#tactics ogre spoilers

[space-spring-art]

I think chaos + lawful route vyce running into each other must deal devastating amounts of psychic damage in both directions and that's very fun to me

[space-spring]

I reblogged that post the other day about never finishing video games and it made me stop and think hard about my life and the fact that. oh my god....... I really DO never finish video games........... So I have changed my ways by finishing up Chapter 4 and the ending of Chaos route for Tactics Ogre! Tons of endgame spoilers ahead but here are my bullet-pointed highlights:

My guy Azelstan the pirate! I love him. His whole arc with losing his daughter reminded me a little of Svarog and Hossabara from Triangle Strategy (albeit with substantially more nihilism!), and finding him at the port and then going through the story with the girl he takes under his wing made me die a little inside.

I do really appreciate the fact that even once he joins you he's still a little bit of a mess! I feel like a lot of the characters join Denam out of anger or honor or something else equally passionate, and meanwhile Azelstan's out here going "I've lost everything I love and this is just a decent way to try and make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else." He's simply a very sad old man and I love him a lot

This is not a highlight per se but it IS funny: I had to play the whole pirate cove dungeon where you recruit him like three or four times because I kept thinking I had the recruitment conditions fulfilled and then. did not in fact have the recruitment conditions fulfilled. I killed SO many ghosts. I got to the point where I just bought like 30 exorcism arcanas before going in so I could just have anyone regardless of cleric status blast the stilled undead whenever I needed to

AUGHKDHJSHDGHJJS. I am. SO unwell about the Sherri recruitment scene. I cannot express just how much I am unwell about the Sherri recruitment scene. All the Phoraena sisters really are so cool and good and I spontaneously combust whenever they come on screen but this scene is just AUUUUUGH........ It kills me thinking about how long Sherri's been hiding out because she doesn't think anyone will welcome her back and meanwhile her sisters just!!! love her so much!!!!!!!!!! and SHE loves THEM so much!!!!!! it just makes me go woaugh..........

I also just replayed some of the earlier chapters with Cerya and Cistina to test out the endgame rewind feature, and I take back my little chart I made of them a while back where they're arguing over clothes and things. All of the sisters are defined first and foremost by Being Willing To Sacrifice Everything For Each Other and I love them so much about it

And in addition to all the Phoraena sister dynamics, looking at this scene through the perspective of Denam ALSO having a sister who's keeping herself apart because she feels unloved is so. wowowowow

And on that note Denam and Catiua are rotating around in my head 24/7!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm really so in love with how far the writers went with their argument and fallout and also insane about the bad ending in this scenario because AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!?!?!?!?! and also I'm just a sucker for guilt arcs and having to live with mistakes even when it'd be easier not to. Catiua's absolutely insane (affectionate) and I think it's so fun how she changes things around and really comes into her own after this.

Also I really really love that the two of them got to have such a narratively clear conversation about everything that went down!!!!! This is a complete tangent but I sometimes kind of go insane over the fact that in Triangle Strategy we really don't get to see a ton of Roland and Cordelia after they reunite and Whiteholm is retaken. They have. so many things to talk about, and Cordelia has more than a few valid reasons to feel resentment toward Roland for the way he handled retaking Whiteholm. The closest they come to really talking about how they feel is that scene where they're standing in the garden and Roland's trying to explain why he killed Avlora and Cordelia just kinda quietly goes, "I know. I get it. I can't blame you." And while that scene is fun in its own "this bad boy can fit SO many emotionally traumatized Cordelia headcanons in it" sort of way, it's also so so so nice to see Denam and Catiua do the opposite and actually sit down and hash it out for a bit. They get to talk about why they're angry!!! They both get to explain themselves and then reassure each other that they're still loved!!!! They get to be genuinely close again and work as a team!!!!! and I love that for them :)

Also with comparisons to Cordelia, Catiua very distinctly doesn't get sidelined after Denam rescues her!!!! She's an active participant in the war and really takes charge over Denam, which is very neat imo, and I love getting to see her coronation and speech at the end

THIS ATTACK SPECIFICALLY. The whole final boss was so cool but I actually gasped and sat back when I saw this, it was just so so different than any of the other graphics in the game and it made me go nuts

AAAAOAUGH GHAGHG

The credits are really pretty :)

