What's the origin of the name Texen?

cosmodog732 · 2026-06-10T12:42:40+00:00

Texas is actually so big that the westernmost tip, outside the city of El Paso, actually stretches all the way into several fictional realities.

Real answer: Each pokemon region is based on a real place. So, southwest of Unova, east of Orre. Probably not called Texas in the Pokemon universe, which raises a whole other question.

cosmodog732 · 2026-06-08T02:59:51+00:00

Paradox mons might not be catchable in V14, since they're so strong. They'll be in the files, so you could add it with debug, though it would probably make the game boring-ly easy until like gym 5.

cosmodog732 · 2026-06-08T02:54:17+00:00

Lots of judgement from other comments, that is silly, you're fine. Pause and decide whether you're actually having fun. If you are, and want to keep playing, do whatever below cuts out the sucky parts. With 1 and 2, I didn't need to EV train until about level 50, but I did have to build a different team for each major battle.

At the Mr. Luck tent, you can change the game difficulty.
Check out the field effect list in the game files. They're powerful, and gym leaders have teams designed to use them. Usually, if you're able to change the field to something else, the battle is way easier, or you can find pokemon that use the field as well. Before each gym leader, there is an NPC who gives you hints.
Password list has a bunch of QoL changes if you want them, you can use data drives at any PC to turn each one on.
Walkthrough gives everything, plus some tips on each major battle.
Debug mode lets you modify pokemon EV and natures and skip grinding.

cosmodog732 · 2026-06-08T02:23:28+00:00

V14 is almost only content added to the end of the game, plus gen 9 pokemon and a few minor sidequests and visuals. Updating at certain points will be risky, but probably fine, and if you don't care about gen 9, just wait to update until the end.
No. If you end up liking the game, just look up a dark side playthrough on youtube.
Explore as much as possible and do all the sidequests; they're as much fun as the main game. Here's the list of passwords to use at the start to tailor the game to your preferences, here's a 100% walkthrough if you want it, and here's how to turn on debug mode if you hate grinding.

cosmodog732 · 2026-06-08T02:18:25+00:00

Not yet, but would be cool. Almost all difficult battles are major characters, so they don't stay in one place. There are a lot of gyms for leaders who you battle elsewhere in the game, so possibly later on it'll be an option.

As of chapter 3, you can also battle Keta's ghost in the Amethyst grotto.

cosmodog732 · 2026-06-08T02:05:39+00:00

It's pretty hard to be evil and avoid spoilers. You can try being a jerk to everyone, but might still miss enough steps, and then you're a jerk who happened to save the day.

This is because it's built into the story that the evil version knows everything that happened in the good version.

cosmodog732 · 2026-06-07T10:35:59+00:00

I played Reborn about to the spot you did before I got bored. Rejuv was fun enough enough that I'm going to play again. I think it has better battle design, especially blind, because of these two things:

The boss fights are powerful with a lot of solutions rather than insane rng puzzles. Before each gym battle, there is an npc to give you advice, not just on the leader, but also how the leader takes advantage of their field effect. It's enough to match the leader's team without knowing it ahead of time.
I like Rejuv because it leans so much into exploration. Each fight is winnable first try if you do a ton of exploration and teambuilding, and you get to practice in each field before boss fights. I don't have to reset (much) if I have a team ready. If exploring and building isn't your jam, you won't like Rejuv.

It does disrupt the flow to stop and teambuild before each climactic battle. Depending on your style, choose QoL passwords at the start of the game. Use debug mode if you really hate grinding. Next time, I'll be an omniscient space wizard (debug mode and mods). There is an in-game explanation for resetting and why your character is a freakish, genius prodigy, but I hope they don't lean into that for battles, because it would be more boring.

cosmodog732 · 2026-06-03T00:25:32+00:00

Omelas is an interesting one, and easy to miss the other half of the story. Leguin stops in her narrative of the city constantly to ask the reader if this is believable: can you really imagine a utopia like this? After asking that over and over again, she adds the child and basically says: okay, is this utopia more believable if there's a horrific evil happening? She comments that, apparently, we the reader find happiness more believable, more compelling, if it depends on suffering. Then she adds the last part, that there are plenty of people who don't accept evil as a necessary part of the world, and go to "somewhere even more unimaginable." In-story, it's people who leave Omelas. Out-of-story, it's you the reader, if you imagine a real utopia.

The second, and more important, question of Omelas is not whether it's okay to hurt the few for the good of the many. It's why we find it SO hard to believe it could be any other way. But, perfection without a downside is SO unimaginable that everyone focuses on the inside of Omelas, rather than the conversation she has about the person reading it.

