all made up with nowhere to go

I've had a really bad cold for the last week or so, which has been fun (not). I went to work last weekend, feeling like absolute ass, and I didn't know why, except that I'd just had a three day migraine, so maybe it was that? It wasn't.

So I've essentially spent two weeks feeling extremely sorry for myself. But I am WAY better now, I promise! And I'm p sure it wasn't anything worse than a cold. (I wore a mask the entire time I was out of the house (as I always do), so hopefully I haven't passed it on to anyone!)

And so, because I was feeling sorry for myself, I took Type-0 out of the PS4, and put FFXII in so that I could play through on Strong Mode, which is the reward for beating the game once normally. And let me tell you, it is hecking hilarious.

What it basically means is that everyone is level 90, and you didn't have to grind anything to get there. It also means everyone hits stuff and they die. Except for the Wild Saurian in the Estersand, but more about that in a minute!

I have spent a lot of time yelling, "VENGEANCE FOR TWENTY SEVEN YEAR OLD ME!!"* as I plough through enemies that I know caused me absolute grief the first time, if not every time I played this game in the past. And I'm having an absolute blast!

(RE: the Saurian. I know from past experience that it is level 25, so I should have no trouble beating it, right? Except that Strong Mode makes it more apparent what weapons work versus which enemies and, when Vaan first goes to the Estersand, he's equipped with a dagger which DOES NOTHING against the Saurian. NOTHING. Also it should've taken out the Tomato in one hit, but part of that battle is scripted).

I'm sure I was thinking of some niggles I have with the Zodiac Age, but I have forgotten them because my brain is essentially going, "GOD I LOVE CID!" a lot right now. I mean, I do. I think he's a great character. I just love that he's having a ball doing what he's doing, and being how he is.

Oh yes, I remember! I don't like that certain item locations are changed, nor that you can only get some of the magic spells out of chests. Nor that the requirements to get the Zodiac Spear have been changed (not that I'm that bothered; getting it once in the PS2 version was enough!)

I'm more onboard with the job system this time, although choosing jobs is hard! Balthier ended up as a time mage again, and Fran is an archer because I have no imagination. I did avoid making Penelo a white mage, though, and she is a monk instead because why not!

I think this is my tenth playthrough [nervous laughter].

~

I found the link to the sewn canvas I was talking about! It's here, although I didn't do the dangly bit, I just sewed straight across my canvas in rainbow colours.

~

Finally, before I go, you may be interested in this video from Outside Xtra, wherein Ellen worked out exactly how much your time is worth when you're playing video games.

I don't play the sorts of games she mentions, but I absolutely found the maths fascinating, and I thought y'all might, too.

~

*I think I first played it in 2008, but I am not 100% sure. I know I was neck deep in the fandom at the time, because I was using it as a way to distract myself from my dad being terminally ill at the time.

At last, the final instalment of the FFXII liveblog!

I'm just going to get right into it and see what happens! (Also beware of endgame spoilers)

( read me! )

And then it's the credits, and that's the end of the game! We did it, y'all, we got here! (finally).

I am sad, in a way, and relieved also. I like games and I like talking about games, but I'm not sure I could have done a thing like this with many other games? I sometimes feel like I'm liveblogging when I talk about games anyway, but not in this much detail (and even this isn't as detailed as I could go and, honestly, I'm fine with that). But I'm sad because this is my favourite game and, while I probably think about it a lot, I probably won't touch the game itself again for another good couple of years (by which time it might be the Zodiac Age!!, and then I can be horribly out of date playing games AS USUAL).

I hope you found this interesting? I...am not good at analysis, and you might notice I stayed away from commenting on the politics of the situations present in the game because I'm not good at that sort of thing, and I'm one of the few people (probably) who doesn't like this game for all the machinations and whatnot that go on. I just like the world and the characters and the enemies and the environments.

Maybe I'll do something like this in the future with another game, maybe not. If I do, hopefully it won't take me five years and two playthroughs to complete, but I am making absolutely no promises.

This Reddit link on critique of FFX is interesting.

I found it while looking for stuff about swapping sphere grid paths.

~

Anyway, Meanwhile, In Ivalice!

Obviously, I got a OMGWTF ENTITE as soon as I stepped back onto the Ozmone Plain, because of course I did. I don't even know what to google for to find out the mechanics for their being generated (I know I said I didn't really want to know, but I actually sort of do. I kind of find stuff like this interesting).

And, of course, I ran away.

I also saw a lightning elemental with protect cast on it, and since we are still not capable of dealing with those, never mind their big brothers, I again ran away.

( Read more... )

Which brings us nicely to Old Archades, which means Draklor Laboratories next! OH YAY.

<--- The Stilshrine of Miriam & Judge Bergan | Archades and Draklor to Giruvegan --->

Okay! Another FFXII liveblog entry!

I swear I did not mean to leave it six weeks, but uuuuggggghhhh I have just been so tired, and I was ill for, like, a month, and turning on the computer felt like a chore. You get the picture. Also I didn't actually play any FFXII for about three/four weeks, and I didn't want to catch myself up, as it were?

