Hey guys. Sorry for the inactivity, but my internet access has been less than optimal for a variety of reasons. However, I plan to become more active in the discussions and in general be around more often.
Sorry again.
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Thanks to guys at aether for the banner
" Even now the stars align, the celestial spheres moving into the prophesied positions of the great astral conjunction..." [Aurter Burtabby][Blood of Gods][Aether]
Hey guys. Sorry for the inactivity, but my internet access has been less than optimal for a variety of reasons. However, I plan to become more active in the discussions and in general be around more often.
Sorry again.
No need to apologize, just welcome back.
Anyone else in here playing Pokemon DP who wants to swap friend codes?
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[16:23] Alacar Leoricar: maybe if you do it'll make the porn more meaningful
This edition features a Ps2 remake of an already classic game; Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song.
Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song
Developed and published by Square Enix
Released 10/11/05
Rated E10+
Akitoshi Kawazu is an odd one, it seems. He's been around since Square's younger days, back when quality was their hallmark. Kawazu has a very unique artistic style, heavily influenced by the drama plays of old, epic poems written to the tune of unbelievable heroes, and imagery that is both breathtaking and relatable. He also has a head for new systems; Kawazu invented the levelling system present in games like Final Fantasy 2, for example.
Unfortunately, it seems that we in America don't really know how to take Kawazu. The guy is worth getting to know, of course, but it appears his ideals and achievements go right over our heads.
The SaGa series has had a minimal presence in the US, starting with the arguably enjoyable SaGa Frontier in March of 1998. What gamers saw upon opening that CD case and starting up a new game was literally unlike anything they'd encountered before. A handful of characters, each with a distinct story that sometimes overlaps with others'. Battle mechanics and a character growth system that was unfamiliar and sort of unforgiving. A world of high-minded fantasy staples mixed with the audacity of a college art film. Of course Americans were taken aback. What we didn't have a clue about, though, was that the SaGa series is one of the most venerated and beloved establishments in console gaming and has been around since the Gameboy was still young.
Akitoshi Kawazu is the man responsible for this series, and he takes great joy from what he does. Romancing SaGa, released in the early days of the Super Famicon's life, is regarded in Japan second only to greats like the Dragon Quest series. So it seemed a natural decision to give this old skool goliath a face lift for a newer console and see how the times might change it. Kawazu decided to take a gamble and release Romancing SaGa, now subtitled Minstrel Song, in the US despite the abysmal sales of his last release, Unlimited SaGa, over here.
He's been very vocal about wishing he'd never done that. This is a shame, though, because Romancing SaGa (RS) is a game of incredible quality, depth, and fun that is aimed at a demographic that doesn't get a lot of love these days; seasoned, hard core RPGamers.
Romancing SaGa tells the story of a world named Mardias, overseen by a pantheon of ancient Gods. Chief among these gods is the creator, Elore. Mardias is, for the most part, peaceful, but was once rocked with war when the evil triumvirate of Death, Shirach, and Saruin gifted the people with havok. Elore gave his creations powerful gems known as the Fatestones and a group of chosen took them up to seal away the evils for eternity. But, as we all know, eternity is never long enough, and forces are again working throughout Mardias to see Saruin revived. You play one of eight unlikely warriors who will set out to destroy Saruin once and for all, and in the process become the conquering hero figure in your own saga.
US gamers tend to be kind of jaded when it comes to JRPGs because we feel that they all follow a predictable formula. No game is more indicative of this opinion's folley than Romancing SaGa. Upon choosing your hero, you're let loose in Mardias in one of that character's native locales and...that's it. You're not approached by any seedy individuals wanting your help in some dungeon. You're not going to head into the nearby forest and clear out the goblins therein. You certainly aren't going to be sneaking into a government power facility accompanied by a para-terrorist organization. You're free to take on any one of a multitude of quests, in almost any order you wish, and everything about your character from the weapons they wield to the magic they cast is entirely in your hands.
Open-endedness can be very crippling for an RPG because it can close so many more doors than it opens if it isn't done right. Thankfully, RS does everything right. The world of Mardias is vast and full of colorful characters and rich history, and those with enough curiosity can get an incredible amount out of the experience of simpy walking through town. You find quests by talking to NPCs, stopping into the local pub, or just stumbling upon them by looking for new areas. Sometimes quests come to you - for example, a mermaid under the service of the sea god Yucomb tracks you down at port and asks for your help in finding some wayward nymph statues. No matter where you go, there's something to do in RS.
Character growth in SaGa games and the difficulties of combat are usually what scare people away from the series. Rightly so, because it's a big pool to jump into and you've got to learn to swim really fast or suffer the consequences. A particular quirk of the series is that tabletop gamers really tend to enjoy them. This is mostly because of the vast amount of numbers, combinations of skills and abilities, and real depth to combat from start to finish that pervades every SaGa game, even the much less sophisticated Gameboy iterations. RS is no exception; in fact, its system triumphs over every other entry in the series (except Unlimited, but that's another article) for two reasons. It keeps things challenging for the veterans and makes it so much more accessible for the newbies.
Every character in RS comes pre-loaded with a class, more or less a simplified version of the same thing in tabletop games. These classes can be powered up, switched out for others, or combined to unlock powerful legendary classes, not surprisingly named after D&D staples such as Rogue and Bard. Classes determine which weapons and armor your character is proficient with, what types of magic they can use, and what skills they have available. Different weapons depend on different ability scores for their damage potential and hit rate; for example, spears use Strength while foils utilize Dexterity. The same goes with spells - Demonology's strength is determined by Charisma while Pyrology uses Intellect.
Skills are an essential part of playing RS, and a welcome addition to the gaming experience of the series. Skills can seem pretty mundane - Search and Climb don't especially impress - but they're invaluable to exploring dungeons and other hostile environments. Find Chests will net you expensive and powerful equipment early in the game, which is invaluable, while Hide and Move Silently are priceless for allowing you to sneak past enemies undetected. If this is sounding a lot like a game of D&D, then rightly so. Kawazu is a huge fan of tabletop games and goes to them first for his inspiration when thinking up new mechanics and trying to refine old ones.
In combat, things can get really hot really fast. You form a party of five people during an adventure in RS, ranging anywhere from heavy fighters to healers to sneaky rogues. The three magical numbers everything revolves around in RS are HP, BP, and LP. HP is self-explanatory; a measure of physical endurance. But when your HP is depleted, that character isn't dead. LP remains as a more critical estimate of how long a character has in this life. Running out of HP is no big deal - one shot of Moonlight or Healing Water will have you set to rights in no time. Running out of LP, though, means game over for you and permanent death for your allies.
BP is a universal calculation of "special" energy, such as MP or TP in other games. Every character gains BP at a certain rate every round of combat, and has a maximum value they're allowed that grows as they grow. BP is invaluable to both fighters and mages because it gives them what they need; fuel for weapon techniques or "waza" and spells.
