Messages

151

Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 550: Strip That Village to the Bone!

« on: December 15, 2017, 10:52:19 PM »

Right, for reference's sake, I suppose 550 is a good episode number to remember my 2018 switch predictions.

In addition to Yoshi, Kirby, Fire Emblem (in May), and Pokemon (holiday season), we're going to see Monster Games' next project take that coveted late august spot that something gets released in. I also feel like we're going to get some sort of game with a BIG Online hook once Nintendo's Online service hits. Weather this is in the form of New IP or something existing is up in the air. 2018 may also be the year that 2D mario Re-emerges, but in a way that reinvents and invigorates it in the same way Super Mario Odyssey or Breath of the Wild did so.

I think the content flood will continue because we're now living in a world where development resources are no longer divided between 3DS and Wii U... or are very minimalistically so.

I also think we get teased with SORA's next game. a Non-Smash Bros. game that adheres to the idea of a nonsensical control scheme that uses a single button.

I also think we get some sort of eShop game that finally demonstrates what in the damn blue hell is the purpose of that dumb IR sensor on the right Joycon.

Support for the Gamecube controller adapter will accidentally be patched in again and hastily patched out as quickly as possible.

152

Podcast Discussion / Re: RetroActive 40: La-Mulana

« on: December 15, 2017, 10:32:56 PM »

...
I've unlocked the Palenque and Tiamat battles now, and am getting ready to for those battles.
...

All guardians down!


Finding out what the software combination was to increase damage from my Axe was crucial to beating Tiamat (given my general lack of skill or tactics for the battle), but Palenque was maybe one of the easiest bosses in the game.


Now I just have to figure out what to do next.  There are a bunch of clues left to decipher, many of which are already recorded in my laptop, and a couple of areas I haven't finished off (Chamber of Extinction and Tower of Ruin).

ah, yes, good.

Honestly? I'd take Azeke's advice on the wedges.

Also, although this isn't important to beating the game at all, There IS an item you permanently lose access to now that all the bosses are defeated. it's literally just a piece of software that combines with MIRACLE.EXE to make the weapon fairy come 100% of the time when you touch a fairy point.

If you haven't been back to the Shrine of the Mother, you may want to do that, since you have to reclaim the Grail Point there.

153

TalkBack / Re: The Alliance Alive Lives On March 27

« on: December 13, 2017, 11:44:46 PM »

oh boy, a sequel to a game that reminded me of one of my most hated JRPG series is coming out on my birthday. whoo.

154

Podcast Discussion / Re: RetroActive 40: La-Mulana

« on: December 12, 2017, 07:50:44 PM »

ouch. yeah, that eats. had no clue about the weirdo 50Hz situation there.

155

Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 550: Strip That Village to the Bone!

« on: December 12, 2017, 09:50:57 AM »

Okay, so... I have a LOT to chime in on for the Megaman 11 discussion and wanted to make my own post here.


First of all, I'd like to say that I'm 100% at odds with James' Megaman fandom, as I feel like the Inti-creates stuff gets too bogged down in it's own obsession with ranking the player for doing these diehard challenged runs that sap the fun from first-time playthroughs and rob repeat playthroughs of their replay value for the sake of replaying them. Inti-creates also asks a LOT of it's players in a way that gets a bit TOO manic for my tastes. It wasn't until the ZX games where I feel like they really figured out a good balance of what they wanted to do with the Zero games and make them not feel like AS big of a chore (there's a sidequest in ZX that literally has you grinding one level to go through, get a medkit, and bring it back to Guardian HQ like... 5 to 7 times.) Classic Megaman will always be the place where my heart rests with. I think I've documented before  to Neal that my favorite Megaman game, possibly much like Dr. Metts, is Megaman 6.


You need only really listen to the Megaman 3 RetroActive episode to understand my love of Classic Megaman.


