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Quick heads up: thanks to Deltarune Chapter 2 coming out, next week will only have one update. e: Sniped myself, whole heap of updates on the last page.
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Sep 18, 2021 09:12
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Man, those character backgrounds are very charitable to Drake. Not that he didn't deserve his reputation or anything, but the game is making it sound like he singlehandedly handed the Spanish Armada its rear end (the armada was mostly destroyed through a combination of storm damage, mismanagement, and an inexperienced naval commander. Most of the men died from starvation or disease, and the English only sunk a handful of the roughly 130 ships in the armada). Also, while he was the first person to successfully lead a circumnavigation of the globe, the crew of Magellan’s ship "The Victoria" would likely have a lot to say about him being the first person (although Magellan did die near the Philippines, one of the ships of his expeditionary force did complete the journey back to Spain). At best, he was the first Englishman.
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Sep 18, 2021 13:56
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Yeah, this Shinji might still be a shitter, but the reveal that he was just a kid kinda makes the whole thing tragic. I mean, let's be real: kids are assholes as a rule, and there are very few exceptions.
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Sep 18, 2021 20:47
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Servant duels, always the high point in any Fate work. With skills unlocked we're mostly out of the danger zone to be honest. Apart from a certain servant (you know who) even without a List Hime can output enough healing to survive easily, and with Caster the stun rider on her skills makes a mockery of the 6 turn system, since during any single battle she has a mana pool of yes. Psycho Knight posted:Man, those character backgrounds are very charitable to Drake. Not that he didn't deserve his reputation or anything, but the game is making it sound like he singlehandedly handed the Spanish Armada its rear end (the armada was mostly destroyed through a combination of storm damage, mismanagement, and an inexperienced naval commander. Most of the men died from starvation or disease, and the English only sunk a handful of the roughly 130 ships in the armada). By necessity Fate has to embrace uncritically the Great (Wo)Man Theory of History. The sailor(s) that statistically started with Magellan and survived the voyage were nameless* and thus don't count. Drake was the first named woman that actually did the thing and so she gets the Pioneer of the Stars** benefits. *I have a name **current Pioneer of the stars or equivalent in FGO: Drake for circumnavigating the globe; Da Vinci for being THE renaissance man; Tesla for taming electricity (Edison? he can get bent); the Voyager spacecraft Omobono fucked around with this message at 21:56 on Sep 18, 2021 |
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Sep 18, 2021 21:50
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Omobono posted:By necessity Fate has to embrace uncritically the Great (Wo)Man Theory of History. The sailor(s) that statistically started with Magellan and survived the voyage were nameless* and thus don't count. Juan Sebastián Elcano is not amused by FGO's lack of respect. 
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Sep 18, 2021 22:03
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Doesn't the Throne of Heroes basically run less off of actual history and more whatever myths wind up lodging themselves into humanity's consciousness? Such as with the existence of a certain musician as an Avenger servant based off of an urban legend.
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Sep 18, 2021 22:05
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Verant posted:Doesn't the Throne of Heroes basically run less off of actual history and more whatever myths wind up lodging themselves into humanity's consciousness? Such as with the existence of a certain musician as an Avenger servant based off of an urban legend. Yeah, Servants are ultimately records written by the colective will of humanity summoned as familiars so they all have various kinds of weird stuff relating to their legends, specially since by Nasu canon reality is as it is because the world decided "yeah Humans are the top dog now, I'll do what you believe in" and tht's why dragons turned into dinosaurs. The Doylist reason of course is that Nasu and co just go with characters they like/find interesting and pull their own twists on them. Or get their sources from a feminist writer who made up whole myth stuff to support her theory of the Great Mother Goddess which lines up too much with some Nasu stuff (including being the only place where the Scatach-Skadi connection is made). It was... wild discovering that. And that SMT also does. And a fun fact: the Japanese version of Drake's Matrix has a reference to a story where Drake and Queen Elisabeth I swapped places after she got a huge scar in the face as like a theory for the genderbent... which is then ignored for every future Fate works, Drake is a woman because
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Sep 18, 2021 22:17
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Verant posted:Doesn't the Throne of Heroes basically run less off of actual history and more whatever myths wind up lodging themselves into humanity's consciousness? Such as with the existence of a certain musician as an Avenger servant based off of an urban legend. It flipflops. Some Servants are heavily influenced by what people believe, such as the one you mentioned, or how Semiramis has the Hanging Gardens of Babylon because people think she's tied to them even though she absolutely is not. But then there are other Servants where they go "actually all the horrible stuff you heard about them is LIES and we won't even pretend they're being influenced by those opinions".
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Sep 19, 2021 00:29
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Which is why guys like Alexander the Great are depicted as entirely heroic. The FSN process for writing a Heroic Spirit seems to be doing the necessary research, then discarding some of the findings for stuff that's absolutely insane and either more interesting or marketable.GiantRockFromSpace posted:And a fun fact: the Japanese version of Drake's Matrix has a reference to a story where Drake and Queen Elisabeth I swapped places after she got a huge scar in the face as like a theory for the genderbent... which is then ignored for every future Fate works, Drake is a woman because Is that an actual rumor about the two, or something made up for the game? Regardless, it's better than "just because". DeTosh fucked around with this message at 01:09 on Sep 19, 2021 |
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Sep 19, 2021 01:06
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DeTosh posted:The FSN process for writing a Heroic Spirit seems to be doing the necessary research, then discarding some of the findings for stuff that's absolutely insane and either more interesting or marketable. Also, in some cases, likely to give plausible deniability to avoid legal action from an estate or government. ("Obviously we're not disparaging or slandering the real person, this one's [the opposite gender / a space alien / this entirely different historical figure in a clever(?) disguise / etc.]!") Not that it's working out super well with Chinese heroes atm, but that's both a different kind of insanity and a topic for a different thread.
