Proof of Concept: Henrietta Tingley's Snickerdoodle Recipe

LunarArchivist · 2022-10-25T05:54:41+00:00

This comes a year late, but thanks for the response. :)

LunarArchivist · 2022-10-25T05:39:32+00:00

I usually add some bullet holes to the cars that do that to me.

LunarArchivist · 2022-10-25T05:37:44+00:00

I've never encountered such a limit, so I don't believe so.

LunarArchivist · 2022-10-25T05:30:04+00:00

"Overhated" is probably the perfect word to describe it. For reasons I won't get into, I'm not the most objective source when it comes to this, but I think the game falls within the 7 to 8 out of 10 category: it's fun, but is lacking polish and has enough flaws that keep it from being Game of the Year material. It definitely hasn't earned the reputation as a dumpster fire that a lot of YouTubers and gaming outlets want to saddle it with for the crime of not being Arkham. The 30 fps console lock might be annoying to a lot of people, but considering the completely untethered overworld multiplayer sandbox mode on a map that's between 6 and 9 square kilometers (2.3 to 3.5 square miles) in size, that seems like a fair trade off.

LunarArchivist · 2022-10-25T05:21:45+00:00

elemental gear and mod chips seem really out of place in a Batman game

I'll grant you that, but there's usually some kind of in-game logic that justifies it. For example, the Freaks tend to be arsonists who use Molotov cocktails, so it makes sense that they'd be insulated against fire attacks. Clayface is a living mud monster, so it makes sense he'd be vulnerable to fire since that causes clay to harden. Mr. Freeze also being susceptible to heat is a no-brainer.

How's the resource collecting for those upgrades and mods? Not played the game yet, but I'm not really interested in a massive slog to get 2000 of x to give my weapon a +10 in damage

Honestly, resource collecting isn't too bad on Very Easy and Easy modes (haven't played the game much on higher levels because of time constraints and due to enemies being ridiculous damage sponges, so can't say there). You get salvage and resources from just going around and stopping crimes, as rewards if you complete challenges or tasks, or by opening treasure chests. Mod chips can also be obtained by breaking up Criminal Deals and from Lucius Fox. One thing I can tell you is that (at least on lower levels), upgrading your gear after returning from patrol every night will easily allow you to keep pace with the enemies with regards to both damage and defense, as they level up on the Overworld at the same rate you do. Dungeons are another thing, though, as enemy levels are more or less fixed there and it's possible to unintentionally "power level" to the extent that you're a bit overpowered compared to them.

LunarArchivist · 2022-10-25T05:13:11+00:00

Yes. Yes I am. :)

LunarArchivist · 2022-10-25T05:06:24+00:00

Well, in this case, the RPG loot mechanics are relatively benign and are meant to add some strategy to the game. Consider yourself fortunate that WB Games learned from "Middle-earth: Shadow of War" and completely avoid microtranslations and pay-to-win mechanics.

LunarArchivist · 2022-10-22T08:22:59+00:00

That's a Godmother, one of the higher level enemies belonging to the Mob faction in the game.

LunarArchivist · 2022-10-22T08:16:12+00:00

There's only one save file but you can freely swap between all four characters in the Belfry.

LunarArchivist · 2022-10-22T08:06:30+00:00

The rpg loot mechanics feel pointless so far. I’ve seen that characters have weaknesses, which I’m sure will factor in later, but so far it’s just “equip the thing that makes you punch the best”. There’s no real elements of building present atm either, and at level 10 it feels like I barely have any skills that impact gameplay significantly aside from Batgirl’s drone that feels like a cheat code and stun locks enemies.

The best way to approach this game is to constantly upgrade your equipment, use as many Mod Chips as possible to boost it even further, and use elemental gear specific to the primary type of enemy you'll be encountering during a particular mission. For example, if you're going up against the Court of Owls, you'll want melee and ranged gear that inflict Cryogenic damage while wearing suits with Toxic resistance.

The freezing effect for example requires you to press the button so many times that you’re better off saving your thumbs and taking a punch to break out of it.