Also, you're talking about the Maverick Hunter prototype, which was a Megaman X FPS where they kinda went full-on robot. I would have been down for that if it was pulled off right, but the plug got pulled on that VERY early.

It's probably what lead Armature to make ReCore.

---------

With all that preamble out of the way, let's get down to brass tacks on MASB's email and the Megaman 11 discussion.

First off, Megaman Games as a service exists. although James might have just been referring to the dreadful iOS Megaman X port with redrawn graphics and touch buttons, there's an endless runner Megaman game called Rockman X-Over.

Rockman X-Over used a new design for Megaman who is this time traveling model of Megaman meant to be able to incorporate techniques from classic Megaman all the way to Volnutt in order to combat the combined forces of Dr. Wily, Sigma, Dr. Vile, Master Albert, Serpent, and whoever else they put in that game. It is an endless runner type game where you have a jump and shoot button as well as the ability to activate cards you've equipped to Over-1 ala' battle chips from the Rockman.exe games. the battle chips, of ocurse, are acquired much like any other EA Ultimate Team/Gachapon style game. Rockman X-Over is Megaman Games as a service, and western fans RIOTED at Capcom-Unity so bad that Chris Svenson was like, "Okay, Okay! we won't release it in the west, you win! no Megaman for you!"



To look at Megaman 11, first I think it's important that we know the Japanese title of the game.Rockman 11: Unmei no Haguruma!! , as I've copy-pasted from the Megaman Knowledge Base, has a subtitle that roughly translates to "Rockman 11: The Gears of Destiny!!". Thanks to the team over at GameXplain (whom we only interacted with a week ago thanks to the Telethon!) they've broken down that the 3 gears underneath Megaman's UI seem to be able to activate a super mode if you have all three. one seeems to make all buster shots charged shots, one seems to increase Megaman's Movement speed, and... mayhapps the third is some sort of defense buff or helath recovery? some sort of screen nuke attack ala' the earlier X games' Giga Attack? regardless, at the end of the trailer, Megaman activates the gear ability and is able to fire off 3 charge shots as the logo for the game gets in the way. there's also a powerup icon that looked like a gear that's in the trailer as well, meaning the gear mode might just be a pickup the developers put around the level kinda in the style of an e-tank, and thus design levels accordingly.


As someone who's actually currently designing Megaman-style levels for a fan game right now,I tried to very carefully examine the trailer, and nothing particularly offensive like with Megaman & Bass is happening there so far. I do have faith in capcom to pull this through, and do so with far more passion than anyone in Yoshinori Ono's teams have left in them.

156

Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 550: Strip That Village to the Bone!

« on: December 11, 2017, 08:25:36 PM »

James, whenever you close out Xenoblade Chronicles 2, you should watch the video John Raridin did for the NWR youtube channel about the ending, because there's some STARK revelations he discovered if you don't immediatley catch on to what is going on.

I gotta wait until Christmas to play.


----------------------

See, one of the things some of the mods I installed on my PC version of skyrim essentially RNG-chooses locked doors, chests, containers, and sometimes even lootable bodies with traps that are pretty debilitating for the long-term if you were to get hit by them, sometimes triggering some pretty elaborate quests in order to fix.

While I realize that yes, Save Scumming could alleviate the whole mess I'd made for myself, It made me roleplay a bit more and err away from rampant avarice. Another part of the mod made it easier to make money, so it wasn't THAT bad to give up the impulsive need to strip everyone's body naked, but it was an interesting little experiment.

I will leave things to a vague description of said mod's gameplay, however, as i'm pretty sure Shenanigans is a testament to James' hard line attempt to keep things on the internet professional and work-safe.

157

TalkBack / Re: WWE 2K18 (Switch) Review

« on: December 11, 2017, 06:08:43 AM »

this is super disappointing, as the prospect of having Xavier Woods' bizzare adventure in my pocket was appealing sounding until now...

158

TalkBack / Re: Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection Punching Into Switch In May

« on: December 10, 2017, 06:47:37 PM »

I wish I wasn't such garbage at third strike.

