| Board List | Page List: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... 45 |
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| Topic | NBA Offseason/Regular Season Topic |
LeonhartFour
05/19/21 10:21:07 PM
#492 | |
| Topic | NBA Offseason/Regular Season Topic |
LeonhartFour
05/15/21 10:12:36 PM
#478 | congrats to now official Hall of Famer Tim Duncan --- |
| Topic | NBA Offseason/Regular Season Topic |
LeonhartFour
05/14/21 10:18:57 AM
#475 | ya go my Spurs clinching that 10th spot also smart move by Haslem making his season debut in the final home game and almost immediately getting ejected --- |
| Topic | NBA Offseason/Regular Season Topic |
LeonhartFour
05/11/21 1:25:23 AM
#469 | ya go my Spurs holding on to that 10th spot --- |
| Topic | Ol Punny plays Ace Attorney: Investigations *SPOILERS* |
LeonhartFour
04/25/21 10:59:35 PM
#134 | Leonhart4 posted... ...good luck --- |
| Topic | NBA Offseason/Regular Season Topic |
LeonhartFour
04/16/21 10:04:05 PM
#446 | X-rays were negative, thankfully, so it doesn't look like it's a season ending injury --- |
| Topic | NBA Offseason/Regular Season Topic |
LeonhartFour
04/15/21 10:39:40 PM
#442 | He had a few good seasons with the Spurs. I'll always wonder what might have happened if the Warriors don't injure Kawhi in that WCF series. --- |
| Topic | NFL Super Bowl Discussion Topic |
LeonhartFour
04/05/21 6:52:42 PM
#500 | |
| Topic | NFL Super Bowl Discussion Topic |
LeonhartFour
04/05/21 6:23:02 PM
#496 | |
| Topic | NFL Super Bowl Discussion Topic |
LeonhartFour
04/05/21 12:33:46 AM
#489 | |
| Topic | NBA Offseason/Regular Season Topic |
LeonhartFour
04/03/21 12:53:47 AM
#432 | |
| Topic | NFL Super Bowl Discussion Topic |
LeonhartFour
03/28/21 3:50:20 PM
#486 | I mean they won 4 games last year with Deshaun Watson (and two of those wins were against the Jags), so it would not be an indictment of Tyrod Taylor if they didn't win a game --- |
| Topic | NFL Super Bowl Discussion Topic |
LeonhartFour
03/28/21 2:51:56 PM
#483 | Lions might have a good shot at it --- |
| Topic | NFL Super Bowl Discussion Topic |
LeonhartFour
03/26/21 9:31:29 PM
#476 | and it's resulted in one playoff win --- |
| Topic | NFL Super Bowl Discussion Topic |
LeonhartFour
03/26/21 9:22:56 PM
#472 | He's talented, but my concern is more that he can't stay healthy. I don't think he's a WR1 at this point in his career. --- |
| Topic | NFL Super Bowl Discussion Topic |
LeonhartFour
03/26/21 4:25:39 PM
#465 | Fournette re-signs with the Bucs, meaning they're bringing back their entire Super Bowl starting lineup. --- |
| Topic | NFL Super Bowl Discussion Topic |
LeonhartFour
03/24/21 10:53:01 PM
#453 | |
| Topic | NFL Super Bowl Discussion Topic |
LeonhartFour
03/24/21 10:40:00 PM
#451 | so uh Dan Snyder is planning to buy out the minority owners of the WFT and the NFL has apparently approved the decision --- |
| Topic | NFL Super Bowl Discussion Topic |
LeonhartFour
03/24/21 5:14:41 PM
#449 | looks like Suh is re-signing with the Bucs --- |
| Topic | NFL Super Bowl Discussion Topic |
LeonhartFour
03/21/21 10:15:43 PM
#442 | I guess he was waiting to see where JuJu would sign first --- |
| Topic | NFL Super Bowl Discussion Topic |
LeonhartFour
03/21/21 10:12:35 PM
#440 | DeSean Jackson signing with the Rams Huh, that's interesting --- |
| Topic | NBA Offseason/Regular Season Topic |
LeonhartFour
03/21/21 9:25:09 PM
#413 | LeMelo broke his wrist. His season's probably over. --- |
| Topic | NFL Super Bowl Discussion Topic |
LeonhartFour
03/19/21 10:23:19 PM
#432 | Well, it's a one-year deal, so I figured he probably picked the one team where he'd have the best chance to put up big numbers and get the big contract next season when the cap goes back up. --- |
| Topic | SaveEstelle & LeonhartFour in New Houses: Final Fantasy Music Edition [SELF] |
LeonhartFour
03/16/21 6:33:44 PM
#495 | LeonhartFour posted... Game rankings: Sky SC > Cold Steel III > Cold Steel IV > Sky FC > Cold Steel I > Zero > Cold Steel II > Sky the 3rd whoops just realized I had CS3 twice so I fixed it --- |
| Topic | NFL Super Bowl Discussion Topic |
LeonhartFour
03/16/21 6:14:53 PM
#402 | Dolphins signing Jacoby Brissett, Texans signing Tyrod Taylor. --- |
| Topic | SaveEstelle & LeonhartFour in New Houses: Final Fantasy Music Edition [SELF] |
LeonhartFour
03/16/21 6:10:03 PM
#494 | World 2 beated in Super Mario 3D World! Hmm...The controls honestly feel a bit better in handheld mode. Either way, I'm enjoying myself so far. Good level variety, and they do a good job balancing free roaming and platforming. The cherry powerup was a pretty fun gimmick, too. --- |
| Topic | NFL Super Bowl Discussion Topic |
LeonhartFour
03/16/21 5:29:54 PM
#399 | Andy Dalton a decade ago would definitely be the best QB the Bears have had in a long time. Now? It's a tossup. --- |
| Topic | SaveEstelle & LeonhartFour in New Houses: Final Fantasy Music Edition [SELF] |
LeonhartFour
03/16/21 5:29:12 PM
#493 | okay I can't do these "motion control" levels in 3D World with a pro controller this is rough --- |
| Topic | SaveEstelle & LeonhartFour in New Houses: Final Fantasy Music Edition [SELF] |
LeonhartFour
03/16/21 5:13:50 PM
#492 | |
| Topic | SaveEstelle & LeonhartFour in New Houses: Final Fantasy Music Edition [SELF] |
LeonhartFour
03/16/21 5:04:56 PM
#491 | Oh right, I need to do my Cold Steel IV review! As for the game overall, I really enjoyed it. Act 2 felt like it was never going to end, but other than that, I didn't mind the pacing despite the size of the game as a whole. Gameplay was fun, but it's basically more of the same at this point. I'm looking forward to what the Calvard arc is going to do based on the videos they released the other day. As far as the story is concerned, I was mostly satisfied with how everything played out, and they definitely have me excited about the next arc of the series based on the major plot bomb setups they dropped here. Game rankings: Sky SC > Cold Steel III > Cold Steel IV > Sky FC > Cold Steel I > Zero > Cold Steel III > Sky the 3rd I think? The top four are pretty set in stone, but I feel like I could rotate the bottom four at any given moment based on my mood at the time. I like them all though! Now it's time for the definitive Trails of Cold Steel character rankings. I thought about doing full series rankings, but I'll save that until I finish Azure. I'm also going to omit the Sky and Crossbell crews from these rankings (Except Olivert since he's too important to this arc to leave out) and limit it just to Cold Steel. Class VII: Rean > Altina > Jusis > Laura > Emma > Juna > Fie > Ash > Sara > Kurt > Crow > Musse > Alisa > Millium > Machias > Gaius > Elliot Most improved in CS4: Musse for being a real character and not just a constant Rean flirting machine Branch campus: Freddy > Maya > Pablo > Valerie > Leonora > Stark > Jessica > Wayne > Tatiana > Sandy > Sidney > Gustaf > Kairi > Louise Thors Network: Towa > Patrick > Beryl > Emily > Edel > Becky > Kenneth > Vivi > Mint > Michael > Ferris > Alan > Vincent > Bridget > Theresia > Munk > Linde > Hugo > Fritz > George > Margarita > Ada > Rex > Dorothee > Angelica Allies: Olivert > Aurelia > Sharon > Duvalie > Vita > Rosine > Alfin > Celine > Roselia > Thomas > Toval > Schmidt > Elise Misc.: Neithardt > Victor > Jingo > Lucy > Fiona > Ennea > Ines > Kaela > Irina Antagonists: Arianrhod > Rutger > McBurn > Rufus > Osborne > Campanella > Claire > Lechter > Mariabell > Cedric > Leo > Xeno > Shirley > Black Alberich I think that's about it! --- |
