Author Topic: Let's Play 2023 - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete  (Read 19065 times)

Boo the Gentleman Caller

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #165 on: March 13, 2023, 06:49:20 pm »
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I am actually quite odd and I like to re-play my favorites and see if my thoughts change while playing. I have no idea why I get new games. I just got a PS4 Pro but I still keep my PS3 out so I can play the PS1's fantastic JRPG library. I guess I like to know that I'll be pouring a lot of time into something that I know I'll enjoy. I guess I like familiarity.

I actually read an article about just this. It's scientific that we often fall back on shows/movies/games we know because of the familiarity with it, and there's something innately comforting in that. I'm not really articulating it with justice, but yeah, it's a very real thing. I'm that way! I tend to watch Star Trek reruns and have them on when I get downtime. I like the storytelling and the optimism, and it's somewhat comforting knowing what is going to happen. It's all familiar.

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I'm not as expert at gaming as you -- you seem to have it down to a schedule and timestamp. I'm just a simple, novice JRPG fan. I don't consider myself hardcore or anything I just know what I love.

Lol, What exactly is an expert at gaming? I wouldn't consider myself an expert by any means. I just use it as a hobby. It's no different than reading a good book, only that it allows us to control the characters. That's why I like jRPGs and don't tend to play multiplayer games or games that have an endless gameplay loop (MMORPGs, shooters like Fortnight or Call of Duty, etc). I need a good story and quite frankly, that trumps everything else -- it's more important than graphics or gameplay.

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I just wanted to tell you that doing all this with you was really fun for me and it's helped me out tremendously in my life. I'll never forget it.

Yeah man, It's been a blast! We'll do it again after a little break. The friendship and gaming aspects make it a fun little adventure! :D

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I'd love to talk to you more even about non-gaming things cause we seem to be similiar in that we both love to think about what we're thinking of all the time and what it means? in greater life? I wanted to pick your brain about what you think about group-think and telepathy and if it exists? I'm so random.

Hmmm... I mean, I believe in aliens. The universe has billions of stars, and then there are billions of billions of planets. It sure seems weird if we're the only living things out there in cosmos. However, I'm very much a man of science and largely a skeptic. I generally don't put much stock into cryptobiology (i.e. bigfoot or loch ness monster), although it's fun to think about.

Nor do I believe in ghosts or the supernatural. If they are real, I think they are likely inter-dimensional beings or minor hiccups in time rather than spirits of the dead. Like those who see ghosts are actually seeing visages of the past through some kind of space-time phenomena. Even that's a long-shot to me, though. I have yet to experience anything even remotely supernatural and there's nothing inherently scientific about it; it's hard to quantify and measure such in a scientifically-viable way. Maybe once we quantify and can measure the soul (beyond electrical impulse in the brain) we can understand more?

So I remain open to the idea, but again... highly skeptical. A more likely scenario is that those who want to believe are more likely to witness strange events. It's sort of like hypnotism - your openness and susceptibility to experience it makes it more likely to "work" on/for you. Not discounting it by any means, it may just explain why some people are more likely to experience strange happenings.

Which brings me to your question around telepathy... I don't know. I wouldn't say I believe in such things, but I don't discount it either. I guess I'm agnostic from that approach leaning on the skeptic-side. I'm just curious how it would even work given the laws of physics. As of yet, I'm not aware of humans being able to literally overwrite the laws of physics, but who knows!

All that being said... I think it makes for super interesting theories and it's super fun to talk about and think about.

I really like reading about the SPC Foundation and some creepypasta like the Backrooms. They're entirely fiction, of course, but take those ideas, throw in monsters, and they create some REALLY interesting reading material. It's richness for the imagination!

EDIT:

Part of the skeptic in me comes from growing up in the Chuch. I grew up in the Evangelical movement, where everyone in their mom was running up and down the aisles screaming, others were speaking in tongues, others were falling out on the floor and spasming while being "slain in the spirit." The majority of what I saw was largely fake and for show. You can see the psychology happening in many instances -- people would fall out but then open their eyes just enough to see if anyone was watching. Others would literally be trying to outdo each other with the screaming and the speaking in tongues, and it was clear they were just shouting out random syllables.

Not to discount anyone's personal experience, but I'm pretty confident that some of what I saw was absolutely fake. I try to tread lightly because spirituality and religion are very personal affairs, but I can't deny the falsity of at least some of it. That, in turn, makes me somewhat skeptic of quite a lot of things that may not make sense.
« Last Edit: March 13, 2023, 06:58:28 pm by Boo the Gentleman Caller »

VidKid369

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #166 on: March 14, 2023, 04:42:06 am »
Hey, Boo. My bad for the strange post last night. I was so spaced out yesterday I don't know why I think it had something to do with beating Zophar/beating LUNAR 2 and I sorta imploded inside of myself cause it's such a favorite game of mine. lol

Well I like to defy science somewhat. You know how they say the definition of crazy is "Doing something over and over and expecting different results?" I tend to do the same things over and over. I play LUNAR/or one of the Working Designs games every Christmas ea. year. I seemingly tend to watch Survivor seasons over-and-over. Ofc, I do it bec I have fun doing it. But I'm really into social experiments, and instead of using other people, I'd rather use myself as a test subject so I re-watch or re-play the same things just to play around w/ the thoughts in my head - Do I have the same thoughts when I re-watch again as I did last time? Why do I like to repeat things over and over, bec it's fun? Is that a good-enough reason? Or maybe I just have so much time on my hands and and playing around with boredom. Idle hands are the Devil's plaything.

I just find science, research articles on mental illness and doctors/social workers who think they're such experts on the matter so annoying why bec they studied it in class and have a piece of paper? Sometimes I think average people who deal with it everyday, say they have a child who has issues w/ it, are more-of experts on it than anyone else. That's just how I feel. You know sometimes I feel I don't give myself enough credit I pour my heart, soul, time + energy into JRPGs + Survivor research but just bec I'm not a professor on it at some Ivy-League doesn't mean I'm just a novice or still aspiring. I mean I think a lot of normal gamers are 'experts' just bec they've been gaming since they were like 5 ye. ol.