RHCKCHHGLGLRLRLAHHJG I am once again foaming at the mouth about the way the game blends game mechanics and story this is SUCH a fun explanation for how the whole world tarot system works and also I am absolutely gutted by the idea of Denam doing this canonically because he can't stand the regret of the choices he's had to make. I feel like Denam's guilt over the entire conflict isn't explicitly mentioned a ton (he actively makes a lot of comments to the effect of "I'm doing what my honor dictates and I have nothing to be ashamed of") and then every once in a while the game comes back and slaps you with stuff like this. Like hey. hey. yasumi matsuno. can we talk? I jst wantto talkk

Also all the endgame content is SO GOOD. I'm starting to move over to Reborn because I want to experience all the voice acting and stuff over on that version, but it's also so hard to leave my team and all the cool stuff I've unlocked. I need to read up on it more but I'm 90% sure you can recruit Lancelot and Warren if you do the Palace of the Dead stuff which I avoided in Chapter 4, so I'm tempted to go back and do that on there sometime. Or mayhaps I'll just play it through on Reborn once I get through Lawful and Neutral!

But yeah!!! Overall, such a fun route and a fun game and a fun ending :) I do feel like I want to come back to Chaos route once I've finished the other two, because I miss Vyce and the role-playing part of my RPG-obsessed brain really wants him to survive the canon-ish ending because I think there's a ton of things from the beginning of the route that I'll think differently on now that I've finished (like all of the stuff building up to Vyce going nuts and Catiua leaving).

[kelbunny]

"Oh no, why did my child fall to his death, how could this have happened? " -Man who's castle is 90% sheer drops

[quietinchains]

In the 1993 SNES game, Ogre Battle - March of the Black Queen, you recruit a neat knight named Lans Hamilton. He's nothing special, but he's one of your first recruits and expresses his loyalty to Destin over that of Tristan (the 'rightful' heir).

In the game's pseudosequel, Tactics Ogre - Let Us Cling Together, released in 1995, Lanselot returns in a mentor role to the new protagonist Denam. Their paths split, and later, Lanselot is seemingly killed in the attack on Rhime.

In any other game, he would return in a big triumphant moment, but instead he is found at a church after the fall of Heim.

Scarred, unresponsive. A broken shell. And when Denam plays Lans' music box, a memento of his late wife-

All he does is scream.

[chocolatte-del-lago]

Lanselot Hamilton appreciation post

This thing contains SPOILERS!

Crazy how no one comments on Lans with long hair in The March of the Black Queen, or the fact that he became a knight at just 10 years old! (There's also not much to expect when fans barely comment on the characters :VVVVVV)

Now you will see an appreciation post for LANSELOT HAMILTON (More specifically his version in MotBQ)!!!!

He is the first unit (besides the Opinion Leader) that the game gives you. For some reason he only appears with his helmet in the game's sprites, is he shy or is it because he wants to maintain his posture as a knight and not attract attention? (Or am I overanalyzing?)

This is his official art for the game. You can see his tanned skin and long blonde hair (WHY DID HE CUT IT OUT IN TACTICS OGRE??????), his armor is also lighter and bluish than in the game's sprite (In the scenes before the battles the color is more greenish, while in fights the armor is silver/black (Funny to think that he wore "dark" colors in this game when in Tactics he is seen as "white and pure"). It's also funny to note that in the Playstation version, they changed the color of the generic Paladins' cape so as not to conflict with Lans' cape (In the Playstation version, every single character has a color palette that continues even after the class change, the Paladins used to have red capes but ended up having to change to blue because of this)

To be honest, Lanselot is kind of forgotten in this game, the only fight in which he appears is at the beginning of the game against Usar (The man who chased and killed his friends), it is also in this fight that we see Lans swear at someone for the first time !!!!

If we ever get an Ogre Battle remake, I'd love for Lans to have some conversations with: Canopus: In Tactics Ogre shows that the two are great friends, it would be cool for them to interact in Charlom District.

Ashe: He was the captain of Xenobia's Royal Guard, they probably met at some point.

Gares: Gares was the one who infiltrated Xenobia and killed King Gran, it would be interesting to see Lans fighting with him 24 years after the event (it's worth mentioning that in the tales of King Arthur, Gareth is killed by Lancelot, just saying 🤭).

