Lurker > CaptainOfCrush

CasanovaZelos posted...

I've played through Bloodborne twice before, but never bothered with the Chalice Dungeons. Just beat the final boss of it!

Oh nice. She's definitely one of the funniest fights but surprisingly easy considering the gauntlet you have to face to reach her.
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Yoblazer
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Haha woooo

GOT THAT HEADLESS BASTARD
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Yoblazer
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He doesn't seem too active, so this is a longshot shoutout, but I think I just cooperated with him in Bloodborne.

Headless Bloodletting Beast, not 15 minutes ago.

@CasanovaZelos, was that you?
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Yoblazer
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Please do! I'm going with my gf, my roommate, and my childhood friend's small group. I sprung extra for the VIP parking, so I hope that helps because I've heard traffic getting in and out of the venue could be a nightmare.

I talked to another friend who lives for these festivals, and she said spend the first day exploring every nook and cranny sober, and wait for the second day to get fucked up.
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Yoblazer
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Bumpo.
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Yoblazer
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I'm going to EDC for the first time next month. I really know nothing about the scene, but I'm interested and wanted to experience it with friends who are more into it.

Any advice or protips from people who have been there? Thx
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Yoblazer
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Yeah, I feel this is just common courtesy. If I take a call from someone on speaker, the first thing I do is tell them they're on speaker and with who.
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Yoblazer
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Co-host a podcast about GameFAQs contests. Also one of the funnest things I do.
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Yoblazer
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Pizza talk seriously brings out the worst in people; never been able to understand this.
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Yoblazer
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transience posted...

I love your perspective by the way. this is crazy for the west coast.. and totally normal everywhere else.

I guess so. I lived most of my life before Vegas in SoCal, where the weather fluctuates as much in a year as Vegas will in the next 24 hours, so this weather is remarkable for me.

As much as this topic is educational.
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Yoblazer
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Weather for 89074:

4/11: High of 95
4/12: Expected high of 67

And there's no expected storm or anything. Stupid Vegas.
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Yoblazer
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I've gotten physical therapy from men and there was no awkwardness, but I'm sure that's due to the public and innately non-sensual nature of PT. A dude massage would be weird, but I'm glad it didn't for you.

Over the past few years, I have gotten a few sensual massages at rub-n-tug Asian parlors in town. Those are generally worth it.
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Yoblazer
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I skipped around, but... it doesn't look like something that's needed five years of development time.
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Yoblazer
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Bumpo.
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Yoblazer
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I love the game, but a five-hour Skyward Sword run will be rough. I would have enjoyed another BotW run a lot more. Also no Bloodborne or Mega Man X, which are two of my favorites to watch. I should remember to tune in for RE4 and REMake back to back, though - best part of the event for me.
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Yoblazer
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Anagram posted...

No, I'm playing the GCN version. I've owned it for over a decade and never really payed it.

Ah, that clarifies things. The GCN version only has the original tank controls. If you can acclimate to them, I still think it's an amazing experience.

And I agree with you, Snakes. Inventory management works in RE because the player is navigating labyrinths that loop in on themselves while introducing new enemies and puzzles. Every time the player reaches a save room, they are greeted with a moment of relief before they plan their next venture into unsafe areas. I remember routinely taking an extra minute in safe rooms deciding whether to ditch the handgun, or whether to settle for one healing item versus two. You know you can never walk outside with your full arsenal, and that creates a constant tension. If Jill could run through the whole game with a handgun, shotgun, grenade launcher, magnum, and ammo for each, it would kill that tension.
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Yoblazer
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This is among the 3D games I feel has aged really well. It's still a hallmark of tension and level design imo. I love the Remaster on new consoles (I assume that's what you're playing), though yeah, the modernized controls does make it a little too easy. Some tips since this game is tough on a first run:

- As stated, start with Jill. She's essentially Easy mode.
- Explore the mansion well. The optional goodies are worth it.
- There are two main item box/save rooms in the mansion. Kill and burn all the zombies around these rooms since you'll revisit them often. It makes exploration much easier.
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Yoblazer
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Cheap Mexican cuisine does a good job introducing people to parts of the cow that American food might neglect, like the head and tongue. Had a great cabeza burrito yesterday, for example.
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Yoblazer
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Beef > Chicken > Pork

I really enjoy pork ribs and bacon, but I dislike ham and actual cuts of pork flesh. With beef and chicken, I enjoy them in pretty much any way.
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Yoblazer
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I actually think Little Caesars is good for the cost, but this ain't worth what might be an hour long wait.
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Yoblazer
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Before I post something big, do we have any guesstimates as to the First Orders troop strength by the end of the movie? We're shown that the Resistance numbers only in the dozens, but the First Order hardly seems bigger. Holdo really wrecked their shit.