There's so much more to get into - combat modes, spell fusions, surges and fulcrums, and benedictions from the gods, good or evil, who favor you. But like most games this deep, it's so much easier and so much more fun to experience them first-hand than it is to explain them.
Something about Kawazu that has gotten him just as much flack as it has praise is his commitment to the "flavor" of a game. As stated above, Kawazu is a sucker for classic literature and operatics, and this really comes through in RS. The whole game unfolds like an epic poem, with the titular Minstrel character following you around from town to town, telling you stories of the way the world used to be and singing you songs of your own exploits. You have everything that makes a great epic here; the errant creator god versus the inexplicable evil; unlikely heroes set upon the world to find their place and defeat the bad guy; exotic locales and truly memorable characters who share this fully realized world with you. Wrap this all up with an extraordinary soundtrack from series veteran Kenji Ito and his new partner in crime, Tsuyoshi Sekito, and you've got the complete package.
Romancing SaGa is something we don't often get to see here in the states. A truly immersive gaming experience that relies on addictive gameplay and innovative, yet classic mechanics and storytelling to get its point across rather than flashy CG and anime cliches. The game was unfortunately a flop in this country, debuting at the usual fifty dollar price tag and dropping to twenty dollars new within a month and a half. Despite gamer reactions here, though, I seriously urge that you pick up this game and play it if you can find it. With a little time to learn the ropes and some patience with an artistic vision that has nothing to offer but the best, you too can truly enjoy the one-of-a-kind experience that is Romancing SaGa.
This edition features a Ps2 remake of an already classic game; Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song.
Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song
Developed and published by Square Enix
Released 10/11/05
Rated E10+
Akitoshi Kawazu is an odd one, it seems. He's been around since Square's younger days, back when quality was their hallmark. Kawazu has a very unique artistic style, heavily influenced by the drama plays of old, epic poems written to the tune of unbelievable heroes, and imagery that is both breathtaking and relatable. He also has a head for new systems; Kawazu invented the levelling system present in games like Final Fantasy 2, for example.
Unfortunately, it seems that we in America don't really know how to take Kawazu. The guy is worth getting to know, of course, but it appears his ideals and achievements go right over our heads.
The SaGa series has had a minimal presence in the US, starting with the arguably enjoyable SaGa Frontier in March of 1998. What gamers saw upon opening that CD case and starting up a new game was literally unlike anything they'd encountered before. A handful of characters, each with a distinct story that sometimes overlaps with others'. Battle mechanics and a character growth system that was unfamiliar and sort of unforgiving. A world of high-minded fantasy staples mixed with the audacity of a college art film. Of course Americans were taken aback. What we didn't have a clue about, though, was that the SaGa series is one of the most venerated and beloved establishments in console gaming and has been around since the Gameboy was still young.
Akitoshi Kawazu is the man responsible for this series, and he takes great joy from what he does. Romancing SaGa, released in the early days of the Super Famicon's life, is regarded in Japan second only to greats like the Dragon Quest series. So it seemed a natural decision to give this old skool goliath a face lift for a newer console and see how the times might change it. Kawazu decided to take a gamble and release Romancing SaGa, now subtitled Minstrel Song, in the US despite the abysmal sales of his last release, Unlimited SaGa, over here.
He's been very vocal about wishing he'd never done that. This is a shame, though, because Romancing SaGa (RS) is a game of incredible quality, depth, and fun that is aimed at a demographic that doesn't get a lot of love these days; seasoned, hard core RPGamers.
Romancing SaGa tells the story of a world named Mardias, overseen by a pantheon of ancient Gods. Chief among these gods is the creator, Elore. Mardias is, for the most part, peaceful, but was once rocked with war when the evil triumvirate of Death, Shirach, and Saruin gifted the people with havok. Elore gave his creations powerful gems known as the Fatestones and a group of chosen took them up to seal away the evils for eternity. But, as we all know, eternity is never long enough, and forces are again working throughout Mardias to see Saruin revived. You play one of eight unlikely warriors who will set out to destroy Saruin once and for all, and in the process become the conquering hero figure in your own saga.
US gamers tend to be kind of jaded when it comes to JRPGs because we feel that they all follow a predictable formula. No game is more indicative of this opinion's folley than Romancing SaGa. Upon choosing your hero, you're let loose in Mardias in one of that character's native locales and...that's it. You're not approached by any seedy individuals wanting your help in some dungeon. You're not going to head into the nearby forest and clear out the goblins therein. You certainly aren't going to be sneaking into a government power facility accompanied by a para-terrorist organization. You're free to take on any one of a multitude of quests, in almost any order you wish, and everything about your character from the weapons they wield to the magic they cast is entirely in your hands.
Open-endedness can be very crippling for an RPG because it can close so many more doors than it opens if it isn't done right. Thankfully, RS does everything right. The world of Mardias is vast and full of colorful characters and rich history, and those with enough curiosity can get an incredible amount out of the experience of simpy walking through town. You find quests by talking to NPCs, stopping into the local pub, or just stumbling upon them by looking for new areas. Sometimes quests come to you - for example, a mermaid under the service of the sea god Yucomb tracks you down at port and asks for your help in finding some wayward nymph statues. No matter where you go, there's something to do in RS.
Character growth in SaGa games and the difficulties of combat are usually what scare people away from the series. Rightly so, because it's a big pool to jump into and you've got to learn to swim really fast or suffer the consequences. A particular quirk of the series is that tabletop gamers really tend to enjoy them. This is mostly because of the vast amount of numbers, combinations of skills and abilities, and real depth to combat from start to finish that pervades every SaGa game, even the much less sophisticated Gameboy iterations. RS is no exception; in fact, its system triumphs over every other entry in the series (except Unlimited, but that's another article) for two reasons. It keeps things challenging for the veterans and makes it so much more accessible for the newbies.
Every character in RS comes pre-loaded with a class, more or less a simplified version of the same thing in tabletop games. These classes can be powered up, switched out for others, or combined to unlock powerful legendary classes, not surprisingly named after D&D staples such as Rogue and Bard. Classes determine which weapons and armor your character is proficient with, what types of magic they can use, and what skills they have available. Different weapons depend on different ability scores for their damage potential and hit rate; for example, spears use Strength while foils utilize Dexterity. The same goes with spells - Demonology's strength is determined by Charisma while Pyrology uses Intellect.
Skills are an essential part of playing RS, and a welcome addition to the gaming experience of the series. Skills can seem pretty mundane - Search and Climb don't especially impress - but they're invaluable to exploring dungeons and other hostile environments. Find Chests will net you expensive and powerful equipment early in the game, which is invaluable, while Hide and Move Silently are priceless for allowing you to sneak past enemies undetected. If this is sounding a lot like a game of D&D, then rightly so. Kawazu is a huge fan of tabletop games and goes to them first for his inspiration when thinking up new mechanics and trying to refine old ones.
