Final Fantasy XIV (PC): Leveling, leveling, leveling! Well, and main quests.
But hey, I unlocked Dragoon and Tarina unlocked Scholar!
The game is growing on me more as I get used to the idea that it's simply going to play rather archaically. That doesn't excuse it playing like an MMO from a decade and change ago, but the initial shock is gone.
Tarina changed Tarryn into a Hyur female, and will eventually turn her into Tamberly. While Cinnaris and Tamberly are the traditional traveling buddies, it's still a bit of a bummer.
Oh, and I did find all of my 1.0 holiday stuff! The game (and myself) had both forgotten that I had a second retainer, "Lamianumbertwo". I hired a new one, named her Cleary ("Clearite" was taken), and voila, all my old stuff! Hooray!
Minor Entries: Sword of Chaos (iOS).
Sunday, May 20, 2018
Thursday, May 17, 2018
May 17, 2018
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (PC): We didn't play as much today since Tarina and Kenna were out at her cheer practice. But that's all right! A little progress. Slowly but surely (and I mean slowly, since it's FFXIV!).
Super Mario All-Stars + World (SNES): I played through like... a stage. Too bad it doesn't save everywhere, so I lost that progress!
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online, Sword of Chaos (iOS).
Super Mario All-Stars + World (SNES): I played through like... a stage. Too bad it doesn't save everywhere, so I lost that progress!
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online, Sword of Chaos (iOS).
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
May 16, 2018
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (PC): We continued with the main questline, duoing a couple of lowbie dungeons we needed to get through. No help from Duty Finder today!
Alas, it was a shorter day of gaming than I would have liked!
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online, Sword of Chaos (iOS).
Alas, it was a shorter day of gaming than I would have liked!
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online, Sword of Chaos (iOS).
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
May 15, 2018
Final Fantasy XIV: I had a ton of catch-up to do on FFXIV. Tarina had apparently pushed ahead of me in it during our original go at A Realm Reborn, so I had to repeat quests I just did the previous day on Azureus to catch up and get together on the main quests.
And, because I have priorities, I found our old FFXIV friends, the poachers!
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC), Sword of Chaos (iOS).
And, because I have priorities, I found our old FFXIV friends, the poachers!
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC), Sword of Chaos (iOS).
Monday, May 14, 2018
May 14, 2018
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (PC): We continued forth! Azureus and Trisse pushed onward into the mid-teens, and then, somewhere in the evening, we decided to go ahead and pay our discounted Legacy price ($10) to restart our main accounts. Heheh. Foresight!
We did do some dungeon runs and such on Azureus and Trisse, and it was fun enough. The problem we kept having was having to break the party apart to do solo ventures, then find someone to rejoin us afterward. Seriously, we can't remain in a party during certain parts of our quests? Make us solo it, fine, but why split the party up? Just another instance of archaic design.
That being said, it was rather nice and nostalgic to bring back Cinnaris and Tarryn. We have a lot of fun old items, and apparently a Fat Chocobo mount was retroactively added!
Gargoyle's Quest 2 (SNES): I gave it a good go this time, pushing up to the first save--er, password--point. It's just as fun as I recall the first game being, but with the added bonus of being more colorful, with a wider and taller image! Much less cramped.
Super Mario All-Stars + World (SNES): World again! I started the saves fresh and pushed through the first world. Such good times.
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC), Sword of Chaos (iOS).
We did do some dungeon runs and such on Azureus and Trisse, and it was fun enough. The problem we kept having was having to break the party apart to do solo ventures, then find someone to rejoin us afterward. Seriously, we can't remain in a party during certain parts of our quests? Make us solo it, fine, but why split the party up? Just another instance of archaic design.
That being said, it was rather nice and nostalgic to bring back Cinnaris and Tarryn. We have a lot of fun old items, and apparently a Fat Chocobo mount was retroactively added!
Gargoyle's Quest 2 (SNES): I gave it a good go this time, pushing up to the first save--er, password--point. It's just as fun as I recall the first game being, but with the added bonus of being more colorful, with a wider and taller image! Much less cramped.
Super Mario All-Stars + World (SNES): World again! I started the saves fresh and pushed through the first world. Such good times.
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC), Sword of Chaos (iOS).
Sunday, May 13, 2018
May 13, 2018
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (PC): We set up Trial accounts on FFXIV (since we can't play to 35 on existing accounts--get with the times, SE!) and played for a bit. I made Azureus Allegretto and Tarina went with Trisse, and we went with Archer and Conjurer, respectively. I think we made it to about L15 each.
Unfortunately, it's just an archaic-feeling MMO in terms of gameplay and UI (objectively--whether you like it or not is where the opinion part comes in), even for the time it released. I could go on for a while, but eh.
It is fun enough, as is any decent MMO!
And not being able to party in Trial is absurd. I know they want you to buy the full game, but the best way to hook people is to get them into the community. The Trial does not allow that.
Even so, we may or may not reup our main accounts in the near future--ditto for picking up the expansions. And we might not--we both want Pillars of Eternity 2, and Battle for Azeroth is a must in a couple of months.
Minor Entries: Sword of Chaos (iOS).
Unfortunately, it's just an archaic-feeling MMO in terms of gameplay and UI (objectively--whether you like it or not is where the opinion part comes in), even for the time it released. I could go on for a while, but eh.
It is fun enough, as is any decent MMO!
And not being able to party in Trial is absurd. I know they want you to buy the full game, but the best way to hook people is to get them into the community. The Trial does not allow that.
Even so, we may or may not reup our main accounts in the near future--ditto for picking up the expansions. And we might not--we both want Pillars of Eternity 2, and Battle for Azeroth is a must in a couple of months.
