character can cast during its turn), so you’d do well to choose one that would carry a list that offers good commands to your unit. Because I’m cheap like that, I’m gonna pick the 11/11 B set; this is the spirit command of the SRW series’ director, Takenobu Terada, and almost always carries an exclusive set that has a bunch of powerful spirits at lowered costs. You can set a different name for your main character, too, but I’ll keep it as is. Now, let’s get this show going! PROLOGUE It is an age where the old civilizations and environs of Earth have faded, in which different lands have given rise to different societies, different cultures. Though mankind has lost much throughout its history, it has always managed to build anew. The privileged "Innocent" society, which controlled most of the largest continent in the Northern hemisphere, has been laid low by a new breed of humanity of their own making: the "Civilians". The United Nations Earth (UNE) of the rest of the globe, nearly eradicated fifteen years prior in the Seventh Space War, has nearly regained its strength. The same can be said for the UNE's opponent, the Space Revolutionary Army. Their tribulations have also afforded the downtrodden "Moon Race" the chance to act. As the world approaches a time of change, the people are consumed with the struggle for their daily bread, unaware of what their future, or their past, holds...  Location: The Land of Zora  Mel is chatting with a Breaker, who's gotten a rare bit of buried treasure: a very special camera from Siberian Rail. This company's been busily unearthing pre-Cataclysm stuff in Siberia, repairing it, and selling it to the people. The Breaker reminds her that every so often they find something really hot, and although he won't say just how he came by this baby, he figured he'd offer it to her first before selling it at the bazaar. He asks for 200 Blue Stones, or 20k gold, and says it’s a major bargain - Mel's been needing a camera anyway and figures she shouldn’t let this chance pass.  That is, until Rand shows up and yells at her to wait a second, asking what is it that she’s planning on wasting their hard-earned money on. She says she’s not wasting it, she thought to use it to fill up her “memory notebook” with lots of pictures from their travels.  : Ehh, miss…who is he? : Sorry! This is my husband! : Who is your husband?!: ACTUALLY, the name's Rand Travis. Wandering repairman and Beater Services’ vice-leader… : People know me as THE HEAT! : Beater Services…?! Then aren’t you actually The Cru-: Hmmm?: N-no! Never mind!: Either way, show me this “bargain camera” of yours.: I tell ya, this here’s a real treasure. Scout's honor!: Hmph… You may be able to trick Mel but you ain’t gonna fool me. This guy’s a total crook! : Huh?! What?! : What’s up with this "Made in" brand? It’s written here as “SIBERIA”!: Siberia is spelled “CIVELIA”! You oughta know better than that!Rand’s mistake is due to the fact that, to the Japanese Katakana (the letters used in, among other things, the writing of international words), both Civelia and Siberia would be written the same way: シベリア. : H-hold on, mister!: You better get outta here right now or I'm gonna have my wrench do the rest of the talking!: E-EEEEEEEEEEEEK! *The Breaker runs away.* : Heh…did I scare that crook so much that he forgot his camera?: Mel, throw that piece of junk away already.: Darling…: What?: It is spelled “SIBERIA”. : Ah…! : … : …Oh, yeah! I found something I wanted to show you! Come on, Mel! This way!*Rand Leaves*  : Oh, brother…He always brute-forces his way through everything…: Sorry, Mr. Breaker… I promise I'll pay you for this camera the next time we meet. I might as well put it to use until then!Location: Zora Bazaar – Meeting Grounds  At the bazaar, Garrod is busily drumming up interest in a large object draped in a sheet behind him – Geraba and his gang are having a look at it. Its silhouette suggests a Walker Machine or Mobile Suit, and there's plenty of those rusting away on the The fall of the Innocent has created a thriving trade in "pre-owned" mecha… quote:
 Garrod freely admits to the “clever Breaker” that he's come from Ameria but his item is much more impressive: it’s a Gundam! All the Breakers gasp at this, remembering how these were known as the strongest of all mobile suits: there are people that say a Gundam once defeated 12 lesser MSs in 3 minutes and moved so fast as to even cut missiles in half! A Gundam is even suspected to be behind the pillar of fire that lit the southern skies fifteen years ago. Garrod is glad they’ve heard of them and Geraba asks for the price and Garrod tells them to make an offer – highest bid wins!  The opening bid is 2000 Blue Stones but Garrod says that’s hardly appropriate for a Gundam so the Breakers start offering cash: 300k, 330k, 400k… That’s still no good for Garrod, who demands at least 600k for his unit and won’t lower it by a penny. Geraba is quickly getting annoyed at the brat and a Breaker asks what they’ll do: Hola will be arriving soon and he won’t be happy with the current results...Geraba knows that and decides to take a different approach. As they leave, Garrod is still calling for buyers: a Gundam for a measly 600000 bucks!  Rand then shows up and starts checking the machine over. Garrod gets a bit startled, telling him to not touch his "GX". Rand sees that it is the genuine article, but in rather poor repair. As such, he offers to buy it for 500 bucks and, while Garrod is not amused and continues to demand 600k, Rand is prepared to throw in maintenance AND to take Garrod under his wing. Rand figured that Garrod has no friends or acquaintances in this area and, judging from his origins in another continent, figured he’s one of those people that got warped over here. He’s in the middle of introducing himself when an explosion rocks the area.  Mel runs over, yelling that the Breakers are storming the place with their Walker Machines. It seems they’ve decided to take the Gundam by force and Garrod is prepared to set out against them once Rand stops him. Watching the kid, he imagines it’s been two, three days since he’s eaten and it’s obvious that Garrod’s in no shape to fight. Rand tells him to leave matters to him: the Wandering Repairman – THE HEAT!  Mission 1 (Rand) – Wandering Repairman   Geraba and his men are bombarding the Bazaar, thinking he can scare the brat into abandoning the Gundam. Getting such a prize should earn him a major pat on the back from boss-man Hola. Their attack is interrupted when someone has the gall to get up on the mic for the town PA system: that someone has a public service announcement for this amazing repair service – the Wandering Repairmen of the Beater Service! They repair anything, from machines to landships, and adds that anyone who gets in their way will be politely beaten into teeny tiny little pieces by…    : By this Gunleon! : Oh, no, bro! It's HIM!! : What?! The guy’s famous or something?: Heh…My name is Rand Travis. People know me as--: It’s THE CRUSHER!! The biggest bad guy of them all!: You…I really don’t care for that name, alright?: W-what’re we gonna do if we're up against The Crusher?!: For the second time, I really don’t like that name!: Eek! The Crusher is getting angry! : Stop saying that name, then!!: I-it’s over…The Crusher is our enemy… : I'm begging you…please, stop with that name…: Aah…They don’t know. To my Darling, that name is-- : drat it! I don’t give a crap about knowing crap about The Crusher! He gets in our way, he gets a whoopin'!: Come on, The Crusher! I’m gonna get my hands on that Gundam once you're dealt with!: How…how dare ya say that name seven times…!: Wait, Darling! They said it eight times, I think!: Hold on a sec there, girl! It was six times!: Why are you even counting?!: I don’t even care anymore. Y'all went and called me by that name, so Imma just…: Dismantle all of you! 
