#ultimate utility mech

[matrim-cauthons-hat]

ive only had my raven for twenty minutes but if anything happen to her i would kill everyone in this hanger and then myself

[cerastes]

*My main interest here is to show people the utter insanity of OG2, but for that game to make sense, you have to see OG1, which is the opposite of a problem, because it fits right home in my list of vaunted "Very Interesting Games" alongside the likes of Def Jam: Fight For NY, Soulcalibur III or Trails from Zero+Trails to Azure.

Just like Def Jam FFNY is incredibly interesting in that it's a fighting game designed with a single player focus first and foremost, Soulcalibur III, despite being a competitive focus arcade fighter, went out of its way to have incredibly robust single player features and replayability, and how ZeroAzure utilize the limited size of the PSP, their original console, intelligently in making a game with iconic, revisitable environments and an incredibly good, small cast of characters to keep the game fresh even though you are never really going out on an adventure and yet it feels like you went on three of them by the end, OG1 is a well designed, perhaps too ambitious (affectionate) SRPG that really drives home the importance of managing limited resources in both a micro (stage by stage) and macro (the entirety of the game) stage, as there is a finite amount of every resource, experience included. Additionally, it's a game that spins off from a franchise mainly known to do crossover titles, but now it's fully original, in-house characters, letting them tell stories with a lot more freedom and being able to go balls to the walls with it. Had it been only of these factors, it'd already be an interesting game, but it's both simultaneously, which is why I call this a Really Good SRPG and not a Really Good Mecha SRPG; I recommend this game not because it's got cool mechs (and it does) but because it's a phenomenal SRPG first and foremost, that just so happens to have mechs.

All that is to say: Having to show OG1 before OG2 is the opposite of a problem, but ultimately one cannot ignore the concrete fact that I want to show OG2 more because that one has Lamia Loveless and Axel Almer who completely rewired my brain chemistry back then and are characters I consider Formative to who I am Today.

[sukimas]

🔥 Gundam (as a franchise, but if you want to dig in on a specific entry/setting please feel free)

Send me a “ 🔥 “ for an unpopular opinion.

I already mentioned that Victory really isn't that dark, so that's my plot thought, but let's talk about the mechs instead. Generally speaking- and this may just be my own personal preference for sleek designs and overthinking aerodynamics- I find the chunkier designs less appealing. Somewhere between the ν Gundam and the ZZ Gundam is where I draw the line for "amount of Stuff on this thing before I get tired of looking at it." (ν on the side of "I haven't tired of looking at it yet", ZZ on the side of "I've tired of looking at it.") So, despite a cool initial silhouette, I can't find myself liking things like Darilbalde or generally any of the Post Disaster mobile suits- just way too much going on. A mobile suit is, of course, meant to be cool to sell toys, but ultimately, form follows function. Sure, they have armor for protection, but covering the joints or having them lay flat also increases aerodynamics; you're not always in space (and most of the worst offenders I can think of aren't in space a lot of the time.) Ultimately I think that part of what got me into WfM was the mobile suit designs (mostly) resembling the technology I'm used to utilizing in the lab, and seeing other people utilize. While mechanical parts are beautiful, we cover them up the majority of the time so dust and debris doesn't get in, and so they don't get caught on anything. This is just as relevant in space battles, and doubly relevant in land battles.

This is what "technology" looks like to me- not perfect Apple sleek, but not with so many extraneous bits and bobs. So I like my mobile suits to resemble this sort of thing, mostly.

[the-ninja-legacy-whip]

how will the ninja getting future suits and vehicles work are they gonna be 1 to 1 with the show versions or are you gonna redesign them and will jessie get matching suits to the main 6 and will you introduce any of the other future vehicles that the ninja have

In the Case of Suits:

They'll get upgraded as the show demands, but I do plan to redesign them. Not because I think I can do ~better~, just because I want to differentiate them from the show/movie proper + make something I can reliably and consistently draw ahaha

Though, the redesign idea mainly started because having the DX gi made no sense if the dragons weren't around, hence GX instead (Guardian X-treme)

I'm probably not changing much on the Elemental Robes, though. Can't top perfection *chef's kiss*

Jesse (and Nya) will get suits matching the others, although neither of them are present for nor able to earn the Elemental Robes. Jesse's also gonna get something different from the Airjitzu suits for obvious reasons. As much as it pains me.

Skylor also eventually gets in on the rotation too

Fun Fact: Mystake is the one that made the GX + Zen GX Suits.

In the Case of Mechs:

Small spoilers! But, I've been dying to talk about this SO—

Currently, everyone (finally) has their Movie!Mechs. Cole and Nya also have much smaller, much less destructive motor bikes. All vehicles and mechs of the ninja will be kept at the warehouse (which, unlike the Bounty, does not get consistently destroyed).

Movie!plot dictates that Garmadon destroys the Movie!Mechs in the bid for the Ultimate Weapon (which in our case would just be the Golden Weapons).

Nya rebuilds the Ultra Sonic Raider (2.0!), which can divide into four smaller vehicles for the Core Four, which eventually takes the place of the Movie!Mechs.

However, once Kai gets the X-1 Ninja Charger, Nya takes his place in the Raider (if she doesn't borrow/steal the Charger first)

Lloyd is Lloyd and can just build whatever as he needs, plus gets control of his Energy Dragon way before anyone else, thus isn't exactly hurting for a mech anyway...at least, at first.

I'm probably not going to use *every* mech that ever crops up (I definitely cut out a couple of things in S2 already) especially since the lesser mechs have a tendency to get lost/destroyed/left behind anyway.

So unless it's a mech/vehicle with a) great importance or personal significance, b) has a very specific use that cannot be utilized by mechs/vehicles we already/currently possess and have access to, or c) is deeply intertwined with the plot, probably don't plan on seeing anything beyond what's been established.

