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Zero 3's implementation does so much to better the Cyber Elf system it's almost crazy.
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Aug 5, 2014 23:06
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Zero 1's Cyber Elf system is atrocious for many reasons, a big one being that you can't loving afford them without ludicrous amounts of grinding. Zero 2 addresses that problem but kind of overlooks that it just doesn't work in general, the entire system is just too flawed as there is practically no type of player, casual or pro or in-between who will ever really use what Elves can offer. When I first played the games, I tentatively used the subtank and permahealth ones and that was...okay, but equipping them over the cumbersome menu for temporary effects in stages which then will tank your score...naah. Nobody does that. It's bad and they thankfully realized that because they can actually learn from mistakes because they're not Capcom.
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Aug 5, 2014 23:10
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The Hacker icon might represent their windup wings. It is the best I've got. It is a shame the Cyber Elf system is so bad in the first two games because it symbolizes the story's themes so well.
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Aug 7, 2014 02:00
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Hacker icon looks like a stylized joystick.
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Aug 7, 2014 23:42
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So Mega Man Zero invented Greninja.
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Aug 8, 2014 08:31
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Petiso posted:So Mega Man Zero invented Greninja. No, I think the common source is a little bit older than that.
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Aug 10, 2014 02:26
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So, a few things after having marathonned this thread: For a game you claim to be good, there's an awful lot you call mediocre or bad. Elpizo sure is ambiguously designed. Do you know if they ever gave him a gender in the original japanese? The 'Good luck' you get after teleporting - is that supposed to be said after he leaves, or as he leaves? Because it makes an interesting bit of character either way, but just saying two different things. Similarly: Is Elpizo always at the front of the forest, or is he just at the start of whatever stage you take first, and he does his thing at the end of the forest? Excellent LP, either way! Definitely fun to watch.
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Aug 10, 2014 03:08
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Valgaav posted:So, a few things after having marathonned this thread: AAAAAH ITS BEEN SAID  Yes it's true this is probably my biggest personal gripe with how I've handled this. I swear I love the game to death, the music is great, the story is good without being overbearing, the stages are interesting and varied, and the game is FUN FUN FUN but it's just so eaaaaaaaaasy to fill the runtime with the bad. I swear I try my damndest to highlight the really good things in stages and gameplay and design, but sometimes it just slips through. The worst offender here is definitely the Airborne bomb, which I legitimately love but then Simon brought up the badness and I began to see it and get what he meant and THIS IS BAD AND THIS IS WHY just became the entire video. I still love it and can overlook the faults, but being this experienced at the game does put something of a wall between me and the initial magic of playing  Point is, Zero 2 isn't perfect, nothing is. What it IS is blast to play, a good listen, and a super-solid game that I wholeheartedly recommend. It's also a super-unique series, everything just feels so TIGHT and QUICK and STYLISH and SATISFYING. The older games were fun, but classic Mega feels clunky, and the X-series plays like you're controlling tanks bulldozing their way through stages, and I just really appreciate these things. As for your other notes, Elpizo's always been a guy afflicted with typical anime androgyny. I figure it was to create more of a contrast between him and Ciel as they switched leadership between games. He also only appears at the start of the forest (and briefly at the end of the crystal cave), hence my going there first. As for the "Good Luck", I've always figured it was after he leaves. With Elpizo it's something of a "Godspeed, soldier!", while with Ciel it's more of a personal "Good luck, Zero". At least as far as I've interpreted it. E; Glazius posted:No, I think the common source is a little bit older than that. SONOFABITCH KISHIMOTO YOU LITERALLY JUST STOLE THAT WHOLESALE?!? Good lord, I never knew. Gamwhiz1 fucked around with this message at 03:44 on Aug 10, 2014 |
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Aug 10, 2014 03:36
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Gamwhiz1 posted:AAAAAH ITS BEEN SAID Yeah, it seems like a lot of what's going on with this series is that the engine is amazing, but what they do with it is rubbish. Like, just playing a tech demo of it, you'd have all the fun in the world - between you and Simon, you've definitely gotten that across, and watching your Hard Mode videos had my jaw agape and I've never even touched the game. But your missions, and the attacks you get and the enemy placement and the bosses and just the actual game itself is lacking. There's a lot you can do just to start off that's badass, which isn't good because nothing after that compares to the sheer fun of just loving around as Zero. Is that about right?
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Aug 10, 2014 04:45
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Zero 2 remains my favourite Mega Man game period*. For all its flaws, I think 95% of the stage design is legitimately fantastic, giving me the smooth gameplay flow I so crave without resorting to gimmicks that hinder your progress in the stupidest way. Hell, it's "dodge the moving things at the right time" stage (Fefnir's) is probably one of the fastest paced...s because everything is so meticulously timed that you CAN rush it. I agree that this is not something that's easy to convey in a video, where it is far, far easier to commentate on the small flaws. Guess you just have to assume that everything that's not complained about is loving amazing  .*please keep this in mind: for all I've analyzed and played them, I actually think that there are very few purely good games in the Mega Man series. You have the occasional gems like MMX or the last two gameboy games, but it's mired in mediocre almost-shovelware like MM6 which is fine but so, so pointless, and ridiculously bad garbage like X5-7. Zero 2 shines because it is really, really good and interesting and fun and, most of all, bold in what it tries to do - more often succeeding than not - and I value that very highly.