Endora: I want to see my favorite characters fight Just like Gares, Endora was the one who devised the scheme to conquer Xytegenia, just imagine in the fight between the two she trying to convince Lans to join the Empire and him refusing due to the fact that he was present when Xenobia was invaded? (I always found it strange that only the Debonair's and the Opinion Leader's unit cannot surrender)

If I start talking about the game's endings I'm going to start talking nonsense, better leave it for another time-

Going back to what I said at the beginning of the post, yes, Lanselot Hamilton became a knight at just 10 years old!!! It's quite complicated to talk about this but, if you do the math: He is 38 years old in Tactics Ogre, which takes place 2 years after Ogre Battle, so subtracting 24 years from his 36 we come to the conclusion that he was already serving the King Gran at just 12 years old! In his dialogue at the beginning of the game, he said that he already followed Gran before the Empire of Xytegenia invaded. Considering that Lanselot Tartaros began his knight training at age 12 and finished at age 14 and Hamilton is an "alternative version" of him, then Hamilton enlisted in the Xenobian Army at just 10 years old!

(also, I like to think that unlike Tartaros, Hamilton came from a poor family-)

[smoqueen]

for fans of ff14: this guy is voiced by dub speedwagon

[elkattacks]

With the new Dragon Age coming out, this is the first time I've ever paid attention to a game launch before. I didn't play Origins until 2016 and then didn't play Inquisition until 2021. But once I did I was hooked.. absolutely pulled in, no looking back, try to learn all the things!

So with the recent Game Informer article seemingly spoiling a couple pretty big story points, I wondered.. what did GI have to say about Origins? I bought a copy of the November 2008 edition off of Ebay (yes, I prefer physical media) to check it out.

The article starts off noting that DA was "announced over four years ago" (so, 2004?) And then re-emerged in 2008 with the new name added "Origins". Interesting!

The article goes into some detail on a Mage background origin playthrough and goes right up to the plot point that you'll eventually become a Grey Warden, and then that the battle at Ostagar starts, goes awry, and that King Cailan is grabbed by an ogre. They go on to say that they won't tell you the result of that. So that's some somewhat big spoilers for the setup of the game up till maybe 5-6 hours in?

It also has an interesting note that "the development team prototyped the entire story using the Neverwinter Nights engine" not all the gameplay but the plot, dialoge, and quests- neat!

The article doesn't share anything about companions other than they exist, some might be surprises, you might not get all of them, some will disagree with your actions and/or each other and there will be banter and a "camp" to go back to.

It then gets into some gameplay mechanics- pausing, tactical fighting, how much you can let your companion do their own fighting.

And finishes talking about how the game is providing "an extensive toolset that allows you to make your own adventures and share them with the community". Is that true though? I've seen plenty of people doing mods for better hair/skintone and cosmetic things but did people actually create adventures- I'm guessing fights or scenarios to go through? I haven't heard of that but I've really only been in the fandom since 2021.

I'm pretty interested to see now exactly how much the GI article spoiled of DA4 and what they're not telling us! Fall 2024 is so far away..

[taoofshigeru]

2023 Game of the Year Post

Looking back, I was surprised to see how few "new" games I had played this year. But two of them were absolutely excellent so I'm going to talk about them a little.

In February, a game I was expecting to be good showed true greatness, and, in mid-November, a black-and-white indie touched my heart.

[Spoilers for In Stars and Time/Octopath Traveler II to follow.]

Let me start by talking about In Stars and Time/ISAT.

ISAT is a gay game about timeloops. The aloof but amiable rogue Siffrin sees their sanity stretched like a stick of used chewing gum as the fighter repeatedly chickens out on confessing his love for them and sincere heartfelt moments of human connection become rote scenes he must perform.

Throughout the process, Siffrin uses humor to deflect from serious emotional questions and eventually starts drifting away from the group during conversations. The specific character traits of 1) serial people-pleaser, 2) depressed person, and 3) funnyjokespun person who at times used humor to deflect from those issues was a little too specific in a way that hit in an emotionally relevant way.

Even more than that was the way it toyed with my patience as a player. I'm what I would describe as very good at games with repetitive tasks. Like, my tactics-loving friend and I have been doing a co-op playthrough of Tactics Ogre, and I was the enby who ultimately chose to be responsible for grinding Galgastani CF to recruit ultimate goth girl Cressida. It took hours of repeating the same battle and just babysitting the game for hours at a time. Sure I'd be willing to read through heart-to-heart events repeatedly to make the Siffrin's friends happy. I'd do it once, twice, even a fifth time. But my persistence is not bottomless.

In Stars and Time read me perfectly.

I did end up skipping or avoiding those events once the game stopped being a combat RPG and started being a visual novel/monkey island-style adventure in Act 4. I did start zoning through particular events once they happened more than 10 times. My patience did give way, though not to the extent of the protagonist Siffrin when they suffered a meltdown. And this happened right around the time when Siffrin started putting real distance between them and their friends. It took me to a dark place with the character in a way that made the catharsis at the end so worth it.

