Author Topic: Let's Play 2023 - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete  (Read 19064 times)

VidKid369

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #30 on: January 03, 2023, 10:15:51 pm »
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Sorry I haven't been able to play any the past two days. I've got the flu (started Sunday night) and haven't been well enough to do anything but lay in bed.
Oh it's quite alright usually I just muck around and grind a little bit. I love the thoughts I'm having while I'm relaxing to one of my favorite games! It almost feels like therapy or some sort of rehabilitation! Oh! I'm so sorry you have the flu! That sucks. I've actually never gotten the flu in my life but a few colds here and there. If I were your neighbor I'd bring over some chicken soup. A lot of my older friends suggest instant ramen and seriously down and drink the broth it's good for you. I would just pound H20 and liquids. I hope you feel better, man!

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Daaaaang, the PS4 is 10 years old?!?! I've not owned a console since the PS3 and Xbox360... although I do have a Nintendo Switch. I love the Nintendo and the portability, but it's super frustrating at the price model. First-party exclusive games are excellent (such as Xenoblade Chronicles, Mario, etc), but those that are available on the PC are almost certainly more expensive on the Switch than any other console. Truth be told, I'm tempted to get a Steam Deck, both for emulation and PC gaming.
I'm quite behind the times, a bit of a renaissance man if you will. (lol) Na, I've just been stuck playing on older consoles because I've been working on my backlog of RPGs (mostly SNES & PS1), that I never beat as a kid. I actually accomplished that goal this past year so that's why I'm moving on to the PS4. Hey, Boo--I've been wanting to ask but do you have a Backloggery? (Here's mine: https://www.backloggery.com/VidKid369) It's a site where you can track your games/see what you friends are playing. :D I'd love to see your games!

My cousin was supposed to come visit me here on Christmas, but he got his divorce papers served to him in December so he postponed the trip he was supposed to bring me a Nintendo Switch OLED too. Shucks! He'll probably send it to me sometime later though, I suppose!

Yeah I've heard about the Steam Deck but I've never used Steam once in my life, and I'm not much of a PC gamer I just use the computer/laptop to post on messageboards and maybe listen to music on YouTube and that's it. I'm zeroing-in on the PS4 Pro because I've had so much fun on the PlayStation in terms of RPGs and I really, really loved the PS3 it's been there with me through the toughest of times I've had in my life. It really is the best. I use it for a lot of DVD use too (I love Survivor!) I just got a 4K television and I've read that the Pro can output 4K so I'd love to see how it looks like in true 4K ultra-HD.

I've never touched an Xbox in my life. I figured if I can ignore one console I can concentrate on the other ones better Sony / Nintendo. But I've been hearing about how the latest Xbox can backwards-compat it's entire system library and that's really piquing my interest since I wouldn't have to go back and get all the system's older consoles. We'll see about the Xbox though.

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Are PS4 cheaper in the Philippines than in the US? Are they region-locked? Worst case scenario is that I could try to track one down here and ship it to you. Seriously, I would!
I think a new, still-in-box PS4 Pro is around ₱20-25,000. I can get a used one online for about ₱15,000. Which's about $446.00 / and $267.00, respectively. The exchange rate is bad right now.

Like the PS3, the PS4 is not region locked so you can play any game no matter where your console came from. It's quite nice because I get some Asian-English games here and I wonder if I can play them. The PSN is region-locked though, so if you're playing a US game with online content you have to be playing on a US PSN account. While the games aren't region locked, DVDs and Blu-rays are though.

Oh! You don't have to do that! ^_^; A few other people I know have offered to do the same and it's quite alright, I can probably find one here. I would just feel bad cause I hate owing people things lol.

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I plan on playing daily - or as close to daily as I can - so don't be afraid to go a little past me. I'm apt to catch up.
Ok. I can already feel myself having a chilled out, relaxing day so I'll probably fire up LUNAR 2 soon. I won't rush through things and I'll definitely fight and explore. It's been nice hearing from you man, hope you can shake off this flu and get better! :)
« Last Edit: January 03, 2023, 10:41:58 pm by VidKid369 »

VidKid369

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #31 on: January 04, 2023, 09:10:10 am »
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Talking to a guy in the pier, Ronfar ends up saying "that bastich of a boat." I thought he meant to say 'bitch' but looked it up, and it's a word meaning "An obnoxious or contemptible person." I learned a new word today! Haha
I thought he was saying a word that was a cross between "bastage" and "bistch."

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I also got an Iron Shield as a drop from one of these guys. Nice!
Awe. I didn't get an Iron Shield. You hit the jackpot! I always thought this part was really annoying as a kid.

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I like that even after capturing Lucia, Leo (and his men) feel compassion and aren't quite confident in their decision to capture and execute her.
I think one of the NPC's in Dalton described her as looking "relatively harmless." I don't know about you but if I saw a woman in a full-on regalia robe like Lucia I'd be freaked out!

