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Hwurmp
May 20, 2005

The Flying Twybil posted:

Just saying it now, he's also a pushover when you know how to deal with him due to game mechanics.

Do you shoot him from the other side of a door so he can't reach you?

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Psycho Knight
Jan 19, 2017

"Being a fangame and not bound to a rating, Pokemon Reborn is able to expand more on topics such as death and the extreme dangers Pokemon could pose. These topics...are treated with the respect such a subject deserves."

Let's throw a Medicham into a volcano and make it give the T2 thumbs up!

The Flying Twybil posted:


What's up, knockoff Dr. Eggman?

My favourite description of this guy was when the game was first shown off. Someone on... I think it was Kotaku, was like "This dude looks like someone that has a song by 'The Who' playing every time he enters a room."

I'm not going to lie, I love his design for its goofiness.

FoolyCharged posted:

Fun things the game leaves out: said federation ambassador also attempted a failed coup in the last game in order to make Gallia a federation vassal. This coup featured among other things kidnapping the ruler of the country and for whatever reason was so swept under the rug he was allowed to keep his job by the locals.

This guy is a total shitstarter. He shows up in VC4 as well and (incredibly minor spoiler) tries to recruit Claude's squad for the Cordelia kidnapping mission.

As for why the kidnapping mission gets swept under the rug, that was likely done by Borg. Borg was trying to ally with whatever major power would give him control over Gallia. The kidnapping mission was also very top secret, so there's some deniability there.

Also keep in mind that he was the Ambassador to Gallia from the Federation. Gallian citizens don't have a say as to whether he keeps his job or not.

Plus, Gallia has a lot on its plate during all 4 main games. Calling out the Federation for a secret failed coup could easily swing public support towards the Empire or away from the Federation, which makes things harder for Gallia (Townshend supports the legitimacy of Archduchess Cordelia's rule in public, even though he's working against her in private). Politics is garbage.


I actually like Juliana as a character a little for how her arc progresses, even if it is really cliche (I generally like pink haired characters). The game badly fumbles her though. We won't see how for quite some time though.

Psycho Knight fucked around with this message at 01:03 on Dec 6, 2019

theshim
May 1, 2012

You think you can defeat ME, Ephraimcopter?!?

You couldn't even beat Assassincopter!!!
The February mission is still a joke, but getting a couple certificates there is real important. It's...very helpful to have a couple promoted units for the next couple months.

Also, in fairness possibly undue to the game, you're not supposed to like Juliana at all now. Whether it succeeds in making her more likable later remains to be seen.

The Flying Twybil posted:

: Think nothing of it. The pleasure is mine to have been of service.
: Think nothing of it. The pleasure is mine to have been of service.
Pretty sure you've got a repeat line here.

The Flying Twybil
Oct 20, 2019

So what? You can't prove I posted that.

Hwurmp posted:

Do you shoot him from the other side of a door so he can't reach you?

He's relatively weak to dealing with armor techs or a tank shot to the face, but yes, actually. His primary weakness is doorways.

Still, a buffed up Alexis or Mischlitt can 2 shot him. We'll see some of him soon.

Psycho Knight posted:

My favourite description of this guy was when the game was first shown off. Someone on... I think it was Kotaku, was like "This dude looks like someone that has a song by 'The Who' playing every time he enters a room."

I'm not going to lie, I love his design for its goofiness.

--

I actually like Juliana as a character a little for how her arc progresses, even if it is really cliche (I generally like pink haired characters). The game badly fumbles her though. We won't see how for quite some time though.

Gilbert's design is definitely a silly one, and calling him knockoff Dr. Eggman is not an insult from me. Out of the antagonists, he's the one I found to be a sensible one, while Baldren remains Maximilian 2.0 in my head.

I have no problem with characters who are jerks getting better, but as you said, Juliana's really clumsily handled. My problem is that they never felt like they did enough with her arc to make me give a drat, they just progress through it too quickly and it suffers in emotional impact as result. As much of a vehement reaction I gave to her in the 3rd? update, I don't really hate her all that much- she just lacks meaningful character development from what I remember.

I honestly wouldn't have minded if she joined as a usable unit and kept her stats. It'd make some of these boss fights seem fair.

theshim posted:

The February mission is still a joke, but getting a couple certificates there is real important. It's...very helpful to have a couple promoted units for the next couple months.

Also, in fairness possibly undue to the game, you're not supposed to like Juliana at all now. Whether it succeeds in making her more likable later remains to be seen.

Pretty sure you've got a repeat line here.

A few of the March missions throw out certificates, so I'll be farming them a little bit. The story mission that ends the month is a pain with all the promoted units beginning to show.

Thanks for catching the repeat, I knew it was too good to be true that I didn't have a single error in the update.

TheGreatEvilKing
Mar 28, 2016





So I assume you can't headshot Princess Anime for her army to immediately lose morale and crumple?

The Flying Twybil
Oct 20, 2019

So what? You can't prove I posted that.

TheGreatEvilKing posted:

So I assume you can't headshot Princess Anime for her army to immediately lose morale and crumple?

If you mean Juliana, yeah, you can. It takes more than a few sniper shots though. It's not much of a spoiler, but I'll go ahead and say her stats make most tanks look bad. She's an utter terror on the battlefield because she's a gigantic cheater with her boss-level stats. Training your tank's cannon on her head is also viable, provided she doesn't dodge.

We've still got a while before we have to deal with her though. She's the first really aggressive boss, and I believe you have to take her out to finish the mission.



As a brief note, I got recordings covering everything up to the final battle in March, plus any side mission that's popped up along the way. I'll need to do some grinding because Coleen wants to be a mortarer, and I don't want that, Avan still hasn't promoted, and it would be nice if a bunch of other units promoted very soon. Like, immediately. Theshim alluded to it: this month is where they start reliably tossing 1st branch promotions at you, and you really want to have some promoted units for this last fight of the month. (Lavinia has also received one very good buff, and next month she can start picking up slack.)

The grinding won't be an entire loss, though, it lets me farm up character events for you all. As of right now, I've already finished Coleen's, Anisette's, and Mischlitt's. Presently, we've started Randy and Sofia's, while Noel actually picked up another one. I'll try and trigger Helmut and Noel's to finish.

FoolyCharged
Oct 11, 2012

Cheating at a raffle? I sentence you to 1 year in jail! No! Two years! Three! Four! Five years! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
Somebody call for an ant?

I have no idea how hard juliana is intended to be because if memory serves on turn 1 she walked directly in front of my apc and ended turn. On a map where killing the boss was the objective.

It was not a hard mission for me.

The Flying Twybil
Oct 20, 2019

So what? You can't prove I posted that.

FoolyCharged posted:

I have no idea how hard juliana is intended to be because if memory serves on turn 1 she walked directly in front of my apc and ended turn. On a map where killing the boss was the objective.

It was not a hard mission for me.

Here's the thing, if the AI is playing good, then Juliana is a terror that makes you regret deploying any units in the same map as her. If the AI is goofing off (which seems to happen frequently) she won't really be a problem as she'll do exactly what you said happened for you. She'll one-shot just about anybody, if you let her- and she can move twice in the same turn, like any other boss.