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Aug 10, 2014 07:31
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Glazius posted:No, I think the common source is a little bit older than that. Oh, I knew about frogs and ninjas, I was talking about the coincidence of having a blue generic frog creature that evolves into a bipedal blue ninja frog creature with a scarf. Simply Simon posted:Hell, it's "dodge the moving things at the right time" stage (Fefnir's) is probably one of the fastest paced...s because everything is so meticulously timed that you CAN rush it. And then you have to redo it again because you didn't meet the enemies killed quota  I don't know if that's one of those stages but having to farm enemies at any point to fill that quota is easily my main gripe about these games.
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Aug 10, 2014 10:29
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   In hindsight, I should have named the thread something more interesting (read: punny), but as long as it is what is it I figure we should end it like it began. Thanks for sticking with me, folks! Stage notes! 100 pt. Requirements: -Clear time: 8:40 -Enemies killed: 23 -Mission: N/A The most difficult part of hard mode stages are the boss battles, in which you have to deal with a reduced damage-dealing rate and enemy attacks that hit twice as hard. And, well… Also Hardmodemusic is from the PS3 RPG “Time and Eternity”, called the “Towa battle theme”. I’ve never played it myself and hear it’s fairly mediocre, but goon Dragonatrix introduced me to the tack and I liked it enough to include. The final area of Neo Arcadia is one that the game reaaaaly doesn’t tell you enough about. It’s an area called “Yggdrassil”, is located in the exact center of Neo Arcadia, is constructed like a GIANT TREE IN A TOWER, and has an amazing music theme; it’s awesome, though possibly not quite as much as the orbital elevator/space command center that ended Zero 1, but the game tells you almost literally nothing about it. Even more bizarre is that a character even makes an obscure reference to it waaaay earlier in the game, and then never elaborates!  – You know what? In the center part of Neo Arcadia, there is a very huge tree, which I have never seen anywhere else. Behind its root, you may find something important. However, it's not easy for you to get there. Due to the fact that the area is protected by many buildings. Actually, this is just a rumor that I heard from someone else. So I guess it just depends on your belief in rumors...Hirondelle is very clearly referencing this whole area (with the “Important thing” being an early forshadowing), but they NEVER MAKE ANYTHING OF IT. You never even get the area name, because the game ends before you can return via the operators. It’s always seemed like a really strange design choice to me, and I can’t make heads nor tails of it. Regardless, you’re never going to know unless you check out the supplemental materials.  As for the way the stage is designed, it’s primarily vertical, but instead of making you climb straight up you’re just winding back and forth. It has a weird surplus of ladders, but that’s really all that Yggdrassil has going for it besides the requisite Mega Man boss gauntlet. It’s not bad, but there’s not much to the stage. In regards to said gauntlet, this is one of the odder incarnations throughout the series in that it’s abnormally small, with only 6 boss rematches total as opposed to the usual 8. The blame for this can be primarily attributed to the Guardians; in the last game, the first gauntlet section had four of the normal stage bosses, while the second had the four Guardians, but here in Zero 2 we’ve already beaten their faces in twice. As such, Inticreates made the (wise, IMO) decision to cut them from the rematch roster, which removes some unnecessary fluff but also makes the stage a bit shorter. HOWEVER. There’s one more interesting thing about this particular boss rush iteration. SAY HELLO TO… Character bios! Anchus Brothers   Moveset:
(I tried to find a decent pic of the two together, but only got a crappy genderbent DA pic, so uh, this'll have to do) The Anchus brothers both return from the dead for a final rematch! This fight is amazing and unexpected in many ways, but the most prominent of those is the fact that THEY’RE INTRODUCING A BRAND-NEW BOSS FIGHT IN THE BOSS RUSH. This is, to my knowledge, both unprecedented and unique in the series so far, and single-handedly makes Yggdrassil one of the coolest final stages in a Mega Man game. It really is a stroke of genius. AS FOR THE BROTHERS THEMSELVES. We’ve already been introduced to Kuwagust Anchus, but if you haven’t played/seen MMZ1, Herculious Anchus was the boss of the first Neo Arcadia area in that game, and managed to get revived in time for that game’s boss rush as well. Kuwa made mention of him in his death dialogue back in the day, but basically they’re brothers in that they were both built using the same technology, and also in that they’re designed to match both the red/blue oni and the Hercules/Stag beetle design tropes. The boss fight against them is honestly both hard and easy at the same time; they’re extremely predictable, repeating the same pattern over and over, but said pattern consists of some rather dickish and hard-to avoid moves, requiring some outlandish movement on Zero’s part and a knowledge that dashing lowers your hitbox a bit. By far their most dangerous power, though, is their EX Skill – Like Kuwagust’s, it’s super annoying to avoid, and is far more involved than most others in that you have to both time your jump AND attack at the right time to clear it safely. It’s hard, and still trips me up occasionally. They’re invincible while using it too. It’s not all doom and gloom, though. The fun part about the fight comes from the fact that the bros share a health bar, but not invincibility frames, so you can do super fun things like switching sides and bashing them one at a time, or throwing an ice boomerang and getting both of them on the return. It’s a cool style of fight, one that I believe first shows up here and only gets repeated once or twice, and it’s just generally interesting. And their simultaneous death is just perfect, if a bit mean-spirited the first time you get sniped. Elpizo: Battle form  Moveset:
Elpizo’s first form is, as far as I’m concerned, basically perfect. The Zero games are all about speed, and after chasing Elpizo for a little over half of the game now, having a final climactic clash against an enemy nearly as mobile and destructive as yourself is an absolute rush and a joy to play. From the cinematic transformation sequence, to the redesign (those pauldrons!), to the absolutely amazing music, everything about this just feels RIGHT. They pulled this off in Zero 1 as well, with Copy X’s first form having extreme mobility and a buttload of cool callback attacks, but he didn’t get the BOOOOOM picture sequence or a unique boss theme, so I’d say Elpizo has him beat there. His moveset is admittedly smaller than you’d expect, but dang if he doesn’t make full use of it – his physical attacks hit hard and fast, his ranged attacks have super long range, and he’s capable of making up for his somewhat paltry HP stock with a devilishly hard to dodge draining attack – an attack which leaves you unharmed just long enough to go “oh poo poo” before it hits you. Really, my only big problem with Elpizo is that he just doesn’t LAST long enough. This is a recurring thing with Zero bosses, where the emphasis on speed lets you take even big bosses down in less than a minute, and the fact that Elpizo only has 2 health bars when he really should have three does not help matters. It feels like they tried to compensate by giving him nearly 10 seconds of invincibility for his EX skill, but it’s just NOT ENOUGH. I want more of this guy, his classy weapon and evil chuckle are great. Also, just gonna drop Elpizo’s Japanese quotes here, because I can’t match them up to their respective moves without some more context. Fufufufufu... Oops, that was close! Pardon me! I see you! You've underestimated me! Please enjoy yourself! Elpizo: Dark Fusion  Moveset:
Remember all those good things I said about Elpizo’s battle form? Well, remove all that and replace it with the exact opposite and you’ve got Elpizo: Dark Fusion. I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH how much I dislike this boss. Elpizo moved super fast and attacked quickly! Dark Fusion floats up and down a bit and uses attacks that last for 10+ seconds as he does nothing. Elpizo had a sweet, high energy theme song! Dark Fusion replaces it with a much less interesting, mildly repetitive track. Elpizo fought Zero as an equal! Dark Fusion sics his baby elves on you. This all comes together to create a boss that I will go to my grave saying should have come first, if at all. If we’d gotten this, followed by Elpizo’s plea for more strength, followed by the transformation into his Battle form (with maybe one or two more moves) I’d be perfectly happy; as is, though, it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. See, they pulled something similar to this with Copy X in the first game, transforming him into a giant winged seraph with more limited mobility than his first form. Again, I think it wasn’t as good as Copy X form one, but at least there we got a distinct visual theming with it still visibly BEING Copy X, on top of an arena change with bottomless pits and spiked pillars and attacks that set the entire battlefield ablaze. It was moderately cool, and I could live with it. Here, we’re fighting an immobile boss in a wide-open space that really doesn’t fit him, while dodging rather slow and generic attacks, while trying to figure out exactly what it is we’re attacking.  The only weak point on his body, the small heart-shaped thing, resembles nothing more than a core, while his “hair” seems to just be floating over a void, and for the longest time I actually thought the hair WAS his face (with the curls being the eyes). If you zoom waaaaay into the official art, you can begin to see that the heart is meant to be his head, with a little bit of his hair covering the left side of his face, but it just did not translate well to the pixel art and I’ve never quite been able to make out what exactly I’m looking at. I dunno, I just don’t like this form. There was no precedent for what the Dark Elf does to you up to this point, and it’s always seemed to me like he didn’t quite manage to draw out its full power (which might explain the weakness of this particular boss), but still it’s…just kind of boring. It never really feels like Elpizo is really fighting back at this point, and he’s probably the easiest of the four final bosses of the Zero games. OH WELL. (He has a pretty great scream though, makes ya jump) Japanese quotes: Hyaaaaaa!! Don't get cocky! More power!! Rust and Crumble!! This is the end! Extra notes!  