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Lol, What exactly is an expert at gaming?
Lol you're right that came out kinda funny. I just mean you have the whole 2 monitors set up, a PC meant for gaming, probably a Steam account. You seem to post here at the Compendium about gaming a lot. You have a very busy lifes but still get time in to game each day by way of scheduling/time management.
Compared to me-- I have a very small library of JRPGs. I don't PC game, I just use a laptop to post on messageboards about Survivor I actually shied away from public forums about JRPGs when I was younger because I was annoyed there were other people out there who were better at the games than me and that made me feel disappointment in myself as a gamer, I only went on GameFAQs but still I was disappointed in myself as a teenager cause I could never fit in time to create a FAQ and instead I focused on homework and school, I don't think I have the mind or body to sit down and game for 17 hour marathons anymore.
When I have a free schedule I tend to do other things because I think of my Mental Health now and I tend to just watch T.V. instead of opting to game, just bec I'm in it for the long haul and not short-term stimulations.

Lol, I guess my question came out kinda weird. I was just wondering if you believe, say Star Trek is on every Thursday night at 8:00 P.M. and all the fans sit down together at home to watch at that time. Group-Think. Do you think everyone that watches the show has the same thoughts or reactions to it?
Telepathy.--I never had any brothers or sisters, I don't have a twin. But they say twins can read each other's minds sometimes. I'm sure it's not exactly verbatim but say a certain facial reaction or nuance can give away what a person's thinking? I was also wondering if people who are deeply in love can read ea. other's minds, like do you and your wife send each other love messages through thought while you're both at work? LOL

Cause sometimes I feel my best friends can talk to me sometimes. Like when I'm just thinking to myself sometimes I re-play conversations I've had with my friends in the past (friends from America). Like they're like What's up? and I'm like Hey. lol

I'm not talking straight-up verbatim communication thru minds but just like do you think facial expressions or certain looks can give away what a person is thinking? Or sometimes things I've read in letters we've sent each other.

I'm waiting for a delivery right now from Shopee and I'm about to go on my daily walk so I have to go for a bit. I might come back and double-post. I also have to give one of my dogs a bath.

VidKid369

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #167 on: March 14, 2023, 09:33:53 am »
Hey, Boo. Part 2.

So, I tried playing the Epilogue this morning while I was having my morning coffee and I just couldn't do it. So I waited til the afternoon-after dinner. You're getting through the Epilogue much faster than I am, that's for sure! I don't know how you do it you seem to get through dungeons and towns lickity-split! You run through your sessions. Anyway. I'm in East Nota right now (I'm just gonna run through the towns in order-and get the characters in the order you got them the first time) I'm trying to get through the bit where you get the Rememberizer cause I love that thing. Re-watching all the anime cutscenes is the best.

Anyway. So that's where I am.

I was on my daily walk though and I was rehashing through some of the recent posts we've been exchanging and I felt concerned. You mentioned living minimally and I have nothing against that but since we both come from the richest most blessed nation in the world, I was just concerned why you would do that in the first place? I live in the Philippines right now, and I don't know what you know about poverty or the Third-World but people here "live minimally" because they have to, not because they want to. They just don't have the money that we are used to! I imagine them going on YouTube (cellphones are pretty accessible here, though) and seeing people living minimally in the First World and they probably scoff and think why would they ever do that?

I kinda equate it to when I learn someone is a vegetarian I immediately ask them if they are Pescatarian (someone who can't eat meat at all or they get sick) because why would you do that if you don't have to or need to? Personally, I think it's just some frou-frou reason like they don't like cute animals getting killed, but if you think realistically or survival-wise... your body can take meat so why deny it of it if you want to be strong, smart, healthy? I'm not taking away that's it's noble but I just question it is all. Anyway.

Also,--I love that you brought up the bidet I have sooo many opinions on that. First of all, you made it clear that you're as generic of an American whiteboy as can be ... family living in the U.S. for generations. I just wanna get your opinion on certain . things. Americans always think their way is the best, the only way, and everyone else is weird for doing things how they do it. (Like how everybody made fun of the Japanese and Michael Jackson for wearing masks but look where everybody is now.) Like, for me, dry-wiping TP is not cool like if I'm at work and really need to go, it just doesn't seem clean during the day. There's never any access to water in a public restroom stall. I got used to it though, living in America all my life for 26 years so lol. But once I used a bidet here in the Philippines my life changed, I started to think about hygiene and everyday daily cleanliness more. And I notice Filipino people are very clean people All About Hygiene. I just wonder why Americans are so against it when obviously using hot water to wash yourself after you go to the bathroom is so obviously cleaner and better for you and other people around you. Some Americans tell me they take a shower after they go in the morning, but what if you're at work? Are you just gonna hold it in ... . Kinda reminds me of that "joke" that men don't eat quiche, or Real Men Don't Wear Pink. Like are you that stubborn and simple-minded? ???Lolll. . . . ..

It kinda makes me think Americans are scared of another country having it better than them, or doing something right-er lol. They always think they're the best and defend the American way to death, and beyond them. lol

Anyway those are just somethings I was thinking about on my walk. Sorry/My bad if I seem like I'm interrogating you but I'M JUST SO CURIOUS what you think. I've never really had a white friend before. I've made it clear that I didn't have the best experience in HS-- and decided right there not to stay in the US and I really had no future there, so why try? I kinda see you as a pen-pal rn cause you're in the US and I'm here in the Philippine Islands. You're Like My American Friend. :)

So yeah I got some LUNAR 2 time in before I go on my Survivor binge tonight and do all my self-care stuff. Hope everything's going well for you Boo and hope the family's doing ok!!! Take a bite out of a burrito for me I miss those things. Lol :D

Boo the Gentleman Caller

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #168 on: March 16, 2023, 02:01:28 am »
Sorry for the lapse in response, we're on vacation and my response time will be pretty abysmal for the next week or so.

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I just mean you have the whole 2 monitors set up, a PC meant for gaming, probably a Steam account. You seem to post here at the Compendium about gaming a lot. You have a very busy lifes but still get time in to game each day by way of scheduling/time management.

Creating the perfect gaming setup with the PC and swapping out parts is part of the fun. Like, I enjoy that part of it just as much as playing the actual video games. I'm not one of those guys that has an incredible PC with the very best graphics cards (far from it); but I still enjoy putting a PC together: making sure to get the right parts, doing proper cable management, ensuring good air flow, etc. There's a lot of it that is all about optimization. But again, that's part of the hobby for me and many people who are into PC gaming -- but obviously not everyone finds that element fun. Same with modding - I like twiddling with the game files and trying to increase the graphics on the game through mods.

