Welcome to the end of the world, boys [Lightning Returns]

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Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

2013 was not a good time for Final Fantasy. XIV had been crashing and burning for years, All the Bravest was reviled on mobile, Versus XIII ceased to be as Nomura was kicked off his own project in favor of the Type-0 director (a game which had already branded itself away from the XIII universe), and anything XIII-related was particularly toxic. Despite the initial good reviews, opinions of XIII itself had soured greatly in the past three years, and XIII-2 was seen as an unnecessary sequel even by those who enjoyed it. Review scores trended around 6-8, and sales were barely half that of the original. The message was clear - it was time to take a break from Final Fantasy, and move on from the FNC universe.

Yet, despite all the signs, Square felt compelled to try again. Maybe they felt that XIII-2 ended on too blatant of a cliffhanger. Maybe they gave too much credence to Motomu Toriyama, who, for better or worse, was the only director of a main FF game in the last decade to actually ship it. Or maybe they simply thought the fans would come around given a proper conclusion to the sub-series. Whatever the case, Square clearly thought they had a compelling case to take one more stab at it, so they called up Tri-Ace and went back to the drawing board.

The Game

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is the third and final game in the XIII sub-series, and it takes the peculiar strategy of throwing out basically everything from the first two games. The world, game design, and even the combat has been completely redesigned to the point where it legitimately feels like someone took Lightning and friends and shoved them into a different game altogether. Which is arguably one of the strangest things of all about LR - this game has clearly had a lot of effort put into it. This is not like XIII-2 where it was blatant asset re-use with minor increments to an existing battle system, this is a labor of love with a completely new world and combat engine, an open world design with a Majora's Mask style schedule for NPCs, and a writing team that did their damnedest to make this game work, even with the weight of all the FNC bullshit leaning on it.

And to their credit, it does work. ...Sooooort of. Despite the effort that was clearly put in, there is no getting around the fact that LR can be ~~a bit~~ ~~kind of~~ incredibly janky. At least part of this can be blamed on the Crystal Tools engine, which was never meant to be used for an open world game and it shows. The framerate has regular dips, and at its worst flirts with single digits on console. Additionally, the combat is in dire need of a proper tutorial and somehow manages to frontload far too many and not enough abilities to make the system really sing. And while the sidequests are well-written, the actual plot is standard XIII fare, making it seem like there were two writing teams that weren't allowed to talk to each other at all. As a result, characterization can vary wildly from conversation to conversation - One minute Lightning is a cold, uncaring hardass with literally no emotions, and the next she's helping a young woman get medicine for her dying father or breaking into the palace to help Snow because she's the only one who can empathize with his pain. The whole package is still a positive experience, mind you. But it can be hard to overlook a lot of its bigger faults, especially if you're not playing on PC where the framerate is much more reliable.

The LP

If you've seen my XIII and XIII-2 LPs, you already know what you're in for. The editing will be a bit heavier this time around (such is the nature of an open world game), but it's commentary over cutscenes and all that jazz like usual. What will be different is our dynamic this time around. My partner in crime, Fedule, is quite fond of this game, whereas I am...not. This isn't XIII-2 where I hated pretty much everything about it, but suffice to say that I like the ideas and intentions behind a lot of the design decisions a more than the actual execution of them.

That said, I intend to show as close to 100% of the content off as I can. My first playthrough I did everything except the two superbosses and barring some kind of catastrophe, I see no reason why I won't repeat that. Additionally, I will occasionally be splicing in footage from my NG+ save to show off mechanics and fights that the main LP won't explore. And if all else fails, maybe I'll convince Fedule to go record a few boss runs or something. There may even be some audience participation once we get the first few days under our belt, but we'll see how things go.

:siren:

SPOILERS :siren:

Don't. If there's a mechanics question we'll answer it as best we can, but I expect black bar discussion to be kept to a minimum. The game itself picks up pretty much right where XIII-2 leaves off (...sort of. You'll see), so anything from XIII and XIII-2 is fair game - Caius and Serah are dead, the world is flooded by chaos, and Fang and Vanille were rescued from the crystal pillar. If any of that is a surprise to you, turn back now and at least watch the last chapter or two of XIII-2 and the Requiem of the Goddess DLC. Otherwise you're probably okay, so sit down, turn your brain off, and enjoy the ride because it isn't getting any more coherent from here.

Updates
Update 1: The Dark Light Rises
Update 2: Home Sweet Hope
Update 3: Claire Farron - Ace Investigator
Update 4: Chocolina Returns
Update 5: South Side Jazz
Update 6: The First Intermission
Update 7: Under the FDA's Radar
Update 8: Kitchen Nightmares
Update 9: Soul of an Artist
Update 10: The Hunter Appears
Update 11: A Grave Revelation
Update 12: A Chocobo's Dilemma
Update 13: Sheepish Demands
Update 14: The Color Menu
Update 15: Light and Shadow
Update 16: The Apocalypse Room
Update 17: The Second Intermission
Update 18: Dusty Desert Slide
Update 19: Fertilizer Seekers
Update 20: YOU ARE THE FLOWER
Update 21: Jagd After Hours, Kupo!
Update 22: Spooky Ghost Stories
Update 23: The Diary of Ranulph
Update 24: Yuck Kou, Fid
Update 25: Desert Rights Management
Update 26: Yusnaan's Thirteen
Update 27: Daddy's Got the Blues
Update 28: You Can't Defy Science
Update 29: You Can't 'Cie Me
Update 30: The Third Intermission
Update 31: Complaining About Colors
Update 32: Big B's Art Gallery
Update 33: Lightning's Poaching Simulator 2013
Update 34: Treasure of the Gods
Update 35: Fashion Disasters
Update 36: The Funicula Fireworks Festival
Update 37: Song of the Savior
Update 38: Snow, the Level Designer
Update 39: A Heart-to-Heart with Fists
Update 40: The Fourth Intermission
Update 41: A Family Crisis
Update 42: Lightning and the Feather-kin
Update 43: Conning the Con Artist
Update 44: Skyward, Young Moogle
Update 45: Reddick's Disappearing Act
Update 46: Wings of an Angel
Update 47: A Yeul Who Broke Time and Space
Update 48: Order and Chaos
Update 49: Secret Family Recipes
Update 50: Ride That Chocobo, One Last Time
Update 51: The Fifth Intermission
Update 52: The Last Sidequest is in Captivity
Update 53: Elevating the Tango
Update 54: The Sixth Intermission
Update 55: The Devouring Maw of Darwin
Update 56: Capital "F" Fashion
Update 57: The End of Everything
Update 58: The Seventh Intermission
Update 59: Beast of the Dunes
Update 60: God's Little Secret
Update 61: The Temple of Light
Update 62: The Soulsong
Update 63: Trial of the Savior
Update 64: Almighty Bhunivelze
Update 65: After the End

Artix fucked around with this message at 01:44 on Feb 2, 2017

# ¿ May 13, 2016 13:45

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# ¿ Apr 26, 2024 18:18

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

_{_{_{Thanks Crow!}}}

The following is a list of all our garbs (that we acquired, anyway) as well as a description of what they do and their general role. That's not to say you have to use them this way, but it's probably going to take more effort than it's worth.

