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Pahrak Model ZX

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  1. Pahrak Model ZX
    Sorry for the huge delay, but it took a while to get all this typed back up. Let’s see…Bioni-Lords Book 4: Sensou (“War”). About 12 years after the defeat of the Dark Knights, Kraahkan-Nui is pulled from his and Avohkii-Nui’s pocket dimension out into the main dimension, prompting a massive war between the forces of good and evil. Konpaku and Les Douze Ombres were working for Kraahkan-Nui, trying to find a way to help him switch worlds (couldn’t do it on his own because it would give Avohkii-Nui an opening in their eternal battle); hadn’t decided on how exactly he was going to make the trip in Sensou, but…anyway. This war is also what Aile’s original vision pointed towards. Everything she’s done since then, she’s done to increase the chances of the good guys winning this war. Now, let me get together a list of everyone involved…
     
    --Good Guys: Khadaz (possibly using a new Super Spirit through gaining control over Darkhadaz), Amy, Rahksean, Lexero, Twani, Midori, Nuvakuta, Zagrin, Kazumi, Rikka, Dranes, Zak, Azara and the other Devil Orb users (they would get reduced to Cores again so Azara could use Redeemed Demon, but I also thought that Azara would be reduced to a Core and the Paladins would undergo the same fate, with Pyrami ultimately using all of their Cores to craft an even more powerful Super Spirit tentatively named “Palademon”), Light Force Paladins, Barometz, Reikaz, Corinwood, Kohena, Toatoa, Zenrei, Kharzani, Kharuun, Hyohana, Neb-X, Neya, Catalina, Keelie, Keizah, Selina, Wraith (relative of Phaenyx, was only shown briefly), any surviving Element-Lords, Marigold, Genakex (would be using Ikhav Gurren Lagann (possibly with Titan) and at some point Combine with Kharuun to form Saigo Ikhav Gurren Lagann, with Kharuun appearing as the ghostly double Phantom Ikhav Gurren Lagann; he would probably also Combine with the Enterprise at some point), Xyla, Kytan, Tahra (going with the plan that had her outside of the main dimension since Book 3, she would be back now and possess the Dimension Heat ability to “incinerate reality”), Titan, Voyager, Prism, Assassin, Legolord (a new Vassal Legendary composed of many Lego bricks), the Gahu (minus Gahu-Shadow), the Elemental Knights (minus Shadow Knight), the Hapori (minus Dume), Avohkii-Nui (maybe, he might just take a back seat)
     
    --Bad Guys: Kraahkan-Nui, Hapori Dume, Tabuu (possibly with his mind restored), One-Winged Angel (freed from his seal), Stained Glass Inmacula (also freed), Konpaku (using Mairi again, possibly has absorbed the other “variants” of Language and Obscure to create a “super Mairi”, would need to absorb Nikari’s Blade of Souls (with the power of Obscural) to perfect it), Absent Sentiment (the sentient Shadow Apprentice who absorbed Shadow Knight’s soul, much more powerful now, probably wielding the Twayblade infused with Gahu-Shadow’s remains), Atomicus (a new Vassal Legendary personifying the force of destruction), Tyrant, Abomination, Union and probably some other Shade-Gang forces, Darkaea (probably; his servants would probably also be released from Subspace)
     
    …Whew. I think that’s everyone. Anyway, in the end, Khadaz would use a suicide attack to weaken Kraahkan-Nui to the point where Avohkii-Nui could drag him back into the pocket dimension, which is considered a victory for the good guys. Don’t know how many others would have died in the process, but there probably would have been some deaths for characters who otherwise are generally protected for plot purposes. You know, for added drama and such. The final scene would be around a year after the end of the war, with Hyohana giving birth to a son who they then name Khadaz, in order to keep his memory alive or something like that.
     
    My plans for Sensou were looking messier and messier as time went on. I wasn’t entirely sure how to structure it, or how to make a story with that many characters work…probably wouldn’t have looked too good no matter what I did! It always seemed like a good place to introduce a lot of cool stuff, though…
     
    Lastly, there’s Bioni-Lords Book 5: Furoku (“Supplement”). This wasn’t so much going to be a Book as a collection of short stories, filling in blanks in the timeline, showing alternate timelines, and, amidst all that, continuing events past the end of Book 4. I wanted Nk and Zagrin to have one final fight (as promised way back in Book 1), and I also wanted to do something with Khadaz Ikhav the Second—possibly something involving a Bioni-Lords civil war, but I hadn’t really worked anything out. The main post-Sensou plot, though, wouldn’t take place in the main universe.
     
