LadyCrimson

I started to sort of ... not ignore, but look at less, if that makes sense ... GoG when I noticed that they no longer let you download all the past patches/versions of their games (straight from website browser version of Library), without Galaxy, or contacting support. Nothing against Galaxy, mind, but when a company removes an ability to (seemingly) try and encourage you to use something they want to promote (a client), I sort of just ... I dunno, it makes me wonder what direction they'll end up going. I've always wondered how profitable GoG could be in the long run (newer indies probably help, ofc). I can easily see them selling/being bought by some big company (like MS/Google/whoever....) at some point, or in the very long just becoming yet another game client/storefront, except they'll have a "DRM-free" listing section. The issue of things like Gamepass or even streaming gaming that could become a big wave of future could make an only 'drm free/offline installers' storefront even more problematic/less profitable to maintain. I'm honestly surprised at times GoG has lasted this long. I mean, I'm hoping they'll stay bucking the trends but I dunno.

Tales of Arise: ---story from the start/for some long hours...predictable but serviceable as a container, but I wasn't loving the overall writing style and it wasn't making me feel anything or curious about anyone/thing, really. ---then suddenly ... wham. That took a bit of a turn. Still predictable, mind. But some good sequences helped a lot. I'm now invested! Well, more than before anyway. And at least am now much more curious about a few things. ---some of the skits are returning to humor and amusing characterization stuff. Not a lot, still mostly repetition or lore dumping, but that also helps. ---it was nice to leave the brown and blue/white of desert/snow behind.

Got everyone, now. This is a common pic capture but the costumes (and ears) are mine! The guy with red hair is now my husbando. Especially after I put those glasses on him. Sadly can only have 4 active at once (although inactive ones still show up in the special animated Strikes). Trying to figure out what combo I like. I asked hubby which of four pics that he liked better. He said with exasperation "I dunno/whatever, she's a cartoon." Dear hubby, my husbando would like a word with you! Pfft, my man's no fun/no help. So this one, then.

Tales of Arise: Well, that 2nd big bad was that ramp up I was expecting. I mean, sure, if you've largely mastered the button-mashing/timing/speed/evading and visual/noise chaos of "wtf is happening?!" and all of that I'm sure it's not the worst, so don't get me wrong here. But if you're a lazy fart like me...haha. Huge sponges, one-shotting - typical battle of mega-attrition, consumable use (AI likes to eat all those up if you let them, btw) etc. That said, still liking the general game. Maybe I just like collecting things/finding all the lootz. ---there are cats in the gameworld, and somewhat prominent at one point. This makes the game score in my head automatically go up by at least half a point. ---so far most the side-quests are no better than the ones in FFXV. "Kill things threatening my farm," very simple things. But at least you often get skill points or recipes or outfit recolors for doing them. ---said side quests can pop up in previous areas later, so check those maps for the icons occasionally. ---some things are poorly explained, like accessory crafting/upgrading. I had to look it up. And for some reason I didn't realize herb affects were permanent until I read it somewhere. I guess I should use those, then >.>

^ I'm going to assume there is likely a bunch of Mishy plushies out there. I want one.

In case anyone is wondering, I have been avoiding major spoiler pics. Hence mostly chr/scenery. ...that's probably enough picture-spam from me for one week tho. I want to get farther into the game faster.

Tales of Arise: ---Got my 4th party member, Law. He's a hands/feet melee guy. He seems to kick butt and now the party feels more balanced. ---there sure are a lot of loading screens for entering small areas. It's fine on SSD but sometimes it feels like every 10 seconds you're running thru one. ---Some attack moves require two simultaneous button presses, which is hard on my arthritic thumbs. So I finally looked at some combat option menus. Saw default overall combat-style was on "Semi-Auto". There was also Manual and Full Auto. Hm...what is full auto, I wondered? Is it ... what it sounds like? Set it to that. My leader charged into battle by himself...I only had to sit and watch, mostly. Camera still focused on 'leader' but I could move the camera more freely, see everything from different angles, finally notice what the other party members were doing. I started to laugh. I fired up WeMod and toggled unlimited CP/AP (eg mana, action-points, similar), toggled the no-HUD mod I have, and proceeded to run through the next section in this full-auto combat mode. I laughed like a loon, every single time. For some reason it was utterly hilarious to me and I was delighted. A game where I don't have to do anything! Perfect!

