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 Welcome to LifeSigns: Hospital Affairs--you may know this game also as LifeSigns: Surgical Unit if you live in the US, as there it was published under that name; it's the exact same game though. It's basically a localisation of a Japanese Nintendo DS game, published by Spike and named originally Medical Intern Tendo Dokuta 2: Balance of Life (I can see why they changed the name). The game was originally published in 2005, and US and EU versions respectively in 2007 and 2008.    Above you can see all three covers, in increasing order of garishness (EU, US, JP). So, you might be wondering about that number 2 in the Japanese title? Well, turns out, this game is actually a sequel to another DS game (entitled appropriately Medical Intern Tendo Dokuta) but this one was never actually released outside of Japan. So, yeah, we have here a sequel to a game that was never released in English. But don't worry, there are very few references to the first game, and if I hadn't told you this now, you would never even have noticed that much is amiss. But, to make things even easier, I will even show the relevant parts of the first game in situations where it actually does matter; it's going to be quite a while before we get to that part though. See also the note on this below! In any case, this sequel covers the second year of residency of a medical intern named Tendo Dokuta (not coincidentally, Dokuta is also Japanese transliteration of the English word "doctor") and the shortest description would be that it is a cross between the Trauma Centre series and the Phoenix Wright series. Some would maybe rather say "bastard child" instead of "cross", but I actually like this game (and anyway, the first game, released in 2004, actually predates the Trauma Centre games, believe it or not). If you want a comparison to TV shows, let's say that this is Scrubs to Trauma Centre's E. R. Although the storylines can get just a touch melodramatic on occasion, the tongue remains firmly in cheek, and many of the characters are just as whimsical as those in Phoenix Wright. What about gameplay? Well, it's basically a visual novel where you sometimes have to do stuff such as: diagnose patients, perform operations, and a few other things. If nothing else, medical part of this game is much more grounded in reality compared to Trauma Centre (although that doesn't mean that operations are easy). Finally, a word on localisation... this game remains thoroughly Japanese, so it's not set in some weird Los Angeles full of buddhist shrines, and all characters retain their Japanese names, to the point that the game actively uses honorifics most of the time (which I personally find a bit annoying, but eh). Translation is a little bit careless, and we'll see a few blunders on that topic, mostly related to wrong pronouns being used to refer to a person (male/female mixup) which can be funny every once in a while. I will try to correct this where possible when it happens. The bigger issue is that localisation of more specific Japanese customs and culture (of which there is lot in this game) is often bungled in very bad ways. In these cases I will try to provide some comments on what is actually being said/talked about, based also in part on the original Japanese version of the game which I will be checking in parallel for exactly these reasons. Before we begin, just two notes: 1. There aren't really huge mysteries to be spoiled in this game, but nevertheless if you post please at least use spoiler tags and exercise best judgment. 2. While this game is most definitely an equivalent of a PG rating, it does feature infrequently drawings of people's naked torso midsections during examination or operation parts. If you don't want to be seen browsing stuff like that, exercise caution, although no actual nudity of "naughty bits" is ever seen. In fact, the very first update features some of this so you can get an example. Let me know if you want me to mark these parts somehow or do something else about it. A final note from my future self: The original intention was to show only a few short bits from the first Japan-only game, but ultimately what ended up happening is the playthrough of the entire second half of that game, plus some relevant bits from the first half were included below. They are in updates 54-68, and while strictly speaking, they are not 100% necessary for understanding the sequel, I would strongly recommend reading them anyway (best is to simply read them in sequence exactly where they are listed below), because: (a) the first game is a lot of fun and has a more focused plot with almost no filler, and more importantly (b) it really does help to clarify where all of the characters stand in relation to each other. Note that this was translated from the original Japanese by yours truly, so it's hardly super-polished, but the plot should be understandable enough, regardless.                                                             ivantod fucked around with this message at 15:44 on Apr 23, 2017 |
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Jun 13, 2015 21:18
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OTHER GAMES PLAYED IN THIS THREAD Note: all of these are played blind (or with a help of a guide) and have been (clumsily) translated from Japanese by yours truly. Anata Wo Yurusanai (You Will Not Be Forgiven)  (currently playing) A PSP game about a private detective whose messy private life interferes in a bad way with the cases that she's trying to work on. Features very cool art style and a jazzy soundtrack produced by Nobuo Uematsu! Go to the first post by clicking here! The Inugami Family A mystery visual novel by FromSoftware, starring the famous Japanese detective Kindaichi Kousuke. This one is about weird happenings after the will of a recently deceased corporation president is read! Set in the late 40's Japan, it also features a number of interesting historical tidbits and a decidedly unique art style--no anime to be found in this one! Go to the first post by clicking here! Galileo  A visual novel game based on a popular Japanese TV show whereby an eccentric university professor (seen above on the left) and a rookie police detective (seen on the right) together solve weird murder cases which seem to have been caused by supernatural causes (but invariably in the end turn out not to have been!). The cases follow the TV episodes closely, but the game looks good visually and in the end was a lot of fun to go though. Go to the first post by clicking here! The Glory of the Batista Team  This one turned up in a desperate attempt to find more medical games after finishing both Lifesigns games! Wish I knew then what I know now, as this game didn't turn out to be super fantastic. If you do read this, feel free to skip the second case as it's complete nonsense and will just make you annoyed. The first and the last case are ok, and the third case gets by just about. The game features a team of investigators from the Japanese Ministry of Health who investigate weird medical cases (e.g. suspicious patient deaths on the operating table, that sort of stuff). Also, the weird name of the game is just the name of the first case, becasue that one is based on a book/movie/tv show. The other three cases were written especially for the game. Go to the first post by clicking here! ivantod fucked around with this message at 20:25 on Apr 26, 2020 |
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Jun 13, 2015 21:18