As for time management, I just have very little free time. I work and am in transit anywhere between 10 and 12 hours a day, five days a week, and then I come home and have to be a dad and cook dinner, help with homework, clean and do chores, handle the animals, etc... I enjoy gaming and it's a good stress reliever, so if I want to do it, I sort of have to force it in and be very intentional about it. I simply have very little free time, even on weekends, but I guess I somehow find a way to make it all work.

After all, I'm a project manager at work. I literally optimize processes, manage budgets / schedules / resources. My job is to ensure that are able to estimate targets and then hit them... every single day. So I'd like to think I'm good at bringing those skills home with me. After doing it for fifteen years, I'd like to think I'm a good steward of my time.

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I just use a laptop to post on messageboards about Survivor I actually shied away from public forums about JRPGs when I was younger because I was annoyed there were other people out there who were better at the games than me and that made me feel disappointment in myself as a gamer, I only went on GameFAQs but still I was disappointed in myself as a teenager cause I could never fit in time to create a FAQ and instead I focused on homework and school, I don't think I have the mind or body to sit down and game for 17 hour marathons anymore.

Bah, you were just being too hard on yourself!

I also think some of that is just getting older. I remember when Kingdom Hearts 2 came out I literally binged it and did nothing but play it for like 4 or 5 days. I finished it at 100%, including all of the optional side quests. Nowadays I couldn't do that even if I did happen to have the free time. My attention span won't allow me to put that amount of time into something, and my body will be screaming at me for being stationary for too long, haha! After about two hours of gaming my brain turns to mush and I have to move on to a different task.

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I was just wondering if you believe, say Star Trek is on every Thursday night at 8:00 P.M. and all the fans sit down together at home to watch at that time. Group-Think. Do you think everyone that watches the show has the same thoughts or reactions to it?

Ah, as for group-think -- I think we all react differently. Keeping the example on Star Trek, Star Trek Discovery has a black female captain and several gay and non-binary characters. Some people consider it "too woke" or "too action-packed" (since it's no longer episodic). Opinions all are over the place and reactions to episodes are equally diverse. Some love it, some hate it. I don't really think group think would apply here, but...

Group-think is definitely a real thing, though.

It's sort of... like attracts like. Most people are drawn to others like them; people that look the same, people that think the same or hold the same belief-systems. Take incels, for example. They tend to find each other and form communities online, and that sort of echo chamber of belief just amplified because they're all taking unconscious comfort in people who think and act the same way as themselves. Same with the MAGA crowd. It's all just group-think, they're all stuck in an echo-chamber and think that everyone thinks the same way because they only surround themselves with other people who think the same way.

That's why I think it's important to embrace differences and just stay open-minded. Differences can be bad, but they're more likely to be cool and unique.

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Telepathy.--I never had any brothers or sisters, I don't have a twin. But they say twins can read each other's minds sometimes. I'm sure it's not exactly verbatim but say a certain facial reaction or nuance can give away what a person's thinking? I was also wondering if people who are deeply in love can read ea. other's minds, like do you and your wife send each other love messages through thought while you're both at work? LOL

I've always heard that about twins, too. Normally it's moreso with identical twins (but not limited to them), which would make sense -- they spawned from the same zygote and are quite literally formed from the same DNA. They might end up being very different people, but on a genetic level, they're still (nearly) identical. Genetics also plays a role in our behaviors and manner of thinking (although so does upbringing and environment), so I could see how twins would think alike - it's at least partially-influenced by their genetics to be similar!

As for my wife and I... we are very, very different. We think very differently and have very different beliefs. BUT! We have been together so long we are pretty good about predicting how the other will respond or what the other is thinking. That just comes with knowing someone really, really well. At least for us.

Take for example a burger place we went to recently. I think I mentioned it another post. It wasn't very good, and as we were sitting there eating it (I just know my wife's tastes and likes/dislikes), I knew she probably wasn't enjoying her food very much. Lo and behold, when we left the restaurant I told her I didn't think she enjoyed it very much, and she confirmed that it was exactly as I thought, hahaha!

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I'm not talking straight-up verbatim communication thru minds but just like do you think facial expressions or certain looks can give away what a person is thinking?

Oh definitely!!! Non-verbal communication is probably more prevalent than actual communication. That's why online communication can be tricky sometimes. Sarcasm and nuance doesn't always come across well. Lord knows I've pissed people off online trying to be funny, but the intended humor went over their head (at no fault of their own) and they thought I was being rude or serious.

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You're getting through the Epilogue much faster than I am, that's for sure! I don't know how you do it you seem to get through dungeons and towns lickity-split! You run through your sessions.


For the epilogue, I simply used a walkthrough so I knew exactly where to go. If it makes you feel any better, I'm still at the prologue dungeon and haven't played in a few days!

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You mentioned living minimally and I have nothing against that but since we both come from the richest most blessed nation in the world, I was just concerned why you would do that in the first place?

Probably simple-living would be a more apt term for my desires, but I do think minimal living is an ideal. Americans - and much of the first-world - take things for granted, and quite frankly, are so freaking wasteful. We produce insane amounts of waste, we take-take-take from the environment without thinking through the costs. Minimalistic living tends to be a better state of equilibrium. Eating less meet, using less electricity (which is largely derived from burning fossil-fuel), recycling -- they're all ideals that benefit everyone on the planet. After all, we're simply borrowing the planet from the children of tomorrow. My children will inherit the mess we make, so if I can lessen that impact even a little bit, why not? First world or third world, it won't make much of a difference when things get really dire.

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Americans always think their way is the best, the only way, and everyone else is weird for doing things how they do it. (Like how everybody made fun of the Japanese and Michael Jackson for wearing masks but look where everybody is now.)

I don't think that's an American thing. Not at all. Most cultures tend to be a little uncomfortable by the nuance and habits of other cultures that are different. Different is different.

Although there's definitely an American "pride" in doing things the best way. Obviously not all Americans are that way, and the Americans that are actually exposed to other cultures tend to be much more open-minded. I think many of the Americans that are so obsessed with "America's the best" and all that nonsense are rural Americans who haven't really such much outside of their small town and seen the rest of the country, let alone the world.

I mean, if we're being honest, even the United States is made up of dozens of unique regional sub-cultures: even the Southeast where I am has very different cultures. The rednecks of Alabama are different from the rednecks of Tennessee, let alone the differences in Appalachian hillbillies versus NC mountain folk. So on and so forth. All of that demographic tends to be grouped together, when in fact, they're all very different sub-cultures that only look the same when looking at at a glance.