Note: All descriptions will be from left to right in the following format

Garb Name
Max ATB: How much the garb affects your max ATB. Baseline is 100, 0 means no change
Default ATB: How much of the ATB bar you start with at the beginning of the fight. This is generally more important later on, when your main offensive move costs 50 ATB and your garb starts empty.
Abilities: What combat abilities the garb comes with (and their ATB cost)
Special Ability: If a garb has a special ability, it'll appear here with a description. Most have at least a token stat buff, but not always

Commandos

Nocturne
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 100%
Abilities: Attack L2 (10)
Max HP +15%, Strength +40

Velvet Bouncer
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 100%
Abilities: Blitz L2 (20)
Strength +10%, Strength +80

Vengeance
Max ATB: +30
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Beat Down L3 (30)
Stagger Drain (restores some HP when you stagger a foe)

Hunter of the Wild
Max ATB: +30
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Heavy Slash L3 (40)
Victor Drain (restores some HP when you kill an enemy)

Primavera
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 100%
Abilities: Area Sweep L2 (5)
Strength +10%, Strength +80

Dragon's Blood
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Heavy Slash L3 (40)
Climactic (Inflicts more damage if ATB is below 30)

Amazon Warrior
Max ATB: +20
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Guard L2 (10), Speed Slash L2 (10)
Soul of the Warrior (Max HP +5%, Strength +10%)

Dragoon
Max ATB: +20
Default ATB: 50%
Abilites: Lancet L3 (10) [Drains a small amount of HP from an enemy]
Soul of the Dragoon (Faster Staggering +5%, Physical Res +10%)

Soldier of Peace
Max ATB: +50
Default ATB: 0%
Abilities: Shadowbind L3 (150) [Inflicts Daze on enemies]
Soul of the Hunter (Phys Damage +5%), Artemis's Arrows (Converts Heavy Slash into Artemis's Arrows)

Dark Knight
Max ATB: +20
Default ATB: 50%
Abilites: Darkness L3 (20), Ashura L3 (50) [These are more powerful versions of Blitz and Heavy Slash respectively, but cost HP to use]
Soul of the Dark Knight (Phys Damage +5%, Magic Res +10%)

Heartstealer
Max ATB: +20
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Leaping Rush L2 (20), Evade L2 (15)
Soul of the Thief (ATB Recovery +25, Stagger Capability +5%)

Innocence
Max ATB: +30
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Attack L3 (8)
Transform Protect (Gain Protect when switching out of this garb at low ATB)

Loyal Servant
Max ATB: +30
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Ruin L3 (8)
Transform Shell

Sphere Hunter
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 70%
Abilities: Crashing Waves L0 (15)

Candy Raver
Max ATB: +30
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Blitz L3 (16)
High Voltage (Inflict more damage at high HP)

SOLDIER 1st Class
Max ATB: +30
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Heavy Slash L2 (40)
Phys and Magic Res +10%, Slayer (Transforms Heavy Slash while an enemy is staggered)

Tomb Raider
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 100%
Abilities: Fatal Sweep L3 (16)

Celestial Body
Max ATB: +20
Default ATB: 100%
Abilites: Cross Blitz L0 (10) [three Ruins followed by a powerful physical attack]

Cosmocrator
Max ATB: +50
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Cosmic Arts L0 (15) [three Attacks followed by a Ruinga]

Martial Monk
Max ATB: +20
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Punt L2 (5), Charged Strike L2 (10)
Soul of the Fighter (Max HP +10%, Phys Damage +5%), Whirlwind Kick (Converts Punt into Whirlwind Kick)

Nightmare
Max ATB: +20
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Siren Strike L3 (10)
Soul of the Devil (ATB Recovery +10, Ailment Resistance +10%)

Ultimatus
Max ATB: +50
Default ATB: 30%
Abilities: Ultima L0 (100) [Inflicts a ton of magic damage but has no combo potential]

Ravagers

Mist Wizard
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Thunder L1 (15)

Cold Rebellion
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 100%
Abilities: Blizzard L2 (15)
Max HP +15%, Magic +40

Woodland Walker
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 100%
Abilities: Aero+ L2 (15)
Magic +10%, Magic +80

Ignition
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 100%
Abilities: Fire+ L2 (15)
Magic +10%, Magic +80

Watery Chorus
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 100%
Abilities: Blizzard+ L2 (15)
Magic +10%, Magic +80

Electronica
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 100%
Abilities: Thunder+ L2 (15)
Magic +10%, Magic +80

Black Mage
Max ATB: +50
Default ATB: 75%
Abilities: Rapid Fire L2 (15), Quick Freeze (15)
Soul of the Black Mage (Magic damage +10%)

White Mage
Max ATB: +20
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Dispel L2 (33), Quick Ruin L2 (15)
Soul of the White Mage (Max HP +5%, Magic damage +10%)

Purple Lightning
Max ATB: +75
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Flame L3 (40), Flood L3 (40) [These are basically physical versions of Firaga and Blizzaga; they do physical damage and run off your strength but are otherwise identical to the spell (stagger, cost, etc)]
Soul of the Ninja (ATB Recovery +25)

Midnight Mauve
Max ATB: +30
Default ATB: 100%
Abilites: Fira L3 (21)

Blue Mage
Max ATB: +20
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Lightning L3 (40), Wind Slash L3 (40) [See Purple Lightning, these are Thundaga and Aeroga]
Soul of the Blue Mage (Magic Damage +5%, ATB Recovery +15)

L'ange Noir
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 100%
Abilities: Thunder L2 (15)
Max HP +15%, Magic +40

L'automne
Max ATB: +30
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Thundara L3 (21), Aerora L3 (21)
Stagger Siphon (Restores ATB when you stagger a foe)

Urban Outlaw
Max ATB: +30
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Fira L3 (21), Blizzara L3 (21)
Victor Siphon (Restores ATB when you defeat an enemy)

Danse Macabre
Max ATB: +30
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Flamespark L2 (20), Icestorm L2 (20)
Sweet Spot (Inflicts bonus damage if you hit an enemy's weakness)

Spira's Summoner
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 70%
Abilities: Elementa L0 (40)

Hidden Justice
Max ATB: +30
Default ATB: 70%
Abilities: Flamespark L3 (16)
Magic +250

Witching Hour
Max ATB: +30
Default ATB: 70%
Abilities: Icestorm L3 (16)
Magic +250

Mixed

Equilibrium
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 100%
Abilities: Attack L1 (10)