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Sep 19, 2021 15:02
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Update XV - Remains of Tragedy Music: None   Has his life been lost forever? Just because I won? Without any explanation or greater meaning? I wonder how long I stood there, dumbfounded. When I finally came to, Rin Tohsaka was staring at me.  Even though Shinji was the one who chose to fight you, he's the one who ended up dead. The reigning game champion of Asia is defeated. The moron didn't have a clue how to fight for his life. Such is the fate of any Wizard who treats the Holy Grail War like a game. A pathetic way to die, no? I automatically opened my mouth to defend the dead from desecration. This place is a battlefield. What sense is there in exalting someone who was dealt defeat? The look in her eyes and her words drove home a message: on the field of battle, losers die. It should have been obvious. But apparently not to Shinji and I. The winner of the Holy Grail War can be granted any wish. But there is only one winner. Everyone who enters has wishes and dreams, things they desire to have at any cost. Things worth dying for. You don't seem to have regained any of your memory yet. ...It's better that way. To lack a motive, that is. But you should at least be mentally prepared. If you're not ready to kill or be killed, it'd be better to go hide under a rock. I'm prepared. Right. As long as you mean it.~ I can't prepare for that. Your funeral. Leave it to Shinji to lose to such a weak-willed Master. Not convinced. The enemy Master is just going to think of you as a big waste of time.~ I know I should, but... Hide from reality if you like, but round two will inevitably come. No Master remaining thinks they can win without being prepared.~~ Rin is right about everything. Everyone who makes a stand here fights with a strong will. There's not a single one I could defeat without a hard fight first. I still don't have a reason to fight. I can't even think about killing and being killed until I have some reason to fight. That said, what right do I have to trample other people's dreams? Music: School III  Caster is understandably exhausted after today.  At the end of the week, the fallen enemy's Info Matrix is automatically filled out, even if you skipped steps during the week.  Hunt of the Golden Hind: Golden Stag and the Eventide Tempest posted:This Noble Phantasm is Rider's ace in the hole and forms the basis of her day-to-day life. With her flagship, The Golden Hind, at the fore, a vast flotilla of smaller craft expand ever outward and exterminates her enemies with overwhelming firepower. Its attributes contain vestiges of not only the fleet that eventually defeated the mighty Spanish Armada, but also of the stories involving the golden stag and the eventide tempest that had spread throughout the whole of Europe.  Rider on the Storm (A+) posted:Compels those who serve her to do as she commands. As the ability to lead is essential in her position, this unique skill also has an effect on Charisma and Military Tactics. Settler of the Stars (EX) posted:This unique ability is given to those heroes whose exploits became turning points in human history. Any difficult voyage and insurmountable challenge cease to be "impossible" and become "events to be realized.”  Franciscus Draco posted:Sir Francis Drake is generally considered the first person to successfully circumnavigate the globe (the first person known to have attempted this feat —Ferdinand Magellan- was killed halfway through his voyage). Music: None  Week 2 begins with another voiced speech.     Music: School IV  We start the day with Hakuno staring at Shinji's old desk. I feel ripped apart to the core. There's Shinji's death. There's what Rin said. Rin's right. I know it's logical. But emotionally, I can't deal with it. Unable to let it pass unnoticed, my Servant talks to me. Okay, Caster, you have got to work on your empathy here.  Needing a purpose to be strong, needing resolve to be legitimate— That all sounds like lies to me! You didn't need to know anything about yourself to allow me to be of use to you. You can just go on instinct, even with the big stuff like ideals. That's what you've done so far! That's why you're a fighter. ...Like him. You're the kind of person who is never crushed under the weight of responsibility. So, please don't say things like that. You'll die if you lose! You can't disappear, Master! ...All right. I'll keep doing my best, even if I don't know why just yet. After all, I've won once, and I need to keep winning. Sound: Phone ringing   On the plus side, we'll learn who our opponent is on time this week! I should hurry to the second floor bulletin board.  The place is deserted.  And Caster is taking a quick catnap. (Foxnap?) Music: Duel of Fate    Our next opponent is that old man that Shinji insulted last week. drat, now I'm wondering how hard Shinji would get beaten if Hakuno lost to him. An elderly gentleman is standing next to me. His hair is pure white, and his face weathered with the marks of aging. But, though he's clearly aged, he doesn't seem the least bit frail. If I had to describe the way he wore his years, I'd say it was like a tree's rings. His scars have become a solid core and tough bark. It is impossible to see his age as a weakness...While Shinji was an arrogent child prodigy that lacked enough real world experience to avoid screwing up, Dan looks like he's been honed to a razor's edge. As is, our odds of winning look fairly non-existent.   That you have let your opponent's appearance shake your resolve is proof enough of inexperience. And your eyes... ...they are lost. And he's not holding his punches, even verbally.  Dan walks off.  Because whatever you chose to do is absolutely, positively right, Master. You're never lost. Jeez! Doesn't he know that old soldiers ought to get kicked off the horse and left behind? ...Wait, is that the saying?Caster, we've been in one actual fight. That's not exactly a good time to boast about our win rate. She's speaking lightly. I guess she doesn't feel as overwhelmed as I do. Not only is he skilled, but he's courageous and insightful. His words shot clean through my ego. ...Can I win against this man? But, if I lose, then I'll be the one facing death—   I think of the girl who gave me advice when I didn't know left from right. —Rin Tohsaka. Maybe she's on the rooftop again. I should check later to see if she's there.  Rin's opponent is dead, naturally.  And we've started on Dan's Matrix.   You know, half of the familiar faces around here are gone, now that the first round is over... I wonder if you and I will fight, given enough time.Thankfully, your generic model and lack of a name points to no. On the downside, it also means you're a dead man walking. ~  I don't want to believe it... The people we eliminate, do they really die? Am I wrong? They don't REALLY die, do they? I happened to look at him and he glared at me! Your opponent is a mean guy...~ My opponent in the first round was so nervous that he never stood a chance of surviving. It made me realize that there is no "next time" in this war. It's pretty terrifying. Allow me to congratulate you on advancing out of the first round. Although our enemy thought the Holy Grail War was just a game, he was a very powerful magus— But my Master was able to defeat him! Of course, I expected nothing less than victory! All we need to do is keep going just as we are! Also... We managed to survive. With that said, there's no reason to dwell on your former opponent, right? Although we've only been together for a short time, I know exactly what kind of person you are. So don't feel that you have to suffer alone in silence, all right? That Master is a seasoned veteran. He'll take you to task. Can't rest on your laurels, though. There's way too much War left.~ That black light must be a protocol strong enough to erode the digital brain of the Master it touches. Just seeing it in action is scary enough. I don't want to experience it myself if I can help it...~ Don't walk up to me like you want to talk. You won your first round, you know how serious things are. My only objective is to annihilate everyone save myself. The girl that hung out behind this shelf is gone...   Do not become complacent, lest you be denied glory when next you fight. May you continue to experience the sweet ecstasy that only victory can provide.~ I heard a couple people lost by default because they couldn't get their Triggers. I'm prepared to die in a fight, but to shuffle off the mortal coil due to poor preparation? Ew.Ha ha, yeah... No idea what that could be like...   Six more rounds to go before the Holy Grail is yours. May the Holy Grail continue to illuminate your path.  The only ways to be released from the Holy Grail War are to win, or be defeated. He's a decorated soldier, although I believe he's retired now. He's a sniper from a kingdom that is allied, whether they want it or not, with the Harway plutocracy. Things like crawling over a mile or sniping an enemy commander are par for the course for him. ...Get it? He's of a completely different caliber than your first round opponent. Sheesh, you really are pathetic. Your memories haven't returned, and you're weak on top of that. I don't wanna preach, but without memories—without your reason to fight—you're dead in the water. The ratio of put-down to advice is kind of wonky there. I do get that Rin says I have a handicap. The Holy Grail is won by individual motivation. To lack the core of that motivation is a problem.  You're not a strong-willed person or a soldier. By now, you should know that's a weakness. Even if you've got the strongest Noble Phantasm out there, he'll still make quick work of you. What's that confused look for? I'm talking about Noble Phantasms... Don't tell me you don't know. It's like King Arthur's Excalibur. A Noble Phantasm is a power that makes your Servant a Servant.Like, they're listed in the Matrix and everything. How have you not asked about this already, Hakuno? Noble Phantasm? Makes my Servant a Servant? I do believe my questions render Rin Tohsaka speechless.  That would mean you aren't making full use of your Servant's powers, and yet you defeated El Draque? And here I thought you'd relied on a really potent Noble Phantasm to defeat El Draque. ...Hmm. I might have to rethink my opinion of you. But, more and more, I'm getting the feeling that something's very off about you. I mean, your memories didn't return after prelims, and you can't use your Noble Phantasm, either. You're a troublesome individual, you know that? Maybe a bug damaged your personal data when you exited the prelims. Possibly your Magic Circuit isn't functioning right. In any case, you have to fix the issue.I love how Rin just casually drops Rider's name. He wasn't even her opponent, yet a single slip of the tongue gave her enough info to figure it out. Even if Shinji lasted long enough to face her, she could spend the week entirely on preparing for the Elimination Battle, while Shinji would have to start from scratch.  