Desbreko

[quote name='Takuya']Obviously, you and I have different definitions of 'intense'. When I say 'intense', I mean that things are moving fast, and you don't have time to stop and think. RPG fights can be quite difficult, but you can always stop and think, plan out your next move. Just because you'll lose if you make a mistake doesn't mean that the fight is intense, just that it's hard.[/quote][color=#4B0082]You're using a very specialized definition of "intense," then. I'm using a standard one, which can be found on [url=http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=intense][u]Dictionary.com[/u][/url]; the third one, specifically: "Involving or showing strain or extreme effort: [i]intense concentration.[/i]" And that can be applied just as well to RPGs as anything else, as shown in my example with Final Fantasy IX's end boss. If you're focusing all your concentration on something and are straining to succeed at it, then it is, by definition, intense.[/color] [quote name='Takuya']That's not unskillful, that's poor strategy. Strategy comes from knowledge, not skill.[/quote][color=#4B0082]True, strategy does come from knowledge, but you're missing a step in there. After all, you can still make a bad strategy even if you've got good information; it's skill that's required to correctly apply that knowledge to form a good strategy. I mean, if good strategy relied on nothing but knowledge, wouldn't it logically follow that everyone should do as well everyone else who possesses the same amount of knowledge about a certain RPG? If that were true, you'd be able to get a group of people together and give them an RPG they know nothing about, and each would do just as well as the next. But that doesn't happen; there are always people that do better than others at certain games, even if their knowledge of that game starts at the same level. That shows there's something more involved in the process, and that something is skill. If it didn't take skill to form good strategies, everyone would be on a very nearly even playing field, which they're not.[/color] [quote=Takuya]Decisions are strategy. Execution of those decisions is skill. In RPGs, that execution is simply pushing a button or two. Not a lot of skill there. In fighting games, you need to push the right buttons in the right order and at the right speed, as well as time it so that you won't get hit. Plus, you need to be able to react fast and block, dodge, or counter your opponent. As you said, this all occurrs in real time, which means that you don't have much time to think. Now, I don't know much about fighters, because I don't like them that much. I normally play games like Drakengard, Viewtiful Joe[/i/], and [i]Zone of the Enders. Action games, but not fighting games. But like fighters, you often don't have time to think in the games I like. There's no time to think, to plan a strategy. You have to act, not plan. That's skill.[/quote][color=#4B0082]You're limiting the definition of a word again. "Skill" is not confined to physical action as you seem to make it out to be, but is "Proficiency, facility, or dexterity that is acquired or developed through training or experience," as [url=http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=skill][u]Dictionary.com[/u][/url] defines it. That can include proficiency for making correct decisions and forming good strategies as well as the physical dexterity for correctly executing actions based on those decisions. Therefore, while real time fighting may sometimes require more skill since it uses both the mental and physical areas of skillfulness, RPGs do still require skill in the mental area of skillfulness. But something that I think is of note, which I didn't but really should have touched upon more in my last post, is that how "memorable" a boss fight is is entirely subjective. So even if I were completely wrong about everything I've just said previous to this, some people can and will still find bosses in RPGs to be more memorable than bosses in other types of games. There are many factors that can contribute to how well a person remembers any given boss fight in any given game, other than just difficulty and intensity, the two factors that you've talked about. And probably one of the biggest ones along with those two would be emotional impact, something that RPGs often play heavily upon while using boss fights to farther the story.[/color]