My buddy and I were joking that the conflict resembled a streetgang fight more than a galactic war by the time they met on the salt planet. Maybe that's why the rest of the galaxy didn't care.
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Yoblazer
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The references were fun, but once the main plot/conflict took over, it was a slog to get through. Movie felt like it was three hours long.
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Yoblazer
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Great contest and first winner!
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Yoblazer
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I tallied and it looks like ol' Ben won comfortably.

Great contest =)
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Yoblazer
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Kinda weird to include the original in this.
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Yoblazer
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I don't get it...
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Yoblazer
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Yeah, Tommy's village was the feel-good story. Dude got hitched and helps lead a community of 20 families. You also get the sense that he isn't nearly as fucked up as Joel.

I wonder if they ever considered making "happy" DLC that focuses on Tommy's journey.
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Yoblazer
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https://frinkiac.com/img/S07E23/808457.jpg
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Yoblazer
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I guess I can see it both ways. Pretty much every post-apocalyptic story I've heard of tends to deal the struggle of survival versus that greater yearning to "live." Every story beats us over the head with the philosophy that the compassionate people die early while the cunning and merciless get to survive in a world without compassion.

So you can argue that the survivors changed because they had to survive, or they survived because they were assholes all along and "reaped the benefits" of being thrust into a world where their asshole tendencies immediately benefited them.
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Yoblazer
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tcaz2 posted...

I think you care far too much about what a childs opinions based on incomplete information and a still-naive outlook on the world are tbqh

I think we're made to care because the only people in this world who aren't torturous assholes ARE the young naive children (we see it three times with Ellie, Sam, and Riley). I sympathize with the adult characters because they were turned this way by necessity, but the young characters are more endearing because that sense of innocence/compassion hasn't been totally beaten out of them yet.

That's why my biggest fear with a sequel (and I still haven't read or seen anything, so this is purely my speculation) is them giving us an older Ellie who has turned into Tess Jr. That would suck.
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Yoblazer
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"This little one isn't worth the effort. Come, let me get you something."

BLAAARGGHHH!!!!

- Obi-Wan Kenobi (9) [and Cornelius Evazan]
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Yoblazer
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Jakyl25 posted...

Sports fandom gatekeeping is the worst part of sports

I generally agree. I don't care when a person decides to support a team and for what reason, and I don't mind that 90% of the time, that reason is "they're winning."

Though in my case, I can't help wondering if hardcore fans would thumb their noses at me cuz I really don't know diddle about hockey.
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Yoblazer
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I've been living in the Vegas area (specifically Henderson, NV) for the past seven years. Just last year, the city got its first big-league sports team, the Golden Knights. In support, I bought a Golden Knights sweatshirt a couple days ago, and that began a discussion with my buddy about one of sport fans' greatest scourges THE FUCKING BANDWAGONERS, and my own internal investigation as to whether I've joined their ranks.

At first thought, it would seem like an odd question, because how can one be a bandwagoner if one supports their local team in that team's first year of existence?

But the caveat is that I've never really followed hockey before, I barely know the rules, and I can't name a single player on the Golden Knights. I'm supporting them because they're a local team, and not because of any longstanding love of hockey. Just never grew up with the game. I'll probably be a Knights fan even if they stink it up for years (I know they're having an amazing first season), but I'll probably also be "fan of local sports squadron" and not "fan of hockey."

So do all those things make me one of THEM? Whaddya think?
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Yoblazer
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"Mos Eisley Spaceport... it's a fucking shithole. A fucking shithole."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi (8)
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Yoblazer
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What did you not like about the ending? I'm getting into spoiler territory here so

My money was on Joel dying at first, but to me, this was a great way to end it with both of them alive while also staying true to the world we were given, which isn't one of happy endings. I probably wouldn't have enjoyed an ending where Ellie can provide the makings of a cure with blood samples and then live happily with Joel because it would feel contrary to the tone and brutality of the whole game.
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Yoblazer
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"As wise as Master Yoda, as powerful as Master Windu."

- Anakin Skywalker, in reference to Obi-Wan Kenobi (7)
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Yoblazer
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Finished Left Behind, and yeah I liked it. They did a beautiful job showing us Ellie and Riley's friendship. I'm very impressed at how "not corny" Naughty Dog made this game. The Joel sections won't be as memorable, but pitting hunters and infected against each other was maybe the funnest thing I've done with this game's combat. I don't recall that option existing in the main game, because human and infected enemies always seemed separated.

voltch posted...

Have you checked out the trailers for part 2?

Nope, didn't know there was a part two, though I'll check now. Assuming it's a continuation of Joel and Ellie's story, I'm not sure how I feel about it. If nothing else, TLoU was a very self-contained experience; I worry a sequel might ruin what made these characters special.
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Yoblazer
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Oh before I forget, Ish FTW

His story was one of my favorites.
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Yoblazer
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MariaTaylor posted...

good job sticking it out and getting through to the end. I'm glad you were able to get some enjoyment out of it!