You may be able to use their Noble Phantasm if you strengthen your bond with your Servant. The SE.RA.PH is supposed to treat all Masters equally. If the SE.RA.PH sees that you can't use your Noble Phantasm, it will take corrective action. One more thing. Defeating an enemy isn't an invitation to forget that enemy ever existed. It's helpful to know about who you've fought, so take the time to look over your Matrix.Checking old data will never actually be relevant, all it does is give you a trip down memory lane.  Caster chimes in once we hit 1F. That's right. This smiling girl is a Servant, one just as capable of displaying incredible powers. Now that I'm a Master, of course I can't avoid my curiosity about this Noble Phantasm thing. Anytime you want to see my Noble Phantasm, just ask. It takes the shape of my heroic legend. Using my Noble Phantasm will expose my identity, so you better be not be careless with it. I understand how a great warrior's tactics and tools could telegraph their identity to a wise Master. It will be most advantageous if I wait as long as possible to use the Noble Phantasm... The computer beeps, which ends the conversation for now. I'll learn Caster's identity in due time. She says I'll know eventually, so I don't think it's right for me to keep questioning. In a major twist, there isn't anything wrong with us this time! Caster's Noble Phantasm is just explicitly locked out until a dramatic plot moment. Sound: Phone ringing  A trial, huh...? Right, if I don't acquire both Triggers, I won't be able to enter the battle. Looks like we have a task to do! Let's complete it as quick as we can, Master! I mean... Tomorrow we'll be putting our lives on the line. It's kill or be killed, you know? Once we finished the first round, it was so surreal. I still feel like I'm dreaming...~ I hope this virtual illness thing heals itself, otherwise who knows what'll happen to me... Talk about dodging a bullet! My opponent was DQ'd after failing to get both Triggers.  200 HP. Thanks Sakura.   Of course, there's a pretty good chance that ours will get taken as well. Cheery thought, huh? When I defeated my enemy...they actually died. I thought this was supposed to be a video game...~ I was lucky to win my first round. I need to get serious, or things are going to get ugly. Next time, my opponent will be stronger, and that's fine. In any case, congratulations. I mean, Shinji was a total dirtbag, but his hacking skills should've been enough to crush you. Seriously, though. I thought that you'd be one of the first to fall. To think you're not dead yet... Did I say that out loud? Oh man, my bad. I shouldn't have said that to your face... Anyway, it was obvious you won. Otherwise I wouldn't be here talking to you, right?~ Have you seen the bulletin board yet? You know, where they tell you who your next opponent is? The minute I saw who I had to face next, my mind went totally blank. Seriously, total shutdown. I guess the old saying, "karma can be a fickle mistress" still holds true even here...This is the guy that spent Week 1 helping out his girlfriend, so...  ~ That old guy over there... He seems to be arguing with someone... He's obviously upset about something, but...he's kind of freaking me out, you know? Sorry about the lack of faith. But to survive the next round, you'll need to get even stronger. Be sure to buy everything you'll think you'll need for the trials coming in the week ahead.~ ...What was that? Well, I tend to eat a lot when stressed out...like now. If I don't somehow manage to stay calm, I won't survive even the easiest of battles. The store now stocks Remedies.  Plus two new Mystic Codes. The Shockwave-1st Strike holds a new Code Cast type.  While the Aromatic Wood has a status heal. Two sources of ailment healing added at the same time, I wonder what we'll be running into this week?  I sell off the Pirate Booty from last week and buy some Remedies and the Shockwave. I'll buy the Aromatic Wood later this week, but it runs into the same issues the ailment heal spells in FF1 ran into, where the gear is so expensive that you'd be better off sticking to items. Look at those prices, I could buy 24 Remedies for the cost of the Aromatic Wood, that'd probably last me the entire game! Music: School III   They've been weakened by their Master's rank. You'd better get them back to full strength ASAP. In a world of oddities, Touko speaking with a lowly Master is the oddest. Must be the e-cigs... Exactly! No coffee, no tobacco, and I'm forced to spend my days with a mouth-breathing imbecile! Only the insane could enjoy being trapped here. I can't wait to finish here and ditch this body....wouldn't any cigarette in a digital world be an e-cig? ...Touko Aozaki continues her tirade but there is something odd about her choice of words. And what exactly does she mean by "ditch this body" anway? Did I mumble? Once a magus enters the SE.RA.PH, they can't leave until they get the Holy Grail. But I'm not a Master, meaning that I'm pretty much trapped here unless I take drastic measures- Such as create a version of myself that'll self-destruct once my business in the SE.RA.PH is done.The upside of not giving a poo poo about continuity of self is that you can pull galaxy brain moves like this. ...Umm... I see what she means, but her resolve is beyond my ability to comprehend. Ignore her. She's just a twisted degenerate who showers what little emotion she has on her dolls. The difference between her and her copies are miniscule. Think the difference between genius and... Anyway, Just take everything she says with a boatload of salt. So, up for an Alteration now? I sure am! One more level and we'll finally get a non-Curse skill! Music: School IV  Dan is by the Arena, like the girl said. I've just learned the identity of our next opponent. Though young, they did survive the first round. So be on your guard always. And I will not tolerate you acting solely on your "gut feelings." We get our first look at Dan's Servant before we even enter the Arena.  And anyway, they've already killed once, have they not? Anyone who made it through the first round is worthy of a little respect. Or is that just me...? Your arrogance will be the death of us. I need you to obey my commands if we are to survive. No more acting on your own like the first round. Winning battles is meaningless if we lose the war. Do you understand me? I will not tolerate your insubordination a second time. I got it, I got it. Jeez old man, you can be a real pain in the rear end sometimes. More impressive by far is the Master. He's obviously an experienced soldier! That punk from round one was a joke. This old warhorse is going to be much more of a challenge.But unlike Shinji, who worked well with Drake, these two clearly hold drastically different mindsets towards combat. That might give us the edge we need.  We might end up having to fight them. I hope you've been up on your preparation. If there are any loose threads you need to take care of, do so now while you have the time. I'm good! Okay, let's get going! Be careful though, this opponent is going to be tougher than the last.Music: First Chimeric Lunar Sea - First Floor  Sadly, we're back to the Orb Zone for the first floor.  Only now everything is green.  The preview also shows Dan and his Servant hanging out by a tree. ...A tree? In a virtual world?   Music: Breach   Hakuno is so spooked that all the colors have inverted! However, I can't bring myself to move. It feels like both of my feet have been nailed to the floor. It's almost as if my body and mind have become disconnected and fear has taken over my basic instincts. I know that I have to get away as quickly as possible. The longer I stay here, the faster that death will come to claim me.  Um, what is happening to me is far more serious than "zoning out"... But oddly, that comment seems to free me. The sound of Caster's voice somehow relieves my paralyzing anxiety.  Well, if he thinks this will give him an advantage, he's an even bigger idiot than I thought. Just looking at the always optimistic Caster is enough to put me at ease. However, if this is a result of the enemy's Noble Phantasm, we still remain at a serious disadvantage.  If we destroy the source of the field all of this will clear away in a heartbeat. Let's get going, Master. The source of the enemy's poison has to be somewhere around here!Next time: Rushing, gardening, and exploring. BisbyWorl fucked around with this message at 04:49 on Feb 13, 2023 |
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Sep 21, 2021 09:20
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Ah, Dan and *spoilers*. How shall we refer to Green until we find out who he is? Anyways, the kid's gloves are officially off. As surely everyone by now must have noticed, the organizer of this Murder Death Kill (tournament edition) doesn't really give a single gently caress about trying to kill each other before the proscribed end of week deathmach. The three turns limit is a loophole the size of the Moon by itself, AND it covers only direct engagements. Shinji was an idiot (and so is Hime*) who didn't really exploit this at all, but from now on enemy servants and masters will harass us with all the dirty tricks at their disposal**. Have fun. *to be fair the story is mostly independent on which servant you pick and red Saber is really not suited to doing poo poo like that, but I oh so wish we could see Casko or Archerkins given free rein to do all their underhanded BS. The flip side is that we don't really give up that much information to enemy masters so come deathmatch time their information matrix is woefully incomplete **or for people like Gawain: "Do you think I need three turns to kill you?" EDIT: although there are some minimal safeguards in that I think the dungeons are instanced to each deathmatch pair (for example we could not have run into Blackmore and Green last week). Omobono fucked around with this message at 17:36 on Sep 21, 2021 |
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Sep 21, 2021 10:41
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Omobono posted:Ah, Dan and *spoilers*. How shall we refer to Green until we find out who he is? As per any Holy Grail War, the rules are on except for the plethora of spots in which they're not.
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Sep 21, 2021 19:49
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Omobono posted:The flip side is that we don't really give up that much information to enemy masters so come deathmatch time their information matrix is woefully incomplete I kind of like that Hime gets a fringe benefit from being out of her depth. Also, Green is as good a nickname as any.
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Sep 22, 2021 06:27
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This was about as far as I got when I played the original. I have played the pseudo-sequel Fate/Extella series though, and it's funny seeing Caster here compared to how she is there, as well as other places. I've not played F/GO, since it's not available in Euroville, but I imagine this was before they decided on what her personality should be. She's a lot less, uh, let's just go with 'flighty' here than she is in other appearances.