Z’s Skill Points are often named as some of the hardest in the PS2 era; still, I’ll be trying to get them all. The only exception will be if focusing on the Skill Point would hinder a secret from being completed – in that case, I’ll prioritize the secret. Now, before anything, let’s have a look at THE HEAT:   Gunleon (Rand Travis/Mel Beater) Pilot Skills:
Rand:
Rand’s voice actor: Yoshihisa Kawahara (other known works: Kippei Tachibana in Prince of Tennis and Adams Tinel in Gundam AGE). Mel’s voice actress: Mai Aizawa (other known works: Ayano Minegishi in Lucky Star and Mio Naganohara in Nichijou/Regular Life). Gunleon is a Super Robot through and through: it’s bulky, has a lot of HP and Armor, can’t dodge worth a drat but packs a wallop with his weapons. Its biggest weakness is that most of its weapons lack both range (highest being 1-5, his TRI attack) and accuracy (only the strongest attack, Riot Wrench, has a good-ish accuracy rating) but, having chosen the 11/11 B set, Attune can be used to cover that weakness a bit. Also, as a true repair-bot, Gunleon is equipped with a Repair Module that gives its squadron a passive 10% HP Regen (at the start of the player’s phase) or can be used to heal a unit directly.  As I said, Gunleon isn’t the most accurate unit and, despite this being mission 1, you CAN easily lose this skill point if Rand gets too unlucky with his misses. Thankfully, it’s a short mission, which means we can spam Attune on him throughout the entire thing.   Geraba is standing waaaay far back so, for now, let’s have Rand move forward and target the nearest Breaker. : Let’s go, Gunleon! We’re gonna dismantle all of these thugs!: Do it, darling! Go, go!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ1dq5KFhLY Of course, right as I say Rand can’t dodge worth a drat, he pulls it off. Nothing else for us to do here, so we’ll end our turn.  Enemy Phase!     The Breakers start closing in and two Trads attack; Rand is hit by one but both of them get destroyed easily. Once you kill two mooks or turn 2 comes around…     : The “Blazing Mobile Suit Pilot”, Garrod Ran, is here and ready to rock!Geraba, of course, is a little surprised when the brat deploys in the same MS that he was trying to steal. When Rand asks if he’s OK to do that, Garrod tells the “old man” that his “wife” gave him some emergency rations – he’s all good to go. Rand has two things to tell Garrod before they begin: 1) he's an adult man, not an "old guy", and 2) Mel isn't his "wife" (not yet, she says).  That's cool with Garrod, provided Rand doesn't refer to him as "kid" or "boy" either. Garrod's plan starts with working off the price of the food he just ate, and with all the practice he's had taking out Vultures, he plans on giving the Breakers a taste of what he can do with this here Gundam. All other Breakers start closing in but Geraba is staying put.  Player Phase!  Now, for some “strategizin’”: the Skill Point requires us to wrap things up by the end of turn three but most mooks are on Garrod’s side – this means Rand needs to start moving there NOW or we won’t take Geraba out in time. Problem is, there’s still a mook on Rand’s side that needs killing; as such, we’re gonna scroll over the target and check his movement range, which is 5.  If you can’t be arsed to remember the limit of his range, you can press R3 over a square on the map to place a marker (pressing R3 over it again will remove it) – there’s a maximum of 6 markers you can place, I think.  You can’t always know what the AI will do but, since this is a small battle with only two units, it’s drat near certain that the Breaker will walk all the way forward to take a swing at Rand during his turn – once this happens, Rand will be in the clear to take him down. The Breaker’s attack range is 2, though, so Rand needs to move only slightly forward lest he get out of range.  I might as well show this now: this button is your best friend as it leads to the Spirit Command Menu.  The Circle button will cast the selected spirit while the Square button will allow you to mark as many spirit commands as you want to cast and use them all in one go when you press circle (provided you've enough Spirit Points, SP, that is). It’s a drat handy feature that started in the PS2 era and you WOULD miss it if you went back to the older games.  In any case, Garrod casts Invincible just to keep it as a safety net in case his lower-than-average evasion screws him over. Before we move along, let’s take a look at our newest friend:   Gundam X Divider (Garrod Ran) Pilot Skills:
Garrod’s voice actor: Wataru Takagi (other known works: Fernando Albark in SRW OG Gaiden, Zangief, Sodom, Adon, Birdie in many Street Fighters, Tobi in Naruto and many others). Garrod’s Gundam X Divider provides the Real Robot action on this mission; unlike Gunleon, it is way weaker but makes up for having longer-range, mobility and accuracy. Garrod is a bit odd of a pilot, though, and is much less dodgy than you’d expect (as evidenced by the fact that he knows Prevail and Invincible); still, he can handle his own and the X Divider is a great mook destroyer with both a TRI and ALL attack (more on those once we start facing enemy squads). It may get outclassed by much better real robots as the game goes along, though.   With that done, let’s have him go after a nearby Caprico with his Long Beam Saber. : I've no idea what dragged me all the way here but I’m getting back to Tifa, whatever it takes!: No way I'm getting dropped in a place like this!!        Capricos are made of sturdier stuff but they’re still not all that. Enemy Phase!    Just as planned, Rand’s Dagger charges right at him; Rand gets a critical hit, taking it down in one shot.    Garrod is jumped by another nearby Dagger, whose successful hit is blocked by Invincible, and the other two Capricos; one of those manages to get a clean hit on Garrod, dealing some 250 damage (Walker Machines are HORRIBLE against flying targets, so they get a big damage penalty). Sadly, even the weakened Caprico manages to hang on. Geraba starts coming over. Player Phase!  All weakened mooks can be killed during their turn but we NEED to deal some damage to Geraba now in order to get him to suicide against our troops (Garrod casts Invincible again, just to be safe). : Hey, boy! If you know what’s good for you, you’ll hand over that Gundam right now! : No way! This guy's what keeps me and Tifa together! : But you were trying to sell it!: Things are different now! I gotta get back to her, even if it means leaving the GX! But I would never hand it over to creeps like you, old man!!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcjILA_NDeg Aye, that works nicely. Quickly now, let’s take a look at Geraba and his Promeus:   Promeus (Geraba Geraba – yes, that’s his name) Pilot Skills:
