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BisbyWorl
Jan 12, 2019

Knowledge is pain plus observation.


W.T. Fits posted:

I still think my favorite was how in the Fate/Apocrypha timeline, the secrets of the Holy Grail War were stolen and taken back to Europe, where it spread and knock-off Holy Grail Wars started up in other countries. But Greece was never able to successfully get a Holy Grail War started because all of the prospective Masters kept preemptively murdering each other to ensure that they would be the first to summon Heracles. It got to the point where the Mages' Association stepped in and banned Heracles from being summoned in any Holy Grail War hosted in Greece... which just led to all the prospective Greek Masters preemptively murdering each other to ensure that they'd be the first to summon Achilles. :v:

And how did the Holy Grail get stolen?

Darnic called in the actual Nazis, asked if they wanted the Holy Grail, then double crossed them once they yoinked it.

This has some hilarious impacts on the Fuyuki crew, such as Rin opening up a martial arts dojo, Sakura getting adopted by the Edelfelts and creating a wrestling tag team with Luvia, and Shirou living with his biological parents.

BisbyWorl fucked around with this message at 09:49 on Aug 8, 2021

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BisbyWorl
Jan 12, 2019

Knowledge is pain plus observation.


Update IV - Worsening bruise

Music: Fear


Last time, we died.



This time, let's find a way out that doesn't hit a kill zone.



Oww... My headache has gone from terrible to worse. I'm freaked out.

~

What's with Leo all of a sudden? But, after seeing that, I've had enough of this.



Let's actually talk to the Editor and get to the bottom of this whole amnesia business.

Ugh...my head, it hurts... What is this...blurriness?

~

Good work on the investigation. Report to the Editor in Chief.



:stare:



The Editor in Chief is her usual cheery self. All I can think about is the pile of dead bodies I witnessed. No, I have to ask about myself. I'll ask her what my name is.

Huh? Your name? Just...look it up in the registry in the Library.

Yeah, the school registry. It has everyone's names. If I look at the school registry, it might jog my memories. I'll go to the Library.





With no fanfare whatsoever, the library is now open!



Sound: Heartbeats


Blank. Blank. Blank. Every single page was blank. I reach for last year's school registry, and when I start flipping through the pages... Blank. Blank. Blank. Blank.



The screen flashes.

What is happening here? Who am I? And just what...is this place?



Well that was a wash. While the registry was blank, every shelf has a unique description.

These shelves comprise the computer reference section. With the library getting a new computer, it seems like the books were moved here for easy access.

~

These shelves comprise the Japanese history section. It seems like learning about our nation's history has become somewhat of a fad as of late.

~

These shelves comprise the religion and political science section. The titles of the books here are incredibly obtuse. Just the thought of reading one makes me drowsy.

~

These shelves comprise the art and design section. Judging by the bindings, there seems to be a number of different kinds of volumes available.

~

These shelves comprise the cultural anthropology section. The titles of the books here are incomprehensible gibberish to the average person.

~

These shelves comprise the language studies section. There are a number of foreign language textbooks and novels available to the budding polyglot.

~

These shelves comprise the literature section. It's nice to see such an eclectic mix of books available without even a whiff of censorship.

~

These shelves comprise the sports and recreation section. There seems to be a number of books regarding some fairly obscure sports. ...Rules for international matches of Kabbadi...interesting...

~

These shelves comprise the literature section. All of the novels here seem to be targeted to underclassmen. Look, a book about sparkly vampires...

The Twilight movies were still being made when this came out, for reference.

~

These shelves comprise the natural sciences section. Opening one, I see a picture of an old man researching perpetual motion machines in Hawaii. ...I guess one can only do their best.

~

These shelves are where all of the school's encyclopedias are kept. There are a number of different reference books from every time and place here.

Fitting that the library is the wordiest place here, no? :v:



The club vanishes to parts unknown once you check the library.



Almost where?



Meanwhile, this guy hasn't noticed a thing.

Also, there's a yellow box at the end of the hallway.


Music: Duel of Fate




She has a striking appearance, with long purple hair, almond skin, and a preternatural calm. It seems like she is meditating, her hands folded in a specific way and her eyes closed. I find that I can't stop looking at her. No one else seems to notice that she stands out dramatically. I start to feel uneasy about her. The girl's eyes snap open.

For whatever reason, the static clears up for this scene.



This is an entirely new face, instead of a Stay Night callback.



After a few seconds, the camera quickly zooms out with a fade to white.