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Sep 22, 2021 13:36
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Kaboom Dragoon posted:This was about as far as I got when I played the original. I have played the pseudo-sequel Fate/Extella series though, and it's funny seeing Caster here compared to how she is there, as well as other places. I've not played F/GO, since it's not available in Euroville, but I imagine this was before they decided on what her personality should be. She's a lot less, uh, let's just go with 'flighty' here than she is in other appearances. Well, it wouldn't do to scare her prospective husband* right away. Once said husband* has show they care about Caster then she can relax a little. A lot. Really, really relax. *it's gender neutral when Caster uses it tl,dr: Caster here is in courtship mode, Caster in Extella/FGO is in Got Husbando mode.
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Sep 22, 2021 13:42
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Omobono posted:Well, it wouldn't do to scare her prospective husband* right away. Once said husband* has show they care about Caster then she can relax a little. "She keeps playing '#1 Crush' by Garbage on a loop. For weeks at a time. Hmm. Better not investigate that one too closely!"
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Sep 22, 2021 13:51
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Update XVI - Poisonous snake, jack of all trades Music: Breach  Here we have the age-old tradition of every Nasu-verse entry: rampant loophole abuse. Sure, the system will break up a fight after three rounds, but that requires getting into a fight. Here, Dan just so happened to have his Servant spew poison everywhere, and we just so happened to be here. If we choke on poison and die, we haven't picked a fight with Dan, so there's nothing the system can do.  The poison isn't for show either, every few seconds I lose one point of HP, Servant MP, and Master MP.  Although the poison can't actually kill you, leaving you at 1/0/0. This takes so long that I was able to make a smoothie, drink said smoothie, then clean the dishes and I still had to use the emulator speed up to get it this far, so the poison itself is fairly low risk.  Just up ahead, we can see our first enemy of the week.  Yep, we're on week 2 and we're already on palette swapped enemies. Not that you can tell what color they are with this filter, mind. Music: Battle - First Chimeric Lunar Sea  The filter persists into combat, too!  The reskinned Klein is called a Pradox. The one advantage to model reuse like this is that each enemy type has particular patterns, so knowing how to fight one makes it easier to deal with later versions until you have enough info to reveal multiple moves.  And unlike last week, Caster now has enough Strength to breeze through random encounters.  Music: Breach  A bit further ahead, and Caster spots the tree we saw in the floor preview.  And just past that is a fountain, to patch up any dings the poison left.  At the fountain itself, we can see Dan and his Servant hanging around.  Unfortunately, they're between us and the tree.  There they are, Master. It looks like Gramps is talking about something important. Come on, Caster, let's get 'em! The enemy doesn't seem to be aware of us, and I have Caster by my side. Only a fool would pass up this opportunity. I catch Caster's attention with a meaningful glance and start forward.There's no possible way my cunning plan can fail! Music: Stops  poo poo!  My cunning plan has been foiled by peripheral vision!  Just before my consciousness fades into oblivion, my gaze is drawn to the Servant clad in green. Suddenly, a sharp pain runs through me as what feels like a burning rod pierces my back, and my vision fades. As my consciousness fades, I not only hear the mocking voice of the enemy Servant, but I think I hear Caster calling out to me.  The second big loophole is that the three turn limit does nothing to help if you get killed instantly. On the plus side, that description of the Servant's attack sounds a lot like Hakuno got shot by an arrow, so there's a good chance our mystery man is an Archer! ~ Stay silent, stay hidden.Time to be a fool, and not charge in and die. I give Caster a meaningful nod and try to quiet my breathing. Attacking now would be a bad idea, especially since I can probably get a lot of information just by listening.Music: Breach   What's that? I put up this little barrier so that you'd win, boss. Why wait until the Elimination Battle to take them out? If they drop out now, it'll be an easy victory for us. ...Who gave you the command to do such a deed? Even scavengers such as vultures that feed upon carrion have at least a single shred of dignity. It's obvious by the heat in their voices that they disagree about what strategy they want to follow. It seems to me that you lack the most important of traits: Pride.Yew trees were big for Celts and druids, so this seems like a rather decent hint on who his Servant could be.  I mean, I'm all for it if that's all we need to win this whole thing. Really, it'd be the best thing in the world if our enemies would just kill themselves in the face of our Pride! Sorry, I'm not nearly the man you are. I'm just a pragmatist that'll resort to poison if it'll guarantee a kill. ...I see. Violation of trust. Ambushes. Betrayal. These are the things you rely on in battle.This goes beyond a petty spat, these two couldn't have a worse compatibility if they tried. Helps us out, though, so I'm not complaining.  The Servant put up the barrier on his own. It's obvious that there is disagreement about his actions. So, those two don't get along at all. Their relationship is totally different from ours, my dear Master. I can't deny his resourcefulness, but since the dawn of time the weak have always hidden behind clever schemes. If the strong were to use poison, it'd almost be like cheating. I can see why Gramps is scolding his Servant! Dan lowers his voice, although it's hard to determine whether he's doing so from scorn or disdain. I will not order you to lower this barrier now. However, should you choose to disobey me again- Dan and his Servant leave the Arena, opening up a path to the tree. After a somewhat petulant reply of "Gotcha," the sense of their presences disappears and I sigh in relief. So there is discord between my enemy and his Servant. While the differences in ability between us is great, this might be my key to victory in the second round.  A different path holds a switch, but right now we have to deal with the poison tree.  All that's left between us and our goal is a reskinned Crix.  This one is called an Insanity.  And here we are!  Magic flows from where the tree towers over the Arena. There is so much of it that those who are unprepared would drown in poison.   Music: First Chimeric Lunar Sea - First Floor  The moment the source of the barrier disappears, so does the pressure and pain crushing my body. But, this barrier... We need to watch out for this Servant. I leave the area to focus. First, I need more information.  With the tree gone, the natural green color of the Arena returns.  Just off from the tree is a Folder that holds a Remedy.  With the poison gone, I can show off the shiny new Mystic Code we got last time, but it isn't showing up in the Cast list, what gives?  I have the Shockwave equipped, and release_mgi(c); explicitly says field attack, so how do I use it?  Field attacks work differently from normal Code Casts. Instead, they get used whenever you press X.  Doing so makes your Servant pop out in front...  And fire a bullet, costing 10 Master MP every time.  Hitting an enemy with it stops them in their tracks.  It also stuns them for a few seconds, letting you slip by.  Getting into a fight with a stunned enemy makes them lose their first action.  Although it gets a bit finnicky near walls. Here, Caster is rushing off to the side and firing in a random direction, making me waste MP.  But the bullet itself can go through walls, letting you nail an enemy with zero risk.  I'm not too fond of it, honestly. Just this little demonstration burned half of my Master MP, and being able to skip a single turn doesn't really help when I have The List to back me up.  Showing it off took so long that the Insanity respawned, so now you can see what color it is! ...green Arena, green enemies, green Servant, green Master. Christ, that's a lot of green this week.  The switch from before unlocks a door right next to it. The game would probably yell at you if you tried to hit it before dealing with the poison, so this stops you from being stubborn and ignoring the tree.  Hit the switch.  Open the door.  And just past it is a room so massive you can't even see all of it from the entrance!  It also has these creepy things, which stroll around constantly opening and closing their massive jaws.  Caster's comment makes me break out the Saint's Monocle, and it turns out that enemies that have a few levels over you prompt unique comments from your Servant.   The Fishbite here is our first actually new enemy of the week. Spoiler alert: The Fishbite is the only new enemy of the week, everything else is a palette swap.  All you need to know is that they really, really like to spam Attack.  There's one in each corner of the room, so I kill all of them for that sweet, sweet EXP.  Which nets us another level.  In the middle of the room is a switch guarded by two Pradoxes.  Hitting it opens a door out of here.  Dealing with Fishbites can be risky, as they deal stupidly high damage. Flubbing just three hits knocked me down to critical HP!  The final area of the floor is a long hallway, with branching paths every so often. We also have our first red Folder of the week!  I bought one of those last week, game!   You can technically equip two of the same Mystic Code, but stacked Code Casts don't get any form of boost, so you're just wasting a slot for nothing. I'll sell this spare Uniform when we get back.  Further up the main hallway is a reskinned Viper.  Called a Swindle.  At the very end is a locked door leading to the exit portal.  Next to it is another fountain, as well as a path leading up.  There's another upwards path a bit further back that I choose to explore first.  It has our Trigger for the week!   Very first day of the week and we've already finished this floor!   The other route holds the button to open up the exit portal.  Not that you have to, mind, the portal by the entrance works perfectly fine, and you can always pop an Escape Crystal to leave.  A fight on the way out gets us a second level.  And with that, we're done for the day. Music: School III  Here's why we'll win... The old guy doesn't get along with his Servant. But, you and I are a perfect combo, so we're going to win! We're missing some treasure, but keep in mind we still need to get Taiga's sidequest, and that counts even before the item actually spawns. Next time: New friends, new skills, and item hunting. BisbyWorl fucked around with this message at 04:56 on Feb 13, 2023 |
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Sep 28, 2021 07:28
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BisbyWorl posted:
Blackmore. Dan. Do you want to know what Green here and Geronimo pulled (will pull?) in the USA singularity in FGO? They loving destroyed 60% of a Grail-fueled army with their tactics, and then also had the gall to be unsatisfied about the result. Yeah, in my opinion if Blackmore let Green do what he does best they'd actually have a decent shot at winning the Murder Death Kill. That's a recurring theme in Fate works: if the master is behaving like an idiot instead of working with their Servant, it doesn't really matter how strong the Servant is they're dead people walking.
