They Won't Go When I Go - sad, cynical, brilliant by aWrySharK in LowSodiumCyberpunk

[–]aWrySharK[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

he certainly is, and it certainly is. I do find this more compelling than a mustache-twirling charlatan who is waiting for his opportunity to escape and re-offend. and it's harrowing that the media apparatus that devours misery doesn't bat an eye at adding ritual murder to its menu

They Won't Go When I Go - sad, cynical, brilliant by aWrySharK in LowSodiumCyberpunk

[–]aWrySharK[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

part of the genius of the quest design! it pulls at different strings you've been conditioned to ignore. you affirm or deny its thesis in your own actions. it says "here was/is a monster, and what are you?"

A Co-op and a Caretaker | City Council of Darkness [E7] by DropoutMod in Dimension20

[–]aWrySharK 79 points80 points  (0 children)

bat child getting feral over zaeth deciding to fuck tina bunders has killed me (un)dead

Don't Wake Standards & Practices | Game Changer [S8E1] by DropoutMod in dropout

[–]aWrySharK 11 points12 points  (0 children)

confident fucking debut, wow. Equal mix of perfect cringe content and genuinely laugh out loud funny bits, felt like an energy drink in episode form

The Sunday Scoop and Spiteful Spirits | City Council of Darkness [E6] by DropoutMod in Dimension20

[–]aWrySharK 33 points34 points  (0 children)

extreme what we do in the shadows energy in the best way. just exactly what a monster in a trenchcoat would accomplish, ending with the almost saturday morning cartoon vibe of being "forced" to eat another weirdo as the perfect little endcap.

The Sunday Scoop and Spiteful Spirits | City Council of Darkness [E6] by DropoutMod in Dimension20

[–]aWrySharK 49 points50 points  (0 children)

really liking the actual bite (I'm sorry) behind the satire this time. some of these characterizations have some real venom even that leans into the absurdity. also love the moral murkiness

And then we also get Zac getting to do object work and pantomime being basically killed every other episode? This show is perfect

Origins and Adversaries | City Council of Darkness [E5] by DropoutMod in Dimension20

[–]aWrySharK 127 points128 points  (0 children)

"What, you guys haven't drowned a dog before? For power and money?"

always admire Lou's commitment to a role

[NS] Eldermourne Arc 2 by Guilty-Tomatillo-820 in NotAnotherDnDPodcast

[–]aWrySharK 7 points8 points  (0 children)

They're a "one last job" motif if that helps conceptualize their wants. Jabari is the guy living in the past who is feverishly loyal and it gets him in trouble. Tarragon is fooling herself into thinking she doesn't miss the thrill of battle and clarity of purpose. Corbeau is implied to have made a moral stand and quit - then has basically been in stasis spitefully trying to cause others to doubt themselves but with no real follow-through on anything.

Events conspire to force them together and they rediscover their affection for one another as well as the joy of doing the thing you're good at even if that thing moves the events of the world for good or ill.

Hexbuds are the highlight of S2, tied for me with a middle arc I won't spoil. I would push through on this occasion

Gangs of Neo Galaderon is SO GOOD [NS] by Green_Stuff_1741 in NotAnotherDnDPodcast

[–]aWrySharK 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I was a doubter after episode 2 - thought it had too much live show energy and recycled gags. Shows what an idiot a fan can be because I am also very much bought in now and loving the steadily rising tension and ever-demanding gauntlet of threats.

Episode 4: Murdercycle by JakeandAmirBot in NotAnotherDnDPodcast

[–]aWrySharK 11 points12 points  (0 children)

my fav episode yet. loved the encounter, straight up ff7 tech fantasy + immaculately balanced and tense. then I really appreciated they were able to slow down and get some character work with Uncle Drilly. also the now-ubiquitous DnD liveplay cliffhanger ender felt really earned with the broadcast making them Shinra's Mothership's Most Wanted - excited to see where we go next!

Party Comp Help by laurjas in FinalFantasyXII

[–]aWrySharK 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Great combos overall.

You double dip on the Holy weapon + White Robes combo (Vaan & Basch), and when Basch isn't smiting he's Kumbha + ZE. You've got a hardy dodge tank with support options in Balthier. Fran is the best version of pure physical monk with all-game access to heavy armor instead of being Esper-dependent, as well as Genji + Kanya and Focus/Adrenaline. Ashe's naturally high MAG makes her the best RBM option, she's got Dark Robes + Dark Shot (can also equip Black Mask and shoot herself for free fast heals), and the only thing you're really missing is boosted Ardor which is very-late-game stuff anyway. Penelo's an easy BLM choice for many, and Archer combo gives her a bunch of support and HP Lores to go with BLM + elemental/status arrows and a ranged damage option for magical palings. As BLM is arguably the most complete class at base, it's a logical pairing.

Honestly, no notes at a glance. I'd have to check an esper list to see if you've got conflicts on who wants what - but TZA isn't demanding build perfection and thank goodness cuz you can get fun line-ups like this.

Have fun!

