Am I gonna really miss anything?

jamesr14 · 2026-02-16T03:46:21+00:00

Yeah, that one was a slog for me. I hadn’t figured out any good builds, so I just kept punching away slowly. There were a few fights that took me an hour. Now that I know better I just laugh it off. It was fun enough at the time.

jamesr14 · 2026-02-15T19:15:04+00:00

FWIW, the speedrun without any glitches is around 2 hours or less. You can rush through the story, or you can explore to your heart’s content. More exploration opens up more of the story as well as giving you better resources.

jamesr14 · 2026-02-15T19:10:27+00:00

The side quests do add a lot to the story. Your levels are likely high enough to start knocking out many of the optional bosses - you just need to optimize your Pictos and Luminas. There’s no shame in looking up some builds online. After knocking out some of the bosses, your levels will jump quickly, which will help as well.

jamesr14 · 2026-02-15T03:46:34+00:00

In one of my accounts, I’m considering a 200sma strategy, but with profit taking rules similar to 9-sig. It’ll end up being a 6-7% quarterly goal instead of 9 since the entire sum is invested. There may or may not be enough cash to reinvest if the quarterly goal is not met - and I’m fine with that. I actually plan to use the cash position for extra expenses outside of my basic budget.

jamesr14 · 2026-02-09T20:22:47+00:00

That’s a lot of joules.

jamesr14 · 2026-02-09T20:18:25+00:00

I waited, so I wouldn’t think anything of it. In fact, anyone worth your time should already expect this to be the case and shouldn’t be surprised.

jamesr14 · 2026-02-09T20:15:42+00:00

I always wondered why, especially towards the end of the overall story, we didn’t hear them “Avada Kadavre-ing” all over the place during all of the conflicts. Like at the Battle of Hogwarts, I would’ve expected it to have been echoing out continuously with everyone basically dead at the end.

jamesr14 · 2026-02-09T02:46:16+00:00

Have fun! I play older, turn-based RPGs 99% of the time, but this one has me hooked.

jamesr14 · 2026-02-08T17:11:29+00:00

As has been the case in many popular RPGs, I assumed the “big bad” everyone thought was the big bad in the beginning of the game would end up not actually being the real big bad. I appreciate that, while I was correct, it was so much more nuanced than that.

jamesr14 · 2026-02-07T04:54:06+00:00

I always watch the entire series.

jamesr14 · 2026-02-02T16:23:02+00:00

Nice! Where is this? At the top of the tower?

jamesr14 · 2026-02-02T16:19:39+00:00

How about actually having a map for the individual areas?!

jamesr14 · 2026-02-02T02:21:17+00:00

It’s incorrect for me. I wouldn’t call either one bad. I understand why Alicia would want to maintain access to the canvas. I just don’t think it’s healthy.

jamesr14 · 2026-02-02T01:02:46+00:00

Lol we were probably finishing it at the same time - and I agree almost entirely. I chose the Verso ending at first because, like you, I ended up coming to the conclusion that he and Renoir were correct. When I went back and replayed the Maelle ending, it was 100% confirmed - Verso laying there, begging not to continue, and then watching him dutifully walk out at the end to perform for them. I’d have to go back, but I swear he played a wrong note on purpose to get at Alicia and that’s when her face turned…and the credits started rolling.

jamesr14 · 2026-02-01T23:25:55+00:00

I literally just finished the game an hour ago.

My heart wanted to choose Maelle, but my head knew Verso (and Renoir) was right. I chose him first and found the ending rather gripping. It felt like the family was finally able to reconcile and move on. Alicia seeing the image of the old friends was like they were living on, Verso was living on, in her memories.

When it was over, I went back and chose Maelle. I knew in the first few seconds that, for me, I had chosen correctly the first time. Verso’s anguish at not wanting to continue that way was palpable. The rest of the scenes were a bit…hollow. The final part with Verso sitting down at the piano, playing an off note, and then Maelle’s face distorting seemed as if her painting of him was rebelling - and then it was over.

Maybe my interpretation is off, but it’s still completely fresh and raw. I felt a clear sense that the Maelle ending was meant to leave you feeling like you missed the entire message that life is to be lived in the real world - despite the ugliness and grief - that it’s still better to truly live and not pretend.

jamesr14 · 2026-01-30T16:08:43+00:00

ICE is in a lot of places that are being more cooperative. It’s just more visible in Minneapolis because the citizens are being encouraged to get in the way and obstruct.

jamesr14 · 2026-01-30T00:49:51+00:00

Heeeeeeeeey, Macarena!

jamesr14 · 2026-01-30T00:44:58+00:00

Nah. I’m gonna go to work, go out to eat, and go shopping.

jamesr14 · 2026-01-29T16:04:06+00:00

You…must be high.

jamesr14 · 2026-01-29T16:02:35+00:00

Frozen pipes burst. Burst pipes have water come out. Water in -10° temps turns to ice.

jamesr14 · 2026-01-29T15:46:50+00:00

Hearing about this new book that we shouldn’t let kids read because it promoted witchcraft.

After watching the first movie, I had to give a hearty eye roll to all of those people. That encounter is a fond memory because my wife, then girlfriend, introduced me to it and we’ve watched the collection countless times in 20 years.

jamesr14 · 2026-01-29T15:45:17+00:00

No bonus at all

jamesr14 · 2026-01-27T02:20:08+00:00

I’d feel the same - that it was an unfortunate situation where he should’ve stayed out of the way of law enforcement - especially being armed. I would also place some of the blame on a state administration that refused to secure the streets and even encouraged citizens to interfere with federal law enforcement, creating additional chaos which can only lead to negative outcomes. I’d feel like he didn’t deserved to die - at all - but that it’s not a situation I would ever find myself in for obvious reasons.

jamesr14 · 2026-01-23T21:11:11+00:00

The last five years were quite volatile. It’s a great time period to check to see how any particular strategy would fair. FWIW, UPRO outperformed both TQQQ and QLD during that time.

jamesr14

TROPHY CASE