~

I just wrote a whole bunch of stuff and had to delete it because it was exactly what I'd said at the end of the last entry *sighs* Only slightly better worded because my brain's mildly more functional.

Anyway, Tiamat! ( Read more... )

~

Next time: The Stilshrine of Miriam and more swearing at Judges!

<--- Raithwall's Tomb to the Henne Mines | The Stilshrine of Miriam --->

I don't actually have much to say about Raithwall's Tomb, because I played it when very tired (you might note that this is a recurring theme throughout this run. My insomnia, let me show you it). The most I have to say is that the Dawn Shard looks like a sea urchin. I know this is a fact because my mum owns a sea urchin shell, and it looks like the Dawn Shard. So. Unless I am heir to a desert kingdom, that ain't nethicite, it's a sea urchin.

( Read more... )

I got the Longbow from the Bazaar for the burning arrows (though I sold the bow back to Tetran). I meant to equip them for the Elder Wyrm fight, and totally forgot. Anyway, it doesn't matter now because I WON.

Because I haven't done anything with Vaan, he has 950+ LP. Ashe has ~910, maybe?

And that's about where I am now :)

<--- Bhujerba to Raithwall's Tomb | rewind a little: Raithwall's Tomb to the Ozmone Plain --->

(Subject line is my favourite quote of Balthier's. I thought he said it to someone else, but no, he says it Vaan).

OK so before I start, let me tell you that I am two episodes behind everyone else on Kill la Kill (no spoilers, thanks!) and I got SO DISTRACTED by FFXII, that I actually forgot to catch up today. I also have no interest in catching up tomorrow, either (I'll do it while I'm working instead :D )

(I love being self-employed. I can watch TV while I work and no-one tells me not to because I'M THE FREAKING BOSS).

*ahem*

Preliminary notes:

- this is the game that got me into Akihiko Yoshida's artwork and Hitoshi Sakimoto's music. Not a surprise, I know. I think both of them are equally awesome. I am sad that I wasn't more Yoshida's art at the time I was doing my HND because damn it would've been hilarious to see what my tutors made of his stuff (especially the one who had Opinions about what was and wasn't art and frankly as far as I am still concerned six years later, can go fuck himself).

SO THAT SAID, on with other stuff that may be spoilers! (From the start to arrival at Bhujerba - though there are spoilers for later game things, due to stuff I've been reading, so be warned).

( Read more... )

And now I am at Bhujerba.

<--- intro post | Bhujerba to Raithwall's Tomb --->

OK IGNORE WHAT I SAID ABOUT BASCH IN THE LAST POST. I WAS WRONG, BECAUSE I FREQUENTLY AM.

OK.

Good.

(But you know, the more I look at him, the more the likeness between the two of them is apparent and man they really look like each other in that opening bit in Nalbina which I SUPPOSE is a REALLY GOOD THING because THAT'S THE POINT).

I am thinking all the things about FFXII, and it is ALL lassarina's fault. Also bad(ish) things are happening in my RL (which I'd rather not talk/think about), and I think, quite honestly, that FFXII is my hide-my-head-in-the-sand fandom, given that the last time I was THIS into it was in 2008. That was the year we found out my dad had cancer and he died. So. Yeah. I think I spent more time rolling around in Ivalice than I did on college work.

(I pick it up, and I put it down, but it's one of those things I definitely don't stop being into. Because IVALICE).

(Talking of which, and in case you haven't experienced my terrible sense of humour at work, here's a tweet I made earlier:

"I don't want to work, I want to roll around in Ivalice forever!" > *gets reincarnated as a cockatrice*

Yeah)

OH ALSO did you know Gabranth's accent is supposed to be New Zealand? He sounds like no New Zealander I've ever heard or spoken to. Also forever questioning why he sounds the way he does and Basch is American accented. If they come from the same place, surely they should sound relatively the same? (I say relatively because I'm thinking Gabranth tried to hide his accent somewhat even though I have no idea what a Landisian accent is supposed to be like (though going from Basch's, it is some variety of American, like Dalmascan. Unless he changed his accent to fit in too. Because he could have. I AM THINKING ABOUT THIS FAR TOO MUCH). (What I would like, I guess, is some consistency. Pfft).

(Talking of thinking about things too much, I vomited out a bit of meta re: FFXII, but I'll post that another time, because I think I may have other things to say later).

I did actually start playing the game last night. Vaan has just left Rabanastre for the first time. I couldn't play much more than that as I was kind of falling asleep (watching the cutscenes made my eyes hurt). I forgot how awesome Basch is on his chocobo :3 - which reminds me: I'm going to put him on bows for this playthrough, because I nearly always give him swords or hammers, and honestly like to try him on something radically different this time. I've never seen his bow animation.

I always aim to to be really snarky to the game when I play it lately (and take notes!) but the only thing I can ever manage is "So are you!" when she yells at Basch that he's supposed to be dead. And there are never any notes.

This post has not been very coherent, and I'm sorry for that. But I am not good at coherency at the best of times, less so when I am tired.