| Topic | SaveEstelle & LeonhartFour in New Houses: Final Fantasy Music Edition [SELF] |
LeonhartFour
03/16/21 4:41:57 PM
#490 | Speaking of which, finished World 1 in Super Mario 3D World! Yeah, this game definitely has potential, although I'm having a hard time with precision jumps here, particularly when I'm trying to stomp on enemies. It'll probably come with time. The cat powerup is still weird to me, but being able to climb walls does add to the possibilities when it comes to level design. For something small, I really like how the world map is laid out. --- |
| Topic | SaveEstelle & LeonhartFour in New Houses: Final Fantasy Music Edition [SELF] |
LeonhartFour
03/15/21 12:16:26 AM
#459 | also Mac Arrowny posted... I will be quite surprised if you finish CS4 in this topic suck it Mac --- |
| Topic | SaveEstelle & LeonhartFour in New Houses: Final Fantasy Music Edition [SELF] |
LeonhartFour
03/15/21 12:16:03 AM
#458 | Cold Steel IV beated! But wait, there's more! Because I completed the Holy Beast of Earth sidequest, the Path to the Unknown has opened up. Thankfully, I can just restart after the final battle instead of having to do it all again. Since this is a post-final save option, I'm assuming this isn't going to take 10 hours, but let's see! Everything plays out as normal until...Franz Reinford shows up? Ishmelga's hold on him has weakened enough for him to regain his true form. He tells Rean that Osborne never gave up until the very end and said the only way to be rid of the Great One was to isolate its essence in their plane. Because of the blessing of the Holy Beast, he can finish what Osborne started. This is the purpose of the Earthen Prison, apparently.Valimar says the Great One is nearly complete, so if they're going to seal away Ishmelga, it has to be now. First, they have to remove the stuff that's been entangled in his soul. Everyone has to connect their hearts to Rean, and suddenly, we're in a Persona ending. Rutger and Arianrhod's spirits show up, too. Valimar absorbed their souls when he absorbed their Divine Knights, it seems. Oh hey, Osborne's also here, so yeah, I guess he's dead. Of course, Ishmelga ain't happy about our attempts to purge him from Rean. who uses the Void to achieve Enlightened Spirit Unification. He manages to cast him out, and I guess we aren't going to get to see what lies beyond Zemuria just yet! Instead we have to fight Ishmelga's astral form, which means we can actually destroy it now. He is Ishmelga Loge, the Great One. Franz says this is only a fraction of the true power the Great One would have if it were fully reformed. Unfortunately, Valimar and Ordine are of no use since the reforming of the Great One drained them of their energy.Thankfully, all our other allies are able to force their way in just in time to help. Now we have to split everyone into three groups again. Oh hey, randomizing is an option again, but holy crap, there are like 39 different characters to choose from for 24 slots! I'll just do this myself because I don't want to get stuck with the Stahlritter or Xeno and Leo...! Even so, it's hard to fit everyone I'd like to have into here, but them's the breaks. I appreciate how the game just KNOWS you want Aurelia in the main team. We can swap between the teams at will, which is nice. With the two heads casting reflect on the main part, it feels like I should take them out first. Of course, my only fear is that they can be revived, but we'll give it a try! Oh yeah, they do regenerate, but it seems like you have to do it this way. I'm just glad this dude doesn't hulk up at the halfway point because I actually get to enjoy the benefit of breaking him! Thankfully, I only have to rekill the weird head things once, and eventually Ishmelga goes down. He's kinda pitiful in defeat, too, almost like a child throwing a temper tantrum. He tries to run away, but Rean chases him down with Millium's help. Ishmelga's all like "isn't strife what drives you guys to innovations and determination and stuff" and Rean's like "yeah maybe, it's kinda our fault you exist, but we don't need you anymore" and uses his Sword of the End to break the other one. Then Osborne's like "mah boi" and Rean's like "yo dad I'm starting to see the family resemblance." And then they laugh together over the fact that they're always willing to sacrifice themselves for what they believe is the greater good (although Osborne goes well beyond just self-sacrifice, but I guess we're ignoring that to enjoy this heartwarming moment...!). With that, Rean returns to the real world (I guess I'm not sure I can even call it that anymore! Darn you, Trails) as Ouroboros is beating a hasty retreat, and the Great Twilight is gone. However, this doesn't mean the war is over, but in brighter news, Rean's hair returns to its original color, a sign he's free from the curse. Back to bad news, Crow is beginning to fade away, but he doesn't want them to be sad because they knew this was coming. This also means Millium's time is up since the Sword of the End was created for fulfilling the Rivalries. Rean gives the sword to Jusis as a keepsake. But then Valimar says this isn't a fate they need to accept, and he calls for all the other Divine Knights to gather together one final time. Now that the Great One has been defeated, they've all been separated again, and they're no longer under the influence of the Ebon Knight's curse. Oh, and in other news, Franz Reinford is beginning to fade away as well. He became an immortal when Black Alberich took over his body. He has one final gift for Alisa, and he tells the Divine Knights to run the Sacrament Program of the Sept-Terrion of Earth. Then Roselia appears and tells the Divine Knights to run the Sacrament Program of the Sept-Terrion