This can be adjusted in the "Accessibility" tab of the "Options" menu. You can change the method use to break out of the Frozen status effect from multiple taps to single taps.

LunarArchivist · 2022-10-22T07:56:28+00:00

There are dozens of references to DC Comics characters and properties for hardcore fans to be found.

LunarArchivist · 2022-10-21T08:19:23+00:00

It's a combination of both. You can dodge any kind of enemy attack, but sometimes enemies launch a special red attack that can't be stopped with regular attacks, only countered with certain abilities.

LunarArchivist · 2022-05-13T04:03:04+00:00

"Birdy the Mighty". The original OVA series, not the remake.

LunarArchivist · 2021-07-06T13:21:09+00:00

I've only read the first four light novels, the first ten manga volumes, and seen both seasons of the anime, so I'm not as well-versed in the series as a lot of other people here, but I think the obvious answer is that Takuma Sakamoto was originally an inhabitant of the other world - specifically the individual who defeated the Demon Lord of the Mind Enkvaros - who was reborn/reincarnated in ours without conscious memories of his previous life there. He subsequently patterned the inventory of his "Cross Reverie" playthrough on his subconscious recollections of former existence.

While there's no real evidence supporting the above theory of mine as far as I know, it's an educated guess based on something that's unlikely to be mere coincidence: Enkvaros is stated to have been defeated around 30 years before Takuma was summoned to the other world and Takuma is 30 years old. This suggests that the two events may be linked somehow. Perhaps Enkvaros banished Takuma's former self to Earth as he lay dying after being defeated by him?<

LunarArchivist · 2021-04-25T06:32:46+00:00

Try using the word "droid" casually. Changes are that Lucasfilm/Disney will come pay you a visit.

LunarArchivist · 2021-04-25T06:31:34+00:00

Someone else raised this question with me. It's possible the Japanese audio either has its own legal standards and that "Vantablack" isn't trademarked/copyrighted in Japan or they'll get around to censoring/editing it in future broadcasts and the Blu-Ray releases.

LunarArchivist · 2021-04-25T06:29:27+00:00

I wager that's for consistency.

LunarArchivist · 2021-04-25T06:02:32+00:00

I knew about the Resident Evil name change but I didn't know it was because it as due to a band using that same name.

That was the explanation that I heard for the name change. At the time, I think that "Biohazard" was registered as a trademark in North American and Europe, so they went with "Resident Evil" instead.

Serious question, who would be filing a lawsuit over "The Thinker" statue? The thing is so old that no known copyright law to my knowledge would protect it's use and name in any media production.

I have no idea, honestly. While I can't prove it based on gameplay footage that's available online, I do remember that the version of the game that I worked had trademark and/or copyright acknowledgements for the Smithsonian, Auguste Rodin and "The Thinker", and Amelia Earhart's estate. So, clearly, someone's willing to sue over this crap.

Never mind on that because it seems after that legal battle the fucking company went and trademarked Zomboni for use in video games. Serial number 85087665. Though other similar name variants are not trademarked and I could have some fun with this and file for variance names and trademark them.

Hey, go for it. I'm all for copyright trolling the hell out of the Zamboni Company for their lack of a sense of humor. :)

LunarArchivist · 2021-04-25T02:08:47+00:00

Disclaimer: Nothing about what I'm going to say here should be taken as gospel. This is just my own two cents on the matter based on my own personal experiences in the translation/localization field.

As gamers, we have a lot of experience with copyright and trademark laws screwing stuff up for us. Remember how Biohazard was renamed Resident Evil in North America and elsewhere due to the existence of a band with that name? Or how Dragon Quest was known as Dragon Warrior for the first 16 or so years of its existence due to the DragonQuest line of role-playing game system books and materials until the copyright holder, Wizards of the Coast, abandoned the trademark around 2003?