While the final boss itself might be a little mediocre, the ending is most certainly NOT. The destruction of X’s body here is ~incredibly~ significant in that it marks the true end of the X-series games. Though said series has never really rapped itself up (and, in fact, ended X8 on a cliffhanger), it gives a sense of closure that I really appreciate, given how Capcom has a thing about leaving their plots open-ended for more sequels. The Zero games are really good about that, giving you what you need and then moving on, and it seems kind of fitting to me that X sacrificed himself (or, at least, his body) to protect humanity in a non-violent fashion. I’d make some kinda dumb memorial thing, but uh, somebody a little more famous than I already pulled that one, and as much as I’d like to make my own sepia-toned tribute to a kinda dead video game character, I think the world is only capable of handling the one. Point is this is a cool moment, and although it didn’t quite hit home with me given that this was the first Mega Man game I’d really played, I’m sure it was a REAL SHOCKER to veterans. Elpizo's name means "to hope" in Greek, and his fall from grace is made more poignant by it. Speaking of X, according to extraneous sources, the shock of using his body as a seal is what separated his consciousness and power in Cyber-elf form; in fact, it actually separated his “soul” into 5 PIECES, with the other four pieces being used to create the four Guardians, so they’re both constructed in his image and partially ARE him. WEIRD. Apparently the main Cyber-X has all the personality though, although I question that a bit seeing how unperturbed he was by the fact that he is now without a body. Boss quotes! Like Harpuia’s first fight, the Yggdrassil bosses all have a little bit of taunting they give you if you die to them. It’s all inane Elpizo-worshipping stuff (they were presumably mind-controlled by the Baby Elves as he traveled up the tree) but my duty as a Let’s Player™ compels me to include it. Soooo…  - The new world…The new order…The new peace…Master Elpizo, forever! - The new world…The new order…The new peace…Master Elpizo, forever! - The new world…The new order…The new peace…Master Elpizo, forever. Bobobobhfa…! - We are ready to define our destiny…Master Elpizo, forever…Ribbid! - Another chapter in history is about to unfold…Master Elpizo, forever! - History is about to be written…  - Master Elpizo, forever…And the bond between the Anchus brothers shall live forever…Music! For the most part, the music introduced in the final stage and ending are all super-high quality. …I say for the most part, because again, I don’t especially care for the final boss theme. HOWWWWWEVER. While that’s true, the others really are top-tier. Silver wolf, Yggdrassil’s theme, is just amazing and very final area-y, and I can’t help but feel the naming’s supposed to be some subtle reference to play on the place’s Norse inspiration, like an allusion to Fenrir or something. Elpizo’s the wolf, X is the Odin he devours? Or something. It also acts as a bit of foreshadowing for the series ending, so there’s that too. Elpizo’s first form theme, Supreme ruler, I’ve already given my accolades to, but I have to reiterate just how good it is. The bass is strong in this one, and that 3-note sting they use right at the beginning is suspiciously similar to the one used in Elpizo’s main theme, Combustion. Following that is In Mother’s light, which is a great atmospheric track that closes the game in excellent fashion, builds further and further up until about 2:10, and then loops til the end of the scene. It’s constructed in such a way that you’ll generally hear the calming, gentle parts as Elpizo meets his ultimate fate, then get hit by the later, more ominous parts when the Dark elf reverts and you get the ending cliffhanger, and is just generally very fitting. The title also alludes to a tidbit of information the series hasn’t yet given, which is a cool touch. And finally, closing the main game is the ending credits theme, titled “Awakening will”. For this one I’m just gonna let you listen because it’s that good, but make sure to open THIS in a separate tab to compare. If there’s any reason to sit through a credits sequence, this is it. Silver Wolf Supreme Ruler The Last -The Wish Punished- In Mother’s Light Awakening Will Gamwhiz1 fucked around with this message at 03:01 on Aug 12, 2014 |
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Aug 10, 2014 22:09
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Great job on a great game. When you started this, I wasn't sure if I would feel compelled to follow it up with my own LP at some point, but I really don't see a reason for that, you were really thorough and probably more industrious than I would have been. Considering I kind of bailed on doing extra stuff like you promised for Zero 1... You're right by the way, the final boss loving sucks, but hey - it's a godsend if you're not THAT good and still want that sweet S-Rank/hard mode completion. Once Elpizo is done for, the rest is smooth sailing.
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Aug 10, 2014 22:25
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Based on the strong mechanic parallels and the similarity in the transformation, I think Elpizo is meant to be a corrupted form of Copy X, the final boss of Zero 1. It may also indicate that the Dark elf had a similar role in producing Copy X and the Guardians, or at least in granting their second forms. That or my other suspicion, which is that the last 4 stages of the game were all done in crunch and that's why everything feels halfassed- large parts of the game were rushed out using assets from Zero 1 as a base. Really nice playing, I loved the LP. Discendo Vox fucked around with this message at 00:20 on Aug 11, 2014 |
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Aug 11, 2014 00:05
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Watched the main vids of this LP the past two days and it's good! As for the final fight, it makes sense to me to be let down since I figure that's how Zero would feel as well. Elpizo was a pretty good match but Zero was better and then he got desperate since his trump card didn't cut it. That's a basic mistake and really couldn't work the other way around for Elpizo. Now all I want to do is find my old carts and get to some replaying though!