Other bosses are a bit more painful, especially the one at the end of Chapter 8, because it's a defense mission and that's just the same as a "defeat all enemies" when you're trying to A-rank it.


The schedule for these coming weeks will be the same, one every 3-ish days. I'm hoping to get a real update buffer for this time around so that some other stuff I'm working on can get some attention. I'm estimating 10 updates at the minimum: 4 for standard missions, 1 for the paid mission, 3 for classmate missions, 1 brief one for grinding, and 1 last one for the mission to end the month. The grinding one's probably going to get overwritten if we get more character events out of it, (which is likely).

Looks like it'll cover me for at least a month, provided I can work through 'em in these next few days. The timing of all of this is the unfortunate part, because although my schedule is going to be opening quite a lot in the next few days, the amount of quiet time won't be great. I planned a bonus update, but that kinda fell flat because the content wasn't anywhere as interesting as I'd figured it would've been. It turns out soloing maps with a single unit, even Lancers and Engineers, is very easy.

...I don't really why I'm posting all this in the thread, but hey, consider it a small behind the scenes update.

Sankara
Jul 18, 2008


In VC, the more anime you are, the more powerful in battle you are. If you're a woman, anyway.

The Flying Twybil
Oct 20, 2019

So what? You can't prove I posted that.

Doctor Reynolds posted:

In VC, the more anime you are, the more powerful in battle you are. If you're a woman, anyway.

Does that mean VC is a magical girl anime?

Cooked Auto
Aug 4, 2007

Isn't it already considering the Valkyrs?

The Flying Twybil
Oct 20, 2019

So what? You can't prove I posted that.

Cooked Auto posted:

Isn't it already considering the Valkyrs?

Pretty much. It's just well disguised due to lack of bright pink/blue and sailor outfits.


On a different note, I'll see if I can get the next update out on time- it may actually be a day late. Every time I try to build up an update buffer, stuff gets in the way of me actually doing that. I have only the best luck.

I at least know I'll be in the clear for a while after this. I've got a plan for something- here's to hoping it works out well.

The Flying Twybil
Oct 20, 2019

So what? You can't prove I posted that.
Update 15 (Story): It's Christmas in March

Welcome back, it's a new month now!

This also means it's time to retire good 'ol :carol:TEAM ANIME:carol: for a new squad.


The polls went through, and we are now :ohdearsass:TEAM SANTA:ohdearsass:, ready to bring grenades full of cheer to our opponents alongside our trusty guide, Rudolf the Red Barreled Tank.

Team Santa's primary members are: Anisette, Chloe, Coleen, Sofia, Randy, and Mischlitt. We also have Franca, Noel, and Alexis for tagging in when needed.


With that out of our way, let's move into the new month.

--

Music: Spring in Lanseal
This is the new seasonal track for Lanseal, and it's probably my favorite of the four. The autumn theme is also quite nice.





: Next is... Avan, I believe? Ah, yes, Avan.
: Break it to me easy, Brixy. How'd I do?


: D-Don't tell me I got a zero?!
: ...No.


Well, that's a new record.

: Your answers earned you a zero, then I took off ten points for illegibility.
: It takes a lot of effort to get that kind of score. Your mom will be so proud.
Hey, I don't need any wisecracks from you!


: Barf...
: You earned it. Besides, none of us want to be led by a flunker.


Yep, this is why you should really wait until after class to snark at people about their grades. It's an old teacher trick. You don't see it used anymore, but it lives on in some forms.

: What?! But why me?
: Heh heh. It's you and me, Professor Zeri!
: Ugh.


After this we have Pete's arrival:




...and we've got more events! Due to results off-screen shenanigans, I'll be cutting right into showing them.

~* Dormitories - Pete's Arrival *~
Music: Everyday Life of the Class



: I got it nailed, bro! Class, campus, cafeteria horrors... Bring it on!
: Ain't nothing this academy can throw at Pete Stang he can't shocktroop over!
: Cafeteria horrors? It's not their fault you hate stuffed peppers, man.


: What? Why, what did they do?
: I can't get a word in edgewise, man!
: Soon as they see me, they offer me candy like I'm some kid. It's insulting!
: Ha ha! That just means they like you, man.


: Aw, man! All this getting mad's got me hungry now.
: Time to go buy some candy.




Yep, Pete's not really one to connect the dots, is he?

Anyways, Pete's not on Team Santa, so we won't see any of his other events for now.

Speaking of events, here's a Noel event!



~* Noel's Second Event*~


*The screen scrolls over.*

: I apologize for taking up your time like this. Thank you for coming.



Avan, I know you being the protagonist means you occasionally have to eavesdrop for story reasons, but could you stop spying on people so often?

: The academy has recieved contact from your father.


: He mentioned that you have been missing, and that he has been searching for you.
: He'll be coming by campus in the next few days to collect you.
: I informed him that the academy won't excuse you without your consent.
: But surely you realize the sway your father holds in the political sphere.


: Very well. I shall try as well as I'm able to keep you here.
: ...I understand. Thank you for your help.


: Hm? Oh, hi, Avan. Were you eavesdropping? You little sneak!
She doesn't seem to be very bothered by that.

: Sorry, I didn't mean to. I did hear, though. Are you really leaving?
: Have you ever heard of the Willoch Cartel?
: I think so. They're the super rich group that owns all those companies?


: Seriously? I wouldn't have pegged you for a princess.
: Well, unfortunately my father the kind doesn't much fancy my dream.
: He's all, "There's no call for you to risk you neck in combat!"
: "Your job is to marry a boy from a good family and carry on the cartel!"


: It made me mad, so I up and left. Ha ha! Can you believe that?
: Wow, man. That's pretty intense. So, you're staying, right?
: I want to, but my dad's the sort of guy who always gets his way by any means.





Well, that's certainly a twist. We likely won't be seeing the rest of her story this month, but there's a chance we might. We only saw this due to some off-screen shenanigans on my part.

One more to go.


~* ??? (Off Campus) - Daily Event *~


: Huff, puff, pant... Hnngh...


: We got another six miles to go, and no passing out without my say-so!


: It has to be tough for you ladies. Can I help you carry something?
: Hold it right there, Romeo! Just who do you think you are?
: M-Me?! I just...


: W-Well, no...
: There's no man or woman, rich or poor, or race out there. Just alive or dead.
: If you want to stay in the former camp, then shut up and walk!
: Y-Y-Yes, sir!





:unsmith: That was a nice change in tone. Time for some chores then combat!

The Flying Twybil fucked around with this message at 06:05 on Dec 9, 2019

The Flying Twybil
Oct 20, 2019

So what? You can't prove I posted that.
Update 15 (Combat): It's Christmas in March

Music - Briefing


First things first, I decide to have Chloe try out one of these specialty rifles. It's slightly less powerful overally, but it gets an extra shot in the magazine.


Just to see what it's like, I make Coleen this new set of armor. It's back protection is really low, but it has A ranks in Suppression and Status resistance. I don't really know what the former does, but I presume it lowers damage of interception fire.