    Khadaz did not actually die in his final attack. Instead, he was transported to Twilight Space, where he meets up with Yume and King Syrag (who did the same thing as Khadaz and has been there ever since), and is finally introduced to their master: the Twilight Monarch. The Monarch is from a race of beings known as “Transdimensionals”, who possess immense power and move through worlds as they see fit. The Twilight Monarch governs Twilight Space, as it is the gateway between the Bioni-Lords Universe and every other universe out there. He does his best to keep the universe safe from threats both inside and out, primarily through servants since he is not allowed to interfere directly. Syrag has been fighting off individuals who would want to invade the Bioni-Lords Universe, and has not aged a day since individuals only experience the flow of time when within their home universe. Yume more usually delivers messages to important individuals in the universe, also does not age, and…well, her backstory is a little embarrassing. She is actually the character Hanajima from the manga/anime Fruits Basket; her world (likely one in parallel to the world actually presented in the series) was destroyed, but she was able to survive due to her abilities. The Twilight Monarch rescued her and she has been working for him ever since. While Tahra, Vitirus, and Zempyst were here, they assisted Syrag in defending Twilight Space and also went out into the multiverse to hunt down some other threats.
     
    Khadaz is given the opportunity to work for the Twilight Monarch, but he would rather go back home. He is told he may only do so if he is able to defeat the Twilight Monarch in battle. Naturally, he accepts. It doesn’t go well. During the fight, however, Khadaz unlocks a new ability: a transformation known as “Unlimited Ikhav,” which is an evolution of the Ikhav ability to defy fate. Unlimited Khadaz wears a black jumpsuit with dark green armor on his shoulders, torso, feet, and limbs, and a green Kanohi Hau; he is able to use the abilities of any Spirit or Super Spirit Khadaz has ever fused with (including Gahu Darkhadaz by loophole). It’s not a Spirit, but he is still able to boost his power through Chikara Compression, so all these things combined makes him really, really strong. But he still loses. Without any choice, Khadaz starts working for the Twilight Monarch, going out to visit other universes and fighting off anything that might want to find its way into his world.
     
    (I had originally planned to use Unlimited Ikhav in a short series for the story’s 10th anniversary, where Khadaz, Genakex, and Kharuun would fight favorite villains from the Ikhav Trilogy and ultimately battle an upgraded Stained Glass (Stained Glass Monoschroma) that could absorb individuals by turning them into small stained glass windows. Khadaz would use the Unlimited form to beat Monoschroma, then give up the power to return to his world, which had a failsafe or something built in to prevent him from using it while there. You know, something weird like that to prevent him from using it in Sensou, which would canonically take place a few years after this whole thing.)
     
    I hadn’t quite pinned down what sort of threats Khadaz would be fighting, but I thought it would be cool to have something (or multiple things) so awful that he had to gather a team of Unlimited Ikhav. Only one Ikhav is born with the ability to achieve the Unlimited form, but this ability is given to a different Ikhav in different timelines. So, the Twilight Monarch would send Khadaz into alternate timelines to recruit the Unlimited Ikhav of each. The basic abilities and form of the transformation are the same for all Unlimited Ikhav, but each has a different armor color and Kanohi. Possible teammates would’ve been:
    -Kharuun: Brown armor, Great Kakama
    -Genakex: Red armor, Great Pakari
    -Norscu: Purple armor, Noble Matatu
    -Rien: Black armor, Great Miru
    -Kytan: White armor, Great Akaku (Armor color and Kanohi were still tentative. Also, Unlimited Kytan would be able to bypass the restrictions on Krahka’s abilities, enabling him to use the powers of any Spirit (barring the Nui) as well as any Super Spirit.)
    -Reikaz: Orange armor, Noble Mahiki
    -Azara: Pale green armor, Great Kaukau
     
    Eventually, all threats would be dealt with, and Khadaz would approach the Twilight Monarch for another chance to win passage home—his last chance. The Monarch would change things up by forming three portals: one leading to Khadaz’s world, one leading to another part of Twilight Space, and one leading to some random other world. If Khadaz could make it to one of those, the battle would end. Khadaz would pull out all the stops: Unlimited Ikhav, Spirit Weapons, Blades of Souls, Chikara Compression (which he would have refined enough that he can use Burst up to five times at once, simply referred to as “Chikara Compression Burst 5”), the works. He’s able to incapacitate the Monarch long enough to reach a portal…but I wasn’t going to tell you which one. How cruel of me! Leaving you to forever wonder if Khadaz made it home, if he continued serving the Monarch for eternity, or if he ended up lost amidst the multiverse!
     
    …But since we’re doing things this way, there’s no point in keeping it a secret. My plan was for Khadaz to take the portal leading to a random world, so that in other stories, I could give him cameos and show him gradually working his way from world to world trying to find his way home. Hadn’t decided if he was ever going to make it.
     
    So, there’s the outline for the rest of the saga I had planned. I suppose there are some other bits of info I didn’t include in these posts, but eh, don’t know that I’ll be typing those up any time soon. If you guys have any questions, do feel free to ask, and I won’t keep any secrets. Again, thank you all for the support you’ve offered over the years. It was loads of fun while it lasted!
  2. Pahrak Model ZX
    I've been taking some classes at college for a while now, and this semester I'm taking a "Writing for the Web" class. One of our projects is to create a fake homepage for a fictional business, and I thought I may as well see if the Bioni-Lords website would fit well enough. It seemed incredibly unlikely, but...it did. The Bioni-Lords website, Exo's Desk V2, is about to be submitted for review to my college professor.
     