In combat, things can get really hot really fast. You form a party of five people during an adventure in RS, ranging anywhere from heavy fighters to healers to sneaky rogues. The three magical numbers everything revolves around in RS are HP, BP, and LP. HP is self-explanatory; a measure of physical endurance. But when your HP is depleted, that character isn't dead. LP remains as a more critical estimate of how long a character has in this life. Running out of HP is no big deal - one shot of Moonlight or Healing Water will have you set to rights in no time. Running out of LP, though, means game over for you and permanent death for your allies.
BP is a universal calculation of "special" energy, such as MP or TP in other games. Every character gains BP at a certain rate every round of combat, and has a maximum value they're allowed that grows as they grow. BP is invaluable to both fighters and mages because it gives them what they need; fuel for weapon techniques or "waza" and spells.
There's so much more to get into - combat modes, spell fusions, surges and fulcrums, and benedictions from the gods, good or evil, who favor you. But like most games this deep, it's so much easier and so much more fun to experience them first-hand than it is to explain them.
Something about Kawazu that has gotten him just as much flack as it has praise is his commitment to the "flavor" of a game. As stated above, Kawazu is a sucker for classic literature and operatics, and this really comes through in RS. The whole game unfolds like an epic poem, with the titular Minstrel character following you around from town to town, telling you stories of the way the world used to be and singing you songs of your own exploits. You have everything that makes a great epic here; the errant creator god versus the inexplicable evil; unlikely heroes set upon the world to find their place and defeat the bad guy; exotic locales and truly memorable characters who share this fully realized world with you. Wrap this all up with an extraordinary soundtrack from series veteran Kenji Ito and his new partner in crime, Tsuyoshi Sekito, and you've got the complete package.
Romancing SaGa is something we don't often get to see here in the states. A truly immersive gaming experience that relies on addictive gameplay and innovative, yet classic mechanics and storytelling to get its point across rather than flashy CG and anime cliches. The game was unfortunately a flop in this country, debuting at the usual fifty dollar price tag and dropping to twenty dollars new within a month and a half. Despite gamer reactions here, though, I seriously urge that you pick up this game and play it if you can find it. With a little time to learn the ropes and some patience with an artistic vision that has nothing to offer but the best, you too can truly enjoy the one-of-a-kind experience that is Romancing SaGa.
Ah, yes, RS. Truly one of the most challenging and most engaging games for the PS2. It's a game that grows on you once you get into it- actually, that would be an understatement. I just love this game, and I can say very emphatically that it is one of the best games I have played.
It's all just so fluid and everything interacts so well (hell, monsters have an actual ecology- the more you kill off one species of monsters, the more others thrive and wane depending on how they relate to that creature in the food chain), and yet it doesn't do that MMORPG thing in which you feel like you are running around with no direction doing nothing.
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[16:23] Alacar Leoricar: maybe if you do it'll make the porn more meaningful
Wow, Ether, that sounds like an outright fantastic game. Seriously, I've never played it but it seems like it would fall right in line with my game preferences. Awesome article.
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Official Character Sheet Shredder of DAMNIT
DAMNIT: I should never have to shred my own character sheet in frustration.
I have a friend who bought the pokemon game the first day it was out. He's a big pokemon fan, has been since the beginning of the series.
I myself have ever only owned 1 pokemon game, however, and that I got from him for free because somebody else gave it to him and he already had a copy of it.
It's not that I hate pokemon, but that I get very few games and I have bad luck with handhelds
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Banner and avatar by me.
Official Character Sheet Shredder of DAMNIT
DAMNIT: I should never have to shred my own character sheet in frustration.
I have a friend who bought the pokemon game the first day it was out. He's a big pokemon fan, has been since the beginning of the series.
I myself have ever only owned 1 pokemon game, however, and that I got from him for free because somebody else gave it to him and he already had a copy of it.
It's not that I hate pokemon, but that I get very few games and I have bad luck with handhelds
I used to be a diehard Pokemon fan, believe it or not. I used to play the original religiously- I would probably put time in every day for a good year, and then after that, I backed off a bit, but I would still pick it up and kill the Elite Four for the hell of it.
I wasn't as enthusiastic about Gold and Silver, but that is mostly because I traded over all my uber pokemon from the first one by trading them for magikarp, and it was too easy.
However, I just lost interest when I got bored with the game, and lacking people to play against. So I skipped all the next gen ones altogether, but the idea of being able to play with people from all over the world is what brought me back with Pearl- which I am loving, by the way.
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[16:23] Alacar Leoricar: maybe if you do it'll make the porn more meaningful
@ Photon:
I have, in order... Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, Ruby, Leaf Green, Pearl, Ranger.
R/B = Just awesome because I was unbeaten at school. My team of Zapdos, Gyarados, Mewtwo, Charizard, Venusaur and Blastoise all at Level 100 was too much for most
Y = Meh... Had to use Pikachu and I was never a fan of him. HOWEVER you could get all 3 starters througout the course of the game which was schweet
G/S = I actually liked this. Again, undefeated at school I think...
Mewtwo, Tyranitar, Lugia, Typhlosion, Venusaur, Suicune all at level 100 was pretty strong
Ruby: Wasnt the biggest fan of this one. Too many new things and not enough of the classics... That AND you had a shocking flyer til much later in the game. (Sorry Pelipper, you don't cut it.) Groudon was cool though.
LG: I loved how this went back to the original with the option of over 300 pokemon in it. AND It had Venusaur on the cover
Pearl: Loving it at the moment.
My team is currently:
Staraptor Lv 41
Luxray Lv 42
Empoleon Lv 44
Machoke Lv 41
Riolu Lv 32 (HE WON'T EVOLVE GDIT>.<)
Does anyone know how to make pokemon happy? Cause he is driving me mad :/
Pokemon gain happiness in a lot of ways-
1. Keep them in your party at all times.
2. Try to avoid letting them stay under the effect of a status ailment.
3. Use medicines on them.
4. Feed them poffins of the flavor they prefer.
5. Use vitamin supplements on them.
6. I don't know if this is true in this one, but in Gold and Silver, if there was ever an optional service (massages, haircuts, etc) that could be used on a pokemon, the pokemon you use it on gains some happiness.
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[16:23] Alacar Leoricar: maybe if you do it'll make the porn more meaningful
@Photon; yup, all of those will make a pokemon happier. Generally, keeping them active, alive, and well will work wonders for making them happier and make them like you more.
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Banner and avatar by me.
Official Character Sheet Shredder of DAMNIT
DAMNIT: I should never have to shred my own character sheet in frustration.
I was playing dragon quest 7 for a little while a little bit ago and i am at the tallest tower lol. I havent went through it yet and i dont think im ready for it because i want to stock up on medical herbs and get better armor as well since the monsters seem nasty in the tower. I think im pretty close to finishing the game now i just need those power classes which should be coming soon.
Well see you all soon! *hugs and blows kisses*
Love,
Cecilia
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I thank Mr. stuff for my banner and avatar.