I also deck out Rudolf. The forest camo paint partially spoils what the special map we'll end up going to at the end of this month. Paint's really minor, but it lowers enemy accuracy versus you if you match the surrounding environment.

There's a paint for nighttime, but I forgot to bother using it. The Sky Pirate Flag is an obligatory reference to Skies of Arcadia, and just gives a minor personnel damage bonus.


Engineers hit level 9.


The team has been properly named...


...And our red barreled tank is ready to roll out.


Here's the new group layout. The six I listed at the top are still max priority, but you can see all the reserve units in here.


One last thing before we move on: the Constructor Arm. This is a back piece I made a while back that lets the tank build structures in certain places on the map. This usually equates to a ladder or a bridge that acts as a shortcut. The only price is how heavy this thing is.

Now it's mission time!


Storming the Bridge is a special mission of sorts, and it's also the first one on the list for the month. The ace here drops something I've been looking for, and I may have to grind this mission to get it. (I get it second try.)


The game's not pulling punches anymore. The other missions have even more promoted units.


I set Avan, Sofia, and Chloe up to mount an offensive from home base, while I deploy Anisette to infiltrate at the warehouse. Randy's just there for backup.

Let's get this show on the road, shall we?



Player Turn Music: Liberation Battle
Enemy Turn Music: Return Battle


: "Let's get creative."

Chloe's up first.



: "The final stroke!"


: "Art hurts, baby."

Enemy Radio: "GAH! Who are these guys?!"


They're hiding a lancer behind the building it seems. We'll get back to this in a second.


: "Entering combat!"


Well, hell, there's the ace right there. Anisette isn't going to even scratch a tank, so I run her up that rarely used side path.


Enemy Radio: "I see one of the class, OPEN FIRE!"


: "I found one!"

Takes me more CP to get here, but she's at the flag facing little opposition.


: "So, there!"

I don't even have to show me aiming at the poor dude. Anisette is one of the hardest hitting shocktroopers around, and this month will show you why.


I put capping that on hold for now and have Chloe deliver a nicely wrapped present.



He gifts me his base in return. It's the spirit of giving!


: "Art hurts, baby."

She also delivers some pain to this sniper before he starts putting bullet holes in my base defenders. (He doesn't survive.)


: "Victory is a simple matter."
I decide to play a bit defensive this round and send in Mischlitt to hold this base.


Hey, look at that! It's probably the first mine I've disabled since starting the game!

Wow, putting trap disarming on a very slow unit is great and useful!



: "Perfect hit!"
Mischlitt absolutely tanks this guy though, so I can't really complain about armor techs that much.


: "I'm off, guys!"

Eh, Anisette will be fine just standing there. Coleen, you're in, since I can't resist assassinating a tank. Especially so when they've basically given it to me.




Allied Radio: At this rate, I can't move forward!

:argh: Curse you, lance, and your inaccuracy! I should've had that!

It's not a good first showing for Coleen either.



It's not looking good for Coleen, either. :ohdearsass:


...Oh. It whiffed way past her head and the sandbag. There must be some serious humidity today because none of these high explosives are hitting right.



After shuffling some units around, the enemy goes to attack Anisette. It's a fool's errand.


This guy knows it too. He just runs through the door and around the building. He's not going to get himself taken down.



Ow. You know how I said that snipers hurt? They do. They hurt a lot, in fact.


It's time for revenge!


Allied Radio: "This will make things a bit easier!"

First, I saunter over to their flag and take it. Only one guy even tried to defend it, so it's obvious the enemy just doesn't give a drat.


Anisette returns the favor, and this guy bites it only after 6 shots. While crouching.


Well, I guess it's time to send in a lancer.


: "Do not allow the enemy an opening!" ~ Radio
: "Come on, hit!"

Let's try this again first, shall we?


Enemy Radio: "I didn't think they'd have anyone like THAT!"
: "Okay!"


Hey, Noel, you want to destroy a tank? Coleen's kinda busy.



Yep, I thought so.


You might've notice the pickaxe icon on the map menu. That shows a construction spot.



Enemy Radio: "Whoa! This isn't like in training!"

Poof, instant bridge.



There's no real reason to destroy that, I just felt like it. It's also worth noting that this is one of those maps where infiltrating by the drop in point (2 tanks and a gatling bunker) is a lot worse than taking the straightforward path. Although, the ace's reward is a pretty good reason to send in an infiltration squad anyways.


: "Heh, cute. I can take you all!"

Oh, a free attack? Thanks, Lavinia, you're the best.



All there's left is to take this flag.


: "Ready to move."

Sofia was the only one with a high AP I had left, so to cap the flag she goes.


: "Thought you had a chance? Idiot."


Got that flag!



drat, that's not the Ace Bonus I wanted. Just means I'll have to re-do the mission.


...But I'll call it here for this update. I'll briefly show what I've been searching for in the next story-packed update.

See you next time on this well disguised magical girl anime game. (Magical girls not yet shown).

This was also the first test of a little project of mine. If it seems like there was less of me blathering, then it's because I spent a good amount of time on working on it (aside from a lot of stuff getting in my way as usual). I'll try to make some improvements first and I'll show it off. It's not that much, but its nifty.

Extras:
Gallian Times:



Lotte Insider

The Flying Twybil fucked around with this message at 06:19 on Dec 9, 2019

TheGreatEvilKing
Mar 28, 2016





These are still mock battles at school or actual rebels?

Kibayasu
Mar 28, 2010

TheGreatEvilKing posted:

These are still mock battles at school or actual rebels?

There have been both all along. Mock battles (so far) always take place in the drill grounds noted in the briefing. Actual fights (so far) talk about rebels in the briefing and take place somewhere else.

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


I think any place outside of the school is a real fight vs the rebels.

Another weird thing is that armor techs are a slow class in a game where going fast is how you get ranks. Turn-based ranking without bonuses is real dumb y'all.

Psycho Knight
Jan 19, 2017

"Being a fangame and not bound to a rating, Pokemon Reborn is able to expand more on topics such as death and the extreme dangers Pokemon could pose. These topics...are treated with the respect such a subject deserves."

Let's throw a Medicham into a volcano and make it give the T2 thumbs up!

SSNeoman posted:

I think any place outside of the school is a real fight vs the rebels.

Another weird thing is that armor techs are a slow class in a game where going fast is how you get ranks. Turn-based ranking without bonuses is real dumb y'all.

It's the one thing about VC that I really hate in terms of gameplay. It wouldn't be so bad if ranking was just a bragging rights thing, but it's not. Rank determines payouts and some equipment acquisitions, so you constantly feel pressured to speedrun. Feels less like a tactical game and more like an overly serious capture the flag.


The Flying Twybil posted:


Well, that's a new record.

: Your answers earned you a zero, then I took off ten points for illegibility.