Minor Entries: Sword of Chaos (iOS).
Saturday, May 12, 2018
May 12, 2018
Black Desert Online (PC): Did some leveling on my Hunter alt, Obme (I haven't forgotten you, Phantasy Star Universe!) with an Army buddy. Fun enough stuff, and easy leveling!
Minor Entries: Sword of Chaos (iOS).
Minor Entries: Sword of Chaos (iOS).
Friday, May 11, 2018
May 11, 2018
Kendo Rage (SNES): No clue why I purchased this one, but I think it came from eBay a few years ago. It seems like a simple, easy enough platformer, and heavily based on the Magical Girl-style cartoons from the 80s and 90s.
The main character has a decent variety of attacks. The longer you wait between attacks, the more powerful of an attack will be released. It's an interesting mechanic.
I beat the first level and called it a day!
Link to the Past, The (SNES): I made it through the sewer dungeon to emerge on the other side, bringing me, presumably, to the point where the game opens up like an older Zelda game!
I tried using the default controllers that came with the Retro Duo v2.0 Limited Edition. They look like SNES controllers, but they sure don't feel like it! The entire directional pad feels like it sinks in, making it hard to slide over and change movements. Ideally, a d-pad should sort of dip in the direction that's being pushed.
Thankfully, the Retro-Bit Super Retro controllers seem to work quite well! I'll have to dig out a real SNES controller or two to compare for sure.
Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World (SNES): Went through the menus deleting saves, then poked at Super Mario World and Mario 3 for a couple of minutes. I'm at the point where I'm still just tickled seeing them up on my screen again, on an actual console, and in a comfy, quiet room that feels very 80s!
Minor Entries: Sword of Chaos (iOS).
The main character has a decent variety of attacks. The longer you wait between attacks, the more powerful of an attack will be released. It's an interesting mechanic.
I beat the first level and called it a day!
Link to the Past, The (SNES): I made it through the sewer dungeon to emerge on the other side, bringing me, presumably, to the point where the game opens up like an older Zelda game!
I tried using the default controllers that came with the Retro Duo v2.0 Limited Edition. They look like SNES controllers, but they sure don't feel like it! The entire directional pad feels like it sinks in, making it hard to slide over and change movements. Ideally, a d-pad should sort of dip in the direction that's being pushed.
Thankfully, the Retro-Bit Super Retro controllers seem to work quite well! I'll have to dig out a real SNES controller or two to compare for sure.
Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World (SNES): Went through the menus deleting saves, then poked at Super Mario World and Mario 3 for a couple of minutes. I'm at the point where I'm still just tickled seeing them up on my screen again, on an actual console, and in a comfy, quiet room that feels very 80s!
Minor Entries: Sword of Chaos (iOS).
Thursday, May 10, 2018
May 10, 2018
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (PC): I managed to get my furthest-along save working! I had to go back into my current save, max out the saves, and then copy and replace. I'm assuming it has something to do with the way saves are tracked by your actual profile.
I played a bit, starting Teeth of Naros, but I have been unable to save Sveri Brond thus far, even with the aid of the new Cheat Menu unlock. Oh, I know, "You can't!" But I've managed to save others before, and I'll do it again! For example, there are a trio of pirates up in Gallows End who are supposed to be killed by their boss as a sacrifice, but I managed to save them all and still defeat their boss--and this was prior to the Cheat Menu unlock being released!
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC), Fist Puncher (PC), Sword of Chaos (iOS).
I played a bit, starting Teeth of Naros, but I have been unable to save Sveri Brond thus far, even with the aid of the new Cheat Menu unlock. Oh, I know, "You can't!" But I've managed to save others before, and I'll do it again! For example, there are a trio of pirates up in Gallows End who are supposed to be killed by their boss as a sacrifice, but I managed to save them all and still defeat their boss--and this was prior to the Cheat Menu unlock being released!
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC), Fist Puncher (PC), Sword of Chaos (iOS).
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
May 9, 2018
Lots today! Well, more like a few games in a short period. But still!
Battletoads in Battlemaniacs: The graphics are great, but the game is a little difficult. I lost a few lives from running off edges or not pulling off jumps, and I'm not sure if that's a result of slidly controls or my RetroBit controller itself being a little sensitive.
Still, fantastic graphics and a classic SNES sound! I played up to the second level--surprise, a vertical shaft!--and then called it quits, moving on to Illusion of Gaia.
Link to the Past, The (SNES): You know, I don't think I've ever seriously played this game to any real extent. That changed today! I deleted the saves of poor David and Levi (the previous owners of the copy, I assume), where David had not one but TWO completed saves, saved right before the boss. At some point, he loved this game! I wonder where he is now? Was Levi his little brother, or a friend?
Anyway, it starts off rather intense for a Zelda game. Well, for an early one, at least: you gotta remember, my only significant Zelda experiences are LoZ, The Adventure of Link, Link's Awakening, and the later Orcales games! It's a dark and storm night, and some guy (your caretaker? Dad?) marches off with his sword and shield.
You find him in the dungeon, and from there you do some typical Link stuff with swords and boomerangs, till you rescue the princess and escape from the dungeon. Pretty cool! Or, rather, it was, until I bit it during our escape. Whoops!
Looking forward to more!
Illusion of Gaia (SNES): I played this one the longest! It starts off like a normal RPG, which slightly taller sprites than the usual squashed ones. You gotta save a princess, you have school chums, blah blah... and then you get to the first dungeon. It's a rather simplistic action-adventure game from there. Instead of leveling up, you power up by clearing the entire room of enemies, at which point they'll drop a strength or defense boost.