All of it went towards really effectively communicated the game's point of how it's worth it to talk to your friends about your problems.

~~~

The other game that moved me this year was also built around repeating and growing. It was about throwing yourself at the wall over and over again, with a little more force, a little more refined strategy, a little more panache and willingness to take risks. And about getting it just right, finally. This was my experience with Octopath Traveler 2

So, first of all, strategizing in OT2 kicks ass. Like the Bravely games of yore, this game nerfs the most broken tools (i.e. the Hunter's patience) from the first game, but gives the player new broken tools that synergize in new, exciting ways. And critically, it then throws enemies at you that can take it all and still be a challenge. (Sea of Stars did not do this last part.)

Got used to using someone's primary job for a lethal combo setup? Well guess what, primary jobs are now banned! Got a 6-attack strike with a killer legendary weapon that'll break any monster? Guess what, that weapon you used to get the break is now no longer the zombie dragon's weakness! Spent all your time building up your favorite 4 in an 8-character party? Guess who's gonna handle the superboss' second HP bar?

For a single-player game, it legitimately felt like I was experiencing a design that had been built to anticipate the player's combat choices on a meta level and would only let the door open for solutions that were suitably intricate and clever. Aside from superbosses, the game wasn't extraordinarily difficult, but it still left me constantly scrambling through my toolkit of HP, MP, turns, latent power, items, collectable monsters, and money mid-battle to find a solution to pick any given boss' lock. As a turn-based combat RPG, OT2 killed it.

And that wasn't even the strongest point.

The character stories in Octopath Traveler one were, on a basic level, enjoyable, and were engaging enough that the game's art, soundtrack, and deep turn-based combat could combine to make a great game. Octopath II ups the storytelling game significantly, offering nonlinear chapter order, story-focused chapters that end without a boss fight, and a cast that's generally very well written and played brilliantly by the English vocal cast. The positive impression I had of the game after the first ten hours gave way to a wowed one as characters started to interact, showcasing entertaining personal dynamics and tugging at the strings of a looming, bigger mystery. The climactic arc, Journey for the Dawn, ties all eight chapters together and presents an incredibly satisfying and at times emotionally wrenching finale.

I don't know if any side character in a game has ever hit me half as hard as Ori the Scrivener has

But also, mystery arc main plot removed, the world of OT2 has so much character. There's a whole questline where you sit through a court hearing and then have to investigate the mystery around town to show up and avoid a wrongful verdict with a key testimony or piece of evidence. Secret princess/gardener lesbian subplots and eldritch stuffed toys are just some of the things that exist in the background.

The story about getting it just right wasn't just a player experience. It was also the meta narrative - writing in the first game wasn't weak by any means, but the writing in the second game is just an inarguable improvement. Combat in the first game pitched juicy fastballs that were well-scaled to my play experience, but this baby kept tossing out monster curves and tricky sliders.

I think creative perfection is a myth, because it's always possible to improve. Octopath Traveler II shows how, and that's why it's my game of the year.

~Thanks for reading my selfish little blurb!~

[eemamminy-art]

you're caught up on the patches right? so i don't send you a hotness ask for Scremiau Fleurishmimbald CLXXVI from patch 6.4's teaser cutscene number three and spoil you on the existence of a minor character from final fantasy tactics ogre advance under night in birth 365/2's phone game tie in being in the game

Lolllll yes I am caught up! And in general I don't consider the existence of characters to be spoilers anyway and I don't mind plot spoilers either

Though now I'm like, was there even any new character in 6.4?? 😂

[kyndaris]

Backlog Catch-Up

With all the new releases coming out in 2023, I am reminded once again of the limited time I have as someone that must work for a living. Coupled with the fact that I’m out socialising more and exploring the world when I use my leave, what little free time I have must be used in the most efficient way possible spread out thinly across video games, writing, reading and keeping up with shows and movies.

As of the writing of this post, I’m in the fourth chapter of Tactics Ogre Reborn, mopping up most of the side quests and unlocking new characters and classes before the final battle. But the temptation is there to put Tactics Ogre Reborn down and play through The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom instead since it’s new and shiny and everyone who is anyone is hyped for the new Zelda entry.