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I obtained the Snake Crest... I completely forgot about this element of the game! Items that, when equipped, grant certain magics. Ronfar got this one.
Yeah, the crests are one of the main things that stick-out to me as a main difference between SSSC and EBC. Both games have that classic, traditional JRPG-feel... with basic equips and accessories et cetera but here in EBC the crests are almost extra accessories your can equip to enhance stats and add magic attacks.

#8 session

I'm gonna miss Dalton. It reminds me of San Francisco because it's a port city with a pier and it's right next to the water. The citizens also seem fairly normal. Nothing really stuck out to me that much other than the Chosen sub-plot being ramped up as in Althena's church going to towns, setting up shop and the area almost begins to change. They definitely have power over the people. Talking to the priests is hella funny to me as in like getting in their heads and what they're thinking about.

Notes:
-One of the MAIN things I noticed in this session is I like how the writers put people's thoughts in parentheses. An example, Leo when he was just thinking to himself in the jailcell after rescuing Lucia. A lot of older RPGs just tend to write the line out and it confused me as a kid when the character was alone if they were speaking to themself? I think Final Fantasy 6 does this a lot. There are times when characters say a person's name out loud to themself alone in a scene and I just found that to be creepy. They could have just been thinking it, I dunno, you can't tell. Working Designs really knows their stuff when it comes to conversational text.

I stopped in the Starlight Forest. I was gonna go on but there's a big boss battle coming up and I was thinking if I should get some grinding in now?

Anyway, nice sesh, I'll see you tomorrow or next time! :D

Boo the Gentleman Caller

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #32 on: January 05, 2023, 12:34:18 am »
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the Chosen sub-plot being ramped up as in Althena's church going to towns, setting up shop and the area almost begins to change. They definitely have power over the people. Talking to the priests is hella funny to me as in like getting in their heads and what they're thinking about.

I was raised in a segment of Christianity that was much about accumulation of wealth and control. Part of the southern Evangelical movement. In all honesty, all of the religious subtext here hits very close to home. It's a bit sad, actually.

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Working Designs really knows their stuff when it comes to conversational text.

Agreed. I know we already talked about it, but it's so quippy and snarky and I like it!

I'm back in!

Caravan Meadow
I know I've already said it, but this game has great characters that are really against type. You have Ronfar the manly handsome man who is both a fallen healing priest and a gambler. Such a fun archetype. And now we get Jean the gypsy-esque caravaneer and dancer. And she uses friggin' fans for weapons!

If you read this before me, Vidkid, check out the dialogue of the lady in the upper left corner of the caravan train. She's the one in front of the blue CHUCKABOO bird (ha). When you first talk to her she is singing a lullaby. I ran through the dialogue too fast and you can't get her to repeat it, but was she singing Luna's song from SSSC? I don't think, but I swear the lyrics were familiar before they evaporated from my mind...

Moving on, another great shot of the ambience of this series:


Things we learn about Jean:
  • Hasn't been dancing long - only a few years
  • Only dances with her clothes on (harhar, Ronfar)
  • Dances to a song about a man who falls in love with a woman from the Blue Star (hmm...)
  • Knows secret karate that burns within her
  • Damn you, Cult of the Shadow Dragon!

Lol at the juggler recommending juggling cats only if they're declawed. :D

Althena's Spring
It's not a LUNAR game if there's not a spring with nudity barely covered by bubbles and/or hair. And seeing that Lucia is naked a lot in this game, that's not saying much! Hiro is such a dude, hahahaha!

I wonder if this is the same spring from SSSC. I think it is based on the location on the mid-major continent and near a large forest. Hmmm...

Also, don't forget to go back into the shrine after Hiro gets his face scratched up so you can grab the Iron Clogs!

During the monster attack, this lady is spot on for Working Design's dialogue (how cheeky): "I'm trying to keep a sense of humor about what I just saw... ...but there really isn't anything funny about watching my friends being dragged to their deaths!"

I'm at level 19, so I beat the boss. I feel like you level up quickly in this game, especially since you already start at, what, level 7?

Oh, and it's time for another bromide!

Takkar
I explored down (and learned about scratching ghost ladies!) and got settled in. Nothing but inns and hardware upgrades!

I saved in front of the mysterious "hooded girl." Can't wait to get some magical blood royalty on the team! Time to stop here for the night, though. A lot happened! I don't know if I'll get to play tomorrow or the next day, but I'll try.
« Last Edit: January 05, 2023, 12:47:09 am by Boo the Gentleman Caller »

VidKid369

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #33 on: January 05, 2023, 03:50:42 am »
I’ll post about the session I just had before it disappears from my mind and I’ll go back and comment on what you said after I do chores.

#9 session

I made it through the Starlight Forest, and thru the Illusion Woods.

So, the flag is Ronfar knows the woodsman who owes him a debt and he lets you through. Interesting how they come up with that.

The Illusion Woods is kinda of a long dungeon. I kinda feel like if you fight every enemy encounter you’ll be fine in this game, but sometimes I just wanna make sure. I’m at lv. 18 right now (Ronfar 16) I think you start the game at lv 5?