As a rather cool touch, when you enter the dark world save area and choose not to continue after saving, the game continues on, playing a tune that manages to be both haunting and relaxing. It makes me think of the old Resident Evil save room tracks from their various entries..
Sweet Home (NES): To start it all off, I gave the English translation of this Resident Evil forefather a go. The controls are a bit wonky (it could certainly benefit from more buttons), but it's certainly dark and creepy. I would have loved this as a kid (and been completely freaked out!).
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC), Sword of Chaos (iOS).
Battletoads in Battlemaniacs: The graphics are great, but the game is a little difficult. I lost a few lives from running off edges or not pulling off jumps, and I'm not sure if that's a result of slidly controls or my RetroBit controller itself being a little sensitive.
Still, fantastic graphics and a classic SNES sound! I played up to the second level--surprise, a vertical shaft!--and then called it quits, moving on to Illusion of Gaia.
Link to the Past, The (SNES): You know, I don't think I've ever seriously played this game to any real extent. That changed today! I deleted the saves of poor David and Levi (the previous owners of the copy, I assume), where David had not one but TWO completed saves, saved right before the boss. At some point, he loved this game! I wonder where he is now? Was Levi his little brother, or a friend?
Anyway, it starts off rather intense for a Zelda game. Well, for an early one, at least: you gotta remember, my only significant Zelda experiences are LoZ, The Adventure of Link, Link's Awakening, and the later Orcales games! It's a dark and storm night, and some guy (your caretaker? Dad?) marches off with his sword and shield.
You find him in the dungeon, and from there you do some typical Link stuff with swords and boomerangs, till you rescue the princess and escape from the dungeon. Pretty cool! Or, rather, it was, until I bit it during our escape. Whoops!
Looking forward to more!
Illusion of Gaia (SNES): I played this one the longest! It starts off like a normal RPG, which slightly taller sprites than the usual squashed ones. You gotta save a princess, you have school chums, blah blah... and then you get to the first dungeon. It's a rather simplistic action-adventure game from there. Instead of leveling up, you power up by clearing the entire room of enemies, at which point they'll drop a strength or defense boost.
As a rather cool touch, when you enter the dark world save area and choose not to continue after saving, the game continues on, playing a tune that manages to be both haunting and relaxing. It makes me think of the old Resident Evil save room tracks from their various entries..
Sweet Home (NES): To start it all off, I gave the English translation of this Resident Evil forefather a go. The controls are a bit wonky (it could certainly benefit from more buttons), but it's certainly dark and creepy. I would have loved this as a kid (and been completely freaked out!).
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC), Sword of Chaos (iOS).
Tuesday, May 8, 2018
May 8, 2018
Gargoyle's Quest II (NES): In continuing with my occasional bits of old-school gaming in the basement, I gave it a quick whirl. Looks a little more RPG-ish than the first game in the series, starting you off in a town itself!
It seems like a prequel, since Firebrand is being bossed around, called a "trainee", and sent to a training center. It plays much like I recall the GameBoy one playing, which is quite nice!
After going into the Training Center, all hell broke loose... and I stopped to nap. <_ p="">
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (PC): I spent something like an hour scouring old saves trying to find the latest save I had that was prior to using Skill Books. Y'see, if your skills get too high, you can't go to low-level trainers for points. And if you can't get those low level trainer points, you can never max things out.
In the end, I went from a 70-hour save to a 35-hour save. Eek. This is why it took me almost two months to return to the game (which I was highly enjoying): I was so disheartened by my dumb mistake (I KNEW better, but forgot!) that I couldn't bring myself to replay so much then, but I'm better now.
Fist Puncher (PC): Tarina bought me this game years ago on Good Old Games. I made a lot of progress, but unfortunately I lost my save! (This was well before GOG Galaxy, let alone their cloud saves.) Since it was a buck on Steam, I picked it back up and gave it a quick whirl...
Sword of Chaos (iOS): In addition to the usual dailies, I asked around if anyone wanted to marry solely for the stats... no luck, alas!
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC).
It seems like a prequel, since Firebrand is being bossed around, called a "trainee", and sent to a training center. It plays much like I recall the GameBoy one playing, which is quite nice!
After going into the Training Center, all hell broke loose... and I stopped to nap. <_ p="">
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (PC): I spent something like an hour scouring old saves trying to find the latest save I had that was prior to using Skill Books. Y'see, if your skills get too high, you can't go to low-level trainers for points. And if you can't get those low level trainer points, you can never max things out.
In the end, I went from a 70-hour save to a 35-hour save. Eek. This is why it took me almost two months to return to the game (which I was highly enjoying): I was so disheartened by my dumb mistake (I KNEW better, but forgot!) that I couldn't bring myself to replay so much then, but I'm better now.
Fist Puncher (PC): Tarina bought me this game years ago on Good Old Games. I made a lot of progress, but unfortunately I lost my save! (This was well before GOG Galaxy, let alone their cloud saves.) Since it was a buck on Steam, I picked it back up and gave it a quick whirl...
Sword of Chaos (iOS): In addition to the usual dailies, I asked around if anyone wanted to marry solely for the stats... no luck, alas!
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC).
Monday, May 7, 2018
May 7, 2018
Demon's Crest (SNES): Just a brief go on my RetroDuo. The game froze at the tutorial boss...
But I really do need to play this, and the game before it. I ADORED Gargoyle's Quest as a kid, but never got around to the two sequels.
Young Merlin (SNES): Another old favorite. I actually bought this one cheap from Walmart way back when they had shelves with little bins of old SNES (and, I believe, NES and Genesis) games. I remember it being fairly fun and unique, and somewhat Zelda-y.
