Topic: The Chit-Chat Thread

A girl with a Danganronpa shirt came into work today. Let me just say I was pleased.

Took a day off from work today and gamed for a good chunk of it. It's been ages since I had a decent flop day. What better way to celebrate than to dig into Monster Hunter Rise? Enjoying it so far, but I haven't really done much of anything yet to be honest. I spent over an hour just customizing my character and the starting Palico and Palamute, then spent a good while just reading through all the tutorial and manual stuff. I spent the rest of my session earlier in the training area trying to work out what weapon I want to use. I originally was set on the dual blades, but I REALLY like the utility of the switch axe.... :thinking_face: I did also read and play a bit of Let's Go Eevee.

@NintendoByNature I wholeheartedly approve! Let me know how Ori and the Will of the Wisps is. Despite a couple small issues, I really enjoyed the first game.

@bimmy-lee Gotta find the silver linings in crazy times like these. Sounds like you're getting a lot done around the place along with that quality kiddo time! I didn't really mind working from home, though I don't have any Koopalings of my own; I really feel for parents who had to juggle both their jobs, normal parenting, AND remote learning where it's an option.

I've heard of Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, but I don't believe I've played that one. Some of the games we had at the small grade school I went to were also for pure entertainment. Electronic board games like The Game of Life and Clue, mainly. I also recall playing (and being terrible at) Civilization III. XD

@MarioLover92 Y'know, the time limit you mentioned also rings a bell. I'm now more certain it was one of the OutRun titles. Now if I can only find that exact track I liked....My memory is foggy, so it's possible I'm not recalling it correctly either. XD

On Castlevania: I wouldn't say I'm interested in all the games, but I am certainly willing to invest some time into what are arguably the best games in the series. Part of me feels like I should at least play the original, but I don't know if I'd have the patience and sanity. XD I might look up the Anniversary Collection at some point. I'm set on Switch games for a good while! _{And I low-key just ordered another 3DS game earlier since I'm trying to finish out my collection...Darn rising prices....}

My 39" is also a Vizio, and I've been quite pleased with it. I'm kinda tempted to get a larger TV sometimes, but that's admittedly more on my vision prescription right now. No huge need to upgrade just yet.

@Anti-Matter Are you using the favorite foods of the Yo-kai? That can help your chances, but even that doesn't guarantee you'll recruit a Yo-Kai. Recruitment is completely random. Sometimes I'd spend a good while trying to recruit a type I liked. Other times, I'd recruit one without even trying. Befriending is known to be somewhat finicky in the first game and was supposed to have improved in later installments. The only other game in the series I've played is *Yo-Kai Watch 2: Fleshy Souls and it seemed a bit random there too.

As for another Jibanyan...Off the top of my head, I'm not sure. I just settled on Badinyan and skipped Thornyan.

@ThanosReXXX Ah, my apologies. The frozen stuff is better than nothing, but I do hold local/unique pizza places in much higher regard. Definitely over most chain pizza (though some of that isn't bad either. )

@Tyranexx so far, its so much better than the first. I liked the first, but I wasn't in love with it like others were. This one seems like it took alot more from zelda than it's predecessor, and as you know, I'm all for that! Only about 2 hours in, so I have alot to do in the game, but I can already tell it's going be superior and one of the better indie games( if its really even considered indie). I will say, the ori games do a great job of giving you upgrades and power ups quickly and early on. I just got the bow and arrow that is cleverly used to solve puzzles. Lovin it!

@TheJGG Ah, The Wonderful 101: Remastered. I backed that on Kickstarter as well and opted for a physical copy. I did play through and beat the game. There was some enjoyment to be had; I really liked the writing, dialogue, concept, and some of the mechanics. However, it was hard to successfully pull off some of the Unite Morphs (You could tell it was originally conceived for Wii U), the game liked to switch genres on you (Not always detrimental, but this did get irritating at times), and I did have some issues with QTEs. My impressions are foggy since I played it last summer, but I did do a write-up on it in the Games You Recently Beat? thread back when I tried to do wordy reviews. All in all, it's a mid-tier game that I wish I'd just bought normally.

Most of the things I need to do are distributed online, and I have went paperless when possible. However, there is the rare time when I do need to print or scan documents; some official business I had to do last year (before Covid hit, thankfully) involved needing my actual signature as an electronic one wouldn't cut it. I then had to scan the document back into cyberspace.

On meat eating: I'm not against eating less animal protein, but I don't think that's the only way we can "save the planet". Plus, that ignores some people who best obtain some natural food sources like iron from meat. As well as the fact that some of that meat will always exist in some form.

I pretty much just use my TV for gaming, with the rare movie or big-screen YouTube session. I'm not into sports at all and don't see the point in paying for cable or most streaming services if I'll barely use it anyway lol.