Our hero protagonist "guy that the story follows" ladies and gentleman. Has absolutely zero numerical, logical, or verbal aptitude, and yet we're supposed to believe that he leads the squad to victory over battle tested military forces and officers without fatalities. A Military Academy looks at this complete moron and thinks "Yes, we can put the lives of young students in his hands. It's not like we're in desperate need of trained soldiers or anything. What's that, he can't even tie his shoes? Eh, whatever. I'm sure it's fine."

The Flying Twybil
Oct 20, 2019

So what? You can't prove I posted that.

TheGreatEvilKing posted:

These are still mock battles at school or actual rebels?

SSNeoman posted:

I think any place outside of the school is a real fight vs the rebels.

Another weird thing is that armor techs are a slow class in a game where going fast is how you get ranks. Turn-based ranking without bonuses is real dumb y'all.

I think some of the "Skirmishes" are school fights, but it's hard to remember given they just kind of blend in with the rest. If it takes place outside the school, it's probably a rebel mission.

I couldn't do it last month due to the vanishing of my audio, but I've already started for this month with putting in the radio comments in. Any mission with the radio active (plus lots of ambient gunfire, explosions, etc.) is a rebel one.


Also keep in mind that Fencers are even slower than techs. It would be more bearable if they could move a second time at full AP, that way you'd have more incentive to use them for any more than defense. Melee is already limiting, even if it is a bit powerful. I would've preferred that every enemy defeated and first time capturing a base would add to your turn allowance. Obviously, aces and leaders would be worth more, and it would make the defense missions a lot less awful.

The Flying Twybil
Oct 20, 2019

So what? You can't prove I posted that.

Psycho Knight posted:

It's the one thing about VC that I really hate in terms of gameplay. It wouldn't be so bad if ranking was just a bragging rights thing, but it's not. Rank determines payouts and some equipment acquisitions, so you constantly feel pressured to speedrun. Feels less like a tactical game and more like an overly serious capture the flag.


Our hero protagonist "guy that the story follows" ladies and gentleman. Has absolutely zero numerical, logical, or verbal aptitude, and yet we're supposed to believe that he leads the squad to victory over battle tested military forces and officers without fatalities. A Military Academy looks at this complete moron and thinks "Yes, we can put the lives of young students in his hands. It's not like we're in desperate need of trained soldiers or anything. What's that, he can't even tie his shoes? Eh, whatever. I'm sure it's fine."

VC is basically Speedrun: The War, unfortunately. If they'd skew mission ranking heavily based on bases defended, enemies defeated, and units lost, then you'd actually be getting a ranking that isn't just based on speed, and thus is more like real war. Defense missions giving you the lowest rating for holding out successfully is really dumb, because they're just glorified and usually more time constrained versions of rout the enemy with tons of reinforcements.

They put Avan in charge due to his protagonist aura, basically. Doesn't matter that he's incompetent, somehow he'll always be the hero in the end. If Avan was merely faking his act to help the others bear being in a warzone, that'd be fine, but he really is this bad. I've already shown he has the situational awareness of a grade schooler.

Even if Cosette is kinda generic, airheaded, and her combat ability sucks, I'd really rather be playing her. She's actually giving a real effort at this, and "enrolling in the military because I couldn't afford med school" makes the whole student policing thing seem a lot more bearable to me in a wacky setting than "my brother supposedly died in a secret mission, I'm going so I can get put on the same mission!" Hell, she'd still work fine for the fanfiction idea that the school is just mostly for show and emotional stability of the kids.

Cosette hardly even gets screen time. Zeri shows up more often than her.

Edit: Excuse the double post. I don't know how I managed to quote myself, but I hit that instead of edit. I'm not that sharp, get over it.

The Flying Twybil fucked around with this message at 16:32 on Dec 9, 2019

Miacis
Oct 9, 2012

Get off my lawn!!
I'm just now starting on the thread, but I'd like to share this cool tidbit I just noticed:


Lanseal's grounds are inspired by fortress designs by Vauban, the military engineer during all of the sun king's reign. That star shape made it particularly effective during sieges, at a time where cannons started becoming prevalent. You can still see the shape in a number of cities close to borders or the sea. Here's Perpignan's citadel, to take an example close to me.

Most of the ones that are still standing to this day are used by the military or as penitenciaries. For instance, the comparison picture above is the Mont-Louis citadel, a training center for commando units. So this game did do its homework about France, and it would make sense for a military academy to be located there. Seems they went beyond just re-creating WWII scenarios and bread.

The Flying Twybil
Oct 20, 2019

So what? You can't prove I posted that.

Miacis posted:

I'm just now starting on the thread, but I'd like to share this cool tidbit I just noticed:


Lanseal's grounds are inspired by fortress designs by Vauban, the military engineer during all of the sun king's reign. That star shape made it particularly effective during sieges, at a time where cannons started becoming prevalent. You can still see the shape in a number of cities close to borders or the sea. Here's Perpignan's citadel, to take an example close to me.

Most of the ones that are still standing to this day are used by the military or as penitenciaries. For instance, the comparison picture above is the Mont-Louis citadel, a training center for commando units. So this game did do its homework about France, and it would make sense for a military academy to be located there. Seems they went beyond just re-creating WWII scenarios and bread.

Huh, so they are based on something. I know some people have never liked the look, but I never minded it; I thought it was kind of cool, personally. It's neat to know that they did that; the worldbuilding in VC tends to be decently planned from what I know, it's just this game lost some of that feeling with its insistence on anime hijinks. I think Gallia is based on a mix of Switzerland and Poland, but the whole thing is a giant mix of WWII era stuff, so it's hard to tell sometimes.

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

Hey, Twybil, shouldn't there be an update today? It's been 3 days and you promised you'd have an update buffer!
Yeah, I did, and I'm hoping I will manage to get an actual buffer at some point. Life likes jumping in the way of my plans.

My brother got in contact with me recently and he's got me doing some work for him which is nice, though its still not really employment and I'm likely not getting paid. If it helps him end up in a better spot than me, then I suppose that's reward enough. That combined with sleep issues means I may or may not have our next real update ready by tonight.

What I probably will have is a sort of unofficial update that might at least be interesting to somebody. It's kinda related to VC2, kinda not.

Andyzero
May 22, 2009

I used to spoil, I'm sorry.
The Japanese LOVE "Small Country Between Two Bigger Ones Caught in the Crosshairs."

It was in Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Final Fantasy 12. (I suspect they view themselves as this in WW2.) I don't see how Gallia can remain independent without way more Deus Ex Machina, alliances with other countries, or overwhelming firepower beyond One Plucky Squad. They got out of full war in VC1 due to Deus Ex Machina and a LOT of stupidity on everyone's part.

This game, VC3 and VC4 are all pointing towards a future full assault from the Empire. But everytime the plot approaches it, they go wobbly and make an AU or jump back in time to a different part of the continent. Because I think the writers realize this too and are avoiding it.

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


The problem is that the star shape is less effective due to the massive cliffs on that one side so

Psycho Knight
Jan 19, 2017

"Being a fangame and not bound to a rating, Pokemon Reborn is able to expand more on topics such as death and the extreme dangers Pokemon could pose. These topics...are treated with the respect such a subject deserves."