159

Podcast Discussion / Re: RetroActive 40: La-Mulana

« on: December 06, 2017, 11:45:15 PM »

I started playing pretty soon after the poll ended, and I avoided repeating the mistakes I made when I first played the game in 2012, so I got off to a (mostly) smooth start. The biggest impediment to me getting further in the game was simply getting enough time in front of the TV with the PAL Wii. I very much doubt I'll be able to finish the game before I feel compelled to disconnect the PAL Wii, but I do want to see plenty more of La-Mulana before that time comes.

That warms my heart to hear. Honestly, if I could have gotten to you about that properly, I would have HIGHLY suggested you perform a double-dip on your Wii U for use of the gamepad, or the Vita version if you had that laying around.

My current hope is that Gui is too addicted and ends up going against his plan of not finishing and instead opts for taking it the whole way after getting invested enough, maybe rolling back the save. it's honestly quick to make progress again if puzzle solutions are fresh in your mind. Both Azeke and myself have runs of this game that are under 10 hours of in-game playtime. it's a surprisingly replayable game for one so leveraged on brain teasers, y'know?

I'm still glad there was more enjoyment among the podcast than not. I honestly got a little worried when James was just... flamingly angry about things.

160

Podcast Discussion / Re: RetroActive 40: La-Mulana

« on: December 06, 2017, 12:21:07 PM »

well, the audio is released, and on the telethon page/out in the Podcast feed!

Tiamat beaten means you have access to something that sadly didn't get brought up in the retro-active... but La Mulana has an elaborate Chozo Artifact-style end game quest, and it's got an insane puzzle to it, because that's how this game rolls.


Once you've acquired the Djed Pillar and MANTRA.EXE, you can get mantras that Lemeza can shoot using the Djed Pillar (fun fact; in the Freeware version you had to just straight up type the Mantras while the Djed Pillar was in your inventory!) Each mantra is tied to a certain field's front and back sides. the trick to finding WHERE to use the Mantras though has to do with several compass-like objects that appear as background objects throughout the game.

effectively, the idea is that you find the compass on the front side of an area, and by applying a looping 4x5 grid over the map of the front and back side, follow the compass' direction on the opposite field to a room where you can use the mantra and activate the wedge. You find out where the mantras are by going to temple of the sun in the spot you got the talisman

it's worth noting though that the Wiiware version actually has a mistake in it where the part of the Wedge side-quest for the Tower of ruin was placed in the wrong room, and it's a room adjacent to where the ACTUAL solution of the puzzle should be.


Also, it's worth noting that if Tiamat was your last boss, then you might have lost a holy grail point, because the Shrine of the mother kinda... significantly changes. there's a (VERY inconciquential) program that can be missed thanks to that change. don't worry, the program just combines with MIRACLE.EXE to summon weapon fairy at fairy points.

161

TalkBack / Re: Many Mega Man Games Coming to Switch

« on: December 04, 2017, 11:54:27 PM »

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!

162

Podcast Discussion / Re: RetroActive 40: La-Mulana

« on: December 04, 2017, 09:06:27 AM »

From what I gather, Ejamer, they all played the game within the final week before the retroactive. a big reason I put out that video as soon as I did was to show them that I was willing to help.


As for my Bahamut strat? a pretty safe way to fight him is to try and get itn additional hits with flares, but my biggest suggestion would probably be to use the key fairy to get RANDC.EXE by using the key fairy on the shop on the way up to Bahamut, and to use the feather or a very percise jump to get MEKURI.EXE from the tent that's below the waterfall cliff hidden in a wall, given that the Axe can at least shave off decently big hunks of health in that situation.