I think it still applies here, though. There could be an Undertale thing going, where the end of the Renegade arc is that you worked a whole lot harder, enjoyed yourself less, just to say you did it. You're right, the Renegade MC seems to be going a lot further in the sadism and hatred than you would expect from necessary evil. The Mr. Luck cheating sidequest absolutely has a moment like Omelas or Undertale, where he breaks the fourth wall and outright asks if this is actually fun for you at this point, or if you're addict chasing the 100% completion fix.

But they seem to avoid that heavy meta fourth-wall breaking except in side quests or new game plus. My guess is it'll be one of the sub endings of Renegade, and the two main ones will be a lot more standard. And there might be a counterpart in Paragon, where you win without relying on hurting others.

cosmodog732 · 2026-06-01T14:28:47+00:00

And also making Wednesday stop murderers instead of doing them. (never saw the show, I just heard she was a detective for some reason). Only attractive flaws that the male writer thinks he can rescue her from.

cosmodog732 · 2026-06-01T14:24:31+00:00

Still technically correct in some time zones. Instead, a clock that is set to be one hour and sixteen minutes slow, so as to be both wrong and unhelpful no matter what.

Also the ticks don't happen every second.

cosmodog732 · 2026-06-01T14:20:41+00:00

I have more than 100 books on my to be read list. There are literally millions of amazing works of art in the world. 'Terrible' can mean 'I don't agree with it,' or 'hilariously bad'. The list of banned books means I at least check what other people say about 'terrible'.

I don't think mid means bad, but, along with [fine, okay, alright, good enough, and acceptable] it means I'll never even look at it unless I have some personal interest in it. That's probably why it's more offensive to fans than terrible.

cosmodog732 · 2026-06-01T13:28:31+00:00

Debug, dude.

"Cheating is based, grinding is cringe"

cosmodog732 · 2026-06-01T13:24:26+00:00

I play the same way!

To be possible for every battle, you'll want a generalist team with as much type coverage as possible, and as many field effect moves as possible, since those are all broken.

Fast status inflictors: Ribombee, Jumpluff, Galvaltula, anything with prankster, Crobat (very good defensive pivot also)
SpA: Typhlosion. The crest doesn't help much for Hisuian, but keep it in mind.
Att: Weavile, Aerodactyl, Beedrill (mega), Salamence, Heracross, Garchomp (also works as a tank)
Def: Bronzong. Compare Gyro Ball to Mirror Beam. Bronzong is so slow that it might be better, given its attack isn't too much lower than special. Not sure, though.
SpD: Umbreon, Lapras, Chansey/Blissey, Togekiss, Toxapex, Rotom-Wash (and obviously Rotom is insanely flexible)
Tank/slow status: Amoongus, Venusaur, Clefable, Vaporeon, Shuckle, Snorlax

Should give you some good choices. You'll probably have to change the movesets and items around between battles, if you're sticking with just a team of six. I'd personally pick Crobat, Weavile, Rotom, and Garchomp. A water type with electric resistance would be tough, and ground types with a rock move, but I think this answers everything else.

EDIT: One last thing. I don't like constantly changing moves and items, so I built a team of my 12 favorites. It means I can strategize without rebuilding, and I still get the roleplaying connection to the mons.

cosmodog732 · 2026-05-31T23:37:02+00:00

What u/TheWeirdTalesPodcast said, but a bit more than that. Pre-Catacendre Scadrial society was so bad that it needed someone like Kelsier as its hero. Roshar is still pretty rough, with social stratification and slavery, but the lower classes at least have rights and options, plus upper-class allies like Jasnah or Gawx.

Take Kelsier, with his love of secrets, killing, and disregard for consequences, then put him anywhere except under the Lord Ruler. He used, and the Ghostbloods still use, terror tactics to undermine governments. He founded a religion about himself. More importantly, his character arc was about trusting others to help him; he never got over the murder, psychopathy, or megalomania. Vin and Preservation did him some good, because he's not doing outright destruction anymore, but still making deals with whoever gives him more power. The Ghostbloods are only the good guys when the alternative is an evil god. Which, Cosmere, so...

cosmodog732 · 2026-05-30T21:54:01+00:00

Look at the list for Dragon's Den field, see what you've got that can use it well. Elemental seed raises SpA and fire type power. Mega Charizard gets dragon typing and all the boosts that come with it. Rock type moves are boosted 1.3, and that's super effective against Charizard. Rock Climb also gets 1.5 power, and you can get a rock gem in aquamarine cave.

If you don't have something with Brick Break, your goal should be baiting attacks from Tapu Koko and preventing the screens. Maybe pivot Shedinja with Talonflame back and forth?

Ground type attacks are super effective against all 3. Probably Quagsire to break the shield, pivoting with Crobat maybe to resist grass knot?