Sound: Explosions


What in the hell just happened?! In the resulting confusion, my vision begins to distort. Dizziness. Headaches. A sense of weightlessness. I close my eyes to keep from being overwhelmed.

Music: Fear


Also, the girl that was in the garden had already disappeared. Was everything that happened just an illusion, or maybe- As I turn to leave, I see the girl from the garden walking towards me.



People here just enjoy teleporting around, don't they?



The mystery lady gives a polite nod and walks away.

As she walks, she looks out the window and talks to herself. As she goes by, she gives me a smile.



The other hallway also has an event.



Time for another bout of ghost hunting.

However, she just continues to stare at me with an intensity that borders on terrifying. Maybe I should say something to her, but softly so as not to startle her?



Don't talk to her.

I don't want to scare her away again, so I just stand as still as possible...and wait. I can still feel the little girl's presence and the force of her stare. —After a while, her presence fades away like mist. When I turn around, no one is there. This time, I didn't feel any sense of fear from her. But...is everything really okay?

The scene ends, but that's also boring, so...

Talk to her.

Maybe if I keep my back to her, it'll help a little. I'll just call to her over my shoulder. I obviously can't see the look on the young girl's face. And all I sense is...hesitation.



Her voice matches her appearance...small and faint. In a hesitant, halting voice, she begins to speak.



I think this is the closest look we've had of our protagonist. He doesn't really stand out, huh?

Could it be...that you came to see...me? I-If that's so— I'm...Alice. I'm...always here, so...

When your vanishing act is a dead ringer for the Cheshire Cat's, your name has to be Alice. That's, like, contractually obligated or something.

She suddenly stops talking. Thinking she disappeared again, I turn around— Only to see Alice still standing there. As I turn, she flinches a little and begins to fade away...then stops. And starts staring at me— As our customary staring contest begins anew, I swear that I can see a faint smile on her face.



Alice actually sticks around after the scene if you talk to her, but she only has this to say.



I conveniently skipped Leo last time (in fact, you can barely see him in one shot!), and he also has something to say.



But first, refusing to leave the school and hit the kill trigger results in...

Stay put.



Yeah, turns out leaving was a bad idea even if it didn't instantly kill you.



We've already seen Shinji and Sakura, and there's nothing new in the Garden, so there's only one path left.



As a transfer student, I can't see why Leo would want to visit any of the freshmen. Also, there's nothing but a dead-end up ahead. I wonder what Leo is really up to...

Music: Duel - Prelude to Confrontation


And with a BGM change, the chase is on.



...

Who, for some reason, is examining the wall at the end of the hallway with almost excessive interest.



If that is the case, this world is in some ways more real than the real world it represents.



In that moment, it feels like my heart skips a beat. Almost inmediately, my blood pressure skyrockets along with my body temperature. *Ba-dump* *Ba-dump* *Ba-dump* My pulse is like an explosion in my ears as my blood races through my veins, and the reason is clear. Now he...I mean, Leo has turned to face me. I now know for sure he's talking to me as there is nobody else present besides the two of us.

Senpai noticed us.



I don't feel any sense of hostility from Leo. In fact, his smile seems genuinely friendly. His smile has the same effect on me as the rising of the morning sun, warm and comforting. In addition to his smile, his presence is inviting and inclusive and I find myself drawn to him. Oddly, my worries have vanished. All I can think of is doing as he says, as that's the only way to... My mind feels like it's in a haze. It's like Leo is controlling my thoughts in some way.



In that respect, this has been quite an interesting experience. ...However, the time for fun has come to an end. I did not come here to play at being a student. No matter how enjoyable the detour, eventually one must return to their appointed path. And for me, the time to do so has arrived...

With those final words, Leo turns his back on me.



No, that's not quite right. I don't think farewell would be accurate in this situation. For reasons I cannot explain, I have the distinct feeling that we will see each other again. So I guess I should use the more congenial, "See you later." Well, it's time for me to move on. I wish you the best of luck.



And Leo just strolls through the wall.



The young man in front of me seems to disappear before my very eyes. I want to say reality rejected his existence in it, but it feels like it was the opposite, that he refused to be constrained by it. It wasn't any special ability that allowed him to do so; just his strength of will. With his departure, I feel as if a great weight is lifted from my very being. And rather than be a cause for concern, it brings a fundamental question to mind: Who am I? As the question pops into my head, it begins to take on a life of its own, searing my brain...



Well, if Leo could do it, surely we could!



The only way out is through.



