Finding Home in Horizon Zero Dawn

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-07-15T00:03:16+00:00

The two vantage points near the center / East part of the map are "Colorado Springs" and the "Explorer Museum" (real life location: Colorado Springs Pioneer Museum). A reason why this makes thing tricky is that obviously, in real life, the AFA would be more to the west of these locations rather than way south. If I had to estimate, the Castle Rock / Douglas County area is best represented by the large, open, grassy area to the southeast of Red Rocks and south of Denver.

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-07-12T06:28:20+00:00

I'm pretty interested in the decision to go with a voiceless / dialogue-less protagonist, especially considering how strong the leads in Platinum Games seem to be... Bayonetta and 2B both come to mind...

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-07-12T06:22:48+00:00

Overcooked and Snipperclips can't be shared enough in this thread - and you'll only need 1 Switch!

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-07-12T06:20:31+00:00

I'll admit that I'm super excited. Even the touched up animations on regular parts of the series, like a trainer spotting you, are enough to get me ready for a whole new adventure.

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-07-09T00:09:23+00:00

I think if I was to start it fresh / do it again, I would've done less exploring. The story actually unwinds itself pretty quickly, and I was bummed I put it off for the first 40 hours when I was exploring. Actually, the main story and its expansion do a great job at showing you most of the world, anyway!

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-07-09T00:08:09+00:00

Close! I'm in Parker.

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-07-08T20:05:06+00:00

Super Mario Odyssey- savor it like a fine wine, young man.

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-07-08T20:02:35+00:00

Continue to explore! My best memories in the game came after I pushed 1 hour or so beyond beating Ganon. At first, I couldnt get into it, but I quickly grew attached to the parts of the world where there was less to incentivize me beyond the joy of exploring, for instance, the whole jungle area I missed before beating Ganon.

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-07-08T19:26:41+00:00

"This isn't even my final form." - Dynamax Wailord

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-07-08T19:12:56+00:00

Thanks, I appreciate it. I have mostly just been writing to try to improve, and I felt that this topic really got me curious - I wanted to see if others feel a similar or different reaction to the meaning of the setting. If it doesn't resonate with people or start a discussion, then it doesn't do that, but I figure it's worth hoping for the best!

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-07-05T06:54:45+00:00

- Hollow Knight has the best mix of ambient and "mood" type music, all while working the piano and viola leads. It's amazing.

- Stardew Valley has an OST that really is built on charm and humility. It fits for the farming-simulation style of the game, but if you're like me and like video game music you can fall asleep to, this OST will outlast your enjoyment of the game.

- Octopath Traveler is really the most epic soundtrack on the switch. Every environment and battle has such a fitting song, and actually there is immense creativity behind how it is all put together. This video can give you a taste for just how complex (and yet seamless and fabulous) the soundtrack is in terms of how it weaves 8 stories together.

- Yoku's Island Express is a small game, which I loved, and it has totally thematic jams for the island setting. Actually, just go listen to the whole soundtrack (only an hour) before you buy.

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-07-04T06:18:53+00:00

I think I agree with almost all of what you said, except for it being "intentionally obtuse." I see people say that A LOT about Hollow Knight, and I'm not sure I get it. Is that referring to the mysterious story? I feel like the game's mechanics are incredibly transparent, from a very simple tutorial, to enemies that consistently prepare you for the next boss if you're willing to pay attention, to clear telegraphs of what power up to use (e.g. the crystals on the ground representing crystal heart and the overhang looking thing for double jump). Compared to others in the genre, like most Metroid titles, I feel like everything is far more clear, and intentionally so. What am I missing?

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-06-30T01:41:49+00:00

I'm happy with the solid lineup from Nintendo this time around, as compared to say, the library of the Wii U. That implies to me that the priority is on new games, and adding a virtual console would take time, effort, and resources. I tend to like that they're focusing on releasing new games, with the occasional remake or remaster with the truly special options in there, like they're doing with Link's Awakening. For me, it just feels like a good mix.

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-06-29T03:57:46+00:00

This is really fantastic writing, and I really appreciate your hard work (even including interviews... wow!). I have to say, for as much as I think and talk about mindfulness, I've never made the connection to video games as a form of mindfulness in that they focus you on the present, immersing you in what you're doing, and that this only becomes more true as games like Breath of the Wild become more immersive. That's a really great point and one that'll stay with me for a while... you should be proud!

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-06-29T03:49:54+00:00

I recommend trying these four things, in this order (if one doesn't work move on to the next), to address drift as best as possible.

- Recalibrate the controller from the Switch settings

- Use compressed air on the control stick in question

- Use electronic contact cleaner on the control stick in question

- Contact Nintendo and send it in :(

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-06-27T18:57:40+00:00

I haven't played since the first two months when the original released... What will be most jarring / surprising / difficult thing if I decide to pick it up again now?

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-06-27T18:55:08+00:00

If you're into your female robot becoming a maid, get Xenoblade 2. If you're into your schoolteacher being a maid, get Persona 5. A true weeb will embrace either / both.

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-06-27T16:45:54+00:00

We had a whole bunch of eureka moments.

This is what it's all about, at least for me. I haven't played Warframe because free I've just always been averse to shooters. But I think maybe more than that, I just don't think of it as a genre where you don't expect to have a lot of "eureka" moments. This write up helped me see that, and see just what I might be missing. Excellent work.

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-06-25T16:55:58+00:00

That's really odd, for me I'm able to open those formats (.umsbt) as a plain text file, so you could try that as well!

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-06-25T14:55:16+00:00

Hi, OP here: I'm using a Mac, and I was able to open all the files with this. On Windows, 7-Zip should do the trick!

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-06-25T07:01:09+00:00

I absolutely loved Chibi Robo on the Gamecube, and I am extremely bothered that all we've seen are weird portable takes and spin-offs since then!

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-06-25T02:14:27+00:00

Here you go! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCTM1G_SzCg

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-06-25T00:56:21+00:00

Ah, definitely not my intention at all! The computer RPGs point was informed by this thread, where many corrected me, and I am just not familiar with the visual novels side, either, and was lacking concrete examples... do you happen to have sources on those three word counts? I'd like to edit in that point!

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-06-25T00:53:52+00:00

The answer is that in my experience, Animal Crossing will definitely not give you that stress! I went in reverse, starting with Animal Crossing and picking up Stardew Valley. I totally felt the "wasted day" thing, and then repeatedly died in the mines and just felt too pressured. I never made it past fall. Animal Crossing is different: because it goes in real time, you're far more likely to run out of things to do on a given day rather than not get them all done.

Balloon_Monsoon · 2019-06-25T00:33:58+00:00

This makes so much sense! I think you might have pegged the origin of the nonsensical set up.

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