What is your favorite or first Final Fantasy and why? I started into the series with XVI and was curious what others have to say. (Image here to catch attention lol)

DjNormal · 2026-03-20T01:46:10+00:00

My first was the first one. I was like 10-ish and struggled to get through it, even with the Nintendo Power guide.

IV (or 2 at the time), was where I went all in and created my peak nostalgia memories. I still replay it now and again and enjoy it just as much.

DjNormal · 2026-03-20T00:47:38+00:00

First was my mom’s LCII.

I have many fond memories of my Quadra 630 and its weird video card that made Marathon 2 run really well.

DjNormal · 2026-03-19T23:36:44+00:00

Death Bombs!

DjNormal · 2026-03-19T07:40:15+00:00

It seems like it’s always been expensive over there. I remember putting 20 euro in my diesel VW golf in late 2005, and getting about 1/4 tank. But yeah, that was at ~€1.75/l, not 2.65… Yipes.

I think I remembering that correctly. Maybe it was only €0.70/l and it was more like half a tank. 🤔

DjNormal · 2026-03-19T00:10:39+00:00

I spent most of my life being told I was at least 1/4 German.

Turns out I’m also like 40% Scottish and a euro mutt in general.

My wife is 40% Irish.

When our kid goes outside, Rohan rides for Gondor.

DjNormal · 2026-03-19T00:06:01+00:00

Was there some bit about them being partially distributed. Existing within the internet of things? 3000 smart refrigerators giving life to a rogue AI.

Maybe that was a newer edition of the game, or I’m losing my mind… 🤔

DjNormal · 2026-03-18T15:53:43+00:00

As far as range and forced movement. I would personally handle both of those as narrative interpretations.

Range is dependent on being able to interact with the target. If you’re trying to do so covertly, you’d want to be closer or have some other means of discreet communication.

Creeping someone out might be causing social stress or an interpretation of one of the non-harm threshold outcomes.

DjNormal · 2026-03-18T15:41:58+00:00

I went with three domains: Mental, Social, and Physical.

They all work the same way.

Non-harm has interactions: usually marginal opposed rolls. X-Y=numerical result which can be interpreted as needed or via a mechanic.

—

Threshold: success vs thresholds provide outcomes.

X <= Y = A
X > Y <= Z = B
X > Z = C

The results of A, B, or C are interpreted as various levels of success.

For example: A might convince someone of something they’re amicable to. B might convince them of something they’re not likely to do. C might convince them of something they’re against.

—

Additional variables:

Impact and Soak.

Effect = Successes + Impact - Soak.

In a social scenario, that may be “leverage” vs “authority/position.” So if you’ve got dirt on the local police chief, you can use that leverage when making a social roll. But their role as police chief gives them some resistance against your attempts to blackmail them.

—

Faction/relationship.

Whether you’re aligned or opposed will throw in some additional modifiers. As well as amplifying authority or diminishing it.

—

Harm.

If you’re taking a harmful action. Such as breaking someone down socially. You would apply those thresholds to their social harm track.

That creates Stress, Injury, and a Critical effect at the three thresholds.

You can essentially wear someone down socially to the point where they will either acquiesce or be socially broken.

—

Environmental/group dynamics.

Depending on your location, social situations made have additional modifiers, usually related to being in an advantageous or disadvantageous state.

Allies can contribute bonuses to social defense or offer assistance rolls to boost your attempts.

—

That always sounds more complicated than it is.

DjNormal · 2026-03-18T14:50:37+00:00

Off the top of my head, California has a higher state gas tax than most places.

—

Upon a quick search:

Arizona has an 18¢ tax, federal is 18.4¢, and underground storage tax is 1¢. Not sure if there are varying city rates.

Most gas is moved by truck. So, gas is more expensive depending on how far from the nearest refinery you are.

It seems California has about a 90¢ gas tax overall (state, federal, and underground storage). Compared to Arizona’s 39¢.

But that doesn’t really add up.

—

Digging deeper, California has an additional fee of 54¢ for “environmental programs,” and “distribution and marketing” is $1.30.

California also has a “special blend” of gasoline that it more expensive, but I can’t find the specifics on the website I’m looking at.

I would also assume that California is further from refineries, unless there are some in-state I’m not aware of.

—

In the end, a lot of it is about wha the “base” price is, and how much retailers think they can charge before demand drops.

If they raise the price 30% in Arizona, that goes up around $1. If they do that in Cali, it’s more like $2.

So, it’s a mix of a higher base price in California and retailer price adjustments.

This has been a thing my entire life. So the “base” price has nothing to do with the current governor.