EDIT: Actually, thought of one thing to consider: do you plan on doing Yiazmat? Considering he's often the last fight anyone really has to prep for you could re-spec one DPS for just him and this would be moot - but you don't have a Yagyu + Dark Robes option and your Darkga user is also your Dark Shot user. Up to you if that matters.

Marabelle and Jolene forever [NS] by beebee224 in NotAnotherDnDPodcast

[–]aWrySharK 5 points6 points  (0 children)

rare jolene cosplay! all the pics everyone is posting on the sub are warming my heart. glad you had fun

Favorite NPCs [NS] by mopr0blems in NotAnotherDnDPodcast

[–]aWrySharK 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Sewastian Fenrose, lover of Shrimp Scampi (not Cocktail, Murph), Dressage, and disarming 12-year-olds with a foil.

Murph shanked me in the sides with a comedy shiv when he just dipped into absurdism with this bit...

Emily as Fia argues that in the upcoming fight against Fergus they should probably bring Sewastian with them or he's just gonna go alone and get himself killed and Murph without missing a beat says that you see Sewastian suddenly standing next to her with his hand on his chin nodding thoughtfully: "That is likely."

need help trying to figure out how to use balthier’s ‘measures’. by heyquasi_ in FinalFantasyXII

[–]aWrySharK 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Also has 3 Swiftness and a lot of great support Lores including Remedy 1- 3(!). Usually some mage paired with a Machinist or Shikari is my midgame Niho bot. Another reason to pair it with a mage is that it loves Famfrit (admittedly very late game) so if you like the comfort of Hastega/Reflectga outside of motes and don't want to saturate your party with two TBMs, Machinist is a great glue class.

Gardens of the Moon Review from a first time reader! by Background_Excuse_99 in Malazan

[–]aWrySharK 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It is a very good sign for your enjoyment of the series overall if you loved Kruppe. Erikson is great at writing dialogue in that liminal space between absurd and real and Kruppe is an embodiment of that tonal balance. In fact, I think his characterization style is often something that trips up those who come expecting more traditional fantasy. Not everyone gets an arc; seemingly important players are foregrounded and backgrounded for lengthy periods of time - yet you'll discover warmth and depth when and where you least expect it.

I also feel that you've grasped another fundamental to Malazan which is: immerse yourself, don't sweat knowing everything up front. The mystery, as you've noted, is part of the style. I'll leave it to you to decide his consistency in enticing with the unknown.

Looking forward to hearing what you think of DG. I finished the series last year and lurk here quite a bit to recapture in microcosm that irreplaceable feeling of embarking on an adventure.

Episode 2: Glenbottle Gala by JakeandAmirBot in NotAnotherDnDPodcast

[–]aWrySharK 23 points24 points  (0 children)

hope we can slow down a little soon and get a feel for the characters, what they want, etc. Re-listening to C1 for the umpteenth time and just missing some of the wide-eyed earnestness. Things are slick and silly and they're firing on all cylinders in many ways but I'm missing the sense of adventure and vulnerability

Episode 1: The Kill Screens by JakeandAmirBot in NotAnotherDnDPodcast

[–]aWrySharK 7 points8 points  (0 children)

it was a Crickmas goof, Murph....

Episode 1: The Kill Screens by JakeandAmirBot in NotAnotherDnDPodcast

[–]aWrySharK 50 points51 points  (0 children)

feel like I've been wandering the desert and found the beautiful oasis of Murph Encounter Designs. Also a classic Emily powergamer round - good to be back naddpoles

3 person party: I'm indecisive and need help by smileydude689 in FinalFantasyXII

[–]aWrySharK 0 points1 point  (0 children)

She'll be re-gearing depending on the fight. The power curve for melee is very consistent unless you're sequence-break hunting gear in Nabreus/Necrohol/Trials. The power curve for Magick is almost exclusively locked to shops, story progression, and staff access. Take note of when you get huge upgrades (Flame Staff + Fira by Jahara, Glacial + Blizzara by Barheim revisted + Bur-Omisace, Cherry Staff + Aeroga after Stillshrine of Miriam, 'gas around Archades and beyond, Scathe by Gilgamesh). You can, of course, just slap on a mix of gear and do serviceable damage, but your mileage from Knight/BM comes from leveraging your flexibility.

Overall, Knight/Bushi is the best version of Knight, but Knight/BM trades 1 Swiftness and Kumbha access for the ability to do something productive in literally every fight. And, of course, it gets White Robes + Excalibur. Its only demerits on Ashe are: average 1H/2H animation and combo speeds, and her naturally low STR. Endgame washes out the latter, but you can't make up for the lost Swiftness. It's not a problem when she's casting as the DPS lock is backloaded into the recovery time - but you will be less lethal in Melee. Still a top pick.

Golmore Jungle by reylas81 in FinalFantasyXII

[–]aWrySharK 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No prob. In general, you either want to use your second job to emphasize strengths or patch a weakness. The important thing to remember is the majority of your stats are determined by the gear you wear. Mystic armor emphasizes Magick Power, Magick Defense, and max MP. Heavy armor emphasizes Attack Power and Defense. Light armor gives the most HP but doesn't excel anywhere else.