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  Hey, I know these guys, they did Dangan Ronpa... luckily this game is nothing like that one, so we're good.     ...Suzu-sensei...  Really?! There are no emergency patients today... We can finally relax a bit. Suzu-sensei... This is actually a reference to the first game, which covered first year of residency. There will be more of these references, but as mentioned, most of them don't really impact the story, so they are safe to ignore. You've taught me so much, Suzu-sensei. I am really grateful. You're being hasty. There is still another year left in your internship. That's... true. I'm told that a new intern will be joining us this year. I'll have to work even harder.  Oh...?  Tendo, come closer... But... I... Why are you hesitating, Tendo? But... it's just that...  Dr.Tendo! Hoshi-san! What are you doing here? Dr.Tendo, you asked me to meet you here, didn't you? I... I did?!  You're out here, looking at the cherry blossoms... With her... No, this is... a misunderstanding... Right, Suzu-sensei? Oh! ... Professor Sawai! Why are you out here looking at the cherry blossoms with Professor Sawai? No... Suzu-sensei was out here a couple of minutes ago...  That's... A sudden shot of a speeding ambulance....  ...are you doing here? Wait, where did all these people come from? Most of them are actually characters in the game who we'll meet in due course, so don't worry about remembering their names right now. Chief Nurse Florence... where did you come from? ...your emergency! Dr.Ueto, you too... The patient... will die...  ...sake!?    Could not have put it more succinctly myself, really!        Ah, well, that explains a lot.  That's... stupid...? Doctor, are you OK? Are you having a bad dream?! What? Where is everybody? All of the other doctors have gone home.Wait, is he like alone in that hospital or...? (I see... That's the night shift for you. I must have fallen asleep... Wow, what a strange dream...) What time is it? Around 10 pm. Why are you still here, Hoshi-san?!  ...longer than I have. What's going on? A patient just came in by ambulance. You'd better take!a look. I see. Let's go.  And finally we get an episode title... there are five in total, but they are quite long each. This is a looong game in general.  Thanks, game, for letting us now we are in a hallway. Because it's really not obvious at all. What is the patient's condition? The patient's name is Asuza Inose-san. A 21 year old female. She's complaining of nausea and severe abdominal pain. She collapsed at work, and was brought in by ambulance. Note taken: Asuza Inose: severe abdominal pain. I'll explain this in a moment, but basically these notes allow us to bring these topics up in a conversation with someone else. (Hmm... appendicitis?)It may not seem so, but this is actually also a reference to the first game... but we'll get to that soon. (If so, I wonder how long it's been since the pain started.) Note taken: Asuza Inose: suspected appendicitis. For now, we get another one of these. As soon as I've examined her we'll run the standard tests. Can you get them ready?  Finally, we get to actually do something! It's not really much, though, just those two buttons at the bottom. The transfer button simply allows us to go to a different part of hospital, and we'll see it inaction in just a moment. Medical Record is just the same thing as Court Record in Phoenix Wright...  ...various important facts and objects are stored here, for us to be able to "present" them when the need arises! This we will also see in action in just a few moments. Let's look at what we have so far other than the two notes which we've seen and which are in the middle...  This one just shows us briefly who we are... Dr. Tendo, second year medical intern.  I guess like the attorney badge?  By using the Transfer button, we are presented with a hospital map highlighting the available locations. It's a really big hospital! Normally, locations that have another person present in them will have this noted like in the example below.  If we choose the circle on the right, it's the examination room--the game helpfully shows that there is somebody there, but we don't know who. For known characters the game will simply show their portrait here. Ok, let's head to the examination room.    ...to him. We can skip this bit as she explains how to talk to people. She does succeed in making it sound a little bit dirty, though. (Don't worry, the game is strictly PG rated). Also note the first instance of pronoun trouble in translation (since our patient is clearly female, not to mention that it was said explicitly in just a few sentences ago!). This will happen somewhat often, or at least more often than it should--darn that Japanese language and its lack of gender in grammar! In any case, I will generally correct these when they come up so they don't impede following the story. Does not seem they ever even played through the game once it was all translated... or they did and just did not care. The English version of this game did get a bit of a red-headed step-child treatment, unfortunately. OK, well, let's talk to him... er, I mean her.    If we present one of our notes to her, we can get more information--indeed, most of the time this will be required in order to progress the plot. We don't get penalised for presenting the wrong thing, though. Did you collapse at work?! Yes, I work at a nearby school. One of the students was fooling around and accidentally kicked me in the stomach. So you're a teacher? No, I work in the offices. In fact, I don't even like children. I understand. I'm a doctor but I don't like needles. I wouldn't tell my younger sister that though. You have a sister? Yeah, she's in the sixth grade. Really? That's a big age difference. She must be noisy, like a little monkey or something. It's true. She's very lively... There's only four years difference in my case, but I don't understand my younger brother at all. Are you the oldest sibling? Yeah, it's just my brother and I. Note taken: Asuza Inose's family. Oh come on, OF COURSE we are going to meddle into their family business! What else? How long have you been in pain?! Four days, I think... That's a long time. Why have you left it this long? I've been busy with work. I haven't had time to have it taken care of. But it's been painful, right? That's why I came to see a doctor. (I get the impression that if she hadn't collapsed, she wouldn't have come at all.) At this point, we should use the stethoscope to start the examination. Unlike the attorney badge it actually does something!   So, here is our diagnostics screen. What we know is already filled in, but we still have to discover two more symptoms before we can finish the diagnosis.  ...and here is our examination screen. It's really quite simple. On the top right are three "tools". From left to right they are: stethoscope (to listen); hand (to palpate--examination by touch); and the last one is simply to look at something. We need to apply the right "tool" on the right part of patient's body to try and find out the symptoms (or to observe them). In this case, the patient reports abdominal pain, so we'll focus on that part.  First, let's listen a bit...   ...abdominal cavity is inflamed.)  This gives us another entry on the diagnostics screen.  Next, let's try to apply some pressure...   Does it hurt here? Yes, it does... I was in pain and feeling nauseous before, but... I thought I had just overeaten. And that completes this part of diagnosis.  