I even saw someone play on the commute to work!

While that something most gamers will do, hopping from one game to another, I’ve always found that the best way for me to tackle the glut of video games that catch my eye is to finish them off one by one before moving on. Otherwise, I’d have far too many incomplete games and not enough storage space on my consoles for anything more. A terrible dilemma given the size of games nowadays.

At least, that’s what I tell myself as everyone else is raving about the latest games that they’ve got their hands on.

Of course, even if I were to finish the game I was currently playing at the time, it doesn’t always mean I’ll play the latest and greatest title. The game I start could be part of my backlog or a fairly new and flashy game. And though it shouldn’t matter if that title is the one in the current zeitgeist or if it was something that came out years ago, I know in my heart of hearts, I should only be playing what’s new. If only to keep up with the discourse.

Still, the FOMO that I feel is a reminder that I can still engage in the content, though I may not have the entire experience. After all, I’m not one that shies away from a few spoilers. In fact, I relish them. 

But I’ve found that when it comes to my gaming habits, and even on dates when I chat to others, it’s always been a struggle for me to be open about my favourite games. While some hyperfixate on a title, I tend to enjoy the stories for what they are without diving too deep. Some of that could be from the fact that I’ve managed to glean all that I can from unofficial wikis. Other times, I’ve simply not felt the need to obsess over every small detail in the game.

Still, I have to wonder if some of that comes from my childhood. Growing up, there weren’t many people around me that played video games. Even if they did, they were older than me and didn’t want to entertain the curious preteen. In high school, there was still the perception that games were played by boys and what was a nice girl like me doing spending so much time in front of the computer screen?

Even now, I don’t talk about games with my work friends or those that don’t really play anything more than cosy games like Animal Crossing. Sure, I now know of people that play the big releases and that’s something we can talk about briefly but those titles serve as conversation starters. Water cooler conversations, if you will, because neither of us know how far the other has gotten and don’t want to ruin the experience.

If I wanted a hot take about a game, I turn to the internet. One glance at YouTube and you can see why. I couldn’t tell you the number of videos I’ve seen reviewing game titles, assessing games and what they bring to each individual or just having an opinion about something controversial. You name, there’s a podcast. And if you engage with those creators, form a parasocial relationship, you’ve essentially found ‘your people.’

So, maybe it’s fine for me to take my time instead of racing through. Even though popular discourse seems to favour remaining relevant when posting reviews or impressions on the internet. Something that I’ve done with my games.

The same, however, cannot be said of books. Perhaps because I’m not on BookTok or on BookTube. Even if I were, there’s no real rush to be on top of the latest releases unless it’s YA. And given my favourite genre and my minimum page count being 500 pages or more, I’ve never felt compelled to quickly finish a book just to get to a new one. In fact, the more time I can spend with a book, the better. The atmosphere, the worldbuilding, the characters...these are all important aspects to me and there have been times when a book reaches the end that I wish the author had simply written more about their characters.

I very much like exploring someone else’s head and seeing their interactions in the quiet moments.

That’s probably why I insert so much of it in my own writing. I like to get to know a person inside and out.

Beyond the occasional YA novels, though, you won’t find whole wikis filled with the history of characters or their backstory. Books are a completely different medium and their fans interact differently with the source material. While yes, you will get the occasional fan art, it’s only recently that I’ve seen Rhysand and Feyre fan art being sold at conventions. I might have shuddered, but given that there’s no movie or TV show of Sarah J Maas’s work, it’s very impressive that there is actual fan art that exists for a wholly book series.

Books, more than games, have always been something I’ve been passionate about. And while there are books that I will put down something else to read if the chance arose, I don’t feel the immediate FOMO that one might have if a new game comes out. Yes, there’s hype but I never feel like I’m missing out on the conversation.

