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Iolite posted:Speaking of sex jokes, now's a time to point out that Myuria's outfit is standard Morphus uniform as shown by the B team. Yes and no. The outfits have a similar style, but Myuria seems to have taken hers to exceedingly slutty lengths. Most of those pictured above either wear shorts, have longer skirts, or cover their cleavage. I'm reminded of how Ephemeral Fantasia would have all its NPCs wear sensible versions of whatever slutty outfit the actual characters wore, like how Rummy's coworkers all wore shorts while she wore a g-string. Scalding Coffee posted:Military uniform even. This is better than when Star Trek allowed skirts. Bikini armor. That's the thing. You'll see the same outfits on people in Centropolis, so either these "elite fighters" wore their casual clothes to this mission briefing, or everyone on En II walks around in full "military outfit" all day long. Of course the real answer is tri-Ace lazily recycled character models just like they did in Infinite Undiscovery.
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May 11, 2023 23:00
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Update 34 - Big Goddamn Hero Where we last left off, En II's fleet attacked Nox Obscurus, getting into a huge battle with the Phantom fleet, as the Calnus spearheaded their efforts. A combined Earth-Eldar fleet showed up to help out, commanded by Lightspeed Kenny and Gaghan. However, Nox Obscurus then spawned a big gently caress off energy dragon called Jormungandr that fired a massive laser blast, destroying a bunch of ships and then travelling on to kill Shimada on the moonbase. We now pick up in the aftermath of Jormungandr's attack.  Click here for basically the whole update as a video.    "If your order were a second later, boy, we'd be toast..." *Ineffectual pantywaist grunt* "What's the status of our fleets?" "I'll put it up now."  Now Playing - Dark Heart, Dark Mind   "Nearly 40% of the combined Earth and Morphus fleets have been destroyed. The offensive capabilities of the remaining ships have been greatly reduced." "...Reimi. Hail the Commander's ship." "Okay..."  "This...coalition flagship. Repeat-this is the..." "Commander Kenny! Can you hear me? This is Maverick! Edge Maverick!" "Our communications...down...All units...individually. Repeat-all units, regroup..." "Commander! Commander Kenny!" "Edge!" "...!?"    Kyle Herbert's voice...but it's not Arumat. "...!?" "Roger!"  Something bright gleams in the distance.  "...But it is reassuring having him here. Both of them." "What...what happened to it...?" "That ship is all banged up, 'kay?" "...That it is." "Meow...?" "They fought on the front lines, didn't they? To protect the Eldarian refugee fleet from the Phantoms. There's no way they could've come out of that without a few scratches." "Myuria..." "Crowe!? Are you okay!?" "You're hurt...What happened to you?" "I see that you faced a rough battle, Mr. Crowe." "...So many Eldarians...died right before my eyes...It was all...all because of my pathetic performance..." "...Don't beat yourself up." "...Myuria..." "You've done more for them than anyone could've asked. Everyone knows it. Even I know how much you've done, so...So really...take it easy. You don't have to blame yourself." "...Thank you, Myuria..." "In any case, I'm glad you're here, Crowe. I'm really glad we get to work together again." "Edge..." "We're in a little squeeze, here. Help us out." "...You got it. That's why I came."     "...I'm sorry." "Huh?" "I'm so...sorry..." *Concern for Faize ellipsis* "Crowe...what are you apologizing for...?" "There was nothing I could do...nothing at all..." "What...what happened to him...?" "He watched the Eldarian ships getting shot down by the Phantoms one after the other...and then he got on his Sol and took off, all by himself...He's probably..." Now Playing - Tears in the Sun Make a Rainbow "No way...Not Faize...No way..." "Faize..."  Are you SURE the mentally six year old girl knows better? Lymle waddles off dejectedly.  "We'll just have to break into Nox Obscurus by force! Bacchus, how long until that thing has enough energy for a third shot?" "I cannot calculate with complete accuracy...It could come at any time." "...Even so, we have to go. We're not making it to the core unless we get past that thing."Edge nods at Reimi, who nods back. The rest of the crew nods at him in turn. "So that's how it is. Crowe...Cover us...will you?" "Rushing into danger without much thought...That's just like you, Edge. But this isn't really the time or the place for that, is it?" "But there's no other way!" "...I have a plan." "...What?" "Come on, do you think I'd come out in this shape otherwise?" "A plan...? You have some way of getting rid of that thing?" "Yeah, of course I do...so you just wait there and leave this to me."  "What are you thinking!?" "Listen, Edge, you and I both know there's no way we'll get through that thing fair and square. So we're gonna have to cheat a little. The last, and most important job this old bucket of bolts will ever have...I'm gonna use the Aquila as an anchor-fire up the warp engines and reverse the graviton flow." "You...you idiot! If you try that, you'll...!" ""Idiot?" Whatever happened to respect for your elders, huh?  " "This is not time for stupid jokes, Crowe! Wait there-we'll catch up to you!" "...!?" "...If you're my friend...just be quiet and see my off." "Crowe...!" "I have a debt to repay. To the people who came with me because they believed in me. So let me go...please. Best friends, huh?" "...Fine. Just...do whatever you want...!"Transmission ends.  Crowe presses a button, and we're back in FMV land.   Now Playing - Sacrificial Lamb  "Joe...Eddie...Hiro..."            Crowe went out as he lived; as a massive gigachad with balls that could have crushed Jormungandr, would that he could survive the vacuum of space. End FMV scene.  *Ineffectual pantywaist grunt* "Edge..." "Edge..." "Shields up, all directions!"Now Playing - Roles to Play "We'll storm Nox Obscurus through the breach in its pole! Calnus, engage!"    "Our hull has suffered severe damage. The durability of the Calnus has already reached its limit. Detaching all extranerous equipment and switching to atmospheric entry mode." "We may as well. This ship is no longer capable of attacking." "Just a bit more...just a little bit more...Hang in there, Calnus...! Don't let our friends' dying wishes go unanswered!"  That's right, all those scenes of Lymle drawing on the Calnus were plot critical events.   "No way, this doesn't make any sense..." "Hmm? What is it, girl?" "Something seems to be blocking attacks directed at the Calnus...even though our shields are down..." "...What did you say?" "We might just make it now...!"     The Morphus upgrades break off the Calnus, reducing it to it's Mark II form.      "Because you see, I am destined for the Netherworld, being Death Incarna-" "Oh goodness, you're worse than me with sex jokes. Anyway...It looks like we somehow made it through alive..." "You're not flying, you're just dizzy. Lym, are you okay?" "I'm okay, 'kay?" "It was my drawings." Now Playing - Peace of Mind "Wait, you mean...those scribbles you did?" "I'm going to take a guess, but...Could it be that Lym's drawings acted together in some very complicated way to project a barrier symbol around us?" "I can't believe they had such power..." "Pretty good, huh?" "..Thank you, Calnus. Thank you for protecting all of us...And you too, Lymle. You really saved us."Lymle cocks her head bashfully in response.   "Yes. And then...we proceed to the core of Nox Obscurus." "Yeah. The moment of truth." End scene. loving finally.  Now Playing - Black Chaos "Yes, I see no problems. Preparations for transport on En II are already complete." "The transporter's energy level is at 100%. We can begin transport anytime." "Very well. I will now activate the transporter, so please step back."There is a flash of light, but we don't see any changes. "Wow! All those En II fighters just came out of nowhere. It sure is reassuring to know we're not alone here." "Yeah, let's not let them get ahead of us! C'mon, people!" As promised an assortment of Morphus NPCs are around. Some offer services like healing you, but most provide banal commentary. With that teleporter set up, we can now warp around the galaxy. Aeos, Lemuris, Roak, En II, all places we can jump to instantly. We can even choose where on the planets we want to go, like directly to towns, rather than landing in a specific place with the Calnus. Which I should clarify is wrecked now. You can still go on board, but it can't fly you anywhere. Anyway, standing here on the precipice of the final dungeon, we shall end this update. Join me next time, where we do anything BUT challenge the final dungeon! LJN92 fucked around with this message at 02:42 on May 13, 2023 |
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May 12, 2023 23:17
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So is this like a lot of jRPG's where during the ultimate scourge looming over the galaxy, there's suddenly a ton of optional content unlocked and our heroes can spend five weeks dealing with that before actually killing space satan? 
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May 12, 2023 23:36
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RIP in black hole Kyle Herbert 1. I'm still amazed at the magic doodles. I can only wonder how long that plot point was planned, or if one of the rushed writers tossed it in while under clock. It's probably the latter, but you never really know.
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May 12, 2023 23:40
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PurpleXVI posted:So is this like a lot of jRPG's where during the ultimate scourge looming over the galaxy, there's suddenly a ton of optional content unlocked and our heroes can spend five weeks dealing with that before actually killing space satan? Yes! Odd Wilson posted:I'm still amazed at the magic doodles. I can only wonder how long that plot point was planned, or if one of the rushed writers tossed it in while under clock. It's probably the latter, but you never really know. Given what I've learned about this game, I'd say there's a strong chance it was actually planned. And there's a strong chance it was planned solely to make Lymle look like a big smarty pants genius.
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May 12, 2023 23:47
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I think that was the first thing she did when she got on the ship. Kids and their chalk.
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May 12, 2023 23:52
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The drawing thing would actually have been pretty clever, if Lymle herself wasn't such a godawful mess of a character.
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May 13, 2023 09:15
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Update 35 - The Calnus Crew's Big Vacay "Captain's Log, Space Date 10. Or maybe 11. Doesn't even really matter that Myuria destroyed the Star Calendar with Morphus Horse Cock porn, because now the Calnus is thoroughly wrecked. Well, we fought ourselves an epic final battle. Lots of people died. Earthling, Eldarian, and Morphus. Even Crowe turned up...and killed himself to pave our way into Nox Obscurus. Oh, and he told us Faize died, which is a bummer. But we're here now, and poised to infiltrate the core of Nox Obscurus and settle this once and for all!" "If you're done, Edge, then let's go!" "Actually, Reimi, I don't think we should. Go to the core, that is." "Huh!?" "We're all pretty exhausted, so I think a nice holiday is in order. Let's just chill out, get our bearings, then we can come back triumphantly!" "Mr. Edge, people are dying as we speak! Who knows when Nox Obscurus' forces may rally and drive us from this place!" "Eh, I have confidence the Morphus fighters can hold them off. Come on, let's have a break." "Yay, break! I can use it to get over Faize dying!.....Faize.....WAAAAAAAAAAA-" "Oh for-if it will shut you up, fine, let's have a loving vacation!" "YAAAAAY, VACAY!"Italics aside, what we have to do before going on with the game is see a bunch of final Private Actions and other scenes. Yay. Click here for a bunch of meandering end game scenes. Fair warning, it's the biggest text dump to date! To summarize: -Welch has a panic attack, as Earth is in chaos with Nox Obscurus looming and the moonbase destroyed -We go on a sidequest in a Star Ocean 1 location, with fully voiced cutscenes, but no actual importance -Reimi and Edge become an official couple. What a twist, right? -Reimi and Edge leave flowers at the Aeos base -Lymle teaches Cerberus tricks in order to appease the memory of her dear, departed Faize -Lymle then leaves flowers for Ghimdo, who talks to her from beyond the grave -We talk to Lutea about Lymle's backstory, and it turns out she went to the Demon Realm at age six -Bacchus tells us he actually caught Stone Sickness himself, which is why he transferred himself to a metal body -Bacchus feels emotions about all the Morphus fighters who died fighting Nox Obscurus -Meracle receives a feast from Eleyna for completing a quest -Meracle sort of but not really confirms she's from Roak and Eleyna kind of but not actually proves she's a nice person -Eleyna leads Meracle through some mourning ritual for everyone who she knows that has died -Myuria decides she's not going to die -Myuria leaves flowers for her husband -Sarah tries and fails to fly -Sarah gives mourning flowers to the King of Astral -Arumat decides he's still going to die, but until he does, he'll be Edge's friend -Arumat leaves flowers for Eldarian refugees who died to the Phantoms You might notice in all those scenes, the dudes didn't get a single video? Every female party member got a video scene, Meracle even got two, and loving WELCH always gets one, but Bacchus and Arumat apparently don't rate that at the end of the game. loving disrespect. Anyway, that's all we have for this update. Join me next time, where we finally tackle the final dungeon.