I thank Sakura for the animation of my avatar.
"Miracles are only worth happening if you make them happen."
--Cecilia
Yoda of Legacy since 2006. Member of the 2005 and 2007 MTGS Magic Team. Also known as kevinliu2333. Current favorite Magic card is Time Elemental
Well, I posted about my possible new campaign in the P&P Inn, so if anyone's interested in a little D&D action, head on over there.
The tallest tower, Kevin? I feel dumb; is that the one where you get Melvin? O_o;;
awww Yep it is and im impressed that you still remember it probably been a long while since you played dq7 ;). Hopefully there isnt no nasty boss up at the top of the tower but if there is i wont be surprised ill be ready for the boss if it comes down to it. I just need to get better armor and weapons initially or use playskill.
Love,
Cecilia
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I thank Mr. stuff for my banner and avatar.
I thank Sakura for the animation of my avatar.
"Miracles are only worth happening if you make them happen."
--Cecilia
Yoda of Legacy since 2006. Member of the 2005 and 2007 MTGS Magic Team. Also known as kevinliu2333. Current favorite Magic card is Time Elemental
Now don't quote me on this, but I don't actually think there's a boss up there. You just get through that annoying ladder room and then Melvin's sitting up there. Thankfully he comes with some good equipment, meaning you don't have to spend too much on him =)
What level are you on, if I may ask? I find that once you have Melvin you can hang out in that tower occupied by slimes that fuse into King Slimes and take them down with multitarget stuff to really rake in the experience and money. Oh man, I spent so much time in there >_<;;
Now don't quote me on this, but I don't actually think there's a boss up there. You just get through that annoying ladder room and then Melvin's sitting up there. Thankfully he comes with some good equipment, meaning you don't have to spend too much on him =)
What level are you on, if I may ask? I find that once you have Melvin you can hang out in that tower occupied by slimes that fuse into King Slimes and take them down with multitarget stuff to really rake in the experience and money. Oh man, I spent so much time in there >_<;;
Oh okay i wouldve been ready if there was a boss up there and if there is dont worry.
Im on 27 lol i probably should be higher since orgodemir is coming up pretty soon. Yeah im going to get to at least level 38 or something before i fight the last boss since i heard hes pretty difficult with a low 30 level. Thanks josh!
Love,
Cecilia
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I thank Mr. stuff for my banner and avatar.
I thank Sakura for the animation of my avatar.
"Miracles are only worth happening if you make them happen."
--Cecilia
Yoda of Legacy since 2006. Member of the 2005 and 2007 MTGS Magic Team. Also known as kevinliu2333. Current favorite Magic card is Time Elemental
My enlghtened fist Feng Wei went really well today!
He's definatly Lawfull evil. I had cast enlarge on myself and brutalized this villanous mage. Had him unconscious and then I curb stomped him for good measure. Hehe.
Anyways, I have some nice combos and my damage output is very good for a 7th level character.
I just look forward to getting enervation and hold ray.
I use to be a fan of the original pokemon, but it started to get old. I have the original 150 pokemon just about memorized (or at least I used to), but the new ones are still pretty hazy. I still enjoy the games, though.
Someone will have to explain this Persona game to me. I just saw multiple world mythological names, Shinto, Greek, Egyptian, etc. and that picked up my interest.
I'm still waiting to see if anyone comes up with a must-have list for video games.
I use to be a fan of the original pokemon, but it started to get old. I have the original 150 pokemon just about memorized (or at least I used to), but the new ones are still pretty hazy. I still enjoy the games, though.
Someone will have to explain this Persona game to me. I just saw multiple world mythological names, Shinto, Greek, Egyptian, etc. and that picked up my interest.
I'm still waiting to see if anyone comes up with a must-have list for video games.
Persona is a series of games within the Shin Megami Tensei universe. Typically, Megaten games feature event based stories that hinge more upon NPCs than the cast, and feature a system that is (ironically, considering the recent subject matter) close to Pokemon's, although a good deal more complex. In the average Megaten game, you make contracts with powerful demons, angels, and supernatural beings, which you then summon to face off against supernatural horrors, evil cultists, and sometimes God and Lucifer. The games feature interesting alignment based play, in which you are forced to choose between Law and Chaos in part of a power play of the cosmos, and overall the series is very gritty, edgy, and full of mythological goodness.
Persona is a derivation on the series, in which contracting demons and playing nameless characters is replaced with the traditional RPG elements- character-driven stories and interactions.
Instead of contracting demons, you play as a group of people who end up embroiled in one of many supernatural conspiracies, and you must resort to the power of Persona- Jungian archetypes derived from the subconscious connections to ancient pagan powers- in order to save the day. A character connects psychically with a persona, and then draws power from it, allowing them to cast spells and use techniques.
The first Persona game (which was horribly translated, but became a PSX era cult classic) features the students of a private school in a town called Moonvale. As supernatural events begin to plague the school, a group of ill-matched students (from the typical airhead, uber-wealthy, "most popular" girl in school, to the boyish, star athlete closet lesbian, to the wildly dressed, outrageous raver kid) come together using the power of Persona to solve the mysteries surrounding their school.
The next Persona title was released in two parts- Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment. Taking place in Sumaru City, Japan, a group of children once gathered to play a game called Persona in a nearby Shinto temple. The four children played the game where they would use their persona to protect an older girl named Maya from fictional evils, but one day a tragedy occured at the temple, and all of the children separated. Many years later, Maya and the four children (now in high school) are brought together by the activities of a mysterious serial killer called Joker.
The game operates around several key players-
Tatsuya- One of the four children. He is something of a "bad boy", and is the main character. He harbors long buried feelings for Maya, in a sort of relationship that is not so subtly Oedipic. Jun- Tatsuya's effeminate childhood friend from the temple. He is withdrawn and gentle natured, but he bears a secret that has warped his heart. Lisa/Ginko- A half American girl who was one of the four children who played at the temple. She is loud, fussy, spoiled, and more than a little boy crazy. She has a love/hate relationship with Eikichi, and has feelings for Tatsuya. She is called Ginko by her classmates, a play off of her last name, Silverman (Gin being the Japanese word for Silver, ko being an endearing honorific. Ginko literally translated to "Little Silver") Eikichi- One of the four children from the temple. He is now something of a goth, wearing heavy makeup and sporting wild, blue hair. Despite his grim appearance, he is really very playful and sarcastic. Maya- An older woman who used to babysit and play with the four children at the temple. She works as a reporter for a popular teen magazine, and is known for her love of pop psychology. Her catchphrase is "Let's think positive!" which was translated badly in the Japanese version to "Let's Positive Thinking", a commonly used expression among Megaten fans. Yuuki- The aforementioned tomboyish lesbian from the first Persona. She is Maya's college friend and a camerawoman for the magazine Maya works for. She gets involved with the whole affair when she and Maya uncover a supernatural event while on the job.