Geraba’s voice actor: Tomomichi Nishimura (other known works: Jamitov Hymem in Zeta Gundam (more on him in Setsuko’s route), Akuma and M. Bison in the Street Fighter series, Oonoki in Naruto and many others).   Rand positions himself exactly 6 tiles away from Geraba because, while the AI of most mooks was focusing on Garrod, Geraba will often charge straight after Rand. His longest attack is range 1-5, which means, at this position, he’ll be forced to come closer (close enough to be hit with Rand’s strongest attack). I’ll even take the time to open a clear path for Geraba to get in our face. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzhHqFOpdqg Enemy Phase!     As expected, both remaining mooks gun for Garrod, who takes them out.   Finally, Geraba takes my bait and charges straight at Rand, allow me to finish him off with Gunleon’s strongest attack: Riot Wrench. : You can't afford the thing, so you decide to just pillage the place? Now you're a real bad egg, guy!: Grr…The Crusher! I’m gonna make you regret poking your nose into our business!!: I am THE HEAT! Stop wit that name!: Shut it, The Crusher! You're in for a world o' hurt if you're set on messing with us! : Wait…are you only using that name to get a rise outta me?: Finally, you got it! Talk about a one-track mind!: Huuh?! That’s really all it was?!: You're just as stupid as he!: It looks like an everyday dismantling would be letting ya off easy…!: You’re gonna get my special BIG Dismantling! I’m gonna pick ya apart to the last screw! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7OOu7BeLrw Total loss.   Geraba gives us a Unit Part, Booster, and Rand gains a level – most levels are just stat increases, so I’ll just show them when there’s something big going on (like a new Skill or Spirit).  Also, completing Skill Points awards your entire group with 25 PP, which you can use to buy Pilot Skills.  Despite it all, Rand isn't inclined to actually finish off Geraba – he’s happy enough to just teach him a lesson. Mel is fawning over how cool he is and Rand tries to keep her from fangirling so much that other women get scared away, but Mel says that’s not something a “married man” should be saying.    During their mirth, Geraba gathers himself and decides to, at least, destroy the town bazaar as a lesson to those who oppose Hola.  However, a mysterious unit shows up on a nearby hill and quickly takes aim.          This gives Rand an opening to finish wrecking Geraba's mech. Geraba asks what kind of "repairman" is Rand – before blowing up, he yells out that Rand is more of a demolition man…The Crusher! Garrod is glad they put Geraba in his place but Rand is pissed that, even in defeat, the guy still had to insult him again. More importantly to Garrod, wonders about the sniper that helped us – someone so skilled to hit a bull’s-eye from such a distance.  The sniper is still hanging around and Mel seems to recognize him. Rand agrees: an incredibly skilled sniper, atop a Silhouette Machine – it has to be the “Black Southern Cross”.  Mr. Southern Cross, a.k.a. Gain Bijou, receives a hearty thanks from Mel for protecting the Bazaar but he says he couldn’t just have allowed those hooligans to trash the only saloon in town – this already makes him cool in Rand’s book. Rand introduces himself, and his nickname with the usual gusto, and Gain finds said nickname to be an appropriate match for Rand's stifling attitude. Mel also introduces herself, as both the head of Beater Services and “her darling’s honey”, making Rand sigh that he’s starting to lose the will to keep denying her childish jokes – Gain confesses to be “jealous” of Rand getting so much attention from such a lovely lady, making Mel blush.  Gain brings the conversation back on topic, wondering about the Breakers we just fought. Rand says bandits like them aren't such a rarity: lots of people got unemployed when the Innocent fell. Gain reckons that everywhere not controlled by Siberian Rail is in the same boat but, from that Rand heard, the Black Southern Cross has been very busy. Garrod asks about that nickname and Rand explains that it comes from the shape formed by his extremely accurate shots – as demonstrated on Geraba’s walker machine.  Names aside, Rand wonders why Gain is here: is it about an Exodus? Garrod doesn’t know what that is and his lack of knowledge about the custom, plus the Gundam, makes Gain figured he came from another continent – probably Ameria. The deserts of South Ameria to be precise; when Mel asks how he got here from so far away, he seems hesitant to explain as it all sounds impossible. quote:
 Garrod relates how he was in his GX in the desert one day, fighting, when he heard a strange ringing in his ears and watched the world begin to warp around him. This seems to strike a chord with Rand and Mel, who ask if he’s seen anyone or heard anything about other such warpings but Garrod doesn’t know anything else. Still, he figured out that he was taken to the Galia continent and needed money for the long trip back: ergo, he decided to sell his Gundam. Gain figured it was something like that, and is more than happy to lead Garrod close to his destination – provided Garrod agrees to lend a hand with a job or two, which he gladly does. For that matter, he could really use someone handy with repairs...of course, both Rand and Mel know that, if it’s a job with the Black Southern Cross, there must be an Exodus involved. Brunom1 fucked around with this message at 15:58 on Jul 9, 2016 |
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Dec 11, 2013 02:25
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Information corner – Topic: Innocents –