It would be so easy to turn around, go back down the hallway, and pretend nothing happened. But there are still things I need to know. I have no memories. That means I've never had anywhere else to go but here. No place to return to. What was it that Leo said? "No matter how enjoyable the detour, eventually one must return to their appointed path.” That's what he said, didn't he? Then beyond this wall lies the "appointed path," and the truth. If I follow him, I'll learn the answers to my questions, even if those answers are painful. But, ignorance is bliss. Do I have the fortitude to face the truth and accept it?



I don't want to know.

I rub my eyes, willing the strange things I have seen to go away. I think that whatever lies past the wall is beyond my comprehension. I'd rather live my life in peace, even without my memories, than see what's beyond.

The only other option is to try and leave the school, and we already know how that ends, so the only real choice here is:

I want to know.



For some reason, reality cracking this way is intensely disturbing. This world around me is more real than a painting, but not even as real as a sand castle. I feel like it's so brittle I could tap it and the echo would shake this whole world. Where the boring concrete wall once stood, now there's a doorway that I can freely walk through. It's an entrance. No, an emergency exit, like stairs to the outside. It's not something of this world. I have no doubt that the world the door leads to is utterly alien. Whatever awaits inside, whatever shape it takes, there's a certain sort of finality to seeing it. Ultimately, I've already comnitted to this path. I bid farewell to the false world, and take my first step along the appointed path.

Bit hard to tell due to the blurry image, text box, and static layered on top of each other, but you can barely see the door that was mentioned.

Music: Stops


The static has finally cleared up.



In exchange, we now have a creepy looking puppet, plus whatever the hell's going on with the far wall.

Beyond the door seems to be a dismal looking scrap yard. Out in front of me is the smooth skinned effigy. While trying to figure out exactly what to do with it—



A voice comes out of nowhere.



The effigy spasms a bit.





The motivations of the owner of that voice worry me, but it's obvious I won't learn anything by standing here. Also, there is no longer a path by which I can return. —I have no choice but to head into the darkness with only this strange doll as protection.



So we walk on, with the effigy following us.



The door leads to this Kingdom Hearts-looking place.

—I made it. Within the deepest depths of the world beyond the door— This place must be the goal I'm supposed to reach. At least, that's what I thought. It's stifling, the aura of purity that seems to act as a ward against corrupted souls who'd try to enter. ...The feeling is familiar. It has the feeling of a chapel where the spirits of the deceased still linger.



We finally notice the body off to the side.



At first I didn't notice, being overwhelmed by the grandeur of the room, but to one side is a young man in a familiar uniform, lying still on the ground. I call out to him, but there is no reply. I shake him in an attempt to wake him up when I notice— He is stone cold. I go as pale as the corpse before me and I can no longer think coherently. All I can do is stare in bewilderment. It is at this moment—



The dead guy's effigy stands up.

The fallen effigy lying next to the male student comes to its feet with a clatter. Before I get a chance to make sense of what's going on, it suddenly twists around and comes right at me.



Music: Duel - Unauthorized Battle


It only took 4 updates and an hour and a half of footage, but we finally have some actual gameplay!



This will surely be worth the wait, right?



Wait.



I don't have control.



Haha, gotcha!



We don't get to play the game yet!



All we can do is wait.



For the axe to fall.



Music: Stops




I didn't stand a chance against that thing... It seems I wasn't qualified to be here. Me? Qualifications? That's right— I should know everything by now. The truth has to be here... But...now... *Sigh*... Everything's going dark...



Video: Opening Movie


Suddenly, an anime as poo poo opening movie!



The Perfect Patch was nice and added subtitles.

You can watch it if you want, but you'll see people and places we won't be meeting for a long while yet, so don't feel obligated to.

If you do watch it, for the love of god shrink your viewing window, prerendered PSP-quality stuff does not play well with modern resolutions.




But wait, there's more!



That's right, it's finally time for character selection!



We can pick between Saber,



Archer,



and Caster. Whoever we pick here will be our partner for the rest of the game.

And after that...






We can pick our actual protagonist!



As well as their name. We have 11 spaces for each name, and their canonical name is Hakuno Kishinami.

Now then, thread, I need a protagonist, their name, and our Servant.

Next time: Beginnings, new perspectives, and deja vu.

BisbyWorl fucked around with this message at 08:45 on Feb 12, 2023

BisbyWorl
Jan 12, 2019

Knowledge is pain plus observation.


After the vote is locked in, I'll be going back to a Sat/Tues update schedule.

I wanted to get here faster so I can get an actual backlog of footage ready ASAP.