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Sorry/My bad if I seem like I'm interrogating you but I'M JUST SO CURIOUS what you think. I've never really had a white friend before.

I don't mind at all! Obviously I'm an open book, and I don't mind fielding questions. I probably am not the true typical American, as I'm much more open-minded than most people. I try (and generally succeed) at not being judgmental and open-minded about most things. As long as they aren't hurting anyone, anyway.

As for being the token white friend, I don't mind. One of my friends is a gay dude, and he always joked that I was his only straight guy friend. He generally hung out exclusively with others in the LGBTQ+ community, but he said none of them liked jRPGs and video games. That just so happened to be what we bonded over, so I was the only person in his life he could talk to about video games and stuff. It was just a funny friendship. We've sort of fallen out of touch since I moved a few years ago, so I'm going to reach out to him and see how he is!

It does suck that you had such a bad experience growing up here in the United States, though. That experience is obviously not exclusive to you. We've talked about it before, but the Asian-American demographic really doesn't have much representation anywhere here. It's really unfortunate.
« Last Edit: March 16, 2023, 02:11:12 am by Boo the Gentleman Caller »

VidKid369

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #169 on: March 16, 2023, 02:49:12 am »
Hey, Boo. I was refreshing for your reply I thought I had scared you off!! I just wanted to tell you I think you're really smart and you have a way of explaining things using smart-words but at the same time I understand it as well. I'm such a simpleton like I have my 2 favorite hobbies and that's all I really do w/ my life. I was like chomping at the bit waiting for your response the last few days I have EVEN MORE questions now. You seem like you paid attention in class during college, is-all.

So as for LUNAR 2 - I'm super trying to concentrate on it now during the day, I've like stopped binging Survivor cause I'm out of gas on it at the moment. So I've crawled back to video games. I just re-recruited Jean I thought I was gonna get Ronfar first but he's not in his house in Larpa. I'm skipping town to town in order the first time you did it and now I've stopped in Meribia cause it's such a huge town w/ so many NPCs to talk to. I'll prob hop on it throughout the day my goal is to re-recruit everyone by the time I go to bed.

UM. So as you know I like Survivor a lot. They make a big deal on the show about Corporate America vs. Traditional Midwestern values. Redneck vs. the City Slicker. I was thinking just now about giving the show/America another shot. You mentioned Asians don't really get represented at all on T.V. but I'm sure there's so many reasons why. I bet most Asians don't wanna even go on T.V. as most of them in the U.S. have that "stay in your own lane, keep your head down and work, not my chair not my problem" mentality. It's not that they want to be invisible but I think kinda deep down inside they do - I just think they don't want to be involved in social problems like things that can happen when you're on the street i.e. being robbed, some weirdo harassing you, your boss's sexual innuendos or something. I think we'd rather just watch white people on T.V.. Take me for example, whenever they go to an Asian locale on the show I kinda wanna be a judge on if America can get everything accurate about the culture. Most of the time they do - but there's always something a little "off" or foreign about it to me maybe it's just the editing?

Not everything's gonna be perfect. Or maybe I'm just a hard judge?

I was also thinking about how you mentioned your job was kinda "soulless." I kinda get that. I used to live in San Francisco and a lotta the people there complained that all the techies were moving into the city and erecting mostly empty office buildings and taking away the culture of San Francisco like unique small businesses/exotic restaurants. Kinda makes me wonder about what America's "culture" really is? Like cheeseburgers, sex drugs & rock n' roll, BIG MONEY, Spend Money, vacation vacation vacation? Anyway. lol I always felt like the show was challenging me to move back home to my country and to see if I can do it after growing up in all the rich excess of America? Well now that I'm here, I'm thinking about giving the country another shot to win me over? There was a point where America was pretty dead to me. And I can get over what happened in HS cause I think I really don't care anymore? I think there's so many other small little details like I'm still a U.S. Citizen, I have a Passport, etc.

I just have this fabricated fantasy that America is The Empire.
Solaris floating in the sky.
The Enlightened Ones who look down on Earthdwellers.
Zophar jumping from planet to planet reaching his tentacles all over.

I truly believe all those artifacts from JRPGs are just symbolism for America's huge influence on the rest of the world.

I think it's pretty fun being an American. Like people here definitely look at me differently because of it. And people always have their own perceptions on us around the world.
« Last Edit: March 16, 2023, 03:33:30 am by VidKid369 »

Boo the Gentleman Caller

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #170 on: March 19, 2023, 09:39:03 pm »
And I'm back! I may be a day or two late in responses for the next week or so, just as I get back into the swing of things and get caught up with all we have going on both at home and at work. I need a vacation from the vacation!

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So as for LUNAR 2 - I'm super trying to concentrate on it now during the day, I've like stopped binging Survivor cause I'm out of gas on it at the moment. So I've crawled back to video games. I just re-recruited Jean I thought I was gonna get Ronfar first but he's not in his house in Larpa.


If you haven't gotten him yet, he's there in Raculi! He's in a house with Mauri. It took me a hot minute to find them both, but I did eventually find him. He was the second last party member I re-recruited (Leo was last on account of having to go back through an entire dungeon to reach him).

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You mentioned Asians don't really get represented at all on T.V. but I'm sure there's so many reasons why. I bet most Asians don't wanna even go on T.V. as most of them in the U.S. have that "stay in your own lane, keep your head down and work, not my chair not my problem" mentality. ... Most of the time they do - but there's always something a little "off" or foreign about it to me maybe it's just the editing?

I feel that Asian Americans are as much American as, say, Irish Americans, or African Americans. One can still cling to the "old culture" of their country of origin while still embracing and being part of the current American culture. I don't think it has to be one or the other.

But you're definitely right, Asian cultures tend to really focus on perfectionism and grinding in life. Japan, for example, takes this to the nth degree, haha. I could see a desire to avoid the spotlight, but at the same time... how many Asian leads do we have in American cinema that *aren't* leaning into the whole Asian culture angle? Crazy Rich Asians, Fresh Off the Boat , and Kim's Convenience all come to mind.

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Kinda makes me wonder about what America's "culture" really is? Like cheeseburgers, sex drugs & rock n' roll, BIG MONEY, Spend Money, vacation vacation vacation?