Dark Muse
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Attack L1 (10)

Red Mage
Max ATB: +20
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Light Slash L2 (5), Buster Ruin (15)
Soul of the Red Mage (Increases physical and magic damage by 8%)

Brave Vanguard
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 100%
Abilities: Blitz L2 (20)
Ailment Resistance +33%, ATB Recovery +10

Rhapsody in Rose
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 100%
Abilities: Light Guard L3 (4)
Energized (Inflicts more damage if ATB is above 70)

Deja Vu
Max ATB: +30
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Mediguard L3 (8)
Strike Back (Inflict more damage at lower HP)

Miqo'te Dress
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 75%
Abilities: Mediguard+ L0 (15), Magic Slash L0 (10)
Esuna Guard (Mediguard heals a status condition if you guard long enough)

Champagne Gold
Max ATB: +50
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: ATB Charge L3 (4)
Max HP +1500

Knight of Etro
Max ATB: +20
Default ATB: 100%
Abilities: None

Guardian Corps
Max ATB: +20
Default ATB: 100%
Abilities: None

Sentinels

Providence
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 100%
Abilities: Guard L2 (10)
Max HP +15%, Strength +40

Quiet Guardian
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 100%
Abilities: Heavy Guard L2 (15)
Strength +80, Physical and Magic Res +15%

Paladin
Max ATB: +30
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Heavy Guard L3 (11)
Soul of the Paladin (Magic Res +10%, Debuff Res +20%), Ruinga Guard (Casts Ruinga after guarding for long enough)

Dust and Shadow
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 100%
Abilities: Guard L2 (10)
Ailment Resistance +33%, ATB Recovery +10

Cyber Jumpsuit
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 100%
Abilities: Dispel L2 (33)
Strength +80, Physical and Magic Res +15%

Intruder
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 70%
Abilities: Guard L3 (8)
Transform Faith

Splendid Admiral
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 70%
Abilities: Guard L3 (8)
Transform Bravery

Sacred Knight
Max ATB: +20
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Defensive Strike L3 (10) [Allows you to attack while guarding]
Soul of the Knight (Max HP +5%, Phys Resistance +10%), Defensive Position (Light Guard, Guard, and Heavy Guard block more damage)

Saboteurs

Passion Rouge
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 100%
Abilities: Deprotect L2 (25), Deshell L2 (25)
Ailment Resistance +33%, ATB Recovery +10

Dangerous Blossom
Max ATB: 0
Default ATB: 100%
Abilities: Debrave L2 (25), Defaith L2 (25)
Ailment Resistance +33%, ATB Recovery +10

Divergence
Max ATB: +30
Default ATB: 50%
Abilites: Debravega L3 (25), Defaithga L3 (25)
Saboteur Drain (Restores HP when attacking an enemy with a status ailment)

Sand Fox
Max ATB: +30
Default ATB: 50%
Abilities: Deprotectga L3 (25), Deshellga L3 (25)
Saboteur Siphon (Recovers ATB when attacking an enemy with a status ailment)

Artix fucked around with this message at 01:11 on Jan 17, 2017

# ¿ May 13, 2016 13:46

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Intro Cutscene (Polsy) :siren:

Music

Lightning Returns (Title Screen)
The Final 13 Days

:siren:

Update 1: The Dark Light Rises (Polsy) :siren:

Music

Lightning's Theme ~ Distant Light
Equilibrium
Chaos

Datalogs

quote:

Lightning the Savior

Lightning has struck the ground once more, but this time, she is the savior � almighty God's servant, the legendary figure whose appearance heralds the end of the world.

When she stepped into the grand ballroom that lies at the heart of Yusnaan and confronted Snow, ruler of the city, he made it clear that the reunion was not welcomed. The pair crossed swords, and Snow called her an angel of death. They both share the same grief over Serah's death, so what did Lightning hope to achieve by provoking Snow in this way?

Before their conflict could escalate, a Chaos infusion bloomed in the palace and Snow retreated. When Lightning tried to follow, the path was blocked by a strange young girl called Lumina. By the time Lightning resumed her chase, it was too late, and she had no choice but to return to the Ark.

quote:

People: Lightning

Lightning is one of the humans made l'Cie who turned their backs on their fates and saved humanity. Though she was being used as a pawn by the gods, she fought with her allies to protect her homeland of Cocoon.

When her life seemed her own again, she was swept away by the power of Chaos and was trapped in Valhalla, the unseen realm. She was chosen as the one warrior who would fight to protect humanity's fate, and yet she was struck down in her greatest battle. Serah, her younger sister and the last remaining member of her family, died beyond her reach. Chaos flooded the world, destruction and peril walked hand in hand, and Lightning laid down her sword to sleep in crystal for 500 years.

But now the final days of the world have arrived, and someone has roused the sleeping warrior. He is the almighty god, Bhunivelze, and he tasks her with a new duty. Her final role in humanity's history will be as the savior of souls.

quote:

People: Serah Farron

Serah was Lightning's younger sister, and Snow's fiancee. Once she was embroiled in the games of the gods, but Lightning and Snow helped save her form that fate, as they fought with the help of their allies.

When Lightning became trapped in another world, Serah took up arms at her request. She set out on a journey through time to stop Caius Ballad in his attempts to alter history and ultimately brought Caius down with a strength of heart equal to that of her sister. Just when it appeared that she had successfully brought humanity back to the path to peace, her journey ended. The future can be changed, but not without a great price.

Now it is Lightning's turn to sacrifice, and she will give anything to see her sister alive and smiling again.

quote:

People: Lumina

This mysterious young girl appears to be able to control the power of Chaos, and likes to get in Lightning's way at every turn.

It seems that she has met Snow before, and the two have more than just a passing acquaintance. but Lightning has spent the last five centuries in crystal, and she has no way of knowing what could have happened between the two.

Still, she cannot deny that the girl bears a striking similarity to Serah. But Serah is dead, and this Lumina seems to have her own goals.

quote:

People: Snow Villiers

Serah's fiancee from a lifetime ago, Snow fought alongside Lightning when they were both l'Cie.

When Lightning disappeared, Snow went beyond the constraints of time to learn the truth. While on his journey, he embraced a dangerous fate, becoming a l'Cie once again for the terrible power that it granted him. Yet even gambling away his own future did not win him what he wanted, and in the end he was not able to be with Serah when she died.

Centuries have passed since that day and the world has changed. Snow rules the glittering city of Yusnaan as its Patron, and hides away within his palace. Have the long years of regret over his lost love changed him forever?

Artix fucked around with this message at 01:08 on Feb 2, 2017

# ¿ May 13, 2016 13:47

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Aumanor posted:

Oh man, ground zero. Is this game as stupid as the previous two were?

Much dumber than 13, about on par with 13-2. Maybe slightly less, if only because we're not dealing with time travel horseshit.