Hunter Noventa
Apr 21, 2010

Caster Servant, Female Master, no opinion on name.

AweStriker
Oct 6, 2014

Caster, girl named Hakuno Kishinami

Psycho Knight
Jan 19, 2017

"Being a fangame and not bound to a rating, Pokemon Reborn is able to expand more on topics such as death and the extreme dangers Pokemon could pose. These topics...are treated with the respect such a subject deserves."

Let's throw a Medicham into a volcano and make it give the T2 thumbs up!
I enjoyed this protagonist fake out section. I remember it was one of the things that really hooked me about this game.

And then the combat was (actually) introduced...


Caster, because every now and then I enjoy being on the other side of thread vote-induced misery.

Male protagonist named Kojiro Sasaki, because I've been watching a lot of (clips of) Shuumatsu no Walküre, and what better title for our protagonist than "History's Greatest Loser."

Exia
Feb 12, 2014
Caster is the only real choice for our servant! And we’re obviously a female I’ve got no opinions on the name, I’ve always just gone with default

Natural 20
Sep 17, 2007

Wearer of Compasses. Slayer of Gods. Champion of the Colosseum. Heart of the Void.
Saviour of Hallownest.
Saber, female

I will die for umu

Artix
Apr 26, 2010

He's finally back,
to kick some tail!
And this time,
he's goin' to jail!
No real opinion other than not Saber. Saw more than enough of that Servant on my own playthrough. :v: I guess if you absolutely must have a vote I lean Caster but I'm fine with Archer too.

SoundwaveAU
Apr 17, 2018

I know who the Saber and Caster are, but I have absolutely no clue who the Archer is. The description makes me think of who it could be but I doubt it's them. So I'll pick the Archer.

I'm neutral on gender and name.

Cyflan
Nov 4, 2009

Why yes, I DO have enough CON to whip my hair.

Caster, Female, name doesn't matter.

Umu is good too, but Caster is better.

GiantRockFromSpace
Mar 1, 2019

Just Cram It


Saber, because she's been... quite divisive lately and it'd be nice to revisit her origins and see the differences with later works.

No preference on gender, but for name I vote for Francis Xavier because memes :v:

Yon
Oct 7, 2003

Just one spice?
Just one spice
Just one spice...
Saber, female, no name preference

t3isukone
Dec 18, 2020

13km away
Let's roll with the BL jokes and play a Male protagonist with Archer.

No name preference.

Balache404
Aug 2, 2018



Caster servant alongside a female protagonist named Suzuka Gozen for maximum fluffiness.

serefin99
Apr 15, 2016

Mikoooon~
Your lovely shrine maiden fox wife, Tamamo no Mae, is here to help!

Girl Master with a Caster Servant. No preference for name.

Natural 20
Sep 17, 2007

Wearer of Compasses. Slayer of Gods. Champion of the Colosseum. Heart of the Void.
Saviour of Hallownest.

GiantRockFromSpace posted:

Saber, because she's been... quite divisive lately and it'd be nice to revisit her origins and see the differences with later works.

No preference on gender, but for name I vote for Francis Xavier because memes :v:

I don't really keep up with anything in Grand Order, what on earth has been controversial?

GiantRockFromSpace
Mar 1, 2019

Just Cram It


Natural 20 posted:

I don't really keep up with anything in Grand Order, what on earth has been controversial?

It involves spoilers about the character so I can't elaborate now obviously. She's just been controversial on how she'd been characterized and treated post Extra, but it's died out for a while. And better steer clear since it involves FGO and an Extra sequel mostly.

W.T. Fits
Apr 21, 2010

Ready to Poyozo Dance all over your face.
Saber, Female, Hakuno Kishinami for name.

Kaboom Dragoon
May 7, 2010

The greatest of feasts

Female master, named Suzuka Mifune with Saber.

No reason for the name. I know that Caster in this game is preferred for various reasons, but it's not a Fate game without Dat Saberface.

That, and we can't get MHX until the spinoffs.

GodofDiscord
Sep 5, 2013

Not the strongest, but the cutest.
Well I've already played Saber and Archer's route but I never did get far into Caster's route so let's pick that.
We are always playing as the female character, non-negotiable.
And finally let's pick the canon name.
Super excited to see an LP of this, looking forward to it!

JeffRaze
Mar 13, 2021
Lets go with female master using the canon name with caster.