Is your job at the school stressful? The truth is that stupid people stress me out more than the work does. That's... too bad... (This is... almost certainly acute appendicitis...) We'll have to perform some tests to confirm. Tests? We'll take an ultrasound of your abdomen to check if your appendix is swollen. It's ok, I don't need any tests. It's a waste of money. But if we don't do these tests, we won't know exactly... They say that real doctors can determine the problem through palpating alone. Er... what? Don't be unreasonable... Darn! I thought it was just a stomachache! Let's do the proper tests. Depending on the results, you may need surgery. What? Does that mean hospitalisation? That's absolutely impossible. What will I do about work? You'll have to take some time off... You should only be off for a week or so. But I don't have any sick days left! Who will pay me for the time? You? But if we leave it like this... your life might be in danger. Ouch! It hurts! Shoot... OK. I get it. All right, do it already.  So this is the ultrasound test. Above we have a healthy person and below is the one from our patient. We need to find the area that is different between them. Obviously, this being the game's first case, this one is quite easy, so...  (Hmm... Just as I thought... her appendix is enlarged.) (Ok. I have diagnosed the problem.) And finally, we have a diagnosis (which is Appendicitis, as suspected).  I have added a record entitled: Asuza Inose: examination result.  You're going to need an operation. What horrible luck. Let's sign you in and deal with the formalities needed for your stay. Put me in the cheapest room. And when will the operation take place?! I'd like to get it over with as soon as possible, so I can leave. If your blood test is OK, we can start early tomorrow morning. It hurts! Please, do whatever you have to do. I'll do my best to do everything you've asked. You just focus on getting better. Now there are a couple of places we can go...  Looks like nurse Florence is there. Let's go talk to her for a moment.  (This is... Florence Makiko Sakurada-san, The hospital's Chief Nurse. Florence was named after the famous historical figure, Florence Nightingale... or so they say.) Why... am I the master of the night shift room? He-he. Recently, I've heard gossip that you live in the night shift room. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I gave you the nickname. Oh, really?! I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't call me that. But why? It's so mysterious. It wouldn't seem right if newcomers started calling me that. Really? But I think it's a nice name.  So it's over with her last boyfriend then? And the gossip is that her new boyfriend works in this hospital. No! Really? Judging from your reaction... I'd say you have no idea who her new boyfriend might be... Right? It certainly isn't me, if that's what you're implying. Don't deny it. You're just cleverly covering it up! It is you isn't it?! If only... You're right. The "master of the night shift room" could hardly be Dr. Ueto's new boyfriend! Note taken: Gossip about Dr. Ueto. Yes, really. We're doing this.  Luckily, in fact, Dr. Ueto is right now in pediatrics, so next time we'll go and talk to her. Other than that, will we do the appendicitis operation in the next episode... or will we examine a patient? Or, perhaps, we will... engage in even more gossip? Tune in and find out! ivantod fucked around with this message at 15:30 on Apr 23, 2017 |
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Jun 13, 2015 21:18
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Oh hey it's this game. "Hospital affairs" is a better name, though I played the Surgical Unit one. It's...an odd one. I can't say it's bad, I liked it enough, but it never really...gelled...for me. I'll wait till the game's more in gear before posting about that though.
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Jun 13, 2015 22:54
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Hmm. A Trauma Centre and Phoenix Wright "crossover" in one game? This should be interesting. I'll be keeping my eye on this LP! Also, Asuza is certainly cheap. Doesn't she know that when you're having health problems it's stupid to request for cheap medication, procedures and not to hurry things along? But then again this IS video game logic.
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Jun 13, 2015 23:38
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Von Karma as a doctor. wow. This is going to be a strange game.
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Jun 13, 2015 23:45
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So, Phoenix Wright is basically a parody on the Japanese justice system, where, once it's decided you'll go to trial as a suspect, it's nearly impossible to walk away free. Is this game a parody on the Japanese medical system, where they apparently have no such thing as health insurance? It can't be as bad as the USA, can it?
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Jun 14, 2015 09:51
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Carbon dioxide posted:So, Phoenix Wright is basically a parody on the Japanese justice system, where, once it's decided you'll go to trial as a suspect, it's nearly impossible to walk away free. To be sure, I have no practical experience with Japanese health care system, but as far as I know it is much closer to the European system, e.g. hospitals are mandated by law to be run as non-profits, universal health insurance, and so on.
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Jun 14, 2015 11:26
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Phoenix Wright + Hospital is actually more like House, isn't it? Are we going to break into anyone's house?
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Jun 14, 2015 22:46
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The dialogue with the patient was pretty weird. Like the very first interaction between the doctor and the patient in pain is shooting the poo poo about family life.
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Jun 15, 2015 04:28
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I took one look at the thread title and was intrigued. Will there be magical surgery techniques?
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Jun 15, 2015 05:44
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Mraagvpeine posted:I took one look at the thread title and was intrigued. Will there be magical surgery techniques? If you mean drawing a pentagram and suddenly everything goes into slow-motion, then no, definitely not--they tried to keep surgeries in this one at least somewhat realistic! They aren't much easier than Trauma Centre though and some of them even contain a bit of a plot branch depending on how fast you do them! Of course, the game never tells you any of this. There is also a minigame similar to PW's Psyche Lock! Oh, hey, just realised that I forgot to mention that this game is also partially a dating sim! We haven't yet met all the eligible ladies, but yes, depending on your actions throughout the story you can end up with one of them at the end! In all honesty Lifesigns is just a whole lot of good fun in my opinion!
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Jun 15, 2015 20:47
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Can't believe I never heard of this game. Cool LP, looking forward to it.
