#dragon quest caravan heart

[nintendometro]

The Japanese commercial for 'Dragon Quest Monsters: Caravan Heart' on the Game Boy Advance.

[retphienix]

So we've stumbled a bit further (just a tiny bit, I've been busy lol)

Random bits- I mentioned this many years back when I was toying with this game but there are random encounter events alongside random encounter fights. Nothing incredible just yet, some free rations, some lost rations from a trap, randomly encountering fellow adventurers who can teleport you back to camp- but it's always nice to have a little extra going on :)

Also forgot to mention how the caravan travel works altogether, I'm not mad about it. But it has a rather terrible introduction lol

You start with no ration capacity and no way to make money. It gives you a "freebie" market in the very very first area for rations, but after that you're stuck "playing the game", but the thing is money in this game at the very beginning is simply horrendous.

We're talking like 2 gold a fight, that's 2 rations at the best of times and you have to walk usually 8~ rations worth to encounter that fight to begin with.

You are not in a position to "grind" your rations at the very very beginning- but you're not supposed to- but it's still ROUGH that it's balanced around that lol It basically tells you "Hey, no grinding levels yet, go to the next town and finish this intro" and that's okay but still doesn't feel great.

The reason I'm not too upset though is because conceptually I get that, and mechanically I like the idea, AND I just got a new party member that kind of explained to me how this is supposed to be better handled this early on (and how it should become a non-issue later on).

Among these early hires I got a merchant and merchants are a profitable caravan member that basically erases the worry the first couple minutes put on you for money.

When the merchant's turn comes up they simply "find" 10 gold- immediately that's a net positive that makes rations a non issue :) And it shows that at least in part, problems like ration management are being considered in the tactics you bring in your caravan party and that's cool, I dig that :)

Anyways, I did some hiring and exploring of this early area, and I found this funny re-imagining of the DWM breeding.

So instead of breeding, we uh, "capture the hearts with the heart getter" and then combine them. I think it's novel. It's a bit disappointing because I like how DWM was just kind of blunt like "Yeah the monsters breed and a baby egg appears" but now we're obfuscating it for child-friendly language I guess? IDK, it's fine.

I'm stoked mostly because, well duh, the monsters are the best part of exploring DQM games :D We're on our way!

And after talking with that dude and being told to go to the port to show the heart getter to a merchant I dove into a nearby dungeon to see what's up.

It's probably progress towards the merchant but in my head I was just like "I'm gonna take a detour to fight some stuff" so we'll see :P

Also shows a bit more on the ration struggle- I've only just got the merchant so money is still REALLY tight- it's part of why I want to grind against some monsters with her in my party- so I can afford some rations lol

Thankfully I came prepared, this early game ration grind is finally going to take shape :3

[turqrambles]

the hell

[danaduchy]

Kivan trudged through the biting winds, his heart as cold as the frozen wilderness around him. His journey to this distant, unforgiving land had been long and perilous, but he would not be deterred. The faces of his family and friends, murdered in cold blood by the vampires he now hunted, haunted his every step. Revenge had fueled him, driven him across borders, and now he found himself in Skyrim, hoping to find clues that would lead him to his quarry.

His arrival in Skyrim had been chaotic. Helgen—where he had barely escaped the chaos of a dragon's sudden attack—had given him no leads. Only fire, death, and uncertainty. But Kivan’s purpose remained unchanged. He had heard rumors of an ancient order of vampire hunters operating somewhere in the region, the Dawnguard. If anyone could help him in his quest for vengeance, it would be them. His first lead pointed him towards Riften, a shadowy city rife with corruption, where Kivan hoped to uncover information about the vampire menace.

Yet, after days of searching, speaking to the wrong sorts of people, and asking questions that led him down dark alleys, Kivan’s efforts in Riften yielded nothing. No one seemed to know—or care—about the Dawnguard. Disappointed, Kivan decided his next move would be to the College of Winterhold. The famed library there might contain ancient texts or forgotten lore on the vampires and the order that hunted them. But the road to Winterhold was treacherous, and Kivan knew better than to travel alone in such dangerous times.