Yeah I equipped the Snake Crest on Ronfar too.

At the beginning portions of the game I like to analyze Lucia’s AI. In the Illusion Woods she starts to attack enemies before she would just defend and run around on the map. I think she has two attacks at this point in the game: Napalm Shot (hits 1 enemy) and Magic Barrier which ups her own defense. I think her powers and skills-set grows as she adventures with you and starts to learn about the world, friendship and grows closer with Hiro. Most people think you can’t control her?

I stopped when first arriving at the Caravan, and I’ll talk to everyone and probably post again.

VidKid369

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #34 on: January 05, 2023, 10:14:43 am »
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I was raised in a segment of Christianity that was much about accumulation of wealth and control. Part of the southern Evangelical movement. In all honesty, all of the religious subtext here hits very close to home. It's a bit sad, actually.
Yeah, I was raised Roman Catholic. I actually like the religious undertones to EBC because I think, having grown up in America, religion is the thing that makes people see others as if they're... lower. I don't mind religious talks at all I have a healthy relationship with it I'm looking to raise my children, when I have them, with religion in the house. I actually think the whole "evil Demon uses corrupt Church to control the masses" thing in Japanese RPGs to be quite funny.

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Agreed. I know we already talked about it, but it's so quippy and snarky and I like it!
They have stated that they take the text and re-work it so that it's more conversational and the actual way that people speak (in the US). I used to read a lot cause English is my second language and I wanted to not sound awkward.

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I know I've already said it, but this game has great characters that are really against type. You have Ronfar the manly handsome man who is both a fallen healing priest and a gambler. Such a fun archetype. And now we get Jean the gypsy-esque caravaneer and dancer. And she uses friggin' fans for weapons!
Yeah I notice Ronfar is a lot like Jessica. He uses a mace and has healing litanies. Jessica hits a lot harder though when she's not healing and can get an attack in! Yeah, I quite like Jean's character design with the fans and such. She kinda reminds me of characters like Eka in Albert Odyssey: Legend of Eldean I don't know why? She's just kinda random and there fighting with a unique weapon. *shrug*

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If you read this before me, Vidkid, check out the dialogue of the lady in the upper left corner of the caravan train. She's the one in front of the blue CHUCKABOO bird (ha). When you first talk to her she is singing a lullaby. I ran through the dialogue too fast and you can't get her to repeat it, but was she singing Luna's song from SSSC? I don't think, but I swear the lyrics were familiar before they evaporated from my mind...
She was, in fact, singing the Boat Song. Not the opening title sequence Wings.

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It's not a LUNAR game if there's not a spring with nudity barely covered by bubbles and/or hair. And seeing that Lucia is naked a lot in this game, that's not saying much! Hiro is such a dude, hahahaha!
Yeah, people make a big deal outta this scene in terms of Lucia's naivite and growth but I think it's another instance to show her being dumb.

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I wonder if this is the same spring from SSSC. I think it is based on the location on the mid-major continent and near a large forest. Hmmm...
I dunno, it could be. The only spring I can think of right now is the one in Burg. And the 2 boys & girls spring.


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I'm at level 19, so I beat the boss. I feel like you level up quickly in this game, especially since you already start at, what, level 7?
I think I was lv. 18. I put the Iron Clogs on Jean since her fans don't need her to have high range. I always notice she's the fastest character in the game.

#9.5 session

I'm really having a great time playing this game with you! I notice I'm so relaxed and just chillin' out...

Caravan

Nothing really stuck out to me I think you covered all of it. Oh, the narcissist that's jealous of Jean is hysterical hiding in the middle caravan. Like, okay? If you bought Vanguard Bandits it came with a Demo CD of EBC before the actual release and it stops right about here. I remember re-playing that thing over-and-over. Natori, the name of the chukuboo is the name of a Japanese restaurant we used to go to in San Francisco. I thought it was interesting the chukuboo kept saying "Kukuru" who was a character in Arc the Lad Collection another of Working Designs' RPGs.

I think you pretty much covered it!

I stopped right after beating Plantella I'll probably play a little more later and catch up with you & make it to Takkar.

((I always get a 504 Bad Gateway Time-out error around 8:00pm my time, whenever I want to make a post and I have to wait around an hour usually. I'm not computer literate but what is this??))
« Last Edit: January 05, 2023, 10:18:13 am by VidKid369 »

Boo the Gentleman Caller

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #35 on: January 05, 2023, 04:12:47 pm »
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I'm really having a great time playing this game with you! I notice I'm so relaxed and just chillin' out...

Me too, man! I'm glad the speed is more relaxed. It's giving me something to look forward to, and playing with someone (and being able to talk about things) keeps me excited and moving onward. If we are still having fun by the end of it, I'm down to try again with another game!

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((I always get a 504 Bad Gateway Time-out error around 8:00pm my time, whenever I want to make a post and I have to wait around an hour usually. I'm not computer literate but what is this??))