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Jun 16, 2015 17:28
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Last time, we had a reluctant patient and also spent some time exchanging gossip with the nurses. One interesting bit of gossip was about our friend Dr. Ueto apparently having a new boyfriend. She has just finished her residency and is starting to work as a pediatrician. As a matter of fact, she just happens to be in the hospital right now, so let's go talk to her!    (I'm her junior by one year.) There are many emergency cases at night. Each can be very educational. Still, you can't live at the hospital. Actually, the hospital is very comfortable. There's heat and air-conditioning here. Well, just take care of yourself. People tend to forget about their own health during their second year. You start as a pediatrician tomorrow, right Dr. Ueto? Yeah, but I still feel a little nervous in emergencies. Finishing my internship isn't going to change things that much. year, Dr. Tendo? I'm not entirely sure yet, but probably the ER. Because you're so good at sewing?They mean suturing, and yes this is also a reference to Tendo's first year, depicted in the first game. Ha-ha! No, I won't decide based on that.You'll notice that we didn't ask her about the boyfriend rumour. In fact, you can do that, but the only result is that she gets upset and criticises you for being too forward/rude. Don't think it really influences anything, but better safe than sorry--we are missing literally one sentence.  Hoshi is over here in the nurses' room, so let's just confer with her quickly about our upcoming operation...  much pain.  With this game's translation, editing and grammar are very flexible concepts. At least content-wise it seems to be reasonably accurate, so there's that. She looks overworked. It's a good thing that she stayed at the hospital. Even though it was inconvenient. The operation is tomorrow morning. The anaesthesiologist? I booked Dr.Masui. This is the new schedule, which we'll begin following tomorrow. Oh right. We're also introducing a 24 hour anaesthesiologist shift. Received: Masui's schedule.  situations like the one tonight. If we introduce an overnight medical care system, the patients will feel more secure. And if you become part of it, that would really give us the edge. If we look over at the reception, there seems to be somebody unknown loitering about... So let's head over.  The amazing teleporting nurse Hoshi. At this time of night? Who is it? Who's this punk? Excuse me, can I help you? Oh, guess that's Asuza's brother then. (Sister? Is it possible that this person is...) If we present the note about Asuza's family to him... (If memory serves me, Asuza-san said that she's got a younger brother.) Are you related to Asuza-san? You're treating my sister? You don't look very dependable. You're wrong. Dr. Tendo is only a second year intern but is very capable of treating patients all by himself.That totally came out like a backhanded compliment, although it probably wasn't intended to. All right then. Where is my sister? Your sister has appendicitis and is scheduled for an operation tomorrow. Appendicitis? What's that? Well... Do you know blind gut? Blind gut? Why didn't you just say that in the first place? Will she be all right? Dr. Tendo is a very good doctor, so everything will be fine.      We know where to go. Let's see if we can get an idea what's the deal with these two anyway.    Do you have any other family? No, we don't. Eh? What? Don't be so stupid! You're being silly! Doctor, our parents died in a car accident. Oh, I'm sorry. Note Updated: Asuza Inose's family. We may be sorry, but we'll still take a note for future meddling! I killed our mother and father. Cut it out! But... it's a fact. Anyway, we have no parents. There's nobody else to contact. If the blood test is problem free, we'll operate tomorrow as scheduled. OK, thank you. I trust you. bad. And what does he mean by he killed his parents...?)   Episodes are kinda-sorta divided into days, and now we finally move on to the next one (although we started the game in the middle of the night, really).   I think we should start the day with some encouraging words from Hoshi, don't you?  Sorry that I made you work the night shift last night. No problem at all. I may not look like it, but I can handle the stress. The blood test didn't show any problems, so Asuza-san's operation will take place as scheduled. I asked Dr. Masui personally and he agreed. We do need to start preparing for the surgery, so let's stop by our mentor's office!    (She's the head of the Third Department of Surgery, and my supervisor.)  We'll show Asuza's exam results to her. The blood test didn't show any problems. We can begin the operation as scheduled. So, you'll be the doctor in charge and I'll be the consultant. Note taken: Doctor in charge of Asuza Inose! (Consultant. The person who assists the operating surgeon.) Again? Well! I went out on a date yesterday after being on my own for a long time. The guy didn't like comedies at all. ...How is that related to you drinking too much? Ouch, my head hurts! I'll start the preparatory meeting, so please go to the meeting room. All right, Doctor.Well, seems like a good place to stop here for now, before we continue what seem to be somewhat endless preparations for that simple appendectomy. Next time on Lifesigns: 
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Jun 16, 2015 20:30
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Owned this game, got pretty far before I stopped, no specific reason. It's a little bit VN for my tastes (lots of talking about nothing) but this LP has some good pacing, so I'll be following for sure.
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Jun 16, 2015 21:26
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A hungover doctor. This bodes well.
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Jun 16, 2015 21:37
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Hungover consultant and completely zoned out anaesthesiologist help rookie doctor operate on a patient that let her illness continue without treatment for far too long, likely making it far more risky. I can't see this ending well at all outside of a videogame, honestly. Also both brother and sister are jerks, wow.
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Jun 17, 2015 04:28
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It might be just the translation, but man everyone shits on Tendo hard. Phoenix Wright gets more respect than he does.