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Sep 28, 2021 08:00
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...I see. Violation of trust. Ambushes. Betrayal. These are the things you rely on in battle.
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BisbyWorl posted:On the plus side, that description of the Servant's attack sounds a lot like Hakuno got shot by an arrow, so there's a good chance our mystery man is an Archer! If there's anything FGO has taught me, it's that the use of arrows means this man is anything BUT an Archer. My money is on Assassin, a poison tree feels very Assassin-y to me. Also I never knew that stunning an enemy on the field made them skip a turn in battle. Like you said, it still doesn't feel too useful, especially not with Caster and her ridiculously low Strength (using her spells would just skip the enemy's attack anyway, so you only benefit when using Attack/Break), but it's still a neat bonus.
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Sep 28, 2021 08:00
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serefin99 posted:If there's anything FGO has taught me, it's that the use of arrows means this man is anything BUT an Archer. My money is on Assassin, a poison tree feels very Assassin-y to me. Hey, maybe this War will have a Hassan as an Assassin, for once. ...maybe. Also, geez. Dan and Green. I just noticed that. DeTosh fucked around with this message at 11:11 on Sep 28, 2021 |
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Sep 28, 2021 10:57
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Update XVII - Wish Music: Duel of Fate   That's definitely Leo giving the refined greeting. Leo's Servant is at his usual post behind Leo, looming there like a silver shadow.  ... Gawain preserves his silence. So the next voice is not his, but that of a man near Leo.    I am a novice to the battlefield, but my family decided that I was to be the one to go. It's an embarrassing confession to make to such a seasoned knight.Which really sells just how above Leo is compared to us common rabble. No experience in actual combat, yet he still flaunts his Servant as if the knowledge would make no difference in the outcome. The almighty Grail... The Holy Grail is to be yours? Of course. We Harways must have it under our control, especially if its guardianship is vacant. Something so divine does not belong in the hands of a normal man, but in the embrace of a king. This Holy Grail War is annoying, but what can you do?A question comes to mind. We've heard a lot about the Harways, and they're clearly a major powerhouse in the world, big enough to have an honest-to-God king ruling their territory. But, then, why do they have to play by the rules to get the Grail, instead of just securing the system by force in the real world? Where is the SE.RA.PH, and who could possibly run such a powerful machine? You speak of the divine right of kings. Yes, I can see that's where you're coming from. Leo's talking to my opponent in the second round, Dan. They know of each other, but it seems like they've never met. Like they're both celebrities... Oh no, I feel unsuitably roused. To think that at this age I would see the honor in questing for the Holy Grail! Of course the Holy Grail is real. To your country most of all.Dan's British, if his name and bearing didn't tip you off. Ohhh? And how have you arrived at that conclusion? The fact that a man of your rank has been dispatched is proof that the Grail is real.If Dan got a more honorable Servant, or if he agreed with his Servant's methods, we'd be dead, end of discussion. What are you saying, young king? I am just an old soldier. The Queen could not spare a young life for this battle royale, hence I was called upon. You're close to the Queen, so you must have heard her displeasure at a certain allied organization. Well, the Queen's intentions do not reach a simple soldier's ears. Ah, I see. I beg your pardon. As you wish. After bidding farewell to Dan, Leo notices me and stops.  I had heard you passed the first round. Congratulations. Are you ready for the second round? I'd wish you luck, but... It's strange. The black knight's lance has splintered. No, perhaps he has exchanged it for a sword. If his conviction is no longer what it used to be, then perhaps...you have a genuine shot at victory.Senpai noticed us! Leo doesn't elaborate any further before leaving. Dan also left while I wasn't paying any attention. What the heck were they talking about in the first place...? The harder I try to understand, the less of it makes sense. All I really grasped was that they both really want the Holy Grail. I don't believe there's some magic dream-granting cup out there. But if they're both convinced... Hakuno, your soul is currently inside a system so advanced it can kill anyone who enters. Magic is an established thing, Rin even told you when explaining the origins of Wizards. You're partnered with a fox girl that's trying to marry you. Drop the skeptic act. Music: School IV  Why don't we go to the Arena? Once we perfect our attacks, we'll show him what's what! Caster's right. If I don't get my abilities up to par, I won't have a chance at winning.   I'd fight all out. Hahaha, right back at you... I'll still wish you the best.~ Don't even say that. ...Let's just hope we don't get paired, then.~~ Win or lose... Live or die... In other words, I have to kill my opponent to stay alive. Instead of feeling proud that I won, I only feel disgust. I have to find out more about it right away...~ Oh, it's you, Hakuno. It seems that people have started forming alliances. Me? I do my own thing. Always have, always will. I would gladly follow you into the very depths of yomi, Master!Caster's generic chat for the week.  Oops, except the black shirts said we'd get penalized. Otherwise, who cares about a fair fight?Music: Duel of Fate  Oh hey, the girl that tried to blow up the school in the prologue has finally joined the plot. The same mechanical expression and speech. Who, or what, could this girl possibly be?  I believe that this is our first time to actually converse like normal people, is it not? And she has a name! I've seen this beautiful, exotic girl many times before. This is the first time we've spoken. To hear real emotion in her voice is a relief. It's nice to speak with a fellow human being.  I've been scanning the stars for clues about you. Unlike the other Masters, you are an enigma. So I wish to ask you directly, and please answer honestly, this question: What are you? Huh? Hakuno Kishinami, second-year student of Tsukumihara Academy. That's all I am- No, that can't be right. The school is just a setting for the preliminaries— So what...am I? ~ Hakuno, a second-year student. I was afraid that's how you'd respond. Your answer is, of course, incorrect. Huh. That wasn't what I meant. I wanted to say something else, but that's what came out, almost like a Pavlovian response. The look of disappointment that the girl named Rani gave me was actually physically painful. ~~ So you will hide your identity? Even after exposing yourself to Blackmore's Servant yesterday? —Someone saw me?! There shouldn't have been anyone else there besides me and my opponent.  I did not watch your battle. I am simply relaying what it is the stars say about you. I'm looking for the newborn chick my professor spoke of. The stars have aided me in that task. I am not sure if you are who I seek, but... Maybe she's an astrologer, but I don't really understand her. She seems...mostly harmless, though. I must study the heavens further. But I must ask you to tell me more of Blackmore's star. It may seem like I'm asking for a lot, but the knowledge revealed will benefit you, I think. And as per Atlas, I wish to show you the true value of knowledge and will share my findings. I'll use you, and you'll use me. ...What do you think? Will you accept my request?But... we're in a computer system??? Is the SE.RA.PH so powerful it can accurately replicate the very stars? The Atlas Institute is a known organization in the Nasuverse, but didn't have much of a role in Stay Night. Instead, it has appeared mostly in the Melty Blood fighting games for Tsukihime. They're an organization of alchemists that have an alarming tendency to drive themselves mad trying to stop the end of the world.  