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Aug 11, 2014 00:37
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Great LP man. I've been playing the Zero Collection myself recently. While I do think there's a lot to like about Zero 2, it's more frustrating aspects like the way too tight skill level was honestly too much for me. Still haven't beaten it yet, and I skipped to Zero 3 (Which is my personal favourite) and Zero 4. On that note, I guess it's good that IntiCreates seemed to learn from Elpizo's crappy second form when designing the Omega battle.
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Aug 11, 2014 00:50
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Was that 'Meeeee!!' screeching from the Dark Elf supposed to be a scream, or a declaration of self?
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Aug 11, 2014 02:12
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Valgaav posted:Was that 'Meeeee!!' screeching from the Dark Elf supposed to be a scream, or a declaration of self? Those were actually the baby elves, not the Dark Elf. And, well, they're named that for a reason. Alouette started to teach them how to talk, but then Elpizo WHISKED THEM AWAY and so they're only really capable of babbling. That was them gettin' spooked by the Dark elf's sudden transformation into Lightelf and flying the coop. So, neither - it was just an odd choice of babbybabble they used. E; I'm rewatching this thing from the beginning and I'm both appalled and pleased. Lots of problems with it, but I ended up catching on later down the line and fixing things up a bit. Muting breaths, redoing flubbed lines, better general delivery, more interesting posts (and extra joke links in the boss movesets). Still enjoying it though, I had fun making this and definitely think I improved because of it~. I'd prefer if it didn't take me a good half-year to wrap it up though :V Gamwhiz1 fucked around with this message at 03:31 on Aug 11, 2014 |
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Aug 11, 2014 02:51
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I kinda wish they had've done a Frieza-esque thing with Elpizo. Maybe have another form that you fight first, then the bulky angel form, then finally the powered up knight form. However, so many newer Megaman games end with giant angel like bosses, I guess that they were following the trend. But anyway, I really enjoyed this LP. It made me want to get the collection for DS and start playing them. Any plans to do 3?
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Aug 11, 2014 13:41
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Hoss Corncave posted:But anyway, I really enjoyed this LP. It made me want to get the collection for DS and start playing them. Any plans to do 3? Yes, but not for a while. Need a break from Zero, so I'm gonna start up a a different GBA game staring a Robot dude killing things in his underwear first, after I finish the copious amounts of research it requires. Been preparing for it the last few months, so I should be able to start it soonish? Probably? I dunno. Wanna run a couple test videos first.
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Aug 11, 2014 17:57
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Why. Why do you torture me so.
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Aug 11, 2014 19:04
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Rigged Death Trap posted:Why. Comedy answer: Zero 3 LP done, watch now! (  DO NOT ACTUALLY DO THIS, IT DOES NOT GET BETTER)ALSO IT'S GAM NOT GAME DON'T LISTEN TO HIM
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Aug 11, 2014 19:31
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Gamwhiz1 posted:Yes, but not for a while. Need a break from Zero, so I'm gonna start up a a different GBA game staring a Robot dude killing things in his underwear first, after I finish the copious amounts of research it requires. Been preparing for it the last few months, so I should be able to start it soonish? Probably? I dunno. Wanna run a couple test videos first. I won't lie, I'll be awaiting the Zero 3 LP if and when you get to it, considering it's my favorite game of the series.
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Aug 11, 2014 20:59
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But what about those black bars covering ranking? I must know. I just must.
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Aug 11, 2014 21:11
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 >>BONUS POST INCOMING<< "Dumb things and long videos no one really asked for" Hey, you know how quick Elpizo went down? Remember how boring it was cutting him down with super OP weapons? Remember how you asked OP to fix that up for you? ...no? Oh, well, crap, guess I didn't have to make this then. WELL EITHER WAY HERE'S A VIDEO OF ME DESTROYING BOTH FORMS OF THE FINAL BOSS, USING ONLY SINGLE BUSTER PELLETS, NO ELVES OR CHIPS, AND WITHOUT GETTING DAMAGED. BECAUSE OP IS SLIGHTLY CRAZY AND HAS A LOT OF FREE TIME. ---------- BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE DA's talented team of fanartists have made many tributes to Mr. Elpizo and his elves and his moderate insanity. Like this one!  