[quote name='Takuya]I don't see how that's possible. The Final Fantasy games are RPGs. RPG boss fights can [i]never[/i'] be the most fun or the most memorable (not counting action-RPGs). Why? Because they aren't intense. Good boss fights need to be both hard and intense. In RPGs, there are only two things you need to win: preperation and strategy. Skill is not a factor, because RPGs are turn-based (yes, I'm well aware of the ATB system or whatever it's called in the Final Fantasy games, but it's still essentially turn-based. After an action, a charcter must wait for hir or her gauge to fill up in order to take another action. It's f-ing turn-based). all you need are powerful enough characters, large numbers of items, and knowledge of what the items and abillities of your characters do and when to use them. Preperation and strategy. Skill is irrelevant.[/quote][color=#4B0082]I wouldn't say that; I've been in some really intense battles in RPGs, both with and without the ATB system. When you're up against something really strong and you're getting pounded, you're going to be trying your hardest to stay alive while also managing to do some damage, and that can get pretty intense. As a fan of RPGs, those sorts of fights where I'm just barely managing to hang on are just as intense as hard fights in action games. So, while you might not find them as memorable, others do. A good example would be when I was fighting the end boss in Final Fantasy IX. I was only in the mid-60s for my party's levels, so I wasn't really underpowered, but I wasn't overpowered either; sort of an even match. But right off the bat, the boss killed my white mage (Garnet), so my main source of healing was suddenly gone. So then I'm left trying to fend off a ton of status effects while also trying to revive and keep Garnet alive long enough to heal the rest of my party, and it must have taken a good 20 minutes before I was able to get back on my feet. And during that whole time, I was on the edge of my seat, trying desperately to survive; a couple wrong moves, such as healing at the wrong time, could've meant my doom, but I hung on and managed to pull out as the victor. [i]That[/i] was an intense fight. And you say skill isn't a factor in turn based battles, but then you go on to stay that strategy is. ... Well, what do you think good strategy comes from? You've got to be good at knowing what to do when, and predicting what you're going to need to do a few turns later, and that's skillful strategizing. An example of an [i]un[/i]skillful strategy would be to attack full force and not bother with healing, and in most RPGs, that definitely isn't going to work. What you're saying is akin to saying that fighting games don't require any skill, they just require knowing what all the moves do and when to use them. The only difference is that fighting games are in real time, whereas RPGs are turnbased, but in both cases you're required to do the same things, just at different paces. The higher speed at which you're forced to make decisions in fighting games may add to the difficulty and required skill, yes, but that doesn't mean a lower speed will make an RPG require no skill at all. In the end, you're still required to make decisions on what to do when, and making good decisions requires skill. Pretty much the only thing that can affect the difficulty, and therefore the required amount of skill to beat whatever boss, is how much you've leveled up your characters. So sure, if you sit around and level up for hours and hours, you'll most likely be able to breeze through anything the game throws at you. But that's not exactly how most RPGs are meant to be played. Most are meant to be played through with minimal leveling outside of the battles you encounter while going about your quest. Therein is one nice thing about RPGs, however; a varying difficulty level. Say you come to a boss that seems impossible to beat, even after several tries. To overcome it and move on in the game, you can spend some time leveling up until you're strong enough to get past the boss. Leveling up allows players of lower skill levels to progress in the game, and it's only when people "abuse the system" by leveling up a ton, so that [i]everything[/i] is really easy to beat, that RPGs don't require any skill.[/color]

[color=#4B0082]Right, seeing as there's now separate threads for both [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=42567][u]Buu's Fury[/u][/url] and [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=41170][u]Supersonic Warriors[/u][/url], I figured this thread could just be used for discussing Budokai 3. Makes things easier to manage that way. So, I've merged your thread with this one, Venge. And if you'd like to talk about Jak 3, please make a separate thread about it. I've looked around and I can't find any previously existing ones, so the floor's open.[/color]

[color=#4B0082]Sega doesn't have the right to discontinue the distribution of a game they created? A game which they actually released on the GameCube after it had been discontinued on the Dreamcast, to extend its lifespan? Sorry, but that doesn't make sense. I mean, they're not still selling the old Genesis Sonic games. Those were discontinued because they wouldn't sell well enough to justify the costs of continuing to produce them, and it's likely the same case with Sonic Adventure DX. You can't expect Sega to continue making a game that isn't turning a profit, and seeing as how they were the ones to create the game in the first place, they have every right to discontinue the production of that game. Oh, and as a sidenote: James, the Site Director, gave me the right to delete posts which I believe to be in violation of the [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?][u]rules[/u][/url] when he made me a moderator. That includes off topic posts, as well as ones which fail to meet the standard of quality expected here at OtakuBoards. So I'd suggest reading and following those rules if you wish to continue posting here; James has also given me the privilege of banning members who continually violate the rules, and your post quality is somewhat lacking.[/color]