# ¿ May 13, 2016 15:09

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

So crow linked me this and even though it's not directly relevant it's still cool as poo poo. Lightning's gunblade, complete with being able to shift between "blade" and "gun".

# ¿ May 13, 2016 22:57

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Asparagus32 posted:

Great to see this LP starting finally! Is this still played by Artix or did you switch now? Just asking since something along these lines was mentioned towards the end of the FFXIII-2 thread.

I am still the one playing. It may not stay that way (there are at least a few fights that I am flat out not good enough if my first playthrough was any indication) but for the vast majority of the game, I'm going to be in the driver's seat.

FoolyCharged posted:

I was really disappointed when I realized that the game was in fact playing lightning up as a good guy and not a crazy serial killer "saving" everyone. Not particularly surprised, but it would be hella funny if Snow's initial assessment was on point and shared by the rest of the world.

It will become apparent fairly quickly that while Lightning is the Savior, there are more than a few people who are not so enthusiastic about seeing her again.

# ¿ May 14, 2016 20:06

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Seiren posted:

So, I have this whole "trilogy" of FFXIII, and I've told myself repeatedly to play through FFXIII-2 before trying to play Lightning Returns. Like, it makes sense, right?

Problem is I can't stand XIII-2 for reasons incomprehensible to me, and Lightning Returns is still sitting in on my shelf, still in the shrink-wrap. Can I skip that and move onto this game, or am I going to be left in the dark and not know what the hells even going on anymore

Short answer: Yes

Long answer: Yes, but you're going to be missing the context for a lot of the returning characters. Pretty much everyone who survived XIII-2 is back one way or another, and not knowing the context for what they've done in the paat can drastically change their portrayal in this game. As an example, Noel has a particularly egregious bit that makes absolutely no sense if you're aware of the events of XIII-2, but otherwise seems okay. I would agree that your best bet is to watch a playthrough of the important bits if you really can't stand XIII-2 as a game.

Artix fucked around with this message at 21:47 on May 14, 2016

# ¿ May 14, 2016 21:44

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Update 2: Home Sweet Hope (Polsy) :siren:

Music

The Ark

Datalogs

quote:

People: Hope Estheim

Hope is Lightning's partner in her journey as the savior, leading her through her final days with the world. They were allies once before, a thousand years ago.

Hope had once been a boy when they first met, living a sheltered life within the floating world of Cocoon, until his peaceful days were shattered and his mother died before his eyes. He blamed Snow for his mother's death, but was forced to work with him to defy their shared fate, and through his journey, Hope learned to see beyond his grief and hatred.

When he was a young man, Hope helped human society rebuild from the disasters that had befallen it. He led the Academy, a research institute formed to help humanity build its own future free form the fal'Cie. He launched massive projects that would take centuries to complete, believing that science, not the gods, would save the people.

Yet now he appears to have withdrawn from human society, hiding himself away to labor in God's service...

quote:

Legends and History: The Ark

The Ark is a man-made satellite, created to be a place of refuge for humanity in the face of the world's destruction. Hope oversaw its construction, completing it approximately 500 years ago. It was launched with most of the world's people inside, and that is how humanity survived the initial catastrophe. yet eventually the Chaos reached as far as the Ark and it was abandoned by the people it had saved.

Within the Ark exists a separate dimension, where time does not move. This is the savior's base of operations. God intends for the savior to gather the souls of the people of Nova Chrysalia within the Ark when the world ends, to carry them onward to the new world he will create.

When the Ark was completed, Hope gave it the name Bhunivelze. It seemed only a coincidence at the time, but perhaps God's plans were already in motion, sweeping the young leader of mankind along in their wake.

quote:

Mythology: Almighty Bhunivelze

Almighty Bhunivelze, god of light, stands above other gods and holds the world in his palm.

After creating Pulse the wild, Lindzei the wise, and Etro, the goddess of death and Chaos, Bhunivelze retreated from man's sight and slipped into a long slumber.

It was Bhunivelze who called to Lightning, forcing her to awaken from her long crystal sleep to become the savior. And he made her a promise: if she completed this great task for him, he would use his power to bring her sister, Serah, back to her.

quote:

Mythology: The Destruction of the Old World

Lightning's younger sister, Serah, set out on a journey to avert the terrible future that awaited humanity. But that journey ended in disaster, bringing about the ruination of both time and space. The goddess Etro, who maintained the equilibrium between the world of the living and the world of the dead, was gone. And with her went the barrier which held the power of Chaos at bay, allowing it to flood into the human world.

Destruction slowly spread across the land over the intervening centuries. There are now only four small islands left amidst the darkness where people still cling to life.

Lightning failed to protect the goddess she was sworn to, resulting in the destruction of her world. She sent Serah out on her journey, ultimately leading to her death. There is so much to regret and atone for, and so little time...

quote:

Mythology: Creating a New World

Almighty Bhunivelze has decided to bring this world to an end and make a new one. There is no way to save Nova Chrysalia from the chaos in which it is sinking.

The destruction began when a single man caused the gate to Valhalla, the unseen realm, to be thrown open. In doing so, he alerted God to the great potential that lay in humans. And so God had decided to give humanity one last chance.

Bhunivelze will use the souls of the saved to populate his new world. For that purpose, he has selected a savior to gather the souls and prepare them for the new world. Bringing comfort and salvation to people is something that the heartless gods could never do themselves.

quote:

Mythology: Of Gods and Fal'Cie

Almighty Bhunivelze created three gods for his world: Etro, Pulse, and Lindzei.

Etro was a goddess without any power of her own. In contrast, both Pulse and Lindzei were granted near limitless power, and they built the fal'Cie, servants that possess supernatural powers.

The fal'Cie that served the god Pulse worked to terraform the expansive lands of the planet, and the world came to be known as Gran Pulse. The fal'Cie which served Lindzei built a world in the sky, and kept humans blissfully unaware within a cage they called Cocoon.

The gods did not reveal themselves, but the fal'Cie were present in every part of humanity's lives. The people depended on them for survival and worshiped them as gods. But there are almost no fal'Cie left in the surviving remnants of the world.

quote:

Mythology: The Goddess Etro and Valhalla

Etro was the goddess of death, enthroned in a world filled with Chaos and known as Valhalla. Most people now believe the teachings of the Order, which preaches devotion to Bhunivelze, but there still exists minority groups of heretics who are devotees to the goddess Etro.

Though her believers have not realized it, the goddess Etro died centuries ago. She was the one who held back the Chaos, keeping it within her own realm of Valhalla. Lightning was a sworn servant of Etro who fought to protect the goddess�a battle she eventually lost. Thus began the destruction of the world.

quote:

Legends and History: The Chaos

This mysterious energy came from another dimension and continues to eat away at the world. Most of the land has already been flooded by the sea of Chaos and the world is on the brink of destruction.