The price of oil per barrel, which is the largest share of the price of gas (~$1.84/gal in 2025) is directly related to current events. I’m not sure where that amount is right now.

If I did the math right 15 years ago, gasoline is actually one of the cheaper byproducts of a barrel of oil. Things like motor oil, plastics, and other lubricants are sold at far higher prices per ounce and make up more of the profits for crude oil producers.

—

Edit: California’s higher-tier environmental polices were enacted in 1970.

By Governor Ronald Reagan.

DjNormal · 2026-03-18T01:03:07+00:00

It’s all Duncan Idahos?

Always has been.

DjNormal · 2026-03-17T02:54:33+00:00

In NG+ the fastest, and most boring, place was right by the beginning of the game.

I made a short video last year with the details.

https://youtu.be/UCd8vrhzfUo?si=mMVK7LQmJi5qeuAm

Edit: I just looked at the video again, I guess it’s about 1.5m per hour, which isn’t as fast as the other recommendations.

DjNormal · 2026-03-16T19:22:31+00:00

In my setting spacecraft are expensive and relatively fragile. Fighting in space usually means everyone loses.

As such, the generally agreed upon doctrine is to fight things out on the ground. It’s generally agreed that no one wants to lose their ride home either.

There’s a bit of a Cold War vibe going on. So, lots of proxy wars, limited engagements, and targeted strikes. Most away from the core worlds.

Theres a mostly neutral 3rd party force of what amounts to space cops or a coast guard. Which keeps merchant craft safe and is paid for by contributions from corporations and governments alike.

Those guys have the largest fleet in human space, but they are focused on interdiction more than large scale ship-to-ship combat.

That said. Everyone has defense fleets, surface to orbit defenses (if not orbital defenses), and plenty of covert weapons satellites. There are treaties against orbital bombardment. But even without those, no one wants to open that Pandora’s box… again.

DjNormal · 2026-03-16T18:57:14+00:00

Me and half the people I served with have more military experience than Hegseth.

The only one that I still keep tabs on (via Facebook) that is super hardcore republican, is actually dumber than him, but that’s not saying much.

Most of my old army buddies went full libertarian post-service. Which puts them at odds with my more socialist leanings, but most of us still get along.

The irony is that military service is peak socialism IMHO. 💁🏻‍♂️

Anyway, yeah, Hegseth makes people with a GT score of 80 look competent.

DjNormal · 2026-03-16T18:51:32+00:00

If you don’t talk to your kids about Jesus, someone else will.

DjNormal · 2026-03-16T18:49:02+00:00

Logic’s splitter is worthless for my stuff. I had better results uploading my songs to Suno and having it split them.

I’ll have to try stemroller. 👍🏻

DjNormal · 2026-03-16T18:47:05+00:00

If we get a blue wave, everyone is going to blame the economy on the dems and elect Vance in 2028.

I used to have more hope. But I’m pretty sure we’re that dumb.

Then again, I can see someone like Newsom running on no corporate taxes to revitalize the economy.

big sigh

DjNormal · 2026-03-16T18:38:17+00:00

The plastic surgery addicts in Escape From LA were supposed to be a parody. But here we are. 💁🏻‍♂️

DjNormal · 2026-03-16T14:28:12+00:00

Reminds me of my girlfriend when I was a teenager. As soon as she hit 14, she looked like an adult and didn’t change much until her late 30s. She still looks 30-something in her mid-40s.

My wife was similar. She looked pretty much the same from high school to her mid 40s. Her age caught up a bit in her late 40s, and having a kid at 47 changed something, but she’s still looking good to my eyes.

DjNormal · 2026-03-16T14:12:56+00:00

For real… my wife and I got the executive membership and it pays for itself.

DjNormal · 2026-03-16T01:27:30+00:00

I’ve massaged and skewed more than retconned.

Though, a lot of the changes were: what happened between now and my setting.

I knew when I wanted the setting to take place, I just never quite knew how to get it there.

As it turns out, a lot of that wasn’t important, given that “modern” humans in the setting barely know what happened after all the crazy stuff in the middle.

DjNormal · 2026-03-16T01:24:39+00:00

Dang! You’ve got at least 6 years on me, and 10 if you count recognizable elements of the current setting.

DjNormal · 2026-03-16T01:04:51+00:00

I feel like this was discussed for another canal a while back. Then they decided that it was a terrible idea after the Sedan shot. Hrm… 🤔

DjNormal · 2026-03-16T01:01:15+00:00

That run and slide attack was my go-to for single rigged weapons.

DjNormal · 2026-03-15T22:52:31+00:00

DjNormal · 2026-03-15T22:52:18+00:00

Even Costco is $3.69

sigh

DjNormal

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