It was in the city’s inn, The Bee and Barb, that Kivan encountered Marcurio. The roguish Imperial mage had been loitering in Riften, his sharp tongue and sharper wit earning him little more than a few bruises from unsavory characters. Marcurio had come to Skyrim with dreams of gold and glory, but Riften had proved a poor place for mercenary work. He was growing desperate for coin when he noticed the grim, armored ranger at the bar—a man who looked as if he needed protection, but whose eyes spoke of deep wounds.

“Need some firepower for the road?” Marcurio asked, his voice both cocky and tired. “I’m the best mage you’ll find in Riften, and I don’t come cheap… but I’m willing to offer a discount if you’re heading somewhere interesting.”

Kivan, having sold nearly all his remaining belongings to fund his journey, had little choice. He saw the desperation in Marcurio’s eyes, but also the raw skill beneath the bravado. So, he agreed. Kivan gave Marcurio what coin he had, and together, they set off for the College of Winterhold.

He had stocked up on provisions back in Whiterun, hoping to find a caravan heading north. But with the civil war brewing between the Stormcloaks and the Empire, most merchants stuck to safer routes. It had left Kivan with little choice but to buy a horse, spending more gold than he could afford. It still pained him to think of the cost, but he couldn’t very well make the trek on foot—not with the snowstorms that could blow in without warning and bury a man alive. The journey north was dangerous, as expected. Wolves, bandits, and the cold conspired against them, but they managed to survive by relying on each other’s strengths. Marcurio’s magic proved invaluable, his bolts of lightning and walls of flame scattering enemies before they could get too close. Kivan, with his skill in archery and his keen senses, navigated the wilds and kept them both alive with his resourcefulness.

Once in Winterhold, Kivan scoured the College's library for days. He found ancient texts, crumbling tomes filled with cryptic passages, and stories of dark forces and vampire lords, but nothing specific about the Dawnguard. His frustration grew, but he was unwilling to give up.

Marcurio, on the other hand, had expected to part ways here. He wasn’t particularly interested in Kivan’s vendetta, only in getting paid. But the cold, dreary isolation of Winterhold presented even fewer opportunities than Riften had. With no other options and little coin to his name, Marcurio decided to accompany Kivan further. Solitude, Kivan had said, might offer more answers, and so they journeyed west.

In Solitude, Kivan learned nothing new about the Dawnguard, and the two men parted ways—Kivan to continue his hunt, and Marcurio to seek fortune elsewhere. It was a quiet, unceremonious end to their partnership, each man going his own way.

But fate had a strange way of bringing them back together.

Weeks later, at the Winking Skeever inn, their paths crossed once more. Kivan had joined the Bard’s College and was preparing to leave on a mission to retrieve King Olaf’s Verse, a lost piece of Nordic history. He hadn’t asked Marcurio to join him. After all, the Imperial mage had made it clear before that he was only in it for the coin.

Yet, when Marcurio saw Kivan sitting alone at the bar, a mixture of determination and weariness on his face, something stirred within him. Kivan had risked everything—his life, his fortune—for a cause that seemed impossible. Perhaps it was the memory of their shared struggles on the road, or perhaps it was something deeper, but Marcurio realized he couldn’t simply walk away. Not this time.

Without being asked, Marcurio joined Kivan on his journey to recover the Verse. The dangerous crypts and treacherous foes they faced during that mission only cemented their partnership. It wasn’t about coin anymore. It wasn’t about survival. Somewhere along the way, the mage and the hunter had become bound by a strange camaraderie, born from shared danger and a mutual respect neither had expected.

From that point onward, Marcurio never left Kivan’s side. Together, they scoured the wilds of Skyrim, seeking the vampires that had destroyed Kivan’s life. And though the road was long and fraught with peril, Kivan no longer walked it alone. He had found an unlikely ally in the sharp-tongued, cynical mage, and though they both knew the end of their journey was uncertain, they would face it together.