Of course, if you have the feather, you could go about using a Key fairy to open the gate of time in Chamber of extinction (on the screen just right of the grail tablet), go through there to acquire LAMULANA.EXE, then use the Gate of Time's masoleum to break open the shortcut to tower of the goddess, and proceed to not only go about exploring that area, but also you could go to Graveyard of the giants through the top of the Tower of the goddess, and then hit up the part of the Chamber of Birth that has the Woman State. Get the Woman Statue to turn into the Maternity Statue in the Temple of the Sun, use THAT to get the Philosopher's ocarina by falling asleep in front of a mural of a vagina, and then take that back to the Tower of the Goddess and attempt to save scum and brute force the room of Gems and Scales (or go through the craziness to actually translate ancient La Mulanese and read all the tablets referring to the weight of souls, and what stones reprisent souls) to get the flail. you could also then use a key fairy to get the spaulder, get to the graveyard of the giants for the Gauntlet, and solve the puzzle of eden to get to Gate of Illusion and thus to the shop that sells MOVE.EXE and...


at that point, shave Bahamut's HP down in a matter of 3-5 cycles thanks to the insane damage output of spamming mace with LAMULANA.EXE+MOVE.EXE

163

Podcast Discussion / Re: RetroActive 40: La-Mulana

« on: December 01, 2017, 04:14:00 PM »

I think the Retroactive discussion is gonna be hella interesting. Gui just made a post that he's saying La Mulana is the best game he's played in a LONG time, but is bashing his head against Sakit and hating bosses.

James seems to lament everything because he cannot get a grip on how lemeza controls, the purposeful obtuse nature of the game, and seems to repeatedly fall for the same traps over and over and over and over agian... but he really had fun fighting Sakit and Amphisbaena, but then got frustrated at Ellmac... he fought all 3 of these bosses in a VERY underpowered stage. He also tried getting the surface sacred orb without the feather, which i think is kinda foolish. Granted, the feather doesn't automatically negate the vultures, which I think was the real reason he got screamingly angry and called the game bad...

EDIT:

https://twitter.com/NWR_James/status/936763679391059968
WELP

164

TalkBack / Re: 8th Annual NWR Live Podcast Telethon for Child’s Play Charity

« on: December 01, 2017, 02:45:43 AM »

Thank you, Pdoksus. <3

165

Podcast Discussion / Re: RetroActive 40: La-Mulana

« on: December 01, 2017, 02:03:07 AM »

I've been playing this on wiiware, although I do have the steam release.

I kinda thought about playing the freeware original for this for shits and giggles, but you have to fix several comparability issues with Win10.

I... feel kinda bad after watching that stream James did. he really, REALLY got mega pissed at the game. granted, he was playing the game in a way that I highly suggested against, but I think just lemeza's movement and basic things like combat and the fact that enemies are more mobile than Lemeza generally is was getting to him.

he lost his **** trying to get the surface sacred orb without the feather. that's not even the worst instance of tough platforming. I usually get hung up on doing things like trying to get to the chain whip or any given part of the Hell temple platforming, or the room where you fight Ba.




I love La Mulana, but i have to accept that it's a very niche game for a very niche crowd.

166

Podcast Discussion / Re: RetroActive 40: La-Mulana

« on: November 30, 2017, 02:05:51 AM »

So I've made it further than ever before, making use of the La-Mulana wiki (http://lamulana-remake.wikia.com/wiki/La-Mulana_Remake_Wiki) for answers when I got stuck.


Some observations:



* Grinding and money remain an issue. I asked before how people get enough weights for triggers. Grinding up by the waterfall remains a good option, but at some point as I made progress it dried up and they won't drop blocks anymore so buying is the only option. I think that I should be using the Item Fairy to force increased drops... but I don't know how to consistently get that fairy to appear (my RNG almost always gives the healing fairy - nice, but rarely what I need). There is a way... I don't think that I have the right software yet, although I think I know where to buy it if I can get some more cash.