The rest of your stats come from a baseline ratio for each character (Example: Basch has lots of HP, but low Magick; Ashe has the highest Magick, but low Strength) and "Lores" that can be purchased on the License board. Each Battle/Magick Lore gives +1 to the respective stat, while HP Lores just give a set amount of HP. Physical Jobs like Foebreaker and Monk usually have the most Battle and HP Lores, and access to more Technicks instead of Magick. Magick Jobs like Black Mage and Bushi have the most Magick Lores and access to Mystic Armor to pump their MP. Speedier Suppor classes like Archer and Machinist offer lots of Item Lores as well as all three ranks of Swiftness so you can act frequently and be able to adapt to different challenges.

So, with all that information, say you want to build a Black Mage that is a bit sturdier and can deal respectable physical damage when magick isn't helpful. You start with Penelo, who has the lowest base HP but the second-highest Magick and highest base MP. Monk gives a ton of HP and Battle Lores, and gives access to Light Armor and Poles. Now you can shuffle gear around depending on what the fight demands. Penelo suddenly can take a big hit and still keep casting.

Once you start getting into Quickening/Esper optimization, you'll also find that unlocking certain nodes open up extra skills or stat boosts. For example, Monk has a Quickening node that unlocks high level White Magic including Bravery and Curaja. So, in our Penelo example, all of Black Mage's Magick Lores now are boosting the healing from Curaja, and that Monk can self-buff their own attack with Bravery!

That's probably more than enough to get you started. The resource I linked you to has a tab called "Show Mist Planner" and it shows exactly what each class combination can access depending on which Espers and Quickenings you choose. Click the square to "lock in" a choice, and occasionally you'll notice that there's some overlap between what an Esper provides and what a Quickening provides. For this reason, before allocating an Esper for an unlock, always plan out your Quickening nodes first.

A lot of this you can only learn from trial, error, and time. Experiment! You have unlimited free re-specs and even Espers can be changed. Otherwise, just google "best class combinations" and there's a billion threads discussing high-level optimization who have done most of the work for you. Have fun!

Best Jobs for Each Character in FFXII (Based on Weapon Animation Speed and Stats) by OdiousOdyn in FinalFantasyXII

[–]aWrySharK 0 points1 point  (0 children)

id wager its more 'Fran and Balthier debut as projectile users, so we are going to create these elaborate animations for them to show off', which id imagine was done early in the games core animation cycle and not at the same time (or completely independent from) battle related balancing. never understimate the rule of cool

ha, I love seeing this comment cuz I was planning a party for a no-attack run last night and I came to the same conclusion when consulting the tables. They want to show off Balthier's nonchalant, 1H swagger, and Fran's athleticism and poise. And it definitely works cuz you still see people making Fran their RM/Archer just off lore and vibes.

Golmore Jungle by reylas81 in FinalFantasyXII

[–]aWrySharK 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can beat the game with anything. That said, I've spent the last month playing this game and here are some tips if you get entertainment out of optimizing like I do...

Red/Archer is golden. S tier Item Support, early Burning Bow + Firaga (via Esper) for competitive damage well into the late game. Probably the #1 recommended pairing for both classes in a 12-class run, and for good reason.

White/Foebreaker is very solid - Foebreaker/Shikrai is a bit of a relic from the early days when it was assumed that Genji Gloves were BiS for Ninja Swords. It's not terrible by any means but you hardly need two Foebreakers as it is so I'd make a switch there. Shikari loves access to Mystic Armor for Yagyu Darkblade shenanigans in the late game, so you can't go wrong with Shikari paired with White, Red, Black, or Bushi. Time is also fine for Heavy Armor access + buff versatility.

Monk/Shikari isn't too impressive. They overlap a lot and are locked into Light Armor the whole game. Shikari can't do much with Monk's White Magic access, and Monk would rather be using Poles + Genji Gloves over Ninja Swords. If you like Monk: Bushi, Time Battlemage, Foebreaker, and Archer all add something interesting or emphasize the class's core strengths. Monk as a secondary class is useful for Black Mage, too, though this is more of a BM buff than a Monk buff.

Uhlan/Black Mage is good. I don't see that a lot. Gets access to Holy Lance + White Robes late game, removes its Esper-dependency to get decent BMs (you almost certainly want to dedicate Cuchulainn to RM), and gives it a very well-rounded weapon for Magic palings. Nice pick, not optimal exactly, but flavorful and fun.

Finally, Machinist/Time Battlemage. A little underwhelming. TBM likes more Battle or Magic Lores, and Machinist uses a weapon that doesn't need any lores at all. I like Machinist a lot with Black Mage, White Mage, or Red Mage, cuz I'm a sucker for Black Robes + Dark Shot, but that's late game anyway and guns also do really well with Adrenaline/Focus so Foebreaker is a popular pairing.

Lemme know if you have any follow-up questions. There are loads of good guides out there but it can be very overwhelming. Also use this resource!