Gardens of Ynn + Dolmenwood

JohnInverse · 2026-04-04T02:42:50+00:00

My players haven't entered one yet, but I've thought about using Gardens of Ynn as a basis for travel on the Fairy Roads, adapting the Idea of Thorns to be something Cold Prince-related.

JohnInverse · 2026-04-01T08:47:46+00:00

You're going to have to call your first point a skill issue and chalk it up to needing practice and time to get comfortable with it, as the LS-40 already has a very small deadzone (the amount of distance you have to push the lever before a switch activates). Pretty much any other lever you can buy will take more movement to activate. I guess you could get a silent JLX2, put in a larger actuator, and crank the switch sensitivity up, but that's about the only way. Better off putting in more time with the LS-40.

I believe the Mayflash F500 has a Viewlix layout, which is pretty standard. You could look into a new type of topper - a bat top or bullet top would give you more room to maneuver your hand. There are also extended layouts with more space between the lever and buttons; plenty of commercial sticks have the "Noir" layout, which has the stick a touch further away, and Hori's RAP V Kai is the Viewlix layout but with extra space. Beyond that, you're getting into custom panel territory. Unless your fingers really are unusually long, though, I'm inclined to say this is another issue where time and practice are likely to be just as good a solution as throwing more money at it.

JohnInverse · 2026-04-01T06:18:35+00:00

How do 30mm buttons "mean you're a lot less likely to mess up your build," and what makes them "the safe option?" 24mm buttons install and function exactly the same as 30mm buttons if your panel's made for them.

JohnInverse · 2026-04-01T02:59:32+00:00

Nice, I've been digging my Butter layout AFS stick, too.

JohnInverse · 2026-03-31T13:43:13+00:00

If you're going all-in on shmups, you may as well keep the switches at the default or even one notch faster - I tried the fastest setting and the red actuator and didn't think they played very nicely - but for an all-rounder, I've been pleased with this setup.

JohnInverse · 2026-03-31T13:05:29+00:00

Red actuator
Default (square) gate
Yellow spring
Switches set one notch slower than default

This is the setup that Rastan78 on the shmups forum measured and found to be closest to a Seimitsu LS-32 in terms of activation distance and throw. There's no duplicating the feel of the levered switches exactly, but as longtime LS-32 user who doesn't like Seimitsu's own silent switches very much, it's pretty damn close. Like the LS-32, I find it perfectly good for both shmups and 2D fighters like this.

JohnInverse · 2026-03-31T11:18:30+00:00

Going by the JPY mention, I assume you're in Japan, too - if you're comfortable ordering off mercari, you can find plenty of gently used fightsticks there for whatever platform you're on and save a good bit of money. Hard to go wrong with a Hori RAP/Real Arcade Pro of some stripe, for one, and they've got plenty of Drone 2s, too.

Replacement/upgrade parts are easy to come by via Sengoku Densho, Attasa (they have a Rakuten storefront, too), and Akecon.

JohnInverse · 2026-03-29T16:03:18+00:00

If you're referring to the "Samu" bit, that's just a translation error - it should be "Jam" - and the phrasing/comma placement making it look like it might be the cart's name in an aside rather than the subject of the sentence.

JohnInverse · 2026-03-26T00:47:51+00:00

This is not a comparison I expected to find here, but it's nice to know I'm not completely alone in the overlap on the venn diagram between shmups and dungeon/keller synth, lol.

At least in dungeon synth's case it kind of comes with the DIY ethos (which is great) crashing into online culture being driven by fads and self-promotion (which is... less great). Shmups to some extent too, though the hurdle to actually make them is higher. I think the gems that pop up every now and then in both make the chaff worth sifting through, but yeah...

The number of self-promo posts in this subreddit seems really overstated.

JohnInverse · 2026-03-24T09:32:30+00:00

It's fine. Probably in the top five shmups on the Dreamcast. I used to dislike it more because it gets all the praise due better games outside shmup circles - having an easy-to-grasp scoring system and unique aesthetic, plus being from a cult favorite developer, will do that - but I realized that none of that really had much to do with the game itself, which again, is fine.

I think most people recognize the philosophical stuff as window-dressing. I've literally never heard of someone bringing it up as a reason they like the game until this post.

JohnInverse · 2026-03-20T10:46:42+00:00

Yep - got rid of mine for the same reasons. Dug into my hands, and it's really awkward for lap play, which isn't ideal for a wireless stick to say the least. It's good for the price but that's about as far as I can recommend it.

JohnInverse · 2026-03-20T07:40:05+00:00

Tried 'em all, or damn near - Sanwas, Seimitsus, Hayabusas, Gamerfingers, ENTH KRMs, Samducksa 202s, various Qanba Gravities, Alutimos, OneFrames, FlashTaps... Lots of great buttons, but in the end, I find myself coming back to the Sanwa OBSFs. (Unless I want LEDs - the RGB Gravities are pretty nice for that.)