[real-live-human]

🌻

(from the ask game)

ok so predictably i love the flavour text in lancer - you've got your contextless ominous quotes, your snippets from what appear to be in-universe literature, your coroporate euphemisms for something truly horrifying - but recently i've been really thinking about the white witch. because all its flavour text comes from what is evidently some kind of development log or some such, but that contains a really fun range. you've got your incredibly worrying yet kind of vague descriptions of what the thing actually does:

“To say we can pull this needle from ‘thin air’ is the best-fit phrase, but it’s not accurate. Not entirely. There’s no such thing as thin air, not in the way one means it when they use that phrase. ‘Agreeable atomic space’ – that’s what ‘thin air’ really is. A place where one could – if one could – coalesce utility from useless particulate mass with a thought. With a snap of our finger. Here, watch this –” (ferrofluid lance)

“We call it ‘demand-compliance tethering’. Though, that makes it sound as if they have a choice to resist.” (pinning spire)

“Manipulating the world around the platform doesn’t end at rearranging the natural/built environment. This was the line that many on the team were afraid to cross, the question we had all asked ourselves once we bracketed the platform: what happens when we apply it to a person? What does existence mean when it can be ended with a thought?” (camus' razor)

but then you look at a couple of the other mech systems and it basically just becomes the exotic materials department getting increasingly frustrated by the company's attempts to make their horrifying death machine more marketable:

“The first test nearly ended the program. Exotic Materials is a … liberal department within the Constellation, but even our executives were hesitant to approve a second run. The data generated by WW_01 was invaluable, and we were sure we could get it right with a second test – all we needed was the sigma on its rewrite cone! Suits just get leery when systems fail. They forget that progress takes blood – sometimes literally – as payment for a breakthrough.” (ferroreactive shell)

“Soon enough we realized that shaping weapons from molecules and particles wasn’t enough to justify the conical mag as a system worth platforming. We needed to find a way to make it … more. More visual, tactile, concrete, imposing, thrilling – we needed to sell the next step in realspace control! So with some tuning and, regrettably, input from Visual, we figured out how to define the White Witch: as the most terrifying, alien thing you’ve ever fucking seen.” (sympathetic shield)

“Again and again the meatheads over at Visual asked us to ‘help them sell’ the platform. What else could we do? We handed them a power that gods of death and war had coveted since Cain cracked a rock over Abel’s head, and they told us, ‘if we can’t see it, we can’t sell it.’ So we mucked around and made another diadematic little wonder for them, the F-Barrier. It’s brilliant. Of course it is. We’re Exotic Materials, brilliance is easy.” (ferrospike barrier)

and then the icing on the cake comes from the retort loop description - at a glance it seems like someone waxing poetic about what horrors man hath wrought or whatever, but if you actually stop and read it:

“Ultimately, I have to return to the core of what we made, the code we cracked when we finally figured out NO/EM. From a simple prompt, we created a terrible engine. I am more proud of what we did than anything I’ve ever worked on before, but it should never see the light of day. Working with Visual convinced me of this: it’s their job to translate our work to sales, and they could not. If the translator cannot understand the text … then who are they to rewrite it? Who is the reader to attempt to access it? I conclude my summary with this: mothball the platform. There are less terrible paths we can walk.”

this is someone becoming gradually disillusioned with their crowning achievement as an artist, because in making it palatable to the wider market they keep having to water it down, and so rather than face that indignity to their craft they have put it to rest. and also the project in question is a horrifying murder machine.

[satoshi-mochida]

Multiplayer mech action game Mecha BREAK announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PC

Gematsu Source

Seasun Games has announced multiplayer mech action game Mecha BREAK for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC (Steam). A release date was not announced.

Here is an overview of the game, via Seasun Games:

About

Mecha BREAK is a multiplayer mech game that allows players to choose from diverse mechs, customize appearances, and battle colossal war machines on treacherous terrain. Get ready for the ultimate showdown—blitz, brawl, and blaze!

Key Features

-Gameplay Modes – Choose from three-versus-three, six-versus-six, or Battle Royale modes for intense battles and survival challenges.

Six-versus-Six Battlefield Mode – The game features different mid-sized battlegrounds like “Eye of Misra,” “Mercury Shipyards,” and “Cape Blanc Observatory.” Players are randomly assigned to these battlegrounds, forming squads to complete missions. In the six-versus-six battleground, tactical decisions are crucial, including cover, strategic retreats, and baiting enemies. Choosing the right team tactics at the right time is key to winning.

Mashmak – Form a team of three or six players to execute combat missions. Utilize your piloting skills to defeat enemy mechas, or employ strategic coordination for seamless victories and game-changing maneuvers. You’re in full control. Immerse yourself in a 48-player battleground, where you’ll encounter ambushes, hostile resistance, and the looming threat of colossal weapons. Navigate lethal pulse storms, skillfully evade pursuers, and claim victory alongside an abundance of spoils.

Three-versus-Three Arena Mode – Three-versus-Three Arena Mode offers the ideal platform to showcase your exceptional piloting skills. Navigate intense combat with agile evasion of incoming missiles, while seizing strategic moments for decisive strikes. Your precise maneuvers will be the key to victory, propelling you towards becoming an ace pilot.

-Character – Customize paint jobs and create your own unique mecha. The appearance of the mechas’ weapons can be customized. You have the ability to personalize the weapons, shields, and wings, allowing you to tailor each mech’s appearance according to your preferences. Each mecha is divided into over 120 color modules. This allows players to create unique color combinations. Through battles or purchase, players can acquire common or rare paint colors. The game also offers a wide selection of patterns and decals for you to choose from, so you can personalize your mechas to your liking.

-Battle Experience – 1) Aerial and ground combat combined for a dynamic engagement. 2) Intense close-quarters brawls. You will experience a thrilling sense of speed, firepower, and strength as you control a 12-meter-tall mecha from a third-person shooter perspective. Engage in battles against other players in various battlegrounds while accomplishing difference mission objectives.

-Mechs and Pilots – Unlock a wide array of mechas and exclusive pilots, each with their own unique backstory. Each mecha is equipped with distinctive weaponry and serves a specific role, such as sniper, brawler, attacker, defender, or support. Coordinate with your squad members to maximize your advantages and secure victory.

World Setting

The Catastrophe – Triggered by a massive coronal mass ejection, the Catastrophe occurred as supercharged particle flows impacted Earth’s magnetic field. Collisions between highly active thermal mantle plumes and the crust led to earthquakes, volcanic activities, and the eruption of EIC.

EIC – Scientifically known as “Corite,” Eruptive Inorganic Carbide (EIC) emerged from geological disasters during the Revival Era. EIC manifests in towering mineral columns and hazardous mines formed by volcanic activities. With immense technological value, this enigmatic mineral possesses wide applications in the energy and tech industries, making it vital for post-Catastrophe reconstruction. However, it also poses a severe health risk and remains humanity’s greatest threat.

Epoch of Biped Strikers – After the Catastrophe, Lunarians invented bipedal machines as the primary mode of transportation. These walking vehicles were designed to navigate lunar terrain, surpassing the limitations of traditional vehicles. Eventually, they were weaponized, leading to intense conflicts among powerful mechanized soldiers called “Strikers.” These adaptable armored units replaced conventional vehicles and showcased their dominance in resource struggles. The third-generation Strikers emerged as the elite among their kind.

BREAK – “Third Generation Strikers,” often referred to as “Mind Projection Type Strikers,” use the power of the EIC supercomputer “Cubrain” to form a neural link between the human brain and the Striker unit. This concept, known as Mind Projection, is the cornerstone of their operation. BREAK Strikers take this technology a step further. By taking into account the pilot’s physiological indicators, they surpass previous synchronization constraints. This enhancement allows the Striker to deliver a significantly improved performance on the battlefield.