of Fire. I guess the Sept-Terrions are now usable again since the Great One is gone.Lloyd recognizes this power, as does KeA. She says it's a super magnified version of the power she used to heal Shizuku. The Divine Knights are able to "undo" Crow being an immortal and put him back into a normal body. Apparently, this was the final miracle of the Sept-Terrions, so Millium goes to sleep, and the Divine Knights begin fading away. So I guess this means two more Sept-Terrions have disappeared? The Divine Knights have fulfilled their purpose, which was to contain the power of the Great One, so they have no place in this world. Franz tells us to visit the biological wing of the Black Workshop and bring the Sword of the End with us, and with that, they're all gone. Claire, Lechter, and Rufus discuss the logistical problems of halting Operation Jormungandr so suddenly. I feel like this game is treating Osborne like he's Lelouch, becoming the world's enemy in order to save it or some crap. Elsewhere, Cedric has decided to join Ouroboros, believing it would be best for him to simply disappear from Erebonia, not to mention he's looking forward to the freedom afforded to Enforcers. What are the odds he shows up in the Calvard arc?Six months later, Rean recaps the events following the end of the Great Twilight for us. An armistice was declared between Operation Jormungandr and Operation Mille Mirage on the second day of the war. It was announced that Emperor Eugent would retake the throne, as well as declaring that Calvard had nothing to do with the assassination attempt. Naturally, the other countries around them didn't really like all this news. As such, Governor Regnitz filled in the authority gap and ordered all Erebonian troops to immediately return to the Empire. There were fears Calvard would retaliate, but they seemed happy enough knowing they didn't have to fight this war anymore. However, outgoing President Rocksmith caved to public pressure to demand reparations, so Erebonia was forced to negotiate. One of its terms was that Calvard not invade Crossbell, and Liberl, Remiferia, and Arteria backed them up on this. With that, negotiations between Crossbell and Erebonia began. In an odd twist, Rufus's personal defense force refused to surrender, even as he condemned the actions from prison. I guess it was to provide an opportunity for the SSS (in conjunction with the Guardian Force) to save the day. Then Alfin and Olivert managed to quell another civil war at home in the wake of Osborne's death. Crossbell's independence stirred up talks of North Ambria and Jurai gaining their own independence as well, but I guess that's TBD. The Bracer Guild was also allowed to reopen in Erebonia. Oh, and they reincarnate Millium, and Rean is wearing his white coat again. During the credits, we see Class VII at a royal wedding between Olivert and Schera.The end. --- |
| Topic | NFL Super Bowl Discussion Topic |
LeonhartFour
03/14/21 5:58:46 PM
#342 | the Saints can just go get Russ now --- |
| Topic | NFL Super Bowl Discussion Topic |
LeonhartFour
03/14/21 5:39:15 PM
#338 | Drew Brees officially announces his retirement. --- |
| Topic | SaveEstelle & LeonhartFour in New Houses: Final Fantasy Music Edition [SELF] |
LeonhartFour
03/14/21 5:03:31 PM
#454 | BK_Sheikah00 posted... I just wanna point out at the start, it was Emma who said the same thing at the Old Schoolhouse eh they never mentioned who actually said it here so I just assumed it was Rean, but Emma makes sense too --- |
| Topic | SaveEstelle & LeonhartFour in New Houses: Final Fantasy Music Edition [SELF] |
LeonhartFour
03/14/21 4:52:08 PM
#452 | Let's get this Cold Steel IV Finale on the road! When we reach the Sanctum of the Empyreal Fortress, it looks like I came up 5 treasure chests short unless there's one more area beyond this, but I doubt it. Oh well, I'd rather miss that many than only be 1 short like with the sidequests, augh. Anyway, before we proceed, Sara gives a speech about how proud she is of Class VII and how it's the best there is, not that there was any doubt. Then Machias pointed out that Rean said the exact same thing before the final trial at the Old Schoolhouse. Sara is distraught because she thought she was being original.Crow's all like "even I was there for that one," but then it gets him wondering how Sara became a secondary contractor if she wasn't actually there when Rean formed his bond with Valimar. Altina believes it depends on how the Awakener thinks of you, and Rean says Sara's always been one of them, so it makes sense. Before I open the door, the game warns me that there's no going back from here. Also, every party member will take part in the battle and will be split up into three teams, which has me curious as to how this is going to work. We get to make up the three teams, and they'll attack in A, B, C order. Rean is locked into the final party, but everyone else can move around. There's no random option this time, which is disappointing, so I pull up random.org and let it make the final groupings.Team A: Crow, Sara, Fie, Kurt, MusseTeam B: Laura, Ash, Altina, Alisa, EmmaTeam C: Rean, Gaius, Elliot, Juna, Jusis, MachiasSomehow it's fitting that Jusis and Machias came up last and got paired together one final time. With that decided, Crow puts on a serious tone and thanks Rean for everything. There's so much yaoi bait going on here that Laura's alarm goes off and she turns back to look at them, clearly worried about her future with Rean. When we enter the room, the chancellor is introduced as Osborne the Ironblooded, the Ebon Awakener. We get to hear the ridiculous phrase THE ALMIGHTY CONFLAGRATION one last time. He says all the conditions for the end have been met, and then he calls for Valimar to bring the Sword of the End to him. I guess he was technically Valimar's previous Awakener if he's Dreichels reborn. Valimar is clearly confused by this development, but Rean tells him to come. Osborne thanks him for looking after Rean.Then he calls out every member of Class VII by name, although only Sara warrants the formality of being called "Ms. Valestine." He singles out Altina, Juna, and Ash as people he needs to apologize to, but Crow most of all. Crow doesn't really appreciate the sentiment since all he wanted to do was avenge his grandfather. Everyone is kind of surprised at how calm and casual Osborne is being. Rean says even though he became one with the Ebon Knight, his iron will allowed him to retain his personality, so he won't overlook the choices he made that led him to become the enemy of the Empire and the world itself. Osborne pulls out that big sword