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Setsuko Route Chapter 1 Of course, while Brunom will be going through Rand's route, Z has two protagonists! Meet our Real Robot Protagonist. In terms of genre, "Real Robot" can be loosely defined as more "hard" sci-fi, the giant robots are treated more as mundane tools rather then unique awesome machines. Of course, this is all relative, and any genre distinction tends to be blurry. Notable Real Robot anime are Mobile Suit Gundam, Armored Trooper VOTOMS, and Superdimension Fortress Macross. In terms of gameplay, Real Robots distinguish themselves in SRW by having low HP, high evasion, and focusing on ranged attacks.  Here we can change our protagonist's name, nickname, Birthday, and blood type. This actually has a gameplay effect! Depending on the birthday and blood type you choose, the protagonist will learn different spirit commands as she levels up. I choose November 11th with B blood type because it's a special set. Namely the birthday and blood type of series producer Takenobu Terada. It gives a unique, and really good set. As I'm doing a fresh run while aiming for all the battle masteries and secrets, I need all the help I can get.  The game opens on a description of the Universal Century. The governments of the world have combined under the umbrella of the Earth Federation, causing people to emigrate to colonies en masse. The Republic of Zeon declares independence from the Federation and the One Year War takes place, leaving battle scars across all layers of civilization. Nor did the violence stop with the close of the war. Humanity fought off Dr. Hell, who aimed to use the might of the ancient Mycene, as well as the Dinosaur Empire and alien attackers such as the Vegan Federation. A squadron of super robots such as Mazinger Z and Getter Robo defeated Dr. Hell and are pressing back the other onslaughts. But even this could not unite humanity. Seven years ago, the One Year War divided mankind into Earthnoids and Spacenoids, and the Federation's elite Titans force is gathering power. Fearing the possibility that the Titans will attempt to claim the universe, the Spacenoids have formed the AEUG in resistance. "As one war ends, another begins. Little by little, a storm is building that will throw the fate of the world into chaos."  Jerid stops a girl in the hall, interested in her uniform, which marks her as a member of a squadron called the Glory Star. She introduces herself as Setsuko Ohara, stationed there as a Glory Star just ten days.  Kacricon Cacooler laughs and wonders what a little girl's doing on their team. "You gonna put on a cute outfit and cheer?"  Setsuko bites her lip and stays silent; to Jerid's smug satisfaction, she knows she's dealing with the Titans. As politely as she can manage, she asks what she can help them with, but they just laugh that she doesn't have a clue. It's a good thing she's stuck "playing with dolls" - referring to the Glory Star's post as test pilots for new suit technology. As far as the Titans are concerned, a soldier's worth is measured in kills; doing tests on prototypes doesn't compare to being on the front lines braving live battle. FYI, the Titans are dicks. quote:
Setsuko still can't talk back, though, so Jerid keeps going. The Glory Star is a pretty high-falutin' name, and he just wants to make sure they don't get too full of themselves. Who's gonna win the war? The Titans.  Emma, who at least ranks the same as Jerid, steps to Setsuko's defense. So does Toby, who can't watch his new partner take guff from this Earthborn ace. And by the way, the Glory Star is not just dicking around, whatever First Lieutenant Jerid Mesa says. Oh, didn't that guy lose our new Gundam to the AEUG?  Toby's impressed - it takes some serious balls to not only turn down a new prototype, but hand it over to the enemy!  Jerid growls, but Glory Star team leader and awesome name haver Denzel Hammer stops Toby and assumes responsibility as commanding officer. Jerid spits, but backs down. Setsuko is still cringing, and Toby tells her to stand tall as a member of a team called the Glory Star. But then an alarm sounds to summon the Titans. Jerid, Kacricon, and Emma move out. Setsuko tries to tell Jerid something, but he blows her off bragging that she'll see what the Titans are made of. She was only going to wish them luck...  : Yeah, good luck, Titans. : Toby, don't make fun of our allies when they're being deployed.: Even if they're overconfident, reckless, foolish, loudmouthed greenhorns.: Heh. You are mad at 'em, aren't you, Chief? : Well, yeah. If they treat my soldier like a worthless rookie, I hope Ares ****es all over 'em. : ****...?: Chief, I think you just traumatized Setsuko. : Uh oh, sorry. Was that sexual harassment, First Lieutenant?: N-no! I just didn't know what that meant...: Ha ha ha! Good answer, First Lieutenant! : ...I'm sorry.: Look, Lieutenant, we're the Glory Star. We're handpicked to do a very important job.: These are things only we can do. Always be proud of that. : Yes, sir!: Well, the Titans are off doing their duty hunting the AEUG. Let's get on ours.: Yeah... We've got some real babes waiting for us in the hangar. The Glory Star boots up and runs diagnostics on their real babes, and they're good to go. R&D has finished initial on their new versatile weapon system, the Gunnery Carver. The Glory Star's mission is to test both the unit and the recommended combat patterns to utilize it using their Virgola robots. If it works out, the mass-produced Carver will be a very useful tool in the Federation's arsenal - though it's a long way until then. For today's test, Denzel's Virgola 1 will run as a long-range bombardment; Toby will do midrange mobile striking and Setsuko will test out full CQC. Each Carver has been specialized to those specific roles as a first step, but once their testing run is complete, the data will be synthesized by the 01 unit and used to perfect the true all-range Carver.  Setsuko is still vaguely worried about something, but says it's nothing. Toby calls bullshit, and Denzel insists that she take care of her mind as well as her body, but she stays silent. Eventually, they wring it out of her that the Titans kind of got to her. Humanity is facing down all these threats (though the AEUG is primarily a threat to just the Titans), so what's the point in their job? Denzel forces her to recite the mission of the Glory Star: "To evaluate the next generation of mass-produced weaponry and research tactics pertaining to the same." It's a very important part of the military and she should be proud of it. Setsuko is still concerned that she has no actual experience - Denzel is a veteran of the One Year War and even Toby did his part against the Mycene invasion. Denzel reaffirms that the Glory Star is a critical part of the Federation's war effort whether they actually deploy or not... and they might be deployed soon anyway. Besides, testing the Virgola units isn't exactly a cushy job. In fact, says Toby, it took the life of Setsuko's predecessor.  