[color=#4B0082]Please try to stay on topic, fluffyflan and MajinVegeta; I've had to delete a few posts from both of you. If you want to talk about things other than Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, please use PMs instead of posting in this thread. Myself, I borrowed SA2B from a friend a while back and got about halfway through both the hero and dark stories, I think. After so long, I just wasn't having any fun with the game and quit. The Sonic and Shadow levels were decently fun, but the Tails/Eggman levels were just sort of "eh" and the Knuckles/Rouge levels were downright boring. That, added to a bad camera and not-that-great play control, along with the fact that I found the Chao Garden pretty boring, just didn't hold my interest very long. Really, I don't know what other people see in the game, but whatever. I find the 2D Sonic games to be a lot more fun, and view SA2B as sort of a second rate platformer next to them.[/color]

[color=#4B0082]You're right; the Zelda purist in me cries out at this idea. But the rest of me is highly intrigued, and I'll definitely sign up for it whenever you get it running. I wouldn't miss it for any other RPG. I see a lot of potential for twisted Zelda humor in it, which is one thing that interests me. I can really imagine myself having a lot of fun with a somewhat crooked character in that setting, making subtle references to things from the games. Running around in Ocarina of Time's Hyrule turned upside down as a thieving and underhanded smartass, dropping sarcastic comments with crude humor that double as Zelda "inside jokes." ... Yeah, I can definitely see myself enjoying that. All of the ideas layed out so far sound good to me. Going for a dark and grungy atmosphere seems like a nice change of pace. I mean, remaining within the confines of what you would see in the games can be fun, but really turning things around from that for an entirely new mood and feeling also sounds like a lot of fun. An RPG that still has a feeling of Zelda to it, but is warped enough so that nearly everything you had previously thought about Zelda gets flipped on you; that's sort of what I'm imagining from the ideas you've put forth, and I like it.[/color]

[QUOTE=AnujSuper9]Oh wow. :smirk: My message is apparently too short too short too short too short too short too short, so I have to add all this.[/QUOTE] [color=#4B0082]If the board is telling you your post is too short, you shouldn't be posting it in the first place, and adding a bunch of babble to get around the restriction doesn't make it okay. We have a rule here about single word posts, and the same principle applies to other very short posts that have nothing worthwhile to say. Anyway, I've never really bothered putting much time into the mini-game type stuff in SSBM past what was required to unlock everything. Really, I hardly ever play single player mode at all anymore; I just play vs. mode against four level 9 CPUs. (Not have other people to play against sucks. Fighting human opponents is so much more fun than CPUs.) In the original SSB I had a lot of fun with Break the Targets and Board the Platforms, but I dunno. ... I just don't find the mini-games in SSBM all that fun anymore. I suppose the Event Matches were pretty fun to go through, but after beating them once I really had no desire to play through them again. But after picking the game up yet again out of boredom with FF Tactics, I've discovered a new love for the Battlefield arena. The place is so small that I have to constantly be dodging and fending off attacks -- especially when there's a Fox or Falco CPU player in the mix -- but there's also the three platforms to provide a good amount of mid-air fighting, and it's a lot of fun. Really tests my reflexes and provides better practice for fighting multiple opponents all at once in close quarters, which is what I really love about SSBM. I've always found one-on-one matches to be kind of boring compared to big, four player free-for-alls.[/color]

[color=#4B0082]*eyes Zelda: Sword of Fate* Such a shame that one died so quickly. ... I don't think I'd want to bring it back now, though. I probably wouldn't have much trouble getting back into character (I like my Kokiri archers, I do), but my writing style has changed so much since then that it would be kind of awkward. I'm really interested in the new Zelda RPG, though. Have you thought about it much more since we threw around ideas for it that time? I'd love to hear about anything you've got in the works for it. I've actually gotten some ideas for a Zelda RPG of my own, but I'm too lazy to actually put it together; much easier to join RPGs than create them, heh. Oh, and maybe instead of having a list of characters that took part in the various RPGs, you could just put links to the threads' corresponding Adventure Inn threads? Then people could just take a look at the sign-up thread of an RPG to be able to see who's in it. And I imagine that would be a lot easier than writing up character lists for each RPG.[/color]