I played this way back when and I remember very little about it. I know I did a saber run, can't remember if I did the others at all. I don't remember the combat being unbearable, but maybe I'm suppressing those memories, haha

Eeepies
May 29, 2013

Bocchi-chan's... dead.
We'll have to find a new guitarist.
Female Master, name anything, Saber, as it should be.

Gilgamesh255
Aug 15, 2015

Psycho Knight posted:

I enjoyed this protagonist fake out section. I remember it was one of the things that really hooked me about this game.

And then the combat was (actually) introduced...


Caster, because every now and then I enjoy being on the other side of thread vote-induced misery.

Male protagonist named Kojiro Sasaki, because I've been watching a lot of (clips of) Shuumatsu no Walküre, and what better title for our protagonist than "History's Greatest Loser."

Seconding this, if only so my favorite Assasin can be a main protagonist, if in name only.

Jadecore
Mar 10, 2018

They say money can't buy happiness, but it sure does help.
Caster, Female, default name/no opinion

Lord Zedd-Repulsa
Jul 21, 2007

Devour a good book.


Archer, male, default name.

Dr Pepper
Feb 4, 2012

Don't like it? well...

Female Master, name Haruka Hiro ( :v: ) with Caster.

kvx687
Dec 29, 2009

Soiled Meat

Natural 20 posted:

I don't really keep up with anything in Grand Order, what on earth has been controversial?

She was pushed pretty hard for a while and it soured a lot of people on her. Her FGO chapter was pretty boring and was basically the Saber show starring Saber and a handful of understudies that mostly existed to praise her regardless of whether it made sense with their personality (especially someone who doesn't appear in this game Boudicca), and she was the only playable PC on the last chapter of Extella when the three main characters had been mostly equal in screentime before then. She hasn't had many significant appearances since then, though, and a lot of the heat has died down.

For this game, I'll jump on the bandwagon with a female PC and Caster.

Aesculus
Mar 22, 2013

Seconding Francis Xavier and Caster. Abstain on gender.

someone awful.
Sep 7, 2007


Don't care about the name or gender, but throwing a vote in for Archer

Zyxyz
Mar 30, 2010
Buglord
Seconding the female protagonist and Caster bandwagon, no preference on name

Twib
Dec 24, 2013
Give me Caster and female protagonist or give me death.

BisbyWorl
Jan 12, 2019

Knowledge is pain plus observation.


The vote's been open for a day, and Caster with a female Master has a healthy lead at 16 votes each.

I'll leave it open for another day, then call it.

BisbyWorl fucked around with this message at 04:57 on Aug 9, 2021

Xanrib
Apr 17, 2018
Female Master, Saber, no name preference

Benstar
Aug 3, 2008

Natural 20 posted:

I don't really keep up with anything in Grand Order, what on earth has been controversial?

Fate Extella, Grand Order's Extra Saber focused chapter and Last Encore all came out within a year of each other in English, all of them focused on Extra Saber, and all of them were pretty bad.

Benstar fucked around with this message at 10:26 on Aug 9, 2021

Raitzeno
Nov 24, 2007

What? It seemed like
a good idea at the time.

Caster, female, canon name.

Omobono
Feb 19, 2013

That's it! No more hiding in tomato crates! It's time to show that idiota Germany how a real nation fights!

For pasta~! CHARGE!

Mod note: using those nicknames is a little too close to spoiler territory

Canon lady master, Archerkins
Trying to piss against the tide but I did a Caster and Saber playthroughs so gotta give Nameless a vote.

A brief rundown of our options

Saber: true name Saber (not actually her name), she's the beatstick of the three options. Good stats and HP, but weak skills and mediocre NP. High floor, low ceiling, she's the easy mode option with less potential for shenanigans.

Caster: our dear Caster, she's Saber's opposite. Low stats and HP, really good skills, good NP; a low floor with an high ceiling makes her more difficult to handle but with great shenanigan potential.
[Mod Note: Info from another game excised]

Archer: a Nameless archer (no he's not [Mod Note: dude come on]). Middle of the road stats, good skills, he still has his bonkers NP because there would be riots otherwise. Maximum shenanigans from what I heard.

Somebody fucked around with this message at 16:14 on Aug 9, 2021

BisbyWorl
Jan 12, 2019

Knowledge is pain plus observation.


So as it turns out, I'm an idiot!



I completely forgot about the nickname! :suicide:

So yeah, vote on whatever you want this to be. Or I could just use our first name.

Raitzeno
Nov 24, 2007

What? It seemed like
a good idea at the time.

Haku assuming we go with the canon name, otherwise just the first name.

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Aesculus
Mar 22, 2013

Xaviko

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