The Chaos gives birth to monsters and is the mystical source of a certain kind of seed. It appears like a dark mist to human eyes, but surprisingly, it cannot be seen by God. That is why it is sometimes called the unseen Chaos. Many believe that when a human dies, his or her soul returns to the sea of Chaos.

# ¿ May 16, 2016 13:03

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Update 3: Claire Farron - Ace Investigator (Polsy) :siren:

Music

The Evil Savior
The Sleeping City (Luxerion - Night)

Datalogs

quote:

Locations: Luxerion, City of Light

The holy city is home to the Order's great cathedral, the seat of its power. Most of the residents are devoted to Bhunivelze, the god of light, and each day many of the faithful stream into the city from other areas to pay homage to their god.

The city center used to span the area between North Station and Old Town, but the encroachment of the Chaos has split the city. Now the central functions of the city have migrated to the southern part of the city, between South Station and the commercial district.

The fortress to the north of Old Town has been abandoned by the authorities and is now known as the Warren. It is the preserve of outlaws and the heretics who defy the Order.

quote:

Legends and History: The Order of Salvation

The Order now governs much of human society from its seat of power in the grand cathedral in Luxerion.

Believe in the coming of the new world, entrust yourself and all you are to God on high � this is the teaching that has won over the majority of humanity. It is a message of hope in a world with no future, a balm for those suffering under the burden of overlong lives.

In the past, the Order also led the suppression of "heretics" who did not accept its principles, but that is no longer official policy. This is part of the reason why so many people are perplexed by the one-sided violence being displayed by some heretic groups.

quote:

Legends and History: The Children of Etro

The Children of Etro is a religious group pledged to the goddess of death. Its members believe that the only salvation humanity can look forward to is the peace of death.

Etro's followers have turned their back on the teachings of the Order, and expect no salvation from almighty Bhunivelze. They do not hope to be reborn in the new world which Bhunivelze promises. Rather, they hope to be welcomed into Valhalla, the world of the dead.

Many heretics are moderates who keep to themselves, but there are also fanatics who are willing to commit murder in the name of their own brand of salvation.

quote:

Legends and History: The Shadow Hunter

This mysterious figure is worshiped by the Etro fanatics who prowl the streets of Luxerion. They view him as a dark hero who will rid them of Bhunivelze's servant by killing the savior and bringing about the future they hope for.

The Order sees the Shadow Hunter as the leader of the heretics, and is trying to learn his whereabouts, but his description varies wildly on who you speak to. Some think of him as a cold-blooded assassin, while others think he is a righteous knight who punishes those who have escaped justice under the law. Then there are others who doubt he is even still alive.

quote:

Mythology: Saving Souls

According to the teachings of the Order, when the world finally meets its end, the souls of the faithful will be reborn into a new world.

The people, however, have not lived all these centuries unscathed. Surrounded by death and destruction, some now harbor a heavy darkness in their hearts. These people will not be reborn in the new world; their only fate is to wander forever in the mire of the Chaos. Cut them free of the regrets and griefs that bind them and Lightning will save them for the new world. This is the main task of the savior.

By dealing with these unhappy individuals, the savior will build a relationship with them and lighten their hearts, granting them the right to be reincarnated in the next world. Doing so will help the savior as well, giving Lightning more Eradia and allowing her to grow stronger.

Artix fucked around with this message at 01:12 on Feb 2, 2017

# ¿ May 19, 2016 00:16

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Magic Pants posted:

Props to Fedule for doing 3 lps simultaneously. It's a level of insanity we can only dream of.

Fedule is doing like, half an LP. VLR hasn't updated in months, FFCC is completely recorded and just needs to be chopped up, and the only thing he does for this LP is show up and talk. :colbert:

GMArcturus posted:

Okay, so I loved how you ended the episode staring at our "favorite" red/gold choco-person, but I do have a question regarding said person. Chocolina reacts to Lightning in an interesting way as if she knew her from before. Is this just because she hung out in Sazh's hair all throughout FFXIII? I ask because I don't remember Chocolina's human form ever running into Lightning.

That's because she hasn't. I suppose I'm going to ruin tomorrow's update now, but her response to Chocolina is basically "No, wait, I trust you. Please stop talking."

# ¿ May 21, 2016 16:13

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Update 4: Chocolina Returns (Polsy) :siren:

Music

The Savior's Words
Christmas in Nova Chrysalia

Datalogs

quote:

People: Chocolina

When Lightning's younger sister, Serah, was journeying through time, the merchant Chocolina appeared everywhere she went in order to lend a helping hand. She seems to have no sense of tact or sensitivity to how grave the situation might be, but she can keep a conversation going single-handedly.

She is not simply dressed in a chocobo costume: her feathers and wings are the real deal. She is not a human, but she takes the form of one through the blessing of the goddess. There are very few who know her true form, but Lightning's old ally Sazh seems to be one of them.

Artix fucked around with this message at 00:09 on Jun 3, 2016

# ¿ May 22, 2016 14:30

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

I will say that as much as I hate her, Chocolina does fit in here more than she did in 13-2, but that might just be because you have to interact with her far less. :v:

# ¿ May 22, 2016 15:53

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

There are a finite number of sidequests in the game to begin with, and they are gated off in a bunch of different ways. The quest board stuff is gated by day (so you only have so many quests available on Day 2, a few more pop on Day 3, etc), and the legit sidequests are usually blocked off by main quest progress. There are a couple sidequests in the world to start, you unlock a few after tailing the Children of Etro, you unlock a few more after finding all the numbers, and that pattern repeats across each chunk of the world. Additionally, there are actually quests you straight up can't do until NG+ because...?

# ¿ May 22, 2016 18:59

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

AnotherGamer posted:

I dunno when the option to do so initially becomes available, but you can just pick up the phone, purposefully give them the wrong code which causes them to send a semi-tough enemy after you, kill it and gain access to the area that way.

That's a thing I didn't even know you could do, but if I had to guess it would be on Day 2 once the numbers quest is officially underway.

# ¿ May 23, 2016 13:48

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

You can, I think? There's a cutscene with that fourth number that really doesn't make any sense if you haven't gotten at least two numbers, and I don't know what the game does if you go there first. Theoretically there's nothing stopping you though.

# ¿ May 26, 2016 01:20

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Update 6: The First Intermission (Polsy) :siren:

Music

Lumina's Theme

Datalogs

quote:

God's Plan

God made a promise. He told Lightning that he would bring Serah back to her, if she became his servant and acted as his savior. She agreed at once.

But inside Lightning's mind, Lumina warns her that even if she plans to turn against God, she would be well-advised to play the loyal servant until the end. Lightning is being watched by God through Hope's eyes. But not even he can see what lies within the unseen realm. He cannot see within the Chaos, nor within the hearts of men that are made from it.

