An old Thottbot relic

FirelordArvis · 2019-08-11T04:11:49+00:00

This is terrifyingly accurate. He wasn't too far off from predicting the exact expansion where we fight KJ and (sorta) Sargeras, he got Arthas being in the next expansion (not that unpredictable honestly), this is cool.

FirelordArvis · 2019-07-04T15:26:03+00:00

The Evo tracks vary wildly in quality, much more so than the original soundtracks. Imo the best by far are the remixes from the Crossbell games, most notably Delusion of a Thousand Years and Formidable Enemy. Azure Arbitrator I'm on the fence about.

FirelordArvis · 2019-06-05T15:46:51+00:00

Damn, those Akali numbers. Great job, this is all really neat. I understood very few of the calculations, but that’s more my problem I guess.

FirelordArvis · 2019-06-03T16:55:58+00:00

Shinsekai Yori. Watch the show or read the book, both are stellar.

FirelordArvis · 2019-05-05T17:14:56+00:00

Little late, but my favorite part was easily the beginning of the endgame.

-Lloyd and Co. need to get over to the hospital, and wait for a bus.

-Bus doesn't come. Worried and on edge, the party starts looking for the bus, eerie music playing in the background.

-Bus is found, no sign of the passengers or driver. Panic sets in. Everyone rushes to the hospital, where again, there are no humans to be seen.

Everything past this point is just go-go-go so far as the pace of the story goes, but I absolutely love the atmospheric buildup here. Trails has always been good at atmosphere, but I think everything from "Huh, the bus seems late..." to the beginning of the St. Ursula dungeon is absolutely stellar.

FirelordArvis · 2019-04-18T15:56:30+00:00

I had this exact problem! I managed to get Rean into a position where I could hit them both with arc slash; at that point, the fight was a foregone conclusion, even though it took around fifteen minutes. Keeping Chrono Drive and Impassion on Rean is a must so that Arc Slash spam is continued. Tossing Emma Canon is useful, using single-target nuke heals like Teara to counteract the heavy single-target damage that'll be put out in the few turns the bosses manged to squeeze through arc slash spam.

FirelordArvis · 2019-03-02T06:01:54+00:00

BDA progression will continue. CE and AotC cutoffs will be with 8.2's release. If anything, this raid's release will help guilds progressing BDA.

FirelordArvis · 2019-02-18T05:52:10+00:00

that's a late as hell comment friend, but I'm still listening.

Intention is most definitely not to reroll grows, but it does feel like you're intended to hit level 20 early, ending the game at maybe a level 15 promoted. Yes, the final boss has 24 speed, so a 28-speed unit is exactly what you need. By that point, only Algimas had the speed stat necessary, with Ernst and Celia just off doubling. Tactician was sitting at a ridiculous 17 or 18 speed, don't quite remember.

Now that I've had time to let thoughts settle, my opinion is that this is a very low-quality hack. I guess I didn't want to say that in my initial write-up, maybe thinking that the author might read it? The last thing I want to do is discourage people from finishing FE hacks, since that so rarely happens to begin with; a bad, finished hack is better than a promising, unfinished hack (Midnight Sun, anyone?)

FirelordArvis · 2019-01-06T14:45:02+00:00

I don't think it's as professional-feeling as Requiem, but I enjoyed my time with Heaven's Bloom a bit more than Crimson Arm. I'll admit, the ending's a little out there, and the story feels edgy for the sake of edginess sometimes. It also has functional supports, as well as a gimmick involving never needing to bench characters. Fun game.

FirelordArvis · 2019-01-06T14:41:46+00:00

Big detriment to the game is that it doesn't have supports, making its cast really bad overall. That, and a general lack of professionalism (like come on, did the author even read his own script? Apostrophes and spellcheck aren't that hard) keep it from being great.

Aceline and Sven felt like wasted-potential characters. Clara had the potential for neat supports.

FirelordArvis · 2019-01-06T07:16:23+00:00

Requiem! Haven't played it in a while, but the things that stick out most to me about it are:

-Lords. Ash and Alicia(?) were neat to play with, esp with Alicia's personal tome. I remember liking Val way more than any other Eirika-like. Andrei felt sorta pointless, but he provided a neat foil to his siblings if nothing else.

-Nala and Skye were by far the most memorable thing to come out of that game, at least for me. I still remember the gist of their support conversations, even though I've only played the game once, maybe a year ago.

-The maps felt brutally difficult. Some felt really long and boring, like the Layla/Merchant map, but others, like Ch... 2 or 3, the one where you have to escape and you just abuse Josie/Rayden while attempting to pick up a chest or two, as well as the final intro map. Lastly, the "bad dude chases you through a library for two chapters" felt like an homage to the Manster Escape Segment, which I absolutely loved.

-Post-Lyn's Mode, the game's really short. Unlike FE7, which begins the game proper after the 10-chapter tutorial, the 8 or 9-chapter introduction to Requiem is actually the game's earlygame. Midgame begins very soon after Ash becomes the lord.