Mmmmm yeah look at all that talent. SO, ON THAT NOTE, I EXTENDED THE FINAL BOSS THEMES TO 1 HOUR EACH. Supreme Ruler gets all the Elpizo fan art I could squeeze into a 30 minute Windows Movie Maker sesh, while The Last -The Wish Punished- gets nada because it is poopoo and nobody likes Elpizo: Dark Fusion enough to make fan art of him apparantly. So uh, here. Megaman Zero 2 Elpizo final boss theme - Supreme ruler (Original hyper extended 1 hour+ edition) Megaman Zero 2 Elpizo final boss theme - The Last The Wish Punished (Hyper extended 1 hour edition) ---------- BUT WAIT THERE’S EVEN MORE EVER WONDER WHAT THE WONDEROUS LAND OF LP FOLDER FROM WHICH VIDEOS SPRING FORTH FULLY FORMED LOOKS LIKE  This. This is what it looks like. I’m primarily preserving this just because I’m gonna do a massive purge of my HDD and all of this will be consumed by Lord Atomos, devourer of files, but you get to see it too I guess? For the record, the current folder size is 111gb, but I’ve already gotten rid of a good half of the older/really huge stuff, so it’s probably closer to 200 total.  Everything’s nice and organized, a place for everything and everything in its place and whatnot. Similar things await you in the two raw folders, and it’s where anything relating to the video/audio files and edits go.  This organization is especially necessary for the commentary, which is for the most part a monstrous, Frankenstinian amalgamation of 1 to 3 minute clips to make it easier on my poor dry mouth. Usually takes an hour min, 3 hours max to get all the bits and pieces sorted out in a way I’m satisfied with. All the starting/stopping points get decided beforehand (usually any time there’s a break in the video) and recorded in a word doc and eventually saved in a file titled “Timestamps and editing guidelines”. The complete, complete.output and complete+music files, for the record, are the initial stitching together, the output from Levelator, and said output after being combined with an exported .wav of the video and edited for audio balancing.  The “Muxed” folder is where all the sexy final uploads live. These are the result of the “complete+music” file being combined with the initial file in Vdub (or Vegas, if need be) and run through MeGui. Nice and small, so that my shite internet is capable of uploading them in only an hour or two, as opposed to a full day. These will likely be the only survivors of the upcoming file Armageddon.  Posts, intuitively, contain the mess of BBcode that eventually gets strewn haphazardly over the thread. Usually they’re not entirely complete, and I fix/improve formatting and typos I missed by previewing over and over on SA before closing my eyes and hoping nothing breaks as I press post, but just in case they DO explode I at least have a backup to work off of.  Within posts are also subfolders for SSLP and normal post pics. SSLP is fairly standard stuff, screenshots and profiles and transparency and the like, but pictures can be a bit messy because I only realized how bloated this was gonna get after getting a few parts in. Not pictured: the 50 or so random graphics and edits located below.  Last interesting folder is title card, where all the templates for the sucky buttons are spawned. I initially made it solely in MS paint, setting transparency with Ifranview, but I kinda sorta have Zero artistic talent, and while that fact is vaguely punny given the name of this game’s title character, it also means that there’s a whole bunch of wasted space, unnecessary sections (Form:N/A Form:N/A Form:N/A Form:N/A…), and a fairly ugly bit of aliasing on the circle in the top-right corner, making it in general kinda bad. More recently I’ve been playing around in Paint.Net instead, and could probably make a far better version nowadays, but OH WELL. At the very least, it’s better than the first draft I cooked up a ways back…  ---------- BUT WAIT You can stop waiting now because that’s all. Gonna be an actual video thing to close this thread off (and also complete the last row of videos in the OP), but I had these dumb things lying around and figured I’d add em, and the idea of LPing my folder entertained me enough to waste an hour doing it. Gamwhiz1 fucked around with this message at 23:14 on Aug 11, 2014 |
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Aug 11, 2014 22:51
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The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Games > Let's Play! > I have 99 Folders Mega Man Zero 2 is all of them - Let's play Windows Explorer! Comparing the way you organize your files with mine is like night and day. I have one folder for all raws, one for all images, one for all project files and another one for all finished videos. Everything else, like the update posts goes into the folder those other four are in. That's how I roll. IGgy IGsen fucked around with this message at 23:19 on Aug 11, 2014 |
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Aug 11, 2014 23:17
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For those of us who can't wait (and I mean no disrespect to Gamwhiz), can anyone recommend any playthroughs of MMZ3&4? I wanna know how it ends now, damnit! 
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Aug 11, 2014 23:40
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I just remembered something that I don't think you ever mentioned. If you hold down when you do a jumping slash, if you haven't got the down-stab EX skill equipped, Zero keeps his saber held out as he falls and it can keep hitting things until you land. E: Also I think I know what's up with the black bars around ranking. Some of the ranks have two words in them, which would get put on two lines. The black for the background is slightly different from the black around the letters for some reason. Dabir fucked around with this message at 00:14 on Aug 12, 2014 |
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Aug 12, 2014 00:04
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So what are the other Ranks, anyway? Anything amusing in there?