Weird. Ramsus is pretty much the site admin, and he's long gone but pokes in every now and then for maintenance and upkeep. Sometimes I wonder if it's not running off of a server in his house, harhar... There have been outages of the Compendium that have lasted weeks, though. If memory serves they were with 504 error messages.

VidKid369

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #36 on: January 06, 2023, 04:43:17 am »
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If we are still having fun by the end of it, I'm down to try again with another game!
I’m glad you don’t get put-off by how much I obsess about this game! lol This format actually works quite well for me, since we’re on a messageboard and it’s not real-time chatter we can kinda work around the time zone difference quite well. I actually had suggested that I’m up for a second round with another game, but you choose this time (if you want)! I was kinda thinking/interested about doing this with a Chrono game.

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Weird. Ramsus is pretty much the site admin, and he's long gone but pokes in every now and then for maintenance and upkeep. Sometimes I wonder if it's not running off of a server in his house, harhar... There have been outages of the Compendium that have lasted weeks, though. If memory serves they were with 504 error messages.
Ok. *shrug* I’ll just deal with it.

So I had actually had a few points I wanted to make in the last post but just had a brainfart!

Caravan
Notes:
-So Althena’s Guard and The Chosen actually harass the caravan for being happy, singing, dancing and bringing joy and excitement to the people of LUNAR. This speaks to me honestly because my time in America was met with all sorts of harassment from the local police just for being myself and having fun and maybe being a non-typical American and model citizen. I’m glad Working Designs somehow worked that into the story that perhaps the police and Conservative-Christians somehow look down on those that are not like them and not brought up exactly the way they were. I mean it’s 2023. Go figure? Not everyone lives in a time capsule.

I used to regard Jean and her story/backstory/vignette as one of the bottom of the barrel typical sub plots, but now that I’m paying attention, looking closer to detail and analyzing I totally feel her. I think it’s interesting she’s running from her past and decided to become a common dancer. Imagine all the crazy stories a lowly gas station attendant or accountant or something has to tell? I myself find common ground with blue collar workers as I think they’re the backbone of America/society in general and they’re just people’s people.

-The old woman in the caravan that makes Jean’s outfits & costumes is actually named Silky I just found that to be hysterically comical. LMAO

Ah oh yes another bromide! Adding another one to the collection!!!!

I actually had to stop early cause it’s so hot and dusty in the household today I wear contacts and I can barely open my eyes. It’s just so unpleasant. I’ll promise to play more later for sure.

Personal story: Dad’s friend in Manila came-thru and found a used PS4 Pro (no box) at Greenhills mall for ₱16,000 / $269.00. So score! I’m just afraid it’s not gonna come with the original cables so I have to research a HD cable that can output to 4K I think they’re different from the standard ones.

VidKid369

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #37 on: January 06, 2023, 09:03:19 am »
#10 session

So, I made it to Takkar. I would love to go on but taking things in baby-steps is a nice change of pace (for analysis) rather than getting as much playtime in- in a day. I love taking things slow now. So Takkar seems like yet another sleepy town with the usual types of people. What's with the two sets of twins in the village though? That's rather peculiar to just dump that in- in the game right now, huh? There's a lot of duality symbolism in LUNAR like with Lunar the planet/world/moon you have the Blue Star which accompanies it. Love is a strong storybook point to the game, with a boy/& girl. They've mentioned twins in the past before like Laticia and Alicia the twin Dragonmaster sisters. Female Dragonmasters? The Goddess Althena and Lucia seems to be a bit of a focal point in Eternal Blue Complete, we can't forget about that.

I've saved in front of Lemina lol, so I'm caught up with ya! Leo is annoyingly persistent as I've said before. He just doesn't know when to stop. He could have some sorta problem?

Again, I've poured out all of the thoughts in my brain about the game for today, so I'll see you tomorrow or next time! Take care! :D

Edit:

Personal notes: So I realized as I was playing the game that this style of a RPG is really the kind I most gravitate towards, I'll try to use all the adjectives: classic, traditional, 90s(?), turnbased, linear. These, really, are the type of JRPGs I enjoy to play and love the most. They seemed to just be released in droves when I was a kid/teenager. It made me feel like maybe I should look into or concentrate on the much older games, instead of always looking forward to buying the new-style jRPGs they have now. I definitely have more fun playing an old favorite and re-learning all the things I love about it, and using an adult brain to analyze things even deeper. Sometimes I feel people look at me weird when I keep track of how many times I re-played a game (*for some reason people don't count repetition in statistics*). I certainly count how many times I've completely worked over and worn-out any old thing I love. Maybe I'm trying to see if I can break it?
« Last Edit: January 06, 2023, 09:17:49 am by VidKid369 »

Boo the Gentleman Caller

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #38 on: January 07, 2023, 01:46:57 am »
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So Takkar seems like yet another sleepy town with the usual types of people. What's with the two sets of twins in the village though?

Ooooh! I hadn't noticed that! You're right, though, several twins in this town. I only noticed the two that owned the Bodacious Babes Inn (or whatever it was called). Good catch.