    For obvious reasons, this inspired me to make lots of updates, to both Exo's Desk V2 and the Spirit Index. I added paragraphs to both main pages that show the date of the latest update, and the Spirit Index now includes a Color-coding Key and a link to Exo's Desk. Exo's Desk has a link to the Spirit Index, links to every Bioni-Lords story (minus the Halloween one...I have disowned it ), a "What's on This Page?" paragraph on most pages, and a few other edits.
     
    And if you read the last chapter of Sekai, you'll know that Jungle and Psionics are now Elements. I've added them to the Elements page on Exo's Desk V2, although there isn't quite as much information as with the others, and soon I'll start editing the pages on the Spirit Index to show which Spirits and attacks have these new Elements.
     
    All this time I've been complaining about how school hinders my work with Bioni-Lords. Irony strikes again!
  3. Pahrak Model ZX
    -Giratina ("Vezon")
    -Spiritomb
    -Chandelure ("Lumiere")
    -Golurk ("Ralph")
    -Aegislash ("Ultima")
     
    I actually really, really like the Ghost type. The weird thing is, I haven't really trained all that many Ghost Pokemon...still, the ones that I have trained have been among the best Pokemon on their respective teams. We've got a legendary, a Pokemon (previously) without a weakness, a chandelier with massive special attack, a golem that can tear Dragons apart with its bare fists, and a haunted sword and shield with several stats through the roof. I definitely want to train more Ghost types, and there is absolutely no way I can pick a favorite among all these awesome Pokemon.
     
    Last but certainly not least, the newcomer: Fairy type. Coming up next!
  4. Pahrak Model ZX
    I didn’t really have anything planned, so I figured I’d just ramble in this entry. People still ramble in blog entries, right?
     
    Well, I did enter the new FFFC with “Woe Betide.” It features the Av-Matoran who built Toa Canisters in Karzahni, since that seemed like the best idea I had after a bit of brainstorming. Since multiple entries can be made, I want to try and come up with another story, and while I do have a few ideas, I’m not sure if they’re relevant or if I can get a good story out of them. Speaking of stories, I’ve made progress on the new chapter of Kako. It’s not quite done yet, but I’m hoping to get it up soon. I also did a little work on VRHS and Order Rebuilt, but nothing substantial.
     
    As I was going through my bin of Bionicle pieces to reassemble my sets, I realize that I’ve lost and broken more pieces than I had formerly thought. My poor Panrahk is running around without a head, and Guurahk and Lerahk are in worse shape than that. Not to mention I haven’t seen Onua Nuva’s Quake Breakers since before I joined BZP…I should purchase some replacements online. Of course, that’s not really a “responsible” use of money, and I was already irresponsible enough to pre-order Pokémon Y when it doesn’t come out until October…
     
    Oh, that reminds me, they finally released the password to unlock Meloetta’s data in the non-Japanese versions Pokedex 3D Pro! Really hoping that they provide a downloadable update to that for the Gen VI games—I really like this Pokedex and I want to continue using it. It sounds pretty simple, so here’s hoping. Speaking of Gen VI, when do we get more news? I get greedy with new video game info, eheheh…moving on. I guess they’ve also been talking a lot about Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, or as I like to call it, XIII-3. Kind of on the fence on if I want to buy it, but I do think it’s interesting they’re bringing back Inns…and introducing HP-restoring meals such as “Gysahl Salad”. For some reason that name entertains me far more than it should. They also announced an iOS and Android port of Final Fantasy V, one of my favorites in the series. I’m very glad it’ll be getting more exposure, but the “updated” graphics look a little…odd to me. Ah well—don’t have a smartphone, so I guess it doesn’t really apply to me, huh? I just want Final Fantasy V to be recognized for its brilliance. It’s so often overlooked…
     
    Hm…well, if anyone’s interested I finally started watching Doctor Who on Netflix a while ago. It’s slow progress since my sister insists I not watch it without her, and we have some difficulty finding time when we’re not busy and are able to secure use of the TV. Still, it’s actually less awkward to argue with and ask questions to the television when there’s someone else there. To distract myself from my desire to marathon the whole thing on my own, I think I’m going to try watching some new anime soon. A friend of mine has been talking about Steins;Gate for a while, so I think I’ll start with that. Any other suggestions are welcome. And on the topic of shows, Monday’s new episode of Adventure Time will probably reduce me to a blubbering puddle of tears. Especially since, right before it, they’re re-airing the last episode that reduced me to a blubbering puddle of tears. Can’t wait for that. Also kinda wondering when the next Book of Legend of Korra is going to come out, but I’m trying to be patient. By that, I mean I’m thinking about it as little as humanly possible. Because otherwise I wouldn’t have any patience, since what we’ve been told so far sounds pretty freaking awesome. But I understand that good work takes time, and I have no doubt the result will be well-worth the wait. And yes, that’s also how I feel about Sherlock Series 3. Which I’m also looking forward to.
     