Who is this young girl who suggests that Lightning conspire against God? Lightning glimpses the shadow of Serah in Lumina as she disappears � but what does that mean?

quote:

Mythology: Eradia and the World's Remaining Time

The world has nearly reached its end; the last few days now slipping away from humanity. But the savior can give her own energy�her Eradia�to buy more time for the world.

Thirteen days is the limit to how far this time can be extended. On the thirteenth day after Lightning awakes in this world, destruction will come and it will be inescapable. That is when, it is said, God will create his new world. The savior has the power to save humanity's souls to be reborn in that new world, but the question is whether she has the time to wield it.

Eradia is intimately tied to the savior's holy task. To gather more, Lightning must free the hearts of the people from the darkness that has consumed them.

quote:

Locations: Nova Chrysalia

The people call this land � which falls further under the sway of the Chaos each day � Nova Chrysalia.

In this world, there is no aging, though the people can and do die from accidents and illness. By losing the natural progression to death, they have also lost the natural propagation of life and no new children have been born in all the centuries since the Chaos first broke into the world. For the past 500 years, the world's population has dwindled and society grown stagnant.

With no changes to mark the march of years, the decades slip past as fleeting as the seasons once did. Children stay forever innocent and simple in their hearts. Some believe that God in his mercy must have taken from humanity some parts of their hearts that would allow them to truly know the horrible fate they have been trapped in. All so that they might live on forever in peace, instead of falling prey to the despair that is their only inheritance in this world...

quote:

Legends and History: Nova Chrysalia's Past

The history of Nova Chrysalia began 500 years ago, when the walls between this world and the next broke, allowing Chaos to flood the dimension in which humanity lives.

The influx of Chaos slowly covered the lands, leaving only small tracts still inhabitable by man. The people stood strong in the face of this disaster thanks to the strength of their leader, Hope Estheim. But when he disappeared without warning 169 years ago, the bonds that had held society together began to dissolve. After many years of living with the Chaos, a church that preached of God's salvation appeared and quickly grew to power, capturing faltering hearts. This was the Order of Salvation. It brought about the great changes in the lives of the people, and returned a sense of stability of society. The people of this dying world largely chose the path of faith: bowing to their God in hope of salvation.

quote:

Legends and History: The Lost Hours

The world once counted 13 hours before noon and 13 hours after, making days that lasted 26 hours. But ever since the world was flooded by the Chaos, it has lost these 13th hours, and the days now last only 24 hours.

The two hours that disappeared from each day, lost beyond the distortion of time and space, are known by many names. Some call the phenomenon "the lost hours", others "the time given to God". Most clocks in the world have been remade to reflect the 24-hour day.

# ¿ May 29, 2016 03:25

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Indeterminacy posted:

The physics reason would have to be that bits of the world were actually destroyed, giving the overall world itself less mass, and so in order to conserve angular momentum it spins faster? I don't think they worried too much about the physics though; Hope handwaves it as "spacetime was damaged", so don't worry about it, it can't be that important, right? ...

I'm just gonna go ahead and spoil that shockingly, this game does not give the slightest poo poo about the physics of spacetime and is handwaving the gently caress out the missing time.

# ¿ May 29, 2016 19:47

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Update 7: Under the FDA's Radar (Polsy) :siren:

Music

Luxerion (Luxerion - Morning)
Reverent Souls (Luxerion - Afternoon)
Crimson Blitz

# ¿ Jun 2, 2016 20:47

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Incidentally, since I got my copy of the LR OST+ today, here are a few of the songs that we've heard that aren't on the proper OST.

A Home Far Away (Dude playing New Bodhum near the clock tower)
Ballad of a Vagabond (woman playing way in the back by the clock tower)
The Savior's Words (because we needed a christmas mix?????)

# ¿ Jun 3, 2016 00:08

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Update 8: Kitchen Nightmares (Polsy) :siren:

Music

Snow's Theme ~ Final Words
Awaiting the Celebration (Yusnaan - Daytime)
The Glittering City of Yusnaan (Yusnaan - Afternoon)
Final Fantasy - Yusnaan Mix*

*I cannot for the life of me figure out who actually arranged these big band remixes so if you know, let me know so I can update them. It sure as poo poo was't Uematsu himself, but that's the only credit I can find for them.

Datalogs

quote:

Locations: Yusnaan, the Glittering City

Standing opposite to Luxerion in all ways is Yusnaan, capital of hedonism and revelry, which draws pleasure-seekers looking to enjoy what little time remains to them.

In the area known as the Upper City, visitors can find the Champion's Quarter, home to the Slaughterhouse; the Glutton's Quarter, where many fine dishes are served; and the Augur's Quarter, where the rich gather to enjoy flights of fancy. The lower part of the city consists mostly of old warehouses and abandoned factories.

In the Patron's palace, great banquets and revelries are held each night. However, recently Snow does not show himself often. and security around the palace is tightening. Chaos infusions continue to spread throughout the palace, and some grumbling voices are even beginning to wonder if the Chaos hasn't overcome their great Patron at last.

quote:

Locations: The Palace of Yusnaan

The glittering city of Yusnaan is the one and only hub of production left in the world. Most industries fell to the encroaching Chaos and materials have become scarce and even impossible to attain. In this world, most of the food and goods needed for daily living are made of Pandaemonium, the last of the fal'Cie.

The goods made by the fal'Cie are shipped to the palace and then redistributed throughout Nova Chrysalia. The palace that plays host to the nightly banquets is also a vital link in humanity's last lifeline, and as the Patron, Snow bears the heavy responsibility of protecting it.

quote:

Mythology: The L'Cie

The l'Cie are humans who have been cursed by the fal'Cie. They are given great powers and magic, but they are forced to obey the gods' will to achieve their Focus, or mission. If they fail, the l'Cie turn into mindless monsters called Cie'th.

Lightning, Hope, and their other friends were once branded as l'Cie, but they managed to bring about an unprecedented miracle and rid themselves of the curse. Snow is now the last l'Cie remaining in the world.

The cactuar statue that you can see in one of the plazas in Yusnaan is said to be a homage to the fal'Cie Cactuar who made Snow a l'Cie once more. It seems that Snow and Cactuar had a strange bond between them, far beyond that of any normal fal'Cie and its thralls.

Artix fucked around with this message at 01:18 on Feb 2, 2017

# ¿ Jun 6, 2016 14:32

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Update 9: Soul of an Artist (Polsy) :siren:

Music

High Voltage
City of Revelry (Yusnaan - Evening)
Serah's Theme (XIII-2) - Piano Mix
Battle on the Big Bridge - Yusnaan Mix

Artix fucked around with this message at 01:18 on Feb 2, 2017

# ¿ Jun 10, 2016 16:09

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Schwartzcough posted:

So the issue wasn't that you "snuck up on" the flanitors- they get passive when that lady is performing. You can stand right in front of them and even hit them a few times and they won't react. They're just trying to have a good time at a concert, man- why you gotta be harshing their buzz?