Let's throw a Medicham into a volcano and make it give the T2 thumbs up!

Andyzero posted:

The Japanese LOVE "Small Country Between Two Bigger Ones Caught in the Crosshairs."

It was in Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Final Fantasy 12. (I suspect they view themselves as this in WW2.) I don't see how Gallia can remain independent without way more Deus Ex Machina, alliances with other countries, or overwhelming firepower beyond One Plucky Squad. They got out of full war in VC1 due to Deus Ex Machina and a LOT of stupidity on everyone's part.

This game, VC3 and VC4 are all pointing towards a future full assault from the Empire. But everytime the plot approaches it, they go wobbly and make an AU or jump back in time to a different part of the continent. Because I think the writers realize this too and are avoiding it.

I doubt they are nervous about tackling that idea. As much as I love the series, the VC devs are incredibly safe when it comes to the larger geopolitics of the VC world and they stick way too close to actual WWII history (They have a country called The United States of Vinland that is essentially identical to the real world US during this time period, right down to not getting involved in the war right away and just sending military equipment).

9 chances out of 10 if they ever move beyond VC2 in the timeline, Gallia will just be part of Fantasy NATO. That way they are still independent from Not-EU but also keeps the Empire at bay, which is essentially the position they are in in VC2. It's an easy handwave.

Alternatively they just end up getting ancient fantasy ICBMs. VC3 establishes those as being totally a thing in this world.

Psycho Knight fucked around with this message at 00:01 on Dec 13, 2019

Sankara
Jul 18, 2008


They could pull a Manaan from KOTOR and say "if anyone tries to gently caress with us again, we'll blow up all our ragnite mines".

FoolyCharged
Oct 11, 2012

Cheating at a raffle? I sentence you to 1 year in jail! No! Two years! Three! Four! Five years! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
Somebody call for an ant?

It always kind of amuses me that everyone jumps on the obvious ww2 stuff but then ignores all the cold war stuff in the setting. The borders are NATO and the Warsaw Pact clear as day. And then the fighting over neutral countries rather than directly was a thing until VC4 and cold war as hell. Plus all the MAD talk the series loves to have about escalation of force.

The Flying Twybil
Oct 20, 2019

So what? You can't prove I posted that.
Update/Not Update: I Made A Thing:
As promised, here I am to deliver my only partially related project to the thread. It's related because it has to do with LP creation.

You can find it here! The debug version is the only one with an executable presently, but it's probably more useful anyways.

It's a text replacer I coded in a few days that's specifically made to try and eliminate the time copy/pasting links for SSLPs. It's got a readme with it that hopefully mostly explains how to use it, and it supports a dictionary of shortcuts for commonly re-used links, such as portraits. It has its limitations and the gui is just the bare minimum, but it does what I needed it for. When I referenced the last update being partly a test, that's because it was a test of this program. There's more I could add to it, but that'll have to be for later.

Use it and tell me how it works out for you, if you want; it's free to use. I figured someone might find this thing to be relatively useful- it at least makes writing the update text more convenient for me.

I'll get the next update up tomorrow, time permitting.

AweStriker
Oct 6, 2014

Andyzero posted:

The Japanese LOVE "Small Country Between Two Bigger Ones Caught in the Crosshairs."

This is also literally Crossbell State in the Trails series. Liberl has elements of that situation too, but they have a gigantic mitigating factor named Cassius Bright.

The Flying Twybil
Oct 20, 2019

So what? You can't prove I posted that.
Update 16 (Story): "There are no items of note."

Music: Spring in Lanseal



Huh. That's a new one.

Anyways, welcome back to Final Valkyria: Crystal Chronicles where we watch anime teens do anime things while they fight a racist war.

TITLES EARNED:
- Destroyers
- Hunters



There's a story event, but I'll probably put it off for a while as we do missions. We'll start the day with this daily event.

--

Music: Everyday Life of the Class



: My brains aren't gonna keep the squad alive, so I'd better train my body!

Yes, your glorious -10 from last time told us as much.

*He runs off.*







: Is that all? I've done my sixteenth already.

Guys, you're not going to beat each other. You're both unpromoted shocktroopers.






*The school bell rings.*


*Cosette laughs in the background.*

: This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't made it a competition.
: What?! You're the one who came chasing after me!

Again, this is our protagonist, folks.




---
Yep, that was an event. Not much to say about it, aside from reminding us that this is a military school.


We're not going to the combat section just yet, especially since all I'm doing is grinding the last mission we did until I get the item I actually want.

I leveled up engineers for some reason, probably because they were cheap, and I put another into trooper.


*One Mission later*


:yeshaha:
One mission later, I've got the item I was looking for!



Here's our original cannon, for comparison.


Here's the new one.

It's essentially double in power and effectively deletes anything wearing armor, and personnel units are also one-shotted by this thing. The captured gatling is a beast- it'll out power a fully upgraded ragnite rail cannon. It lacks a mortar, but I don't need those anyways.

There's two more of these captured turrets we can get, and they're both straight upgrades. Lavinia's one step of the way to becoming unstoppable now, and we'll reach that stage starting next month, I think.

For now, I resume your regularly scheduled story moments:

----------

~* Gymnasium - Daily Event *~



: Ooh, I still have that raisin bread I bought in my locker.


: Were you hiding in my pocket again?
: You always did like to hole up in pockets, didn't you, little guy?
: The first time we met was when you stowed away in Leon's jacket...

My dog would do the same. Though he's too big to fit in a pocket, so he really just takes the whole coat.

We were also told this already. Why did we need to know this again?




*Jarde tweets in return.*

: Uh, what was that?
: Hey, you look even rounder than usual. You didn't...? You wouldn't!


: You little vulture! All right, the menu has now changed to poultry!

*Jarde flies off in a hurry.*


Yep, just wacky hijinks. Though, it is fun to see Avan get outsmarted by a bird.


~* Rooftop - Anisette's First Event *~

: Mm? Is somebody else up here?


: Your little angel is setting sail for heaven...

:ohdear:

: Waugh! Don't do anything stupid! Let's talk this out, man!


*He tackles her*


: Just calm down a minute and tell me what happened, would you? C'mon!

Music: Faint Youth


: She is? Why is that a bad thing?
: It wouldn't be, if this were just a social call.


: Oh, right, your... what?
: She and I took an oath to become idols together.
: But my natural clumsiness has made all progress in dancing impossible!

:facepalm: Yes, that's what this is about. Is this supposed to be funny? Because it's not.



: ...Your little sister is already headlining every academy event.
: That every night of my campus concert series was sold out...*sniff*




: Would you stop that?! You jumping won't do anything but make a huge mess!
: Hey! Why don't you do like I do and cram? Like for a test!
: *Sniff*... Cram?


: We can have you dancing like a pro by the time she gets here!
: This is totally gonna work! And I'll help out in any way I can. Sound good?


I'm glad something does, because this doesn't.


: Uh, well, I don't...
: Then I take back what I said about this making sense.



If that's your reaction to lying to your older sibling for attention, you might want to go see someone.

I don't really like this scene at all, and the game's inability to hold a tone for more than two lines really hurts it here. At least Avan was being nice again for once.