Moonbow – Moonbow is a powerful independent force, operating globally utilizing their airship of the same name. They deploy the formidable BREAK Strikers to address various EIC-related crises and explore the truth behind EIC.

Conflicts – Moonbow confronts persistent threats from EIC and the malice of humanity. While BREAK Strikers are more than mere weapons, they often become a necessary means while facing unavoidable conflicts.

Marcens Pandemic – The Catastrophe released EIC debris, contaminating the Earth’s atmosphere. High EIC concentrations result in plant mineralization and the fatal Marcens Disease in animals. Regions and cities transform into lifeless “Marcens Zones” through high-purity secondary Corite crystallization. Today, these zones rapidly expand via deadly EIC Pulse Storms, while humanity remains oblivious to EIC. Is EIC a natural disaster or something more sinister?

New Terrain – The Catastrophe shifted Earth’s tectonic plates, altering its landscape. New rifts and straits were formed, while mountains rose and landforms crumbled. Islands were engulfed, and volcanoes emerged, inflicting immense devastation upon both ecosystems and societies.

New Paradigm – As a response to Corite pollution, cooperation gradually became crucial, leading to the emergence of the Culturia Alliance, the Cygnia Union, and the Thalassic Federation. Meanwhile, the Lunarians proclaimed their independence under the name of the Commonwealth of Lunar-mare amidst the chaos.

New Conquest – EIC is an indispensable resource for science and commerce. Various factions are congregating at the largest Mercens Zone, Mashmak, preparing for an intense upheaval. The Catastrophe reshaped landscapes and disrupted the global order. Amidst recovery and Corite pollution, the Vulturia Alliance, Cygnia Union, Thalassic Federation, and Commonwealth of Lunar-mare emerged. Despite risks, these factions vied for self-interests. A storm is brewing in the largest Marcens Zone, Mashmak.

Watch the announcement trailer below. View the first screenshots at the gallery.

Announce Trailer

English

Japanese

Korean

Traditional Chinese

[dvadvadva]

"D.Va was never a StarCraft pro"

Clarification of Michael Chu's Tweet (Circa 2018) on the Blizzard Forums

"It's a common misconception, but D.Va wasn't a StarCraft pro before joining MEKA."

"Misconception probably wasn't the right way to describe it, more like something that we haven't clarified properly. I think the best I can do here is give the backstory (har har) on how we got here:

Going back to when we announced D.Va as a hero, we had been experimenting with using different methods of teasing new characters. We thought it'd be fun to use the StarCraft WCS site and slip D.Va in as she had a background as a pro gamer (this all happened before she was officially announced). At the time, I actually worried that it would be taken as canon, but I was hoping elements like the fact her preferred race was listed as "random" and the fact she couldn't have competed in the current series would help defray that. In hindsight, yeah... pretty confusing.

D.Va is absolutely a world champion professional gamer which was what got her recruited into MEKA in the first place. However her best game wasn't StarCraft (which was what I was attempting to clarify). We imagined that she was most known and specialized in a game with a skillset that was closer mapped to the skills that she (and the other MEKA pilots) utilized while piloting their mechs.

That said, D.Va has definitely played more than her fair share of StarCraft (as she references in some of her lines in Overwatch) and a slew of other games. Bonus fact: StarCraft is one of D.Va's father's favorite games! And he was pretty good at it.

Ultimately, I totally recognize that with the way we initially teased D.Va and since we didn't specifically say otherwise in her official backstory, the distinction was pretty unclear."

Source:

[christianlep]

Blog 7- 1/31

Watching Mobile Suit Gundam was a nice experience, and which I would consider the first modern anime piece we have watched in this class. Despite this tag of being a modern anime, I believe there are noticeable ties to past manga and events that this show draws upon. As we’ve discussed in class and read, Tezuka’s Astro Boy was a prominent influence in Japanese literature when it came out, with many being drawn to the aesthetics and themes conveyed, such as the notion of a futuristic world in which humans and technology (or more specifically robots) are intimately intertwined. While the mechs presented in Mobile Suit Gundam and Astro are different in the fact that one requires human input and the other is autonomous, they both share the characteristic in that they heavily impact the lives (for better or worse) of the humans with their advanced capabilities. While I was watching, I couldn’t help but think if Mobile Suit Gundam also serves to provide commentary about war and a need to regulate weapons of mass destruction, as we can see the fragility of human life demonstrated with the Zeon’s ambush attack in episode 1 in which the citizens could only run. Without the Federation’s own mech to combat the Zaku, Side 7 would’ve been overtaken from the get go due to the lack of technology or defense, which in some ways draws parallels to the bombings on Japan that would ultimately force them to surrender during WW2. While I was reading Lamarre’s Introduction, the first thought I had was that this guy really loves discussing the technology behind animation and there were some parts where I wasn’t following along too much, but there were elements that I did understand. For instance, Lamarre mentions the machines and apparitions we utilize to create media ultimately affect how we digest it, such as the train example he gives, where we no longer have the feeling in which we are moving forward when we see the animation outside the train, and instead take it in as a output device which we interpret comprehensively. In his discussion of cel animation he draws upon a similar concept, although it would be the inverse of the train analogy, as the viewer (or camera) is stationary, and it's the physical movement of the elements in front of it that establish the animation. Luckily I already understood how older animation worked so when Lamarre explained it I could visualize it, but essentially the camera, as it ultimately has a single point of seeing, relies upon a phenomenon called the parallax effect, where things that are further in stance appear to move slower as it takes longer to leave your field of vision, and things that are closer move quicker because it leaves your field of vision quicker. In animation, the frames are separated by layers depending on its perceived depth (like foreground, midground, background) and are moved at a speed relative to their perceived distance. Lamerre also mentions this but Disney invented the multiplane camera, which took this concept and elevated it by having dedicated racks for each layer, which could be moved up and down, which meant that to the camera, not only do the layers move at different speeds, but can now enlarge and shrink. We can see this parallax technique is used throughout Mobile Suit Gundam, such as in the first scene of the intro, when Amuro runs into center screen at a fast pace, while the background moves at a constant speed, even after he goes into slow-motion (in this case the parallax was more abstract). I know Lamerre’s paper was published 2009, but I also wanted to note that a lot of modern animation has transitioned away from hand drawn animation and now utilize 2D softwares, although the same concept of utilizing z-space is still present.