    Well that went longer than I expected. Maybe it’s too long…
  7. Pahrak Model ZX
    I only just found out that Bravely Default and Steins;Gate share a writer.
     
    Also I somehow missed just how Final Fantasy the game is.
     
    So yeah, I'm playing the Bravely Default demo. A little late to the party, haven't been able to play it too much yet, but I think it will do nicely. I'm recognizing a lot of elements from my favorite Final Fantasy games in the battle system even just from this point. And if it's a Final Fantasy plot spun like Steins;Gate, well...I can't not see that.
     
    On a related note, Square-Enix is conducting a Kingdom Hearts survey--not for the faint of heart (pun!), as it includes such impossible questions as "What is your favorite Kingdom Hearts game?" I don't know how I made it through. I can at least say I tried to take it seriously, unlike everyone in the Kingdom Hearts tag on Tumblr. Good gosh I hate this fandom.
     
    But the survey did propose some possible items they might include in a collector's edition of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX. Hopefully they'll actually do that, since I really want a wayfinder now that I know I can get one...
  8. Pahrak Model ZX
    ...Also: The Time of the Mask Makers, The Third Swing, is live. It involves brotherly love, so it's...sort of relevant?
     
    Completely irrelevant: I picked up Fire Emblem Awakening and my gosh it sucked me in way faster than I was expecting.
  9. Pahrak Model ZX
    I recently found out that the site I'm getting this news from has Forums, so I'll summarize it for you...and also give some of my thoughts. This is all from the latest issue of CoroCoro:
     
    -First of, returning characters. It's confirmed that Alder is back; no specifics, but I would assume he's still the Champion. Bianca is back as Professor Juniper's assistant, and apparently she's the one who gives you your starter. Cheren is back...as the new Normal-type Gym Leader...apparently the first Gym Leader you face. (This is a serious demotion...)
    -Also, it looks like Team Plasma is back, but they still don't know where N is. Could lead to some interesting story developments...
    -Apparently there's going to be something called the Pokemon World Tournament, which has "every Gym Leader and Champion from every region" fighting each other. I'm going to assume that the player can enter this, which causes my mind to be blown. You get to fight ALL of them?! The only way that could POSSIBLY be better would be if they included Red and the other past player characters!!
    -It looks like Black and White 2 will be introducing a Pokemon version of Hollywood. Apparently it will literally be called "Pokewood." What the heck. Did we really need this? At all?
    -Apparently the magazine discusses the Pokemon AR searcher, which will be a new 3DS app that can be used with Black and White 2 to catch new Pokemon. (Black and White 2 are DS games, but if you choose to play them on the 3DS, they can connect to the AR app.) Apparently this app involves a "Professor Burnet". I guess this is the new Pokewalker/Dream World thing. Might be cool.
    -Also, the Kami trio have new formes! Their original forms are referred to as "Kenshin Formes," and the new formes are referred to as "Reijuu Formes." From what I can see of these new formes so far, the Kami are freed from their clouds and take on more animal-like appearances. Landorus is cat-like, Tornadus is bird-like, and Thundurus is dragon-like. I hope that they will either be easier to catch, or you can trade over your old Kami and then transform them, because it took WAY too long to catch Thundurus, and I still haven't gotten the others...
    -There's some mention of the Japanese Keldeo and Meloetta distributions. The Meloetta will be level 15, holding a PP Max, and knowing Round, Quick Attack, and Confusion. Dearly hoping Keldeo gets distributed in America around when Black and White 2 are released...I need a good Water type...
    -There's also some news dealing with the Pokemon anime and TCG, but I stopped caring about those long ago. Sorry, but if you want to read up on this info, you'll have to find it somewhere else.
  12. Pahrak Model ZX
    I’ve logged roughly 72 hours on this game, beaten the eight main stories, found all twelve jobs, explored every dungeon, and cleared all sidequests with the exception of two that have unusually tough bosses and one that is the Absolutely Final Test of True Power and Strategy. So I can say with confidence: Octopath Traveler isn’t exactly what I thought it would be, but I’d still say it’s a very good game. (Vague spoilers ahead.)
     
    Leading into this game, what I was expecting was that as the game went on, the eight characters would gradually come together over the course of the story, joining forces as their goals naturally aligned and eventually it would all culminate in one final battle. This sounded like a very interesting narrative, so I got pretty set on wanting to see it. But, that’s not the kind of game that Octopath is. While you can (and are encouraged to) gather together all eight travelers to form your battle party, each chapter of a given character’s story plays out as if the other seven are absent, with the exception of a few optional banter scenes depending on who is in your active party of four. At first, I was a bit disappointed—while some of the banter scenes do reveal bits of information or show enjoyable interactions between the characters, it still didn’t feel like enough, and the gameplay story segregation really puzzled me. Why have everyone traveling and fighting together if the cutscenes portray these events all happening in parallel?
     