It is indeed somewhat Zelda-y, but with a very early-90s PC vibe. There are bits of voicework, which is pretty cool, and the animations (such as when Merlin gets tossed across the screen) are smooth, detailed, and cartoony. There's an old password system, which stinks, and does make me wish I was playing on my Retron 5 instead of my RetroDuo, but I don't want to leave my Retron 5 in the basement for several practical reasons.
Somewhere I have an old gaming magazine with early screenshots of this game. The scene is very clearly the first scene in the game, but the graphics are much more serious and muted.
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC), Sword of Chaos (iOS).
But I really do need to play this, and the game before it. I ADORED Gargoyle's Quest as a kid, but never got around to the two sequels.
Young Merlin (SNES): Another old favorite. I actually bought this one cheap from Walmart way back when they had shelves with little bins of old SNES (and, I believe, NES and Genesis) games. I remember it being fairly fun and unique, and somewhat Zelda-y.
It is indeed somewhat Zelda-y, but with a very early-90s PC vibe. There are bits of voicework, which is pretty cool, and the animations (such as when Merlin gets tossed across the screen) are smooth, detailed, and cartoony. There's an old password system, which stinks, and does make me wish I was playing on my Retron 5 instead of my RetroDuo, but I don't want to leave my Retron 5 in the basement for several practical reasons.
Somewhere I have an old gaming magazine with early screenshots of this game. The scene is very clearly the first scene in the game, but the graphics are much more serious and muted.
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC), Sword of Chaos (iOS).
Sunday, May 6, 2018
May 6, 2018
Busy week/weekend over (yay), new work week starting tomorrow (boo), parents gone away again (boo), but time for gaming (yay)!
Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World (SNES): Five games, one entry! I played this a bit in the basement, having finally decided to set up the old RetroDuo (Famicom Limited Edition!) down there. I think I gave everything a whirl except for Super Mario Bros., and most of them I only played for a few minutes.
Surprisingly, the clearance RetroBit controllers from Micro Center are pretty good, and I'm pretty comfortable with the one I had been using.
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC), Sword of Chaos (iOS).
Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World (SNES): Five games, one entry! I played this a bit in the basement, having finally decided to set up the old RetroDuo (Famicom Limited Edition!) down there. I think I gave everything a whirl except for Super Mario Bros., and most of them I only played for a few minutes.
Surprisingly, the clearance RetroBit controllers from Micro Center are pretty good, and I'm pretty comfortable with the one I had been using.
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC), Sword of Chaos (iOS).
Saturday, May 5, 2018
May 1 - May 5, 2018
Busy, busy times! Most of this week was spent cleaning and hitting up school events. So, with that, very little was done! I did spend some time chatting with a buddy on Sword of Chaos, but that's about the extent of my serious gaming. Yikes!
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC), Sword of Chaos (iOS)
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC), Sword of Chaos (iOS)
Monday, April 30, 2018
April 30, 2018
Stardew Valley (PC): What do you know? The multiplayer beta came out today! ...you know, right at the beginning of the busiest week we're going to have in a while (but next week, at least, should smooth out... of course, Pillars of Eternity 2 comes out this week, so...).
Tarina and I played for a bit. I forgot how much I liked this game! And it's even neater together. You can work together, but you can also basically do your own thing. In a way, that's extra awesome, because it makes the world more alive. Sort of like an MMO, where there's a world of people going about their own business and goals.
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC), Sword of Chaos (iOS).
Tarina and I played for a bit. I forgot how much I liked this game! And it's even neater together. You can work together, but you can also basically do your own thing. In a way, that's extra awesome, because it makes the world more alive. Sort of like an MMO, where there's a world of people going about their own business and goals.
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC), Sword of Chaos (iOS).
Sunday, April 29, 2018
April 29, 2018
Sword of Chaos (iOS): A and M were hilarious in chat. I don't remember why. They just were!
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC).
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC).
Saturday, April 28, 2018
April 28, 2018
Suikoden IV (PS/Emulator): I played for a few more minutes today. I do miss this game, and will certainly try to dig into it for real in the near future!
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC), Sword of Chaos (iOS).
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC), Sword of Chaos (iOS).
Friday, April 27, 2018
April 27, 2018
I'll concede that a gaming journal lacking any gaming rather defeats the purpose...
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC).
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC).
Thursday, April 26, 2018
April 26, 2018
Blade and Soul (PC): Finished up the "Inventor's Jackpot" event: basically, you can activate the jackpot once every ten hours, and after the tenth time, you get the Free Spirit outfit. So I got the Free Spirit outfit!
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC).
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC).
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Monday, April 23, 2018
April 23, 2018
Sexy Brutale, The (PC): I had it open for a couple of hours... as I wrote out an alternate ending for it! I'll just post the entire post below.
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC), Blade and Soul (PC), Sword of Chaos (iOS)
My The Sexy Brutale Alternate Ending
As good as the ending was, I know a lot of people felt the game shifted gears from "solving murders in Clue meets Groundhog Day" to a giant metaphor. While there are hints at the metaphor early on, at the same time, the game did position itself in a way where it everything could be wrapped up in a more literal sense.
Going with the relatively-straightforward approach of the initial 90% of the game, I decided to try to my hand at creating an ending that presumes the events are real and actually occuring.
(As a side note, I hope the developers aren't offended! I wouldn't have spent three hours after work writing this up if I didn't enjoy the game immensely and feel a strong emotional attachment to it!)
The Setup:
This assumes a few things: first, nearly everything that happens up to meeting the Gold Skull and finding the Red King is the same as it is in game, with all revelations afterward discarded. Second, Lafcadio Boone is the real Lafcadio, and an invited guest to the party like all of the rest. Third, the magic is real. Willow can see the dead, there's a giant spider and an evil fishand the masks both influence the wearer and siphon some of their ability.