[sabersourcing]

LEGO Star Wars Mech: Complete List and Ultimate Guide

LEGO Star Wars Mech is a series of small sets featuring a minifigure piloting a large, humanoid robot. The buildable robots utilize articulating shoulders, legs and fingers, allowing the user to pose the figure. Collect multiple sets to create epic team ups or battles between characters. Designed for younger builders ages 6 and up, the sets are easy to build and pack in a lot of play value for a…

[docgold13]

365 Marvel Comics Paper Cut-Out SuperHeroes - One Hero, Every Day, All Year…

January 28th - Deathlok

The cyborg hero known as Deathlok heralds from a reality alternate to the mainstream Marvel 616 reality.  In this adjacent timeline, The Roxxon Oil Company attempted to take over the American government by instituting ‘Operation Purge.’  This entailed the use of Nth Projectors to banish Earth’s super-humans to a lethal extra-dimensional realms. Having exhausted their Projectors, Roxxon then attempted to conquer America via conventional means, which degenerated into mass chaos and all out war, with mysterious explosion devastating Manhattan and a dozen other American cities. The U.S. military eventually retook America, but the C.I.A. and various splinter groups fought for control.

Luther Manning had joined the Army several years prior to the events of Operation: Purge.  He was torn apart by a concussion bomb during a training exercise. Wishing to preserve Manning’s knowledge and experience, Simon Ryker selected him for Project: Alpha-Mech, transforming him into a cyborg where cybernetic prosthetics replaced and reanimated dead tissue controlled by a brain that is half organic and half computerized.

Now known as ‘The Deathlock,’ Manning waged a war against the militant forces of Roxxon as well as other, more malevolent cyborg soldiers.  

Shortly after an encounter with a dimension-traveling Spider-Man of Earth-616, Deathlok met the enigmatic Godwulf, a repentant former member of the Nth Command.  Godwulf used a special invention that sent Deathlok to Earth-616, whereupon he aided the occult agent Devil-Slayer against the demon-worshipping Cult of Vera Gemini.  

His transplantation onto Earth 616 awoke some of the memories Deathlok had when he was Luther Manning and he felt compelled to seek out the 616 analogs of his wife and son (although not daring to reveal himself, feeling that he had been transformed into a monster).  

Deathlok would go on to have many more adventures.  The computerized aspect of his cognition frequently led to his being misused as a weapon by both super villains and military agencies alike.  At one point Deathlok was acquired by Roxxon’s subdivision, The Brand Company, where the cyborg’s design was studied and mapped out by Harlan Ryker.  Ryker’s reverse engineering of the technology would ultimately become the foundation of the ‘Homo Ascendent’ subspecies.  

Deathlok would eventually return to his original reality and helped Godwulf destroy the evil Hellinger, bringing peace back to that world.  

What has since become of the Luther Manning version of Deathlok remains to be told; yet there has been many other individuals transformed into cyborgs utilizing the Deathlok technology.  This has included the unwilling test subject, John Kelly, accident victim, Michael Collins, Doctor Henry Hayes, and Ryker’s teenage daughter Rebecca, who became known as ‘DeathLockett.’  There has additionally been many unnamed Deathlok drones utilized as security or assassins by a number of shadowy organizations.    

Actor J. August Richards portrayed an altered version of the Deathlok character in the MCU television program Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD.  

The original Deathlok first appeared int he pages of Astonishing Tales #25 (1974).

[bmblboop]

I find the dichotomy of the atlas elites interesting

On the one had character like the ace ops, Whitley, may and to a lesser extent cordovin prove that they can change, that many people will be better if given the chance

But the you’ve got people like Jacques, like ironwood, like madam, who up until their final breaths continue to be self serving evil pricks,

It all comes down to who’s example the rest of the atlas elites will,follow

My question is at Keats for the time they stay in vacuo they’ll play nice, but once they get a chance at power again, likely in mistral, they’ll go right back to their old ways,

The difference between the Ace-Ops/Whitley/Cordovin is that they may have held powerful positions, but they never held absolute power - which is something that Jacques, Ironwood and Madam had, and utilized to inflict suffering on others. The people who held absolute power never reflected on their actions, and never felt remorse for what they did or "had to do for the greater good".

Cordovin is interesting, because she kinda did have absolute power in the Argus branch, as the commanding officer there. She was, in a very meta perspective - a smaller version of Ironwood. She used her position in anger and in 'justified justice' against those who slighted her. However, when she was defeated, she was able to reflect and recognize that blaming RWBY+ would not save the city, they were not the real enemies, and that is what allowed her to change - seeing people she once viewed as 'below her' as equals. Her absolute power was stripped from her when her mech was immobilized, forcing her to confront her hubris and grow from it.

Harriet undergoes a similar arc, in which she is utilizing perceived 'ultimate power' from her orders to justify her actions, as well as a detached perspective on the situation to avoid grieving over Clover. She reflects on this when she is confronted by the fact that her coworkers are her friends, and she does care actually about them.

I think that's why I've been arguing in favor of the Atlesians as not all awful people, because there were very few people in Atlas more powerful than Ironwood or Jacques, and thus, few people likely to be as stubborn as them. I could be wrong, but I'm willing to bet that 90% of the kingdom's population and a solid 75% of Atlesians are willing to "play nice," in your words.

I'm sure there are still power hungry snobs out there, but they have no systems of power to use or exploit anymore, since Vacuo is noticeably devoid of them. Atlastocrats might still harbor Atlesian ideals, but that mentality will either be beaten out of them by the harshness of the refuge situation they are facing, or flee to Mistral, where they may take root again, as you speculate. (but idk how many can flee to mistral without taking an airship - which may not be cheap or readily available)

[farsight-the-char]

In my SiFi setting...

Alliance Combat Ships are larger and have heavier fire-power, and utilize multiple styles of shielding/armour to take damage, to the point many of their foes can’t even scratch the surface of armour before being obliterated by Alliance guns in some cases.

Mobility is valued, true, though the preferred Alliance tactic to form “Phallanx Shield Walls”, joining Shielding Systems in ways that reinforce a fleets collective defence.

The Alliance does not utilize “fighter pilots” (though does use disposable interceptor and/or attack drones).

Individual cultures have different styles of ship, though larger ones tend to be human design (since the Terran Federation are the major arms manufacturer for the “big guns”)

The ultimate manifestation of this philosophy are the Void Dreadnoughts aka the “Apocalypse Vessels”, and the Mega-Carriers aka the “Doomsday Arks”.

...

The Pirate Families tends to use smaller, more mobile ships. Faster and often able to fly circles around the other fleets.

The goal is to get close to launch Boarding Drones and Harvest Cargo.

Fighters and Bombers are utilized, piloted by “Glory Feasters”.

Incredibly Diverse styles.

The ultimate manifestation of these philosophies are the “War Thrones”, massive “Battle-Mechs” caplable of FTL, piloted by the Pirate Royals.