What? There's a reason Denzel didn't tell Setsuko that! On the other hand, she actually seems more e comfortable now that she feels she's really contributing. She's committed to the Virgola project, anyway, and she says she has nowhere else to go. : ...what happened to Michael was a regrettable accident. But we owe it to him to see the Virgola through so his sacrifice wasn't in vain.: Yes, sir. : I can't hear you, First Lieutenant! From the *****... whoops, from the gut! : Yes, sir!: That's more like it. Oh, and one more order from the second in command.: No rank here. Just call me Toby.: I... I couldn't...: Ignore the Second Lieutenant. He does that to me, and I'm his superior. :: That's just how I show my respect and fellowship, commander!: The only time you've ever shown my rank any respect is over bar tabs.:: That hurts, commander! You forgot about when I ask for leave, and when I get my bonus!:: Speaking of which, I think you're going to get some more respect tonight, Captain Denzel Hammer!: I can already feel your claws on my wallet.Toby oughta be the main character, but I can't wish Setsuko's fate on him. She won't be joining them tonight either, because, in true anime fashion, she's below drinking age (a teenager, I think). Denzel reminds her to be proud of her work, and to do another review before the Carver's test run...  ...which isn't happening, because the attack alarm sounds off. All the base's forces are backing up the Titans, so it's almost certain that the Glory Star themselves will be deployed in its defense. We're gonna get to see the Virgolas in live combat!  Chapter 1: The Right Stuff  Denzel and Toby prepare for the operation, but why would anyone want to attack the Lutecium Base? There's practically nothing of value here. Denzel corrects him: there's a thing of value here, and that's the Virgolas and their blueprints. Setsuko probably can't handle live combat, so defending the base will be up to these two.  It's the AEUG. That means the Titans have probably been led off on a diversion, and they swallowed it hook, line, and sinker. quote:
  Apolly and Roberto are here, and exposit that the diversionary team has the juiciest prey, Captain Quattro Bajeena and the Gundam Mk.2. Their job is, indeed, to jack the Virgola units, and at minimum, it'll be pretty easy for them to grab some operational data on them... and if they're lucky, they can make off with the robots as well.  Toby starts to wish they were on the AEUG's side, but Denzel interrupts and threatens to shoot if he says another word. For now, we're soldiers of the Earth Federation, and we're going to fight like it!  Setsuko wishes she was out there...  OK! Time to actually play the game! First, a quick look at the two units we have under our control right now.  Banpresto Originals Toby Watson - Virgola 2 Voiced by Takashi Kondo Skills: * Predict - At 130 Will, hit and evasion rate increase * Counter (Level 2) - On the enemy phase, will sometimes attack before the enemy. Activation rate is determined by the skill stat. * Support Defend (Level 1) - If adjacent to an ally on the enemy phase, if an attack will hit the ally, the character will perform a Support Defense and the attack will hit the character at reduced damage instead. The number of times this can be performed depends on the skill's level. Spirit Commands: * Sense (20) - Casts both "Strike" and "Alert" on the caster. Squad Leader Bonus *+20% Critical Hit Rate Toby is pretty good! Decent melee and range stats renders him a good all rounder, and Toby has a decent enough beginning skillset. Counter and Predict is a nice combo rendering him difficult to hit once his will gets up. Support Defend is a bit iffy on a Real Robot pilot, but right now it'll do. The Virgola 2 is nice too, decent enough agility and the weapons have a fair bit of power.  Banpresto Originals Denzel Hammer - Virgola 1 Voiced by Hiroaki Ishikawa Skills: * Commander(Level 1) - Allies in an area (denoted by yellow squares when highlighting the character) have an increased hit and evasion rate. The size of the area and bonus increases by level. * Focused Attack - The damage penalty for performing ALL attacks on multiple units is reduced. * Prevail(Level 2) - As the character takes damage, hit rate, evasion, defense, and critical rate will increase. Spirit Commands: * Strike (15) - The caster will have 100% Hit rate for that turn. * Trust(10) - Restore 2500 HP to an ally. * Invincible(10) - The next attack that hits the caster will do 10 damage. Squad Leader Bonus *+10% Accuracy Denzel Hammer does not only have a great name, he's a great pilot. Look at that range stat. He can blast things hard, and his spirit set is great too. Trust is really handy right now, he's our only source of healing for the moment. Invincible on a Real Robot is fantastic too, it mainly reduces those times the RNG doesn't roll in your favor with a 30% dodge chance. And, of course, his skill set is great too. Commander can't be bought, and is always handy, and since his best attack is an ALL Attack, Focused Attack is incredibly handy to have.  Let's move down Toby and Denzel to meet the AEUG Nemos.  They move up and try shooting at us. Yeah, these basic grunts aren't going to be able to do much.   :You want some, I've got some! You'll regret messing with the Glory Star!      Good job there Toby.  Setsuko decides to be helpful and deploys her Virgola. She may not have ever been in live combat, but she's done all the drills and learned all the moves. Denzel orders her to go back inside, but she points out that the enemy has us outnumbered, pinned against the wall, and their commanders in the black machines monstrously skilled. If nothing else, she can provide covering fire. Denzel and Toby are impressed at Setsuko's analysis. The commander relents, but orders Setsuko to stay away from the enemies. Her mission is to support the other Virgola and compile their field data for after the battle - we're making this a test after all. And just as Setsuko saw, the black machines are the enemy commanders; if we can focus them down, the battle is over. Just remember, the Glory Star's primary mission is the Virgola - the pilots are not to lose either the machines or their own lives!   Right, back to the Nemos shooting at Toby.  