we saw at the Black Workshop, and he says it's another Sword of the End that belongs to the Ebon Knight. It wasn't able to slay the Holy Beast though due to "reasons" he doesn't explain. Now it's time to fight him, and Team A is up first. Due to the sheer speed of everyone, Osborne gets one turn before Team B steps up. I learn he's actually vulnerable to Sleep because Ash's first attack inflicts it, what the heck. Then Laura's first attack freezes him, lawl. I thought I was about to run through this phase without him getting a turn, too, but then he hulked up. Oh well, Emma's S-Craft negates his own, and then it's Team C's turn. They have to go the long haul with this one, but it's still not too bad, although I did nearly screw up one time by pulling Rean from the party for Elliot's S-Craft and then everyone got hit by status effects. After Osborne goes down, it's time for the final Rivalry. Or so it seems, but then Alberich warps in. He says the plan was for the last battle to take place once the war had peaked, so he urges Osborne to wait another day at least. Otherwise, there won't be enough energy for a complete reformation of the Great One. Osborne insists there's enough strife in the world to meet their needs because some wars are waged long before they are fought, which sounds deep. Osborne switches back and forth between calling himself Giliath Osborne and Emperor Dreichels, lawl. Huh, we have literally the entire party of Panzer Soldats available this time. It's actually kind of a bummer because Musse's EX Art is super useful, oh well! Before the battle, we're given an explanation of the Primordial Flame. It cures all status abnormalities, restores all HP and EP, and it grants 200 CP and 7 BP. Sounds like a last minute desperation move! The first half of the fight isn't too bad, although I do break him and then he hulks up and undoes it right away. The Ebon Knight's S-Craft is basically the equivalent of Safer Sephiroth's Supernova. I wind up not needing the Primordial Flame, but it was a tough fight. I did have to revive a few times. A wormhole opens up above them, and Rean and Osborne disappear into it. Rean says he's aware that his role as the Sacrifice was just a backup plan, but he doesn't intend to hold anything back. Osborne says he regrets he never got to train Rean himself, and Rean says maybe they'll be reincarnated together sometime somewhere maybe. Then there's a slow motion charge as they prepare for one final clash and then it cuts away to everyone appearing outside the Empyreal Fortress as Valimar emerges carrying Ishmelga.However, Crow senses something is amiss. Black Alberich also appears and trolls Alisa that she'll never see her father again because he'll disappear along with the Ebon Knight. So, uh, is Osborne dead? There's no sign of him even after Ishmelga vanishes. Valimar says he should be able to break through the atmosphere now that all the powers have converged in him. Ohhhh, he's going to go beyond the bounds of Zemuria, isn't he? Crow and Millium both realize that the malice of the Ebon Knight is out of control. Even with Osborne gone, the curse remains, now inside Rean and Valimar. Rean says that now that the curse has been torn from its physical form and brought to their plane, this is the only chance to destroy it for good. Everyone gets mad at Rean for having to make literally the only possible choice and beg him not to do it. Essentially they'd rather doom the world, but I mean, emotions run hot in the moment and logic goes out the window, I guess! Crow and Millium choose to come with him. After all, their time is up, too. It cuts to everyone else outside the fortress as translucent feathers fall from the sky. New Class VII chooses to trust Rean that he'll keep his promise and come back with Crow and Millium. Cut to credits as a bangin' song plays in the background. It's not as good as CS2's (the one ending theme that plays 10 hours before the game actually ends, what an achievement), but I like it. Whew. --- |
| Topic | SaveEstelle & LeonhartFour in New Houses: Final Fantasy Music Edition [SELF] |
LeonhartFour
03/14/21 12:32:12 AM
#445 | Okay, let's dive into Cold Steel IV Finale! We're in the core of the Empyreal Fortress now. The aesthetic is a lot darker and more demonic now, which I dig. It's almost like a Persona dungeon. Even the random encounters here are Persona-esque! Before we reach where McBurn is, Emma says that his power is governed by the Divergent Laws, whatever that means. The game tells me that it will make an exception and allow me to summon Panzer Soldats in the battle against McBurn. When we reach him, he's already in his Blazing Demon form. Rean calls back to a conversation he had with McBurn during CS2 where he had asked Rean if he was "mixed" and talked about those who have something foreign or unnatural mixed into their bodies. Rean finally understands that the part of him that was "mixed" is Osborne's heart since it's the source of his power and what connected him to the curse. Then Rean says that McBurn isn't even from this world at all, which surprises everyone but Emma and Celine. Gaius says they were all raised to believe this was the one true world created by Aidios. They can't even contemplate the idea that something exists beyond the bounds of Zemuria. Wait, I thought Zemuria was just the continent, not the world itself? Or is the world just one big landmass like Pangaea? Anyway, Emma says this is an example of the Divergent Laws, which relate to things they can't understand or explain. As an example, she says that no matter how far you try to sail or fly away from the continent, you're literally unable to progress past a certain point. Huh, that's wild. Alisa says this phenomenon supposedly verifies the existence of Aidios, but I'm not sure how! Oh, I see what she's saying. Anything they don't understand is simply attributed to be the work of a higher power, end of story. Gaius says that the church's stance is to leave things be as long as it's not disrupting the world order. However, the mages and witches of the Middle Ages weren't content with that, so they surmised there must be something else behind all the mysterious events that have occurred throughout history. This is where the concept of Divergent Laws comes from. Sometimes things from beyond this world make it into Zemuria, which screws up the natural order. I guess this would be stuff like Artifacts and the Sept-Terrions. Maybe that's why Ouroboros wants to observe what happens when humans take control of them. For Sara, the first thing she thinks of is the Salt Pale in North Ambria 28 years ago. There was