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May 14, 2023 21:45
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Oh, I always thought that cave was weirdly full of content considering there's no other side areas like that in the game, it being a big SO1 reference explains a lot.
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May 14, 2023 23:34
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I don't know what's worse, Meracle actually saying "uber," out loud back in a time where it had some relevance as slang where even then it was only net speak, Eleyna being all, "Hah, men are so dumb!" or Myuria's continued attempts to be some kind of femme fatale which just come off as weird.
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May 14, 2023 23:36
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Around here is when I looked up how stealing from enemies work and you have to press buttons as you hit them. I thought it was broken.
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May 15, 2023 00:21
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Shitenshi posted:I don't know what's worse, Meracle actually saying "uber," out loud back in a time where it had some relevance as slang where even then it was only net speak, Eleyna being all, "Hah, men are so dumb!" or Myuria's continued attempts to be some kind of femme fatale which just come off as weird. I suppose in one, (very generous,) interpretation, Myuria's inability to pull off the femme fatale thing is a direct consequence of being the very normal girl.jpg she once was before her misguided and short-lived revenge arc. As in, she really doesn't know how to make it work, has never done anything like it before, but persists anyways as some form of new self-identity to hold onto. To stop playing devil's advocate for the joke of it, we all know it's because the writers on hand can't really pull it off right/ head staff thought this was good. ...Michelle in Infinite Undiscovery was done better. I honestly can't help but wonder what IU could've been if all the budget of this was consolidated into that instead of pushing for multiple releases. Of course, putting everything into one high profile release is a risk with a hefty cost if it fails, but one can always wonder. As for which of the three is worse, I couldn't tell ya either.
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May 15, 2023 00:30
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Update 36 - Through Gray Fields and Pallet Swaps "Captain's Log, Space Date 10. Or 11. Or whatever. Just spent the last wee while chilling out, relaxing, going between planets and settling everyone's final concerns. Ah, I feel like a new man. Now it's time to get back in there, and finally bring a stop to the Missing Procedure's activities!"  Now Playing - Black Chaos You know what the kicker is about Nox Obscurus? It's as dull and gray as the Thunder Mine from Legaia 2 Duel Saga and the Quarry from Ephemeral Fantasia. I guess the Missing Procedure considers this a line of defence: anyone who dares set foot on Nox Obscurus has to steel themselves against sensory deprivation.   Trembling Girl: "It's incredible...I feel like the negative pressure is going to blow me away...Err!? Heh, sorry-my legs are trembling so badly, I can't even move...Urgh..." "These are En II's elite fighters? What a joke..."Anyway, let's jump into the dungeon proper, shall we?  Now Playing - Don't Be a Hero "Tch, still stealing the likeness of our brave SRF soldiers, I see." "I wonder why Nox Obscurus doesn't produce something more dangerous and threatening than these rank and file." "The Cardianon, too?" "Not even actual Cardianon, but the mutated ones with no railguns." "And the Aeos bugs! "I guess they were at least immune to guns." "Is there anything on this planet they didn't copy from another part of the galaxy?" "Hey wait, these things were in the alternate Earth dimension!" "There is a strong possibility the Missing Procedure is capable of copying entities from beyond this universe as well." "That means it might have copied the Professor!" "Merry, that would be an insane and evil Phantom." "BUT I COULD STILL HUG HIM!" "And it might have copied...Faize...'kay?" "Okay, enough with the speculation, let's keep moving!" "Oh man, this cliff like thing is blocking our advance!" "Not to worry, I can use my rocket boosters to get everyone atop it, and then we can likely drop safely on the other side." "Nah, Bacchus, I have a better idea..." "We can ride in these weird sphere thingies that keep appearing and rising up!" "Mr. Edge, are you insane!? That sphere could be full of noxious fumes and toxic liquids! Just touching it could wreak havoc on your body..." "See? It worked just fine. Everyone, get inside a bubble." "One of these days, Mr. Edge, your willingness to try strange methods is going to get you killed."These sphere things are a real pain in the neck to use. For starters, they're not a guaranteed way up and over these barriers, as you need to press the button to jump out at the right time. Too soon and you'll miss your jump and have to wait for another sphere to appear. Fortunately, in order to reach the final boss, you only need to use one of these, but if you want to get treasure chests, and if you want to leave Nox Obscurus at any time, you'll have to go through multiple of these.  "Oh, wow, sure are a lot of dead Morphus around..." "Perhaps if we hadn't taken such a leisurely vacation, there would be less dead to greet us." "Oh come on, you all went with me." "You know very well we can't go anywhere without you."Jokes aside, these bodies are here no matter what you do. The Morphus just ran clear ahead of the Calnus Crew to get killed individually.  This lady will charge your rings...once, and only one. She dies after talking to her. I wasted her life on a recharge for the Fire Ring, which is usually worth 800 Fol.  "Now we're fighting actual Cardianon!" "I guess Nox Obscurus just believes in the power of diversity." In this segment, the area is littered with the crystals pictured above. They have an area of effect that prevents the use of skills and symbols. You can use the Earth Ring to destroy them, but they respawn when you leave or reload, so it's easier to just run past them. Anyway, eventually we come across a cutscene. Click here for a brief cutscene about Meracle's nose.  Edge talking. "I can't even hear you!" "It's no good, we have to go back!" "So what, force our way through? That's crazy." "It's also our only choice." "Smells different?" "I don't know how, but...I think I will if we get closer." "Let's see." End scene. We now walk in that direction for another cutscene. Click here for our pre-final dungeon pep talk.   