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There's a lot of duality symbolism in LUNAR like with Lunar the planet/world/moon you have the Blue Star which accompanies it. Love is a strong storybook point to the game, with a boy/& girl. They've mentioned twins in the past before like Laticia and Alicia the twin Dragonmaster sisters. Female Dragonmasters? The Goddess Althena and Lucia seems to be a bit of a focal point in Eternal Blue Complete, we can't forget about that.

Good reading on the thematic elements of the game. I never even thought about it that deeply, but there's definitely a lot of symbolism in this game involving duality and twins, and like you said, ultimately paralleling the nature of Althena and Lucia. Nice!

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Personal notes: So I realized as I was playing the game that this style of a RPG is really the kind I most gravitate towards, I'll try to use all the adjectives: classic, traditional, 90s(?), turnbased, linear. These, really, are the type of JRPGs I enjoy to play and love the most. They seemed to just be released in droves when I was a kid/teenager. It made me feel like maybe I should look into or concentrate on the much older games, instead of always looking forward to buying the new-style jRPGs they have now. I definitely have more fun playing an old favorite and re-learning all the things I love about it, and using an adult brain to analyze things even deeper. Sometimes I feel people look at me weird when I keep track of how many times I re-played a game (*for some reason people don't count repetition in statistics*). I certainly count how many times I've completely worked over and worn-out any old thing I love. Maybe I'm trying to see if I can break it?

I love jRPGs and love the old-school ones like you, but I admit that I do like to change it up and sometimes need to change it up to more action-RPG hybrids (the Elder Scrolls series is a definite favorite). There's definitely a nostalgia factor for me; it's not just about the music style and sound samples or the pixel graphics, nor the similarity in gameplay, but I think the writing and speed of the stories has a certain era-specific tone. It's hard to articulate. That era from like 1992 to maybe 1999 has a certain certain sameness to how the games *feel* even if they are very, very different. They're like a comfort food!

I also replay the same games, but those are mostly my personal favorites: games from the Mana series, the Chrono games, the SNES and PSX era of Final Fantasy, Terranigma, and of course, LUNAR. Generally I have to really love a game to replay it, but if I do love it, I normally replay them at least once every four or five years.

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I actually had suggested that I’m up for a second round with another game, but you choose this time (if you want)! I was kinda thinking/interested about doing this with a Chrono game.

Definitely! I think a Chrono Trigger play-through would be fun, or even one of the ROM hacks. I played Chrono Cross when the remaster came out, so I need a little bit more before I pick it or Radical Dreamers, but it's been a few years since I've played through Trigger. I'm down!

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...Jean ... I think it’s interesting she’s running from her past and decided to become a common dancer. Imagine all the crazy stories a lowly gas station attendant or accountant or something has to tell? I myself find common ground with blue collar workers as I think they’re the backbone of America/society in general and they’re just people’s people.

Her story is definitely a bit of a trope, but I do like her longing to use her athleticism and skills for good (like dancing). A humble, non-assuming career choice, and like you, I'm all about the mundane and blue collar workforce. We've chatted in Discord DMs before about how I have a little farm now, and I love it. If I could become a farmer full-time and keep the bills paid without accumulating both debt and risk, I would. I see so much value in the often-unsung career paths, and I like the stories capturing people in the mundane having moments of epic delivery (however that may look).

Alex from LUNAR was a great example of this; a simple boy in a small town who wanted to be Dragonmaster but that thought wasn't really something he took too seriously. Had it not been for the events with Luna, he probably would have returned from Meribia and settled down in Burg and lived simply. Even as he becomes a hero, he has simple roots and never strays too far from them.

There's actually a lot of other thoughts you've had this week that I haven't been able to respond to. I had the flu or something like it pretty bad and have been out of commission most of the week, and then I was trying to work while in a feverish fugue because of some project commitments. My thoughts have been all over the place, so my apologies for that.

I'm diving into the game but can only play for a few minutes. My son has his first basketball game pretty early in the AM, and seeing that it's nearly midnight here, I'll need to hit the hay. I'll double post with specific game thoughts. :D

Boo the Gentleman Caller

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #39 on: January 07, 2023, 02:13:09 am »
Takkar / Mountain Pass
Alright, I met blonde Mia Ausa - I mean the fabulous (and greedy) Lemina. She and Ramus (the first one from SSSC) would have made best frenemies.

Climbing up the mountain pass to Nota, I have to reiterate that I don't like the dash mechanic in this game. The layouts of the levels - often paths from A to B - offer little to navigate to evade battles. Not that I want to right now, but still... I can't wait to get the items later in the story that let me dash better. I remember there are a few, one of them being equip-able pajama's (that have a side effect of making that character asleep when battles start, haha).

Spooky Mansion
I reached the "mansion" (which looks like an oversized shack from the outside) and navigate it's maze-like interior and fought the boss.

I really, really wish that EBC got the same level of remake and enhancement that SSSC received. I feel like there was a pretty big advancement between SSS and SSSC that EB to EBC just didn't get. Both the quality of the environments (tilesets) and the level design just don't have the same quality that SSSC has. Maybe it's just me...?