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Jun 17, 2015 04:36
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Yeah, ouch. Hospital comedy works pretty great when it's just personalities, but when that starts to touch professionalism... well, let me just say that anaesthesia is about as difficult IRL as knocking someone out with one punch and having them wake up fine hours later
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Jun 18, 2015 03:15
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 Last time, we had a bit of a talk with a very hung over Suzu-sensei about getting ready for Asuza's operation. There's been some mention of Dr. Masui, who happens to be our anaesthesiologist.  In fact, he is right now in the surgery prep room, so maybe not a bad time to go and make sure everything is ready from his end.    (He's absolutely indispensable during operations.) Today is operation day. Huh? What operation? What? ...Asuza Inose-san's operation. I haven't heard about that. Yes, we're going to have to show him that schedule... Hoshi-san said that she confirmed the operation with you yesterday... All right, I was teasing you. Of course, I heard. Hoshi-san asked me to be ready. Oh. Good. Listen, Dr.Tendo. I heard from Hoshi-san that she helped you yesterday during the night shift. But she had the day off. That ruined our date. Hoshi-san had a date with you?  Do you understand? Sure... Sorry about that. To make things worse, there will be an anaesthesiologist on duty 24-hours a day starting today. I'll have even less time off... What a nuisance. Well, I have to make preparations for Y.O.U.R. operation. Yes, of course... thank you....but it turns out that he was just joking with us, luckily. I'm not saying he's not a bit weird, though. Also note that the word "YOUR" above scrolls about as fast as "l.i.t.t.l.e m.o.n.e.y" did in the original version of THAT other game!  So Asuza's brother is here again...  It's you. We'll show him that note about their family situation. We really need to know more. Well, we don't actually, but what would we do if we didn't meddle into everybody's business, right? (This is Kouichi Inose, Asuza-san's younger brother) Note taken: About Kouichi Inose.  delicate. Please take care of her.  Despite my rough edges, I really do care about my sister. I am here to visit her before the operation. But... what about school? Is it all right? The first and second periods are breaks anyway.This all sounds rather suspicious, but I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of it soon. (Break time for the first period?) The operation will start shortly, so if you'd like to talk to your sister, now is the time. OK... No problem.A few moments later, in Azusa's room...     I guess it's about the money... It doesn't matter how much I work, there will never be enough. Here, that's all for this month. Thanks. I'm indebted. (Money... pocket money?) You've got what you wanted, right? Go to school now. All right. Kouichi, you haven't gone to school yet?! I'm going now. See ya. I'll come back later. You don't have to come back. Wow, you're mean. Oh, poor you.Yeah, things are definitely not right between these two.   Will the operation begin soon? Yes, it will. Everything's ready. Who's going to perform the surgery? We'll present the note about Suzu-sensei putting us in charge of Asuza. I will be your surgeon. You, doctor? You look like you'd faint if you saw blood. Will you be OK? I'll be all right. I am a doctor even though I may not look like one. I'll also be in charge of your aftercare. At your service. I'd like to ask you a question. How much is the operation going to be? It should take about 2 hours. I'm not asking about time... The money! How much will it cost? With the insurance around, ooh, 70-80 thousand yen, I think.Yeah, the localisation team didn't even bother to convert these amounts... I guess you can take off the last two zeros to get the amount in dollars, so about $800. Huh? What's the matter? Could you maybe give me a discount? I really don't make those choices... I thought you said you'd take care of me after the operation? I'm sorry that I can't be more help...I guess she is honestly what you would call a "high-maintenance" patient...  Anyway, let's keep moving, since we do have an operation to get ready for (but just seem to be constantly distracted left and right).  Oh, man, what is it now? I have a message from Professor Sawai. He wants you to meet him in his office. (Professor Sawai. He's the head of the First Surgery Department...) Oh really? OK, I understand. Dr. Tendo, have you and Professor Sawai... reconciled? No. We don't need to make up or anything, because we never fought in the first place. But the nurses say that your relationship with Professor Sawai is tense! Is that all gossip? still father and son. Wait, what? Well, in actual fact, this was a big plot point in the first game so it isn't necessarily intended to be a surprise... but it kind of comes off as a nice and interesting one if you didn't play it. Father and son meet again on the battleground that is a medical hospital! How dramatic! (That's right, Professor Sawai is my REAL father. My mother left Sawai while she was pregnant with me and married my present father who is a firefighter). We're going to need to explore this in more detail so of course we get a note. Thank you, I will go to his office right away.That operation seems to be slipping away from us every second!  Well, let's see.     Will you be operating? It's an appendectomy. I asked Suzu-sensei to be the consultant. Of course, I'll be brief. the SPX drug.  (SPX: Sawai Power Flex, a drug Prof. Sawai developed to treat immune diseases. It's still in the experimental stage but it's been effective with AIDS and cancer.)Yes, I know this almost sounds like we are getting into full-on crazy Trauma Centre storyline, but not really. Don't worry. A new drug? But isn't SPX still in the experimental stage? Tendo, progress doesn't wait. What will happen to the patients who are still taking SPX? Don't get me wrong. We're not replacing SPX. We're just exploring other possibilities. You're a second year intern now. Haven't you had enough of clinical medicine? Note taken: New Project. Are... you asking me to leave my clinical training? Do you know why I invited you to come to Seimei Medical Hospital? ... We'll present the note about him being our father, so nepotism I guess?    ...I don't understand. Isn't that the same thing? You inherited my genes. Don't you think that you have a responsibility to inherit my will? No, I don't. Are you serious? My foster father is a brave firefighter. Our blood relation has no bearing.   In any case, I'm not going to decide right now. I have to talk to Suzu-sensei... Of course, come back when you finish your operation. You can give me your answer then. I... understand. Excuse me.Well, that was pretty ugly. Not exactly a warm relationship here.  get to the meeting room. Yes, you've been saying that since two updates ago. But no, this time for real, we are finally heading into surgery, no more getting sidetracked. Next time on Lifesigns:  Uh wait, something's not right here...
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Jun 19, 2015 21:42
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I kinda want to see the first game just to see how that plot twist got revealed. I wonder if there's a translation for it.
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Jun 19, 2015 22:14
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To be fair, a lot of the views the game presents is probably representative of the Japanese health care system. So I guess I can understand why they'd leave it in Yen. Then again, I was never bothered by honorifics either, so 
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Jun 20, 2015 00:50
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If anything, it'd be weird if it didn't give money in yen when it isn't trying to relocate the game to another country, it fully accepts that it happens in Japan with Japanese characters. Also Tendo's relationship with Dr. von Karma here seems to be...a bit tense. Daddy dearest looks like a total jerk, really. Didn't even raise his son, and then comes with that "inherit my will" bullshit.