How it Plays Out:
Lafcadio leaves the fresh-water spout turned off to the side in the Secret Chamber, leaving Grinmaw to go belly-up. Beyond that, the game plays out like normal, up to finding the Red King and meeting the Gold Skull.
The Gold Skull is surprised to learn Lafcadio is still alive, but expresses his gratitude for bringing Eleanor directly to him in the room of the King of Red. Rather than leave it to his staff, the Gold Skull had planned to kill Eleanor himself, as she would be the most likely beneficiary of Lucas's insurance fortune. He asks if Lafcadio likes his new, secret addition to the mansion: the preserved body of a power and ancient magician, derisively calling him "the Red King" after witnessing him cry upon seeing his power used to kill innocents.
The Gold Skull explains that the Red King is his power source for the masks, the magic, and the creation of his staff. He surmises that Eleanor's ability to teleport seems to be an unfortunate side effect of the Red King's blood magic, also giving her the appearance marking her as "The Bloody Girl", then mocks it as Red King's feeble attempt to stop his plan.
Unbeknownst to the Gold Skull, however, the Red King's guilt at his part in the deaths is creating unexpected consequences: the time loop, a phenomenon the Gold Skull is not aware of due to be stuck within it like the rest of the guests.
With them cornered, the Gold Skull then attempts to kill Lafcadio and Eleanor, but the enraged Red King lets out a mournful cry that stuns the Gold Skull, allowing Lafcadio to escape and reset the day.
Before waking up, Lafcadio experiences images of the mansion on fire--foreshadowing Lucas's botched attempt at blowing it up--and then meets the Bloody Girl yet again, and this time she asks him to check on Lucas. Lafcadio heads to the upper floors to find Lucas, and Lucas now becomes the final victim that needs to be saved. Lafcadio watches as Lucas prepares the bomb, only to find it goes off too early--as per the Gold Skull's intent. Lucas perishs in the fire, and Lafcadio resets the day.
This time, Lafcadio locates the bomb, only to find the Gold Skull rigging it to go off early. The second the Gold Skull flees, Lafcadio disarms the bomb. Lucas finds the disarmed bomb and is stunned when he realizes he had almost killed his friends and his wife, seeing it was set to go off early and assuming it was his mistake. Lafcadio then warns him of the Gold Skull's own plans, and how the staff has been attempting to kill the guests already.
Lucas is shocked, stating that he had no hand in hiring the additional staff and it was his chief of staff who brought them on. With the finances of the Sexy Brutale increasingly poor, he had kept only a single servant. When Lucas told his chief of staff about wanting to bring on a larger staff temporarily for the party, the chief of staff insisted he would handle it.
Lucas hands his mask to Lafcadio, who then takes it as his own.
Gameplay-wise, this is the easiest victim to save, but now Lafcadio has his work cut out for him: he must manage to save every guest in a single day. But Lucas's mask affords him the ability to move at high speeds, the speed a physical manisfestation of the way Lucas lived most of his life: hurrying with reckless abandon from impulse to impulse.
Utilizing both Lucas's mask and the teleportation mirrors, Lafcadio manages to save each of the guests, ending with Lucas. Eleanor, Lucas, and Lafcadio then head to the basement to confront the Gold Skull. The Gold Skull arrives, but Lucas quickly engages him. The Gold Skull's mask falls off, revealing Lucas's chief of staff. Lafcadio rushes to the controls to shut down the Red King's prison pod. The Gold Skull throws Lucas off and shoves Lafcadio away from the controls, but he's too late.
With a cry, the Red King smashes open the tank, grabbing the Gold Skull. Fading away and taking the Gold Skull with him, the Red King is finally released from his unwanted, torturous immortality. All around the mansion, the staff is shown fading away as the Red King's power leaves this world. Eleanor's appearance reverts to normal, revealing for the first time a pretty woman with child.
Lucas begs their forgiveness, promising to sell the mansion and find another way to live a simple life with Eleanor. Lafcadio offers him the kind of forgiveness only a priest can give, and Eleanor is more than happy at the idea of a simple life. Humbled by the words of the two most important people in his life, Lucas promises to live a better life for Eleanor, and for their child.
Finally revealing himself to his guests, Lucas appears at the ball that is to cap off the night.
Although some of them are a little shaken by their experiences, the guests had already concluded the day's events were a result of the Lucas's own eccentricities coming to fruition: in this case, the rumoured idea of "immersive theatre" that he had been working on for years.
Reginald quietly tells Lucas of his concerns related to his mysterious project, but Lucas tells him that he has done away with the bomb entirely and has no further interest in continuing. Reginald is relieved, his concerns about Lucas's aims dispelled.
Lucas explains that he let the staff go because an entire day of "acting" had tired them out, and the guests instead staff the ball themselves, taking up what instruments they can. Shortly before midnight, Lucas explains this will be the final party held at the Sexy Brutale, as he will be selling the mansion to refocus his life on his wife and child. The guest are disappointed, but admit that day was the most exciting day they've ever had at the Sexy Brutale, and promise to keep the party going throughout the night, quickly loosening up.
Only Lafcadio and Eleanor are tentative as they watch the clock closely, exchanging glances and breathing sighs of relief as it crosses midnight.
Further Elaboration:
Although some of my storyline and rationale is made up, I tried to make sure it jived with what we already know. If the Gold Skull isn't Lucas, it would have to be someone close to him who would know the inner workings of the mansion more than anybody, including its affairs as well as the layout. Who better than the head servant?