You discovered me on your own? In addition to investigating Dan, it seems she already knows all about me...a terrifying thought. Information is everything in this war. Of course our enemies are trying to learn about us! I don't know what they've learned so far, but while I'm here they could attack at any time!The second choice just skips to here. I apologize. But to understand my professor's words, I must first understand humanity. This is what he said: As a doll, you must find someone who is truly alive and observe them. I believe that he wants me to find out, by watching humans, what it means to be alive. I don't know if you are the one, but perhaps...your star will shine apart from the others. I must...observe other people. You, and Blackmore as well. That is why I need your help. Please bring me a relic of his. I will be waiting at the far end of the third floor hallway. When you come to see me, we will gaze into the heavens together. I'm sure you see the value in learning what Blackmore's star will have to say, right? The best time to read his star will come in three days. Please find a relic of his by then.A small note: This professor Rani is talking about is actually a woman. This isn't a translation fuckup either, even the original JP script refers to them as a man. It isn't a hidden plot detail like King Arthur being a woman, just the writers not having all these minor things hammered out. Just something to keep in the back of your head. With a final "Until we meet again," she gives me a last smile before turning her attention back to the sky outside the window. A girl of many mysteries. And oddly enough...I couldn't detect any animosity from her. If it'll help me learn about Dan, I'll be sure to find something and bring it to the third floor.  So, stop talking to me. Consorting with an enemy will dull my blade. A book has popped up in the library, naturally.  Are you going to pair up?~ Have you noticed that there are three types of treasure containers in the Arena? The blue ones have regular items, red ones have rare items, and green ones contain cipher keys. While not really earth-shattering information, it is something to keep in mind. Just select the Item option. Use ■ to switch between the item's description and status effects. Any Master who breaks the rules will be penalized by having their abilities temporarily limited. Can you bring them on the fifth day— a day when many stars will show themselves? Um , yeah...having said that? Don't talk to me anymore. Of course. Well, a persimmon that a friend gave me as a gift somehow got sent to the Arena by mistake. ...But I don't know whose Arena it was sent to. So I'm throwing up the Taiga Signal to all students... So, do you think you could help me out by searching your Arena? It'll be two days before it gets reported as a system error, so please get it before then! I don't know about you, but I can never decide whether I should use an item or a code cast...~ ...  Like, what will you actually receive should you claim final victory in the Holy Grail War.Music: School III  Cashing in my SP gets Caster a new skill and a rank in Defense. We're also just three levels off from another Curse skill!    Charm - Spirit Theft is a godsend, finally giving us a way to recover Servant MP. Music: School IV  It will restore your mental acuity. If you use Code Cast frequently, be sure to buy some.That's just mean, game. ~ Everyone seems a little subdued. After the first round, I guess reality is starting to set in. Seeing as I probably can't do anything to help, I'll just eat now, for tomorrow we may die.Do you even need to eat in a virtual world?  Just to rub salt in the wound, things sell for 25% of their purchase price. There was a chest with 1000 PPT in it just last week.  Alright, let's go find some stuff for Rani. Music: First Chimeric Lunar Sea - First Floor  The preview shows a shiny by where the tree was.  *Giggle* Foxes have good noses for this sort of thing. I'll be sure to sniff out a clue! The first place I should search is where that troublesome tree was. Music: Battle - First Chimeric Lunar Sea  Let's take a moment to try out Caster's new skill.  Buff skills mean you aren't able to attack on that turn, so using it against an Attack or a Break gives the enemy a free hit against you. Saber or Archer would have to eat the hits, or wait for a Guard to show up and use it then, while Caster can use a Curse to give herself a safe turn to buff up.   Spirit Taker is a very, very good skill, lasting for three turns and giving Caster 10% of Break damage as MP. This lets it scale throughout the game and give you more and more MP on each Break. This is the second reason I've been pumping Caster's Strength so much. Right now, she needs two Breaks to break (heh) even on the cost of Spirit Taker. Once she hits 200 damage a hit, she'll break even in one, and any other Breaks for the buff's duration is free MP. And if she can hit 300 damage, she'll get back the cost of a Curse with every hit! This will let me chain Curse into Break into Curse for effectively 0 MP, minus 50 MP for the initial Curse -> Charm, chain stunning enemies forever. Music: First Chimeric Lunar Sea - First Floor  Our first stop is where the yew tree was.   The source of the barrier, the remains of the arrow. The arrowhead in my hands looks antique.  There may be something more. I should keep searching.  Taiga's sidequest item has popped up in the center room.  So now we're set until the second half of the week.  The second is just off by the exit.   There may be something more. I should keep searching.  After stumbling around for another shiny, I find out that I'm completely blind!  The last was in this corner all along. I even cleared out the Fishbites earlier for more EXP and never noticed a thing!   I've found everything.We've found three arrow-related things, yet we don't get any info from them. Not even an Archer? tag for Dan's Servant like we got with Drake.  Clearing out the Fishbites nets a level before we leave,  For once, I pop a Return Crystal just to save some time. Music: School III  The first floor has been completely cleared out, so now we just have to wait for the second floor to open. We'll also have to go one level above the target in order to get that last Curse skill for the Elimination Battle.  Music: None  Hmm, I wonder what the odds are on the sneaky rear end in a top hat who already tried to kill us against orders trying to kill us against orders a second time?  Er, this isn't such a forgiving fight that you can just break off friendships and fix them later.~ I feel like if I think about it too hard, next time I'm going to be the one who doesn't advance. Why did I enter a game like this? Even if I win, I'll be scarred for life.You can always wish to forget everything and render the whole thing a senseless waste of life!  ~ Your opponent is Sir Dan Blackmore? Well, Hakuno, fate just flushed you down the toilet. I ran into him outside the chapel. He's intimidating. Glad he's yours and not mine. ~ I went to the Nurse's Office just now, and couldn't help noticing the first floor is deserted. Is everyone in the Arena? ~ Do you heed your Servant's opinions in the Arena? Your Servant is always measuring whether upcoming conditions are dangerous for you. I'm going to start whining endlessly about my boyfriend. Use ▲ to ignore me, okay? *Ahem* Anyways, seriously, I totally can't believe this! Yesterday, I texted my boyfriend like a dozen times and he didn't respond even ONCE! Naturally I was worried he fell down a well or something so I hunted him down, and guess what? He was with some impudent strumpet! Can you believe that happy crappy?! CAN YOU?! When we first started going out, he was all "I love you" and "I'd cheerfully kill for you"... He even said things like "I dig the superfluous third nipple" and "Your Barney undies are sweet!" Now, all he does is steal money from my purse. And he keeps farting around me! And he never texts me anymore! I sent him 100 texts one day and he never responded! And when he does deign to answer my calls, he's always busy! Busy?! Doing WHAT?! I mean, who in the hell does he think he is?! He works as a pet groomer for god's sake! I just want it to be like it was when we first met. You know, flowers, candy, party clowns...!  By pressing ■ you can review any conversation you've just had... But don't do that now...okay?So, uh... Is she just spouting bullshit, or do the NPCs have some wild lives when all the Masters are out killing each other?  To run to a place where the enemy will have an advantage is sheer idiocy. This is sufficient. Next we will view the stars on the fifth day, when there will be many visible. It would be a huge upset if you won, because it's almost certain you'll lose this time. As you might expect, going to 1F starts a cutscene. However, I can use Fast Travel to skip past it entirely and visit the store and the church without setting it off.  It will allow you to cure your Servant of any status ailments. Who knows, there may come a time when having this ability available will save your life. I buy the Aromatic Wood.  Spend my SP.  And get ready to face the inevitable ambush. Next time: Zigging, zagging, and out of bounds. BisbyWorl fucked around with this message at 05:04 on Feb 13, 2023 |
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Oct 2, 2021 07:14
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Green knows what he's good at after all. Is Rani professor's (spoilers) Speaking of Atlas, the best description of it came in Grand Order when we go there and meet the Chaldea timeline variant of Sion (from Melty Blood). She refers of this conversation with her boss (paraphrased): Sion: "I've seen the end of the world we must do something." Her boss: "Welcome to the club, so did everyone else here, and it's a different end for everyone. All our resources are tied preventing ours, you're on your own to prevent what you've seen, no pressure." No wonder everyone there goes mad one way or the other.