    But, having read many comments from the creators of the game, and now having much more experience with the full product, those feelings have shifted. The creators wanted to give the player complete and total freedom to watch these stories play out in any order they chose. So, you can go and do all eight Chapter 1s in any order you feel like, then do a couple of the Chapter 2s, maybe try out a Chapter 3, or heck, just try to clear one character’s story using only that character. Prioritizing player freedom is a design choice that I can respect, and I can easily see why that precluded letting the characters’ affect each other’s stories. What if I do Cyrus’s Chapter 2 with Primrose there, how does she affect that story? What if I replaced her with Olberic, what would be different? What if they’re both there? How would those changes affect Cyrus’s Chapter 3, and if I decide to go off and have everyone help Tressa do her Chapter 2 in between, what changes will that bring to each of these different Cyrus Chapter 3s? The many, many different possible ways you could go through these stories would necessitate writing hundreds of potential scenarios for every possible sequence of events the player selected, only getting more and more complicated as things progress. Thinking about it that way, it’s an easy decision to tell eight specific stories broken into a few acts that can be strung together in any order. And honestly, once I really got into the game, I cared less and less about the divide between the gameplay and the story.
     
    The point is, Octopath Traveler is less about telling one grand story, and more about telling several individual stories within the same connected world. There could perhaps be more obvious points of connection between the tales, but there are quite a few subtle ones that make the continent of Orsterra feel rather alive. This is illustrated especially well with how NPCs and sidequests are handled: though there are a few faces you can’t interact with at all (mostly in large cities), any NPC you can talk to can also be interacted with through the characters’ various Path Actions. Every one of them has a bit of backstory you can learn using Cyrus or Alphyn, most have a couple items that Tressa can buy or Therion can steal, and many have battle data so that you can challenge them to a duel with Olberic or H’aanit, or bring them along to aid you if you have Ophilia or Primrose. The backstories especially help flesh out these otherwise generic entities, since some of them refer to other characters’ and their backstories, allowing you to slowly piece together a general idea of how a certain family or town functions as a whole if you want to invest the time. NPCs have more personality and leave more of an impression than we’ve typically come to expect from them in a game like this. And when one of them gives you a sidequest, it always feels somehow meaningful, especially if you’ve taken a look at their backstory or sparred with them and have developed some history with this person. More than that, they’re not always very specific on how to solve them—you’re usually just presented a problem, and then you need to figure out how you might go about fixing it. Virtually every sidequest involves some sort of Path Action, but since two characters can achieve the same end using their similar Actions, you have some freedom in how to accomplish the solution when you discover it, and even better, some sidequests have multiple possible resolutions depending on what Path Action you use! For example: in Sunshade, you speak to a dancer who is ready to quit, but wants to put on one last show. The most straight-forward way to go about it is to find another, more accomplished dancer in town, buy/steal her favorite dress, and deliver it to the quest-giver so she can give one last memorable performance and call it quits. But! In the same town is a sickly girl who mentions how much she loved seeing the quest-giver perform. If you use Primrose or Ophilia’s Path Action to lead the quest-giver to her, a touching scene plays out where the quest-giver realizes her performances do still have an impact on people, and she uses this chance to inspire the girl to follow her dreams and not give up just because she’s having a difficult time right now, before going on to continue her career. I only discovered the first solution after reading about it online, but I adamantly believe it an unacceptable method because the second one is such a better resolution, and dang it, this game has made me legitimately care about NPCs who don’t even have actual names and wanting to see their stories play out in the best possible way. How often does that happen?
     
    Speaking of Path Actions, they’re…good. The thing is, you can use them on NPCs whenever you want, and this is great, but there are also some instances in every character’s story where you need to use their Path Action to progress. Unfortunately, the story-relevant uses almost always just feel like busy-work. Oh, you need to get this person to stop bothering that other person? Use Provoke on them, then we’ll continue the scene. Oh, you need to access this chapter’s dungeon? This NPC will get you in, but you need to do three fetch quests, one at a time, Stealing items with a 100% success rate and running back and forth all over town. Oh, that merchant will only trade this treasure map for a legendary shield rumored to be in town? Run over and Purchase it from this other merchant just to run back and make the swap. Starting to see what I mean? And yet, when there are chapters that don’t require you to use your Path Action at all, it still manages to seem like a missed opportunity. Mostly because there are a few shining instances where your Path Actions do carry actual weight, and I love how they’re done. Cyrus’s investigations come close (falling short because they’re more about reading comprehension than actual deduction), but I can think of only three really great examples off the top of my head: one instance where Therion can steal any of four items to advance his story, but the one closest to where you are has an abysmal success rate while the ones a bit of a walk away are decent and the one way back in town has 100%; when Olberic finally finds the person from his past he’s looking for, you’re sent straight into a Challenge sequence rather than a standard boss battle; and in Ophilia’s ending, you are tasked with Guiding someone to a specific place. (Therion’s final chapter tries to replicate the first instance in his final chapter, but both options had 100% success so I’m not counting it. And you could probably argue that the one in Ophilia’s ending is quite easy, but I still loved that the game let me take that character where they needed to go rather than doing it in a cutscene—Ophilia, and by extension the player, was asked to take an active part in the very last action of this particular story.) Should any sort of sequel or successor come about, I really hope the developers are able to find a way to make the Path Actions a more engaging element of the stories.
     