Oh hey one of them aimed for Denzel too. : (The AEUG was founded to combat the Titans' increasing control of the Federation...): (They're right about one thing. If they're let continue, the Titans will have the army under their control soon.): But our current mission is to defend this base and the Virgola. That's all I need to think about!       Apolly and Roberto move up too, but don't get in range yet.  Banpresto Originals Setsuko Ohara - Virgola 3 Voiced by Yukiko Takaguchi Skills: * ???? * Support Attack(Level 1) - When Adjacent to an allied character before having attacked that turn, can perform a Support Attack after the ally attacks. The support attack will be slightly weaker then a regular attack. Spirit Commands * Attune(10) - Grants one Ally the effect of the "Strike" Spirit command. * Focus(10) - Increases hit and evasion rates by 30% * Alert (10) - The caster gains 100% evasion rate for the next attack that targets the caster. Squad Leader Bonus * Ranged weapons receive a 10% bonus to Attack Power Being the main character, Setsuko is of course very good stat wise. Her melee's not too hot, but her range stat is very good. Her stats are overall lower then Toby and Denzel, but she's level 1 to their 5. Skill wise it isn't that impressive. She only knows two skills, while that gives her plenty of room to grow later it's a bit lacking now, one is not even available right now for us. But the other, Support Attack, is going to be very handy. Support Attack is a great force multiplier. Her spirit commands are great, as I said they would be with Terada's Birthday. Attune that cheap is fantastic, and cheap Focus is great for a Real Robot Pilot. Alert's a little redundant, but it'll still be useful. Also her Squad Leader bonus is fantastic. One minor problem is that Setsuko's best attack right now is melee based, but that'll change as she gets some upgrades.  All right Setsuko! Show us what you've got! :I will fight... a soldier must fight!  Good job there.  Denzel's Command ability is useful so I'm trying to make sure everyone stays in it, especially since Apolly and Roberto are coming up next turn, and they're much more threatening then the grunts.      Denzel and Toby finish off the remaining two Nemos, bringing us to the enemy phase.  Sheesh! Look at that, Apolly is a bit more of a threat then the mook.    Ow! Yup, anything in the 40s is risky for a Real Robot, as you can see here.   Denzel, of course, is ready to smack back and hit slightly harder.     Toby does a bit better against Roberto.  Right, let's take down Roberto, since he has lower HP. Get to that Toby.    Good man.  Roberto and Apolly, being plot characters, run instead of blowing up.  Denzel softens up Apolly,  Setsuko has pretty bad hit odds on him, a mere 63%. Not wanting to play those odds...  I have her cast Attune on herself, raising her hit rate to 100%    There we go!  This was enough for Setsuko to level up! Shocking, leveling in an RPG. I'll only show interesting level ups from now on though.   The AEUG assault team is down, but the Gundam Mk.2 and Quattro's red suit seem to have evaded the Titans and come to finish the job. Toby, to Denzel's dismay, is glad to see the Gundam repainted from Titan colors to its natural red, white, and blue. But that's nothing for us to be happy about - with a Gundam and a red custom to deal with, we might as well be facing down Amuro Ray and Char Aznable together. But we still have no choice but to defend the base.  Quattro tells Kamille that the AEUG's basic mission, to gather intel on our forces, is complete, so there's no pressing need to push hard. If they're damaged, they should pull out. Kamille gives the roger, but they both know that the Virgola's technology is going to be a huge advantage to the Titans if they let it be completed.  And then Quattro casts Focus. We're not hitting him any time soon.  And here's our first Battle Mastery! The stage will end when Quattro or Kamille's HP gets reduced below 4000, but we'll get the Battle Mastery if we manage to actually reduce their HP to zero. Since I don't want to try and hit Quattro, I'm going to go for Kamille.  We don't want to really hit these guys until we're ready, so Denzel's going to just dodge for now. : I can't believe I'm fighting for the Federation against a Gundam... : He's good... this must be how a veteran soldier fights!   Good job.   I'm a gamblin man it seems.  : Well, isn't this nice? We got a chance to recover that machine and shove it in Jerid's face! : He's fast... he's better in live combat than the Titans!     And looks like the odds are in my favor.  This is what trying to hit Quattro looks like. I don't try to hit Quattro.  Just in case somebody targets Setsuko, I cast Alert.  Next turn after dodging both attacks...  Toby uses his one Sense cast to be able to both hit Kamille and dodge his counter.  While Setsuko Attunes herself again to be able to support attack him     :The Titans will respect us if we recover that mech...: I won't let you defeat me, no matter what your reasons are!: And what reasons could your group have for causing chaos in the aftermath of the Vega war!: So you're just a mindless soldier following your orders! Can't you of all people see how dangerous the Titans are? : I... I am a soldier! This battle is my duty!    Good job Glory Star! We get an extra 25 PP for you all, which is the main gameplay incentive for doing the Battle Masteries.   Camille retreats, but Setsuko wants to take the Gundam back for the Federation and gives chase...       With Setsuko fighting a losing battle, Denzel and Toby rush in to back her up.  Camille strikes back against the Virgola 1, dealing heavy damage to Denzel.  Setsuko screams, and suddenly, space begins to twist and thrash around the Virgola 3. Camille and Quattro try to pull out while Denzel and Toby try to save Setsuko, but all five of them are caught in a blast of raw dimensional energy...  ----- Extra dialogue Setsuko vs. Quattro  : That one moves differently from the other two...: I can do this! I can do something!: It's completely out of formation with the others. Is the pilot a rookie?Toby vs. Quattro : It moves well for a machine under development. It must be further along than we thought.: You're in no position to talk our tech up! You can finish your speech in Hell!Denzel vs. Quattro : Looks like the rumors of the second coming of the Red Comet weren't a load of bull after all...: Impressive reactions. That machine... no, that pilot is excellent.: I have unfinished business with the Comet from the One Year War. Whether you're the real McCoy or not, you're dead!