ITEM FARIES! you can gaurentee getting one by loading MIRACLE.EXE + CAPSTAR.EXE, or you can note the patterns of stars that appear when you first summon a faerie. if you get off the screen before the fairy comes in, you can reset the fairy point spawn. Item fairy has 4 stars moving in clockwise and counter clockwise patterns.

there's a screen in the chamber of extinction, 1 up and one left from the grail point where there's a series of 4 boxes that respawn when you go off screen. while under the effects of an item fairy, everything you destroy gushes money, and you farm money for that, and thus have money to buy weights, items, programs, or whatever you need!

This method can also be used to get keyfaries and unlock their secrets.


I'm just about at the endgame myself. I really have a couple of bosses to wrap up, the Djed Pillar, The Magatama, and Mantra.exe left to claim before I'm ready to kill bosses, wedge fields, get medicine, kill mother.

I feel NOW is the time to broach the subject on Hell Temple.


it's... something you won't experience on Wiiware because Nicalis never bothered publishing the DLC, but Hell temple was a part of the original game, as well as the Steam and Vita releases internationally.

For the unititiated, Hell Temple is kinda Takumi Naramura's take on those insane fever dream rumors you'd hear on the playground... do some arbitrary task like pushing a truck with the Strengh TM or getting 100 Kills on Cruel Melee to unlock Toad and Sonic in SSBM or the trick to reviving General Leo. It also is Naramura's way to take the piss out of completionists and teach them their folly by giving them a secret optional area that may actually be considered a form of torture in certain parts of Southeast Asia.

Accessing Hell Temple requires a series of complete nonsense actions, including bringing key fairies to nonsense places after certian story beats have been hit, plunging exactly 9 screens down into a seemingly bottomless pit of lava, and going into such odd and weird secret areas of the game to get the next breadcrumb in accessing this place...

... only to be met with when you get there a gauntlet of platforming challenges, crazy sub-weapon trick-shots, and infuriating puzzles that they actually feel like the developer might actually be punishing you for past misdeeds.

often times you find yourself jumping onto moving platforms that are smaller than lemeza, over expanses of pits while some fo the game's most dangerous and bullet spammy enemies are floating about.

... wait, Pits? there weren't any pits in the main game! besides maybe pools of water and lava. See, falling into the holes in Hell Temple bring Lemeza to a series of rooms labeled "LAND OF HELL". these often consist of a gauntlet of enemies or mini-bosses that die easy enough, give you a ton of XP orbs, and then a ladder spawns and puts you several rooms back...

... oh no!

see, there's no grail point in hell temple, and the puzzles and rooms kinda... reset when you leave. Hell Temple isn't designed to kill Lemeza, but rather keeps pushing the player back, and feeds them JUST enough resources to keep them going. when leaving means you have to do everything in this place again, it kinda keeps you playing these crazy platforming sections over and over and over, because **** having to go back.

Eventually, you can open one shortcut, but for the most part, Hell Temple is truly meant to feel like you are slowly burning alive. it EARNS it's name, unlike a certain Cave Story area that's just hard and filled with lots of RNG.


But... moreover, I'm curious. Has anyone in the thread gotten to enjoy the Hell Temple experience? I tried to be pretty vague about specific challenges therein, but I wanted to hear any stories from would-be challengers of this super optional area among the community?

167

Podcast Discussion / Re: RetroActive 40: La-Mulana

« on: November 27, 2017, 12:38:13 AM »

The most engaging games always immerse you in their world -- through lore, backstory, music, art. For La-Mulana one must appreciate the sheer amount of work done if nothing else (just script alone is gigantic!). But it goes even beyond these means and creates it's own made-up language.

"birth", "life", "death", "origin", "rebirth" all are terms in La-Mulana's made-up languages that the game constantly subtly shows to you leading to several mid-to-late puzzles where you figure out which hieroglyphs in "lamulanese" corresponds to these words.

Even beyond that -- even after you translated and read the hints -- you still need to figure out the text itself. Eventually you will find repeating terms: "wise man", "fool", "courage", they codify a certain thing in La Mulana and you will have to know what they mean. Using a map, reading room names, examining every little detail is crucial to understanding.