,,,,

[trainermallow]

overwatch term guide

with the league grand finals just around the corner i thought i’d post this since it’s been sitting in my drafts for a while! some of these aren’t OW specific but for players who are new to the FPS/hero style world i hope this helps! i’m sure there are better guides out there but i wanted to make this anyway

general:

LOS - line of sight

DPS - damage per second, refers to damage dealers

OT - overtime

backcap - sneaking behind and capturing the point while the defenders are pushed up

c9 - losing the point/round by stepping off the point/payload

hero pools - a changing set of heroes to be picked from, removed from ranked games but used in league play

pocket - having a healer primarily focus on one teammate, healing them or damage boosting

spycheck - searching/shooting around to decloak an invisible enemy sombra

ult - ultimate ability (bottom center of screen, charges on percentage)

characters:

ball/hammond - wrecking ball

legs - soldier 76

baby d.va - another name for pilot d.va, a d.va who’s out of her mech

moth - echo

monkey - winston

abilities:

lamp/drone - baptiste’s immortality field

dash - genji’s swift strike

beacon - sombra’s translocator

rez - mercy’s resurrect

pin - reinhardt’s charge

bubble - zarya or winston’s shield

ultimates:

grav - zarya’s graviton surge, sometimes used to refer to sigma’s gravitic flux (usually referred to as just “flux”)

bongo - orisa’s supercharger

high noon - mccree’s deadeye

shatter/slam - reinhardt’s earthshatter

window - baptiste’s amplification matrix

beat - lucio’s sound barrier

bomb - d.va’s self destruct

visor/wall hacks - widowmaker’s infrasight

tac visor - soldier 76’s tactical visor

trans - zenyatta’s transcendence

coal - moira’s coalescence

combos:

nanoblade - genji’s dragonblade + ana’s nanoboost

grav dragon - zarya’s graviton surge + hanzo’s dragonstrike

halt hook - orisa’s halt (mini grav) + roadhog’s hook

beyblade - reaper’s death blossom + ana’s nanoboost/lucio’s speed boost

blongo - genji’s dragonblade + orisa’s supercharger

metas/character combos:

hog and ball torture - roadhog + wrecking ball

pharmercy - pharah + a pocket mercy

double shield - two shield tanks, usually sigma + orisa or reinhardt + orisa

dive - a composition with high mobility and an aggressive play style

GOATS - triple tank and triple support lineup, no longer possible due to 2-2-2 role lock

double sniper - two sniper DPS, usually hanzo + widowmaker or hanzo + ashe

bunker - a composition relying on shielding while playing primarily on point/payload or high ground for defenders

chengdu - a composition executed by the chengdu hunters utilizing wrecking ball and DPS heroes like pharah and genji, not so much a true meta like GOATS but still run in the pacific region

brawl - as the name would suggest

league terms:

sweep - winning a series 3/4-0

reverse sweep - being down 0-2 and winning the next three games in a row

el classico/clown fiesta - a series played rather terribly by both teams

feel free to add on/clarify!

[thevindicativevordan]

Metallo

I wanted to talk about one of my favorite DC villains, a guy who I’ve always thought was incredibly cool. A guy who I’ve thought makes a really awesome contrast for Superman. A guy who has never been in stories that have utilized his potential in my eyes:

Let’s talk about Metallo.

Metallo’s Background

He’s one of Superman’s oldest Rogues, and also one of the Rogues who has gone through the most revamps. The Golden Age Superman fought a guy called Metalo aka George Grant who created a suit of armor made out of the strongest metal on Earth (something that would resurface in the Grant Morrison revamp during the New 52) and a super strength serum that made him Superman’s physical equal. In an odd way he was an evil proto-Iron Man/Post Crisis Lex Luthor:

The John Corben take wouldn’t show up until the 1950s, created by Robert Bernstein and Al Plastino. This was the foundation for the modern conception of Metallo:

Right off the bat Corben was positioned as an Anti-Superman, predating Bizarro who wouldn’t show up until later. Corben worked as a journalist to cover up his real activities as a murderer and thief. An accident that nearly killed him and crippled his human body, forced him to accept a deal with a scientist to transfer his mind to a new artificial body. The scientist transferred his mind into an android body covered in synthetic bulletproof skin, gifting Corben with super strength. The synthetic skin idea would be used in Byrne’s revamp and the DCAU incarnation. He was initially powered by uranium, but was told he would need Kryptonite to fuel himself permanently. Corben would also act as a romantic rival for Clark via wooing Lois with his pretense of being Superman’s secret identity.

Ultimately John Corben would die in his debut issue, after mistaking a museum prop for the actual Kryptonite he needed to power himself. I often wonder if the character might have been better off if he had not been killed off in his debut, similarly to how the Joker was saved from dying in his debut by editorial. There were many intriguing ideas present in Corben’s creation: He was a romantic rival for Clark Kent, he used his journalism in a similar if villainous way as Superman did, and he was powered by the very thing that could kill Superman while still possessing enough raw strength to stand on equal terms with the Man of Steel. If they had kept him around, fleshed him out more, might Metallo have enjoyed more long term respect?

 Regardless, Corben’s death paved the way for the third Metallo: His brother Roger Corben.

Roger likewise had a lot of interesting ideas that would eventually get folded into the modern Metallo. He was not a petty thief, but had a personal vendetta with Superman over the death of his brother. Superman accidentally caused the very accident that crippled Roger, adding to the man’s feud. Roger was also a leader within the Skull organization, rather than the small time criminal his brother was. This Metallo’s design would form the basis for the Geoff Johns/Gary Frank revamp during Secret Origin, and I suspect the Johns conception of Metallo as a member of a wider organization and whose transformation was caused by Superman has it’s roots here.

Sadly the take on a more fleshed out Metallo would not last. The Roger Corben version of Metallo would meet his end with the rest of the Pre-Crisis Superman Rogues Gallery in the seminal Alan Moore story Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?

Enter John Byrne:

During his Post-Crisis revamp of the Supermythos, Byrne returned to the John Corben take of a petty thief injured in an accident, who is rebuilt by a mad scientist Professor Vale. Byrne added his own twist though, with the scientist believing Superman to be the first scout in a full blown Kryptonian takeover of Earth, and specifically crafted Metallo to be an Anti-Superman weapon powered by Kryptonite. Metallo was to be humanity’s defense against the threat of Superman, an idea that would be revisited in Johns’ and Morrison’s revamps. Unfortunately petty thieves don’t make for great heroes, and Metallo killed Vale, ultimately coming into conflict with Superman not over any desire to protect humanity, but to simply eliminate a thorn in his side.