[evilmidnightlurker]

okay. okay i can deal with this video game.

No maybe I can't.

So way back in Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry's Wonderland, your character was an AU child version of the angry anti-hero Terry from Dragon Quest 6. Similar story beats, but much more kid friendly.

Then later in Dragon Quest Monsters: Caravan Heart, your character was explicitly Prince Kiefer from DQ7 in his childhood, but it had no real relevance to the plot of 7 except as a retconned reason for Kiefer to know that other worlds existed and to desperately want to recapture the adventures he once had.

But this one. Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince. At first I thought it was another Terry case. Just a similar character.

No. This is a direct prequel to Dragon Quest 4. This is the story of the demon prince Psaro. Of his journey to becoming the tragic villain of the tale, manipulated by his closest ally, doomed to lose the only person he ever loved.

God this is going to hurt. 😢

[theresattrpgforthat]

Are there any ttrpgs for low fantasy but non-gritty vibes?

THEME: Non-Gritty Low Fantasy

Hello friend! Wow, this request sure threw me for a loop. It took a while, but I hope these games have something that piques your interest. You might find some common themes among these recommendation - namely, Lord of the Rings and Studio Ghibli.

Hearth, Home & Halflings, by Loreshaper Games.

You are an inhabitant of the Eastland Greens. It’s a beautiful place, untouched by the concerns of the world around it. Halflings have lived here for centuries, going about their business (usually eating anything they can get their hands on) with aplomb.

Nothing serious has happened in the last several centuries, but the inhabitants of Eastland Greens need to find ways to entertain themselves. Usually, they channel this into wholesome hobbies—cooking (important, given their voracious appetites!), golf, and raising all sorts of plants and animals.

This is a one-page rpg with extremely simple rules, with very low stakes. Each player uses a d6 to determine whether they succeed, and if they succeed with style (6 or higher) they gain a Mischief token. You can use Mischief tokens to add 1 to a future roll, but you’re also accepting small problems that you’ll have to fix as you go. Will you outperform your rival at the local festival? Make off with a farmer’s best mushrooms? Steal the barkeep’s best keg? You decide!

The Caravan Endures, by g3rmb0y.

The Caravan Endures is a collaborative TTRPG designed to focus on teamwork, planning, and communication skills. Set in a unique Western meets Fantasy world, it embodies the idea of gentle fantasy, encouraging players to find peaceful solutions to encounters rather than violence. 

This is a Western-Fantasy style game, that encourages players to work together to achieve their goals. There are both individual and group dice rolls, depending on whether the group faces an encounter together or whether an individual takes responsibility for a specific action. Players can take the roles of different specialists, which act as classes or playbooks in that they provide each character with abilities and tools that they can use to solve problems. Since it’s expected that your players will look for non-violent solutions to problems, there’s less room for grittiness in this game than you might expect from something with a Western theme. 

There’s also a Vision Accessible version of this game, for folks who use screen readers.

Chuubo’s Marvelous Wish-Granting Engine, by Jenna Moran.

The Chuubo’s Marvelous Wish-Granting Engine RPG is a diceless RPG from Jenna Katerin Moran. It’s a progressive, warm-hearted game that focuses on adventure and slice-of-life stories — think Laputa: Castle in the Sky or Kiki’s Delivery Service, but also Western stuff like Friendship is Magic, Harry Potter, and Adventure Time!

Pursue fabulous quests.

Progress through Issues.

And find a place for yourself in a world of breathtaking beauty.