Creating it's own vocabulary -- all good games do that to certain extent. When you talk about your experience in these games you might say things like: "i talked to Malon and did a trading quest until i got Roc's feather" or "i played as Lost, got Cricket's Head and several Tears Up pills and killed Ultra Greed " -- sounds like gibberish to people who didn't played these games but to you it might mean a monumental world shattering revelation. Like the one i had when i discovered bronze mirror.

I never thought about La Mulana in that way beyond the the basic "Origin" "Birth" "Life" "Death" cycle, but you're absolutely right. actually, that's something that's lost in the remake just a bit, as the Djed pillar and MANTRA.exe functioned by having the player actually type out these words that you've transcribed to place the Wedges in the Mother's body... but there really is so much thematic use of language here.


Also, if you look at my screenshot above, I have a file up above where i literally just need the last sacred orb, to do Nu Wa, and to Wedge all the fields and I'm good to go on what could probably be an under 6 hour file if I really tried. I think I stopped because I got pissed at the ammount of RNG on getting up to that last sacred orb without using your lamp charge to get up there in the first place. oh well.

What's funny is that I realize I actually did purchase this game a long time ago on Wiiware.  But I let my friend borrow my Wii U since August, so I wouldn't be able to participate in this one even if I wanted to.

no Steam or Vita or you, Lolmonade?

168

Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 549: New Releases - The Hairy Palms Pack

« on: November 26, 2017, 08:46:39 PM »

I was secretly hoping Greg would double-dip on La Mulana. I've been playing it almost entirely on my Gamepad's screen because I use my TV for my PC and like to be able to keep tabs on streams I watch and Discord via my PC while I'm playing the game.

169

NWR Forums Discord / Re: Here there be ponies

« on: November 25, 2017, 09:55:01 PM »

There's been a Pone thread 'round these parts this whole time and Nobody told me?!?

seriously, though. I never check this subforum, so... yah.

I do le pony art. I got on in the season 2-3 lull, and although I still love ponies and all that, I've kinda lapsed halfway through season 7.

I also have a shitty OC pony that people seem to like, so... meh.


Never search artist:Clexyoshi on derpibooru

I'm just going to leave this here...http://www.thegloss.com/2013/03/23/culture/my-little-pony-le/

Oh god, is that that thing with that guy who wanted to stop Kevinsano fr- OH **** YES IT IS.



You... you do not want to go down the dark, dark spiral of learning about that 'Jin' fellow who married his Twilight Plushie. things get weeeeeeird.

170

Podcast Discussion / Re: RetroActive 40: La-Mulana

« on: November 25, 2017, 03:41:17 AM »

this is true. That's kinda like saying Ultima IV is a 60 hour game when you go into it not understanding how the Virtue system or the spells work.

La Mulana is kinda an 80's gaming mag's wet dream of a game. although there's a clue for everything SOMEWHERE laying around either via background details, tablets, NPC dialogue, or other means, and brute forcing this game on your own is a means of playing the game that I don't think would be very fun.


I remember at some point reading an interview with Takumi Naramura from when the freeware game had been released that explained that he wanted the game to engender a sense of community; of kids on the playground all getting the game, sharing their secrets, maybe one of them has a Famitsu subscription so they know some sort of secret that surprises the rest of the group... they share research notes, not unlike a real excavation and archaeological team.


This comes to life in the form of the crazy Non-linear progression of the game, and how two different people can have relatively similar completion percentages, but have a wildly different inventory from one another! merely talking about the crazy puzzles one another solved and learning from one another is crazy awesome experience!


THAT is why I wanted this retroactive so bad. yes, it's a tight time, and yeah, the genie is out of the bottle for some members of this forum who have played the game before, but I was hoping that by leaving the first little scrap in the form of a video that folks would come onto this forum, share their experience, and piece together the mystery of the ruins together!