As a loyal and trusted servant, The Gold Skull would likely be in line to receive a payoff if Lucas is killed, perhaps even having written it himself into the will. Convenietly for the Gold Skull, all of Lucas's good friends who are all at the mansion, which was supposed to make for a convenient alibi for Lucas, but also places all the heirs in a single location (and the Gold Skull's home turf), making them easy targets.
Yet while the mansion blowing up early *should* kill off everyone, Lucas's friends are intelligent and inquisitive. The Gold Skull can't risk them figuring out the plot ahead of time, and he can't risk them escaping the fire. He needs to be sure the others are out of the equation so he's in line to receive the money himself.
The Gold Skull needs help, and that's where using the Red King's magic to create the staff gives him the help he needs. Their masks place them under his control, although, like with the guests, hints of their own personalities show through. For example, some of the staff takes morbid delight in killing the guests, like guy's murder; another is filled with jealously (and possibly misogynist) as he tosses Tequila into the trash; another is actually struggling with guilt as he learns that Aurum is, in his own words, "a good man". Regardless, all are more than willing to go along with murder.
Even with that help, the Gold Skull is facing formidable opponents in his guests, and so he devises the masks. The masks exert control over the users by taking on their owner's personalities and skills and amplifying them, for example, by playing on Greyson's natural tendency for thievery and treasure hunting and encouraging him to become near-obsessed with the Moloch Egg to the point of terrible decision making and making it easier to cloud their judgment and lure them to their deaths.
In turn, the masks become infused with that amplified aspect of their personality. Aided by Eleanor's magic, these masks allow another wearer to utilize a portion of that obtained knowledge and skill: in this case, Lafcadio.
Like the rest of the guests, Lafcadio is initially killed by the Gold Skull's men, dying in the chapel with Reginald (as the game hints at if taken literally). Eleanor, however, realizes that Lafcadio is an intelligent man and a jack-of-all-trades, and therefore the best choice to stop the Gold Skull and save the guests.
In terms of the genuine peril some of the guests ended up in, the game repeatedly refers to Lucas's interest in "immersive theater", and his own eccentricities abound in both his manner, his past, and the design of the mansion. I figured it would not be a hard sell for his closest friends to appreciate Lucas in action.
And Grinmaw's death is merely to tie up that loose end. Alternatively, if we want to end on a creepier note, Grinmaw could be left alive. There could be an after-credits scene where a new family buys the house, and starts hearing dark murmurs at night...
So, whatcha think? Would you make any alterations? Do you have your own headcanon endings?
Thanks to anyone who made it through my wall of text!
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC), Blade and Soul (PC), Sword of Chaos (iOS)
My The Sexy Brutale Alternate Ending
As good as the ending was, I know a lot of people felt the game shifted gears from "solving murders in Clue meets Groundhog Day" to a giant metaphor. While there are hints at the metaphor early on, at the same time, the game did position itself in a way where it everything could be wrapped up in a more literal sense.
Going with the relatively-straightforward approach of the initial 90% of the game, I decided to try to my hand at creating an ending that presumes the events are real and actually occuring.
(As a side note, I hope the developers aren't offended! I wouldn't have spent three hours after work writing this up if I didn't enjoy the game immensely and feel a strong emotional attachment to it!)
The Setup:
This assumes a few things: first, nearly everything that happens up to meeting the Gold Skull and finding the Red King is the same as it is in game, with all revelations afterward discarded. Second, Lafcadio Boone is the real Lafcadio, and an invited guest to the party like all of the rest. Third, the magic is real. Willow can see the dead, there's a giant spider and an evil fishand the masks both influence the wearer and siphon some of their ability.
How it Plays Out:
Lafcadio leaves the fresh-water spout turned off to the side in the Secret Chamber, leaving Grinmaw to go belly-up. Beyond that, the game plays out like normal, up to finding the Red King and meeting the Gold Skull.
The Gold Skull is surprised to learn Lafcadio is still alive, but expresses his gratitude for bringing Eleanor directly to him in the room of the King of Red. Rather than leave it to his staff, the Gold Skull had planned to kill Eleanor himself, as she would be the most likely beneficiary of Lucas's insurance fortune. He asks if Lafcadio likes his new, secret addition to the mansion: the preserved body of a power and ancient magician, derisively calling him "the Red King" after witnessing him cry upon seeing his power used to kill innocents.
The Gold Skull explains that the Red King is his power source for the masks, the magic, and the creation of his staff. He surmises that Eleanor's ability to teleport seems to be an unfortunate side effect of the Red King's blood magic, also giving her the appearance marking her as "The Bloody Girl", then mocks it as Red King's feeble attempt to stop his plan.
Unbeknownst to the Gold Skull, however, the Red King's guilt at his part in the deaths is creating unexpected consequences: the time loop, a phenomenon the Gold Skull is not aware of due to be stuck within it like the rest of the guests.
With them cornered, the Gold Skull then attempts to kill Lafcadio and Eleanor, but the enraged Red King lets out a mournful cry that stuns the Gold Skull, allowing Lafcadio to escape and reset the day.
Before waking up, Lafcadio experiences images of the mansion on fire--foreshadowing Lucas's botched attempt at blowing it up--and then meets the Bloody Girl yet again, and this time she asks him to check on Lucas. Lafcadio heads to the upper floors to find Lucas, and Lucas now becomes the final victim that needs to be saved. Lafcadio watches as Lucas prepares the bomb, only to find it goes off too early--as per the Gold Skull's intent. Lucas perishs in the fire, and Lafcadio resets the day.