Chuubo’s Marvelous Wish Granting Engine contains a sliding scale of genre, from pastoral slice-of-life to epic fantasy. The setting is inspired by Studio Ghibli movies, so if you like that gentle mode of storytelling, this is certainly worth checking out. One thing you might want to keep in mind in this game is that players benefit if they have a log of what happened throughout the game, whether it’s through written notes, or a list of messages on a noticeboard somewhere. There are a few supplements available for this game, such as Fortitude: by the Docks of Big Lake (which immerses you into the pastoral lakeside setting), The Glass-Maker's Dragon (a campaign set in Fortitude), and The Techno Player's Guide (a guide for the "Techno", or "goofy" style of play).

Pipedream, by Role Over, Play Dead.

PIPEDREAM is a #SWORDDREAM roleplaying game of detectives, problem-solving, and rural mysteries in a fantastic world; or a farcical drug comedy. You may play it as both.

The game is played as a conversation between a Referee and 1-4 Wisefellows (halfling detectives). The Referee describes the scenes and supporting characters, and presents problems and threats that players are faced with. The other players portray the Wisefellows and decide on their actions as they experience surprising adventures in the world of Irisfields.

This game is dangerous for the characters, but it it doesn’t take itself too seriously. While your characters will most likely get into trouble, the main goal first and foremost is to solve mysteries. If you like the idea of following clues to various strange places and odd answers, you might want to check out Pipedream!

Back Again from the Broken Land, by Cloven Pine Games.

You are small people who walked into a big war. The Doomslord’s forces were gathered in the Broken Land, and your fellowship unexpectedly played a key role in the Doomslord’s fall. Now, laden with stories to tell and burdens to bear, you set off on the journey home. But the Doomslord’s Hunters are still out there, and it’s a long way to walk... Back Again from the Broken Land. 

Back Again from the Broken Land is a short Powered by the Apocalypse game of small adventurers sharing stories on a long walk home. It is meant to be played in one to three sessions. The game is inspired by the emotional, even bittersweet, stretches of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.  The game is perfect for low-prep and no-prep one-shot gameplay, though you can also use it to play a short campaign of two to three sessions if you want to delve deeper into the characters' journeys. All you need to play are three six-sided dice, three-to-five players plus a GM, and a willingness to spin an emotional fantasy yarn together.

This game expects the scariest part of the adventure to already be over by the time you start play. It’s not about defeating evil, but instead, it’s about the characters connecting as they make their way home. If you want to bask in the beauty of a fantastical world without having to worry about defeating the big bad, this might be the game for you.

Ryuutama, by Atsuhiro Okada. (Found on Kotohi)

Ryuutama is a Japanese tabletop role-playing game, now translated into English. The original author is Atsuhiro Okada, a lifelong gamer who works in a “Tabletop Gaming Cafe” in Tokyo, the first of its kind in the country. He wrote this game to bring new people into tabletop role-playing, as well as to provide a heartwarming experience which other games at the time did not.

Ryuutama calls itself a “Natural Fantasy RPG”. It is a fantasy role-playing game set in a western medieval-style setting. The conceit of this setting is that at one point, in everyone’s lives, people get this intense feeling of wanderlust. They put their daily lives on hold and travel the world with new-found companions. They find out more about the world, and at the same time learn about themselves.

This game is built with the NPCs of regular fantasy games in mind. You are travellers, but you have a role such as merchant, healer, artisan or farmer. The primary source of fantasy is a half-dragon character controlled by the Game Master, called the Ryuujin. This character can provide the characters with magical solutions to problems - although the group is encouraged to prioritize problem solving over combat. This game encourages exploration more than fighting monsters, and while the magic might be a bit more prevalent than in a standard low-fantasy game, the reasons for using it might make it feel more simple and everyday.

Wise Women, by Alessandra Bookman.

Wise Women is tabletop roleplaying game in which the players take on the roles of witches living in a remote village, where life is difficult and people often fall prey to supernatural creatures.

The witches have the ability to use magical properties of plants to protect their community and help it prosper, but their skills are viewed with suspicion and prejudice. After all, magic is another supernatural force and the same plants that can heal, can also be used to cause harm.

 Will the witches continue to strive to protect and improve their community, or will the prejudice drive them to lash out and turn to violence and Dark Magic?