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Jun 20, 2015 05:28
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it being in yen doesn't bug me. It being 800 dollars bugs me. Don't they know how much it costs?
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Jun 20, 2015 07:02
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Mraagvpeine posted:I kinda want to see the first game just to see how that plot twist got revealed. I wonder if there's a translation for it. I am pretty sure there isn't a fan translation--I guess these games were never popular/well known enough for that to happen. But I did find complete videos of the first game in Japanese so I might try to find the relevant bits about Von Karma and do something about it. Forer posted:it being in yen doesn't bug me. It being 800 dollars bugs me. Don't they know how much it costs? I'm pretty sure that's supposed to be just the small bit which is not covered by health insurance, not the cost for the entire thing. Blaze Dragon posted:If anything, it'd be weird if it didn't give money in yen when it isn't trying to relocate the game to another country, it fully accepts that it happens in Japan with Japanese characters. Ah well, I guess you're right--I'm convinced. Although there are much more blatant displays of laziness of localisation in the game, such as when you use stethoscope to listen to somebody's heart and the English subtitles literally say "doki doki doki". I mean, seriously?
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Jun 20, 2015 08:28
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Phoenix Wright gameplay meets Trauma Center, with visual novel elements? How come I've never heard of this game before? I kinda want to see how the first game went as well. We really don't seem to be best buds with Dadfred von Karma, but we also don't have a really dramatic reaction to him as well, which is good because if our main character can avoid being tasered, I think that works out for everyone
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Jun 20, 2015 08:34
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So, I was looking into the Japan-only first game to see if I can dig out anything interesting regarding the "Tendo, I am your father" revelation (and I believe I will be able to do something about that), but in the process discovered something else that somehow never occurred to me until now. Turns out, this game seems to make a bit of a joke of people's names, similar to what Phoenix Wright tends to do in both English and Japanese versions. Since nobody really cared about giving this game a nice localisation, this obviously got lost in translation. But here are a couple of funny things that I found. Sorry if this gets a bit spergy... Tendo Dokuta: This one, I already mentioned--"dokuta" is how Japanese would pronounce the english word Doctor. Prof. Sawai: His surname name is written like this, 沢井 (which is the normal way of writing this surname), but I guess with a bit of imagination you could potentially write it like this: 沢医 in which case it would mean something like "brilliant doctor". Suzu-sensei: Again, you wouldn't normally write it like this, but her name could be written like so: 鈴 and simply means "a bell". Did you notice what she's wearing around her neck in all pictures? Yes, indeed, that is a choker with a bell on it! (The first game actually explains how this came about--I will try to include it at some point). Dr. Masui: The spaced out anaesthesiologist... this one is way too easy. If you write his surname with these two characters: 麻酔 instead of the ones you would normally use, it just means simply "anaesthesia"! And finally... Sachi Hoshi: Our favourite nurse, whose full name could be written like this: 幸星 (yes just with those two characters, again you wouldn't write it normally in this way), in which case it could be taken to mean "lucky star". All names in game are written in their normal way, so in order to get the jokes you have to connect the dots with pronunciation. Maybe some of these sound like a bit of a stretch, but in my opinion there's too much of this to be a coincidence--especially Masui--and there's actually even more coming, we just haven't met the characters yet! P.S. Yes, the translation is actually inconsistent in whether it uses people's first name or last name to refer to them in dialogue box titles, so for example Suzu and Hoshi are first names but Tendo and Masui is actually the surname. In fact this is quite strange, since the Japanese version calls him Dokuta in dialogue boxes, somebody changed this for whatever reason.
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Jun 20, 2015 22:39
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Forer posted:it being in yen doesn't bug me. It being 800 dollars bugs me. Don't they know how much it costs? Payments are often different depending on what kind of insurance you have, and there are often multiple plans within the same insurance carrier. Also billing is based on how things actually go, not some ideal thing, so a "normal" appendectomy will run in a certain range for staff time and materials. ...well, that's in America. Someone can feel free to correct me on how it shakes out in Japan.
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Jun 21, 2015 04:25
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Speaking of Trauma Center, if only Tendo's name began with an S...