This time, Lafcadio locates the bomb, only to find the Gold Skull rigging it to go off early. The second the Gold Skull flees, Lafcadio disarms the bomb. Lucas finds the disarmed bomb and is stunned when he realizes he had almost killed his friends and his wife, seeing it was set to go off early and assuming it was his mistake. Lafcadio then warns him of the Gold Skull's own plans, and how the staff has been attempting to kill the guests already.
Lucas is shocked, stating that he had no hand in hiring the additional staff and it was his chief of staff who brought them on. With the finances of the Sexy Brutale increasingly poor, he had kept only a single servant. When Lucas told his chief of staff about wanting to bring on a larger staff temporarily for the party, the chief of staff insisted he would handle it.
Lucas hands his mask to Lafcadio, who then takes it as his own.
Gameplay-wise, this is the easiest victim to save, but now Lafcadio has his work cut out for him: he must manage to save every guest in a single day. But Lucas's mask affords him the ability to move at high speeds, the speed a physical manisfestation of the way Lucas lived most of his life: hurrying with reckless abandon from impulse to impulse.
Utilizing both Lucas's mask and the teleportation mirrors, Lafcadio manages to save each of the guests, ending with Lucas. Eleanor, Lucas, and Lafcadio then head to the basement to confront the Gold Skull. The Gold Skull arrives, but Lucas quickly engages him. The Gold Skull's mask falls off, revealing Lucas's chief of staff. Lafcadio rushes to the controls to shut down the Red King's prison pod. The Gold Skull throws Lucas off and shoves Lafcadio away from the controls, but he's too late.
With a cry, the Red King smashes open the tank, grabbing the Gold Skull. Fading away and taking the Gold Skull with him, the Red King is finally released from his unwanted, torturous immortality. All around the mansion, the staff is shown fading away as the Red King's power leaves this world. Eleanor's appearance reverts to normal, revealing for the first time a pretty woman with child.
Lucas begs their forgiveness, promising to sell the mansion and find another way to live a simple life with Eleanor. Lafcadio offers him the kind of forgiveness only a priest can give, and Eleanor is more than happy at the idea of a simple life. Humbled by the words of the two most important people in his life, Lucas promises to live a better life for Eleanor, and for their child.
Finally revealing himself to his guests, Lucas appears at the ball that is to cap off the night.
Although some of them are a little shaken by their experiences, the guests had already concluded the day's events were a result of the Lucas's own eccentricities coming to fruition: in this case, the rumoured idea of "immersive theatre" that he had been working on for years.
Reginald quietly tells Lucas of his concerns related to his mysterious project, but Lucas tells him that he has done away with the bomb entirely and has no further interest in continuing. Reginald is relieved, his concerns about Lucas's aims dispelled.
Lucas explains that he let the staff go because an entire day of "acting" had tired them out, and the guests instead staff the ball themselves, taking up what instruments they can. Shortly before midnight, Lucas explains this will be the final party held at the Sexy Brutale, as he will be selling the mansion to refocus his life on his wife and child. The guest are disappointed, but admit that day was the most exciting day they've ever had at the Sexy Brutale, and promise to keep the party going throughout the night, quickly loosening up.
Only Lafcadio and Eleanor are tentative as they watch the clock closely, exchanging glances and breathing sighs of relief as it crosses midnight.
Further Elaboration:
Although some of my storyline and rationale is made up, I tried to make sure it jived with what we already know. If the Gold Skull isn't Lucas, it would have to be someone close to him who would know the inner workings of the mansion more than anybody, including its affairs as well as the layout. Who better than the head servant?
As a loyal and trusted servant, The Gold Skull would likely be in line to receive a payoff if Lucas is killed, perhaps even having written it himself into the will. Convenietly for the Gold Skull, all of Lucas's good friends who are all at the mansion, which was supposed to make for a convenient alibi for Lucas, but also places all the heirs in a single location (and the Gold Skull's home turf), making them easy targets.
Yet while the mansion blowing up early *should* kill off everyone, Lucas's friends are intelligent and inquisitive. The Gold Skull can't risk them figuring out the plot ahead of time, and he can't risk them escaping the fire. He needs to be sure the others are out of the equation so he's in line to receive the money himself.
The Gold Skull needs help, and that's where using the Red King's magic to create the staff gives him the help he needs. Their masks place them under his control, although, like with the guests, hints of their own personalities show through. For example, some of the staff takes morbid delight in killing the guests, like guy's murder; another is filled with jealously (and possibly misogynist) as he tosses Tequila into the trash; another is actually struggling with guilt as he learns that Aurum is, in his own words, "a good man". Regardless, all are more than willing to go along with murder.
Even with that help, the Gold Skull is facing formidable opponents in his guests, and so he devises the masks. The masks exert control over the users by taking on their owner's personalities and skills and amplifying them, for example, by playing on Greyson's natural tendency for thievery and treasure hunting and encouraging him to become near-obsessed with the Moloch Egg to the point of terrible decision making and making it easier to cloud their judgment and lure them to their deaths.
In turn, the masks become infused with that amplified aspect of their personality. Aided by Eleanor's magic, these masks allow another wearer to utilize a portion of that obtained knowledge and skill: in this case, Lafcadio.
Like the rest of the guests, Lafcadio is initially killed by the Gold Skull's men, dying in the chapel with Reginald (as the game hints at if taken literally). Eleanor, however, realizes that Lafcadio is an intelligent man and a jack-of-all-trades, and therefore the best choice to stop the Gold Skull and save the guests.
In terms of the genuine peril some of the guests ended up in, the game repeatedly refers to Lucas's interest in "immersive theater", and his own eccentricities abound in both his manner, his past, and the design of the mansion. I figured it would not be a hard sell for his closest friends to appreciate Lucas in action.