Wise Woman is Powered by the Apocalypse, which is an excellent system for focusing on small, personal stories, with stakes that concern the player characters and their lives, but not the entire world. The characters in this game may not like each-other all the time, but they need each-other, or their magic will reveal them or, even worse, spiral out of control. If you like magic in your fantasy, but want to see a more down-to-earth and everyday use of it, Wise Women might be pointing you in the right direction.

[vacantvisage]

Oathbound (x) Chapter 2: Fat-nosed quim

Sequel to Oathsworn Zevlor/Tav, Mature (for now)

TAGS: Tiefling Tav (Baldur's Gate), Named Tav (Baldur's Gate), Trans Male Tav (Baldur's Gate), Action/Adventure, Drama, Drama & Romance, Fights, Blood, Gore, Blood and Injury, Blood and Gore, Location: The Underdark (Dungeons & Dragons), Past Child Abuse, Past Domestic Violence, Self-Esteem Issues, Childhood Trauma, Pining

CHAPTER SUMMARY:

Duergar underestimate the adventuring party.

FIC SUMMARY:

Midquel & Sequel to Oathsworn. This story begins where Yuta and the party split from Zevlor's caravan at the Temple of Selûne in Oathsworn. Yuta is a tiefling who lived a neglected, sheltered life. Upon his first taste of freedom, he is kidnapped by mindflayers. On a shared quest with allies, he finds he has a boyish crush on the dutiful paladin protector of the exiled Elturel tieflings. He and Zevlor find companionship in each other, but there is another still that haunts Yuta's heart and mind: the devil Raphael. The cambion prince desires only the power to ascend, but sees no harm in using the young tiefling's admirations to his advantage. Yuta must overcome not only the Absolute, but balance between overindulgence and oversacrifice, and learn his actions, words, and even misguided affections have consequences. Will add tags as they come up.

CHAPTER NOTES:

I'm not totally certain exactly how many chapters there will be, I do have most of the plot drafted I just need to sit down and finalize them. I assume about 20~25 chapters if they're 1-3k words each and I currently have 30k words drafted, but that's without some bigger chapters written out fully yet. I believe I have about 15k words worth ready to post, so about half is ready to go right now give or take some editing. Hopefully by the time I post them all, I'll be finished with the rest of it.

[questersrest]

wait so the dark prince is dqm3? so dragon quest monsters is a spin-off series from dragon quest. dragon quest monsters: joker is a spin-off series from dragon quest monsters?

what the hell is dragon quest monsters: caravan heart?

[dragonagekeeper]

War Table Operations / Dragon Age Inquisition Polls

See quest and choice descriptions from Dragon Age Wiki/Keep below

Alliances: From the Heart is a war table operation in Dragon Age: Inquisition.

The conflict among the nobles of the Orlesian capital has come to a head. Lady Richelieu has been busy promoting an arranged marriage to solidify the positions of the current players, with considerable status reserved for her as matchmaker. The object is the pairing of Lord desRosier with Lady Thibault's daughter Celeste. All who have status enough to speak seem to be in agreement, but we have received a number of letters regarding the matter.

From Lady Velise Thibault:

My daughter will dutifully comply, but I know her feeling. She will speak to no one. I would have you remind her that we are servants of our chosen world, but it serves us as well. It is her name that is stabilizing this alliance. It conveys power that should not be misdirected to matchmakers.

From Lord Pierren desRosier:

Frankly, I'll be glad when the matter is settled. I've no desire to inconvenience the young Celeste beyond what name-sharing "Lady" Richelieu recommends. This has been a cock-up from head to tail.

From Jecin Leandre:

I pledge to the Inquisition. If my dearest Celeste is willing to sacrifice to ensure this alliance, then I can only do so much. My name may not be enough for some, but she will have my protection indirectly, through service to you.