This incarnation of Metallo has basically served as the basis for his appearance in outside media, with a design that blatantly draws on the popular Terminator films.

This version of Metallo would also acquire a variety of powers thanks to making a deal with Neron that included the ability to transform parts of his body into weapons, transfer his consciousness into any technological or mechanical device, and manipulate his size:

Personally I’ve always loved that powerset upgrade, and think it’s crucial it sticks. It let him kick the shit out of Superman AND Batman in Loeb Superman/Batman, which basically solidified for me that this dude was a badass you didn’t want to mess with. Shame he’s never come close to matching that initial impression since.

The DCAU mostly used the Byrne revamp’s take, but they did change a few aspects which would end up carrying over to the mainline version. Most important was the replacing of Vale with Lex Luthor as the mind behind Metallo’s creation, something that would be incorporated in both Johns and Morrison’s later revamps.

One aspect that they introduced that didn’t carry over, that was still utilized to great effectiveness in the show, was that Corbyn’s transformation had robbed him of most physical sensation. He couldn’t taste, smell, touch, all the little things that made us human, and that drove him nuts. Ultimately he would learn that Lex was responsible for what happened to him, and he would swear a grudge against both Lex and Superman. Malcom McDowell was a fantastic choice to play Metallo, and is still the guy I “hear” when I read Metallo’s dialogue.

Now we come to the guy who crafted the next big revamp of Metallo: Geoff Johns.

This version of Metallo incorporated a ton of aspects from the multiple revamps that had preceded it, in much the same way Secret Origin did to Superman as a whole, while also adding a few new twists that I consider essential to the character now.

Like the DCAU, Luthor was the one who transformed Corben into Metallo. Like the Roger Corben take, this John Corben was accidentally crippled in a fight with Superman that gave him a personal vendetta against the Man of Steel.  Similar to Byrne, this Metallo was created to be an Anti-Superman weapon. Corben and Lois had had a brief romantic relationship, similar to the original debut of Corben. Johns even incorporated some of the Golden Age Metallo by having Corben suit up in a mech suit made of “Metallo”, the strongest metal on Earth to fight Superman before the accident. Johns also added a key bit of lore that I love, that Corben served as a soldier under General Sam Lane, and became the man’s surrogate son, the child he always wanted as opposed to Lois and Lucy. Here Corben is motivated to fight Kal-El by a mix of xenophobia, need to impress his father figure, desire to impress Lois, and a simple dose of blood lust.

The last major revamp came from Grant Morrison during the New 52:

Morrison kept a lot of the Johns revamp: Corben was a soldier serving under Sam Lane, he had a brief romantic relationship with Lois, he was distrustful of Superman’s heroics, and his transformation into Metallo was connected to Lex. However Corben was a much more sympathetic figure under Morrison than under Johns, genuinely believing Superman to be a threat, he volunteered to be merged with the Metal-0 superweapon (another callback to the original Metalo) to defend humanity, but Brainiac hijacked his cybernetics and turned him into a weapon. 

While Metallo would get another visual revamp for Rebirth, posted in the first image, Corben has more or less stayed within the confines that Byrne/Johns/Morrison established.

How I would use Metallo

I said earlier that Metallo is a guy I loved that I’ve never thought has lived up to his potential. He’s a villain with a lot of cool ideas, he’s a villain who has been continuously used by a lot of my favorite writers, but he’s never lived up to the Anti-Superman characterization that’s baked into him. Too often he’s just been a glorified henchman, or a petty thug, rarely if ever challenging Superman except in the most basic physical sense. I think that’s a great disservice to the ability of the character to be a much more important Rogue. That writers so often refuse to focus on him or any of the Rogues beyond Lex also hasn’t done him any favors. Instead of creating countless new OCs that are tossed aside by the next writer, someone needs to come on board with a passion for revamping the classics.

A lot of Superman’s Rogues suck not because they aren’t cool or don’t bring any interesting ideas, but because the ideas don’t do a good job in contrasting with Superman’s attributes. Metallo is a great example of this, look at all the interesting ideas creators have crafted around him, yet none of them have really been able to push those ideas as a way to explore and contrast Superman, so we get basic “Metallo tries to kill Superman, fails, Superman sends him back to jail” stories. That’s a failure of creativity in my eyes. I think that by choosing from some of the revamps listed above, a better, cooler, more interesting Metallo can be crafted.

The basics as established by Byrne/Johns/Morrison are great! The essential ideas that should be incorporated from all of the revamps listed above are:

1. Corben needs to have a military background as in Johns/Morrison. The petty thief origin is too dull, there’s nothing really to be mined there from a characterization standpoint. As a soldier Corben can serve as an interesting critique and contrast of Superman as an icon of America. The “American Way” has always been a dicey add-on to the original “Truth and Justice” motto. Often it’s been used to cast Superman as an obedient stooge of the government, as he was in The Dark Knight Returns, a characterization that has dogged him ever since. I think Corben can serve as an interesting character to explore Superman’s relationship with the American military-industrial complex. I would have Corben be what said complex wants Superman to be, at least in the beginning: A human WMD they can aim and fire, who will always follow orders no matter how reprehensible they are, who has a firm “America First” mindset. That way you can contrast the mainline Superman, and show that Superman is not that while also establishing what “The American Way” means in his eyes. Or you can have Superman drop that aspect of his motto in-universe, out of disgust for how his government perverts it. Either option is fine with me, I didn’t mind when Superman renounced his American citizenship.

2. If Lois often has to end up working with Clark’s exes, whether it’s Lana, Diana, or whoever, I think it’s only fair that Clark has to end up facing down an ex from Lois’ past. It’s important to show that Lois had a life before Clark showed up, and I think Corben is a good way to explore some of that. He’s the possessive ex-boyfriend who doesn’t respect Lois’ personal space and is convinced he can “win her back” via sheer determination. You can also compare and contrast the way Clark courted Lois, did Clark occasionally make the same pigheaded assumptions as Corben did? Corben debuted as a romantic rival for Superman, and I think that aspect still has merit. I also like his status as Sam’s surrogate son, it adds for some nice tension with Clark’s father-in-law that the guy he actually wanted to marry Lois was transformed into a weapon to kill the guy who ended up being his son-in-law. 

3. Corben is a true believer in the threat Superman poses, and is willing to take on the transformation into Metallo to protect humanity. It’s xenophobia yes, but with all the Evil Superman stories going around, it’s hard not to sympathize at least a little bit with Corben’s viewpoint, which tie into a deeper attribute of Corben’s I think needs to be brought up: Corben should be a sympathetic villain. I wouldn’t make him a bloodthirsty psycho, Superman has plenty of those. Corben should have villainous valor, willing to tackle on whatever threats to humanity are out there, whether Superman or others. I would make Corben instead someone who has the genuine desire to protect humanity, but lacks Superman’s concern for collateral damage. In that way you could contrast the two’s brand of “heroics”, Superman’s loyalty to humanity as a whole over one nation, and concern with protecting lives first and foremost, Corben’s desire to protect humanity’s future for the “greater good” even if it costs a few lives in the here and now and loyalty to America above all else. 