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Jun 21, 2015 04:41
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Last time when we stopped, Tendo was about to (finally) go into a pre-surgery meeting. So let's just hope he doesn't run into anybody on the way there!  get to the meeting room.)        (This is Kurai Sanae. She's a perioperative.) I don't even know where to begin. Needless to say, her surname Kurai means "gloomy" in Japanese.  I'll be a consultant, assisting with the!operation.! And Tendo will perform the operation. Right. I'm counting on your assistance. OK, surgeon, please explain the operation. The patient is Asuza Inose, a 21 year old female. She came in by ambulance, complaining about abdominal pain. An ultrasound confirmed that her appendix is swollen. I've diagnosed acute appendicitis. We're going to perform an appendectomy. OK, so let's go. Let's try to finish the operation quickly so that I'll have more time to rest later.Operation: Asuza Inose, Appendectomy   There's going to be a lot of tutorials in this one, but in the interests of not wasting anybody's time, I'll try to summarise for the most part.  We are told to slide the gauze in a circular motion, but it honestly does not matter as long as you cover the required area.    Unlike the various Trauma Centre games, here you are given the required tool automatically by Sanae, so you don't have to worry about that.  So that is pretty easy. Moving on to the next step. Ok, the disinfection is complete. Next, make an incision in the abdomen.Here is a tutorial about needing to slide the scalpel in a straight line. OK, I've got it. Kurai-san, scalpel please!  The line to cut is not actually visible on the screen, but we can press the L button to "concentrate", like so:  ...and then we can faintly see the general area where we need to apply the tool. This is valid for other surgical tools, not just for the scalpel. The other thing to note, is that gauge on the left side. This is an error gauge--it functions basically like stamina in Dark Souls games. It depletes while you are doing something with a tool (cutting, etc.) and once it goes to zero you have to stop for a moment before it refills. Mostly this is not a huge problem.  And so, here is our incision. The skin incision is complete! OK, Tendo. Next, the fascia incision. We'll use the electric scalpel. The electric scalpel is an instrument that cuts by burning through any tissue it touches.Ok, so, first of all, fascia is the name for all the layers of tissue that sit between the skin and internal organs, so obviously we need to cut through that. As mentioned, we'll use the electric scalpel, which is a real thing, and it works exactly as described here. We need to be careful, to apply the right amount of power to every part of the cut, but without actually burning the tissue. Burning the tissue will quite severely damage our vitals gauge which you can see on some of the screenshots above on the top left. Again we can "concentrate" to see the line where we need to cut. Kurai-san, the electric scalpel please!  So here we go. I actually messed up in a couple of places, but this operation is quite easy and it doesn't have any secret conditions, so it doesn't really matter if you mess up a little as long as you don't completely deplete the vitals.  next step!  Next step is to make an incision in the peritoneum. The peritoneum is a membrane that lines most of the abdominal cavity. Here, we'll again use a simple scalpel...  ...like so. OK, the peritoneal incision is complete. OK, you have opened up the abdomen, but the most important part is still ahead. Be careful, a mistake made inside the body is more harmful than the one made outside. forceps.  It's just tongs people.  We need to get the appendix out in the open, by pulling it out, like so. You can see on the left how the error gauge is depleting while I use the forceps. The appendix is clear of obstructions. Next, we'll tie up the appendicular artery with a suture.Suturing is not too different from Trauma Centre, just zig zag around somehow and you'll do it eventually.  Yes, this is going to be a running joke.   Looks approximately like this when done. The appendicular artery ligation is complete! Next, suture the appendix on the peripheral and central sides. Then excise the appendix. First we'll tie off the appendix in two places, like this...  ...and then we can literally cut it off in the middle.   My guidance must have been pretty good!  Good. It seems that despite their slight, oh shall we say, idiosyncrasies, the team is largely competent. Well, Tendo, it's time for your favourite task, suturing. If your stitches are sloppy, the patient will end up with a scar. I don't think... she'll appreciate that very much! (Don't put pressure on me like that, I need to concentrate!) So we just need to close up...    ...and we're done.  Pretty bad accuracy, but it'll get better.  You've made great progress in just one year. Oh, but the appendicitis... Didn't you diagnose one incorrectly, a year ago? (...Yes) Heh-heh. Well, this one was a success. Well done. But, don't forget to write an operation report and work on your technique. Is there anything else, Suzu-sensei? Yes, one more thing. If your technique during the operation is precise enough, the patient's vital signs might improve a bit.Yeah, we don't have any magic gels in this game, and will have to rely just on our skill to get the patients through it. Incidentally, this whole story about misdiagnosed appendicitis is from the first game, as you might have suspected.  NOW you tell me this!? Asuza-san should be able to leave hospital in a week, as planned. The light is out and finally the operation is complete. So as you can see, in some ways it's similar to Trauma Centre, but it some other ways not so much. The operations will get quite a bit harder very quickly, in fact the very next one has a hidden condition that influences the plot already! But, let's not forget that Tendo has a decision to make here. So who better to offer us some advice than...   not enough. I understand. Really? No... not in that sense... Well, in what sense then? Er... that...  Here, we'll present the note about the new project from Sawai. Professor Sawai called me into his office just before the operation... Did he ask you to help him with his research? Eh? How did you know that? He spoke to me too, the other day. He demanded I transfer you to a special training program. And... what did you say? I said that it's OK with me, if you're OK with it. That's... Tendo, this is your decision. Nobody else's. You have to decide for yourself. Of course, it's not Sawai's decision either... OK! I'll fully support any decision you make.You know what, Suzu-sensei is OK in my book. This made a lot of sense. A few moments later, at the reception desk...   Hey, why aren't you at school? The fourth and the fifth periods are always breaks. (Does that mean that they're only in school during third period?) There's something strange going on with this guy. But we'll figure it out eventually. Was the operation successful? Of course... It was a success. Really? Thank you, Doctor. Thank you so much! I think that your sister will wake up soon. You don't look like it, but you are a great Doctor. (That's a strange way of thanking me, but I'm still glad to hear the gratitude...) Say, Doctor? Do you think that I could help people like you do, if I study more? Of course. Anybody can help other people if they really want to! So, I have to make sure I make it to class more often... (Help people? In fact, as a doctor I want to...) I've written a note called: About my career. I think we have our answer for Sawai, so let's go and tell him then. No need to wait.     Well, what is your answer? Ok... I...Obviously, we'll present the note we just made... I would like to continue my clinical training. That's your answer? It's true, your research is important work that may help thousands of sick people ...in the future. But, what's important for me... is to help people who are suffering now. I see. That's why you want to be a clinician... My... father saves people who need help from disaster sites every day. I am my father's son. I want to continue helping people when they're suffering. Hmm, I don't recall inviting you to this hospital to become a clinician. If you don't intend to join the project, there is no reason for you to stay here. That's not fair! (My foster father worked himself ragged so I could go to medical school. I can't betray my father's expectations. Suzu-sensei, what should I do...?) As I said, I... Hmm. You're stubborn. Eh? OK, let it be for the moment. Really? We're OK?    as a doctor!  Wow, who wouldn't want this guy as a father, seriously. In any case, we should go and let Suzu know what happened.    medicine. I have nothing to say. This is your decision. I'll try to do my best under your supervision. OK, Tendo. I have a new task for you. I'd like you to look after a new intern, all right? The one who starts today? Yes, she should arrive soon.But for now, this has been going on for a while, so I think Tendo should go out and get some food.  (I think that chicken noodle soup is supposed to be on sale today) Suddenly...        (Darn! The two of us can't pick up all of this!) Ok, so, this might seem weird but what happened was that the truck which almost hit the motorcyclist was full of fruit which has now spilled everywhere on the road. So our goal is to pick up as much as we can! As far as I can tell, the motorcycle rider ran away. Yes, this is not really made all that clear until you get to the minigame!  Basically, the fruits are rolling down and we need to touch them with the stylus to pick them up. There are three kinds (apples, oranges and lemons) and if we pick up to three of the same in a row, we get a combo bonus. This is probably easier to do on a real DS. There are several of this kind of minigames in Lifesigns. Unfortunately, for some of them the score you get actually influences the plot outcome. Not in this one, though, luckily for us.    I got an apple! Just because. Ah well, maybe it'll come in useful for something.  Can you already guess who she is? Shouldn't be too hard. ivantod fucked around with this message at 21:27 on Sep 4, 2015 |
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Jun 22, 2015 21:46
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Do they really give you 30 minutes to complete the first operation?