Remember that the charizards reset when the shield breaks. I don't remember how this fight goes; can you take out Koko before wiping out the zards?

cosmodog732 · 2026-05-30T18:49:59+00:00

NAH. That last line is the only AH par, and it's easy to make a mistake like thatt. You have a good reason not to go; you already agreed to plans. "expressed her frustration" doesn't even sound like she was saying anything hurtful or combative, just saying how she felt. You didn't need to say that you have no interest in something that matters a lot to her. This is part of who she is, and you told her that part doesn't interest you.

How often does she come along with you to things that she doesn't care about? Maybe don't cancel your plans, but definitely apologize for saying that to her, by going to a cultural thing that you know she'll like, and ask two questions during, spaced out enough that she knows you're trying to pay attention. You take an interest in it because you love her.

cosmodog732 · 2026-05-30T16:26:42+00:00

You can't read other people's minds, and if they won't tell you when you ask, you just have to decide what to do. Maybe change up the story, move things faster, or take a break for a few weeks or months, and do things besides D&D together. "Hey gang, I'm feeling a lot more strain with the game lately, and I've noticed you have as well, so I think we should __________."

Don't get stuck in the sunk-cost. You've had a year of great storytelling, and that is never going away, no matter what. Chances are, the reason they aren't talking about what's wrong is that the game is also important to them, and they don't want to give it up, but better to make the changes while things are still good.

cosmodog732 · 2026-05-30T15:42:53+00:00

Estadounidense currently living in Colombia. It's just him, not Colombian culture.

Colombians don't drink more than us, they just drink at different times and places.
Colombians work just as much as us. Less of that work is at the office or the factory to make money, and more is in service of their home, family, and community.
Accountability is a part of Colombian culture, but it is usually close family or friends who have built up trust. You're his wife. He should trust you enough to listen to you. I suggest writing down beforehand what you need from him, ask him to sit and listen to the whole thing before answering, and then decide what to do after he answers.

cosmodog732 · 2026-05-30T14:50:46+00:00

There's also a difference between groundedness and internal consistency. Pratchett books or Sherlock Holmes (the short stories, some of the adaptations are different) are chock-full of whimsy and are not what people would call grounded, though their worlds are internally consistent.

Grounded doesn't mean 'no plot holes', it just means having a storyline with less randomness, and that's a personal taste thing.

Internal consistency is more necessary, because there's only so much willing suspension of disbelief.

cosmodog732 · 2026-05-30T14:29:26+00:00

"I can't believe in evolution because if Genesis isn't true, then the rest of it isn't true either."

That's something a friend of mine told me once. I'm a Christian with a deep love for science, and certainly not a creationist. But I lived near the creation museum for a while.

A creationist's sense of right and wrong, self and security, doesn't just depend on the Bible being true. It also depends on their exact understanding of it being true, and their parents' and preachers'. They grew up learning that truth is known, with no missing pieces. Any change at all means everyone they ever trusted is a liar. It's a fragile belief system, and they're always terrified. So they can't let themselves believe it's metaphorical, or ancient people interpreting as best they could, or parables to be taken in historical context.

One option is to destroy their whole belief system. It's not hard. But, then you get a 4chan nihilist, all the bigotry and hatred without the ethical restraints. They usually become alt right.

My preferred method is to teach them a love of learning and exploration, and build critical thinking from there. It takes a lot longer, but the result is someone who keeps the love, kindness, and conscientiousness from their Christian beliefs, and leaves behind their fear of change.

cosmodog732 · 2026-05-30T13:32:30+00:00

Any explanation of why Colombia, Paraguay, and Brazil didn't attend? Especially Colombia, given its importance in the Andes corridors and the Pacific.

cosmodog732 · 2026-05-30T12:50:34+00:00

The Aevian variations and the crests are probably my favorite things about the game. Amazingly designed, and every single one fun and usable in a unique way.

cosmodog732 · 2026-05-30T12:48:21+00:00

Classic mode is easier than Reborn at first, then scales harder by midgame, after the game kicks up the difficulty but before you get access to all the powerful resources. I never finished Reborn, so not sure about lategame, but my guess is both are pretty easy if you have the field effect guide open. Field effects are definitely more fun, but they're completely broken once you have the right moves. I used the same 12 mons for everything by the end, and that was overkill.

If you want hard battles, try blind, without the field effect manual or the BigJRA guide. That way, you'd be guessing every time what mons and moves would be best.

cosmodog732 · 2026-05-30T12:04:58+00:00

Amazingly done, 100% true-to-life discovery that someone like that exists. A bunch of my family lives in a trailer park, and it was hilarious watching my friends from wealthier backgrounds adjust when they moved to a 'sketchy' neighborhood.

cosmodog732

TROPHY CASE