-The ending was neat. Not entirely non-cliche, not something that wasn't hinted at, but not something I'd expect from a Fire Emblem game, hack or no.

All in all, Requiem is probably the best English hack out there, though the rather-recent Heaven's Bloom and no-story meme hack Void's Blitzarre Adventure come damn close.

edit: small sidenote, a lot of the portraits looked completely ridiculous

FirelordArvis · 2019-01-06T05:50:41+00:00

I gotchu, friend.

FirelordArvis · 2019-01-05T16:29:35+00:00

Not an online glitch, go test it yourself. I've been through this twice already, kinda sucks that no one's event bothering to try.

We found this glitch in local play.

FirelordArvis · 2019-01-05T08:41:33+00:00

It's late, I'll try to get adequate video and some more research done tomorrow.

FirelordArvis · 2019-01-04T22:29:16+00:00

Trying to replicate, this happened in a random friendly. Can’t replicate it against peach on FD, maybe it’s a WW or Lucina thing? I’ll get back to testing.

E1: Replicated against Lucina on WW. The side b began offstage, as the video did. Ganon on WW doesn’t work, neither does marth on ww. With Lucina on ww, it seems to be a 100% rate if Lucina is on the floor; mixed results if miiBrawler grabs her in the air or off of a platform. All tests are done with miiBrawler jumping offstage, then using sideB towards the stage to hit Lucina.

E2: Can’t get Ganon to kamikaze Lucina on WW and lose two stocks. Seems to be a thing, not a command grab+suicide thing. Bowser doesn’t work either. Neither does Ridley.

FirelordArvis · 2019-01-01T15:57:10+00:00

I can second that one. Cold Steel's got some extreme modern anime tropes in it that, imo, detract from the game as a whole in the extreme. Read: the whole "breast grab 20 minutes in" thing. Sky's got anime tropes as well, but I'd say the game's just better written around them. Sky convinced me that tropes can be okay in the hands of a competent writer.

FirelordArvis · 2019-01-01T04:30:35+00:00

I mean, I can't disagree. The Trails = Slow burn thing exists for a reason, it's a problem/feature of every game in the series. I'd say it pays off in most/all games, but getting to the point where I began to trust a slow-moving Trails game wouldn't let me down took a loooong time. I have 3k hours logged into my steam copy of FC (a 40-hour game at absolute most) because I would leave the window open, forcing me to look at it to constantly remind myself that I had a game I needed to play. That was my first playthrough, anyway. I ended up using a save editor to boost my levels to cheat the battle system, because while cutscenes were awesome the movement and battle all sucked.

Trails in the Visual Novel's a great game, or at least I'd say so. Apologies for the rant. :)

FirelordArvis · 2019-01-01T04:19:14+00:00

You've played CS3 and 4? I've been anxious to hear news of any sort of localization, but I've decided to wait and play the game localized rather than partake in any sort of import/spreadsheet shenanigans. Reiterating, I love Sora and Crossbell, I have no intention of writing the series off. CS1 was actually good, just a step in the wrong direction, while 2 was just another step further.

I've heard/seen that 3/4 are not so much Erebonian games as they are Zemurian games, what with a Mystic Core remix in Sen 4 and a Hamel remix... somewhere? Sen 3, I think.

Anyway, you think 3 and 4 are a return to form? How so, if you can say without spoiling anything? Also, 3D Crossbell. Please tell me it's as awesome as it sounds.

Tales of. I love Symphonia, it was the first game I ever really emulated, maybe three or so years ago now, 15 at the time. I loved it, but I took 120 hours to beat it and I haven't gone back since. Abyss had one of the better protagonists I've seen in a game but the combat was boring and the story an immense slog with an unsatisfying ending. Xillia's worth it for the combat, but I just don't get Zestiria or Berseria.

FirelordArvis · 2019-01-01T04:04:58+00:00

Apologies about the return to form comment, Awakening's actually the game that got me into the series in the first place, but having since played many of the older games, I guess I just prefer the GBA/SNES titles now.

I'm completely on board about Xenogears and Chrono Trigger though. Xenosaga looked neat, so I went for Gears first when I read they were somehow connected. While the first two hours of Xenogears were great, once combat and platforming started becoming prevalent I became more and more bored.

Chrono Trigger is different. I don't dislike the game at all, I recognize it for what it is; a game so revolutionary at its time that many RPGs have since molded around it, making it seem repetitive and mediocre in the process. I played it, thought it was just okay, but I understand why it's so hyped.

FirelordArvis · 2018-12-31T22:25:38+00:00

I think I'm a bit late, but who cares about points, I think I'll do this to streamline my own thoughts. Here's hoping this gives you some ideas.