    The endings, similarly, are a bit of a mixed bag. I don’t think I’d call any of them bad, some are just more satisfying than others. Tressa’s in particular has both really good elements and really bad elements, and I think it might be my least favorite of the bunch. Ophilia’s is probably my favorite simply because it has the best presentation of all eight: in addition to having one of the best uses of Path Actions mentioned earlier, there are several instances throughout her final boss where she steps forward and the two of them have fully-voiced dialogue, arguing their points of view and what they hope to accomplish from their victory as we’re all fighting for our lives, and it really pulls you into the moment and underscores the weight this confrontation has. Therion’s final boss also has dialogue like this, but it isn’t voiced for some reason, plus I was hoping it would let me actually Steal the treasure I went in search of and was disappointed when it didn’t. Primrose’s is…interesting. It left me feeling a bit uncertain, but I think this was done intentionally to put us closer to what Prim herself is feeling. Anyway, I’m not going to go through ‘em all, this is already way too long.
     
    Now, there is technically a point where the stories come together in the post-game. Remember that absolutely final test thing I mentioned earlier? (Bigger spoilers in this paragraph.) After clearing all eight stories and a few specific sidequests, you unlock a true final dungeon, and though I’m definitely not ready to take a stab at it myself I did go ahead and watch someone else conquer it to see what information it held. I won’t go in-depth here, but basically you fight a series of boss rematches Mega Man style, and after each one you get a little snippet of thoughts from an important character in this world. Through these, you find out that the conflicts or inciting incidents of all eight stories were the results of a certain person’s previous attempt to achieve their own evil goal, and after this you face off with them as they make a new attempt. This is…interesting. (The one relating to H’aanit’s story is horrifying, even though I kind of saw it coming.) I mean, it definitely helps the world feel connected, and the scenes finally show all eight travelers at once (which is really satisfying to see), even asking you to split them into two parties for the final encounter so that they can all contribute, and I definitely like that. But, I dunno, maybe it just hasn’t fully sunk in yet. None of the travelers speak in this dungeon so there’s still no truly “canon” interactions between them, just the banter scenes and what you get in gameplay. I think I need more time to piece together the overall narrative of Orsterra and judge how it works.
     
    The creators set out to make Octopath Traveler a unique and personal experience for each player, giving them vast amounts of freedom to explore and interact and learn however they please. I think this is illustrated best by the credits, which only play after you beat the final chapter of whichever character you chose to start the game as and who will be in your party permanently (until beating their final chapter). As the names go by, you see in the background a sort of highlight reel of your adventures, showing brief snippets of every single chapter of story you’ve completed in the exact order that you completed them. It even shows very short clips of each and every boss, showing exactly what you did to finish them off. (Two funny instances in mine: one where I defeated the boss but his summon unit was still on the field, so the clip showed me killing the summon; and one where the boss died to poison damage, so the clip shows us all just standing there when the boss suddenly pops into smoke.) I had no idea the game was gathering these clips as I went along, until it surprised me with this scrapbook of memories at the conclusion of my chosen character’s journey, and it was enough to make me wish I had saved that particular boss for last so that I could’ve relived the memories of finishing off the other six bosses I’d yet to face. It was like the game telling me it cherished the time we spent together, that my experience was a unique one that deserved to be documented and remembered. I forged my own path and the game was validating the decisions I’d made. Such a simple, easy little trick, but boy did it leave a heck of an impression.
     
    Octopath Traveler is not a perfect game, not that such a thing exists. But I think the creators achieved their goal of creating a fun, free, and very personal experience for whoever chooses to pick it up. If you’ve got a Nintendo Switch and are looking to lose yourself in your travels for a few dozen hours, I highly recommend getting your hands on a copy of Octopath.
  13. Pahrak Model ZX
    Well, this is a short entry.
     
    -Pidgeot ("Tori")
     
    Yep, that's it. I can't say I'm a fan of Normal type, since Normal Pokémon don't really strike me as interesting that often. There are some that I like the design of, but not enough to include them on my team--I'd prefer that slot be used by a Pokémon that can get STAB on a move that will actually cause super-effective damage. I'd guess there's probably not a high chance of me using Normal types frequently on future teams either.
     
    Anywho, next up will be Flying.
  14. Pahrak Model ZX
    Wait…have I really been here ten years?
     
    Dang.
     
    I was hoping to do some sort of special story thing for my 10th, but I couldn’t get a decent idea together. Ah well.
     