Josephine

Lord desRosier was all too glad to receive various concessions to abandon the current squabble in favor of more honorable pursuits. I believe they involve acquiring various trophy animals in bloody fashion. That allows a less politically desirable - but more personally desired - pairing to occur. The wedding of Jecin Leandre and Celeste Thibault will bond their families in alliance. To the chagrin of Lady Richelieu, I suspect. Matchmakers only truly benefit when the names are sufficiently grand. The ceremony will take place in the capital. I'm sure it will be lovely. Josephine

Leliana

Jecin Leandre is no longer in the capital. The wedding of Lord Pierren desRosier and Celeste Thibault can take place without fear of incident, so long as the bride can stomach it. Although... it is worth nothing that it is merely the names that need be partnered to satisfy Orlesians. They are hardly strangers to the idea of courtly duty tempered by the existence of a paramour. I might also note that the only one suggesting Lord desRosier be the controlling influence in this matter is Lady Richelieu, who has her own interests. The wedding is set to take place in Val Royeaux, if you take an interest. Leliana

Cullen

Strange events, Inquisitor. The troops I sent to train in the Free Marches report two extra soldiers not on the standard roll. It is of no concern, however, as they are familiar, they barely take up more than one space in our caravan. A shame they will miss the wedding in Val Royeaux. I wonder if anyone has told the Lady Richelieu that at least one very important guest will be absent? Cullen

Jecin and Celeste never met

Jecin and Celeste never met. (I couldn't really find anything about this choice. I assume this is the default state if none of the War Table quests are completed.)

If the Inquisitor refuses to get involved:

2. Jecin and Celeste died

The lovers died, ending any hope of alliance between houses.

Celeste Thibault and Jecin Leandre are killed when fighting breaks out between the desRosiers and Leandre families over the match. Lady Richelieu and Lord desRosiers can be found on the Upper Level of the Summer Bazaar in Val Royeaux, oblivious to Celeste's fate.

If completed with Cullen:

3. Jecin and Celeste eloped

Jecin and Celeste eloped fleeing the Lady Richelieu's matchmaking.

Lady Richelieu and Lord desRosiers can be found on the Upper Level of the Summer Bazaar in Val Royeaux, oblivious about Celeste's fate.

If completed with Leliana:

4. Pierren and Celeste had an arranged marriage

Setting aside love, the couple that married were politically expedient.

If Celeste agrees to marry Lord desRosiers, Jecin pledges himself to the Inquisition, saying that she is sacrificing herself for this alliance and that he can do no less. If the Inquisitor tells Celeste that she should marry for duty but love in secret, she plans to reunite with Jecin as her lover, with the blessing of her new husband Pierren. Lady Richelieu is not particularly pleased by this course of action.

If completed with Josephine:

5. Jecin and Celeste married for love

Married properly and for love, Celeste and Jecin were delighted.

The Inquisitor can attend the wedding ceremony, which is held on the Upper Level of the Summer Bazaar in Val Royeaux. Lady Richelieu will also be in attendance, threatening to nullify the proceedings if she can to stop the marriage between them. She is shocked to find the Inquisitor in attendance, and displeased if they decide to give the union their blessing. When Lady Richelieu criticizes Celeste and Jecin for ruining their houses, they retort that they'll make a life and a name just to spite her, and that there's no point in matching power to power just to gain more power. Lady Richelieu blames their youth for their stance. She thanks the Inquisitor for coming to the wedding, saying that they've certainly made an impression. Jecin also pledges his life to the Inquisition.

[whiskiijack]

Couldn't sleep so I drew young Kiefer from Dragon Quest Monsters: Caravan Heart! Also digitalized it a bit for an icon for my discord.

[burningfestivalpersona]

After the end of the Joker series, Dragon Quest Monsters has returned to its roots: Prequels (or probably an AU this time) of games from the main series revolving around one of that game’s characters.

And whatever timeline mess Caravan Heart was. To be fair, Kiefer and the timeline being a mess do sort of go hand-in-hand.

