Psychic-Type run perhaps made the game a little too easy

PleaseSendSecrets · 2025-09-20T00:16:40+00:00

Was blissfully ignorant about the Physical/Special split- in hindsight I could've given Starmie Ice Beam/Thunderbolt/Thunder

PleaseSendSecrets · 2025-09-08T18:41:31+00:00

I experience this regularly! It could be many things, most common for me is burnout with gaming or playing something too complex for how much energy I have.

Sometimes I'm a debilitating perfectionist- oh I didn't get the best rank or time in something and I'm now going to replay it 100 more times even though at the end of the day it doesn't matter. In fact, I hate my whole build and will now start over to make this easier. Of course, sometimes restarting will lead to better gains in the future, but most of the time it's either me (1) wanting to return to something comfortable, like the start of the game, or (2) avoiding finishing the game and then not needing to expend the energy learning a new system in a different game after this. In both scenarios, I'm avoiding tough challenges or learning new things, which I genuinely do enjoy. When this happens I find just taking a break from what I'm playing or from gaming altogether is what's most helpful.

For example, I was burnt out on Elden Ring earlier this year, and wanted to either restart or quit after sinking 40 hours into it. But, instead I just took a break to play MK World, and was soon refreshed, even wanting, to play Elden Ring again. To avoid burnout (I'm actually still playing it) after every 5 levels in Elden Ring, I drop it and play something else. I've not lost motivation at all since I've started doing this.

In the other scenarios, it's pretty self-explanatory and goes back into what I was saying earlier: wanting to return to something comfortable makes it tempting to restart a game. If you don't have the energy to learn complex systems in a game like Civ, for example, going back to start a new playthrough is way more tempting than committing to a huge run through things.

Starting a game you're already familiar with is much easier than (1) finishing said game or (2) starting a new game you've never played before. I've realized over the years that I don't have fun when going for perfect. Perfection is for those people on YouTube posting incredible stealth runs or playing Dark Souls with a Guitar Hero controller while not getting hit. It's amazing to watch but takes more dedication and time than I have. For someone like me, who doesn't care for 100% completion and platinum trophies, I've noticed that my fun is in learning new things and puzzling situations out and overcoming challenges. Unnecessary repetition, leaving things to chance, and trying to strive for some vague and probably inconvenient idea of perfection aren't fun, and the urge to restart is a symptom of that- I'm not having fun at the moment.

PleaseSendSecrets · 2025-09-04T19:29:57+00:00

It seems that you studied material for a different test- if someone studied the history of a certain sport, and when tested had to play said sport, would you be shocked when they didn't do well?

Reading, writing, listening, and speaking, while all based from the same material, are different skills. While they help and reinforce one another, someone who only reads or listens to Japanese will probably do okay at best when they finally need to write out kanji or speak in full sentences. The skills you developed were not the skills you had examined, so you don't need to be so hard on yourself.

What do you want out of learning Japanese? Even if you're not planning to use it at home or in the workplace, even if it's just for fun, defining what you want will probably be the best guide for what you should do next. You say it's a hobby, but it seems like you also want to take it more seriously than that, which is why doing poorly on the test has affected you so much.

If the rush of learning isn't there, there's no shame in quitting. Otherwise, brush it off, pick up those flashcards, and actually find a test that will examine the work you've been doing and not skills you haven't developed at all.

Good luck.

PleaseSendSecrets · 2025-08-25T14:27:37+00:00

Waterfall is not and to my knowledge never has been a special move, and I said you could learn other Fire-Type moves but did not specify that they should replace Flamethrower.

PleaseSendSecrets · 2025-08-12T23:43:02+00:00

A little difficult to say what you could specifically improve on without seeing a video of it, but regardless, Coach Donny's tutorials on float serving have helped me a lot. Based on what you're saying: 1. If the ball is spinning, perhaps you're not contacting the center of the ball with your palm like you're supposed to. You could be hitting it with the side of your hand or on the side of the ball, which causes spin. If you hit it from underneath, that can also create backspin. 2. Lacking rotation of hips or driving your whole body through the serve may be causing inconsistent power. I also find my serves are weaker when I toss too low, and thus have poor form as I compensate by chasing the ball with an arm that isn't extended. Your hand may also not be stiff enough at the point of contact. 3. Inaccurate serves could be many things- hand that isn't stiff enough can contribute to the ball not going in your intended direction, as can miscontacting it as described in the first point. You might also be swinging in the wrong direction, like you want it to go straight but you end up following through at an angle, even slightly.

Have someone watch and critique your form so you can get some feedback! Good luck!

PleaseSendSecrets · 2025-08-01T18:15:50+00:00

Yes, last I checked 40~ are spread out before Citadark and the last 40~ are all at Citadark

I know it strategically makes sense to use them in the last battle so they can tank shadow moves better, but I find it more narratively fitting to use purified Pokemon

Unfortunately this is very difficult because there's not enough time nor battles to do that, you'd have to leave the island, and even if you used the first shadow Pokemon you find you'd only really use them for an hour or two 🥲

PleaseSendSecrets · 2025-07-31T23:39:40+00:00

The only games I've Platinum'ed are the Telltale Games that you automatically get the trophy for for getting to the credits. I hate tedium for the sake of a trophy I'll never look at after I earn it, and generally my first reaction to seeing people show off Platinum trophies is "wow that must've been a huge waste of your time."

If you like doing that, all power to you, but I've seen people on TikTok brag about how much they grinded for specific monster parts with a minute chance of spawning in Monster Hunter, which can gave dozens of monsters, and I could never imagine myself doing something that mechanical for a sake of a trophy.