I think we have so many cultures it's hard to nail it all down to one, but I think Americans are generally very prideful, work very hard (almost to the point of corporate slavery), and there's always the pursuit of the American dream: making lots of money and living a comfortable life. The food staples would definitely be pizza, burgers, and fries, though... And maybe BBQ down here in the south.

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Anyway. lol I always felt like the show was challenging me to move back home to my country and to see if I can do it after growing up in all the rich excess of America? Well now that I'm here, I'm thinking about giving the country another shot to win me over? There was a point where America was pretty dead to me. And I can get over what happened in HS cause I think I really don't care anymore? I think there's so many other small little details like I'm still a U.S. Citizen, I have a Passport, etc.

You can always be a child of both worlds! Nothing wrong with that! The nice thing about the Philippines is how much farther the USD will go compared to here. How's the healthcare access there? Affordable and high quality?

I hear that's one of the biggest cultural dividers here in America. It's really easy to find high quality, advanced healthcare... but it's insanely expensive. So you can essentially get the best healthcare in the world here (especially for specialties like oncology), but you're also going to pay a premium.

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I truly believe all those artifacts from JRPGs are just symbolism for America's huge influence on the rest of the world.

Magna carta. It's definitely a driver in a lot of media, that's for sure. The funny thing is, it's not really just an American thing, IMO. It is right now in 2023, sure, but if you look at history the concept has been repeating for centuries. The Mongolian Empire, the Roman Empire, the British Empire. America is just one more power-hungry empire that will eventually break from within and someone new will take its place. Don't get me wrong, I'm not condoning America (far from it), but it's sort of par for the course.

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I think it's pretty fun being an American. Like people here definitely look at me differently because of it. And people always have their own perceptions on us around the world.

Curiously, how are you treated differently? Good? Bad? Indifferent?
« Last Edit: March 20, 2023, 10:50:21 am by Boo the Gentleman Caller »

VidKid369

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #171 on: March 20, 2023, 03:03:28 am »
OMG, hey Boo--!! I feel like I'm working at an office and I just got an e-mail from my boss whenever I'm talking to you, lol. Instead of taking an extended lunch to play golf we're talking about JRPGs!

OMG, dude. I've been popping LUNAR 2 in so much just to get through all the towns again in order and to re-recruit everyone and it's taking forever. I'm talking to all the townspeople again, so. I just have to re-get Ronfar and I'll be done. Ofc, he's in like the last town ever. Once I get all the characters I think it's just all the extra dungeons and no one really gets a line-change so I'll be good to go.

I was thinking last night, "What says I'm American?" when I was thinking about my U.S. Citizenship and my passport. Does this piece of paper say I'm a true, blue American now? I think it goes much deeper than that. I grew up in San Francisco and there's a rich Asian population there. It was actually funny because the kids- my friends would scold me if I ever did anything "whitewashed" like something white people do that I saw on T.V.. They were very about the traditional things we do back in our home country and acting like we're American now and just like the rest of the people there was strictly a no-no.

But then I moved to HS in 2001, and in Freshman year my whole, entire school was basically all-white kids and just me looking how I did was like a no-no for them. Like you had to be whitewashed and a little bit extra for them to even acknowledge your presence. This was before Tik Tok so there was a bit of racism in the air coming from both camps. The white kids thought they were superior and had the numbers / The minority kids would camp out together in empty classrooms and exclaim "Minority power!" So- It just seemed like a hostile environment. I didn't wanna to get stabbed or get in a fight so I left after that schoolyear.

So I think it really depends on where you live. San Francisco, New York, a lot of the major cities on the coast you're gonna find a lot of Asians and minorities in general so it's far more easier to "fit in" when there's more of you around. Nevada, where I went to school, or more of the states in the middle of the U.S. you're probably not gonna find a lot of minorities so you definitely stand out more and you're gonna be singled out by just the way you look. I mean, I saw that movie Deliverance. I wouldn't want to visit like Arkansas and run into a crazy hillbilly, redneck, or hick that's for sure.

So I've lived in America all my life. But I still don't know what it's all about really. I think there's way too much media pouring out of America that it's hard to know what's really true anymore. There's just so much about us that it's hard to pinpoint it down. I mean, I'm Asian and the staple foods in our household is definitely gonna be rice. I tend to think of America as more Spanish-leaning, like cause the language itself incorporates a lot of Spanglish. "That's kinda blunt and Spanglish." So I'm more burritos, taco night, refried bean dip w/ sour cream, Spanish dirty rice, rice and beans, taco salad. People say Texas is very Tex-Mex, but California is very much Spanish and Mexican-leaning too you know. I have a lot of Latino friends back home and I miss them dearly.

Um. I'm not really sure on the healthcare access as nothing's really happened to me/us here so far. When I got here I went to the ear/nose/throat doctor cause my ears kept popping out and I paid like maybe $2 for the appointment and the medicine she gave me lol. My Mom goes to her regular check-ups, she just got back from one actually, but that's their personal business and I don't really ask about it. There's actually a lot of doctors and clinics here - , it's very "Asian" how you have a dentist or an optometrist every few blocks. The clinics themselfs are not what we're used to in the U.S. usually it's a building but here sometimes they build the clinics in their home and there's a very homey feeling. It's definitely not as advanced as the U.S. or first world but it's not the dirty hovel most people think of when they think Third World I mean if you have money you'll be able to get whatever you need here so don't worry about it! You also have a lot of locals prescribing local herbs or ingredients as cures for certain ailments like "gout" or "appendicitis" and what-not. A lot of witch-doctor-y. I think for the most part Filipinos here are pretty thin and healthy so they avoid a lot of the symptoms we come down with in the United States.

Sometimes I wonder if I should feed the body that is America anymore? It seems like it doesn't need the food. And like I know when I say "America is a weird, weird place" like it's not gonna affect anything at all cause it's such an Entity anyway. I don't think one ex-Pat from a faraway land saying America sucks is really gonna do any damage to the Big It Machine anyway. The only thing I still really like is Survivor. But then when I turn the tube off and relive my life I remember how much I hated life in the U.S.

Uhhhhh... Usually people here think I'm "Canno" or American/White. Like when they first see me. They just look at my face a lot, and my body cause I'm so big and huge. When I tell them both my parents a full-blooded Filipino they have doubt/or they don't believe me. I tell them I'm 100% Filipino and they just don't believe me. lol They usually assume I can't speak the language but I can. I think they get delighted when they can converse with me. I have no idea when I turn around and walk away and what they say behind my back though?