no evidence it was related to a Sept-Terrion. Gaius says Father Barkhorn investigated it, but there was nothing conclusive about what it was or where it came from, so it was just attributed to Aidios. This kind of stuff gave rise to the D:G Cult, which became obsessed with figuring out the truth behind the supernatural phenomena that appeared in Zemuria by any means necessary. Alisa says they were being controlled by the Crois family the whole time, which would feel like a huge Azure spoiler if I didn't already figure as much...!McBurn says that the cultists did manage to pull off something amazing by creating Gnosis, which was a drug that freed you from the limitations of this world. McBurn says he's half human, half whatever this creature from the other world is, but he doesn't know a thing about what this other world is like. He doesn't remember anything from before his two halves permanently fused together. Gaius says McBurn is basically a calamity given form, like the Salt Pale. McBurn says he's existed in this world for 50 years, and he's spent the whole time trying to remember anything about who he is or where he came from. He knew he'd have to return to his original form to do that, but it would annihilate everything around him in the process. However, the Great Twilight and the Rivalries have warped the world so much that he should be able to manage it, and sure enough, he does. He still doesn't have his memories though, so he wants us to fight him and keep drawing more out of him.Gotta say, it's kind of annoying that every boss seems to hit the halfway point right before they break, and then it completely restores their meter. I guess I should be using break-boosting Brave Orders! That being said, Millium's Brave Order that reduces damage by 90% comes in real handy for McBurn's S-Craft! I do eventually manage to break him though. When he gets down to 1 HP, he puts up some sort of barrier that blocks all damage, so Valimar asks Rean to summon him. I actually have to use the craft form to do so. I was expecting a transition to a Divine Knight battle there! After the battle, McBurn seems to remember something, and he realizes Campanella's been playing him the whole time. He also says the name Ouroboros is the perfect name for their organization before reverting to his human form. Then he...apologizes to us, which shocks me as much as it shocks all of Class VII! And then he...smiles, whoa. He says he's got a new objective now. He's got a few questions for Campanella, the Grandmaster, Mariabell, and Vita. As a show that he's truly sorry, McBurn gives Rean a Primordial Flame to further power up himself as well as Valimar, who refers to him as Overlord of the Beyond. McBurn warns us that it can probably only use it once. I gotta admit, that wasn't the way I expected McBurn's character arc to end, but I kinda dig it. Also, all this multiverse stuff is probably going to be dealt with in the Calvard arc, but man, it's pretty crazy how they've basically totally changed the arc of the story going forward. This series always keeps you on your toes, that's for sure. Anyway, we've got to put all this to the side for now because it's finally time to face Osborne. Before that, there's some new dialogue in the garden. Gaius apologizes for keeping this stuff secret from everyone and says he's had to change his worldview many times since becoming a Dominion. The Septian Church has been portrayed as mostly good up to this point. This is the first substantive negative strike against them. I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later! Still, there are a lot of good guys working with them and for them, so I don't know that it'll turn out to be pure evil in the end. When talking to Emma, Rean recalls something Vita said at the end of CS2 about "the way this world is" when referring to how the Rivalries inevitably are forgotten and then repeat themselves over and over again. That's all for tonight. Barring an eternal epilogue like CS2, who knows, I might actually finish this game tomorrow...! --- |
| Topic | SaveEstelle & LeonhartFour in New Houses: Final Fantasy Music Edition [SELF] |
LeonhartFour
03/13/21 12:46:59 AM
#438 | Time for some Cold Steel IV Finale! Now we're in the tower moving toward the showdown with Rufus and Black Alberich. When we reach the top, Alisa and Jusis insist on coming along for the next part, naturally. Rufus is introduced as the primary member of the Ironbloods, not a Knight of Blood and Iron. Alberich says that the Ashen Awakener is the only thing they require for the next Rivalry because the Sword of the End still has a role to play. He's also disappointed Campanella and Maria didn't use their Aion to take any of us out, but Rufus says Ouroboros has their own goals, so they can't expect them to be fully invested in Osborne's plans. Alberich says they may have no use for Ouroboros anymore anyway.Then Jusis decides to call out Rufus for his dishonorable behavior in killing off Arianrhod. He replies that he had a war to manage, so he was simply picking the most efficient course of action. He also expresses his gladness in being able to meet Millium again, even as just a projection from the Sword of the End. Black Alberich seems to think that the Auric Knight can defeat the Ebon Knight if it takes the Sword of the End from Valimar. He says that the Divine Knights were not created equal. There is a hierarchy among them that was established in all the battles they've fought throughout history. Only the Ebon Knight didn't participate in all these duels.Alberich also says that a Divine Knight will regenerate over time, even if it's destroyed, which is basically what I figured. On the other hand, their Awakeners often end up as undead Nosferatu, which I did not expect. He harkens back to the blade graveyard we saw at the end of CS1, and he says each sword marked the defeat of a Divine Knight. Alberich says that the two Divine Knights that emerged victorious more often than all the others were the Argent Knight and the Auric Knight, followed by the Vermillion Knight, with the Azure, Palatinate, and Ashen Knights trailing the pack. I guess that would explain why Rufus prioritized getting the Argent Knight's power. Then Alberich says Rean made a mistake in not fully absorbing the Azure Knight because Valimar can't make full use of the other Divine Knights' powers. However, Class VII bands together to give Alberich the classic "you suck" speech. Basically, to sum it up, he underestimated the potential and the value of humanity, even when it came to creating the homunculi. If the Ebon Knight wins and enslaves the world to