[quote name='AnujSuper9'](even though I know this will explode into some big long arguement between me and Sciros...seriously dude, why do you say stuff that you know will cause controversy and arguement...again?)[/quote] [color=#4B0082]If it does, keep it to PMs, please. Or at the very least, keep it in the [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=37744][u]Ninja Gaiden[/u][/url] thread if it's a worthwhile discussion and not just a straight-out argument. But ranting about Ninja Gaiden's camera doesn't belong in the Super Mario 64 DS thread, and any off topic posts will be deleted. That said, I wasn't saying the original SM64's camera was bad, just not as good as I would've liked. And when I say "in any situation," I don't just mean "in any location." I mean running through levels without stopping to adjust the camera for particular areas; adjusting the camera on the fly. So sure, if I want to take my time, I can get a good angle without any trouble. But trying to adjust the camera while running and jumping through levels such as the Bowser in the Sky level, which I loved running through as fast as I could ... that requires a better grasp of the camera and was something that took me a while to get really good at. (Believe me, I spent a lot of extra lives plummeting to my death in that level from not being able to get the angle I needed fast enough and ending up jumping off the edge.) Whereas, like I said, it barely took any time at all before I was doing the same sorts of things in Super Mario Sunshine. So I do think Super Mario 64's camera is a good, especially considering it was pretty much the first of its kind, but compared to Super Mario Sunshine's camera, I just don't think it holds up. And what I was saying is that I hope they bring the camera in SM64DS up to par with that. As for the wall jump, I mainly just don't want them to make it so you can slide down walls like in Super Mario Sunshine and then jump off at any time. For me, that took away a lot of the fun of the wall jump because it made it so that it took very little skill. In Super Mario 64, doing cool wall jump tricks was actually impressive because they required good timing and skill, but it was just sort of "eh" in SMS. In SM64, I remember spending hours just playing around with wall jumping in that Red Coin maze on the Rainbow Ride level, but I never got any fun out of that sort of thing in SMS. Now, I wouldn't mind them tweaking the wall jump in other ways, though. Like not having to hit the wall as exactly straight on to be able to kick off it would be nice (you could only be angled a tiny bit, it seemed like, or else you wouldn't be able to do it), and maybe make the timing a little more forgiving. As long as they don't make it so you can just jump at a wall, slide down five feet, and [i]then[/i] decide to wall jump. I mean, not only did the sliding thing annoy me because it made the wall jump too easy, but it also messed me up sometimes when I'd be trying to jump along next a wall and it would make me stop and start sliding down it.[/color]

[color=#4B0082]Okay, so we have these [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?][u]rules[/u][/url] here, and I want you to read the one about advertising, okay? And I won't ban your account if you give me a good reason why. ;) Heh, but seriously, we do have a rule here about posting threads solely for the purpose of advertising one's own forums, so I'll be closing this. But feel free to put a link in your signature if you want to get the word out that way. Thread Closed[/color]

[color=#4B0082]Yeah, that's the main thing I hope they change with the camera. It was way too hard to get the right angle (and way too easy to get stuck) in tight spaces, like in the ghost house. Of course, that just meant I had to get good enough to wall jump (I love that move, and I hope they don't make it uber-easy to do like they did in SMS) around even with bad camera angles ... but that's beside the point. :toothy: It really needed to be more flexible in zooming in and out to move around things as it rotated, instead of just hitting something and refusing to go any farther. Eventually I was able to master the camera well enough that I could get at least a decent angle in any situation (except in the ghost house where, like I said, I was just screwed), but it took pretty much the entire game to do it, and it's still awkward at first whenever I go back and pick the game up again. And it really shouldn't be that way; with Super Mario Sunshine, I had camera control down within my first ten minutes of play. So a better camera will be very welcome in SM64DS.[/color]