Maybe, of course, there’s the fact that reading is a much more passive experience than gaming. True, tehre are people out there that will immediately buy a book as soon as it releases and finish it within a day but even with BookTok and BookTube becoming increasingly prevalent, public discourse doesn’t have such a huge emphasis on new book releases. At least, not on the scale of video games or films/ TV shows. For example, Sarah J Maas became increasingly popular with the advent of TikTok but back when I was still reading the first few books of the Throne of Glass series back in 2015, there was no-one I knew within my immediate circle that had read the books.It’s only been in recent years that I’ve seen people fall in love with the world of A Court of Thorns and Roses and jump on the fae bandwagon.

And don’t get me started on Robin Hobb!

Too bad, of course, that no-one has truly been trying to promote the intricate worlds of M.A. Carrick in the Rook and the Rose series. Or have started reading the Black Magician trilogy by Australian author, Trudi Canavan. Honestly, those worlds have been some of the BEST I’ve ventured into.

Then again, much like games, I don’t talk about books very much to my friends. Mostly because it’s hard to find someone that has read the same type of genre that I do. Even if we DO read the same genre, we may not have read the same books. Have you SEEN how many books are churned out each year? Something, of course, I want for myself but I’m sure if I am ever published, I’ll just be one of the dime a dozen authors that disappear once more into the woodwork. It takes talent and grit and a fair bit of luck to become the next Sanderson or Rowling or Martin.

Still, now that I’ve joined a book club at work, I’ve been able to talk about books freely with people that have, at the very least, read the same book that I have for the month. No longer do I have to spy on people on the train and muster up the courage to chat to them about the latest Stormlight Archive book that they’re reading (which I’ve finished) and nerd out over Kaladin and lashings and the Cosmere.

And while the genres may not always be the ones that I enjoy the most, I do like discussing the book of the month with those in the office. There’s something special about going into deep dives about the book we’ve all just read as we go on about themes or elements that particularly stood out. 

Even if I secretly hope to steer them towards the more magical side of fantasy given enough time. 

But that’s a thought! We have book clubs. Why not game clubs? I know that video games are social mediums by their very nature, but I’d like a proper sit-down and in-depth chat about a game’s story with my fellow gamers as we talk about things that we liked or didn’t like, the mechanics that worked and didn’t work and how the ambiance fed into the game world to make it the unique experience it was for each person.

I don’t want someone to talk at me about a game. I get enough of that on the internet as people try to extol the virtues of whichever game has become their whole personality, nor do I want to have to sit through a one-sided discussion during a date. Given that games are a valid medium of art, we can start treating them as such.

But maybe instead of viewing games and books and whatever else that’s inbetween, I should simply just enjoy what I have for the time being and worry less about trying to keep up with whatever is popular. I’m not, after all, a gaming journalist. There’s no money to be made in my blogs. I write about what I like, I read what I like, and I play whatever takes my fancy. Games come and go. And since I’ve purchased them and they’re sitting pretty on my shelf, it’s all just now a simple matter of picking them up, dusting them off and slipping the disc into the console. 

Speaking of which, I need to ALSO finish of Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC and the third title before tackling the Crossbell arc of games. Eugh! 

So much to do, so little time!

[foxingpeculiar]

I just absolutely blinked away like 9 hours playing Tactics Ogre Reborn. Oops.

(Spoilers) Im following the lawful route and I just transitioned from chapter 2 into chapter 3. Sir Leonar took a few tries, and I never got the bonus objective cos he could (and always did) just straight up one-shot Catiua, but I got him nonetheless.

And then I got to the Phorampa Wildwood. And like okay, most of it has been fine. There were one or two fights I had to do more than once, but not more than twice. Until we get to Frostfen. Which I have now done seven or eight times. (Seriously like 4 of those hours were just on this shit.)

There are EIGHTEEN enemies on the field! Most of them have ranged attacks! Like I could probably fucking pull it off if these assholes would stop that stupid ninjitsu Aqua Tiger, multiple 100+ damage hit bullshit! I keep trying to retreat around the lake cos otherwise it’s like jumping into a buzzsaw, but even then, I get choked up and swamped every fucking time. The best I’ve done is cleared about 13/18, but the last five just came in and slaughtered me.

I will get it. Might have to monkey around with party management a bit, but I’ll figure it out. These fuckers are going down, I swear to god.

[space-spring]