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Aug 12, 2014 09:05
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Valgaav posted:So what are the other Ranks, anyway? Anything amusing in there? I considered doing a thing on them, but it's really kinda bland and uninteresting so I ended up scrapping the idea. THIS PAGE has basically all the info you're ever gonna need on the rankings. The long and short of it is, there's two ranking "sections", each of which pulls from a pool of terms to give an overview of your playstyle. First area reflects things like cleartime, number of missions S-ranked in a row, damage tanked, ext. Second section is for things like weapon usage and elf usage. So, for example, a ranking of "Lightning chainman" would mean you finished in under or just over Par time while using the chainrod 70% of the time, and one of "Wounded gunman" would mean you used the buster a lot, but took tons of damage. Thing about it is, the S-rank ones seem to take priority, and they're only one-liners, so if you're doing really well then your ranking's pretty much only going to be Hero-Valiant-Savior-Redeemer. Really the only entertaining one is "Elf Killer" for using entirely too many elves, because the game just can't not guilt you over them. Zero 1 had some more entertaining ones, like "Fearful" for aborting or "Lazy" for F-ranking 3 in a row, but they got removed in Zero 2. Gamwhiz1 fucked around with this message at 19:51 on Aug 12, 2014 |
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Aug 12, 2014 19:40
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   Cool, and not-so-cool, extra stuff! Stage notes! Gallery mode, unlocked after beating the game on hard mode, is a cool extra, if a little unnecessary. Most of the image names are kinda boring and unimaginative, but Elpizo’s scary-rear end eye with the title “watch” has always amused me. Also, for the record, it later occurred to me that “R. Elpizo” might stand for “Ruler Elpizo” – coming from his boss music “Supreme Ruler”. The levels used for multiplayer are the only other new things to crop up here, and I’m not gonna lie, they’re some of the most hilarious things I’ve ever seen included in a retail release. “Time attack” features 3 stages, the first of which is made from the temple textures, the second of which utilizes the forest ruins, and the third of which is…temple again. And they all suck. Meanwhile, “Enemy battle” and “Get items” mode are in the forest ruins and the temple, respectively. And they both suck. I honestly cannot BEGIN to fathom why these were included in the game, or why anyone wasted even a minute on this drivel. The framerate stutters constantly, the stages are unimaginative and bland, and the music. Oh, god, the music. I’m gonna let you see for yourself, because it really is a spectacle to behold, but rest assured it’s something special. This entire thing boggles my mind, because parts of it actually seem to have thought put into it, like the decent (and entirely unique) menu music, or the preparation screen that lets each participant load from a save file and choose from any of their unlocked forms. It’s some decent stuff, which then leads into the literal blandest stage designs possible and an honest-to-god 4 second long looped drum sample. My best guess as to what’s going on here is that they had some test environments lying around, and some dude with way too much time on his hands said “hey, can I design an interface to use that sweet link-cable port?” and then just dumped said environments in and called it multiplayer. Said dude probably also spent a couple hours with Magix or something and went home quite pleased with himself. To my knowledge, this mode was removed entirely from the DS collection, and I think we can honestly say that nothing of value was lost. Forms! =Ultimate Form=  The Ultimate form is the final reward you’ll be getting in the main game, a form only bestowed upon those who selfishly choose to consume each and every Cyber-elf in the game prior to completion. Power-*** Defense-*** Speed-*** Having absorbed the energy of over 80 helpless lifeforms, Zero’s body evolves to a state beyond any previously experienced. His normal form’s stats are all boosted to a level above their norm, he loses nothing in return, and his body itself seems to ooze power from ever orifice, tinting his normal colors a deeper, richer shade than they were previously. The most drastic change, however, comes from his energy-channeling abilities. Previously, Zero had to level and charge his weapons prior to unleashing a devastating strike, but he now has such a surplus of energy he’s able to pull them off with nary a thought. However, in order to prevent him from destroying his very body with the energy output, Zero has to channel the power in very specific ways to produce the desired outcome, which manifests itself in simple, Street fighter-esqe button commands you can input while playing as the Ultimate form in order to produce things like instantaneous charged saber slashes. The game doesn’t tell you them straight-out, but they’re all fairly simplistic – Here’s a full list, shamelessly stolen from another site because I don’t play pro fightans and don’t know how to communicate most of these: -Buster Level 1:  + Buster -Buster Level 2: + Buster -Saber:  + Saber -Chain Rod:  + Chain Rod -Shield Boomerang:  + Shield BoomerangThe Ultimate form is actually a continuation of a Zero 1 unlockable known as the “Ultimate mode”, which was only unlocked upon killing all Cyber-elves (including Jackson) and finishing the game, which meant it took a minimum of two playthroughs and a buttload of E-crystals to get, but here, with a bit of effort, it can be earned in only a single run. The combos were also in the first game, but here, the form gives an across-the-board stat boost as well, which means there’s really no reason to ever not use it. Personally, I have a love-hate relationship with the thing. It looks freakin’ sweet and has great stats, but at the same time I’m utter trash at performing the combos, and because I’ll inevitably attempt to anyway I’m constantly running into enemies. If you’re good at em, then knock yourself out, but note that all the permanent Cyber-elf effects you’ve used (which, in this case, is all of them) will continue to be active and affect your score, which means you’re neither getting nor seeing another EX skill in that file ever again. Because of this, I usually don’t bother playing with it (because EX skills are cool), but if you want easy mode this is essentially it. Music! I went a bit into the music already, but still. As previously stated, the menu music is actually fairly decent, and tertiary research tells me that it’s been recognized and remixed a few times under the name “Red Time”. A cool name if I do say so myself. The other one, though, well. I personally don’t have any idea what they were thinking with this one, though I recommend you check it out – it really is just a looping, crackly drum sample looped over and over. Literally any in-game track would be better to use; they put literally Zero effort into this, and so I too put exactly Zero effort into removing the occasional sound of exploding bombs. I really wish I could end this Let’s Play on a more positive note, but nope, this track is going to live on in infamy, forever positioned as the last thing to be written about. Red Time Multiplayer Game ---------- On that note,  ~THANKS FOR READING, EVERYONE! See you next time!~