~* Hallway - Chloe's First Event *~

Music: Everyday Life of the Class



: It took top honors at a national concourse. It's probably here on loan.
: Apparently she was the army's artist in residence during the last war.
: Artist in a what? And wait, Chloe's a painter?

Everything she says on the battlefield is paint related, dude. Get with the program.


: Work like that is often commisioned to justify a war to the people.
: So it's like propaganda? Huh, I... Ack!
: This talk of painting made me remember I left my bag in the art room!






The story dictates it, yes. Avan needs to be told a lot of things.

: Yeesh, I was just asking. You don't need to jump down my throat about it!
: I see no need to censor myself just to give you a better impression.


: Would you not invade my space and steal glances at my canvas? It's vexing.
: I've never called myself a painter once. I just paint. That's all.
: Well, I saw your painting! Pretty impressive, being hung here at Lanseal!


: What do you mean, "forced you"?
: I was dragged into combat and forced to paint that horror day after day.
: Then they say I'm some kind of genius? I can't think of emptier praise.

War scene painting has to be one of the worst jobs, especially with the government hanging over your head. That's not even mentioning the constant threat of being attacked.


Avan is hopelessly clueless, as ever.

: Hmph. That just tells me you have poor taste.
: Now, come on! Isn't that a little harsh on a guy paying you a compliment.
: And you think everyone will always be thrilled at your compliments?
: If so, you're worse than tasteless. You're an incurable fool.


: I seriously doubt you could ever understand my work.
: As a footnote, I can't say as I would WANT you to, either.
: Now, leave me be. I doubt I'll get any work done with you around.





Avan is right about something for once, she's definitely being a jerk. I can sympathize with Chloe in this case because I understand what it's like for your creations to feel hollow, but you don't need to act like that all the time.

I'm a jerk most of the time, but I can at least tone it back.


---



Cripes, it's just story all the way down, isn't it? Fine, let's just go ahead and do this one too. This'll probably mean it's going to be the whole update.



----


: That's their only stated demand.


: The Gallian Army still hasn't fully recovered from war with the Empire.
: They're stretched thin between border defense and now this civil war.

Wait, did I miss something? When was the military even helping? I thought we were outright told we were the only people holding back the rebellion?

I mean, I'm not complaining, this makes more sense.



: The Militia can only be used to defend Gallia from an invasion, Avan.
: It's illegal to use draft troops to fight in a civil war. We learned that!
: Uh, we did? I mean, I knew that!
: Well, I guess that just means we really need to pull our weight, huh?
: Right. The folks living here in the south are depending on us!


: Right. My dad was one, and I've dreamed of it since I was little.
: I was planning on going to medical school, but, um...


: Wow. I'm sorry, Cosette.

Yep, she's a war orphan. It's even more common for JRPG protagonists as a background than "searching for missing relatives", but I still think she's more interesting than Avan despite what little we've seen of her.


: That, and I couldn't stand the thought of losing anyone else to the war.
: I wanted to do my part to end it, however small. That's why I enlisted.

Still more interesting and sensible than Avan's reason. Notably, she's here for an actual reason, not a terribly executed plan with no forethought given to it. Seriously, Avan, you could've just kept sneaking around the campus looking for information as a wannabe private investigator, enrollment or not. This would've been a rather interesting mystery plot if you did.

I don't mean to bash Avan constantly on this point, but I've already tried taking a neutral stance on this. That stance ended about 5 updates in thanks to this nonsense writing, and now I'm very salty regarding it.



: I hope so! Thanks, Avan.

*Comment excised to prevent continuous statements of frustration towards Avan.*


: ...Yes. It's something I need to do.
: I'm here at Lanseal to make sure that it happens.
: Nice, man. So, what's the goal?


Ah, yes. The stereotypically edgy answer. Thanks, Zeri, for nearly lacking any character development at all so far.

: Ugh, how did I know that was coming?


GAME: HEY DO YOU REMEMBER LEON HE WAS AWESOME YOU KNOW THAT RIGHT


This response is incredibly dumb, and is unfortunately a very serious reply from Avan.

What makes you even think the mission is still active? You've been told your brother died on that mission, do you have a death wish? What makes you think you'll even get assigned when you're this terrible of a student?

I swear *Comment excised because constantly bashing Avan goes nowhere*.



: That's quite the brother complex you're nursing.
: Well, I guess all three of us better work hard if we want our wishes granted!
: Right!


I think I pretty much explained what I think of the main plot by now, so apologies for all the sodium chloride.

...*Comment excised to avoid complaining about Avan again*.

The Flying Twybil fucked around with this message at 19:35 on Dec 15, 2019

The Flying Twybil
Oct 20, 2019

So what? You can't prove I posted that.
Update 16 - Combat : "There are no items of note."

Music: Briefing

Uh, right, combat. Well, since my planned schedule has been in a state of snafu for a few days and likely won't clear up, plus a long story update, I'll keep this short.


I'm not short-changing you on this, trust me. This mission isn't very noteworthy at all, aside from giving me another thing to complain about : Defensive Missions.

Music: Practice Battle


: "Time to begin!"

Any normal person would think: "Hey, a defensive mission? I'll just hold the line and not lose my bases or my units until the timer and all will be fine, right?"


: "Hah, you're obvious!"

The game would then reply, "FAILING GRADE" and slap you across the back of your head.


And they'd quite rightly think, presuming they had a penchant for curse words like me: "What the absolute gently caress, game?"


: "Engaging the enemy!"

And I would reply, "It's VC2, what do you want?"


Needless to say, this is where VC1 and VC2's focus on blitzing and not actual combat performance really bites it in the hindquarters. Defensive missions suck purely because they tell you to defend, when the only way to get a good grade is to blitz the enemy team in a short number of turns than normal. If they just called them Blitz missions and built the map's story around having very few turns to claim the enemy base, say, before the battle is called a loss of resources and triggering a retreat from overwhelming reinforcements, it'd be better.


Not good, mind you, but better because it doesn't give you much as pretense for turtling. I don't mind a tense timer, but falling anywhere short of perfect drastically decreases rewards and missions can feel like a slog sometimes.

Oh, and this is just some repositioning because I accidentally sent Mischlitt back. Anisette can hold this line. Probably.


: "Taking action!"

Only one defense mission feels like you have to stay on the defense in the game, but it's a gigantic pain for other reasons. I'll get to those in a bit.


: "Yeah!"

Of course, it's worth mentioning that with the passive HP regen at bases and with two unit classes made perfectly for the job, actual defense is trivial.


: "Come on, hit!"
Heavy gunners delete anyone they see with interception fire and counter-attack, and they're not great for offense, so...



Armor Techs, especially Fencers have ridculous defense while crouched and are immune to most attacks anyways, so they'll bodyblock a base forever.






Now going back to why these missions are sometimes frustrating, a big issue is how the AI acts in this game.




The AI is very passive on most maps, refusing to engage if not already within sight and relative distance. On defense maps, it's a bit better as most of the units are aggressive.