Obviously I kinda gave up on that by going nuts and having two big posts on my progress in between the drives to raise funds for child's play before the telethon.

171

Podcast Discussion / Re: RetroActive 40: La-Mulana

« on: November 24, 2017, 01:16:41 AM »

This was just not a good time for a retroactive of this kind. A lot of people are busy with the Holidays, Odyssey just came out, I fear between those two things a lot of people won't be able to sink the kind of time you need to finish this game, especially since from what I hear it's about a 30 hour game.

I'd say closer to 15 if you're not like... endlessly butting your head agaisnt the wall or dying... and really, you shouldn't be dying all tat much unless you're under-prepared for a mini-boss or  you get repeatedly duped by the same sorts of death traps. I think I've died all of about 3 times so far this playthrough.

Still, I do kinda see your point. it's a little easier for me to justify it setting up the Wii U Gamepad on it's charger stand and playing it like that while I do various Web Browsing/art/whatever. I suppose with someone like Jon, they can do some Vita tub time La Mulana and even enjoy the extra features they added like the bestiary.

Other people still I think are just... intimidated. I spoke to one particular person on Discord who specifically told me they're looking forward to the retroactive discussion, but have no desire to take the personal dive into the ruins.

How's your playthrough going, Pokepal?

172

Podcast Discussion / Re: RetroActive 40: La-Mulana

« on: November 23, 2017, 06:00:15 PM »

I actually dug up Pixelated Pixies' old thread on La Mulana back when it hit Wiiware in 2012 and kinda look on it with fondness. the first few posts were filled with folks intimidated by the game because Pixies had a hard time wrapping his head around the puzzle design. Poor dude WANTED to like the game, but I just don't think what the developers were going for really jived with 'em.

I kinda view La Mulana in the same light as I do EDF 2017 (heh) where it's a game that sets out to do EXACTLY what it wants, and damn the consequences. Granted, that manifests itself in different ways. with EDF, it's the game's TERRIBLE framerate as a result of having a field of Giant Spiders as far as the eye can see and bug gibs flying every which way, while with La Mulana, it's that it's obtuse in a way that's purposeful and that makes you really feel like the ruins were built to repel would-be intruders. I respect Devs that have the huge, plentiful balls to make the game THEY want and have it come out so laser focused.

Seriously, I've been having trouble putting the game down again since I've started playing it again, and I'm so excited to hear the podcast and community call me a horrible monster for pushing one of my favorite games of all time. : D


EDIT:










I miiiiiiight be able to get the bracer and snapshot.exe if I sat there and farmed for money, but as it stands, I'm probably out of points of progression of any sort without beating Ellmac at least.

that being said, between having 7 Sacred Orbs, the Fairy Clothing, the Spaulder, and Randc.exe+Mekuri.exe combo, I can probably just jump into him with the axe a few times and come out the victor.


I feel like i should quickly explain why this is the case, though.

Bosses normally for the most part, besides being required to beat the final boss, also seal doors that connect an area of the ruin with it's 'backside' equivalent.

Elmac is special though, in that his defeat opens up access to the Twin Labyrinth gas chamber, the door that connects Temple of the Sun and Temple of the Moon's bottom half, and most importantly, opens up a door containing a new NPC named Mulbrook.

Mulbrook, much like Xelpud, will sometimes dispense important information about the ruins. what's more, Mulbrook holds an item that's key to progressing that in the original game, was just in the Temple of the Moon once you solved a puzzle.

Holding the Book of the Dead, you can do damage to Anubis and Chi-you. Chi-You guards the Key to Eternity, which lets you go deeper into the endless corridor and Chamber of Birth, while Anubis guards the Serpent Staff, which allows you to damage Argus, an enemy on the surface. beating Argus nets you the featehr, which lets Lemeza double jump,a nd I've ran into SO MANY SPOTS where Lemeza just... can't solve a puzzle without that second jump. :C between the Feather's double jump and a couple of treasures found in the endless corridor, I'm pretty sure I won't have to defeat a boss agian until I've collected the rest of the weapons, most of the software, and seen all but maybe 2 of the grail points.