Became slightly fed up with HUD and downloaded the Nexus mod to toggle it on/off. It also removes game menu elements, hence toggling it constantly, or only off when you want screens/videos. Anyway, combat is still visual chaos but at least you can get a few combat animation shots now and then without the GIANT TEXT of skill name plastered over them. Or the mini-map. Or ... But without a photomode, normal combat stuff is mostly dull to screen (plus I'd have to cheat hard so I could observe it). Too far away, not visceral enough for me. Mostly they'd look like below, and that's taking stills from sifting thru 4k video frame by frame. Oh well, plenty of nice scenery and stuff here and there, instead!

Wait, there's a new one? .... oh, a sub-channel. Based on clips doesn't seem like it'd be any better than the old one, just prettier. One of those books that I think will never be able to filmed, any medium. Well, maybe a 60 episode animation could. Maybe. I love Greg Kinnear but I can't personally picture him as Glenn Bateman at all, even after watching a few clips. Ray Walston was one of the few things about that 90's series that was perfect imo (also Gary Sinise).

I want my own owl. Also: The enemy might be in there somewhere. Yeah, I'm cherry-picking one second of a moment, but it's one of those "really busy" combat UI/effects graphics, along with a constantly moving camera and often short FoV/PoV. The gals are both ranged and they're constantly tossing big-effect spells/attacks on top as well as any "big" enemy ones. It looks cool, don't get me wrong, but it's pretty visually chaotic, even more than FFXV was, imo. Sometimes feels like I'm just mashing buttonsy hoping I'm hitting something. Maybe it'd be better to play one of the gals and stand back, and let AI control the melee. But I like playing Alphen. I think you can tell the AI to not use certain attacks if you want (like flashy ones) but haven't played with that stuff yet.

I've rewatched this several times and it gets funnier to me every time. William Shatner's self-aware straight-faced humor/trolling (or whatever you want to call it) always cracks me up. I can't believe he's 90. Live long(er) and (continue to) prosper, dude.

Tales of Arise: Reached the point where I get a third party member, so still fairly early I think. Still overall/casually enjoying the game. Couple "not seriously negative but not overly positive" observations: ---at first I liked the skits. But there are so many of them and I keep playing them thinking I might miss something "good." (some you cannot choose when to play, they are triggered by events instead) More and more they feel a little like info-dumps vs.interesting convo's with campy vitality. So now I read quickly and click thru faster, not waiting for the VA's. It's not that I dislike them - it's just there's too many/too long winded for me. ---on Normal difficulty, early combat becomes too easy too fast. You don't even have to bother with dodging/evading. Which doesn't really bother me in my "old age" ways, but it makes me feel like I'm still in tutorial mode and thus I'm afraid to up the difficulty, certain that the next "act boss" is going to 3 second whomp me without warning as a "here's the REAL combat, don't you wish you'd spent time mastering that dodging/evading!" taunt. To balance that out: ---I have yet to feel a need to "grind" for anything, just to keep going/do the few early weapon upgrades, so that's nice such doesn't feel required. Seems well balanced in that regard. ---I really do like the graphical look (well, most of the time). It's not cutting-edge super high fidelity but that sorta cell-shading or watercolor softness or whatever it is, is pleasing. ---the owls, man, the owls. Must...find...all the owls.

Just showing some scenery. Also, you can switch "party leader" at any time, meaning that's the one you control/skillset you use in combat and will see while running around. eg, you don't always have to be staring at only one character's behind outfit.

Yeah, I know, there are "solutions" and workarounds for such that people use. I don't think/find any of them easier on me, personally. Like I don't want to open a 2nd account, have a 2nd card, and maybe pay fees for not having a huge amount in that account all the time, or remember to transfer/set up auto-transfer of funds to it all the time, that might change as what I sub to goes up or down etc. Fraudulent CC use not being liable (by me) is one reason to use them online. Cashback is ok too, if you use it a lot. Occasionally I just put those "points" as a payment back into it. I use debit/ATM card to pay for day to day things in person like groceries or at Home Depot (vs. writing paper checks constantly like I used to) but don't use/have never used the "as a VISA/CC" option of ATM cards, since if I want to use a CC, I just pull out ... my CC. Hubby hasn't either. He's still a cash person most of the time, when possible, actually.

Moah costumes/thingies, plz. Also: hot potato sword.