    Hm, what have I accomplished in these ten years…? Well, I’m not an especially prominent member. I can’t say that I’ve participated in any momentous events, and both my proto and post count are less than what you’d probably expect from a ten-year member. Doesn’t seem like I’ve done a whole lot.
     
    But, my member title is “Bionicle Writer of the Month.”
     
    I know it’s seriously not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but the simple fact that one of my stories (heck, more than one!) was considered good enough to win a contest and be featured on the front page just…feels like a wonderful accomplishment. It implies that my writing has improved over these ten years, and that alone makes the whole stay worth it, I think.
     
    So thanks for putting up with me for a whole decade, BZP! I hope we can continue to coexist.
  17. Pahrak Model ZX
    I just finished unlocking every character, and I know it's not news but man what a roster.
     
    I really, really like World of Light. I get why so many people call it a grind, but as someone who has always only played Smash by himself trying to do most of anything in the games has always seemed a bit grindy, so the presentation of this one is more than enough for me. I opened the way to the true final boss and then went to clear out as much as I could--there are still a handful of tough Spirits left, but I think I'm going to go for the ending and come back for those later.
     
    Speaking of Spirits, while trophies might've been a bit more fun to look at, the fact that Spirits do something automatically makes them better as far as I'm concerned. More than that, each one being tied to a specific battle and so many appearing in World of Light makes them feel far less random, which has always been a complaint of mine. (I still don't have the Star Force Mega Man trophy in Smash 4.) I have a little over 700 Spirits right now, including all the Spirits from Mega Man spin-offs: they have at least one from each, 16 total across six series, and that makes me happier than it probably should. ZX is finally represented! Granted, the Model ZX Spirit isn't phenomenal, but it's pretty good for when you get it in WoL so that's something. It's crazy to think I'm not even halfway towards getting a complete collection!
     
    I've been pretty much exclusively playing Spirits mode thus far, but now that I've got everyone I want to try to take them all through Classic Mode next. Maybe I'll find a fighter who clicks somewhere along the way--I've been using Zero Suit Samus mostly, though the past few days I've been trying to get the hang of Greninja. I mean, I'm not especially good with either of them, but...eh.
     
    And I'm still really, really excited for Pirahna Plant. Really excited.
  18. Pahrak Model ZX
    October doesn’t have to be scary, you’ve got Mythical Pokémon beside you!
     
    Keldeo’s available over Mystery Gift. It’s a great Water Pokémon in a Generation that isn’t really good with those, even if its form change is purely cosmetic. Also it probably knows alchemy judging by its voice in the movie.
     
    But EVEN BETTER, if you go to GameStop between the 10th and the 31st and get a serial code, you can download Volcanion, the 721st Pokemon, last in Gen VI National Dex order! Gen VII is right around the corner, so grab this quick so that you can have a totally complete Dex for about a month!
     
    721 HERE WE ARE!
  19. Pahrak Model ZX
    Asterisk Holder: Holly White
     

     
    Origin: Final Fantasy
     
    Was It In Bravely Default?: Yes
     
    Overview: The oldest, most sacred, and most essential of all Jobs, the White Mage bears the responsibility of keeping the party alive. They possess a wide range of healing and usually buff magic, and will occasionally learn a handful of damaging spells, including the Aero series. However, White Mages are not an offensive class, and often enough their healing duties will require their full attention anyway.
     
    Personal Thoughts: You need a White Mage. You cannot go into a game and not have a White Mage and expect to survive. Healing is essential, folks, and the White Mage is the best at it. We were pretty sure this was coming back, but it’s nice to have a look at Magnolia’s costume. I like that Bravely Default gives White Mages plenty of support abilities to increase their survivability, because if your White Mage goes down, your entire party is pretty much doomed. It also helps to have them store up some extra BP when possible, because sometimes even Curaga might need to be cast more than once in a turn. There are plenty of ways to make great use of your White Mage, but one thing is for sure: you need to have at least one on your team.
  20. Pahrak Model ZX
    Right of Law, Section VIII, is now live in the Epics Forum!
     
    Sorry this one took so long. (Octopath Traveler is good.)
     
    Velika’s assault on Bitil’s outpost continues, and his new method of attack proves quite devastating. Zaekura is hard at work on her plan, but even if she can pull it off, there’s still the question of if the others can hold out until it’s ready.
     
    Hopefully Section IX won’t take as long…
  21. Pahrak Model ZX

    Fish Fry

    By Pahrak Model ZX,

    I was playing Unchained's latest update today and encountered a Trident Tail Omega. Level 1 so it wasn't too bad, but I am a bit puzzled.
     
    Now, Trident Tail has an interesting design, and the general color scheme of the Omega works I guess, but...
     

     
    Did you really need to paint flames on it...?
  23. Pahrak Model ZX
    So, I mentioned a long while back that a virus attacked my computer and erased all my documents. In the process I lost the first two Books of that Bioni-Lords series I brought up not too long ago, which was sort of disheartening since they had been published before the Forums crashed and thus I couldn’t access the topics. I mean, back then I was still writing the stories in notebooks and then typing them later, so I still have the notebooks, but any typed version of the story was gone.
     