[retphienix]

I /think/ I'll start another playthrough for the blog- I need to shake myself out of my constant slumps or I'll go mad after all :P

So what about Dragon Quest Monsters? One of my favorite series.... if you consider being obsessed with 2.5 gameboy games and wanting to try all the others "favorite" material :P

So Joker was "fine". It wasn't my favorite by any means- most of the changes from 1-2 were "meh" to me, but I did enjoy it enough to complete it with a pretty decent amount of fun being had.

Joker 2's intro got me hyped! It really felt like something I'll love!

So how about instead of playing Joker 2 as I logically would- I go backwards a little and play Caravan Hearts instead lmao

I know very little about Caravan Hearts, as I've hinted at before on the blog (if you count mentioning it in passing like 4 years ago).

I "Think" it's one of those games I booted up in the early 2000s when emulation started getting more popular, in japanese of course being a japan exclusive and all, but I could be mixing it up with me booting up FF legends and the like.

The most I know is that a fellow DWM enjoyer said it was crap many years ago when I was playing some DWM stuff on the blog, and I took that to mean it's "probably" experimental and easy to dislike lol

Starting it up I'll say I'll be playing the fan translation, obviously, from kaioshin on Romhacking dot net. Any "funny business" in dialogue or re-interpretations of events is because it's a fan translation and I will be experiencing it as it is here, not as the original text defines the game because they never bothered to tell us this tale in english and I'm dumb and can't read the OG lol

Basic intro, we're a kid (10 years old) who craves adventure. Instead of being native to a monster world (2) or coming here because our sibling was kidnapped to be a monster master (1) we come to the monster world to escape punishment from our father- the king- after trying to escape the castle to explore the (reportedly) very tiny world we live in.

Basically we're a bored prince who craves adventure, and we stumbled into an opportunity to do that while hiding in our cabinet... a fun nod to DWM1 :3

Yada yada, in the monster world now, oh look a caravan lacking a leader:

What a coincidence, we just magically appeared here and listening to kids in RPG settings is normal as hell.

So right out the gate things DO appear rather different from the prior DWM games I love.

The caravan is key to combat for one, and our team appears to be entirely shaken up from how the prior games played it.

Instead of befriending and capturing 3 monsters to make a team and splitting up responsibilities among those 3 monsters for cohesive RPG party stuff- it /appears/ that we will always have ONE monster who takes the main stage for combat (kind of like DQ1?) and the caravan plays the role of... equipment? Passives? I guess you'd call them?

You have various adventurers in the party who don't directly participate but instead act as assistant abilities during combat- I am too early in to know how deep or how much control I have just yet, but I can pick what order they appear and from how the first encounters went it APPEARS as if the order determines when they get a turn to assist (if applicable), MAYBE.

Regardless it means I have a warrior who can swing an extra time for some more damage, a cleric who can heal if their "turn" comes up and we need it, and a map expert who can buff(?) our speed during his turn and also gives us the passive ability to use the map on the overworld.

This, could be neat.

It could also feel like a less hands on version of a combat system that was already kinda hands off since I'm only leveling up 1 party member and the other party members are not /real/ and instead are just passives that happen based on order (I think).

Hm. Looking forward to finding out!

I like that little wind effect :3

[rimworldretreats]

Day 140 - 600

Highlights:

We get a second dark scholar, Ivo, joining us. We do exploratory surgery, having learned our lessons. Nothing found... I've nominated him as my "I'm bored, time to burn it down" panic button.

We rescue Olga, a damsel in distress, while out on a caravan. The quest makes it seem super sketch, but to date... nothing. (Her exploratory surgery came back clean too.)

Ivo periodically releases a debilitating psychic scream, incapacitating him and everyone around him. He gets a room by himself over near the Ominous Monolith Museum.

Nose makes a play for MVP by churning out repeated masterwork furniture.

Sissy makes a play for MVP by having high shooting and becoming by sniper. Since I'm lagging badly in terms of armor, that's very important for thinning out raids.