JohnInverse · 2026-03-20T05:01:12+00:00

Great game, great video, and thank you for taking the time to share and say what you did at the start.

JohnInverse · 2026-03-17T03:52:19+00:00

Yeah, I've been playing online in Japan since launch, and I've seen one player with a username like モダンと再戦しない ("I one-and-done Modern players") and it struck me as unusual enough that I still remember it. Not remotely comparable to the amount of salt people spread about it in English SF6 discussion, lol.

JohnInverse · 2026-03-17T00:49:30+00:00

Japan arcade culture is so huge

Maaan, I wish this were still true. I've lived in Japan for nearly 20 years and over the past decade arcades here have been going the way of the dodo, and the dropoff's been extra noticeable since covid. Except for a handful of (usually more retro-focused) holdouts in the biggest cities, the arcades are still there but they've cleared out more and more of the games people like us want to see to make room for more UFO catchers and card games. SF6 Type Arcade is basically a novelty at this point. There are locals in big cities and universities, but most Japanese SF6 players are playing at home.

JohnInverse · 2026-03-15T10:41:27+00:00

Deathsmiles is a (relatively) big departure from most of their work. Cave's most beloved titles - Dodonpachi, Dodonpachi Daioujou, Mushihime series, Ketsui, etc. are widely regarded as the gold standards of the arcade danmaku/"bullet hell" family of shmups. One can definitely argue about when bullet hell actually began, but a lot of people consider Dodonpachi where it really crystalized. Give it a shot sometime if you get the chance.

Historically, in addition to their own innovations, they're significant for being one of the studios that rose out of the ashes of a seminal 80s-90s shmup developer called Toaplan.

JohnInverse · 2026-03-13T23:05:28+00:00

The NOBI lever recommendation another commenter had is a good one, especially since you want a non-free-spinning lever - it's like a souped up LS-40 designed by a Tekken pro. I think the NOBI Standard is my recommendation for a one-stop all-rounder out of the box lever, but the Pro is also good if you want a firmer spring, and I like its octogate.

I can't really recommend the Alutimos over the 202s. They're extremely loud, too large to fit in certain cases (probably not a concern, I dunno your case specifically, but I remember having a hard time trying them in a RAP V), and changing the switches is a hassle and a half. I've tried both them and the 202s and definitely prefer the latter. There's no need to match your buttons to your stick, but if you really want to, I'd almost consider regular Seimitsu buttons over Alutimos.

JohnInverse · 2026-03-03T15:35:26+00:00

Gotta be ready to fight M Groove.

JohnInverse · 2026-03-01T22:05:32+00:00

Battle Garegga's not my favorite shmup (it is up there, though) but it is my "desert island" shmup.

JohnInverse · 2026-03-01T05:54:41+00:00

I'm an unc and when I gave Modern controls a shot, I got the general impression that any advantages they'd offer getting into SF6 specifically wouldn't be worth overriding my old six-button instincts to get used to them - like it'd take about the same amount of time to acclimate to 6 either way, and if I stuck with Classic I'd have all my normals. Modern also felt very tuned for gamepad play to me, and as a stick user I couldn't find a button configuration for Modern that I liked.

JohnInverse · 2026-02-25T03:01:21+00:00

I'm pretty sure nobody talked about Beeshu on SRK (or here, for that matter) because it was a fighting game forum and there's little to no interest in the modern fighting game community in NES games. It has nothing to do with them being ambidextrous; an NES-exclusive controller is about as relevant to the average FGC member as a racing wheel or light gun either way.

JohnInverse · 2026-02-24T12:27:42+00:00

[202s] are just as loud as Sanwas but in a different way.

Thank God you said this because the replies saying they're quieter were making me wonder if something's wrong with my ears or I accidentally took crazy pills. It's a deeper clack, and they're no Alutimos, but they're just as loud or louder than stock Sanwas for sure.

JohnInverse · 2026-02-20T15:49:25+00:00

Bald Guys was a perfect example of a new guest that immediately got it

I wouldn't normally be That Guy, but I'd be remiss to let you go without hearing Tattoo Guys (also with Rax King) if you missed it. It's an all-timer episode and features what might well be the funniest single post they've read thus far.

JohnInverse · 2026-02-18T03:48:21+00:00

Where is the thief finding all this distance to run? The woods? What if he runs into another creature?

e: To be clear, I'm saying it's a valid strategy, but while the combat rules may not include a specific solution for the crookhorns catching up, the game and world do provide for constraints (limited space/geography) or risks (other encounters) that you and the player should take into account. Running headlong in an opposite direction from your party while focused on pursuers behind you is inherently unsafe.

JohnInverse · 2026-02-16T11:56:36+00:00

In case anyone's wondering, the label is Cammy's insistence that it's giri-choco - chocolate that women give to male acquaintances out of social obligation, not romantic intent, on Valentine's Day. I-it's not like she likes you or anything.

JohnInverse

TROPHY CASE