I'm saving in front of the magic carpet and stopping here for the evening. Until next time!

VidKid369

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #40 on: January 07, 2023, 07:15:59 am »
Ah! I was waiting for you to respond before I get another session in! :D

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I love jRPGs and love the old-school ones like you, but I admit that I do like to change it up and sometimes need to change it up to more action-RPG hybrids (the Elder Scrolls series is a definite favorite). There's definitely a nostalgia factor for me; it's not just about the music style and sound samples or the pixel graphics, nor the similarity in gameplay, but I think the writing and speed of the stories has a certain era-specific tone. It's hard to articulate. That era from like 1992 to maybe 1999 has a certain certain sameness to how the games *feel* even if they are very, very different. They're like a comfort food!
See; I thought I liked to switch it up too but I just don't really like action-RPGs as much as turnbased. I want to be able to eat a sandwich while I game. (seriously) I always have a drink and sometimes maybe even a snack if I'm on an epic session and nothing but a turnbased RPG allows me to eat while I game. A growing boy's gotta have his food! The Tales of games have been kinda lackluster for me and personally I'm just not good at action elements even with platformers. I think I have more of a strategic mind so when I make a move that I know is right I want it to count. Kinda of like chess? Action-RPGs I seem to just mash the buttons a lot and hope I get through ea. battle. *shrug* I do like Secret of Mana though. I mean but that one's just a classic.

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I also replay the same games, but those are mostly my personal favorites: games from the Mana series, the Chrono games, the SNES and PSX era of Final Fantasy, Terranigma, and of course, LUNAR. Generally I have to really love a game to replay it, but if I do love it, I normally replay them at least once every four or five years.
Yeah I re-play a lot of RPGs just to re-read the text again, I often forget what certain NPCs have said and I like to memorize lines, analyze what ea. line "could mean?" and recite my favorite ones. I was thinking about re-playing the orig. Final Fantasy VII to re-read the text before I play the Remake.

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Definitely! I think a Chrono Trigger play-through would be fun, or even one of the ROM hacks. I played Chrono Cross when the remaster came out, so I need a little bit more before I pick it or Radical Dreamers, but it's been a few years since I've played through Trigger. I'm down!
Well, I was thinking since this is a Chrono site that you would be down to play Chrono Trigger. ;) I actually love that game a lot it was actually one of my first RPGs if not the first (and I think it's a lot of other gamers' "first RPG"). I love the diff characters and everything and I always thought the girls looked pretty cute. And the guys were always looking cool. I loved the music and everything. I always wanted to get all the endings; but whenever I replay I always get the same one. "The One Where Crono's Mom Jumps Through The Gate" If for some reason I always get that one. Maybe if we play CT you can steer me in the direction of another ending! :)

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Her story is definitely a bit of a trope, but I do like her longing to use her athleticism and skills for good (like dancing). A humble, non-assuming career choice, and like you, I'm all about the mundane and blue collar workforce. We've chatted in Discord DMs before about how I have a little farm now, and I love it. If I could become a farmer full-time and keep the bills paid without accumulating both debt and risk, I would. I see so much value in the often-unsung career paths, and I like the stories capturing people in the mundane having moments of epic delivery (however that may look).
I actually hate the word trope. The word itself seems to be a trope in and of itself. :p Yeah Jean is blipping on my radar this time, though a bit flying under the radar. Her story piqued my interest this time for sure.

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Alex from LUNAR was a great example of this; a simple boy in a small town who wanted to be Dragonmaster but that thought wasn't really something he took too seriously. Had it not been for the events with Luna, he probably would have returned from Meribia and settled down in Burg and lived simply. Even as he becomes a hero, he has simple roots and never strays too far from them.
I actually think the "commoner who comes from nothing; and becomes King or destroys the Evil Empire" is a bit of a trope, as well. I think it's a pretty dangerous one, realistically. There's so many RPG stories where a lowly common boy comes out of nowhere, rises up in the ranks and ultimately becomes a ruler of a powerful nation or defeats the evil. Ryu from the BoF games comes to mind, Delita from FFT being a poor serf to becoming king, Riou from Suikoden being a simple boy from a simple town and ending up ruling an entire Liberation Army. Even small examples like Aeris from Final Fantasy being a simple flower girl, or Milea the servant/maid from Vanguard Bandits driving her own mecha robot in battle. I don't think there's any other reason for this other than kids thinking it's cool? But I mean, I think politicians and rulers of nations and armies in the real world actually look at this and see if it's true or not. Possible assassins in the ranks? You always have to be watching your back to see if the cook slips poison into the king's food?

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There's actually a lot of other thoughts you've had this week that I haven't been able to respond to. I had the flu or something like it pretty bad and have been out of commission most of the week, and then I was trying to work while in a feverish fugue because of some project commitments. My thoughts have been all over the place, so my apologies for that.
No apologies needed we all have our own responsibilities we have to take care of, I myself am quite busy taking care of the farmhouse and lot so I mostly game at night now. Sometimes I find myself having to hold back though because I know we're taking baby-steps haha. Ultimately, it's really nice for me and relaxing.