VidKid369

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #172 on: March 21, 2023, 10:18:08 am »
Hallo, Boo. Sorry for the off-topic minutiae.

Anyways. I just bit the bullet and rounded up Ronfar, and then Leo. So the whole party's complete now. I was gonna take a sneak-peek in the Official Working Designs Strategy Guide about which of the epilogue dungeons to start off with first. I'll do that tomorr-y.

GOD. That took forever going to all the towns again. Anyway I'll always be here and ready whenever you are.

Boo the Gentleman Caller

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #173 on: March 21, 2023, 09:49:16 pm »
Hey man,

I'm back in the saddle, too. My posts will continue to probably be every other day for the foreseeable future on account of real life responsibilities being in full swing. Probably until summer and school gets out.

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I was thinking last night, "What says I'm American?" when I was thinking about my U.S. Citizenship and my passport. Does this piece of paper say I'm a true, blue American now?

I think the passport definitely says you're a US citizen, but I'd like to think (and maybe this is overly optimistic on my part) that anyone who lives in America (or is an ex-pat) can really claim to be American. Different from the legal definition, I'd like to think it's a state-of-mind. Who knows? I'm glad I don't have to define these things, as I don't want to define anything for anyone else, haha... that's on them to decide! After all, who better to know than the individual!

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But then I moved to HS in 2001, and in Freshman year my whole, entire school was basically all-white kids and just me looking how I did was like a no-no for them. Like you had to be whitewashed and a little bit extra for them to even acknowledge your presence. This was before Tik Tok so there was a bit of racism in the air coming from both camps. The white kids thought they were superior and had the numbers / The minority kids would camp out together in empty classrooms and exclaim "Minority power!" So- It just seemed like a hostile environment. I didn't wanna to get stabbed or get in a fight so I left after that schoolyear.

This is sad. I went to three different high schools (my dad moved a lot for work during those years) and the second one I went to was in an affluent area with lots of diversity. Asian, Jewish, Middle Eastern, Anglo - there was A LOT of representation and maybe I've naive, but it felt like everyone pretty much got along and respected each other. I dunno, though, that may have just been my friends and I. I hung with mostly white people, but we also had friends that weren't Anglo.

My second school was up in ND and it was much more polarizing. The school was like 98% white with only a very few African Americans, Asians, and a few Native Americans. Everyone but the Native Americans were intermingled (there wasn't enough Asians to have an Asian clique, for example), but the experience you described about subtle racism from all parties was pretty much what I saw with the Native Americans. It made me really sad and still does. My heart goes out to the Native Americans and all they've been through as a result of colonialism.

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So I've lived in America all my life. But I still don't know what it's all about really. I think there's way too much media pouring out of America that it's hard to know what's really true anymore.

Anyone with two brain cells still in the US doesn't know what to trust with the media, either. CNN and Fox News and all the other "news" corporations are bottom feeders that thrive on disinformation and strife. It's unfortunately, but it's true -- it's all toxic.

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I tend to think of America as more Spanish-leaning, like cause the language itself incorporates a lot of Spanglish. "That's kinda blunt and Spanglish." So I'm more burritos, taco night, refried bean dip w/ sour cream, Spanish dirty rice, rice and beans, taco salad. People say Texas is very Tex-Mex, but California is very much Spanish and Mexican-leaning too you know. I have a lot of Latino friends back home and I miss them dearly.

Yeah, America has definitely had a boom of immigrants from Latin American countries, and with it all that Latin culture. I love it. The food, the passion, it's great. I love being able to experience other cultures (and not be accused of cultural appropriation). It's hard to find good Tex-Mex where I'm at now; all the Mexican restaurants are the same and they're all only so-so. Half of the time I don't order off the menu and ask the waiters/waitresses what they'd eat, so sometimes I get surprised with something a little more authentic.

"Tacos Authenticos" is one of my favorite dishes here. Corn tortillas with diced white onions, cilantro, and lime, plus a meat of your choice. I'm not afraid so I've tried it all, and not just the carintas or the carne asada. I've tried beef tongue and cheek and all kinds of things in the tacos.

I'm not a huge fan of offal per se, but I'm not afraid to at least try it. Is there much offal use in Filipino cooking? Just the other day I had some chitterlings from a soul food restaurant. They were so-so, haha...

-------------------------------

Anyway, onto the gaming front...

Brave Labyrinth

I had started the Dragon Ruins (the very first dungeon in the game), but ended up leaving and I instead went to the Brave Labyrinth north of Horam. I remembered there being an item that made the Epilogue content a bit easier, but I couldn't remember what it was.

So anyway, I finished the dungeon today. I opted NOT to use the walkthrough to solve the various puzzles, and even though it wasn't a particularly long dungeon, it had quite a lot of battles from all the wrong "answers" I picked as I proceeded. I finally got to the end, though, and defeated the boss.

The item is awesome and I'm glad I changed my mind and decided to go here first. Ronfar got the item for now, although I may end up giving it to Jean later.

I've headed back to the Dragon Ruins and have saved at the entrance.

VidKid369

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #174 on: March 22, 2023, 10:26:41 am »
Hallo, again, Boo. Good day!

With the go-to signal from you I went ahead and did the Brave Labyrinth this evening. Usually I follow the WD guidebook and do this last, and the Hero's Talisman winds up being useless so good call on doing this dungeon first! You really know your stuff! I want to play more but I'll just follow your lead.

Lol that you call each other Anglo. I never knew that. Usually I'm with my Asian or Latino friends, or it's just minorities with maybe like the token whiteboy friend lol. I haven't really intermingled with white people that much until I got a job and they were there. I was best friends with a white kid in HS though and we hung out everyday, I tried to friend request him on Facebook but I think he's moved on or got his own thing going on in his life now. So. It's fine! C: The white kids I worked with were cool, a bit lazy on the job (noticeable) but they were aiight to talk to. I never really had close-close white friends aside from jobs and college parties where if I were invited to one it's be a mystery bag? whether whites were invited. Usually we avoid them cause it's pretty risky as they might be undercover cops, and we smoked and drank a lot. I usually had my guard up when a white kid approaches me at school doing his drug dealing thing, again risky as they might be undercover.