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Oct 2, 2021 08:41
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Omobono posted:Green knows what he's good at after all. The professor goes entirely unnamed in Extra, iirc. The retcon to being a woman, and their name, comes from CCC, so I'll leave it until then.
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Oct 2, 2021 08:43
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Wait, there's a full English translation out? My Hakunon gotta spend some more quality time with her fox wife.
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Oct 2, 2021 08:46
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Omobono posted:Wait, there's a full English translation out? My Hakunon gotta spend some more quality time with her fox wife. Not yet, but the team working on it is a good ways there, so considering just how loving long this LP will be I'm hoping there will be a CCC patch out by the time I finish.
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Oct 2, 2021 08:52
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BisbyWorl posted:
Glitch in the 
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Oct 2, 2021 13:42
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I feel Rani is definitely trustworthy. After all, she isn't even bothering to hide the fact that she isn't a human. She's almost definitely a homunculus considering her words about learning from humans. Though it's also true that she's gaining information on all possible opponents while we know nothing about her Servant. Also of course finding all of those arrows won't make the Skill Matrix show he may be an Archer. Everyone knows Archers don't use bows and arrows, that's just silly.
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Oct 2, 2021 14:16
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I wonder if CCC improved the gameplay any.
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Oct 2, 2021 14:53
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AweStriker posted:I wonder if CCC improved the gameplay any. ahahahahahahaha ahahahahahahahahahahahaha ...ha...aha 
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Oct 2, 2021 14:58
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This is my first exposure to anything in the Fate series. I really like the music and atmosphere of this game but it seems better to read an LP than to pick it up. Are there any games in the series that people would recommend as being fun to play?
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Oct 2, 2021 19:28
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cardinale posted:This is my first exposure to anything in the Fate series. I really like the music and atmosphere of this game but it seems better to read an LP than to pick it up. Are there any games in the series that people would recommend as being fun to play? Not particularly. The vast majority of the series is either A) Visual Novels or B) Visual Novels with a half-baked gameplay mode tacked on. FGO is an okay RPG but it's still a mobile gacha game, this game and CCC have the RPS combat, and the Extella games are a passable but not great Musou. You have to be in it for the words because that's what Nasu and co are actually good at.
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Oct 2, 2021 19:31
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cardinale posted:This is my first exposure to anything in the Fate series. I really like the music and atmosphere of this game but it seems better to read an LP than to pick it up. Are there any games in the series that people would recommend as being fun to play? Artix posted:Not particularly. The vast majority of the series is either A) Visual Novels or B) Visual Novels with a half-baked gameplay mode tacked on. FGO is an okay RPG but it's still a mobile gacha game, this game and CCC have the RPS combat, and the Extella games are a passable but not great Musou. You have to be in it for the words because that's what Nasu and co are actually good at.  You don't play Nasuverse games, you read Nasuverse games. Any attached gameplay is ancillary. If the words interest you I'd either play or read the two VNs that gave the company success: Tsukihime (Seorin's Tsukihime Let's Play here) and Fate/Stay Night (Seorin's F/SN Let's Play here). Tsukihime is mostly unconnected to the Fate franchise though, same multiverse but they're in very distant locations. Crossovers like Touko and Aoko being here are extremely rare (outside of "for fun" projects like Carnival Phantasm)
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Oct 2, 2021 20:01
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BisbyWorl posted:ahahahahahahaha From what I saw of the game, its battles somehow managed to get a little more tedious than what we're dealing with here.
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Oct 3, 2021 00:43
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Artix posted:Not particularly. The vast majority of the series is either A) Visual Novels or B) Visual Novels with a half-baked gameplay mode tacked on. FGO is an okay RPG but it's still a mobile gacha game, this game and CCC have the RPS combat, and the Extella games are a passable but not great Musou. You have to be in it for the words because that's what Nasu and co are actually good at. Omobono posted:
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Oct 4, 2021 12:26
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Rani is really cute. Even Hakuno thinks she's exotic and beautiful!
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Oct 4, 2021 18:35
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Update XVIII - Means of escape Music: None Sound: Heartbeats   Although appreciated, I don't need Caster's warning to know that someone is watching me. There's no doubt that I am being stalked by a Servant. Here's the plan: When I give you the signal, RUN! Run to the schoolyard and regroupQuick, let's run to a wide open area with no cover and no way out! There's no way this could go wrong! I try to calm down and prepare for action as Caster and I make eye contact. One, two, three?  I need to find a place with decent visibility— Oh, the schoolyard would be good. I'll be in plain sight there, but so will my enemy. Gasping for breath, I run past the shoe rack. I'm almost there!  We get a quick burst of static as soon as we get outside. Master! Right when I'd almost made it to the schoolyard— An unpleasant sensation rips into the joint of my neck and back, like a steel rod has been jammed in.  My cunning plan went wrong again, how could I have known!?  Music: Deathly Silent  Something warm oozes down my back, and I feel myself growing cooler with each heartbeat. I wonder what Caster had been yelling about? I guess I'll never know. My body refuses to function anymore.  ~ Escape into the Arena I try to calm down and prepare for action as Caster and I make eye contact. One, two, three?Music: Fear   We cut right to the Arena.    Aha! He's shadowing us because we'll retaliate in a fair fight. *Giggle* It seems he knows his place... Let's find a wide open place and crush him to smithereens. *Smirk* Let's show him our true nature— I mean, true power! This is one of Caster's generic lines when entering the Arena, but drat if it ain't fitting.  A wide open place can only mean the center room.    Archer takes a shot, showing that he isn't even in the dungeon. He's just floating in the void.   Caster blocked the arrow that had been aimed at us the moment we entered the Arena— Music: Stops   —Sharp pain. When I look, I see a small gash in my arm. It makes me nauseous—more nauseous than seeing a small wound like that would warrant. Caster stopped the surprise attack, but while I was focused on running away, there was a second arrow.  I struggle to stay conscious as the poison starts to course through my system. Whoever that Servant is, they landed a really good shot. There's no doubt that the enemy is an Archer. What good is knowing that going to do me if I die? Before the poison spreads, I have to retreat to a safer place...   We might be actively dying, but that's no reason to put off checking the Info Matrix!  Anti-Magic (D) posted:Cancels single-action spells. It also bestows magical resistance equal to that normally provided by a physical talisman such as an amulet. Independence (A) posted:This ability allows him to remain independent by rejecting any kind of support from his Master. When this skill reaches rank A, he can remain in the world for a a full week, even if his Master were to be defeated.  Like the yew tree, Archer's poison makes me constantly take damage, but this time it deals a much scarier 10 damage to everything.  Although it still can't kill me.  The problem is that the exit is directly ahead of us.  The only fights between us and safety are just two Pradoxes, and those are close enough that you'll kill them before the poison can take a bite out of you.  Granted, this could be a much bigger problem if you haven't opened the exit gate, but this is the last day before the second floor opens up, why wouldn't you have everything cleared out by now?   Bizarrely, the game doesn't force you to leave. You can just chill around while badly poisoned.  Better luck next time, Archer! Music: School III  Does it hurt?! Do you feel ill?! Can you still move around okay? Urgh... It's all my fault for being such a worthless Servant. You should never, ever forgive me, Master. But, I'm still really happy that it's not too serious. The poison will go away by tomorrow. Just to be careful, let's go to the nurse's office tomorrow and get you some tender loving care. *Giggle*  This Servant is pretty smart to use poison arrows. So they're an Archer. Rrrgh, how annoying! Grrr... I'll pay back the injury done to my Master a hundred fold! And for his failed assassination attempt, he gave us valuable info.  