[color=#4B0082]Bleh. I really hope run is the default and you hold in the button to walk. Or I hope they at least give you the option to change it to that. Walking is another thing I don't think I'd miss much with the lack of an analog stick. In the few situations where I'd want to move slowly and carefully, I'd think just tapping the control cross would work well enough. And I'm hoping the camera works better than the impression I have of it now. I really can't tell how easy it is to use with the touch screen without having used it myself, so I'm still optimistic that they'll make sure it's easy enough. Though I'm a bit wary of any changes they're going to make to the automation of the camera. If they just make it better in general (not as jerky and harder to get stuck), that would be great, but I really hope they don't make it any more automated. I really loved the fully manual camera in Super Mario Sunshine, and after playing that, not even having the level of control that you do in the original SM64 would be annoying. The thumb nub thing with the touch screen is interesting, and if it does work well it would be nice. But the main thing that could put me off from it is that it sounds like it would be another thing I'd have to carry around with the DS and game. Usually when I take my SP somewhere I only take it and one game in the cartridge slot, and that's it; having to carry around an extra little piece to get analog control would be annoying and I think I'd be more inclined just to stick with the control cross. Though for playing at home, which I also use my SP for a lot, it would be great.[/color]

[color=#4B0082]Eh, I don't see why the control cross won't work well enough. Yeah, full analog control is nice, but I think eight-way control will be good enough. I really can't think of many times in Super Mario 64 where I needed the precision of the analog stick, so I'm sure I'll be able to make do with the control cross. Personally, I'm more concerned about camera control. What I'm hoping is that they'll let you use two of the face buttons for left/right adjustment of the camera, since only two of them are needed for jump and punch ... unless they include a run/walk button to make up for the lack of analog control. Using the touch screen for camera control just seems like it would be kind of awkward; looking at a picture of the DS, it looks like reaching your thumb over to tap the arrows on the touch screen would be about like playing with a SNES controller and using the Start and Select buttons for camera control. I'm thinking that could get uncomfortable if you have to reach your thumb too far. Also, not having actual buttons could lead to your accidentally moving the camera in the wrong direction if you don't look where you're pressing.[/color]

[color=#4B0082]Right, that clinches it; I'm definitely getting a DS. Not at launch, just because I won't have the money to spare, but probably not too long after Christmas. Nothing that had been shown before made me really want the system, but hearing about this has sparked my interest quite a lot. I've actually been wanting to play through Super Mario 64 again for a while now but I think I'll wait and get a DS and Super Mario 64 DS. The new additions sound like they'll be really good for refreshing the game for people that have already played through the original SM64 (three times in my case) and give them enough incentive to pick the game up again. Personally, I can easily see myself playing through Super Mario 64 DS at least four times, once for each character. Maybe not all in a row, but it sounds like the new stuff will add a good amount of replay value beyond what the original SM64 already has, so I won't be at all surprised if I end up eventually playing through it four times in addition to the three playthroughs I've given the original SM64. I hope I'll be able to find someone to play multiplayer mode with, though. I've always missed not having any multiplayer in Super Mario 64, so that aspect of SM64DS really interests me. I can just imagine running through the Bowser levels with multiple people, and all the trouble someone could cause if they decided to be evil for a moment. ... Providing they let you do things to the other players, anyway, like picking them up and whatnot. But I have one question: If Yoshi is a playable character, who'll be up on top of the castle when you collect all the Power Stars?[/color]

[color=#4B0082]Whee. Testing. Yay, it works. Just ask if you need anything else.[/color] [i]<div align="center"> <div style="width: 600px; padding: 1px; background-image: url('http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v151/madsatirist/stars.gif');"> <div style="margin: 15px; border: solid #FFFF00 4px;"> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v151/madsatirist/RebelScumLogo2.jpg"> </div></div></div>[/i]