    Well, I booted up an old computer the other day. I found the complete documents for both Books.
     
    My gosh, they are awful.
     
    I’m so happy about this, thank you God for letting me keep this nostalgic mess.
  24. Pahrak Model ZX
    After dealing with a Team Magma grunt, Omega sails to Dewford Town to deliver a letter from the head of the Devon Corporation. He’s not really sure how he got dragged into that, but, eh, there’s a Gym there. Icarus and Beldum wreaked havoc in Brawly’s Gym, with the latter taking on the Leader single-handedly!
     
    NEW TITLE ACQUISITION: For Omega, “Bearer of the Knuckle Badge”; for Beldum, “Gym Slayer”
     
    After that, Brawly told us to look for Steven in Granite Cave. We headed right there…and then dawdled a bit, just long enough to catch a Makuhita.
     
    TEAM PROFILE: Armstrong the Hariyama
    TITLE: The Muscle
    An enthusiastic Pokémon who can go from quiet to loud in an instant. Armstrong takes great pride in his every move, insisting that each of his attacks has been passed down his family for GENERATIONS (including the ones he just learned…). He is energetic but patient, and, despite what setbacks he may encounter, always manages to bounce back.
     
    When Omega met Steven, it was discovered that he was the one who sent Beldum to him. Apparently, Steven has a bunch of shiny Beldum and entrusts them to Trainers he thinks has potential. Weird. Anyway, we delivered the letter and then went on to Slateport to deliver the Devon Parts (I should be getting a paycheck at this point…). Team Magma was occupying the city’s museum. Omega isn’t quite sure what to think about them: one member said they work for the good of mankind, and the very next member he talked to mentioned how excited he was to commit nefarious deeds. Oh, the contradictions. This led to an encounter with Maxie, the Head of Team Magma. He explained his ideals, which Omega thought sounded fairly reasonable…but that sinister look kind of undermines any trust that he may have placed in him.
     
    So, then it was on to Mauville City. By this point, Gadunka, Beldum, and Icarus had all evolved. Omega met Wally, who challenged him to a battle, but the young Trainer only had his Ralts, who was quickly dispatched with a single Iron Head from Metang. Oh well. Then it was on to Watson. Gadunka, now a Marshtomp, did all the heavy lifting—Armstrong tried fighting Watson’s Magneton, but was knocked out, so Gadunka ended up sweeping. Omega was excited at their success, but also had the strangest feeling that, somewhere, an Omastar was weeping…
     
    NEW TITLE ACQUISITION: For Gadunka, “Gym Slayer”; for Omega, “Bearer of the Dynamo Badge”
     
    Omega then picked up a Mach Bike and headed north. After learning about Secret Bases and reaching Fallarbor Town (Armstrong evolving in the process), he learned that Team Magma was up to no good yet again and went to stop them…after catching another new Pokémon. Sadly, this meant the end of Icarus’s time on the time, but at least he was able to have fun and evolve into a Swellow while it lasted. Farewell for now, my friend.
     
    TEAM PROFILE: Cygnus the Swablu
    TITLE: The Successor of Icarus
    A Swablu who has taken over after Icarus’s departure. She feels a bit strange joining a team that has already been together for so long, but the others have done their very best to make her feel welcome, and she has a feeling that they will soon become great friends. Loves dancing.
     
    NEW TITLE ACQUISTION: For Icarus, “The Retired”
     
    Omega wanted to keep Icarus on the team, but that last slot was taken by a Mightyena being kept around for Rock Smashing and Secret Power…ing. They pushed on, training Cygnus as much as possible, and fought Magma Admin Tabitha at Meteor Falls. After that some other people showed up claiming to be from Team Aqua, and they also made some thinly veiled threats before walking off. Man, everyone’s got a team these days…
     
    Omega went back to Mauville with May and began planning his next move. While a bit worried about what Teams Magma and Aqua might be up to, he is excited to press on with his Pokémon, because spending time in battle with them makes him feel happier than he ever has.
  25. Pahrak Model ZX
    So for reasons I still don’t fully understand…I ended up buying an exercise game. And, honestly, it’s kind of great? It’s like DDR but with punching. So that’s cool.
     
    And like, it’s just a really great fit for the Switch. Rather than rearranging things and getting everything hooked up each day for just 20 minutes, I can use the Switch’s kickstand to do this wherever’s most convenient. And if I need to travel or something, I can just take my Switch with me and not have to miss a day or two. It’s so easy to integrate into a daily routine!
     
    I recommend checking it out–there’s a demo on the eShop if you’re interested. Never thought I’d be doing any sort of workout routine, but something about this really clicked for me!
     
    (One important note is that, despite the cover art, Wii Fit Trainer does not appear in this game. ): But maybe there'll be DLC?)
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