Reimi speaking. "Yeah...it's from his ship." "It must have happened when he got rid of that dragon. A section of the ship must have broken off and fallen to the surface." "It would seem that Mr. Crowe has cleared a path for us so we can proceed. He has come to our aid not once, but twice." "...He always was a meddlesome do-gooder." "I believe the odor that Miss Meracle perceived earlier must be issuing from the space ahead of us." "I'm amazed you were able to find such a faint scent in a place with so much wind." "You're amazing, Merry." " My nose is well-trained." "Oh, dear. I suppose I'll never be able to escape you, will I?" "Hee hee hee!" "Thank you, Meracle. Now we can walk the path Crowe left for us." "Meow-hahaha, meow-hahaha...!"That's just an approximation of the alien sound Meracle makes as we cut to black.   Reimi talking. "Oh, I wouldn't say that. I'd just say it's a turning point. I'm going to find happiness. I've no intention of letting my travels end in a place like this." "Yeah. This is where it begins...Without being bewitched by false evolution...Without warping anyone's history...We're all going to travel forward, one step at a time...into a proper and rightful universe..." "Yes...yes, you're right. It's only just begun..."  "I want to walk together with you, Edge. In a universe where everyone can be happy." And there the scene ends. Before we proceed, we head back to the Aquila piece for our final bouquet scene.  "...He really thought he was hot stuff, right to the very end..." "Edge..." "No matter what obstacles Crowe ran into, he'd always dance right through them with a smile on his face...He was unkillable! Immortal! Why here...at the very end...? That...that idiot...! Such a stupid, stupid idiot...! Argh!" "...Edge..." "...We can't stop here. He carved out this path for us. Our final path..." "Yeah..." (Please, Crowe...watch over us.) (Crowe...I'll never be able to thank you enough for what you've done. But I can't do it yet...I don't want to say thanks yet...First I'm gonna put an end to this for you. For all of us. Then...I'll be able to thank you...So, Crowe...) "...Edge." "Yeah...let's do this."Scene over, now let's head on into the final final dungeon.  "It's like time itself is stopped..." "Nothing's moving...It feels kinda...lonely, 'kay?" "Idiotic little tricks...Let's go!" "Look, there's all these enemies frozen in place!" "This would be an opportune time to strap explosives to them in anticipation of their awakening." "No, Bacchus, that won't work, uh...something something symbological protection..." In order to proceed, we must step on this specific platform.  Now Playing - Brilliant Rose Doing so causes the dungeon to come alive.  The platform swings us across. We have to wait for it to come back if we want to find any treasure chests we couldn't reach due to frozen enemies blocking the way.  "Oh no, we're in outer space! We're all gonna suffocate!" "Actually, this appears to be nothing more than an artificial environment made to resemble outer space." "In other words, it's yet another stupid trick. Who the gently caress made this place?" We find ourselves in another frozen room, but this time, we need the Fire Ring to unfreeze it.  In this area, we find the Purgatorium Guardian Beast as a regular, pallet swapped enemy.  "A giant serpent made of pure energy...But it does not seem to be expressing any animosity towards us." "It looks like it could just chomp down on anything, 'kay?"Confused? I know I was. But this is a critical feature of the Palace of Creation.  Seeing the serpent in the mirror lets you grab this Serpent Staff from a nearby statue. I guess it's meant to be a metaphor for that Jormungandr thing that defended Nox Obscurus? It is a serpent in Norse mythology, after all, and the item describes itself as having a "giant, live snake wrapped around it".  "Is, uh, is that an evil clown?" "What kind of idiot thought these would make intimidating enemies?"Perhaps the sole unique enemy in the whole Palace of Creation, Dark Clowns are also perhaps the most easily dispatched. They can apparently cause the Pumpkin status. Yes, Pumpkin! Where you're turned into a Pumpkin and roll around the battlefield, unable to attack. Not that they ever lasted long enough to do it to me.  After wandering around enough, you'll come to this frozen room the Serpent Staff reacts to. If you came here without the Serpent Staff, you'll be very confused and have to wander around a bunch until you figure out what's going on. That or use a walkthrough.    The Serpent Staff does its thing, unfreezing the room. You'll probably have to wait for the swing to swing back to you at first.  Given the save point and cutting out of the music, we can safely assume this is just prior to the final boss. And given there's an absolute mountain of  to come, this is where we shall stop.Join me next time, where we challenge the final boss. Prepare yourself, as sublime stupidity awaits us.
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May 16, 2023 23:11
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This area is where Bacchus' stealth is useless.
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May 16, 2023 23:38
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LJN92 posted:Prepare yourself, as sublime stupidity awaits us.[/b] God I can't wait to see what it's all been building up to.
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May 16, 2023 23:39
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Well, Meracle finally got her singular reason to be actually plot relevant... to sniff out the pathway in the final area. Amazing. Dark Clowns, with a pumpkin status effect. In your final dungeon? The Immaculate game design.
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May 17, 2023 00:35
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So I know the game already bungles it's understanding of evolution pretty hard, but I've been skimming through the updates again and with the game's original premise of colonization other worlds due to the surviving Earth being close to uninhabitable, is the only reason Edge is all hands off about touching underdeveloped planets or whatever the poo poo comes into play here in his motivational speech because he destroyed alternate Earth? Because I mean if he and his crew decided to show some fancy tech to make Tamiel and his doomsday cult look like idiots or showed the current scientists of the kingdom or whoever the wonders of whatever advancements math has made in that time, I'm sure a whole lot of problems would have been avoided. There's still kind of a moral case for it with the problems of colonization and plunder by an oppressing force, especially now because we've found the Morphus and what's left of the Eldarians who actually know a thing or two about interstellar travel and aren't backwards and can provide shelter for Earth's people, but it just feels like more dumb goody goody anime talk that's about as awkward as the evils of evolution or whatever the gently caress.