[color=#4B0082]There is one thing you can do to get rid of all your weeds without having to pull them yourself, but when I tried it, I found it just as annoying. What you can do is play between 12:00 AM and 4:00 AM and run around town looking for Wisp, I think his name is. Wisp is a ghost that only appears when your town is overrun with weeds, and when you meet him he'll tell you he's lost some little spirit things; if you can find and return all of them before 4:00 AM he'll offer to remove all the weeds in your village. What makes it annoying is that the spirits only appear one at a time in a random place in the village instead of just being scattered all at once, so you have to start your search of the village over again each time you find one. Seriously, it probably took me over an hour to get them all when I did it, and I was playing in a village where I had cut down almost all of the trees so that they couldn't help but be in plain sight. Personally, I'd rather pull the weeds myself than do the thing with Wisp.[/color]

[color=#4B0082]Yeah, you should post in the AC2 thread for stuff regarding ... well, AC2, heh. Something I'd like to point out, though, is the Edit button down in the lower righthand corner of your posts: Please use it to add to your previous post instead of making a new post directly after your previous one, as double posting is against the [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?][u]rules[/u][/url]. I've merged your above posts into one, but please remember to use the Edit button next time.[/color]

[color=#4B0082]I really need to make a sticky thread about this. ... But since I'm lazy, I'll just repeat it again for now. So anyway, to let people know, posts that contain nothing but a list of games will be deleted. The reason being, recommending a game without telling anything about it is pointless (and therefore considered spam) since the reader, while they'll know that the person posting the recommendation likes the game, won't get any idea about whether or not they would like the game. At least a short description of the game(s) should accompany any recommendations so that they'll actually be useful to people reading the thread.[/color]

[color=#4B0082]I don't think the name Navi has any sort of meaning other than being short for "navigator," as Sciros and Siren mentioned. In the Mega Man Battle Network games, online personas such as Lan's MegaMan.EXE are called Navis (the characters use the Navi programs to [i]navi[/i]gate through the internet), so the name isn't exclusive to Zelda and Lain and I doubt there's any connection between the various uses of it. I'd say it's just a coincidence. Oh, and because I seem to be the only one in the entire world that doesn't dislike Navi in Zelda: Ocarina of Time, I feel the need to stand up for her. :p The most useful thing that she does (short of giving you the ability to target things in the first place), I think, is something that Siren didn't mention: She tells you about enemies and their weaknesses when you target them and push C-up, which is something I really like. Not even so much for learning the weaknesses, but just for the general information about the enemies. To me, stuff like that is interesting, so I appreciate Navi for it. In general, I think most people take Navi's abilities for granted and only look at her annoying side when they develop a dislike for her.[/color]