Okay I'm waaaaay behind on posting where I'm at on tactics ogre but. Deneb's recruitment is SENDING me. Like I can't even fully illustrate how funny it is because half of the humor is just that it's coming smack in the middle of a game with the tonal equivalent of a dramatized wwii documentary, but the whole thing is just. so so funny. Denam and Deneb both separately thinking about what a weirdo the other is. Deneb being a shitty union-busting retail manager. Deneb repeatedly flirting with Denam and Denam repeatedly making hard changes in subject. Denam's "I'm starting to feel bad for the pumpkins......" They're everything to me

[kelbunny]

Hi sir, you know your son probably wouldn't have died if you didn't put so many sheer drops all over your castle. I'm just saying.

Also, rude. And Denam is terrifying to fight. Never again please.

(Now my team is slightly different after this bc I had to restart the battle bc I was getting my butt kicked)

I laughed harder than I probably should have when everyone started facing the direction the voice was coming from, regardless of if they were an ally or doppelganger lol.

And despite how rough that fight was, everyone made it out alive. Barely.

You can't hecking do this to me asdfghjkl

Catuia I miss you sm aaaaghhh

He has a crown! At least until he is shot and killed rip, if I'm understanding everything correctly

😌😎

No dying allowed here thank you very much

You don't say lol.

[astrogation]

tags: video games: T~Z

Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together

Tales of

Tales of Phantasia

Tales of Destiny

Tales of Eternia

Tales of Symphonia - Dawn of the New World

Tales of the Abyss

Tales of Vesperia

Tales of Graces

Tales of Xillia | Xillia 2

Tales of Zestiria

Tales of Berseria

Threads of Fate

Touhou Project

Touhou Project: Highly Responsive to Prayers

Touhou Project: Story of Eastern Wonderland

Touhou Project: Phantasmagoria of Dim.Dream

Touhou Project: Mystic Square

Touhou Project: Embodiment of Scarlet Devil

Touhou Project: Perfect Cherry Blossom

Touhou Project: Immaterial and Missing Power

Touhou Project: Imperishable Night

Touhou Project: Phantasmagoria of Flower View

Touhou Project: Mountain of Faith

Touhou Project: Scarlet Weather Rhapsody

Touhou Project: Subterranean Animism

Touhou Project: Undefined Fantastic Object

Touhou Project: Hisotensoku

Touhou Project: Double Spoiler

Touhou Project: Ten Desires

Touhou Project: Hopeless Masquerade

Touhou Project: Urban Legend in Limbo

Touhou Project: Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom

Touhou Project: Sunken Fossil World

Touhou Project: Unconnected Marketeers

Touhou Project: Unfinished Dream of All Living Ghost

Touhou Project: Artificial Dream in Arcadia

Transistor

Trials of Mana

Undertale

Vagrant Story

Valkyrie Profile

Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria

Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume

The Witch’s House

The World Ends With You

Xenoblade Chronicles

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Xenoblade Chronicles X

Yume 2kki

Yume Nikki

Zero Escape: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (999)

Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward

[chocolatte-del-lago]

The LanOpi appreciation post no one asked for

Today we'll do an in depth annalysis on the weirdest illusion i've ever had (And I still have to this day), today we will rock you talk about LANSELOT HAMILTON and the FEMALE OPINION LEADER relationship and yes, I know no one ships it, and i also know i've embarassed myself once about this ship after being too shy to the point of writing it in japanese in hopes of converting more people to this thing (it failed), and I'm also 100% sure i will be stupid AGAIN. Please enjoy this stupid essay (I 'm already taking too much time writing this thing).

Note: I've got no money to buy a switch and the silly unicorn game

DISCLAIMER: I DIDN'T CHECK IF THIS WALL OF TEXT IS WRITTEN CORRECTLY AND IT'S FULL OF SPOILERS, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK !

BEGIN!

One could ever wonder "why would anyone ship this thing" and i would answer "because we are silly".

First, let's talk about the obvious here, the Female Opinion Leader has no name, no history and no importance to the plot at all, since because 1. The game doesn't show anything happening inside the Revolutionary Army 2. Ogre Battle 64 confirmed that the main character is Destin Faroda (the Male Opinon Leader). And right now you're probably thinking "What do we do with this information?" nothing! We are about to headcanon the whole thing! *cheers*

The beggining of this silliness

IT ALL STARTED WHEN IT BEGAN, most people who i've seen that ships them it's mostly because Lanselot was 4 levels ahead of the main character, creating the illusion that he was a strong guy that could easily wipe entire houses with a swing of his sword (they do this again in Tactics Ogre) and because of this he was always used in the frontlines while creating a weird scenario where he would protect the opinion leader from an atomic bomb, and then you ask me "Warren was level 4 too-" an then I will answer: IS WARREN A HOT 36 YEARS OLD MAN WITH TRAUMA???????? he's a mage with two dogs and not a knight with silver armor voiced by DIO BRANDO (Takehito Koyasu... on the saturn version), the whole helmet thing covering his face.... aaaaaah. Now let's go to the other topic....