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May 17, 2023 00:48
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Shitenshi posted:is the only reason Edge is all hands off about touching underdeveloped planets or whatever the poo poo comes into play here in his motivational speech because he destroyed alternate Earth? Yeah, that's about it. Edge will elaborate on his philosophy in the updates to come...with stupid results!
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May 17, 2023 00:57
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I hate the alternate Earth section not just for it's stupid plot twist, but for teaching Edge the wrong lesson with it.
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May 17, 2023 01:54
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LJN92 posted:Prepare yourself, as sublime stupidity awaits us. I don't know whether  or  is more appropriate, because boy, oh, boy, I cannot wait to see people's reactions.
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May 17, 2023 03:45
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As someone whose only exposure to the game's content before this LP was the existence of Lymle, Welch, Reimi's tsundere bullshit, and what is coming up, the last of which is indeed so batty that the descriptor of loving stupid is the nicest thing anyone can say about it, Star Ocean 4 has proven to be a masterclass of what not to do on every level.
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May 17, 2023 04:30
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I read the old LP but do not remember any of this part. So, I get to experience the inanity anew.
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May 17, 2023 04:44
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This doesn't really feel like the finale. There's been no real sense of escalation and the story ramping up. We've just been vaguely blundering from one thing to another until the game tells us we've run out of things. Sure, people got killed along the way, and some of them we were supposed to care about, but it still feels pretty underwhelming.
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May 17, 2023 09:46
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A big, big problem with this game is that the enemy is so nebulous (hah) and faceless. Outside of the one cutscene where Ex exposits about it, there are absolutely no signs of what “the Missing Procedure” is or wants. Its entire presence in the plot is that there are some monsters causing problems in various places - they’re not pursuing any sort of goal, just attacking people and spreading diseases. And when they talk, all they say is meaningless “I am great and you are weak, you can’t win, blah blah evolution” babble. We go to various places, we find monsters doing bad stuff and fight them, and at some point we are informed that they’re related; that’s it, that’s the entire fabric of the overarching plot until we get to En II. Even once Ex explains the situation, what we learn is that the Missing Procedure is making monsters to… do bad stuff. Because: it lives in another dimension, and if it does enough bad stuff it can remake the universe at it pleases. You know what’s convenient about that plot? There’s no need to give the Missing Procedure any personality or traits or themes or style at all. You probably should! But they didn’t. The “reveal” is that we’ve being opposing a vague, apparently-malevolent blob hovering somewhere off-screen, represented on-screen by generic JRPG monsters existing. Even here, at the end of the game, all we’ve got is generic recolors standing around in a big empty temple on a big empty purple planet. megane fucked around with this message at 15:55 on May 17, 2023 |
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May 17, 2023 15:52
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megane posted:I read the old LP but do not remember any of this part. So, I get to experience the inanity anew. Just imagine the most contrived and stupid thing that could possibly happen. Then make it worse. The actual resolution will exceed that by a factor of 10. This is why you don't remember it. Your brain is just trying to protect you from yourself.
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May 17, 2023 16:55
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Update 37 - The Very Quintessence of Stupidity "Captain's Log, Space Date...whatever. We have fought our way through the myriad copied monsters of Nox Obscurus and this palace place in the middle of it. We now stand in an ominous corridor, at the end of which the nerve centre of Nox Obscurus no doubt awaits us. Time to finish this!"  "Oh my, the torches are lighting up on their own. How spooky." "Jeez, whoever made this place is so pretentious."Click here to behold the heart of Nox Obscurus.  Now Playing - Universal Dilemma      "That must be the big bad guy. He's just sitting there, staring at us menacingly." "Yeah, he looks like a real pretentious rear end in a top hat." "Are you what's supplying energy to the Missing Procedure?"  "You have come not to bend knee before me, but with bloodied point of sword outstretched..." "...What the hell are you saying?" "If you had only chosen to accept the new world that shall be fashioned...You should have been released from the clutches of a world of anguish, and become one with me..."    Golly, why is Lymle so surprised? "Lym...honey?"  "So it is you, after all...You're the one feeding power to the Missing Procedure!" "I merely serve to hasten the time of change. All is in accordance with the will of life." "...What does that mean?" "The Missing Procedure heeds the will of all life in the universe. Can you not understand it? Life desires change."    "I have heard that longing, and thus I am here. Yes...All is for the sake of the universe. All is for the sake of life in the universe." "There's no way...no way life wants that!" "What meaning can evolution have if it doesn't come from within!?" "Meaning? There is none...I wish to be the savior of all existence, to deliver life from the cruel fate it remains at the mercy of. That is all I desire." "Don't...don't give me that crap! Why would a power that wants to save all existence kill people!?" "Our friends at the exploration base...Crowe...Faize...!" *Telling gasp ellipsis* "All the warriors who participated in this operation...Earthlings, Eldarians, and Morphus..." "And if one considers that the Missing Procedure is the cause of all this, even the Cardianon could be considered a victim, in the broadest sense of the word." "...Eldar, as well." "What...?" "Countless planets, countless lives beyond your ken have come and gone, unsaved. Do you believe this form of evolution you claim has meaning could have saved them? This universe is all too full of life that cannot be saved. Thus...I shall eradicate this universe."This sounds familiar...maybe change universe to "Spira" and give the villain blue hair... "Do you...do you even get what you're saying? Do you realize how insane that is?" "Insane...? Why is that insane?" "Wha...!" "In the new universe, life shall be "one," but also "all." No sadness, no pain...no fear of death. It is a world in which all may be saved...Truly the evolution that life desires." "...That's...no different from...From the Phantoms...You're saying those things are humanity's true, ideal evolution?" "Exactly so. Hence, I shall eradicate this universe. A universe that cannot be saved must not be permitted to exist." "Mr. Edge, is this truly a Grigori? I sense a pattern of thought somehow different from those that have come before...He seems to express a desire...or perhaps, more like a wish. But his words and actions run contrary to that wish." "You're going to destroy what you want to save...? That's just wrong!" "...You will fight me, then?" "You said it yourself. We're in a state of opposition. We were borne here on the backs of more people than I can count."  "You who have made your way here, step by step...and I , who have managed to attain all the power I desire. Let us see whose path is correct!"    Now Playing - I Do, Therefore I Am "I am the mouthpiece of ALL life, ALL worlds, ALL existence!" "WITNESS THE QUINTESSENCE OF MY CATASTROPHIC POWER!" "Pfft, bring it on, rear end-" "AWAY WITH YOUR POINTLESS OSTENTATIONS!" "The only ostentatious person in this room is you." "Lose your way...and DIE!" "Woah, picking on Sarah's not fair, she's the squishiest person in the field!" "Yeah but her voice is SO loving ANNOYING and I've wanted to do this since Roak!" "I-bu-whuh!?" "Oh no, are you-I mean, BE DESTROYED!" "What the gently caress is this guy?" "Is this the end...? No...if only it truly could be..."   Now Playing - Harlequin's Slumber AOC levitates to his feet.  "No way..." "We didn't even scratch him...?" *More telling ellipsis* "No...I cannot even condone its existence."  "...Cut that out..." "drat it...I can't..."  "How...do you know my name..." "You...you can't be..." "Cut that out, 'kay!?"  DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN! I think we all knew that Faize couldn't have just died a meaningless, irrelevant death, and that his crazy evil eye thing had to be going somewhere. I won't say it was obvious he was going to be the final boss, but it was definitely clear he was going to turn up again all evil like. Although funnily enough, I'm going to mention something now; that evil eye thing? Faize's Entry 2 posted:DNA of all Eldarians is modified to allow them to live as efficiently as possible in their planet's extreme conditions; it is perhaps these modifications that have given him such a slavishly logical frame of mind. One notable quirk of his altered DNA is his eye color, which changes as he tries to suppress moments of extreme stress of emotion, suggesting that the genetic modification has had an impact on his psychological makeup. It has nothing to do with the Missing Procedure, the Grigori, or anything. It's just his previously unmentioned Eldar mood ring eye colour. Also, christ, could you rip off the Vulcans any harder with that "slavishly logical frame of mind" poo poo? Not that the Eldarians ever acted much like the Vulcans. Do you recall the Serpent Staff we had to grab? The statue we took it from appeared to be wearing a Black Tribe robe. It is definitely Amina, the dev interview confirms it as such.      Faize's normal voice is sounding now, as opposed to AOC's deep villain voice.    "Why the gently caress didn't you tell us, you stupid child!?" "Mmrgh, I needed to wait for appropriate dramatic effect, 'kay!?" "Faize...why are you doing this...?" "Do you...do you think he's being controlled by the Missing Procedure?"  "When I set out alone to protect my brethren...I learned of a wonderful, wonderful power...Let me show you by way of flashback..."    Why did the Missing Procedure reach out to Faize? We will never know. I guess he was the only one feeling sad enough in the entire universe, or perhaps multiverse, to let the Missing Procedure in. According to a developer interview, his "life energy" allowed Nox Obscurus to become the size it was, so I guess the intent may have been that Faize was just that powerful, but uh, that sure is hard to believe. "As I was bathed in its light, I saw. I saw a world in which all might be saved, beyond the barrier of evolution. If all things in the universe were to undergo this wonderful transformation equally, a world without sorrow would be born." "Goodness, why did he look at me when he said that?" "The Missing Procedure was involved in both of those examples you're making." "Uh, actually, it was through INCOMPETENCE, dumbass!" "Is this not the very quintessence of evolution?" "No! Evolution isn't something forced upon you by an external power! There's no value in that at all! Your evolution is just a glittering box with nothing inside it! We have to move ever forward, step by step, inch by inch! Make our hearts worthy! Only then...can we finally evolve...Yes, we may make mistakes from time to time...But that's the only way we can continue to live." "You were exactly the same, Faize! You carried your aspirations and walked together with us!" "...Indeed. And who did that save in the end? For example...Edge, do you remember this?"   Even Faize is aware that he didn't ask Amina's name, but still acted like her death was the most crushing of all. "...What are you trying to say?" "Isn't it just wonderful that Sarah was saved?" "What...?" "Every single member of the Black Tribe was slaughtered, right in the place we saved her. Do you understand now, Edge? In this universe, there will always be those you cannot save. People whose names will remain unknown to us forever..."Or until Star Ocean Anamnesis. "Faize..." "...So I will create the universe anew. I will create a universe in which even those whose names and faces we do not know will find happiness. I entreat you all...please do not interfere with me. And one more thing..." This line cracks me up every time I listen to it. The absolutely silly sounding "menace" in "NEVER!" "Edge!" Now Playing - Universal Dilemma  It's a bit small, but you can see Earth on a monitor screen that just appeared.  "How...can it have gotten so close...?" "Witness the rebirth of your world." "S-stop..." "But it's not actually pure and blue right now!" "Well then I'll MAKE it pure and blue again!" Edge screams as everything goes white.   Reimi talking. "It's weird...everything's pitch-black! Well, except for the crystals, and this path of light..." "The composition of this place is completely alien to me. I imagine we've been confined in a different dimension." "How do we escape it?" "Frankly, I can't even guess." "No...! What about Earth...!? Earth is going to be-! Mom and Dad...Everyone...The Phantoms will kill them all!" "drat it...! If we can't get out of here, Earth-the entire universe will be...! What...are we supposed to do...!?"   "What's...that light?" "I don't see any light, 'kay?" "You sure you're not just seeing things?" "...Huh?"Reimi and Meracle shake their heads at Edge.  "But that light...I feel like I know it..." "Where to? Do you have some method of escaping this dimension?" "I don't really know...But still, I feel like...I want to believe in this." "Believe in the me that believes in this!" Everyone walks on and the scene ends.  