its will, then life becomes completely meaningless. Surprisingly, Rufus agrees with us, and he says he has no plans to be anyone's slave either. Rufus pulls out his Holy Sword, and Jusis does the same. Alisa says that she still believes in the love Franz had for her and her mother, and she actually seems to be getting through to him. However, he doubles down on swearing his allegiance to Ishmelga. Then Rufus says this is the last duel he and Jusis will have before he transcends humanity. Not exactly sure what he means, but Jusis is pretty darn ticked by it. The fight here isn't too tough, but I gotta give a shoutout to Alberich's S-Craft because that thing was creepy as heck. After the fight, Black Alberich briefly reverts to Franz Reinford, and then flees the scene to leave us to face off with the Auric Knight, who also has a couple of lame Zauber Soldats to back him up. Turns out Rufus's goal is to absorb the power of all the other Divine Knights and then become an Immortal before facing off with Osborne. He wants to give his life its own meaning as someone who was unwanted. The Auric Knight puts up a good fight, but it eventually goes down like all the others.Rufus can't understand why he lost. Jusis says it's because he refused to rely on anyone but himself. Millium says there are people he COULD have relied on, but he chose to go it alone. He had a real bond with Jusis, but even then, Rufus shut him out. Sara drives the dagger home by saying his approach is the polar opposite of Olivert's. Rufus says at least he can be proud he had a part in the formation of Class VII. He tells them that a path to the core of the fortress will open next, and McBurn will be waiting for them. Jusis tells Rufus they'll take things from here, but he needs to knock some sense back into him first and literally does just that. Back in the garden, the elevator leading to the core is active now. Emma insists on being part of the battle against McBurn. Rean wonders if there's some history there, but Celine tells him to focus on just taking him down for now. Valimar actually expresses some worry about facing McBurn since he can't figure out the source of his powers. With that, it's time to move on to the core.Whew, the end is nearly in sight! --- |
| Topic | SaveEstelle & LeonhartFour in New Houses: Final Fantasy Music Edition [SELF] |
LeonhartFour
03/12/21 9:22:24 PM
#437 | Guardians of the Galaxy good movie My wife cried at the "We are Groot" moment at the end --- |
| Topic | SaveEstelle & LeonhartFour in New Houses: Final Fantasy Music Edition [SELF] |
LeonhartFour
03/11/21 10:47:58 PM
#429 | Dragon Ball Z Episode 78 complete! Frieza ain't messin' around now. Poor Krillin, he deserved better. --- |
| Topic | SaveEstelle & LeonhartFour in New Houses: Final Fantasy Music Edition [SELF] |
LeonhartFour
03/11/21 6:02:00 PM
#428 | Time for some Cold Steel IV Finale! Back in the garden, everyone is mostly focused on the Rivalry to come, as well as facing down Ouroboros. Jusis says he is mostly grateful for what Rufus has done for him in spite of everything, but he needs to ask him something when they face him. We take the elevator up to the next corridor, and at one point, Machias points out that the area when viewed from above looks like an M and a C. Could it be Mariabell Crois, or just Maria and Campanella? Ash points out that this place is over a thousand years old, so it couldn't be that, but it's gotta be SOMETHING if they're pointing it out, right? Who knows!In the second area, there's an Ouroboros crest covering a big door, and...a couple of crude drawings of Evil Mishy and a jester on top of that with the word WELCOME plastered over that. This is obviously a message from Maria and Campanella. Juna asks to be on the team for the next battle since Maria betrayed Crossbell and Campanella personally needled her at Orchis Tower during CS3. Rean notices McBurn isn't with them but can sense him up ahead. It's also pretty obvious that neither Maria nor Campanella are taking this battle very seriously. They intend to do just the bare minimum for the Rivalry.Maria says that she thinks the Rivalries are very well designed and are a perfect reference for her Ars Magna research. Am I supposed to know what that is? I feel like she might have mentioned it before, but that was a while ago! Juna then poses the question of what happened to "taking back" their Phantasmal Blaze Plan. She also has to wonder what exactly Campanella even is. He's apparently looked exactly the same for the past decade, and she has the sense that he's not as much of a troll as he lets on. Altina wonders if he's a homunculus, but Crow doesn't think it's that and he doesn't think he's an immortal either. Then Juna asks the big million dollar question: Why would people as different as Mariabell, Vita, and Lianne Sandlot all swear their allegiance to the Grandmaster? Plus, Enforcers are basically free to come and go as they please. Why does Ouroboros allow that and seemingly shrug it off like it's no big deal when several members have just quit? Musse posits that Ouroboros is an organization that works to further the Grandmaster's goals, but the members themselves are also part of some grand experiment. Naturally, Maria and Campanella are evasive and won't directly answer the questions, but as a reward for our determination, they promise to go all-out for a change. Maria says she'll share some info about Ouroboros if we manage to win.The fight is still not too much trouble. I actually manage to take out Campanella before he gets a real turn (he uses his initial turn at the start of the battle to do one of those inverse Brave Orders, but that's it). Maria doesn't fare much better, and I proudly finish her off with a YOU'VE FAILED YOUR INSPECTION from Machias. Once again, I am surprised that all of Class VII is standing and the Ouroboros members actually appear winded, although just for a moment and then they try to flee the scene. Altina and Fie try to bar their escape with Claiomh Solais. Campanella asks if we really believe we could capture them, and Rean replies that he wishes he could just tell them to get out and never come back more than anything else. However, they promised some juicy info, and they ain't lettin' them leave without givin' up the goods. Campanella admits the Phantasmal Blaze Plan is still in effect, and it's nearly complete, in fact. Once the Rivalries are done, their objective will be met. Presumably, he's referring to the Sept-Terrion of Steel. Celine wondered why Vita wasn't aware the plan had changed, and Maria says she was just too focused on trying to lift the curse to notice. In