Keep up the good work. I'll post again after I'm done w/ my sesh.
« Last Edit: January 07, 2023, 07:21:45 am by VidKid369 »

VidKid369

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #41 on: January 07, 2023, 09:01:14 am »
#11 session

Have you reached the 10-hour mark yet Boo? I'm just a bit past it.

So for the Ghost Manor I like to level up and grind in here I dunno why. Usually, I at least make 2-trips in here the first to just get all the treasure chests, then I leave and go back to Takkar to get all the equips I didn't have enough Silver for the first go round so: the mace, the fan and another Chain Mail for Ronfar. This usually makes the 2nd-trip in much easier and I can save up on MP for the boss fight cause at this stage of the game it's relatively early and I don't like using Star Lights and Healing Nuts. Star Lights were fairly uncommon throughout SSSC and I don't know EBC quite well so I'm scared to use them to save them for the Final Boss Fight.

Item shops don't sell Healing Nuts yet so I don't want to use them at all! I don't want to use Star Lights at all! But this boss fight is so stupid sometimes I wind up using one on Hiro/Ronfar to attack/heal right at the very end of the fight.

I like to just grind in here because, I think- After you use the Magic Carpet there's no way to go back and I'll miss all the previous places you've been to. I almost wanna go back and talk to everyone again before going down the cliff! ^_^;;

I have some stuff to do so I saved in the manor. I might play some more later, I might not- I might just play again cont tomorrow.

I thought it's interesting the Ghost Manor really is ghostly like with ghosts and stuff. The Susie Deaths are a unique enemy. I assume it's a ghost. Jean's Sleep Step dance works perfectly against it though I want to save her MP for the boss fight so I just wind up mash-attacking it. The strategy this part in the game ramps up cause you have to start using your skills / and a lot of Ronfar's healing to get through the monster battles. I would just dash through them if I had my druthers and save it for the boss. If you're fine with your level.

I might talk to everyone in Takkar again to see if I can get more information.

Edit:

I don't know if I'm allowed to triple-post, and I'd rather not, so I just edited.

Heads up: about our next game of choice I just remembered that I might not be able to hook up my SNES console to my new 4K T.V. to play Chrono Trigger since it's done away with the white/red/yellow hook-up in the back, so. It's hard for me right now to play on retro systems since I'm still adjusting to how a 4K T.V. works but I'll try to do research and see if I can find some sorta wire for the back of the SNES that hooks into an HDMI. For the time being, maybe a more modern RPG (like a PS1 RPG I can play on my PS3) although Chrono Trigger for SNES is still my no. 1 choice as long as I can figure it out.

#11.5 session

Ok, so I beat the Mega Magic Tester and Lemina joined. I'll try not to backtrack to try to just talk to people again. LOL This's the part of the game where you can really play around and have fun with random battles since Lemina comes with a lot of powerful magic to toast enemies.

Regarding Lucia's AI: She's still running away from casual battles but not boss fights (I don't think the game allows you to). Maybe she still doesn't feel as close to Hiro and the party? She's still casting Napalm Shot and Magic Barrier once-in-a-Blue Moon but she still defends and runs around the map a lot.

That was an annoying-ass boss battle. I'm trying a new strategy this time of using Jean to use items like herbs to heal and not relying on Ronfar so much cause he is slow and Jean is the fastest character in the game so she is auto. on item-duty. I went through so many herbs in that fight.
« Last Edit: January 08, 2023, 02:27:43 am by VidKid369 »

Boo the Gentleman Caller

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #42 on: January 08, 2023, 09:56:36 pm »
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Have you reached the 10-hour mark yet Boo? I'm just a bit past it.

I'm at about 8.5 hours. I haven't gotten off the beaten track as much as you in exploring events and NPC dialogue. I don't even think to do it, so you're ahead of me in that regard, haha...

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I don't like using Star Lights and Healing Nuts. Star Lights were fairly uncommon throughout SSSC and I don't know EBC quite well so I'm scared to use them to save them for the Final Boss Fight.

I'm a packrat and refuse to use any items unless I need them. I'm the guy who reached the last boss having saved all my Elixers and Megaelixers and whatever the top-tier recovery items are, haha. And I make my games harder by being that way!

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I thought it's interesting the Ghost Manor really is ghostly like with ghosts and stuff.

I thought the same thing! Lemina is clearly using this "haunted" manor as a testbed for magic recruits, and yet there's some actual haunting going on here...? Just wonky writing, LUNAR team!

Now back to the game!

Takkar Mountain Pass
I can't remember if I get to return to any of these places later in the story or during the epilogue. I hope so! Regardless, I'm jumping on that magic rug and movin' on!