4. I like the idea of Superman being inadvertently responsible for the accident that cripples Corben and mandates his transformation. It adds to his sympathy, helps justify why Superman might continue to believe Corben could find redemption (he wants Corben to change and also wants to find a way to earn Corben’s forgiveness one day), and provides a good personal reason for why Corben would hate Superman, blaming Supes for his current state. I would also have him blame Sam and Lex as well, but he would subdue those resentments for as long as he remained working for the military. Only after he finally snaps would he target those two.

5. Finally I would keep the ability to shapeshift his body into weapons, and to manipulate technology. I would have Corben emulating Adam Jensen from Deus Ex, able to “hack” tech around him for his own purpose, armed with a variety of weapons that make him a huge threat not just to Superman but to everyone. Finally I would get rid of the Kryptonite heart. I’m tired of every battle with Metallo going the same way: He shows up, blasts Superman with kryptonite radiation, Superman lies on the ground gasping in pain, Metallo stands around gloating like a moron instead of finishing Supes off, Supes beats him by tricking him or by someone else intervening. I want to see Metallo as an Anti-Superman weapon realized beyond jus the Kryptonite. How about incorporating the DCAU version’s lack of feeling, so that Metallo doesn’t feel pain from Superman’s blows or his powers? How about giving him an internal temperature controller, so he can’t be melted by heat vision or frozen by arctic breath? How about an invisibility cloak that hides him from Superman’s vision, sound mufflers that let him sneak up on Supes even with his hearing, basically go WILD with his Anti-Superman status, let us see a real fight between someone who can counter each of Superman’s powers! You have Kryptonite Man and Lex for the villains who mainly make use of Kryptonite against Superman, I think Metallo should go in a different direction. Morrison making it so that “Metal-0″ was already powerful enough to hurt Superman is all the justification you need as to why he still poses a threat in my opinion.

I’ll go over the basic arc I’d want to see him undergo and the kinds of stories I think he’s positioned to tell in another post.

[aion-rsa]

15 Best PlayStation One RPGs Ever Made

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In our look at the best Super Nintendo RPGs ever, we mentioned that the SNES is arguably the greatest RPG console in video game history. Well, if there is a console that makes that discussion an argument, it would have to be the PlayStation One. 

With a lot of help from Square, Sony quickly established the PlayStation as not just the home of incredible RPG experiences but as a console that was capable of effectively convincing people who previously had no real interest in RPGs that they absolutely needed to devote 50+ hours of their life to the next gaming epic. That sudden rise in genre popularity inspired some of the industry’s greatest RPG developers to try to outdo each other creatively and commercially. 

The result was a classic collection of role-playing experiences that still rank comfortably among the absolute best ever made. With due respect to the 20+ other games that deserve to be on this list, these are the 15 best PS1 RPGs ever made. 

15. The Legend of Dragoon

The Legend of Dragoon’s legacy has only grown since the game’s late 1999 release, and it’s not hard to see why. While this game was initially criticized for not living up to the standards of some of the other PS1 RPGs we’ll soon be talking about, time has been kind to the various things this game does so very well.

The Legend of Dragoon makes up for its slow story with an incredible combat system that emphasizes an almost QTE-like mechanic that helps ensure you’re rarely simply watching a battle play out. This RPG’s character transformation mechanic is also one of those brilliant gameplay concepts that should have been copied many times since this game’s release. There’s also always been something special about the fact that Legend of Dragoon‘s ambitious CGI cutscenes ensured this epic spanned four PS1 discs. 

14. Wild Arms

Wild Arms is another one of those PS1 RPGs that were initially overshadowed by some of the all-time classic games it had to compete against, but the thing that stood out about this title at the time is the thing that still makes Wild Arms special to this day: its style. 

Wild Arms‘ blend of sci-fi, fantasy, and western design concepts shouldn’t work nearly as well as it does here. Developer Media.Vision deserves a lot of credit for ensuring this game’s ambitious world always felt cohesive and for finding some truly clever ways to subvert genre expectations through this title’s approach to exploration, combat, and puzzles. 

13. Breath of Fire III

The Breath Of Fire III vs. Breath of Fire IV debate will likely not be settled here, but the third entry in this series ultimately gets my nod due to the ways it so clearly raised the bar for this franchise and its genre competition. 

Breath of the Fire III’s 3D visuals and voice acting helped sell this game’s engaging story, while the game’s combat and wonderful cast of characters ensured you were constantly engaged and ready to see where this absolute gem was going to take you next. 

12. Front Mission 3

Front Mission 3 rewards players willing to put the time into its fairly complex mechanics and deep storyline with one of the best tactical RPGs of the era and one of the best mech games ever made. 

This game is rightfully remembered for its customization options and often punishing tactical gameplay but I don’t know if it gets enough love for its faction-driven narrative and the ways its visuals convey epic mech battles without relying on more traditional action gameplay. 

11. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

The only reason this all-time great game isn’t higher on the particular list is that there are just other PS1 RPGs that better represent the genre and the kind of epic experiences we think of when we think of one of the best RPG platforms ever. 

Having said that, the way that Symphony of the Night incorporated RPG elements not only changed the franchise forever but eventually helped inspire developers everywhere to enhance their own action titles by utilizing role-playing mechanics. This is still one of the best blends of role-playing and action/adventure ever made.

10. Valkyrie Profile

Long before God of War took us on a journey through Norse mythology, Valkyrie Profile caught many PS1 gamers by surprise with its unique blend of Japanese design and a Norse narrative that tasks you with assembling the perfect party of heroes to assist you through Ragnarok.

Valkyrie Profile‘s true calling card, though, is its turn-based combat system that essentially assigns a button to each character in your party. Getting the most out of your party of heroes requires you to successfully assign each character the right actions at the right time in order to unleash powerful combo attacks. It’s complex, original, and a whole lot of fun. 

9. Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete 

Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete may have started off as a Sega Saturn title, but it’s hard not to ultimately remember this as a PS1 game due to the many ways that Sony’s first console allowed Lunar’s developers to share their full vision for this classic. 

It’s true that Lunar is an “old-school” JRPG in a lot of ways that might turn some people off, but when level grinding, party management, and methodical turn-based gameplay are done this well, it’s hard not to see this as one of the ultimate genre comfort zones. 