[color=indigo]Yeah, it's okay to post links to walkthroughs. A good place to look for help would be [url=http://www.zelda.com/ocarina/background.html][u]Zelda.com[/u][/url]. The site actually has a downloadable player's guide in pdf format that you'd probably find useful. Just click on Dungeons, then Water Temple in the Master Quest column, and it'll give you info on the dungeon and a link to the pdf file. [url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/gamecube/game/35017.html][u]GameFAQs[/u][/url] also has some walkthroughs for Master Quest, so you could try there too.[/color] - - - - - - - - - - - - - [b]Edit:[/b] [color=#087B00]While trying to keep myself awake yesterday (having stayed up all the night before), I decided to play Ocarina of Time Master Quest yesterday and collect some of the 38 Gold Skulltula Tokens that I didn't bother with while playing through the game when I first got the disc. Most of them that I collected yesterday were just on the overworld, so I already knew where a lot of them were since everything on the overworld is the same as the original OOT. But today I decided to keep collecting until I got them all, and that led me into the dungeons. Now, as everyone should know, everything about the dungeons in Master Quest short of the basic architecture is different from the original Ocarina of Time, so for the most part I didn't have any idea where to find the remaining Gold Skulltulas. This resulted in me randomly wandering through the dungeons until I found the rest of the Gold Skulltulas in them, and while doing so I got to re-experience a few of the puzzles, which was really fun. Today I managed to collect all the rest of the tokens except for one in the Spirit Temple and one in the Shadow Temple, and the highlight of the day was the Fire Temple. In the Fire Temple (my favorite dungeon for both OOT and OMQ) I was reminded just how tricky Master Quest's puzzles can get since I had left a couple of the unnecessary ones undone. And the puzzles are what I really love about Master Quest; it's like they take everything you know about the original OOT and turn it upside down. They make you think of entirely new ways of doing things as well as putting twists on old concepts while also just being downright sneaky to test your perception. But my favorite kind of puzzle, I think, are those that are deceptively simple, and there was a perfect example in the Fire Temple. On the top floor, in the eastern room that's large and round, there's a switch at the top of a sloping hill that spirals up around the outside of the room. At the top of the hill is a block that you need to move, surrounded by flames, and at the bottom of the hill is a switch that will remove those flames for a short time; the middle of the room is a huge pit, and at about the middle of the hill (across from the switch) is a Hookshot target that you can use to pull yourself across the pit. That was the setup and here was my initial reaction: I thought, "Oh, I remember doing something like this in the original OOT. I need to hit the switch, then pull myself halfway up the hill to save enough time to be able to get to the block." And that's where I forgot the first rule of Master Quest: [i]Never assume that a similar looking puzzle is completed in the same way as the original OOT.[/i] Upon putting my plan into action, I found myself falling down that huge pit in the center of the room ... all the way back down to the second room of the dungeon. But, undaunted, I began to make my way back up through the dungeon. "I must not have hit the Hookshot target high enough up to be able to catch its edge and pull myself up on top of it," I thought, "and it's right on the edge of the pit, so I fell." Back up in the room again, I was almost about to make another attempt when I finally remembered the first rule of Master Quest. So instead of simply trying again, I decided to check out the target by climbing up the hill and looking around. I discovered that, yes, the target was right on the edge of the hill, but what I was wrong about was my assumption that I just hadn't hit it high enough up to catch its edge. Turns out, the target was on enough of a slope that no matter where I hit it I couldn't catch its edge and pull myself up. And after some testing and looking around, I came to the conclusion that it would be impossible to effectively pull myself up the hill by using the target. So how did I solve the puzzle? [spoiler]I climbed the hill the normal way and looked around the block. And there, right next to the block, was another switch that was obscured from view when looking up from the bottom of the hill and it made another Hookshot target appear at the edge of the ledge overlooking the bottom of the hill. So then all I had to do was press the switch at the bottom, pull myself straight up to the top, and move the block to uncover a Gold Skulltula.[/spoiler] It appeared to be hard while in reality being very simple and easy, and I loved it; it actually made me laugh when I figured it out. But anyway, I just wanted to post up my little experience there and see what other people think about Master Quest. The game hasn't really been talked about at all since the old thread in the archives, which was over a year ago.[/color]

[color=#4B0082]You know, I'd been considering going and digging up this thread ever since I got Skies of Arcadia Legends a while ago, but I never got around to it. And now it looks like someone else did it for me -- procrastination wins again! I picked up Skies of Arcadia Legends back in ... August, I think it was, and have since beaten it. I had also been thinking about getting it ever since its release on the GCN but I just never got around to it until recently, though I'm really glad I finally did. Never owning a Dreamcast, I hadn't gotten to play the original before, so Legends was an entirely new experience for me and it turned out to be the most fun I've had with an RPG since FF Tactics Advance. Something I really liked about the game was the overall atmosphere that it had. Sure, it got pretty serious at times, but just the attitudes of the characters kept that heavy feeling from getting overwhelming. Heck, pretty much no matter what's going on, Vyse is leaning back in his chair with his feet up on the table whenever they're all sitting around in the operations room planning what to do next. The game has a pretty upbeat and layed back air about it, as well as being humorous at times, which I really enjoyed.[/color]