other words, Ouroboros feigned defeat to Osborne because they determined it would be the best way to get what they want? Ouroboros is interested in the reformation of the Great One, although it doesn't matter if it gets properly reformed or not. Campanella says it doesn't even matter of the two Sept-Terrions disappear the way the Sept-Terrion of Mirage did. Then he reveals that the driving force behind the Grandmaster's plan is to witness what the Sept-Terrions are capable of when they fall into human hands in this "possible world," and that phrase doesn't escape Emma's notice. Maria says those who are bound to this world can't comprehend the full scope of the plan since not everyone is on the same level as Professor Epstein. So...is this some sort of indirect admission that he's the Grandmaster, or just that he discovered something that the Grandmaster is interested in gaining for himself/herself? Are we talking about some sort of multiverse here? Anyway, Maria tells us that Rufus is on the next floor up, and Black Alberich is with him. Campanella summons a massive Aion to help them escape, and Maria says they're about to move on to the third stage of the Orpheus Final Plan. On her way out, she tells Juna to tell the SSS that she'll meet them again someday and she's rooting for Crossbell's independence. Whew, that was a lot of plot bombs, but at least it confirmed my theory that Epstein is involved in all this somehow.The game informs us there's new dialogue back at the garden, so that's where we go. Turns out it's just Alisa and Juna who have new stuff to say, but good enough! The elevator takes us to the tower.But that's enough for now. --- |
| Topic | SaveEstelle & LeonhartFour in New Houses: Final Fantasy Music Edition [SELF] |
LeonhartFour
03/10/21 7:17:46 PM
#427 | Dragon Ball Z Episode 77 complete! Frieza asking for a countdown before he transforms and Vegeta counting from 10-1 as fast as possible is perhaps the best gag the show has done thus far. --- |
| Topic | SaveEstelle & LeonhartFour in New Houses: Final Fantasy Music Edition [SELF] |
LeonhartFour
03/10/21 6:45:37 PM
#426 | All right, time for some more Cold Steel IV Finale! After talking to everyone in the garden (didn't mention it last night because I was too tired toward the end, but Millium's conversation was fantastic), it's time for the second corridor. Once we reach the end, sure enough, Cedric and Shirley are waiting for us. Fie has a great line here when she says, "You know it's bad when Shirley seems like the more sensible one of the two." Cedric's dialogue is really over the top here, even for him. Turns out he deduced that Osborne was Dreichels reincarnated, perhaps through the bloodline they share. Honestly, I can see why this would reinforce Cedric's resolve that he was following the right guy. Shirley's a little disappointed she's not on the frontlines, but she did promise Mariabell she'd see this through to the end. Cedric is convinced he can tap into the full potential of the Empyreal Fortress, unlike Lechter and Claire, because he's the Vermillion Awakener. He says he wants to make sure not to kill Rean here so he doesn't become an immortal. Not sure exactly what he means by that, but I guess since Rean is necessary for the Rivalries at this point, "fate" would make sure he came back to finish them? I dunno. New Class VII actually praises Cedric's hard work and his fitness to assume the throne someday, but Juna asks him what he's so afraid of in spite of that. Altina says he lacks the compassion and kindness to lead. He's trying to put on this tough guy act to prove he's worthy because he feels inferior to Olivert, I think.Then Kurt asks the pointed question of if Cedric can really give his all in the Rivalries against Osborne considering he practically worships the guy. This seems to snap something in Cedric and he has flashbacks of good times with his family and Kurt, and then there's a flashback to Osborne and Black Alberich tempting him with power through the Ebon Knight. He finally seems to come back to normal, but Shirley isn't buying this was all him being controlled. He accepted Osborne's offer because he wanted power for himself, and he has to be willing to admit that. Seriously, why is Shirley making so much sense in this game?Cedric finally admits his jealousy, not just of Alfin and Olivert, but of Rean, Kurt, and all of Class VII. He wanted to become a true hero, but he always felt inferior to Alfin because of how they were constantly compared. Then he blamed himself for Olivert relinquishing the throne on top of that. He felt so helpless when Class VII saved him from the Vermillion Apocalypse and lost Crow in the process. He wonders what might have been different if he hadn't been forced to delay enrolling at Thors. With all that put out into the open, he's ready to overcome his weakness. Gotta admit, it took nearly four full games, but Cedric finally had a cool moment! The fight is pretty easy though, to be honest. I got them to use their S-Crafts back to back but preempted it with a fully charged S-Craft from Emma, which perfectly reflected against them both. With that, Cedric summons the Vermillion Knight, with some Zauber Soldats as backup. I guess this will be a 3-on-3 battle then! We haven't had one of these in a while! Oh, I even have another Panzer Soldat as a backup? That's handy! The Zauber Soldats are pansies as usual, but Cedric's S-Craft packs a heck of a punch! But once we survive that, he doesn't pose much of a problem.After the fight, Cedric spirals into self-loathing and denial. Shirley is disappointed. Now Cedric realizes he has to accept the consequences of his actions. Kurt says he and Cedric aren't so different. They both wanted strength to overcome their weaknesses. They just took different paths to get there. Now it's time to put the past behind them and see each other as equals, rivals, and friends. With that, Cedric collapses and the Vermillion Knight's power enters into Valimar. Shirley offers to keep an eye on him so we can move on, although she's pretty drained herself. Then Rean calls her out for holding back, saying she's been prioritizing protecting Cedric above all else. Shirley says she can't really explain it, but she almost looks at him like a little brother. Then she warns us that Rufus is next, but we might meet Campanella and Mariabell along the way. After that, she passes out, too, and the next area opens. More later. --- |
| Topic | SaveEstelle & LeonhartFour in New Houses: Final Fantasy Music Edition [SELF] |
LeonhartFour
03/10/21 1:14:45 AM