Dr Pepper fucked around with this message at 18:25 on May 29, 2014 |
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Dec 11, 2013 02:27
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AAAAAAAAAAHHHH It's here!  I. loving. Love this game. There are very few ways I can think of to make a SRW game better than this. The animations are great, the music's great, the crossover's well written and interesting in a way that not only synthesizes the source material into a coherent whole but often makes it better, you're given enough deployment space that you can use basically everyone you like on a regular basis, the regular objectives are generally challenging but not beyond what's satisfying, and it does an admirable job of staving off the usual late-game SRW slog in my opinon. I'm really looking forward to the group's take on this game.
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Dec 11, 2013 02:55
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Oh hell yes! I'm very excited for this one! Z is among my favourite SRWs.
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Dec 11, 2013 03:04
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Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes! Holy poo poo, its here! Christmas has come early!
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Dec 11, 2013 03:09
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 I've been waiting for this!
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Dec 11, 2013 03:31
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YES Rand's route is already fantastic. I mean, yay UC gundam, but Garrod in the first level? God I need to play this game.
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Dec 11, 2013 03:35
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Two things I found interesting about the introductions: first in Rand's route, concerning Gundam X: Garrod's already using the GX Divider, despite it being a mid-season upgrade. I always found this weird. I have no idea if the game addresses this or not, but it just feels odd that he would get the 'upgrade' now. Second, in Setsuko's route, I love how you're fighting against the AEUG in the first mission. It's such a change from the usual SRW plot.
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Dec 11, 2013 03:55
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TheBystander posted:Two things I found interesting about the introductions: first in Rand's route, concerning Gundam X: Garrod's already using the GX Divider, despite it being a mid-season upgrade. I always found this weird. I have no idea if the game addresses this or not, but it just feels odd that he would get the 'upgrade' now. The story starts mid Gundam X. You notice Garrod's already all about the Tifa.
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Dec 11, 2013 03:57
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Alright, it's started! Can't wait to see what everyone's actually saying. Since neither of you are on New Game +, how many secrets do you guys plan on doing? Also picking 11/11? For shame. EDIT: V Well poo poo, I did miss that. Never mind then. BlitzBlast fucked around with this message at 04:31 on Dec 11, 2013 |
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Dec 11, 2013 04:00
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BlitzBlast posted:Alright, it's started! Can't wait to see what everyone's actually saying. Neither on NG+? Did you see Rand and Garrod's PP? Unless everyone on Rand's route starts with 2000+PP I think he's doing NG+.
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Dec 11, 2013 04:08
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After seeing the nightmare of the Eureka Seven movie get played through over in the Z2 LP, I gotta say I'm very excited to see the actual proper Eureka Seven get played through in this game. Also Big O. Always Big O.
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Dec 11, 2013 04:42
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BlitzBlast posted:Also picking 11/11? For shame. Look man I need every edge I can get for every secret on a first run through. Brunom has no excuse though.
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Dec 11, 2013 04:49
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After playing Z2 and having no clue what happened in Z1 (not that I have much clue outside the LP for Z2-1) this is amazing to see. I still want to get a copy of this game too.
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Dec 11, 2013 05:02
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TwoPair posted:Also Big O. Always Big O. Aw man. Don't even get me started on how cool Big O is in this game. 
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Dec 11, 2013 05:13
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Hunter Noventa posted:After playing Z2 and having no clue what happened in Z1 (not that I have much clue outside the LP for Z2-1) this is amazing to see. I still want to get a copy of this game too. You can get it for pretty cheap. The harder part is getting a japanese PS2.
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Dec 11, 2013 05:24
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BlitzBlast posted:You can get it for pretty cheap. The harder part is getting a japanese PS2. Or, if you have a PS3 that can play PS2 games, use that. At least, I heard that works.
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Dec 11, 2013 05:32
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Oh man, I've been waiting for this. Z is my favourite SRW (and of many others, it seems!), despite not understanding a word of Japanese. The battle system alone made me love it, I did not need the story. But understanding the story will only make me like this masterpiece of mecha fighting even more, I'm sure. Rand and Setsuko are awesome, having Garrod from day one in Rand's route is just as awesome (kid's on my top three of Gundam protagonists), the Gunleon is...well, it's GaoGaiGar, repair (sort of?) robot version. What more can one say? And the Virgola are nice, they just don't really compare to motherfucking Gunleon. There's lots of things I want to say but I know I shouldn't yet, so I will just say I'll be looking forward to how this continues.
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Dec 11, 2013 05:33
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Blaze Dragon posted:Oh man, I've been waiting for this. Z is my favourite SRW (and of many others, it seems!), despite not understanding a word of Japanese. The battle system alone made me love it, I did not need the story. But understanding the story will only make me like this masterpiece of mecha fighting even more, I'm sure. I actually like the Virgolas more than the Gunleon, as weird as that makes me. The Gunleon's fun and all, but between how LOUD its design is and...some other factors that might be just a bit spoilery, it just kind of wore on me after a while. The Virgola's a bit more subdued, and I like how its design jives with the UC Gundam setting it "originiates" from, and it changes things up a bit more often.
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Dec 11, 2013 05:43
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I like the Gunleon but I have a problem with it that will become more apparent later in the LP. In comparison I was kind of cold on the Virgola but I liked it more as it (and its plot) progressed.
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Dec 11, 2013 05:56
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Maybe it's been too long since I've touched PS2 games, but something looks real bad about this.
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Dec 11, 2013 06:12
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Pasteurized Milk posted:Maybe it's been too long since I've touched PS2 games, but something looks real bad about this. Yeah, if you think this looks bad, you're really misremembering how PS2 games looked. This is one of the better looking ones (especially because it is 2D sprites instead of 3D models.) As an example, here is how an early PS2 SRW game looked. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWAUbnOSlTU
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Dec 11, 2013 06:15
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Actually the image quality seems kind of iffy. All of Dr. Pepper's images have pretty noticeable fuzz all over them, and it's kind of present in Brunon's segment too. Mostly on the map. I assume it's just a quirk of the emulator.