The INTERACTIONS

EXHBIT ONE!

The first interaction between Lans and Opi (I will call her like this now) happens during Castle of Warren (the training stage), he's the first unit to join you in the game. The weird thing starts right at their first meeting...

this fucking weirdo says that her eyes are beautiful???? ON THEIR FIRST MEETING????? Before you start saying "he says this to Destin too" fuck it, if you ship Lans with Destin just swap the female leader name on the essay and you will get the same thing (LANSELOT HAMILTON BISSEXUAL KING??????)

EXHBIT TWO!!!!!

WE ARE GOING NOW TO THE END OF THE GAME !!11!1111! (WOOOOOOOW I LOVE BEING A THE MARCH OF THE BLACK QUEEN FAN! ONLY 3 INTERACTIONS OF MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS!!!!!!!!!! LET'S GOOOOOOOOO)

We'll now analyse each one of the endings of the game AND see how can we interpret this as PEAK ROMANCE.

(Thanks video game museum for the pics! (Ending for Ogre Battle-World End (Super NES) (vgmuseum.com))

WORLD ENDING

This one is savage, this is where we see how Lans don't like Tristan and gossips with Warren! "If I weren't a royal knight, I would be tempted to stay with Opi" JUST GO LANSELOT, YOU CAN DO THIS! FOLLOW THE RED HEAAAAAAD

EMPRESS ENDING (Emperor if you like gays)

Notice how he doens't give a damn about the Opinion Leader reigning over Xenobia? Bet he loves thinking about her as his queen...

MOON ENDING (AKA THE LANOPI ENDING)

First of all, fuck you ogre battle saga wiki, spreading misinformation about this ending only being acessible with Ashe! What an insult to the LanOpi fandom (we are 3 people)!

Lanselot then pops out of nowhere and asks if the opinion leader left... and Tristan answers that she went away! That's Lans reaction:

(footage was taken in my tablet from my gameplay from 3 years ago because NO ONE DOES THIS VERSION OF THE ENDING)

Second, this ending is so cute oh my god 😢, the way Opi leaves thinking that she isn't important to Xytegenia anymore and Lans going after her right after... he wants to protect her so bad 💔💔💔 Tristan probably already knows about Lans' devotion to the leader and.... and... GO AWAY HANGED MAN! NO! NO! NOOOOOOO

HANGED MAN ENDING (THE ANGST LANOPI ENDING)

They then decides to kill her-

This was my first ending... I remenber that it was an afternoon and my reputation was 0 and my ALI probably 60+...

Look, not to sound like an psychopath, but this is one of the endings that define LanOpi (AND MAKES TRIOPI LOOK WEIRD 🙏). The way it starts with him and Tristan talking with each other... Tristan knew Lanselot was the closest person to the Leader but also his most loyal knight. When faced with the decision of killing her, Lans was in shock, he didn't want to do this, but when Tristan said that if not him, himself would do the job. Lanselot probably promissed that hewould never let anyone kill Opi, he didn't want to break this promisse so he decided to do it himself... The way he reacts after killing her, he's certainly crying about what he just did, asking God to forgive him...

Even worst is that the epilogue implies that Opi was easily forgotten by the people, Tristan probably burnt everything that belonged to her and all that Lans could do was to watch. The fact that she's never mentioned again, probably Lans still has to hide her existence to the world, having to only mention Destin to others, he has to carry the burden of being one of the few people who saw her helping the kingdom, but also being the one who got hid of her for the sake of his selfish king...

I can't guys... I can't do this no more...

(dubbed Saturn version on NicoNico: 【アーウィンド行軍記】伝説のオウガバトル【HANGEDMAN 】 - ニコニコ動画 (nicovideo.jp))

Tower Ending

There's nothing much to say about this ending, Lanselot only appears to tell Tristan that Rauny is fighting Opi's evil troops, he's just a placeholder here...

High Priestess Ending (Anti-LanOpi and... TriRau? Ending that actually.... huuh, i will explain this)

The TriOpi ending, the one where the most shitty character of all time in Ogre Battle marries the second hottest Ogre Battle character (The first place? obviously it's EMPRESS ENDORA!!!!! (Deneb ain't even the top 5)). Before you say that the reason I think it's a 10% LanOpi/TriRau ending because I like cuck porn (no, i hate this genre), it's because for some reason, Rauny (the canon woman who married Tristan) pops up in the wedding and says "Oh wow! We did it..." and for some reason, our token knight Lans appears and says "It's been years i've been here!"

we all know that after this wedding these two went to some tavern to cry because of TriOpi.

CONCLUSION!!!!!!!

i hate myself, no one is reading this shit 😭 but if any of you wants to see more about LanOpi... just check the tag or ask me! hahahahahahhahahahhahahahahahahahhahahhahahahahhahahah

[smoqueen]

absolutely fucking hilarious thing to say to the guy that has been manipulating the wheel of fate