173

TalkBack / Re: Sonic Forces (Switch) Review

« on: November 23, 2017, 12:52:32 AM »

this game's extreme messiness and mediocrity causes me pain. like... it's juuuuuust functional enough to not be terrible? but it's also got glimmers of great ideas that all fell to complete garbage. the Avatar stuff COULD have been good. the classic sonic stuff could have actually controlled right and not felt like a janky, unnatural mess. the story could have made sense instead of reeking of 20+ rewrites.

I'll call Sonic Forces what it is; a Budget title.

174

TalkBack / Re: Valkyria Chronicles 4 Announced For 2018 Switch Release Worldwide

« on: November 20, 2017, 10:00:40 AM »

aw yeah, bby!

wash that awful Codename S.T.E.A.M. taste out of your mouth with the GOOD turn based 3rd person shooter strat franchise!

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Podcast Discussion / Re: RetroActive 40: La-Mulana

« on: November 19, 2017, 10:44:53 PM »

Sorry to double post. finally had some time to play the game this weekend between various goings on in my life and the agressive ammount of drawing I've been doing...!

Progress is as follows:

Inventory:
Chain Whip
Knife
Axe

Shuriken
Rolling Shuriken
Flare Gun
Earth Spear
Chakram
Caltrops
Pistol
Buckler
Ankh Jewel (Gate of Guidance)
Ankh Jewel (Mausoleum of the Giants)
Ankh Jewel (Temple of the Sun)
Ankh Jewel (Spring in the Sky)

Hand Scanner
Dragon Bone
Maternity Statue
Pepper
Mini-Doll

Mobile Super X
Waterproof Case
Heatproof Case
Shell Horn
Glove
Holy Grail
Isis' Pendant
Crucifix
Helmet
Grapple Claw
Bronze Mirror
Scalesphere
Hermes' Boots
Ice Cape
Eye of Truth
Plane Model
Spaulder
Fruit of Eden
Anchor
Fairy Clothes


Origin Seal
Birth Seal
Life Seal

Sacred Orb (Guidance Gate)
Sacred Orb (Mausoleum of the Giants)
Sacred Orb (Spring in the Sky)
Sacred Orb (Surface)
Sacred Orb (Tower of Ruin)

Software:

reader.exe
xmailer.exe
yagomap.exe
guild.exe
move.exe
deathv.exe

Bosses defeated: 0


So far I've been going by memory, doing what I can before I open up any of the major stuff that comes after you start defeating bosses. some of this i'm at right now is mostly stuff that requires farming to make happen.

I may make a video on the appropriate ways to farm in this game, as otherwise it can be very time consuming, or you simply just have to wait until very late when you start finding the Miracle.EXE combos.

EDIT: made a little more progress thanks to finally getting a couple of friggin' Key faries. @___@

I'm starting to hit a lot of dead ends without the feather, but there are still a few small things I can get before I'm absolutely FORCED to beat a boss to progress. there's still a couple more items I can snag up with key faeries. I had to take such an AMAZINGLY circuitous path through the ruins to be able to get half of this garbage far 'earlier' than I should have.

EDIT 2: I made a little more push. in game timer says I'm at 6 hours, but It's probably closer to 7 given how bad the RNG was for getting key faeries.It's amazing how I seem to just keep finding stuff to do before I defeat even a single main boss. There's certainly programs I can pick up still. Sadly, Chi You is immune to damage without the Book of the Dead, which requires Ellmac to be defeated, so I may have hit my dead end for real progress.

I really would not suggest playing the path I'm taking through the game unless you're really darned bored or you wanted to get the steam achievemo for all character ending, because the Fairy Clothes and move.exe+deathv.exe does a ot towards increasing your survivability against the hard mode bosses.