Eternal Punishment takes place after Innocent Sin. According to the Innocent Sin timeline-
It ends up that Joker was really one of the four children, Jun. Jun was in love with fellow party member Tatsuya, and became jealous of Tatsuya's affections for Maya, and thus his heart filled with evil. The Elder God Nyarlahotep managed to reach out to him and influence him, causing him to become the Joker. In the end, things really go to Hell, and Maya is killed in the final battle. Philemon, the mysterious being who awakens the Persona within the teens, tells them that he can reset history so that Maya will survive, but in order to do so, he must erase all connections between the friends and all memories they share. They sadly agree to save their beloved Maya, but in the end, something goes wrong... Tatsuya returns to Japan bearing the memories of his love for Maya, and by doing so commits a sin so terrible that it threatens to unravel the fiber of reality.
The second game also takes place in Sumaru. People are oddly ignorant of the events of IS, and town is abuzz over the rumor of a serial killer called Joker. It is said that when you call your own cell number at night, Joker answers. If you ask him, he will kill one person for you. A series of bizarre murders begins to take place surrounding this rumor.
The second game involves the following characters-
Maya- The same Maya as in the first game, although now the main character. She recently met a young man on the subway, and he caused unusual memories and feelings to stir within her. Ulula- Maya's best friend and roommate, a successful fashion designer. She was recently swindled and left heartbroken by her fiance. She is prone to self destructive behavior and has awful taste in men. Katsuya- Tatsuya's older brother, a rising homicide detective. He is very concerned with his brother's reckless and socially irresponsible behavior. Baofu- A Taiwanese ex-Mafia member who now operates a popular conspiracy theory website. He becomes involved with the plot when he is sought out to explain the current supernatural events within the city. Tatsuya- The main character of IS, and Maya's mysterious "subway boy". He began acting strangely several months ago. Nate- One of the characters from the first Persona. He was once the richest and most arrogant boys in school, until the Persona incidents reformed him. He comes to Sumaru to investigate the recent events. Ellen- One of the main characters from the first game, Ellen was once the most popular girl in school. Now, she is a professional supermodel, and a skilled fencer to boot. She came to Sumaru to investigate the recent events.
Jun, Eikichi, Lisa, and Mary from the first Persona also have reprising roles as NPCs within this game.
In EP, you gain Persona by gathering Tarot Cards gained when you negotiate with demons. When you encounter demons, you have two choices- fight to the death, or use persuasion, diplomacy, ass-kissing, or intimidation to get them to back off. If you can successfully initiate contact with a demon, they may reward your pluck by granting you a sum of magical tarot cards. Tarot cards can be taken to the mysterious night club, Velvet Room, where you can trade them in to awaken new persona within your soul. Persona are equipped and swapped as you see fit, with each persona bearing a set of strengths and weaknesses. Persona teach you spells and abilities, change your elemental affinities and weaknesses, and alter your stats while equipped. Additionally, persona sometimes mutate and become new versions of themselves. For example, the persona Valkyrie may become the persona Freija, or it may just change it's affinity, gain better stat boosts, or learn new spells.
Sometimes, the Persona you equip override your personality, too. This happens when a persona you equip encounters a member of it's own mythology. For example, someone with the Valkyrie persona may act strangely when battling Odin, and a unique conversation may occur between them.
Furthermore, Persona can be combined together to create special fusion techniques that are quite powerful, adding a layer of complex strategy to the battle engine.
EP is a difficult game, don't be fooled. Most people can expect to put about 80 hours into it, and if you are expecting to load it up and have a happy romp, you are in for a surprise. It is ass-kickingly difficult in some places- dungeons are enormous, battles are merciless, and if you do not know how to exploit the strategies needed to win and/or talk a demon down, you'll be toast in no time. The story is also dark and gritty, with plenty of moments that make you absolutely sure of why it has an M rating (The first hour of the game features a particularly grisly murder scene, and there is a notable part of the game in which you wander through an abandoned psych ward- one of the most disturbing moments in gaming in my opinion).
It also features the highly innovative rumor system. It seems that while within Sumaru City, rumors catch fire like dry brush and spread all over. Soon, they become so often repeated that they become real of their own volition. This is a key part of the crisis in EP, and you can choose to exploit it to your own advantage. For example, do you wish the prices of weapons would drop? Just start a rumor that a certain shop is planning on having a big sale, and within a few hours- voila. Guns at half price. The rumor system becomes a good deal more complicated the more you experiment, with some rumors effecting the way others work. Information is power, and it well worth your time to stalk the streets and talk to people, because you never know who will pass on a piece of gossip that you can use to bend reality to your liking.
Innocent Sin was only released in Japan, so anyone on the western hemisphere will have to make due with Eternal Punishment. EP is a very solid game, though, and while you do miss out on some story elements, you still get the gist of it while playing (it is masterfully translated, and there are plenty of cutscenes to explain what has happened). Additionally, there are plenty of IS script translations and summaries to read through online.
The most recent game in the series is the yet unreleased Persona 3, which takes place in an entirely new city and with a new cast. It will be coming out in a few months for the PS2.
I hope to have them all at level 60 by the end of the day and have beaten the E4 then.
I will then just need 1 more pokedex entry until I can start importing Mewtwos and the like
VENUSAUR FTW!!!
If you start running Mewtwos, remind me not to play against you. Ever.
I beat the Elite Four plus the champ last night. The sad part was that my pokemon were at level 42-48 :p. 50 revives and 50 hyper potions FTW! (I seriously used 32 revives (the last of them) against the champion and still almost lost.
Now I have to somehow raise all of them above level 50 so I can do better in the battle tower.
Also: currently trying to catch the 3 legendary pokemon of the lakes.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I'll bet you wish you had a non-unglued/unhinged card that shared your first name.
Sorry again.
Thanks to guys at aether for the banner
" Even now the stars align, the celestial spheres moving into the prophesied positions of the great astral conjunction..."
[Aurter Burtabby][Blood of Gods][Aether]
No need to apologize, just welcome back.
Anyone else in here playing Pokemon DP who wants to swap friend codes?
This edition features a Ps2 remake of an already classic game; Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song.
Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song
Developed and published by Square Enix
Released 10/11/05
Rated E10+
Akitoshi Kawazu is an odd one, it seems. He's been around since Square's younger days, back when quality was their hallmark. Kawazu has a very unique artistic style, heavily influenced by the drama plays of old, epic poems written to the tune of unbelievable heroes, and imagery that is both breathtaking and relatable. He also has a head for new systems; Kawazu invented the levelling system present in games like Final Fantasy 2, for example.
Unfortunately, it seems that we in America don't really know how to take Kawazu. The guy is worth getting to know, of course, but it appears his ideals and achievements go right over our heads.