Yet, it won't be until the later maps that the AI even actually tries to capture your bases if you're already standing on it. At the present moment, they might only do it if you don't have a unit in the area. The AI can be very cowardly, even on attack maps.



This is case in point, given that I'm baiting them out of hiding with Anisette and what looks like an open base. Their AI demands they attack before capping the flag, and thus they get deleted by her.

And no, I have no idea what that enemy tank was doing. It rolled up and parked itself with the radiator facing my base. It didn't even fire at Anisette.



: "From the top, with feeling!"



: "Well, of course!"

That really isn't solid evidence, though- it's a rather inconsistent tactic.



: "A master stroke!"
Regardless, I've always found that there's going to be one or two units standing somewhere inane, usually a lancer or their promotions, mostly due to the fact that their attack AI is very inconsistent without a tank around.



I think the real issue is that VC2 doesn't reward true combat performance in any way, just speed. This map is rather easy, so all in all it's not really a problem here, just later.




It never matters how efficiently you clear each zone, never lose a base, never lose a unit, you will be perpetually graded by a turn allowance of 2-4, depending on the map.

Also note the cowardly mortarer. What did I just say about these jerks running away?


: "Needs more red!"

It'd really help your performance was given a bit more leeway if you hadn't lost any units, taken out a bunch of enemy units, maintained all your bases, etc.





: "I think I found my muse!"

If that makes A-ranks too easy, then lower the A-rank requirement to something really low. That way you can still make an A-rank at say, 4 turns in by clearing most of the map instead of just blitzing past everything.


Yeah, but that's about it for this mission. This last part just reiterates my point about the cowardly units.





Imagine having to chase down four of these guys across four different area maps. That's mostly why these defense missions agitate me.




That looks about right. Sorry about ranting about defense missions, but there was too much to complain about this update and I would've complained about it somehow.

Next update should be more interesting, and on time for once. There was just a lot to type for this one and real life stuff is taking priority right now.

Have some extras:






The Flying Twybil fucked around with this message at 19:30 on Dec 15, 2019

Cooked Auto
Aug 4, 2007

You posted the last chunk of the combat section twice, also there is a pair of repeat images in the beginning of the Chloe event when they're talking about the painting and the end of the Anisette event.

The Flying Twybil
Oct 20, 2019

So what? You can't prove I posted that.

Cooked Auto posted:

You posted the last chunk of the combat section twice, also there is a pair of repeat images in the beginning of the Chloe event when they're talking about the painting and the end of the Anisette event.

Cripes, I can't get through one update without screwing up something. Give me a sec, I'll fix it. I swear it was right when I posted it.

E: Fixed 'em. Thanks for catching that- I have to be losing my mind if I keep missing these errors when they're this obvious.

The Flying Twybil fucked around with this message at 19:37 on Dec 15, 2019

FoolyCharged
Oct 11, 2012

Cheating at a raffle? I sentence you to 1 year in jail! No! Two years! Three! Four! Five years! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
Somebody call for an ant?

I'm pretty sure later defense maps will literally spawn dudes hiding in the grass so you have to recheck all of them every turn.

Poil
Mar 17, 2007

FoolyCharged posted:

I'm pretty sure later defense maps will literally spawn dudes hiding in the grass so you have to recheck all of them every turn.
Surely this game wouldn't do something like that. Right? :ohdear:

The Flying Twybil
Oct 20, 2019

So what? You can't prove I posted that.

Poil posted:

Surely this game wouldn't do something like that. Right? :ohdear:

It sure feels like it does. I'm pretty sure reinforcements have to come from a base, but I swear if some of these units just come out of nowhere. You run past a pile of grass five times and even once through it, but somehow the last guy is hiding there. And it's not even nighttime.

At least defense missions are few and far between, and since you can usually skip at least one mission per month, you can skip those or the escort missions if you want to. Since I'm unfortunately doing all the single player missions, we'll be seeing all of them.

The Flying Twybil
Oct 20, 2019

So what? You can't prove I posted that.
Update 17 - Story: Food Talk, Femme Fatales, and Shipping Material; We've Got it All
Alternative Title: I Hate Hide and Seek Now, Thanks Game

Music: Spring in Lanseal

Welcome back folks, I promised I'd have this update out on time and I delivered...sort of. Okay, my schedule isn't any better, but I managed to scratch up some time for making an update. Let's get to it then, shall we?




Well, looks like it's time for some more story stuff. I'll just start with the daily event like usual.

Music: Theme of the Rebels



: I have a meal waiting in the banquet hall. Please, come right this way.


: Our head chef was raving about some Leanbluff pork he'd gotten in.
: I look forward to it! Gallia cuisine has been truly stunning thus far.


: I hear the shellfish of your southern holdings is especially choice.
: I should dearly like to try it myself some day.
: Ha ha! I look forward to taking you there.



: The Chief Councilor is ever the busy man, but I'll do all I am able.
: I see. Well, for tonight, what do you say to a bottle of 1920 Merlot?
: Truly? Your cellar is a treasure house, sir! I'll gladly partake.




Just two dudes chillin' over food talk. No world domination planned, no ethnic cleansing, no siree.

~* Courtyard - Sofia's First Event *~

Music: Everyday Life of the Class




Music: None/Gloomy Music



: What, are you going to hit me? I'll scream real loud for you, and you'll get exp--
: Hey!
: ...Hm?
: Stop it! What the heck are you thinking, man?!

:byodood: : Ugh, consider yourself lucky this time, girly.



*He takes off.*

Music: Everyday Life of the Class


: What happened between you two, Sofia?
: What happened? Heh. What usually happens between a man and a woman?
: I suppose that's all a bit advanced for a kid like you, though, hmm?
: Hey, don't be like that. I just...



*She walks away.*

: What's with her?





: Hmm, we both started here at about the same time, but haven't spoken much.
: Do you know who she's friends with?
: Hmm. I wonder if she's really close with anyone at all...


: All right, thanks...
: Can I ask why? This is the first time you've brought her up.


: No! Man, why do girls always take it there?



Music: None






:stonk: ...Uh, yeah. That was much creepier than I remembered. Let's just move on. Quickly. Time for a drastic tonal change.


~* Drill Grounds - Anisette's Second Event *~

Music: Theme of Class G



: I figure being a pop idol is like anything else: it takes endurance!

Wait, did Avan actually use his brain for once?


Oh. I guess not. Yep, this is especially an Avan thing.

: F-fine, bring it on!



: All right, take five! Nice hustle out there, man.
: Rrgh, this can hardly be called cramming! I need to take drastic action.



: Yeah, I see that. Now tell me why you're doing it.
: My sister says that ten times the effort yields ten times the results.


If you can pull a tank on foot, I'd say so.

: That isn't the point. She was always putting in the effort, in private.
: Which means that I need to put in a hundred times the effort to catch up to her.
: You really have a lot of respect for her, huh?

Okay, yeah, you and Avan are made for each other.


: She's strong, proud, beautiful, and about the best sister in the world!
: Heh heh...


: Nothing, sorry! Just thinking how I feel the same about my brother.