Music: School IV    I don't know how much of it I can treat with my abilities, but I'll do what I can. But, you can't let this happen to you again. You only have one body, okay? Treat it well. Sakura Matou administers a detox treatment to me on a bed in the nurse's office. She must be giving me treatment because it was inflicted outside the Elimination Battles. While I dwell on that thought, the doors to the nurse's office open, admitting a surprise visitor. Music: Stops  The unexpected caller is my enemy Master. I try to ready myself, but I have no strength to call upon. However, his actions greatly betray my expectations. Music: Duel of Fate  You what. Please, accept this token of my apology, if only to humor me. What does this man standing by my bed mean that he disabled his Noble Phantasm?  To break the sovereign rules of the battlefield is to sunder the fabric of your character. This war is between individuals, not countries. There is no longer any need to resort to savagery. A quiet confession. There's something unshakable about the conviction underlying those solemn words.  You what. I hereby prohibit any attacks on enemy Masters with your Yew Bow while on campus. What?! Are you crazy, boss...?! I thought you wanted this to be an easy win! Remember, using all three Command Seals instantly breaks the contract and kills you, so Dan has one Seal left for the entire Holy Grail War. Of course. And I will not lose. My victory is the natural outcome of the situation. There are circumstances in which we may not win. My victory is not the same as yours. ... Thoroughly scolded, Archer leaves. —The Command Seals. The three absolute commands that a Master may give their Servant. Astonishingly, this old knight in front of me just used one of his Command Seals to force his own Servant to fight fairly.  I intend to grasp victory only on the battlefield proper. I hope you can forgive this incident. That said, Dan turns around and walks off.  So thanks to his assassination attempt, we got half of the information we need! Thanks, Archer!   He even used one of his Command Seals! And he's getting a penalty for the sneak attack, too! He's scary determined, but even moss can overcome a rock. Kinda like, love can conquer all? Aagh, what a bother!Music: School IV Sound: Phone ringing  An electronic chiming sounds from my terminal.  The second Trigger has appeared. I need to find it before the Elimination Battle begins. I'd better head to the Arena while I still can.  Yep, we're halfway through the week and we already have our enemy's Noble Phantasm revealed.  Yew Bow: Holy Bow of Supplication posted:The wood used to make the yew bow wielded by this Servant was taken from a specific tree located in the forest he used as his base of operations. It has the power to identify and amplify any impurities (both physical and mental), causing them to explode with incredible force. The Information Matrix stumbles here. See, Noble Phantasms are the smoking gun on a Servant's identity, so with this we should be able to get his True Name here and now, right? Except we can't, because you can only hit Level E on the last day of the week, so we can't actually use this information to figure it out early, meaning Hakuno is stuck only knowing them as Archer for the next few days. Now, a Servant clad in green, adept in all forms of trickery to cut down superior opponents, that used a forest as his base of operations, and had his grave dug where his final arrow fell? That can only be the legendary outlaw: Robin Hood. But because Hakuno can't parse the Dewey Decimal system for poo poo, she'll be running blind until the plot deigns to let her know.   ...Acting independently? Color me interested. You and your Servant out of sync?Annoyingly, the penalties will never have an impact on the actual gameplay. It would have been nice to have a three round fight with Dan before this, then have Robin lose a few hundred HP in the Elimination Battle just to show what breaking the rules gets you. ~ No way! You're alive?! I heard you got ambushed in the school, so I just assumed...~ I was watching. I saw you act to avoid danger by the lockers. I'm not going to fall for your little woe-is-me act. You can make important discoveries by exploring the entire Arena.~ If you ask me, the Servant who attacked you acted on his own. Pretty pointless of him, though, since he screwed up. Or rather, you thwarted his plans.I'm not asking you, since the man himself told me Robin went rogue. ~ -About the Yew Bow- A short bow made from yew. Considered sacred by the Celts, using yew is thought to signify that one has -become one with the forest-.The book has no info on anyone who used a yew bow, naturally.  You can compensate for that pesky memory loss by pressing ■ to review any conversation you've just had. Sir Blackmore will be heavily penalized for his actions. Also, failure pains him greatly. What the penalty is? As a result, a heavy revision of a Servant's ability score will be put in place. Could there be something that you yearn for? You blew it? Wow, you...suck. If my Servant was on the case, he'd have beheaded the jerk.And what the gently caress is this about us getting penalized too? This will never actually come up in the plot. ~ I was in the Arena at the time, but word is that you had a little dust-up with your opponent. I guess all's fair in love and war. Odd how none of this popped up in the first round, though. We get no remark from Sakura about what went on.   Heh heh! I can finally share this with everyone. Oh, I just remembered something... Hakuno, a student asked me for help, but you'd do a better job. So could you help them instead? Sure, why not? You're a lifesaver! It seems one of the girls dropped her glasses in the Arena. She said they dropped to the bottom of the Arena's second floor, but she isn't sure. It'd be great if you could poke around the second floor of your Arena as well. She lost them on the second floor. Please try to find them sometime during the second round. Thanks! I heard that you were attacked on campus, but I guess you managed to survive. I know she's just an NPC, but the moment I saw that white robe , I was in L-O-V-E.Dude, I almost died, chill. ~ I know this is no time to be doing exercises, but they really do help me relax. It feels energizing to jog. Even so, some Masters aren't afraid to break them, or their Servants take the initiative. You can't really blame them, if you consider that THE Holy Grail is at stake. Having this equipped will allow you to use the Field Attack ability in battle. This technique will give you an edge in battle, especially if the enemy is out of your league.~ It looks like yesterday was brutal. Get used to it. This place is a battlefield after all. What am I up to? I was thinking about ways to make the food here contain 100% more deliciousness.A war that can only have one survivor seems like a bad place to focus on food, but what do I know?  Just remember: it's only cheating if you get caught. We are all fighting a war, so anything goes.~ What happened yesterday? I was in the Arena the entire day, so I missed what happened. ...You were attacked while on campus? I guess there's no safety to be found in this place.~ Even if someone attacked me on campus, I know my darling would be there to save me. That, and my darling's Servant is, like, super-powerful! Alright, back to the grind. Music: First Chimeric Lunar Sea - Second Floor     Well this is a drat sight different from last week! Next time: Exploring, praying, and stargazing. BisbyWorl fucked around with this message at 08:12 on Feb 13, 2023 |
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Oct 5, 2021 07:20
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This is straight up how you lose a Murder Death Kill before ever meeting an opponente by the way. Depending on the Heroic Spirit, reactions vary from immediate attempt on the Master's life (requiring another command seal to stop them) to carefully planning a literal backstab and who cares if it's a murder-suicide. E: you might notice a glaring omission there since I didn't mention that you do not loving cripple your Servant if you have any lick of sense. That's because it's a very distant second consideration to the Servant now wanting to kill you. Omobono fucked around with this message at 10:20 on Oct 5, 2021 |
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Oct 5, 2021 10:18
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Robin is also, broadly speaking, one of the worse Servants Dan could have gotten in terms of compatibility. Robin is an outlaw, robbing / hunted by knights, sheriffs and nobles, and Dan is most clearly a knight in his behavior.
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Oct 5, 2021 10:53
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| # ? Apr 20, 2024 02:33 |
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Eeepies posted:Robin is also, broadly speaking, one of the worse Servants Dan could have gotten in terms of compatibility. Robin is an outlaw, robbing / hunted by knights, sheriffs and nobles, and Dan is most clearly a knight in his behavior. Honestly, from the sounds of it getting Robin was just bad timing for him. Remember that Dan was a sniper in the past, which means he specialized in the exact same poo poo he's condemning Robin for here. Combined with his remark that he was sent in to spare a younger, more valuable, soldier, plus the comment from the fountain NPC wondering if Dan prays for the absolution of his own soul, and it feels more like Dan's just trying to be honorable for the last fight of his life. If he wins, great, if he loses, he'll at least go out knowing his wife would be proud of him. If Dan got called for this when he was younger, or if he didn't have a change of heart, him and Robin would have been a perfect match. BisbyWorl fucked around with this message at 12:41 on Oct 5, 2021 |
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Oct 5, 2021 11:10
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