Fizzzzle

I'm the same way. I've played the game so many times that it's like I get to Figaro or the rapids and I just kind of hang it up. I haven't actually got to World of Ruin or anything in quite a long time, though. I'm hoping the next time I pick it up, I'll get there, and then it will be a grand olde time.

I didn't know that the DS difficulty was the default "hard" mode. That explains why I felt like the DS version was such a (literal) grind.

Honeslty that was kind of my feel with FFIV, too. I haven't tried the Pixel Remaster yet, but the 3D version feels like a slog compared to the other versions. I'm assuing the Pixel remaster is pretty good, but before that came out, I would have said to play the PSP Complete Collection version if you can. Barring that, just the regular SNES version. The DS version is just so grindy and slow compared to the others.

It's okay to be wrong sometimes. I like 7 a lot, too (lord knows I've played it enough, I'd better like it), but I consider that one to be the last of the Sakaguchi era of FF games. After that, he's only lightly involved or not involved at all. That's why I kind of separate it from the rest. Final Fantasy VI might very well be my favorite game of all time. If I had to rank them, it would be 6>9>7>12>4>10>8>15>13, then you can't really compare the first 2 to the rest. I haven't played 3 or 5 yet, I'm planning on getting to them soon. So we only disagree on 6 and 9. FFXV was *almost* there. That game is a lot of fun, and then it completely nosedives in the last act, which almost makes it more frustrating that FF13, which is just kind of boring all the way through. I would agree that 10 and 8 are more or less equal and opposites. FF8's progression system was too complicated and drawing magic sucked, but then they went too far in the other direction for FFX, making everything basically "rock, paper, scissors." I just give the slight nod to FFX because I think the world is more interesting. Also I don't like either Triple Triad or Blitzball. I did have one playthrough of FFX where I got my blitzball team basically maxed out... never doing that again.

Reminds me of this oldie but a goodie (can't believe this came out over 10 years ago)

You should. They're fun, fairly light action RPGs. Not that they can't be punishingly difficult if you want them to be. Ys Seven or Memories of Celceta is where I would choose to start. They're both like 20-25 hour games, and that's if you want to do sidequests. They're a blast and get you used to the gameplay in a way that the older titles kind of struggle with. Ys I & II play almost like a top-down shooter in some areas, especially during boss fights.

First concept artwork of the next Ys game, interview tidbits - Gematsu WWW.GEMATSU.COM The latest issue of Weekly Famitsu has a feature on the 35th anniversary of the Ys series, including the first concept artwork for the next entry in the series and an interview with Falcom president… - More focus on 1-on-1 combat, though there is still going to be a party. No more details on that yet. - Younger Adol, around the same age he was in Ys I & II - Sounds like they want to release it on every platform Iirc Ys IX didn't run very well on the Switch, so I wonder if they're developing Ys X as a Switch title first to get better performance. I don't know why the news outlets are like "they're making Ys a Souls-like!" That's not what the interview said, and anyone who's played the older Ys games knows that they kind of already were almost a really fast-paced Souls-like experience, with combat being entirely focused around timing and dodging. Anyway, I'm curious to see what they're going to do with party mechanics, since it says they're changing it a lot. Also, if anyone hasn't played an Ys game yet, they're tons of fun. Combat is a blast in all of them, they're fast-paced, they don't take all that long to beat (with the exception of Ys VIII), and the stories are only loosely connected with a few recurring characters here and there, so you can jump into any of them. Not to mention the chronology of the games is kind of all over the place anyway. It sounds like Ys X will take place either before or right after the original.

Oh yeah, FFVI is also my favorite. I just meant in sort of like the "post-Sakaguchi" era. FF8 is alright, the first one Sakaguchi had nothing to do with FF9 is all-time great, Sakaguchi was involved, but pretty hands-off since he was making Spirits Within at the time FF10 is pretty good FF10-2 is alright FF12 isn't as great as 9, but still head and shoulders above the rest FF13 is meh FF13-2 is garbage. I actually heard Lightning Returns is alright, but I never cared enough to try it FF15 is like 75% of a great game, but it face plants *hard* about 2/3 of the way through. I have heard great things about FFVII Remake, but I haven't had a chance to try it yet. So yeah, I'm just excited for someone other than the Kitase/Nomura team to take a crack at a mainline FF game.