The SaGa series has had a minimal presence in the US, starting with the arguably enjoyable SaGa Frontier in March of 1998. What gamers saw upon opening that CD case and starting up a new game was literally unlike anything they'd encountered before. A handful of characters, each with a distinct story that sometimes overlaps with others'. Battle mechanics and a character growth system that was unfamiliar and sort of unforgiving. A world of high-minded fantasy staples mixed with the audacity of a college art film. Of course Americans were taken aback. What we didn't have a clue about, though, was that the SaGa series is one of the most venerated and beloved establishments in console gaming and has been around since the Gameboy was still young.
Akitoshi Kawazu is the man responsible for this series, and he takes great joy from what he does. Romancing SaGa, released in the early days of the Super Famicon's life, is regarded in Japan second only to greats like the Dragon Quest series. So it seemed a natural decision to give this old skool goliath a face lift for a newer console and see how the times might change it. Kawazu decided to take a gamble and release Romancing SaGa, now subtitled Minstrel Song, in the US despite the abysmal sales of his last release, Unlimited SaGa, over here.
He's been very vocal about wishing he'd never done that. This is a shame, though, because Romancing SaGa (RS) is a game of incredible quality, depth, and fun that is aimed at a demographic that doesn't get a lot of love these days; seasoned, hard core RPGamers.
Romancing SaGa tells the story of a world named Mardias, overseen by a pantheon of ancient Gods. Chief among these gods is the creator, Elore. Mardias is, for the most part, peaceful, but was once rocked with war when the evil triumvirate of Death, Shirach, and Saruin gifted the people with havok. Elore gave his creations powerful gems known as the Fatestones and a group of chosen took them up to seal away the evils for eternity. But, as we all know, eternity is never long enough, and forces are again working throughout Mardias to see Saruin revived. You play one of eight unlikely warriors who will set out to destroy Saruin once and for all, and in the process become the conquering hero figure in your own saga.
US gamers tend to be kind of jaded when it comes to JRPGs because we feel that they all follow a predictable formula. No game is more indicative of this opinion's folley than Romancing SaGa. Upon choosing your hero, you're let loose in Mardias in one of that character's native locales and...that's it. You're not approached by any seedy individuals wanting your help in some dungeon. You're not going to head into the nearby forest and clear out the goblins therein. You certainly aren't going to be sneaking into a government power facility accompanied by a para-terrorist organization. You're free to take on any one of a multitude of quests, in almost any order you wish, and everything about your character from the weapons they wield to the magic they cast is entirely in your hands.
Open-endedness can be very crippling for an RPG because it can close so many more doors than it opens if it isn't done right. Thankfully, RS does everything right. The world of Mardias is vast and full of colorful characters and rich history, and those with enough curiosity can get an incredible amount out of the experience of simpy walking through town. You find quests by talking to NPCs, stopping into the local pub, or just stumbling upon them by looking for new areas. Sometimes quests come to you - for example, a mermaid under the service of the sea god Yucomb tracks you down at port and asks for your help in finding some wayward nymph statues. No matter where you go, there's something to do in RS.
Character growth in SaGa games and the difficulties of combat are usually what scare people away from the series. Rightly so, because it's a big pool to jump into and you've got to learn to swim really fast or suffer the consequences. A particular quirk of the series is that tabletop gamers really tend to enjoy them. This is mostly because of the vast amount of numbers, combinations of skills and abilities, and real depth to combat from start to finish that pervades every SaGa game, even the much less sophisticated Gameboy iterations. RS is no exception; in fact, its system triumphs over every other entry in the series (except Unlimited, but that's another article) for two reasons. It keeps things challenging for the veterans and makes it so much more accessible for the newbies.
Every character in RS comes pre-loaded with a class, more or less a simplified version of the same thing in tabletop games. These classes can be powered up, switched out for others, or combined to unlock powerful legendary classes, not surprisingly named after D&D staples such as Rogue and Bard. Classes determine which weapons and armor your character is proficient with, what types of magic they can use, and what skills they have available. Different weapons depend on different ability scores for their damage potential and hit rate; for example, spears use Strength while foils utilize Dexterity. The same goes with spells - Demonology's strength is determined by Charisma while Pyrology uses Intellect.
Skills are an essential part of playing RS, and a welcome addition to the gaming experience of the series. Skills can seem pretty mundane - Search and Climb don't especially impress - but they're invaluable to exploring dungeons and other hostile environments. Find Chests will net you expensive and powerful equipment early in the game, which is invaluable, while Hide and Move Silently are priceless for allowing you to sneak past enemies undetected. If this is sounding a lot like a game of D&D, then rightly so. Kawazu is a huge fan of tabletop games and goes to them first for his inspiration when thinking up new mechanics and trying to refine old ones.
In combat, things can get really hot really fast. You form a party of five people during an adventure in RS, ranging anywhere from heavy fighters to healers to sneaky rogues. The three magical numbers everything revolves around in RS are HP, BP, and LP. HP is self-explanatory; a measure of physical endurance. But when your HP is depleted, that character isn't dead. LP remains as a more critical estimate of how long a character has in this life. Running out of HP is no big deal - one shot of Moonlight or Healing Water will have you set to rights in no time. Running out of LP, though, means game over for you and permanent death for your allies.
BP is a universal calculation of "special" energy, such as MP or TP in other games. Every character gains BP at a certain rate every round of combat, and has a maximum value they're allowed that grows as they grow. BP is invaluable to both fighters and mages because it gives them what they need; fuel for weapon techniques or "waza" and spells.
There's so much more to get into - combat modes, spell fusions, surges and fulcrums, and benedictions from the gods, good or evil, who favor you. But like most games this deep, it's so much easier and so much more fun to experience them first-hand than it is to explain them.
Something about Kawazu that has gotten him just as much flack as it has praise is his commitment to the "flavor" of a game. As stated above, Kawazu is a sucker for classic literature and operatics, and this really comes through in RS. The whole game unfolds like an epic poem, with the titular Minstrel character following you around from town to town, telling you stories of the way the world used to be and singing you songs of your own exploits. You have everything that makes a great epic here; the errant creator god versus the inexplicable evil; unlikely heroes set upon the world to find their place and defeat the bad guy; exotic locales and truly memorable characters who share this fully realized world with you. Wrap this all up with an extraordinary soundtrack from series veteran Kenji Ito and his new partner in crime, Tsuyoshi Sekito, and you've got the complete package.
Romancing SaGa is something we don't often get to see here in the states. A truly immersive gaming experience that relies on addictive gameplay and innovative, yet classic mechanics and storytelling to get its point across rather than flashy CG and anime cliches. The game was unfortunately a flop in this country, debuting at the usual fifty dollar price tag and dropping to twenty dollars new within a month and a half. Despite gamer reactions here, though, I seriously urge that you pick up this game and play it if you can find it. With a little time to learn the ropes and some patience with an artistic vision that has nothing to offer but the best, you too can truly enjoy the one-of-a-kind experience that is Romancing SaGa.
Ah, yes, RS. Truly one of the most challenging and most engaging games for the PS2. It's a game that grows on you once you get into it- actually, that would be an understatement. I just love this game, and I can say very emphatically that it is one of the best games I have played.