Yeah, glad I did. It seems to be one of the single-player games that gets the most discussion from the past few years, so I'm glad I can participate now.

Peridiam posted...

How would you rank the seasons & characters?

Ellie and Joel are the top two for sure. Ellie is the most likable, but it seems like Joel is the most fleshed out. I also liked Tommy, Henry, and Sam because the brotherhood storylines were done well. I wish they would have given us one subtle scene where Joel draws a parallel between Sam and his own younger brother.

As for season - it's very hard to say. More than half the game takes place in Summer, including the entire sections with Tess, Bill, and Henry/Sam. So Summer has sheer size to its credit, but it also has setpieces that nearly made me quit, so who knows. Winter had the highest points emotionally, but I have never been a fan of that mechanic where a game lets you build up your arsenal/strength for 15 hours then takes it away in a plot twist (story-driven games love that shit). So I wasn't a HUGE fan of playing with Ellie with her limited inventory, and I also felt that I never had a moment to chill and explore in Winter. It was almost too tense, with the contest feeling of disorientation in that snowstorm. I loved the first half of Spring in the outdoors; that was maybe the prettiest part of the game to me, and the fight at the end (TWO BLOATERS) was actually fun. The grand finale inside the hospital was kinda meh.

Honestly, my favorite might be Fall. Wyoming and Colorado were both beautiful, and the chapter had a great blending of story and fun gameplay. Also, finally a magnum.
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Yoblazer
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Also, do a lot of people speculate that Ellie knew he was lying, and just went along with it because... what the fuck do either of them do about it at that point?
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Yoblazer
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Menji posted...

What are your thoughts on the ending?

Liked it. I thought it was a great ending for a story that clearly depicted Joel as psychologically flawed, selfish, and not a good person. During flavor dialogue, he admitted to killing (probably many) innocent people, and we see him carrying out executions without remorse multiple times. He bottles up his feelings about Sarah, his wife, and Tess, and only begins to open up to Ellie after months traveling together. Joel and Ellie's relationship was built up very well, but the only true moment of tenderness was after her near-rape, when his paternal instincts kick in and he consoles her.

He's also really hot-headed and loses his mind the moment he hears a word of disagreement (I thought he was a total douchebag when initially talking to his brother in Wyoming). To that end, the huge lie to Ellie is very fitting for his character, imo.

Although I did wonder if I missed some bonus scenes because the ending is really short. I don't mind that, but are there any bonus scenes or anything for gathering all the collectibles? I assumed that at least gathering all Ellie's comics would unlock something...

Menji posted...

Did you enjoy the fight with David at the end? I think that's his name.

Yep! That was one of my favorite moments of the game. I'll be honest - at first, I had no idea what to do. I thought I just needed to wait him out until the whole restaurant burned and/or Joel arrived. It wasn't until several minutes of sneaking that I realized I was supposed to take him out myself. It was probably my favorite part of Winter, though I'm not sure if I enjoyed Winter quite as much as the people who were lauding it in the last topic.
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Yoblazer
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Thank you to all the Board 8ers who recommended I stay the course and complete it.

I posted my original topic after I had just experienced Tess's departure, and right before Bill's introduction. You guys were right - the game did ramp up enough to keep me invested. I think part of the reason I warmed up to it is because I enjoyed the camaraderie of Bill, Henry & Sam, and Tommy. They were all at least a little interesting and relatable, whereas Tess was just a generic no-nonsense hardass type, so I didn't much care about the part of the story where she was the third wheel.

That said, it was Ellie and Joel that most kept me playing (I imagine that's the case for many people), and though my gaming sample size is small these past few years, I'd say Naughty Dog hit a new milestone for depicting a relationship between two characters in a way that felt both gripping and organic. Commendable stuff there.

Buuuut despite the emotional weight of the characters/story, I still didn't dig the gameplay. There were at least a few instances where I'd run into another group of hunters or infected and think "god can we just move on." I generally saw combat as a chore to get to the next bit of story/dialogue/exploration/crafting, and that's probably why I won't be replaying this. And I can't imagine ever touching the multiplayer. I guess fighting bloaters was my favorite, but there are like five in the game sooo

All in all, still quite glad I played this! The story and characters won't leave me for a while, even though I found the gameplay disappointing.

Any spoiler-free thoughts on Left Behind? I'll probably start that this evening.
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Yoblazer
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"Hello there!"

- General Kenobi (6)
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Yoblazer
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Obi-Wan? Now that's a name I've not heard in a long time...

...a long time (5)
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Yoblazer
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He claims to be the property of an Obi-Wan Kenobi (4)
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Yoblazer
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Ol' Ben Kenobi and his damn-fool idealistic crusades (3)
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Ben? Ben Kenobi?? (2)
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Yoblazer
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