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Dec 11, 2013 07:28
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Gunleon's attacks are just so fun to watch.
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Dec 11, 2013 10:10
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BlitzBlast posted:Actually the image quality seems kind of iffy. All of Dr. Pepper's images have pretty noticeable fuzz all over them, and it's kind of present in Brunon's segment too. Mostly on the map. In my case, it's being taken straight off my ps2 via a S-video cable; however, Z is a bit notorious in that it's hard to take steady screenshots of it as the game as a bit of a motion blur to it (of course, you wouldn't even know it's there if you were playing on the console and it does smooth out the gameplay itself); I tested and it seems exclusive to Z as I didn't happen on a couple of tests I made in OGs. To get around it, I had to deinterlace the captured videos and that required a small dip in image quality from the natural PS2 - I figured it wouldn't be a big problem as it's nearly unnoticeable and it seemed like a fair price to pay in order to take clear screenshots. Addendum: As an example, if you check the video over here (careful, small Gundam X and King Gainer spoilers), you'll find that it plays just fine; however, if you're constantly pausing whenever there's movement on screen, you'll quickly see the motion blur - I particularly liked using Garrod's long beam saber as a benchmark because it has so many blurry moments. I trust this doesn't bother people too much? vvv Edit: Ho-hum, didn't even notice that. Well, both are accepted translations but I reckon we'll talk it over and decide which one we'll go with. Brunom1 fucked around with this message at 16:28 on Dec 11, 2013 |
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Dec 11, 2013 10:30
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Really excited to see this get started. But, if I may offer some criticism, I think the lp would be easier to understand if the both of the translations used the same terminology. For example: the Rand path refers to the skill which reduces damage to 10 as "Invincible", while the Setsuko path refers to it as "Resolve". Also, the green AEUG mechs are Nemos :goonspeak:
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Dec 11, 2013 10:30
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BlitzBlast posted:You can get it for pretty cheap. The harder part is getting a japanese PS2. I actually already have one for OG and Alpha 3, the hard part is justifying the cost. And I can confirm that it won't work on a PS3 that can play PS2 games, I used to have one, and the region coding seemed to be intact there when I tried it with OG. Imported PS3 games work fine of course.
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Dec 11, 2013 12:30
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Hunter Noventa posted:I actually already have one for OG and Alpha 3, the hard part is justifying the cost. Yeah...I had to to mod my old PS2 because of that nonsensical restriction on the PS3 (although, my fat one crapped out soon after, so I guess it was for the best). I could never wrap my ahead around stuff as stupid as regional locks. Dr Pepper posted:Look man I need every edge I can get for every secret on a first run through. I'll hold you to this. Once we get close to the end-game, and you've driven yourself insane trying to get all secrets and Skill points, then we'll see if you'll give me sass!  I swear, during my first playthrough, there were a couple of missions that I had to restart (not reset, restart - all over) around 3-5 times because the timing on the secrets is so tight; I'm going in with every advantage I can get, even in NG+! loving Butcher...
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Dec 11, 2013 16:39
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Hooray, Z's here! I flipping love Z *so dang much*. Gunleon is my favorite Banpresto Original (for most of the game, at least) and Virgola is also pretty dang cool, though I never finished my Setsuko playthrough. Say, Dr Pepper, do you think you could do like Brunom and post the keyword blurbs when they come up? So far we've gotten Titans and AEUG.
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Dec 11, 2013 17:18
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Wounded Land posted:Say, Dr Pepper, do you think you could do like Brunom and post the keyword blurbs when they come up? So far we've gotten Titans and AEUG. Going to add that in as well as the remaining battle dialogues for this mission (Setsuko vs. Kamille, everyone vs. Quattro) later this week.
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Dec 11, 2013 17:26
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Glad to see this one started, Z was the first SWR that I "bought" and had fun playing it.
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Dec 11, 2013 20:57
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This is the first non-original SRW I ever beat and it still has a special place on my heart. As cool as Gunleon is I like the Virgola better. I enjoyed it throughout the game while the Gunleon got kind of boring after awhile. Also I enjoyed Setsuko's stages more then Rand's so its nice to see it translated.
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Dec 11, 2013 22:26
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Oh yay! Super Robot Wars Z is finally here! Christmas is early etc. Okay really though, I'm just as excited for both Rand and Setsuko's route... even though I much prefer Setsuko's route because thing happen there that I really like! Anyways, I'm excited. Keep up the fantastic work, Brunom, Caphi and Dr. Pepper! GodofDiscord fucked around with this message at 23:02 on Dec 11, 2013 |
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Dec 11, 2013 22:47
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Setsuko has the more ambitious plot but Rand's has the better characters. That's how I see it.
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Dec 11, 2013 23:18
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Z was the first SRW I played as soon as I got it, without a translation guide or even a FAQ to figure out secrets or mission objectives. I have a lot of nostalgia for this silly anime game that isn't even 10 years old. With that said, there is something magical to having Rand, Garrod and Gain working together before Stage 2 even begins.
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Dec 12, 2013 00:20
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And so it begins, Banpresto's grand glorious swan song of the PS2 era. Anyhew, some things for both Brunom and DrPepper: Brunom: Regarding Xabungle: one thing not really mentioned in the game (I think you find out in an easily missed off-hand comment or a character bio) is that Xabungle is following its recap movie timeline, as Arthur Rank is alive and well. I only spoil it since Xabungle is denoted as post-series. DrPepper: That's the Nemo being used by the AEUG. They are based on the GM, but (IIRC) outperform the GM II in-universe. I can't wait for both of you to reach Eureka 7 territory, so we can see why it's so much better than its Z2 appearance. Aside from Pocket Full of Rainbows' plot being a gigantic pile of poo poo, that is.
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Dec 12, 2013 01:40
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