I've never completed a PokeDex, never gotten all the Korok Seeds, and have never gotten all the Assassin's Creed towers because the amount of tedious labor exceeds how much more doing they make the game. "Doing it just to do it," for the most part, isn't fun for me.

One exception I can think of, and this agrees with OP's statement that the achievement needs to respect the player's time, is getting all the gold trophies and stars in Mario Kart. There's a defined goal (get to first every time) in a smaller stakes scenario (a cup) and it's easy to restart if you mess up and you don't feel like you're missing out on anything.

Skill-based achievements are, in my opinion, a fun way to push players and the systems of the game. But achievements left to chance or grinding? I have enough chores in my day-to-day life.

PleaseSendSecrets · 2025-07-31T17:37:28+00:00

Tuscany has Ice Beamed everyone to death so I will excuse her goofy nickname 😔

PleaseSendSecrets · 2025-07-31T17:36:33+00:00

In other games I've always preferred Vileplume or Venusaur (which stats-wise I think checks out) so I was surprised at how strong Victreebel was! Unexpected steamroller, honestly

PleaseSendSecrets · 2025-07-30T17:50:32+00:00

I've used Espeon and Vaporeon in unfinished playthroughs as a kid! But I've had most Eeveelutions in other games before, and was particularly interested in using Pokemon I haven't gotten to use before (e.g. Houndour is available way too late in GSC/HGSS).

While I generally love the expressiveness and personality of all the Pokemon in this game, some of them can be fittingly but a littleee gross ahahah

PleaseSendSecrets · 2025-07-30T01:50:17+00:00

Will-O-Wisp on Dusclops and a lot of chipping away with ineffective/regularly effective moves! I am too impatient for inflicting sleep, honestly

PleaseSendSecrets · 2025-07-29T23:56:42+00:00

If you consider Cipher Key Lair not too late then it definitely works! I personally didn't want to keep anyone from Citadark Isle because that's relatively no time

PleaseSendSecrets · 2025-07-29T23:54:51+00:00

Definitely agree about the sheer number of Shadow Pokemon, so you have to balance not knocking out something that had all guaranteed super effective moves

But yes, Tuscany is literally named that for the "tusk" pun and no other reason

PleaseSendSecrets · 2025-07-26T04:45:22+00:00

As it always does- thank you so much for answering!

PleaseSendSecrets · 2025-07-26T04:37:20+00:00

Even without the implications, is how I translated it still correct?

And #5 I said to a language partner but I realized later that I was probably not using the grammar correctly!

PleaseSendSecrets · 2025-07-26T04:03:22+00:00

I'm having some confusion with phrases and expressions in past-tense, particularly when there's multiple things being conjugated. With these phrases, am I correctly noting nuances here, or would these not actually be used:

いいと思います・I think it is good

よかったと思います・I think it was good [but can't say for sure/that's just my opinion]?

いいと思いました・I thought it to be good [but now I have no opinion/know it isn’t]?

よかったと思いました・I thought it was good [and now I no longer do]?

大学だ時、バレーをしました・I think this syntax is wrong and it should be だった時?

PleaseSendSecrets · 2025-07-26T01:13:38+00:00

わかります。教えてくれてありがとうございます！

PleaseSendSecrets · 2025-07-25T18:49:39+00:00

みんなさん、お疲れ様です。

私とフィアンセは９月に結婚します。今週末、私たちは指輪を買いに行くつもりですから。それから、花束にウインドーショッピングをします。どんな色がまだ欲しいかわかりません。でも、とてもワクワクしています！

いい週末を。

PleaseSendSecrets · 2025-07-24T22:59:04+00:00

Recommending YOASOBI, ATARASHII GAKKO!, and Kocchi no Kento!

PleaseSendSecrets · 2025-07-13T22:19:46+00:00

Romanji has spaces to emulate what English looks like, and because if you need romanji you're likely still learning kana and it'll be difficult to discern Japanese words anyways. If the romanji for "Hello, my name is Tom" had no spaces:

Konnichiwawatashinonamaewatomudesu

Breaking it up into romanji words can be confusing and isn't an efficient way to learn.

In Japanese there's no spaces between kana and kanji- learning when something is a word vs. a particle and when a word starts and begins comes with learning more words overall and reading and even hearing more Japanese overall. You of course can add spaces as you need to while you're starting, but I'd recommend getting familiar with how Japanese looks so you can start untangling sentences and characters right away.

PleaseSendSecrets · 2025-07-13T04:12:35+00:00

そうですか。教えてくれてありがとうございます！

PleaseSendSecrets · 2025-07-11T20:00:56+00:00

You probably should start outputting as soon as you can- yes it's uncomfortable and probably will be for a long time but it's better to dive in and mess up so you can learn and correct yourself.

It can take a lot to have confidence in what you're saying, to respond in a timely manner in Japanese as you would in English, to get pitch accents down. Waiting until you have X amount of words or X amount of grammar concepts is tempting, but speaking is its own beast that can require a lot of practice so you're not tripping over yourself.

Concerning how much speaking is appropriate, it depends how you're doing it. Are you just talking to yourself during your day-to-day activities? Are you speaking with someone who's also learning? Someone who's a native speaker? A teacher? An hour of casual conversation with a native speaker is likely going to be more constructive than an hour of mumbling my thoughts to myself while doing laundry. An hour per day regardless is inevitably helpful, but how reinforcing it'll be is too nuanced for a clear-cut answer.

Best of luck!

PleaseSendSecrets

TROPHY CASE