#423 | All right, let's get back to Cold Steel IV Finale! Let's see what the Empyreal Fortress has in store for us. The aesthetics here are definitely quite good. We reach an area with three branching paths, and I'm fully expecting us to go split party here, but I am pleasantly surprised to see we're all sticking together! At the end of the first pathway, Lechter and Claire are waiting for us. Ash and Altina insist on being included for this fight. Lechter and Claire talk about how we beat the odds and maybe it was fate, but Millium's all like nah it's because we have determination. They both feel like they're helpless before the power of the curse. Musse wonders why they'd go along with this when their role is to be a tragic sacrifice to the Great Twilight. Lechter says that's their final role. The Knights of Blood and Iron are the link from this fortress to the war below, and they tell us we'll have to go all out to beat them. But then Rean's like pfffft we don't even need everyone in our group to beat you. Altina insists that Lechter and Claire can't beat their determination because they're so focused on their past mistakes while Class VII looks to the future. Man, even in Lechter's S-Craft he does the walkaway wave. Let it go, man! After the battle, the party isn't even winded, while both Claire and Lechter are on their knees. I'm impressed! They're both ready to commit seppuku as the price of their failure, but Rean and company were apparently anticipating this outcome and act accordingly. He urges them to see this through to the end because Erebonia is going to need them both once the Great Twilight is over. Lechter tells us that Cedric and Shirley are up next. They wish us luck before collapsing. I wonder if this plays out any differently if you skip out on Claire's invitation from earlier. When we return to the central garden, Sara decides this is the best spot to set up camp, and so we summon the Divine Knights and Panzer Soldats to be on standby. It's nice that you can quick jump to each section here, which is unusual for a dungeon. We also get a chance to chat with everyone before moving on, which is nice. Ash asks the pertinent question of who thought it was a good idea to pick Lechter as a student council president. Altina admits she feels a little responsible for the current situation because she was the one who brought Cedric to the Vermillion Knight. Fie talks about how she thinks Shirley has been holding back, and Rean says she doesn't resemble the stories Randy has told him about her. Fie says that Rixia knocked Shirley down a peg, so I guess that's more Azure spoilers! I guess this means we'll probably have Kurt and Fie as mandatory members for their boss battle. That's it for tonight. --- |
| Topic | SaveEstelle & LeonhartFour in New Houses: Final Fantasy Music Edition [SELF] |
LeonhartFour
03/09/21 10:48:08 PM
#421 | I meant it as a positive point for people who have MCU/superhero fatigue (such as user SaveEstelle). Plus, I think it has value as a different sort of experience than the average MCU movie, regardless of how good they are. It still has your MCU hallmarks when it comes to banter, special effects, and all that, but with a variation on the formula that makes it stick out. bangin' soundtrack too --- |
| Topic | SaveEstelle & LeonhartFour in New Houses: Final Fantasy Music Edition [SELF] |
LeonhartFour
03/09/21 10:11:06 PM
#419 | Friendly reminder that Winter Soldier is a top 5 MCU movie. It's also the least "superhero-esque" movie in the franchise because the characters don't have over the top superpowers. It's mostly a really good action flick. --- |
| Topic | SaveEstelle & LeonhartFour in New Houses: Final Fantasy Music Edition [SELF] |
LeonhartFour
03/09/21 8:49:35 PM
#416 | Pokemon Blue remains my only Pokemon experience to this day. Somehow user SaveEstelle has gotten into the series in recent years. --- |
| Topic | SaveEstelle & LeonhartFour in New Houses: Final Fantasy Music Edition [SELF] |
LeonhartFour
03/09/21 7:06:30 PM
#414 | Now for some more Cold Steel IV Finale! It's Salt Pale boss rush time! Since this is mostly a fanservice section, the boss fights aren't too tough, but it's fun to get to use all these characters together anyway. I don't know if the order is predetermined or based on anything, but we went Estelle, Lloyd, Angie, Duvalie, and Aurelia here. After beating all the bosses, the power of the pales fades and the barrier to the Empyreal Fortress drops, so the Courageous II kicks it into high gear, quite literally, to try to get us inside during the brief period while it's down. Naturally, the Glorious is waiting for us. However, little did I realize that the Courageous II had a Moonstone Cannon equipped, and nobody told Gilbert either, apparently! With the small ships out of the way, Rean and Crow man their Divine Knights, and New Class VII uses their own Panzer Soldats to defend the Courageous II from the unmanned Aions and Zauber Soldats. Emma puts up a protective barrier and we just blow past the Glorious to successfully land on the Empyreal Fortress. Since everyone else was involved in shutting down the Salt Pales, it's just Class VII for this final mission. It's the first time the two Class VIIs have been together in their entirety since Crow wasn't there at the end of CS3. Machias calls Crow an edgelord, and it's fantastic. Rean's about to give the big speech before we tackle the final dungeon, but Crow stops him in his tracks. They all agree to give the big speech together, in classic RPG fashion. Even Valimar and Ordine get in on the action! This time, Crow gets the last word, and Rean doesn't get to say anything. I'm cool with it. Oh hey, there's a shard of Black Zemurian Ore, so I imagine I'll be finding at least two more inside! Looking at the main page in the journal, I have 34 unopened chests. Depending on the size of this last dungeon, that's possible, so we'll see if I manage it! I don't think I've ever gotten all the chests in a single run without a guide, so that'll be a nice feat for me if I can pull it off.But that'll have to wait until later. --- |
| Topic | SaveEstelle & LeonhartFour in New Houses: Final Fantasy Music Edition [SELF] |
LeonhartFour
03/09/21 6:25:29 PM
#413 | pjbasis posted... I don't see how smrpg can seem that archaic. Maybe just too simple? And the isometric platforming can be a bit strange. Yeah, I think a lot of it is the isometric platforming. It makes movement feel a bit awkward, and precision jumps are difficult. Regardless, it just feels like a game from a different era. I mean, it IS from a different era, of course, but you know what I mean. --- |
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