I swear, just get married already. You're both nearly the same person, the only difference is that he's ncredibly oblivous and she's incredibly dramatic.


: We want to knock your sister's socks off when she shows up to see you!


Yep, there was the tonal change we were looking for. I'm not going to look, but I bet there's fanfiction centered around them.

Let's go do combat stuff now. There was combat in this game, right?

The Flying Twybil fucked around with this message at 16:57 on Dec 18, 2019

The Flying Twybil
Oct 20, 2019

So what? You can't prove I posted that.
Update 17 - Combat: Food Talk, Femme Fatales, and Shipping Material; We've Got it All

Music - Briefing


Alright, it's time for Team Santa to deliver some holiday cheer (ragnite explosions). This map isn't very hard, but it's at least more notable than the last one.


As you can see, they're sending some real heavy hitters our way this time around. There's more than a few fencers here, and without one of my own, they'll be a bit tough.


But we've got this, especially with our newly upgraded Rudolf.



Player Turn Music: Liberation Battle

Enemy Turn Music: Return Battle


: "Alright, kids, let's get 'er done!"

Rudolf's glowing nose (lamp) negates the effect of nighttime, which means we'll be able to surprise each of these rebels with a present (explosive/bullet).


After running over people and sandbags a few times to clear out the place for my personnel units, I give the enemy ace, Ty, a showing of Rudolf's new gift launcher (AT cannon).

You'll note that the accuracy is completely ridiculous, being better than even any of our scout's rifles, with a personnel damage of nearly 400. Not to mention 1200 Armor damage.


No, I have no idea why it's so amazing, it just is. Just wait until we get our second upgrade, and you'll see how truly broken this cannon is.


: "N-no, I don't miss it!"

She definitely misses it, otherwise she wouldn't recieve such a good buff for it.

I may not have covered it yet, but country Bred is an accuracy + damage up potential, just like Close Combat. She also has that. She also has Super Vs. Personnel.

What I'm trying to say is that Anisette is a walking bundle of power boosting potentials, and she tops as mechanically the best shocktrooper in my opinion. That being said, she's a terrible pick for a Gunner as all of her skills only happen on your turn.


Assume that anyone she points a gun at will likely not survive.


: "From the top, with feeling!"


This guy went down in less than a third of a second. The first shot was a headshot that dealt 150+ damage.

Super Vs. Personnel is ridiculous, and so is Anisette.


Alright you two jokers, it's time for you to actually do something.


Hey, look who's hiding right next to our drop in point?



Present delivered.


...Though I suppose there's a few bullet points left on the list too.


: "Yes!"

Yep, crossed 'em off the list. They've been delivered as well.


Randy goes ahead and scouts out the remaining opposition with his higher AP. This is all I take sight of before I retreat back to the grass.


Well, let's see what they get up to.


Ow. This scout's inaccuracy plus the hunched stance of the shocktrooper got Anisette headshotted twice. Yeah I left her out in the open, but she's fine though.


Good work, dude! You made my job easier!


Suddenly, a shocktrooper emerges from the silo.



But instead of going for Anisette he just runs past and gets mauled by Rudolf.

I told you I'm not very worried.


Why do you people have an obsession with huffing grass? You're in every patch of grass I don't check. Always. It's practically a rule of the universe at this point.


Nope, still not worried.


Whiffs right past her face. Yes, that might've got her killed, but you can always trust enemy lancers to not hit when you think they will. Their accuracy is so bad, they're practically hyped on caffeine and candy at all times.

Oh, and shooting this guy doesn't do much. Prone lancers are very hard to kill, which is why it's better to throw a present their way first.


...Or he could try and get around my tank... taking the path right past Rudolf within sightlines? :shrug:

You goofs realize there is a path behind the house right? It leads right there and is completely out of my tank's sight line.


Wow, look at all those x's on the map. Letting the enemy fail by their own actions is fun. This game's AI might be devious sometimes, but most of the time it's pretty dumb. They just offset that by giving them a lot of powerful units.

As you can tell, it doesn't really help them all that much. The enemy is explicitly more aggressive if you leave someone out in the open, even if there's machine guns trained in behind that person- that's exactly what happened here.

It pays to take risks sometimes, y'know?



: "Let me at 'em!"


: "Let me at 'em!"


: "Let me at 'em!"

Avan, cool it, dude! I'm sending you towards the enemy, okay?

Sheesh.


Because Avan was that hyped for combat, I saved a present by pointing him in the direction of this naughty leader. We're out of coal, so we're handing out lead and brass.


Yep.


: "I've got your back!"

This is Avan's generic line. He says this for everyone who isn't Zeri, Cosette, or Lavinia if their story hasn't been finished. He in fact, has lines for every student and they each have one for him.

You can't claim the game wasn't given effort.



: "Enemy sighted!"

*Quietly pops into the universe*


Allied Radio: Don't run ahead of the pack- support each other.

What do you think this is Fire Emblem? I've got bases to capture, I haven't got time for supports!

Yeah this was free. Nobody was even standing here.


: "See? The answers arrive by themselves."

Mischlitt tries to be credit to team by triggering genius, but it won't be enough.


: "There are walls we cannot break."

She gets poetic with a coincidentally appropriate line while I try to get behind this dude to see if attacking from the rear would get me the kill.



I get tired of dancing around him as there's only a small range of movement before they turn to face you, and Mischlitt runs out of AP. I slap him in the face instead.


I do it again and it works this time.


Probably hard to see is the scout just in front of her. You know what's going to happen.


But you thought wrong. This early in the game, AT's lose their deadly effectiveness. It's why she needs to go Fencer before this month is over.


...That's a bit underwhelming, but sure, whatever. You're not taking that much damage anyways.


To end the round I send Anisette to capture the first base now that she's done gunning people down.



Oh, hey there.


He ends his turn without firing at anyone...?

I find enemy mortarers are really passive.


...I, uh... why? That's it?

The AI's gone braindead on me, I suppose.


Avan takes out a dude.


...Well he would've if I didn't quickly go for a headshot and whiffed every shot. Nice.


Whatever, I'm at the end od the mission anyways.



*bap*


Oh, wait, that links to the base Anisette took. Also, the mission isn't over yet, so it means it's time for hide and seek. :sigh:


Nobody here, so I capped this last base.


: "I feel stronger!"

Okay, yeah, you're promoting to Lancer Veteran. There's no question about that now.


Nobody in the grass.


Nope.


Wait, really?


DAMMIT


CONSARNIT


RARGHRAHG-


-Oh, hey, it's over! That's nice!


ARGHGHRHG-


Meh.


Yeah, okay.



Welp, see you next time after I re-do this mission! Maybe something interesting will happen.

...Yeah, probably not. Anyways, we've probably got character missions coming up since that was the last normal mission for the month.

The Flying Twybil fucked around with this message at 20:26 on Dec 18, 2019

Poil
Mar 17, 2007

For some reason the stick the teacher always holds up to his hair looks like a pair of scissors to me so I keep thinking he's a barber.

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Sankara
Jul 18, 2008


This is a very rough around the edges game.

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