When the team fell from the magic carpet, I couldn't help but be reminded of that scene with the hot air balloon in SSS. It would have been great had they done the same here with an animated scene of them all spiraling out of country screaming. I always chuckle at that story event -- https://youtu.be/yK3ZlI2q9XQ

Bandit Butte

Nothing really of interest here story-wise. I picked up the Shiro Crest in the cave and gave it to Hiro so his range is a bit better.

I picked up the Wind Staff and gave it to Lemina. I meant to equip it and accidentally ended up giving her a dagger. Imagine my surprise during the next battle when she pulls out her little knife to go stab one of the giant wasp enemies. Ha!

Where are the actual bandits in this level...?

Just thinking through the game mechanics:
  • I like that inventories are so much easier to manage in EBC. You don't have to worry about each individual only being able to hold a single item (plus the bag). I never liked that aspect of SSSC.
  • The game has a lot of these mini-dungeons that just sort of feel very "sameness" and are all A-to-B zig-zags. SSSC had better level design, in my opinion. I remember the first time I played SSSC getting so turned around in some of those forest maps -- the Weird Woods (or whatever it was called) was a struggle for me.

Out the other end, I'm exploring the world map before I move on. Unfortunately, the Madoria Carnival isn't open yet. There's another location SE of the Carnival that I can't even access on the world map, and I don't remember what it is. Now I'm curious!

East Nota

Another town taken advantage of by Althena's Chosen. In this case, they acquired that guy's house in the bottom left corner. Otherwise Nota doesn't seem like a bad place; it reminds me a bit of Moracco with the bazaars and bartering and everyone trying to sell you something.

I'm saving at the bridge and stopping for now, as I remember what happens once I cross...

VidKid369

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #43 on: January 09, 2023, 09:25:25 am »
#12 session

I'm not in the best mood today.

-Yeah, I try to save all my mega-heal items for the Final Boss as well. I actually use it at that time though. o_O;; That's an interesting take on making the game harder.
-Lol yeah the Ghost Manor is a weird dungeon. haha
*Oh you can definitely return to this and previous areas later on in the game so don't worry. Everything opens up in the Epilogue. C:
*Yup the magic carpet scene reminds me of the hot air balloon ride. Would have loved to see an anime cutscene of them screaming as well. That scene makes me dizzy now at my age though.
*If you equip the Snake and Shiro Crest together you'll get a boost in attack + range, so I opted for Ronfar, to give him better distance.
*I actually mean to play around with the equips at this point, actually, I wanted to equip a Dagger on Jean just to see what it'll do?
*In the Sega CD version there are actual bandits in this dungeon, and there was a mini-boss battle with the Phantom Sentry (a big boss bandit), I dunno why they took it out of this game. It seems to be an iconic moment for this game as LUNAR has random enemies/bosses like the Inca God? (?)

*Yeah Ruby must have a deep pocket. I like the Final Fantasy-esque limitless unlimited item menu too as well I think all RPGs should be that way I don't think it takes away from the fantasy element at all. Yeah I don't like having to individually equip items on characters in order to use it either, but I didn't mind in SSSC.
*I thought the two-screen area behind Ronfar's house kinda corny in terms of dungeon design. With it's like 5 enemies.

I've stopped in front of Nota for now. I intend to explore the world map as well before I enter Nota and continue on with the story. Funny that you say it reminds you of Morocco, I was just thinking we're not out of the Salyan Desert yet so every town we've visited so far is like a desert town. With sand and everything and stuff.

I plan to explore more a little later.

Edit:

#12.5 session

Cont from last night this morning.

I think the tower to the east of Nota is the Mystic Ruins. I found it funny they didn't even try to come up with a reason for you not being able to enter, they just won't even load the entrance map. Yeah the Madoria Carnival is closed for right now I think because the Guard is harassing the Caravan and slowing them down.

I entered East Nota. Yup the guy that sold his house to the Chosen is pretty funny. There's not a real Sanctuary in Nota apparently.

The Mayor's house is pretty interesting as it introduces/gives us a preview of the Rememberizer. If you remember in the first game, it allows you to replay the anime cutscenes you've viewed. It's not available until much later, don't worry.

Seems like a sleepy/bazaar-esque desert town to me. I stopped in front of the bridge too. Will wait for you before continuing on! :D
« Last Edit: January 10, 2023, 01:28:35 am by VidKid369 »

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #44 on: January 10, 2023, 04:12:27 am »
#13 session

I'm still on the bridge in East Nota. I'll wait for you.

While I was waiting (I just had to play today), I went back to the Bandit Butte and leveled up a little bit more. Lol at Butte Interior (per the save screen). This's a good place to grind with Lemina just casting Burning Rain in every battle, and leaving when her MP is depleted. The Parasite enemy is atrocious but I figured out you can kill it in the first round by Jean using Butterfly Dance and Hiro using Boomerang. I leveled up in here until I could buy everything from the weapon shop in East Nota and have some money left over. This's a good place to grind cause the enemies drop a lot of Silver and give a decent amount of EXP.

I'm planning on going back and leveling up some more, I don't mind at all waiting for you. :D Cheers!