If you think this is a completely linear segment, you'd be wrong!   If we go wandering, touching some of these crystals will spawn old bosses, like Sahariel here. You can fight all of the Grigori, save Tamiel, given he is only technically one. If you beat the Apostle of Creation, then these guys are no threat to you. Getting to the exit is pretty easy, just keep following the path in the direction of the light Edge can see. Click here to escape this weird dimension and fight the REAL final boss.  "It's no good, Edge...None of us can see anything...Whatever this light is you're seeing, we're not seeing it..."  "N-no...it was...it was just..."  *Ineffectual pantywaist grunt* "I won't...die here...! Not...in a place like this...!" Faize is speaking in his AOC voice. "Faize...!" "Edge, you are the last who remains. It is not too late. Accept the new world. If you shall but accept, your pain shall disappear. You shall yet exist as a component of the new universe. This universe which casts such a dark shadow over memory shall cease to be. Come, Edge." *Ineffectual pantywaist grunt* "...Why do you laugh?" "...I'm not laughing at you, Faize." "Oh good. I mean, I told you not to use that name." "I was laughing at myself. I may have given you a pretty good talking to earlier, but what you said...Well, it almost got to me."Now Playing - Tears in the Sun Make a Rainbow "The things I can never forget...things I WANT to forget...What if it could all be erased...? Wiped clean...? There are times...when I want that. But that's just not right." "...What is not right?" "Even if we fail...we can better ourselves so we don't fail again. We're faced with so much pain, heartache, and sorrow...But we can toughen our hearts so that we can bear it. That's how we manage to overcome it all...We can clear a path forward on our own. And at the end of that path...that's where we can find true evolution." "...But people are not nearly so wise. They will continue to make their foolish mistakes. You know it is true, yet still you will not accept my new universe!?" "...No, I won't. It's the one thing I'm not going to let go of...Faize...I don't believe evolution is real unless it's guided by the heart. I know just how precious one's own path is...carved out by one's own hand, walked one step at a time." This is another moment where you can see up Myuria's skirt. I honestly feel like they just want to destroy the tension in this game. "Sometimes they broke my heart, and sometimes they enriched it...Held me up, encouraged me to keep moving forward..." "Never...never utter that name again!" "Faize..." "I've had enough of your nonsense, Edge! You can't get out of there, anyway!"Faize delivers this line like a petulant child. "...No, I can. Because I finally understand..."    That's right, the light was Captain Pedostache of the SRF!  He is unvoiced.  ...oh.  Oh no.  When your game shares an ending contrivance with Legaia 2 Duel Saga, you know you're really in the dumps. Incidentally, if you don't have subtitles on, you just plum won't have any idea what's happening here.     Even NotEvil Faize is getting in on this metaphor.      Now Playing - Yin and Yang    "It's all right...I always believed in you." "Why do you point your blade at me again...? How did you manage to return!?" "...I saw the light." "A light...you say?" "A small, fleeting light that seemed as if it could go out at any moment...but such a kind one..." "That light...It guided me, and held me up...I'm glad, Faize...I'm glad that your own light is still there..." "Faize is...Faize is gone! Faize is nowhere!" "Faize..." "Silence...! How...how dare you address me...by that...weakling's name...!"  "I am...we are...Faize...he is not...not! Finally...finally we have the power we craved..!"The monument behind Faize makes a bunch of hard to screenshot movements.  "Faize! Get away from there, quick!" "Power to save all...Evolution to conquer irrationality...A universe in which all shall be happy..." "Faize...you..." "With that power...I will...we will...I will...I must...protect...destroy...!"  Reminding me of Legaia 2 Duel Saga twice in an update is really not cool, guys.  "Faize...?" "Faize...You were just too kind...Kinder than anyone...anyone else...But your kindness...was too much for this universe..."  "I see. Very well..."    Now Playing - Maelstrom's Clutches "I am Satan. He who shall set right this distorted universe." That's right, the final boss is Satan! Or, uh, Satanail. Satanail is the last in a long line of puzzle bosses. Those coloured orbs you see around him? You have to destroy those before you can hurt him. It doesn't sound that complex, but it does mean that until you break those, you can only attack him from the front, where he hangs one ball in front of him, gradually cycling through his elemental balls.  "Look, everyone! I turned Edge into a pumpkin! Isn't it the funniest poo poo you've ever seen?" *Ineffectual pumpkinwaist moan*SatanFaize is fond of status effects, but as long as you've got Sarah, they shouldn't be a problem.  One of the annoying things about his ball gimmick is that it hinders the effectiveness of Rush Combos.  After you've busted one of his balls, you can't even hurt him until he cycles in a new one.  Satanail will undergo a brief transformation once you've busted all of his balls.  He also loves his wide spread, nigh undodgeable attacks.  And these seeker hands that fly up your rear end.  He wasn't a complete cake walk, but I managed this without doing any meaningful prep work at all. Click here for everything after we defeated SatanFaize.  Faize has returned to normal.    Edge runs to him in a dramatic slow-mo.   "It's nice...to hear that...Because all...Because all I ever...wanted..." "Faize..." "Lymle..." Now Playing - Whistle on the Wind (Tearful Mix) "...You dummy, Faize. You're just a big, hopeless dummy..." "...Yes, I think so too. Though it's a little vexing to find myself agreeing with you." "I...lied to you, 'kay...?" "Lymle...?" "But only...only...kinda..."Lymle starts crying. Because you see, the cloak represented Amina's love for Faize, and admitting it looked good on him would be like admitting that another girl was better for him and Lymle loves Faize    Meracle talking. "It would seem that Nox Obscurus has begun to collapse. I assume it is because the energy supply cannot be maintained now that Mr. Faize has been defeated. Or to be more accurate, now that the Grigori that merged with him has been destroyed." "That makes sense. In other words, Nox Obscurus doesn't have enough energy left to hold itself together any longer." "I believe that analysis is correct, Mrs. Myuria." "I imagine the analysis can probably wait." "You're wasting time too, Arumat!" "We have to go!" "Edge...!" Myuria drags Reimi away with the others.  "Edge...?" "Edgie...But..."Faize nods at Lymle, spurring her to run for safety.    Dammit, Bacchus, why'd you have to ruin everything?  "We'll be fine! Take care of Lymle!" "But...!" "Just do it!" "...I believe in you, Mr. Edge."Bacchus walks on.  "Tell me...Where did I go wrong...?"Now Playing - Cosmic Voyagers (Spring Wind Mix) "All I ever...all I ever wanted...was to become strong...like you, Edge..."Well that sounds like the problem right there. You emulated Edge to gain his strength but also gained his abject stupidity. "No matter how dark...or difficult the path...you always came through it, growing step by step...I wanted to become a man like you...always walking forward..." "That's nothing. You still can, you know. You're walking forward now, aren't you?" "Hmm, I see...That's exactly where I went wrong, isn't it...I needed to keep moving forward on my own feet...No matter how far, no matter how difficult, no matter how painful...You told me that...showed me so many times...but instead I grabbed hold of the power I found in front of me...Because my heart was weak...Too fragile to withstand the sorrow and pain..." Edge and Faize keep walking as the palace collapses around them.  Now Playing - Event Horizon   Sarah talking. "Look!" "It's a transfer symbol!" "Run!" Myuria asking.  "I imagine we're able to use them because the connection between Nox Obscurus and the Missing Procedure has been severed."       "No, there's no way I could let go of you now!"  "Let go! Edge...Edge is..." "No!" "EDGE! No..." "Reimi, stop! Calm down!"Reimi's hysterics are all unsubtitled and continue for a while.   "We can't wait any longer. The symbol will be caught in the collapse!"  Now Playing - Yin and Yang "Edge...why are you...trying so hard...?" "Don't look at me like that...You're going to be...strong like me, right...? C'mon, we're getting out of here...And then...we'll be...together again...!" "...Ahh...It feels nice..." *Grunt, strain* "...Huh?" "Hearing you call back to me from ahead...Running after you, following your lead...Always trying my best to help you...I hope, someday..." "Faize...?" "Edge...Edge, I know you can..."        "Let go! EDGE! Edge! Hurry up! Edge! Edge!" "Yin and Yang" picks up again here.       "No, Edge! He's going to DIE! Edge! Let go! Edge! Edge! Edge!"           Nox Obscurus' weird little black hole thing peters out and vanishes. And this is where this update shall end. Join me next time, where the story ends, and we learn the dumbest secret.
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May 18, 2023 21:30
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Wait, it's going to get dumber? Also at least Welch stayed out of this poo poo.
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May 18, 2023 21:43
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Watching this set of scenes voiced with all the dramatic music is a magical experience. It's hard to believe some of the people who did this are big time voice actors now, I mean they really put all their effort into doing this, you gotta give em all the respect in the world for not being like the Chaos Wars people and instead actually doing their job. Also if you want to make it slightly more bearable, if you read Faize's lines in the voice of Donald Trump, it becomes ten times better. I mean a line like quote:A girl from the Black Tribe gave it to me. Her name was...ah, I suppose I never had the chance to ask. is such a Trump thing to say. And it still cracks me up that Lymle was able to figure out Faize is this shithead just because of the black cloak he was sporting, which is A) Really stupid, and B) That's not even the same cloak Faize had, when you see it from behind, this is a full on evil villain cape! Faize just had on a loving scarf!
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May 18, 2023 21:57
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PurpleXVI posted:Wait, it's going to get dumber? Just think; how could you rob this scene of the little dignity it has left? Shitenshi posted:Also if you want to make it slightly more bearable, if you read Faize's lines in the voice of Donald Trump, it becomes ten times better. "We're gonna make a beautiful new universe, nobody will ever lose again, everyone will win, so much winning, they'll be tired of winning. I'll make the universe great again!"
LJN92 fucked around with this message at 23:28 on May 18, 2023 |
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May 18, 2023 22:06
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PurpleXVI posted:Also at least Welch stayed out of this poo poo. This was quite possibly the only good decision that the writers made.
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May 18, 2023 22:19
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Famously stable static thing, evolution.
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May 18, 2023 23:52
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Was it worth it to finally become Chaos, er, Satan? I was laughing too much from seeing Arumat getting that title. 1000 damage from a melee character.
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May 19, 2023 01:46
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Scalding Coffee posted:I was laughing too much from seeing Arumat getting that title. 1000 damage from a melee character. Always hated that you're only allowed to get battle trophies when you're in control of the character, even if most of the non-trivial ones would never happen naturally anyway.
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May 19, 2023 02:49
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When all you have is a Satanhammer, everything looks like a Satanail.
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May 19, 2023 03:44
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Well, I don't think any of that could possibly have been any stupider.
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May 19, 2023 08:54
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The only thing that could have made this worse would be Myuria trying to sex her way put of this one.
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May 19, 2023 13:49
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Never would have guessed Faize would have become a Dark Eldar. I guess that means his race also has the capability of becoming an anti-existence or having an animus towards U-Doooooo.
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May 19, 2023 15:16
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Would be lying if I said I wasn't expecting this somehow. ...What a game.
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May 19, 2023 20:08
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Part of me wants to think Faize turned to the dark side mainly as a result of all the doofuses he was with, and the random rear end girl he just met was just the straw breaking the camel's back. Like Lymle saying his name over and over again in that same loving voice is what finally makes him snap mentally to turn into his final boss form, and if that doesn't do it, nothing will.
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May 19, 2023 23:09
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Just going to post once so the update is hopefully on the next page. Update coming very soon...
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May 20, 2023 22:48
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