It's all just so fluid and everything interacts so well (hell, monsters have an actual ecology- the more you kill off one species of monsters, the more others thrive and wane depending on how they relate to that creature in the food chain), and yet it doesn't do that MMORPG thing in which you feel like you are running around with no direction doing nothing.
My code is 1804 8700 0850.
I just completed the sixth gym and the battle at Lake Valor.
My current party is-
Level 37 Empoleon (Surf, Steel Wing, Strength, and Peck)
Level 28 Drifblim (Payback, Gust, Focus Power, Defog)
Level 29 Staravia (Fly, Endeavor, Double Team, Thief)
Level 29 Pachirisu (Spark, Thunder, Swift, Cut)
Level 29 Gastradon (Mud Bomb, Dig, Rock Smash, Body Slam)
Level 28 Chingling (Confusion, Shadow Ball, Uproar, Wrap)
A little level imbalance, but I wanted Empoleon before the Steel Gym in order to, well, own.
I myself have ever only owned 1 pokemon game, however, and that I got from him for free because somebody else gave it to him and he already had a copy of it.
It's not that I hate pokemon, but that I get very few games and I have bad luck with handhelds
I used to be a diehard Pokemon fan, believe it or not. I used to play the original religiously- I would probably put time in every day for a good year, and then after that, I backed off a bit, but I would still pick it up and kill the Elite Four for the hell of it.
I wasn't as enthusiastic about Gold and Silver, but that is mostly because I traded over all my uber pokemon from the first one by trading them for magikarp, and it was too easy.
However, I just lost interest when I got bored with the game, and lacking people to play against. So I skipped all the next gen ones altogether, but the idea of being able to play with people from all over the world is what brought me back with Pearl- which I am loving, by the way.
Pokemon gain happiness in a lot of ways-
1. Keep them in your party at all times.
2. Try to avoid letting them stay under the effect of a status ailment.
3. Use medicines on them.
4. Feed them poffins of the flavor they prefer.
5. Use vitamin supplements on them.
6. I don't know if this is true in this one, but in Gold and Silver, if there was ever an optional service (massages, haircuts, etc) that could be used on a pokemon, the pokemon you use it on gains some happiness.
hee hee, I'm going to the Elite four now!
Seph: It seems we're at about the same place in the game.
Well see you all soon! *hugs and blows kisses*
Love,
Cecilia
I thank Mr. stuff for my banner and avatar.
I thank Sakura for the animation of my avatar.
"Miracles are only worth happening if you make them happen."
--Cecilia
Yoda of Legacy since 2006.
Member of the 2005 and 2007 MTGS Magic Team.
Also known as kevinliu2333.
Current favorite Magic card is Time Elemental
The tallest tower, Kevin? I feel dumb; is that the one where you get Melvin? O_o;;
awww Yep it is and im impressed that you still remember it probably been a long while since you played dq7 ;). Hopefully there isnt no nasty boss up at the top of the tower but if there is i wont be surprised ill be ready for the boss if it comes down to it. I just need to get better armor and weapons initially or use playskill.
Love,
Cecilia
I thank Mr. stuff for my banner and avatar.
I thank Sakura for the animation of my avatar.
"Miracles are only worth happening if you make them happen."
--Cecilia
Yoda of Legacy since 2006.
Member of the 2005 and 2007 MTGS Magic Team.
Also known as kevinliu2333.
Current favorite Magic card is Time Elemental
What level are you on, if I may ask? I find that once you have Melvin you can hang out in that tower occupied by slimes that fuse into King Slimes and take them down with multitarget stuff to really rake in the experience and money. Oh man, I spent so much time in there >_<;;
Oh okay i wouldve been ready if there was a boss up there and if there is dont worry.
Im on 27 lol i probably should be higher since orgodemir is coming up pretty soon. Yeah im going to get to at least level 38 or something before i fight the last boss since i heard hes pretty difficult with a low 30 level. Thanks josh!
Love,
Cecilia
I thank Mr. stuff for my banner and avatar.
I thank Sakura for the animation of my avatar.
"Miracles are only worth happening if you make them happen."
--Cecilia
Yoda of Legacy since 2006.
Member of the 2005 and 2007 MTGS Magic Team.
Also known as kevinliu2333.
Current favorite Magic card is Time Elemental
He's definatly Lawfull evil. I had cast enlarge on myself and brutalized this villanous mage. Had him unconscious and then I curb stomped him for good measure. Hehe.
Anyways, I have some nice combos and my damage output is very good for a 7th level character.
I just look forward to getting enervation and hold ray.
I flame you all for caring about pokemon.
Naw, pokemon is cool enough. I just never could tolerate the low amount of strategy that the game requires. There's so little to do!
@ Sephiroth: Do you change your avatar daily or something? It just seems like your avatars have been seeing heavy rotation recently.
@ shah: what are the levels on your sorcerer monk right now? I forget.
Actually, there is a good deal of strategy to consider in PvP Pokemon. It's a good deal more complex than you would think.
Also, speaking of games that require low strategy and have little to do... hmmm... nah, forget it. I've made enough cracks about Final Fantasy.
Someone will have to explain this Persona game to me. I just saw multiple world mythological names, Shinto, Greek, Egyptian, etc. and that picked up my interest.
I'm still waiting to see if anyone comes up with a must-have list for video games.
Natural 20 MTGS Brigade Pages
Community Project
Persona is a series of games within the Shin Megami Tensei universe. Typically, Megaten games feature event based stories that hinge more upon NPCs than the cast, and feature a system that is (ironically, considering the recent subject matter) close to Pokemon's, although a good deal more complex. In the average Megaten game, you make contracts with powerful demons, angels, and supernatural beings, which you then summon to face off against supernatural horrors, evil cultists, and sometimes God and Lucifer. The games feature interesting alignment based play, in which you are forced to choose between Law and Chaos in part of a power play of the cosmos, and overall the series is very gritty, edgy, and full of mythological goodness.
Persona is a derivation on the series, in which contracting demons and playing nameless characters is replaced with the traditional RPG elements- character-driven stories and interactions.
Instead of contracting demons, you play as a group of people who end up embroiled in one of many supernatural conspiracies, and you must resort to the power of Persona- Jungian archetypes derived from the subconscious connections to ancient pagan powers- in order to save the day. A character connects psychically with a persona, and then draws power from it, allowing them to cast spells and use techniques.
The first Persona game (which was horribly translated, but became a PSX era cult classic) features the students of a private school in a town called Moonvale. As supernatural events begin to plague the school, a group of ill-matched students (from the typical airhead, uber-wealthy, "most popular" girl in school, to the boyish, star athlete closet lesbian, to the wildly dressed, outrageous raver kid) come together using the power of Persona to solve the mysteries surrounding their school.