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Jun 22, 2015 23:14
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Mraagvpeine posted:Do they really give you 30 minutes to complete the first operation?
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Jun 23, 2015 02:26
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Well, I suppose since there aren't zombie viruses wrecking people up, medigel isn't as necessary.
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Jun 23, 2015 04:27
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Mraagvpeine posted:Do they really give you 30 minutes to complete the first operation? You really don't want to take that long. IIRC your patient's vitals slowly drop as time goes on. And of course it affects your score, which is good for something. My one gripe about the surgeries is that they have a weirdly gamey score and health mechanics, but the actual procedures are fairly down-to-earth. TC's arcadey gameplay fit in well with its scoring and mechanics. Some of the tools are a bit finicky, I remember the disinfectant being particularly picky about how you disinfect the area. And yeah I never got the hang of the electric scalpel. I did enjoy the atmosphere of your doctors looking down from the top screen, and having to do procedures grounded in reality was a nice change from the usual TC shenanigans. I will say this about the game; it does a good job of keeping the tension without introducing a parasite with an Ominous Latin Choral Section. The last few operations are legit cool.
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Jun 23, 2015 04:51
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ivantod posted:Ok, so, this might seem weird but what happened was that the truck which almost hit the motorcyclist was full of fruit which has now spilled everywhere on the road. So our goal is to pick up as much as we can! As far as I can tell, the motorcycle rider ran away. Yes, this is not really made all that clear until you get to the minigame! Isn't Tendo the motorcyclist? That's why he makes that comment about not hitting the dog. Edit: But the apple description says it was Kouichi's motorcycle... and it says he got hit, although he's not here? ... I don't know what happened. Mzbundifund fucked around with this message at 05:28 on Jun 23, 2015 |
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Jun 23, 2015 05:20
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Mzbundifund posted:Edit: But the apple description says it was Kouichi's motorcycle... and it says he got hit, although he's not here? ... I don't know what happened. It was Kouichi on the motorcycle. He was checking out the new girl of our cast and wasn't paying attention when a dog ran across the road. He swerved, which caused a truck behind him to swerve and spill fruit. Tendo was just walking along the sidewalk.
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Jun 23, 2015 05:32
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SSNeoman posted:It was Kouichi on the motorcycle. He was checking out the new girl of our cast and wasn't paying attention when a dog ran across the road. He swerved, which caused a truck behind him to swerve and spill fruit. Tendo was just walking along the sidewalk. Yeah, the game does a real crap job with explaining this cutscene, mainly because the truck is never properly shown. Basically the description above is what really happened and Kouichi didn't stay at the scene but drove off. I would have expected more reaction from Tendo considering it was Kouichi but I guess not. And about the 30 minute limit for operations, as said, this is mainly theoretical as usually there are other factors that won't allow you to take that long. Not the least of which is that in some cases taking too long leads you down the bad route of the story--not that the game really even hints at this or tells you what is the real time limit (hint: it's super short and thank god for the slowdown option in emulator!).
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Jun 23, 2015 05:58
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Glazius posted:Yeah, ouch. Hospital comedy works pretty great when it's just personalities, but when that starts to touch professionalism... well, let me just say that anaesthesia is about as difficult IRL as knocking someone out with one punch and having them wake up fine hours later So, wait, instead of training an anesthesiologist to use anesthetics, we could just give a boxer medical training to perform the same function, and save a ton of money on medical equipment?
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Jun 23, 2015 14:42
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Jothan posted:So, wait, instead of training an anesthesiologist to use anesthetics, we could just give a boxer medical training to perform the same function, and save a ton of money on medical equipment? We need people to wake up after though. See, unlike what Deus Ex: HR would have you believe, when you punch a dude hard enough to knock him out, you are seriously damaging the dude's brain. It's not as lethal as shooting a guy, but you're still causing permanent, potentially lethal, damage. Ditto with anesthesia. It's easy to knock out people with chemicals, but you want to minimize the damage the chemical does to a person, but you don't want them to wake up either. Add in allergies, potential respiration problems and a myriad of other complications, and you'll see that surgery is no picnic for them.
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Jun 23, 2015 19:37
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Yeah, speaking from experience, I'd say it's potentially even more stressful for anaesthetists than the surgeon actually doing the operation, because if something goes wrong for the surgeon (bad cut, hemorrhaging, internal injuries they didn't know about, etc.), usually they can at least attempt to fix it in time. Do it enough times, and they can let some basic things go on autopilot and focus on other parts of the surgery. Anaes, though, have to CONSTANTLY be monitoring and guessing how to adjust the levels of the chemicals based on their age, medications, contraindications, medical conditions, the vitals of the patient, all while knowing in the back of their mind that if they give slightly too little, the person will wake up and feel what is going on without being able to let anyone know they can feel every little suture and scalpel cut, trapped in their own body, or if they give slightly too much, the patient could either fall into a coma, get brain damage, or even die.
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Jun 25, 2015 01:00
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