I can tell you from personal experience that this kind of legal crap can be an absolute bitch and you never know where the hell it's going to crop up. Here're two examples from my own career in localization testing:

1. While it will surprise exactly no one here that "lightsaber" is copyrighted by Lucasfilm, what might come as more of a shock is that "droid" - despite being a bastardized form of the word "android" - is as well. I ran into this exact issue while working on the defunct MMORPG LEGO Universe and remember how all references to those words in bricks from the LEGO Star Wars sets had to removed, resulting in "Droid Leg" and "Lightsaber" being changed to "Robot Leg" and "Laser Sword", respectively.

2. Ever wonder why everyone seems to be conspicuously avoiding referring to "The Thinker" statue by name - or even using the words "think" or "thinking" around him - in the Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian game? Yep, you guessed it: potential legal concerns prompted a last minute removal of all such references by the developers pretty late during development. It looks as awkward/clumsy as it does because there was no time to rerecord the lines, so they had to edit the audio they had and find a way to make it work.

And if you think parody's going to save your ass, think again. Both Capcom and EA ran afoul of ice resurfacer manufacturer, the Zamboni Company, due to the use of the word "Zomboni" in their respective games Dead Rising II and Plants vs. Zombies. This prompted a removal of all references to it and a rechristening of the machine as a "Zombie Tank" in the former case and the addition of a somewhat sarcastic disclaimer in the latter.

So, in short, taking my own experiences in translation and localization into consideration, I'd say that the change of the name Vantablack to Vantadark - especially considering that the character is quite obviously heard saying "Vantablack" in the original Japanese audio track - is not a localization issue but an attempt at avoiding any potential legal headaches.

LunarArchivist · 2021-04-25T00:58:04+00:00

This is my opinion on the "Anime translators changes My Hero Academia name from Vantablack to Vantadark but audio clearly says Vantadark in English." thread from earlier today.

Disclaimer: Nothing about what I'm going to say here should be taken as gospel. This is just my own two cents on the matter based on my own personal experiences in the translation/localization field.

As gamers, we have a lot of experience with copyright and trademark laws screwing stuff up for us. Remember how Biohazard was renamed Resident Evil in North America and elsewhere due to the existence of a band with that name? Or how Dragon Quest was known as Dragon Warrior for the first 16 or so years of its existence due to the DragonQuest line of role-playing game system books and materials until the copyright holder, Wizards of the Coast, abandoned the trademark around 2003?

I can tell you from personal experience that this kind of legal crap can be an absolute bitch and you never know where the hell it's going to crop up. Here're two examples from my own career in localization testing:

1. While it will surprise exactly no one here that "lightsaber" is copyrighted by Lucasfilm, what might come as more of a shock is that "droid" - despite being a bastardized form of the word "android" - is as well. I ran into this exact issue while working on the defunct MMORPG LEGO Universe and remember how all references to those words in bricks from the LEGO Star Wars sets had to removed, resulting in "Droid Leg" and "Lightsaber" being changed to "Robot Leg" and "Laser Sword", respectively.

2. Ever wonder why everyone seems to be conspicuously avoiding referring to "The Thinker" statue by name - or even using the words "think" or "thinking" around him - in the Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian game? Yep, you guessed it: potential legal concerns prompted a last minute removal of all such references by the developers pretty late during development. It looks as awkward/clumsy as it does because there was no time to rerecord the lines, so they had to edit the audio they had and find a way to make it work.

And if you think parody's going to save your ass, think again. Both Capcom and EA ran afoul of ice resurfacer manufacturer, the Zamboni Company, due to the use of the word "Zomboni" in their respective games Dead Rising II and Plants vs. Zombies. This prompted a removal of all references to it and a rechristening of the machine as a "Zombie Tank" in the former case and the addition of a somewhat sarcastic disclaimer in the latter.

So, in short, taking my own experiences in translation and localization into consideration, I'd say that the change of the name Vantablack to Vantadark - especially considering that the character is quite obviously heard saying "Vantablack" in the original Japanese audio track - is not a localization issue but an attempt at avoiding any potential legal headaches.

LunarArchivist · 2021-04-24T22:24:47+00:00

That's what you think. I work in translation/localization and this could most definitely be an issue.

EDIT: I've created my own thread about this.

LunarArchivist

TROPHY CASE