I try not to consume much American media anymore. As I said before--I got really bored/tired of seeing just whites/no minority representation on T.V. and I really am infatuated and enraptured w/ just Survivor right now, so I do plenty of research and analysis on just my one fav T.V. show. I found what I like so I'm sticking to it. It's nice people are more woke now but it's a little too little too late, I'm way too jaded now to even care lol.

Sometimes I wonder, besides white, what America slightly leans towards and I just guessed Spanish because it's the second language, amirite? A lot of English incorporates a lot of Spanglish now. So.

I had to look up what offal means I thought it was a religious ceremony lol, I just call it innards. And yes, we don't waste in Filipino cooking they bbq things such-as chicken intestines and stuff and sell it on the side of the street here along with blood sausage, the heads and feet of the chickens and stuff. I don't really eat that stuff but some people like it. I don't want my dinner staring me back in the face.

Sometimes I'm curious to try more white people/American food if you can give me some ideas... I mentioned I've been regularly eating couscous lately, I dunno if that's popular to bring to the office. I'm very interested in stuff like pasta salads and such. I love the dressings. C:

VidKid369

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #175 on: March 22, 2023, 07:44:44 pm »
I went ahead and did the Dragon Ruins this morning, buddy.

Which dungeon do you want to tackle next?

Boo the Gentleman Caller

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #176 on: March 22, 2023, 11:52:32 pm »
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With the go-to signal from you I went ahead and did the Brave Labyrinth this evening. Usually I follow the WD guidebook and do this last, and the Hero's Talisman winds up being useless so good call on doing this dungeon first! You really know your stuff! I want to play more but I'll just follow your lead.

I can't take all the credit. I've also consulted Google and Gamefaqs a few times to get recommendations, haha...

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Lol that you call each other Anglo. I never knew that.

I'll be honest, that's may or may not be a thing. I have no idea what white people call themselves. It just sounded good to me! :D Regardless, I'm now your token white internet pen pal! Haha. Your Anglo-bro or something.

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Sometimes I wonder, besides white, what America slightly leans towards and I just guessed Spanish because it's the second language, amirite? A lot of English incorporates a lot of Spanglish now. So.

Yup. Definitely Spanish.

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I had to look up what offal means I thought it was a religious ceremony lol, I just call it innards. And yes, we don't waste in Filipino cooking they bbq things such-as chicken intestines and stuff and sell it on the side of the street here along with blood sausage, the heads and feet of the chickens and stuff. I don't really eat that stuff but some people like it. I don't want my dinner staring me back in the face.

Haha! I've had mixed experiences, but I'm pretty open-minded and will at least try just about anything. Chicken hearts, pigs feet, intestines, ovaries, you name it... Like you said, it makes for cheap street food. To me the texture tends to ruin these things more than the actual taste. Like, I had some chicken heart a while back at a place called TwoTenJack. They tasted really good, but they were really tough and chewy and there was definitely some heart cartilage or something in there that sort of turned me off. I had two and was done.

I really like yakitori and street skewers as a whole.

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Sometimes I'm curious to try more white people/American food if you can give me some ideas... I mentioned I've been regularly eating couscous lately, I dunno if that's popular to bring to the office. I'm very interested in stuff like pasta salads and such. I love the dressings.

Oh man, I wouldn't even know where to start. My black friends have told me that they think white people food is, like, casseroles. I dunno. My wife and kids like it when I do a slowcooker roast with mashed potatoes and gravy, candied carrots, green been casserole, squash casserole, stuff like that.

Probably the absolute whitest meal I can think of is chicken and stuffing "casserole."

First you make either homemade or boxed stuffing... I like to just buy a box of pre-made stuffing mix, but then I jazz it up - I toast some bread in the oven, rip it up, add some more seasoning (oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper). Add in 2 eggs. I then dice an onion and about the same amount of celery, and I boil them in chicken stock until soft. Sometimes I'll throw in a can of cream of chicken soup, depending of if I mind the extra calories. I then hand mix it all really well and put it in a greased or sprayed glass baking pan.

Then you take several chicken breasts, maybe cut them longways to make them thinner, and season on both sides with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and paprika. Lay it on top of the raw stuffing mix.

Last, you take a can of cream of mushroom soup, a small container of sour cream, and throw in some paprika. Mix it until it's well blended, and then you layer it on top of the stuffing mix and chicken breast.

Throw it in the oven for around 30 minutes at maybe 400 degrees and you have a moist, hearty, all-in-one chicken and stuffing casserole. I'll then add a few sides: mashed potatoes, green beans, maybe some fresh corn cut from the cob, and maybe a dinner roll.

It's definitely not an every day meal. I like to do it moreso on a Sunday or a rainy day. I tried to find a recipe but can't really find one. It's something my mom taught me. I did find a picture of something sort of like it and attached it here, although mine is less dry and has more of a creamy sauce on top.

I'll try to think of something else. I'm sure there are things that are more super white boy, hahahaha!

Anyway, I just got home and won't be able to game tonight. Tomorrow I'll definitely try to wrap up the Dragon Ruins. I'm not even halfway through, so that will probably be my entire gaming session tomorrow.

Nice chatting with you as always, my friend!


VidKid369

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #177 on: March 24, 2023, 02:04:38 am »
Ooh, that looks good. Unfortunately I don't have a working oven. I mean, I do have one installed but it requires so many tanks of gas to use that's it's not even worth it. Maybe I can try something with the mini-oven? *Haha*.

Aiight, so-For the game I'll just wait for the bat signal from you as to where we're going next. I'm doing ok here, so don't worry about me! :)

Casseroles... Ok. I don't think I've ever had a casserole in my life. Sometimes I think we're a lot alike until we start talking about food. I've also only had stuffing once in my life. It tasted like wet bread that was stuffed in the oven with random stuff sprinkled on it. BUT I'll TRY IT!! I have my own sorta idea / or, perception of "white people" food. Basically any food that has no smell and is safe to bring to the office to microwave. Like salads, pasta salads, couscous etc. etc. I know heating up fish in the microwave is a no no, trust me my Mom has had an office job since ever since I was born so I know stories. Also, popcorn is a big-disaster at the office as well right?

Basically, I love stories about working in an office. Because it seems so fun! Like, I remember mentioning liking Dilbert and wanting to be like that when I grow up. Also, if I can pick another T.V. show besides Survivor as my favorite, The Office is definitely up there. I have this fantasy that working in an office is a lot like the lies, betrayals and backstabbings on Survivor, - Hahahahahaha.