And Grinmaw's death is merely to tie up that loose end. Alternatively, if we want to end on a creepier note, Grinmaw could be left alive. There could be an after-credits scene where a new family buys the house, and starts hearing dark murmurs at night...
So, whatcha think? Would you make any alterations? Do you have your own headcanon endings?
Thanks to anyone who made it through my wall of text!
Sunday, April 22, 2018
April 22, 2018
Nothing special, alas! I need a new game.
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online, Blade and Soul, Sword of Chaos (iOS)
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online, Blade and Soul, Sword of Chaos (iOS)
Saturday, April 21, 2018
April 21, 2018
Sexy Brutale, The (PC): I finished the achievements and collectibles and scored the alternate ending. It was a cute, happy ending, with no twist and more-or-less playing the story straight (that is, no genre-swapping or "it was a dream" stuff), so that was nice. You do shatter glass using your powers to end it--probably another metaphor, shattering the illusion or some such--but still.
It also marks only my third game to be 100%ed in achievements on Steam, the other two being NiGHTS into Dreams and Borderless Gaming, which has one achievement simply for using the program!
Sword of Chaos Online (iOS): I actually did Resource Battle today! It's basically a guild versus guild PvP thing, and it's fun. It's also at 2300 my time, which is right in the middle of my sleep (I crash around 2030-2100 and sleep until 0455 when I get up for work), but since I was up and went for it. We won both, I was mostly stomped, but whatever!
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC), Blade and Soul (PC)
It also marks only my third game to be 100%ed in achievements on Steam, the other two being NiGHTS into Dreams and Borderless Gaming, which has one achievement simply for using the program!
Sword of Chaos Online (iOS): I actually did Resource Battle today! It's basically a guild versus guild PvP thing, and it's fun. It's also at 2300 my time, which is right in the middle of my sleep (I crash around 2030-2100 and sleep until 0455 when I get up for work), but since I was up and went for it. We won both, I was mostly stomped, but whatever!
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online (PC), Blade and Soul (PC)
Thursday, April 19, 2018
April 20, 2018
Sexy Brutale, The (PC): I beat The Sexy Brutale today, and the twist ending left me with mixed feelings. Emotionally, it was powerful, but it was an "it was all a dream" deal where it turns out it's all a metaphor for the guilt Lucas experienced having inadvertently killed his friends and his wife when he attempted to burn down the mansion for insurance purposes. It's almost like it was two different games: the creepy, stealthy Clue-esque murder mystery mingled with Groundhog Day for the first 90%, and then a dream-sequence emotional metaphor at the end.
Still, it was a highly enjoyable experience, even if the genre is basically swapped in the last 5-10%. I may go for the achievements and alternate ending later!
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online, Blade and Soul, Sword of Chaos (iOS)
Still, it was a highly enjoyable experience, even if the genre is basically swapped in the last 5-10%. I may go for the achievements and alternate ending later!
Minor Entries: Black Desert Online, Blade and Soul, Sword of Chaos (iOS)
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
April 17, 2018
Black Desert Online (PC): Logged in, sold stuff, logged out!
Blade & Soul (PC): Logged in, activated the Jackpot item, logged out!
Sexy Brutale, The (PC): Made it a little further by saving Redd and a guy whose name I forgot. I figured out the second half of the trick first after a rather amusing exchange between two of the staff who talk back and forth for hours in one to two word exchanges, only for one to finally flip his lid and shout out the entire second answer in verbose fashion!
I really like the sound, look, and feel of the game. It's creepy--not Splatterhouse or Castlevania creepy, but sort of like a dark version of Tim Burton: everything is just a touch off, and it's unsettling. I'd love to see a sequel, or a game made in the same style but expanded into a less linear game.
Sword of Chaos (iOS): The usual: a few Holy Square runs, and the basic dailies, and that's it!
Blade & Soul (PC): Logged in, activated the Jackpot item, logged out!
Sexy Brutale, The (PC): Made it a little further by saving Redd and a guy whose name I forgot. I figured out the second half of the trick first after a rather amusing exchange between two of the staff who talk back and forth for hours in one to two word exchanges, only for one to finally flip his lid and shout out the entire second answer in verbose fashion!
I really like the sound, look, and feel of the game. It's creepy--not Splatterhouse or Castlevania creepy, but sort of like a dark version of Tim Burton: everything is just a touch off, and it's unsettling. I'd love to see a sequel, or a game made in the same style but expanded into a less linear game.
Sword of Chaos (iOS): The usual: a few Holy Square runs, and the basic dailies, and that's it!
Monday, April 16, 2018
April 16, 2018
Black Desert Online (PC): Logged in as Greenpaw, collected the daily login item, and put it on the marketplace!
Blade & Soul (PC): Activated the Jackpot item to push it up another stage!
Suikoden IV (PS2/Emulation): Played around with PCSX2. Suikoden IV looks terrible... my, how PS2 games have aged! But then at 1080p with upped resolution and anti-aliasing, it looks great! Only played up to the second checkpoint, just to be sure the settings are all working fine and such.
Sword of Chaos (iOS): Burned my daily Holy Square charges for a few more Divinity levels. That's it!
Blade & Soul (PC): Activated the Jackpot item to push it up another stage!
Suikoden IV (PS2/Emulation): Played around with PCSX2. Suikoden IV looks terrible... my, how PS2 games have aged! But then at 1080p with upped resolution and anti-aliasing, it looks great! Only played up to the second checkpoint, just to be sure the settings are all working fine and such.
Sword of Chaos (iOS): Burned my daily Holy Square charges for a few more Divinity levels. That's it!
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