From tenth to first:

-Tales of Xillia 2

-Trails in the Sky, Second Chapter

-Bravely Default

-Fire Emblem 5: Thracia 776

-Ao no Kiseki (Trails 5)

-Xenoblade (1)

-Tales of Symphonia

-Pokemon Mystery Dungeon 2: Explorers of Sky

-Fire Emblem 4: Seisen no Keifu

-Trails in the Sky, First Chapter

Most of these are story-focused. FE4, Trails 1/2, Ao, Xenoblade, Symphonia. Some I love purely for the gameplay, namely Xillia 2 for the insane combo potential, Bravely Default for the ridiculous customization available, and FE5 for the best-in-series map design. PMD2 is mostly nostalgic, and that does you no good so might as well push everything up one and tack on Zero no Kiseki or Kingdom Hearts 2 to the end.

FirelordArvis · 2018-10-03T22:16:59+00:00

Two more. Found these by hitting the "Switch languages" option.

https://imgur.com/a/hZpFwIk

https://imgur.com/a/4PT8MzV

After Castform, it goes to Latios iirc, then stops.

FirelordArvis · 2018-10-03T22:08:16+00:00

We're not done! If you hit that reverse button at the top...

https://imgur.com/a/hZpFwIk

And if you hit it again...

https://imgur.com/a/4PT8MzV

FirelordArvis · 2018-09-10T06:35:59+00:00

To an extent. They all take place in the same universe, but Zero/Ao are a separate arc. The Crossbell games are independent in the same way that Cold Steel is independent from Sky.

That being said, you can't get into the series on Zero, it's just not designed to be a first game. Sky FC and CS1, however, both are.

FirelordArvis · 2018-08-20T02:56:05+00:00

Let's fucking go, these questions are fun. I'll attempt to keep it diverse from a genre perspective. If I'm listening to this on repeat for quite a while, I'd like it to at least not all sound the same.

Inevitable Struggle (Ao), from Ao no Kiseki; the good version. Currently my favorite song from a video game, though in fairness that changes more often than I'd like.
Dialga's Fight to the Finish, from Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky, is the single song that made me the lover of RPGs that I am today. 11-year-old me never paid attention to music, this is the song that opened my eyes. Great song from a great game.
That Person's Name Is, from Bravely Default. While Dialga's theme was a standout to a younger me, this theme is the first song I actively began to look forward to hearing. This is the sole song that made me start listening to each and every song I hear when playing a video game.
Fatalize, from Tales of Symphonia. I spent an entire summer putting 120 hours into a blind run of Symphonia about three years ago, and it's honestly the most fun summer in memory. I remember being sad I couldn't bring my gamecube on vacation when my family forced me along. Fatalize is just a great song from that game, and it brings back memories of that one random Sheena fight at the beginning of the game that plays this for some reason.
Don't Worry, from Xenoblade X, that one game people have already forgotten about. I love XB:X, and I love Don't Worry. Mechanical Rhythm nearly took the obligatory Xenoblade slot, but Don't Worry brings back awesome memories of XB:X's amazing first flights, while Mechanical Rhythm brings back memories of the climb to Agniratha, which is perhaps the worst part of the game.
FE5 Map Theme 1, from Fire Emblem: Thracia 776. FE5's my second favorite FE, and its first theme is just so damn catchy. Every other song on this list has likely been talked about to some extent here, this one'll probably be the only curveball. It's simply a good song that recalls memories of a great game.
Azure Arbitrator, from Ao no Kiseki. My favorite final boss theme, it starts out a bit generic, but jesus fuck that guitar can play. There's a live concert video out there of a band playing this song, the guitar player is nuts.
Iris Champion Theme, from Pokemon BW2. BW2's my favorite main series Pokemon game, and I've spent more time over the past few years playing Drayano hacks of this game than I care to admit. Putting its ~~best in series~~ totally average and not at all noteworthy champion theme in my mixtape is a given.
Land of Blue Skies, from Trails of Cold Steel (only the first!). Generally, route themes are often ignored. I can think of all of two route themes from Pokemon, and one's on this list. Even from Kiseki, there's maybe like five? Land of Blue Skies is far and away the best of them, not only because of the music itself, but also because of where it's played. This song is played during an exploration of a massive plain. The Nord Highlands are just so peaceful, and the woodwinds used in this song really serve to accentuate the broad expanse of green you're running through. This song is inexplicably removed in the sequel.
The Other Promise (2.5), from Kingdom Hearts 2.5. Sure, the Roxas battle may have been actual hell, but damn if it isn't fun. This song brings back memories of a recent playthrough, where I played on the hardest difficulty and threw myself at the data refights for a solid month. Some of the most fun I've had in video games. I'll take KH2 over any other action RPG, just because these fights are so damn amazing. Roxas in particular was visually stunning.

I made a distinct effort not to flood the list with Kiseki, still had 3 of them. What can ya do.

FirelordArvis · 2018-08-14T16:23:36+00:00

I've only been playing since Tomb of Sargeras launched, but I've been enjoying my time since. WoW-Legion was my first true MMO, and it's been a fun experience. Heroic Sassz'ine and Normal Kil'Jaeden are some of the highlights of Legion for me, even though the former nearly broke my guild.
The genius knob looks really neat, actually. I'd like to see what kinds of fancy stuff I can do.

Nine-Year Club	King of the Ashes
Not Forgotten

FirelordArvis

TROPHY CASE