The next Persona title was released in two parts- Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment. Taking place in Sumaru City, Japan, a group of children once gathered to play a game called Persona in a nearby Shinto temple. The four children played the game where they would use their persona to protect an older girl named Maya from fictional evils, but one day a tragedy occured at the temple, and all of the children separated. Many years later, Maya and the four children (now in high school) are brought together by the activities of a mysterious serial killer called Joker.
The game operates around several key players-
Tatsuya- One of the four children. He is something of a "bad boy", and is the main character. He harbors long buried feelings for Maya, in a sort of relationship that is not so subtly Oedipic.
Jun- Tatsuya's effeminate childhood friend from the temple. He is withdrawn and gentle natured, but he bears a secret that has warped his heart.
Lisa/Ginko- A half American girl who was one of the four children who played at the temple. She is loud, fussy, spoiled, and more than a little boy crazy. She has a love/hate relationship with Eikichi, and has feelings for Tatsuya. She is called Ginko by her classmates, a play off of her last name, Silverman (Gin being the Japanese word for Silver, ko being an endearing honorific. Ginko literally translated to "Little Silver")
Eikichi- One of the four children from the temple. He is now something of a goth, wearing heavy makeup and sporting wild, blue hair. Despite his grim appearance, he is really very playful and sarcastic.
Maya- An older woman who used to babysit and play with the four children at the temple. She works as a reporter for a popular teen magazine, and is known for her love of pop psychology. Her catchphrase is "Let's think positive!" which was translated badly in the Japanese version to "Let's Positive Thinking", a commonly used expression among Megaten fans.
Yuuki- The aforementioned tomboyish lesbian from the first Persona. She is Maya's college friend and a camerawoman for the magazine Maya works for. She gets involved with the whole affair when she and Maya uncover a supernatural event while on the job.
Eternal Punishment takes place after Innocent Sin. According to the Innocent Sin timeline-
The second game also takes place in Sumaru. People are oddly ignorant of the events of IS, and town is abuzz over the rumor of a serial killer called Joker. It is said that when you call your own cell number at night, Joker answers. If you ask him, he will kill one person for you. A series of bizarre murders begins to take place surrounding this rumor.
The second game involves the following characters-
Maya- The same Maya as in the first game, although now the main character. She recently met a young man on the subway, and he caused unusual memories and feelings to stir within her.
Ulula- Maya's best friend and roommate, a successful fashion designer. She was recently swindled and left heartbroken by her fiance. She is prone to self destructive behavior and has awful taste in men.
Katsuya- Tatsuya's older brother, a rising homicide detective. He is very concerned with his brother's reckless and socially irresponsible behavior.
Baofu- A Taiwanese ex-Mafia member who now operates a popular conspiracy theory website. He becomes involved with the plot when he is sought out to explain the current supernatural events within the city.
Tatsuya- The main character of IS, and Maya's mysterious "subway boy". He began acting strangely several months ago.
Nate- One of the characters from the first Persona. He was once the richest and most arrogant boys in school, until the Persona incidents reformed him. He comes to Sumaru to investigate the recent events.
Ellen- One of the main characters from the first game, Ellen was once the most popular girl in school. Now, she is a professional supermodel, and a skilled fencer to boot. She came to Sumaru to investigate the recent events.
Jun, Eikichi, Lisa, and Mary from the first Persona also have reprising roles as NPCs within this game.
In EP, you gain Persona by gathering Tarot Cards gained when you negotiate with demons. When you encounter demons, you have two choices- fight to the death, or use persuasion, diplomacy, ass-kissing, or intimidation to get them to back off. If you can successfully initiate contact with a demon, they may reward your pluck by granting you a sum of magical tarot cards. Tarot cards can be taken to the mysterious night club, Velvet Room, where you can trade them in to awaken new persona within your soul. Persona are equipped and swapped as you see fit, with each persona bearing a set of strengths and weaknesses. Persona teach you spells and abilities, change your elemental affinities and weaknesses, and alter your stats while equipped. Additionally, persona sometimes mutate and become new versions of themselves. For example, the persona Valkyrie may become the persona Freija, or it may just change it's affinity, gain better stat boosts, or learn new spells.
Sometimes, the Persona you equip override your personality, too. This happens when a persona you equip encounters a member of it's own mythology. For example, someone with the Valkyrie persona may act strangely when battling Odin, and a unique conversation may occur between them.
Furthermore, Persona can be combined together to create special fusion techniques that are quite powerful, adding a layer of complex strategy to the battle engine.
EP is a difficult game, don't be fooled. Most people can expect to put about 80 hours into it, and if you are expecting to load it up and have a happy romp, you are in for a surprise. It is ass-kickingly difficult in some places- dungeons are enormous, battles are merciless, and if you do not know how to exploit the strategies needed to win and/or talk a demon down, you'll be toast in no time. The story is also dark and gritty, with plenty of moments that make you absolutely sure of why it has an M rating (The first hour of the game features a particularly grisly murder scene, and there is a notable part of the game in which you wander through an abandoned psych ward- one of the most disturbing moments in gaming in my opinion).
It also features the highly innovative rumor system. It seems that while within Sumaru City, rumors catch fire like dry brush and spread all over. Soon, they become so often repeated that they become real of their own volition. This is a key part of the crisis in EP, and you can choose to exploit it to your own advantage. For example, do you wish the prices of weapons would drop? Just start a rumor that a certain shop is planning on having a big sale, and within a few hours- voila. Guns at half price. The rumor system becomes a good deal more complicated the more you experiment, with some rumors effecting the way others work. Information is power, and it well worth your time to stalk the streets and talk to people, because you never know who will pass on a piece of gossip that you can use to bend reality to your liking.
Innocent Sin was only released in Japan, so anyone on the western hemisphere will have to make due with Eternal Punishment. EP is a very solid game, though, and while you do miss out on some story elements, you still get the gist of it while playing (it is masterfully translated, and there are plenty of cutscenes to explain what has happened). Additionally, there are plenty of IS script translations and summaries to read through online.
The most recent game in the series is the yet unreleased Persona 3, which takes place in an entirely new city and with a new cast. It will be coming out in a few months for the PS2.
Some links-
Persona 2 Anime trailer
Persona 2: Innocent Sin Opening
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment Opening
Persona 2 AMV
Persona 3: Trailer
Persona 3: Fes Opening
Persona 3: Gameplay Video 1
Persona 3: Gameplay Video 2
If you start running Mewtwos, remind me not to play against you. Ever.
He's a Monk1//Sorc4//Enlightened fist2
I can tell that this character will really bloom once he gets a touch higher and gets multiple attacks. My first 3rd level spell I'm getting is Haste.
Now I have to somehow raise all of them above level 50 so I can do better in the battle tower.
Also: currently trying to catch the 3 legendary pokemon of the lakes.
I never got into Pokemon, but my sister did for a while when my brother-in-law got the old games emulated on his PSP.
Like freeform roleplaying? Try Darkness Befalls Us
Ryttare Kelasin Luna Orelinalei