8. Star Ocean: The Second Story

It’s hard to talk about Star Ocean without eventually getting around to the fact that it has almost 90 possible endings, so let’s not bury the lede. What’s even more impressive than the game’s number of possible endings, though, is the fact that many of those endings are clever, logical, and, in their own ways, complete. 

Really, though, this game’s incredible number of possible conclusions just highlights the various ways this sci-fi/fantasy title makes you feel like every action you do truly matters and that anything can happen. I also have to pay respect to this game’s brilliant “private action” system: a unique mechanic that allows your party members to have their own adventures that ultimately contributes to some of the best sidequests in RPG history.

Read more

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25 Best RPGs Ever Made

By Matthew Byrd

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Was Final Fantasy Really the First JRPG?

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7. Xenogears

Xenogears features a fascinating blend of styles and mechanics that is quite appropriate considering the details of this game’s complicated development history (it started off as a pitch for Final Fantasy VII before briefly being designed as a Chrono Trigger sequel). Admittedly, there are times when you can tell this game is trying to find its creative voice and gameplay footing. 

Yet, all the concepts this RPG touches upon ultimately come together to form something wonderful and memorable. It features one of the best ATB combat systems ever, a complex and creative story, a lot of heart, great visuals, and a truly incredible soundtrack. Sure, the game struggles a bit in the second half, but it’s easy enough to overlook those shortcomings as the byproduct of ambition. 

6. Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy VII should be a victim of its own success. After all these years, all the praise, and all of the discussions, you would think we’d be at the point where the dreaded term “overrated” might linger just above this game’s legacy. 

That’s not the case, though. Maybe Final Fantasy VII was eventually surpassed, but it’s truly tragic to imagine what RPG gaming in the ‘90s and early 2000s would have been like if it wasn’t for this game. It alerted millions to the fact they loved video game RPGs, and it did it without sacrificing depth, quality, heart, or ambition. 

5. Final Fantasy Tactics

Considered by many at the time to be the best tactical RPG ever made, it has to be said that the most impressive thing about Final Fantasy Tactics is the fact that it’s still difficult to argue against this game’s claim to that title nearly 24 years after its release.

Final Fantasy Tactics‘ surprisingly accessible (yet still deep and rewarding) gameplay perfectly complements its colorful visuals, engaging character, and surprising story. I don’t know if it’s the best tactical RPG ever made, but it may always be seen as the standard in the eyes of many. 

4. Vagrant Story

It feels like people have been waiting for Vagrant Story to get the love it deserves ever since the game was released in 2000. While Vagrant Story absolutely has a cult following, it seems pretty clear at this point that it’s just never going to reach that level. It’s too difficult, too different, and it will probably never get the remaster it deserves. 

However, those who have played Vagrant Story know it was Square’s most mechanically ambitious and unique PlayStation RPG. From its stunning visuals to its deep combat and mature narrative, Vagrant Story has honestly aged better than all but a few of the games of this era. A game this different and innovative shouldn’t feel as complete and confident as it does. 

3. Chrono Cross

From the moment Chrono Cross was released, it feels like the first line about this game has been that it disappointed those who were expecting a direct follow-up to Chrono Trigger. Even when we learned that the Chrono Cross team never really saw this as a Chrono Trigger sequel, Chrono Cross still lived in the shadow of its all-time great predecessor.

Maybe there are ways that Chrono Cross would have been better off sticking closer to that SNES classic, but even at the time of its somewhat controversial release, many praised Chrono Cross for its innovative combat, weird and wonderful story, large cast of characters, music, visuals, and commitment to defying expectations at every turn. This shouldn’t be your first PS1 RPG, but it might be the one you end up remembering most fondly. 

2. Final Fantasy IX

Final Fantasy IX was essentially Square’s PS1 swan song. While the title’s return to the medieval fantasy style of classic FF games highlights the studio’s jovial mood at the time, the fact is that many people wondered if Square could recover from the controversial Final Fantasy VIII and produce an RPG that effectively ended their unbelievable run of hits in style. 

The fact they managed to do just that is an accomplishment that should never be overlooked. To this day, I struggle to think of even a handful of RPGs that challenge Final Fantasy IX’s charm, humor, and cast of characters while still providing a role-playing adventure that will feel rewarding to veterans and newcomers alike. This is an across-the-board triumph that delights and impresses in equal measure. 

1. Suikoden II

Suikoden II was pretty much “doomed to fail” from the start. It was released in the wake of Final Fantasy VIII’s massive debut, wasn’t widely distributed, and featured “retro” graphics that initially turned quite a few people off at the time of cinematic PS1 visuals. It didn’t help that its predecessor was a very good, but not great, RPG that also failed to find a wide audience. 

Yet, Suikoden II is quite simply one of the best games ever made regardless of genre. I would love to tell you about its nuanced and deep politically-driven narrative, varied combat system, minigames, world-building elements, and score, but how long can you really talk about Suikoden II without getting around to its cast of over 100 recruitable characters and the ways Konami managed to make each and every one of them (as well as their interactions with each other) among the best of their era? 

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I wouldn’t call this a perfect game, but at the same time, I’m struggling to think of a single thing I’d change about it. 

The post 15 Best PlayStation One RPGs Ever Made appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[satoshi-mochida]

The Switch version of The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV will launch on April 9 in North America and Europe, and April 16 in Oceania, publisher NIS America and developer Falcom announced.

The western release is due out less than a month after its Japanese release, which was previously dated for March 18.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV first launched for PlayStation 4 in September 2018 in Japan, followed by October 2020 in North America and November 2020 in Europe.

A release date for the PC version (Steam, GOG) will be announced at a later time.

Here is an overview of the game, via NIS America:

About

The Erebonian Empire is on the brink of all out war! Taking place shortly after the ending of Trails of Cold Steel III, the heroes of Class VII find themselves against the full force of the Empire in an attempt to stop its path of total domination. Further, the hero of the Erebonian Civil War and Class VII’s instructor, Rean Schwarzer, has gone missing. Now, the students of Class VII, old and new, must unite with heroes from all over the continent to create the only chance the world has to be spared from total destruction.

Key Features

The Ultimate Class Reunion – Boasting the largest roster in series history, heroes from all over seek to join the cause! The heroes of Class VII unite with Crossbell’s Special Support Section and even the heroes of Liberl.

Battle Most Refined – New and returning systems join the already polished combat of The Legend of Heroes series, including the ability to summon giant mechs to the field for devastating attacks, use Auto Battle for more expedient combat, and utilize Lost Arts, the most powerful Orbal magic capable of turning the tide of battle.

Pursuits of the War Weary – In between epic battles, catch a breather with a number of mini-games including returning favorites like Vantage Master, fishing and puzzle games! And introducing new pursuits like Poker, Blackjack, and the Horror Coaster.