I'm just pretty stoked to get a mainline FF game that the Yoshinori Kitase/Kazushige Nojima/Tetsuya Nomura group has nothing to do with. Final Fantasy IX and XII are the only ones in the modern era, and they're easily the best ones in my opinion.

That's something that gets hit on in the video. People hae CPS called on them for letting their kids play in the street in front of their own house. Is that something that has changed recently? I'm not very old, and when I grew up it was pretty normal for kids to walk to school on their own, and we would wander around the streets all damn day on our own in the summer because there wasn't really anything else to do.

I've noticed that people who have lived their whole lives in sheltered cars basically develop a mild form of agoraphobia. They don't feel safe out of their climate controlled steel boxes. I found this video interesting. I had never really thought about the fact that in European cities, you see kids EVERYWHERE. With no adults around. In every European city I've ever been to, it's completely normal to see kids as young as 8 or 9 just moving around in small groups (I still hardly ever saw kids by themselves that I can recall) completely unsupervised. Japan was the same - kids just walk/take the train to school or wherever they need to go by themselves, sometimes very young kids.

I used to think you were crazy, but now I can see your nuts.

It definitely makes the editing feel a bit more cohesive. A nit I have to pick - did they have to do the CGI crowd? Makes it feel like I'm watching a PS2 sports game.

My phone is fucked so I can't make calls, and I also happen to owe my dad about $200 right now (he still owes me about $1000 from a couple years ago, but you know how family debts go, we don't keep score. .... just kidding, I totally keep score), so any gift I got him would be met with "you could have just paid back the money I lent you." I'll send a text.

I just watched Daybreakers yesterday. It's slightly janky, and I remember when I watched it in theaters being honestly kind of grossed out by it. But honestly, it combines the best aspects of both zombies and vampires in what is a not very subtle commentary on climate change. Sam Neill and Ethan Hawke are great in it.

Calm down, skippy. Inuk is spoken for.

Also, still, with DQ1... How in the hell do they expect you to find your way through the game without a guide? It's literally just wander around until you find shit, and you don't even know what it's for. "Oooh, a harp... That's probably important in case I ever stumble across a shrine at the North edge of the map, and is also necessary to complete the game. Oh and the dungeon with the harp is located behind a secret entrance that the game never even hints is there."

Already finished DQ1. I played the super Famicom version. Still lots of grinding. Probably not as bad as the NES version, though. It's becoming clear to me that they only made the games so grindy to pad the game length. "Here, grind for at least an hour between dungeons." Enemies don't drop anything. There's no crafting. They literally just scaled up enemies so that you would have to grind battles. It's not very rewarding. Next up is Ys 1/2. Gonna play the Steam remake. It plays kind of sloppy, but mmmmm do I love me some Nihon Falcom music.

You forget that I'm basically allergic to the cold. But really, you want to take a vacation to another place that's in their summer.... while you're in your summer? That makes no sense to me. Shouldn't you want to opposite? Like it's 95 in New Orleans right now, do you think I want to take a vacation to fucking Cancun? That's stupid. I want to go to Norway. I'll visit the Yucatan in January.

I've been reading/watching a lot of stuff that basically says Philly is pretty much the best bang for your buck in the states in terms of cost of living vs. amenities. I still wouldn't want to do it because I want to die when the temp drops below 40, but basically Philly is the most undervalued piece is of real estate in the country when it comes to amenities.

Thinking of leaving, or is 4 years just too far away to think about?

I'm all for hating on the Montana governor, but like... This happened WHILE he was on vacation already (allegedly). It wasn't like a ted Cruz situation where he dipped out after things went to shit. The crime is more that his office tried to hide the fact that he was on vacation that's the problem, not the he was on vacation itself. Politicians are allowed to take vacations. That being said, why would you CHOOSE to leave Montana in June? It's fucking gorgeous! And Italy kind of sucks in June. I'll never understand why people go on vacation when it's the most beautiful time of the year where they already are. I never left Oregon during the summer as an adult. Like, if you live in Vermont, go on vacation in the winter! People don't know how to vacation properly.

Or pay a shop to do for you, which will cost you a fair amount of money by itself.

Can't wipe the sweat off when the back of your hand is also covered in sweat.

Isn't it a bad idea to buy a used card that was used for mining? Aren't they potentially trashed?