I guess HBO no longer will go through Amazon Prime. Meaning I'd have to sign up with HBO-Max directly, giving them my info/CC etc. Yet another thing to keep track of. They're all going to go like this, right? Amazon Prime will soon be all Prime originals. And no, I'm not concerned about my viewing habit privacy re: media. I just like my CC/billing to be one thing as much as possible vs. spread out/given to 101 places (that I have to keep track of to boot, ofc). It's the same reason I still don't like using anything but Steam and GoG even as years/times change. Sigh. *grump*

Tales of Arise - bought it. First 2-3 hours is a long set-up. After that you feel like the gameplay actually starts. Five hours in doing simple early story and side missions. Dialogues (English VA) are sometimes so ... cheesy? over the top, shouty, dramatic? ... that I snorted good-naturedly several times. I hear it becomes better/more significant later. Very linear. Wandering maps/dungeons are so far small but serviceable. That arena combat becomes a little annoying as a system - the constant am-walking but then interrupted feeling - but at least "mobs" are quick even without being a master of timing dodging or artes. I hear some bosses are tough - but I always have Wemod if I get old-fart stuck. Haha. Kind of feels like a cross between a virtual novel (with the storyboard like dialogue method for some of them) and an action-rpg. Silly as some of them are, I'm actually rather enjoying the party dialogue bits, whether while out and about or during campfires - the back and forth. Haven't skipped any yet. Graphics are pretty charming/decent overall, it's like anime and Borderlands had a baby. Anyway, enjoying it as a light romp, like I thought I would.

...what kind of game did I get myself into.

Matrix plot rumors/speculation floating about: --maybe Trinity is actually the new One

Ah, I suppose that makes some sense. I only stayed in the starter area to get the idea of basic combat/minor other things. Didn't follow the quest. Do you have the full game? Does it have a manual save system at all or is it all checkpoints? I know about the $20 worth of certain costume DLC that have Titles/skills or traits or something, which feels a bit extra greedy but whatever - not sure if I'd want those. Maybe only min/maxers would care about them. Still can't fully decide but since I'm "game bored" I might say screw it and just get it....

Tried Tales of Arise demo. It doesn't save so if you exit it you start it all over. It's just to give you an idea of mechanics/gameplay. I could make the audio language Japanese so that would take care of the Noctis "problem" but there's a lot of wandering party dialogue bits I might not notice that way because the subtitles for them are small pop-ups in one corner. Hm. You have a party but when roaming you only see/use the chosen party leader so you feel alone, just their voices pipe up now and then (they appear in cutscenes/storyboards). They show up actively during combat with AI. When your leader gets close to an enemy, game teleports you into a combat set piece arena or something. Not sure I like that method - it's not bad or anything, just not what I'm used to. Combat isn't complex, like I prefer these days, but there's so much on-screen numbers/words/display it looks messy. Still, kinda mindlessly fun. I like the (click shinies) gathering/grinding collectables, seems like a lot to gather. Supposedly there's fishing too. And a lot of story but I don't really care about that a ton. I'd probably like it as a fun time-waster, but from demo don't see it as becoming a big favorite ... can't make up my mind. ...it was nice to discover tho, that during a random wilderness camp, the party could still make ice cream for dinner. Must be a magical freezing spell.

Pig-bunny? Can I have one?

Encased? Maybe I'll ... "turn-based" .... sigh, never mind, again. Maybe one day I should get past that but after 20+ years, I doubt it/don't even try anymore. I also looked at Tales of Arise - it was on my check-it-when-released wishlist cause in some ways it reminds me a bit of FFXV (note: I've seen but never bought any of the previous Tales), but after watching some videos I realized something: ----the VA for the male lead is the same as the male lead in FFXV and this time he didn't sound any different. I recognized the voice immediately (some of the VA's other work, like in BL3, it's way less obvious). So everything the chr says (including the overbearingly constant/similar battle-cry lines) I couldn't get past thinking Noctis! So in some early serious cutscenes I'd keep laughing. Not the VA's fault, usually I can get past/don't mind - I just played XV too darn much I guess, lol. Anyway, I think I'd find it very bizarre. I may try the demo at least tho. Maybe I can learn to ignore it.

I wish I'd had a last minute growth spurt - even just a few more inches would've been nice, so I could be a little over five feet at least. I think I basically stopped growing when I was 11-12. Ok ok, maybe there was a 1/4 of an inch, no clue, but clothes-wise, nada. Well, maybe hips/bust and shoulders grew a bit after puberty but that's the wrong direction.

Sorry, posting another one of these. Just love what Kiffness creates (original cadence "viral video" is on YT as well). Drill instructor cadences are awesome enough on their own, the added beat/music just makes it even more so. Great to aerobic to. I had to of course watch a lot of cadence/drill videos. Is there a requirement that a drill sgt./instructor has to have a decent cadence-tone/voice? Is there ever a drill person who sounds utterly terrible? I kind of doubt it.