Since I've never worked in an office I have a little "office" or work-station here at home for the Farm, where I do all of my busy work, and planning and strategizing lol. I just think it's apart of every civilized society like working and stuff. America, Japan, etc.

So I'm definitely gonna try some of the stuff you mentioned, Boo. I went to the small grocery here and they have tons of Campbell's stuff so I wanted to try like maybe Cream of Chicken with some sorta broccoli thing. And now I know what to use Cream of Mushroom for besides just eating it! Thanks! Since I did work at Chipotle Mexican Grill, I'm gonna try out some of the recipes we had at the restaurant like the Cilantro Lime-Rice, I still remember the recipes and everything. And making salsa is always fun for me. Even if it's just regular fresh salsa.

I'm doing ok here Boo, just take your time! Gimme the signal which dungeon next and I'll be good! :thumbsup:

Note: I'm taking a week off, usually I take a week off towards the end of the month, to just drink and be care-free and have fun. I had a couple beers last night! C: If you notice my replies are late it's probably because I'm knackered!!
« Last Edit: March 24, 2023, 03:28:36 am by VidKid369 »

VidKid369

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #178 on: March 24, 2023, 09:55:28 am »
Hey, Boo. I just felt like posting.

I'm having a few beers tonight, I'm taking a moment to do some online-work, I've been playing LUNAR 2 doe I'm in the middle of the Water Ruins. The dungeons in the Epilogue seemed daunting to me at first but each dungeon is like short and sweet to me at least. I just kinda don't really want to be playing anything else right now. 90/2000s JRPGs are so good for me. I also kinda like the thoughts I'm having as I'm playing them I'm just relaxed. Maybe it's because I grew up with them?

So it's nighttime here and it's really the only time where I feel at ease cause the heats zaps me of so much energy during the day. I pretty much wait for the heat to pass before I can do any fun stuff. *Like drinking*. lol

I was kinda thinking our lifes are totally different but we have something in common. lol It's really nice to meet other people who enjoy the same hobbies as you and get to know them online and such. *lol* I'm just sorta doing self-care stuff like playing with a comedone and such. lol Once you get used to the routine it's kinda repetitive and boring, even though it was fun at first. I'm noticing a difference though now that I'm taking much better care of myself. It's kinda hard work though I'm not used to this as a guy. Playing with soaps and lotions and stuff lol

Anyway, just seeing what you were doing and what you were up to? I hope everything's going well for you, of course. It's just me and the dogs here and we're staying up. Yeah, not too much to do here. Even with JRPGs I fear being sedentary so I kinda force myself to turn it off and move around after like 2 hours. lol

Man, I wanted this to be a big philosophical post and it's not turning out that way lmao
Messageboards are really cool though. I love what you guys have going on here. If/When I have time I kinda wanna peruse around and see what you guys talked about instead of just staying in this one thread. Anyway,--.

Hope you're doing ok, Boo I'll try out some of the tips and tricks about the recipes and stuff. I, myself, get really tired of Filipino food and eating rice all the time so it's time to start seeing what else is out there. I don't wanna be old and eating gruel. Take care! C:

Boo the Gentleman Caller

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Re: Let's Play - LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete
« Reply #179 on: March 24, 2023, 01:21:35 pm »
Quote
So I'm definitely gonna try some of the stuff you mentioned, Boo. I went to the small grocery here and they have tons of Campbell's stuff so I wanted to try like maybe Cream of Chicken with some sorta broccoli thing. And now I know what to use Cream of Mushroom for besides just eating it! Thanks! Since I did work at Chipotle Mexican Grill, I'm gonna try out some of the recipes we had at the restaurant like the Cilantro Lime-Rice, I still remember the recipes and everything. And making salsa is always fun for me. Even if it's just regular fresh salsa.

See, I think some casseroles are really boring and bland. My wife makes a tuna casserole which is just boiled egg noodles, shredded canned tuna, some cream of mushroom soup, and she adds a little seasoning and stuff. It's so BORING to me but my wife and kids love it. It's one of the only dishes I don't like to eat and will sometimes skip it when she makes it.

Green bean casserole is another personal favorite, although it's better as a side dish than a main course. You take two cans of French's green beans, a can of cream of mushroom soup, and a splash of milk and mix. I then saute some minced onions and mix it in, too. Add some French's fried onions on top and bake.

And that's another cooking time with Boo. :D

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I have my own sorta idea / or, perception of "white people" food. Basically any food that has no smell and is safe to bring to the office to microwave. Like salads, pasta salads, couscous etc. etc. I know heating up fish in the microwave is a no no, trust me my Mom has had an office job since ever since I was born so I know stories.

This may or may not be accurate, I dunno. I just know I was raised in a house that didn't do much regarding the microwave. We did a lot of slow cooking in a slow cooker or the oven. Although you are right, pasta salads / potato salads / veggie salads are definitely part of the Americana food staple. I feel like they're less for home-cooked meals and are usually seen more at events where you're feeding a lot of people cheaply -- such as a work or church event. I don't feel like many people do pasta salad just at home, but I could be wrong there.

As for couscous and quinoa and grains like that... Is it just me or are those moreso newer food staples here in the US? I was an adult before I had either. I grew up moreso on stovetop rice dishes (like a yellow saffron rice) or plain brown rice. My mom never used a rice cooker, though; that's something I picked up on my own as I started to eat more more Asian dishes as an adult.

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I was kinda thinking our lifes are totally different but we have something in common.


I love this, though. There's a common thread and commonality, but at the end of the day, there's a lot of exploration and open-minded and leaning going on. This is what I feel friendships are all about. It would be so boring if I was only friends with people just like myself.

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I'm just sorta doing self-care stuff like playing with a comedone and such. lol Once you get used to the routine it's kinda repetitive and boring, even though it was fun at first. I'm noticing a difference though now that I'm taking much better care of myself. It's kinda hard work though I'm not used to this as a guy. Playing with soaps and lotions and stuff lol

I feel you, man. I could do more. I'm just focused on doing cardio two or three times a week (normally like a 4 or 5 mile run) and trying to hit the gym twice a week. It's hit or miss, to be honest, but a little bit is better than nothing!

I am going to game it up tonight for a little bit. My MIL is coming into town and my son has his big birthday party tomorrow, so I'll have enough time to finish the Dragon Ruins and then I'll probably call it quits.