Elastgirl is fine at stuff, but somehow ends up being vital at the most random times.

We develop bionics! Hadley gets his new spine and hot dragon boi summer is back on. Molt gets a new heart, lung, and kidney, and promptly gets his stomach shot out. Come on man, lets go a couple of months without losing an organ.

We have one real death; Mausi succumbs to infection while investigating an ancient complex.

We rescue another Efreet; the same pyromaniac demon-esque xenotype as Haveov.

The first baby is born!

A ship crash trashes my workshop and we barely reign in the fires before things get bad.

The save is kind of chugging at this point, with the population hovering around 30, before visitors. I'm also realizing that I don't really have an endgame in mind. When you invest all your efforts in building fancy rooms and not getting combat ready, it also makes some events disproportionately hard; I can defend ok, but going on the offense is hard. So, I'll capture a state of the colony at around the 5 year mark, which will be soon, and then see if Ivo can make enough trouble with the monolith to end things with a bang.

Amusing Rimworld Moments (tm) will continue from the queue as I scroll through the screenshots.

[aladaylessecondblog]

1, 3, 21, 29

Sadrith was born to an Ashlander who got the itch to roam outside of Morrowind. Mama thought she was post-menopausal, turns out she wasn't. She grew up in a Khajiit caravan and thus had a few people to help keep her (undiagnosed) ADHD in check. Discovered its treatment by accident when someone didn't guard their skooma carefully enough. This upbringing resulting in less a Dunmer and more a khajiit outlook, a distrust of the law, etc. Not entirely sure what got her caught at the border, but it definitely didn't help her outlook on the Empire. She hates authority but craves being guided because she has a hard time deciding what to do. Maintains a mask of being the Fearless Hero who Is never afraid because what if they find out what a mess I am, that I can barely function on a good day. There are ties to Lorkhan that will be gone into later in Faal Hah Wuld.

Her outlook at first and even now is "Akatosh - really, me? ME? You should've chosen better." Poor girl was terrified. But for a while it was easy to follow because what to do was obvious - Go to the Greybeards. Learn shouts. Ignore Delphine. Having a wise old dragon daddy to give advice was nice. Doesn't really think of herself as a dragon unless something really pisses her off. e.g. "You attack MY (home, people, etc)? Do you know who the hell I am?" and goes full feral rage on said person who provokes her.

Doesn't really devote herself to any of the Divines, she feels that with how forgetful she is to prayers and such things that she'd earn punishment for not being pious enough. Kynareth has perhaps a soft spot in her heart because of the silence of High Hrothgar (her mind is almost never silent) and perhaps Dibella because of her artistic skill she doesn't use often. There's not really one she favors above all the rest.

That's where she is in Faal Hah Wuld, though she didn't finish the Civil War questline. Alduin, Thieves Guild, Destroy the Dark Brotherhood are done. She didn't go to Solstheim yet. (Torovan & Sigurd handled the 'Dawnguard' stuff.) At this point she is just wandering around Skyrim (she likes wandering, thanks Ashlander mama & khajiit) mainly making money by killing bandits and random dragons that show up, and sporadically collecting income from Heljarchen and the "fishing village" that is the Hearthfire plot of land across from Solitude. Tends to spend a lot of this money in the Honorhall Orphanage, helping people, etc. 'These are my people, and I'm able to help, so I should.' Not so much a thought as a feeling, she'll see some shit (random side quests) and go 'Is no one doing anything about this? ...no? guess i will. Secretly appreciates Maven Blackbriar's general aura of command and is also secretly scared of her too.

[slothattorney]

My local record store has a little bin of Pokemon fan games and bootleg Japanese fan translations, so I think I'm gonna break in my Analogue Pocket with a bootleg copy of SMT: Last Bible 2. I also picked up a copy of Robot Wars Taisen and Dragon Quest Monsters: Caravan Heart.

[dragonichaven]