And yeah, it's time you start using accessories to make all these in-engine cutscenes as stupid as possible.

Maybe the fuzz shouldn't be trying to crash my personal concert. :colbert:

Also just to put a lid on things, you are wasting your breath asking for the attachment system because A) we still have 8 videos to go before we run out the backlog and B) I personally do not give the slightest poo poo about the dress-up systems in this game. Not calling anyone out or anything, just putting it out there. We'll get there in due time, don't push your luck now.

# ¿ Jun 11, 2016 05:14

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Update 10: The Hunter Appears (Polsy) :siren:

Music

The Showdown
K.O.!
A Dying World

Datalogs

quote:

Characters: Noel Kriess

Noel came from a distant future where humanity faced extinction at the end of time. When his dearest friend, Yeul, was lost to him, he came back in time to a point when he might direct humanity away from the path that would lead to its doom. That was how he met Lightning, and then Serah. With their help, and his unflagging heart, he stood against the destruction he knew to be coming.

By traveling through time with Serah, he succeeded in preventing the worst possible outcome of history, and the extinction of humanity was averted.

But his great struggle, though well-intentioned, brought about a different tragedy instead. He fought the great warrior Caius, a man he once considered his teacher, and defeated him in their final battle � and in doing so he fell into the trap that Caius had so carefully laid, triggering the destruction of the world and Serah's death.

The Chaos that continues to consume the world, the fruitlessness of Serah's death, his inability to keep his promise to Yeul � there is so much to regret. Is it any wonder that his heart may have become lost in the darkness?

quote:

Legends and History: Oracle Drives

These devices can record a vision of what is to occur in the future and play it back for others. They are uncovered in ruins that once belonged to an ancient people called the Farseers. This tribe was ruled for generations by the seeress Yeul, who possessed the ability to see the future, and they labored to record the visions with which she was cursed.

The images which are recorded within an Oracle Drive are sure to come to pass, if the current path of history is followed. If the future that is depicted in an Oracle Drive is somehow changed, then any alternate futures that might arise are then reflected in the Oracle Drive.

Noel was a Guardian serving the seeress Yeul and a traveler through time. he knows better than anyone alive the unseen sorrows that can arise from changing the future. Is that why he seeks to protect the prophecy shown on the Oracle drive? Or is it simply that, more than anything, he wants it to be true?

Artix fucked around with this message at 01:19 on Feb 2, 2017

# ¿ Jun 14, 2016 13:17

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

What's funny is that Noel legit has a decent character arc, but it requires you to pretend that absolutely nothing from XIII-2 ever happened. Because the second you introduce that "Oh, right. We changed the future like, 10 times," his entire motivation falls apart.

# ¿ Jun 14, 2016 16:05

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Update 11: A Grave Revelation (Polsy) :siren:

Nothing special here, just another update with our best friend Noel.

# ¿ Jun 18, 2016 01:09

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Update 12: A Chocobo's Dilemma (Polsy) :siren:

Music

The Last Surviving Wilderness (Wildlands - Morning)
Savior of Souls

Datalogs

quote:

Locations: The Wildlands

An island of untamed wilderness where the grandeur of nature still survives, and many fierce monsters roam. The people of the wildlands are those who have grown weary of city life, or those seeking to escape the Order's influence. They live independently from the rest of the world, surviving directly off the land.

This area was ground zero when the Chaos first flooded into the world from Valhalla, and it is here that you will find the temple of the goddess of death, transported from that other dimension. Before it stands a village inhabited by those who worship Etro.

Near to the station is the farming village of Canopus Farms, famous for its fresh produce. Aryas Village to the south, raises Fuzzy Sheep, and in the woods of Jagd live chocobo-riding hunters. There is also a small camp of some kind in the northeast.

quote:

Mythology: The Unseen Chaos

The unseen Chaos is the darkness which dragged Lightning into Valhalla. Five hundred years ago, the border between Valhalla and this world was broken open, and the world was flooded by an ocean of Chaos.

When Lightning came into contact with the unseen Chaos, she touched a darkness that should never exist in the human world. Etro had dammed the unseen Chaos in her temple, but when she died, there was no one left who could stop the catastrophe that later ensued.

If the unseen Chaos were to flood into the world again, it would threaten God's plans for humanity. It is said that a "great Chaos" lies within the temple of the goddess in the Wildlands � the parallels to the unseen Chaos of Valhalla are too close for comfort.

quote:

Legends and History: The Angel of Valhalla

The chocobo is a great bird most easily recognized by its bright yellow plumage. Chocobos are extremely useful to humans and often used as steeds. They are irreplaceable allies to the hunters who eke out a living in the Wildlands.

In those same Wildlands, there is a legend of a pure-white chocobo, called the Angel of Valhalla, who would appear at the end of the world. Until recently, the story has remained just that, but the number of reported sightings is on the increase. A certain veterinarian in the Canopus Farms, affectionately known as Dr. Gysahl, is said to be the authority on everything related to this legend.

quote:

Legends and History: Temple of the Goddess and the Great Chaos

A cursed temple that stands in the north of the Wildlands, beneath which, it is said, lies the great Chaos.

The temple is not a thing of this world. It is an artifact which appeared from Valhalla, the realm of the dead goddess Etro, when the Chaos flooded through the gate. Could it offer some further understanding of the destruction that afflicts the world?

The Angel of Valhalla is meant to carry the chosen one to the temple of the goddess�that is what the legends say. Lightning heard a voice telling her as much when she arrived here. It seems like too great of a coincidence to mean nothing.

Artix fucked around with this message at 01:21 on Feb 2, 2017

# ¿ Jun 22, 2016 13:12

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Kaboom Dragoon posted:

Just a heads up, your non-Polsy link there goes to episode 8

Fixed, thanks.

# ¿ Jun 22, 2016 14:28

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Update 13: Sheepish Demands (Polsy) :siren:

A little bit of everything in this video, catching up with sidequests all over the world.

# ¿ Jun 26, 2016 19:59

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Update 14: The Color Menu (Polsy) :siren:

Music

Death Game

# ¿ Jun 30, 2016 13:41

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Update 15: Light and Shadow (Polsy) :siren:

Music

Noel's Theme ~ The Shadow Hunter
A Dying World
Noel and Yeul ~ The Promise

Artix fucked around with this message at 06:29 on Nov 2, 2016

# ¿ Jul 4, 2016 18:33

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Zushio posted:

Just about caught on 13 2 then starting this, but had a question. Do you guys ever stumble on the obvious "tres-orbs" for the treasure balls? It occurred to me the second I found one in 13 and is in common use amongst my friends.

In the 6 years the launch of FF13 I have never once heard anyone call them that. :shrug:

It's sort of obvious in retrospect, but I can't imagine that I'll be using it any time soon.