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Aug 14, 2014 18:27
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Gamwhiz1 posted:The most drastic change, however, comes from his energy-channeling abilities. Previously, Zero had to level and charge his weapons prior to unleashing a devastating strike, but he now has such a surplus of energy he’s able to pull them off with nary a thought. However, in order to prevent him from destroying his very body with the energy output, Zero has to channel the power in very specific ways to produce the desired outcome, which manifests itself in simple, Street fighter-esqe button commands you can input while playing as the Ultimate form in order to produce things like instantaneous charged saber slashes. The game doesn’t tell you them straight-out, but they’re all fairly simplistic – Here’s a full list, shamelessly stolen from another site because I don’t play pro fightans and don’t know how to communicate most of these: Just read them as if Zero was facing right and they refer to the motion of the joystick (d = down, f = forward, b = back). Buster level 1 is a Hadouken/Fireball/qcf/d,df,f motion Buster level 2 is a Shinkuu Hadouken/Super Fireball/qcf,qcf/qcfx2/d,df,f,d,df,f/d,df,fx2 motion Saber is a Banishing Flat/Green Hand/qcd/f,df,d motion Chain Rod is a Shoryuken/Dragon Punch/dp/f,d,df motion Shield Boomerang is a Tatsu/Hurricane Kick/qcb/d,db,b motion That's pretty much it for those motions. If you want extra VF notation, you can use the numerical keypad for directions.
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Aug 14, 2014 19:47
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Fantastic LP.  Zero 2 came out when I was getting tired of Capcom's repetitive writing, and while Zero 1 subverted many of the franchise's usual conventions, Zero 2 took it a step further. Most Megaman games are fairly episodic and self-contained, and they were setting up Elpizo as this game's Antagonist of the Then he destroys X and sets the Dark Elf loose on the world. It is kind of a shame that the focus of the plot changes between 2 and 3 (Zero 1 and 2 explore the relationship between humans and Reploids, Zero 3 and 4 are instead about Zero's growth as a character) because the setting could have used more development, especially after Elpizo's shenanigans. Also making the rematch against both of the Anchus brothers was genius. I wish they did this kind of thing more often, not necessarily making you fight multiple bosses at once, but putting a twist on the rematch.
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Aug 15, 2014 02:22
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I do agree with you about the end boss. Like, he turns into the battle station first and then when that's damaged goes all I WON'T LOSE and tries to rush you down. Thanks for the complete experience, though! It was great and maybe a little cathartic to watch you no-hit those bosses.
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Aug 17, 2014 03:26
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E; blargh, didn't mean to post, ignore V: Was testing some cleanup prior to archivin~
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Aug 18, 2014 19:08
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I am really looking forward to when you start Zero 3. This was an absolutely incredible LP of the game.
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Aug 18, 2014 22:46
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Here's a bit of trivia. That 4-beat drum sample in the multiplayer stages is the Megaman 2 "Weapon Get" music. Take a listen to both and you'll hear what I mean.
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Aug 24, 2014 08:28
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SGR posted:Here's a bit of trivia. That 4-beat drum sample in the multiplayer stages is the Megaman 2 "Weapon Get" music. Take a listen to both and you'll hear what I mean. Holy poo poo, I haven't even checked and I'm already hearing it in my head. Good freakin catch! (it's a bajillion times better in Megaman 2 tho)
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Aug 24, 2014 11:17
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Bumpin' to avoid falling into the cavernous, voracious MAW of the broken archives.
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Sep 24, 2014 16:16
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Few things! One: BUMPITY BUMP. How long will this be necessary? Only Baldurk and/or whoever's in charge of FIXING THE ARCHIVES can say. Two: Hey you missin' getting a slice of lazy dumbname guy's commentary every month and a half? Well the thing that's standing between you and Zero 3 (boo! hiss!) is up an' runnin, so you can go yell at me to finish it up quicker or something. I mentioned my intentions for my next lp a couple times in here so figured I might as well link it, it'll be the only time though. And three: Simply Simon posted:When you started this, I wasn't sure if I would feel compelled to follow it up with my own LP at some point, but I really don't see a reason for that, you were really thorough and probably more industrious than I would have been. Considering I kind of bailed on doing extra stuff like you promised for Zero 1... Fuuuuuck I didn't notice this, please do your own lp Simon, I realize you probably won't read this but I know people who really like your stuff and I want to be able to watch a playthrough too without having to cringe at my own flubbed lines and dumb words every couple minutes. You were here first, don't let my thread stop you
Gamwhiz1 fucked around with this message at 09:00 on Oct 23, 2014 |
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Oct 23, 2014 07:33
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