[color=#4B0082]I take it you're new and probably haven't read the [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?][u]rules[/u][/url] yet? I'd suggest doing so, as the standards for post quality here are quite a bit higher than your above post, and you're taking the risk of being banned if you don't read and follow them. Now, about this thread, it's fine if you want to discuss Fatal Frame II, but the key word there was "discuss." Just posting that the game is scary doesn't tell people anything and doesn't open the floor for any sort of discussion. What's the game like, and what is it that makes it scary? What do you think about the game and what do you like/dislike about it? Those are just a couple things you could highlight to add some depth to your post and encourage discussion about the game. I won't close this thread, in case there are other people that would also like to talk about Fatal Frame II, but I do encourage you to make more thoughtful posts in the future.[/color] [b]Edit:[/b] [color=#087B00]Odd; I did a search, but didn't see that thread in the results. Whatever, though.[/color]

[color=#4B0082]You know, I've always really liked Animal Crossing's graphics. I can't really put my finger on it, but it seems like the game has a very distinct style -- I don't think I've ever seen anything else quite like it. But I wish the male characters didn't have those stupid horn things on their hats. My female character is cute, though. And yeah, it was fun to see the changing seasons. I first started playing in January, I think it was, so I got to watch the transition from winter to spring. Looks really pretty when you've got an orchard of cherry trees and it happens to be a day where there's cherry blossoms blowing in the wind. Though of course, I think it does that even if you don't have any cherry trees in town, but actually having them adds to the look. Spring and fall are my two favorite seasons in AC, if only for how lively and colorful things get. Oh, and you won't be free of Nook for a long while yet, heh. There's four house upgrades, and I think the total cost of everything is close to 1,000,000 Bells. Myself, I got them all in my first week of playing (I kind of went crazy with fishing and fruit orchards), but I think it would've actually been better to take it slower; have the house upgrades be something to work towards. So yeah, I wouldn't worry too much about paying off the loans. I would, however, recommend that you get a basement instead of a larger first floor when you get the option. A basement is the same size as a fully upgraded first floor and the HRA doesn't rate things in it -- great for storing all the extra crap you aren't using on your first floor at the moment. Or I suppose you can just drop things on the ground outside, since dropped items never disappear, but I think that looks rather sloppy. Also, I figured you'd want to collect things yourself (early on it was half the fun of the game for me, trying to collect the entire modern series), but I figured I'd make the offer just in case you ever want something. You can see a list of everything I've got on [url=http://www.accentral.net/][u]AC Central[/u][/url] if you care to sign up at the site. Good place for item trading. And finally, to answer your question: Yeah, my villagers were kind of annoyed with me. The first time you talk to them after not having talked to them for a long while, they ask where you've been for however long it was and make some sort of comment about it. It doesn't really affect things much, though sometimes villagers will move away if you're gone too long. But then again, a new one may move in to replace him/her; one time I flipped on the game after something like eight months of not playing and about five villagers had moved away, but I still had the max (15) in my village since a new one would move in every time one moved away.[/color]

[color=#4B0082][url=http://www.vgmusic.com/][u]www.vgmusic.com[/u][/url] -- that's the best source I know of for video game midis. You should try using [url=http://www.google.com/][u]Google[/u][/url] the next time you're looking for something like this, though. Threads that just ask "Where can I find this?" don't really go anywhere and, much like help threads with questions that could be answered by a quick visit to GameFAQs, are frowned upon. Thread Closed[/color]

[color=#4B0082]Oh, heck yeah -- filling up the entire museum takes forever. Fossils are actually the easiest section to complete, since all of those are available year-round. For fish and insects, certain ones only appear during particular times of the year, so you pretty much have to wait at least a full year to complete those two sections. (That is, if you don't cheat by messing with the game's clock.) And paintings are even more rare; I still haven't completed that section of the museum. ... But I digress. :toothy: Anyway, sounds like the game's sucking you in just like it did with me; kept me occupied for a good three months straight, and then a couple more months when I picked it up again later. The game has a ton of different things to do, all of which can become strangely addicting. So if you've liked it so far, I think you'll be enjoying it for a good while yet. And by the way, if you're ever in desperate need of an item, just drop me a PM and I can probably send you a password for it. (Providing you send me your town and character names and the item is able to be sent through passwords, that is.) I've gotten most of the items in the game and I have a buttload of Bells just sitting in the bank, so I'm always happy to send people things.[/color]