# ¿ Jul 13, 2016 21:00

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Firestorm and Icespark are multihit, yeah. They are, quite literally, "cast blizzard, then thunder" spells.

E: Once I get back from vacation I'll be cleaning up a couple small things and adding this to the second post, so it'll always be on hand to check out.

Artix fucked around with this message at 23:49 on Jul 13, 2016

# ¿ Jul 13, 2016 23:47

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

FoolyCharged posted:

Yeah, for classes that has had a pretty consistent look across over a dozen games it's weird to see it broken.
At least they aren't watery chorus or mist wizard

To be fair, they already did that with Noel and Serah for XIII-2. I can respect wanting to mix it up for LR, I just think the outfits that came out of it were garbage. :v:

Zushio posted:

Although, I'm tempted to actually play LR now. You make it look amazing.

If the LP is doing it for you, great, but I'll be the first to tell you that I'm awful at this game. If not for the fact that the game lets you use abilities like Arise even though you totally don't have 3 EP for it, I would have never gotten past Noel, and I probably would have given up on it for what would have been the third (?) time when the PC release came out.

E: What I am trying to say there is that if this LP is making the game look good, then I promise that playing it yourself will be even better because outside of time and sidequest management, I am pretty awful at the actual playable bit of this game.

Artix fucked around with this message at 07:28 on Jul 15, 2016

# ¿ Jul 15, 2016 07:24

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Update 18: Dusty Desert Slide (Polsy) :siren:

Music

Desert Awakening (Dead Dunes - Morning)
Bandit Gang Monoculus

Datalogs

quote:

People: Oerba Yun Fang

Fang was an ally and friend who fought alongside Lightning a thousand years ago. Her passions run high and she is a fighter through and through.

She is bound to Vanille, a young girl who lived in the same village, with bonds beyond those of family. For Vanille's sake, Fang would endure any pain without complaint, and she tends to act rashly and dangerously when it is to keep Vanille safe.

Lightning and the others were once forced to turn their blades on Fang, but in the end, she and Vanille brought abut a miracle and atoned for their past sins. To prevent Cocoon from falling out of the sky, the two heroes from Pulse became a great pillar of crystal, sleeping within for nearly a thousand years as they held the weight of humanity aloft.

It has been thirteen years now since Fang emerged from her crystal sleep. When they first awoke, both Vanille and Fang were cared for by the Order of Salvation. Now Fang stands alone as the leader of the bandit gang Monoculus. It is unclear what could have ever happened to tear her from Vanille's side.

quote:

Locations: The Dead Dunes

The fringes of this desolate desert are lapped by the ocean of Chaos. It is not a place meant for human inhabitation, but thanks to the ancient ruins that are scattered among the dunes, many lawless bandits have come here to plunder the treasure within.

In the desert, wild monsters are most active during daylight hours. Unlike other parts of the world, nights in the desert are blessed by relative peace and quiet.

Centuries of plundering have emptied most of the ruins, but one legendary treasure � the holy clavis � still sits beyond a seal that no one has been able to break.

quote:

Legends and History: Monoculus

Many gangs of bandits used to operate in the Dead Dunes, plundering the treasures that once filled the ruins here. But now, only the gang known as Monoculus survives. Based in the outlaw settlement of Ruffian, they are the de facto government of the desert.

The members of Monoculus are fiercely loyal to their leader and proud of the bonds that hold their group together. They see all of the ruins in the desert as part of their territory, and they watch diligently to make sure that the holy clavis is not stolen in the rush that follows the unsealing of the ruins.

quote:

Legends and History: The Holy Clavis

This legendary relic is said to have been made by the gods themselves. It is used in rites to summon the souls of the dead.

It is thought that the clavis lies somewhere in the ruins of the Dead Dunes, and the bandit gang Monoculus have had their sights set on it for many years. The Order also shows a great deal of interest in the treasure, suggesting that it is no mere fairy tale, but a credible artifact from the past.

Both groups have searched the desert for the clavis, but have been stymied by powerful seals that keep them out of certain ruins.

Artix fucked around with this message at 01:25 on Feb 2, 2017

# ¿ Jul 17, 2016 17:22

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Well, it looks like we're going to the Wildlands. Time to nurse a big dumb bird back to health.

# ¿ Jul 21, 2016 19:58

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Update 19: Fertilizer Seekers (Polsy) :siren:

Music

The Wildlands (Wildlands - Day)

Datalogs

quote:

Locations: The Jagd Woods

In the lush Jagd Woods stand the village of a hunting band and their faithful chocobo steeds. The forest is thick with monsters who prefer to live in the dark and shadowy places, and so it is the band's main hunting ground.

Rumors also so have it that a village of legendary creatures called moogles lies somewhere deep in the forest. Some even claim to have seen the adorable creatures, fluttering through the forest at night like stuffed toys with wings.

# ¿ Aug 2, 2016 22:14

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Update 20: YOU ARE THE FLOWER (Polsy) :siren:

Music

Bluesy Chocobo

# ¿ Aug 6, 2016 21:07

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

But then how will you farm Aerogas late in the game??? :shepface:

You do it off Gaunts instead! :shepicide:

# ¿ Aug 6, 2016 23:42

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

So just FYI, I'm going to be recording Day 5 on Tuesday. We'll cover the new stuff in detail at the end of Day 4, but in the meantime I have updated the second post with everything that we've acquired today. If you want to submit any new schematas, make sure you get 'em in before then. Itinerary is Dead Dunes in the morning (Wind and debuffs) and Wildlands in the afternoon/evening (Fire and Thunder) if you want to improve your chances of making it in the video!

# ¿ Aug 8, 2016 02:56

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# ¿ Apr 26, 2024 18:18

Artix: Apr 26, 2010; He's finally back, to kick some tail! And this time, he's goin' to jail!

Update 21: Jagd After Hours, Kupo! (Polsy) :siren:

Music

Sunset Path (Wildlands - Evening)
A Carefree Existence (Moogle Village)

Datalogs

quote:

People: Mog

When Lightning first found herself stumbling through the unfamiliar world of Valhalla, Mog was the first friend she made. Later, Lightning asked Mog to go help Serah and Noel on their adventure.

After the adventure, it was unclear what had happened to Mog, but it appears that he was reunited with his fellow moogles and named chief of their village.

He quickly picked up the name "Mog", short for "moogle". This is because, at the time when he was first called by this name, no one knew that there might be other moogles in existence � including Mog himself.

Once, long ago, Mog challenged Lightning to battle, but he was defeated by three scissors in a row and quickly surrendered. He is always looking for shortcuts to an easy life.

Artix fucked around with this message at 01:26 on Feb 2, 2017

# ¿ Aug 10, 2016 15:51

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > Welcome to the end of the world, boys [Lightning Returns]

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