I'm unfamiliar with Sky News, but I do know, like with teams, that some people prefer "their" news stations. Unfortunately, many of the larger TV networks here - as they're run by humans - exhibit some form or another of bias. The actual news isn't bad, but when the talking heads get into all their opinionated commentary....It's wisest to stick with multiple sources. It's a shame that I can't trust a singular source to give me the base facts without dumping their own slant onto things. Though to be fair, that's kind of been a thing ever since the printing press was invented.

On fasting: The fact that you can only go three days without water on average is why I was surprised that was a stipulation. Granted, it's only for a few hours, but I could see myself getting a decent headache towards the end of the fasting period. Though that would depend on what I'd been doing.

A solid night's sleep seems to solve a lot of issues for me, from health to move improvement. My sympathies on smashing your hand on the ladder - I've had a few mishaps with metal as well. Nothing worse than a bad blood blister on my hand from some metal on metal parts smashing a small portion of my right hand years ago.

While I prefer free dress, I do see the benefits of uniforms. They do eliminate some of the issues of bullying and classism, though thinking of them also brings to mind Pink Floyd's Brick In The Wall....

A major problem I have with social media platforms (namely Facebook) is how easy it is to share something because it reinforces one's beliefs. No regard to whether there's any truth to it. If there is, there's only a kernel surrounded by a weed of misinformation. I've tried researching and subsequently setting people straight on some of what they've shared (I've learned that if something makes one react emotionally, it may immediately be suspect) and only ever got one thank you. Things got...nasty socially and politically here last summer. I have acquaintances on FB on both sides of the political coin. So much ignorance, half-truths, abrasive post sharing, and "It's my way or the highway" type of thinking from both camps. That sort of behavior wasn't the only reason why I scaled back my activity, but it was a big part of it.

@Tyranexx
I heard i can trade Yokai if i have two 3DS machines and two Yokai Watch games at the same time.
But i curious can i trade Yokai from different series ?
For example i give Yokai A from Yokai Watch 1 from my 1st 3DS and at the same time i have Yokai B from different Yokai Watch games (Yokai Watch 3 Japan, Yokai Watch 2, Yokai Watch Blaster) on other 3DS.

For getting specific Yokai with favorite, i have thrown a lot of favorite foods to specific Yokai, they love it but still never get them. I heard i must get Yokai with Popularity skill to make befriend wirh wild Yokai easier. I'm hunting Smhoopie / Cupistol to get at least 1 Yokai in my team to able befriend with Wild Yokai easier, but still i can't get them even i have given them their favorite foods.

Also about Crank a Kai machine, it seems i will get totally random Yokai even i have scanned specific Yokai from QR code from website. It was not guarantee i will get exactly same Yokai like i have scanned from QR code. Is that Crank a Kai totally random ?

Edit: Man, it's like every time I reply to someone, someone else replies to me and I miss them! XD

@Anti-Matter I'm not sure how the games handle trading between the same game from different regions, but I'm going to tentatively assume that in most cases, you won't be able to trade Yo-Kai with the older games. I haven't tried it to be honest. It's possible there's been a patch that allows for backwards compatibility, but I haven't heard of that.

Yep, Yo-Kai recruitment is indeed random. I did find a Schmoopie to help with recruiting, so I do recommend using a Yo-Kai with the Popularity skill!

With the Crank-A-Kai, the Yo-Kai you receive will at least be in the same tribe as the medal's color. So a green medal will get you a Yo-Kai from the Heartful tribe, for example. Past that, I believe using the machine is completely random.

@NintendoByNature Good to hear/read! I liked the first game but did have a couple of (small) issues with it on occasion. Sounds like the second game is more refined. Brownie points for more Zelda involvement too! I've also heard you can actually attack in this one instead of just relying on the little wisp companion for that.

@Tyranexx it's true. He actually has a sword! Super fun

@Tyranexx Yeah, I'm perfectly happy with my TV as well. It's a good size for the room it's at, so no need to upgrade for me at the moment.

I still have the original Castlevania that I got from the Wii Virtual Console a long time ago, too. Although I got past the first two or three levels, it's quite a tough game. I'd love to give Symphony of the Night a shot though! I was considering giving the GBA games a try too, but I think those got delisted from the Wii U eShop, unfortunately.

That music thing kinda happens to me too. Sometimes when I hear a really good track in a game, I want to look it up on YouTube but I can't find it! XD As for OutRun, I found a YouTube playlist that has all of the arcade version's music. My two favorite tunes are...

Splash Wave

Passing Breeze

@Tyranexx Ha, no worries. It's all good. We'll get back to that point over here, one day soon... (I hope)

@MarioLover92 I'll see your original Outrun and I'll raise you with this:

Surprised you only just got Monster Hunter: Rise @Tyranexx, but at least you have the game at all! Way things are shaping it's going to be a very interesting year for Nintendo. I may have to wait a few months and then attack the Nintendo eShop, because I renew my estimation that there'll be a number of games that'll personally intrigue me enough to buy, that are shown at Nintendo's E3 Direct. I made this prediction for the February Direct and I was almost completely wrong, save for Skyward Sword HD of course.

But the truth of the matter is... it's E3. Nintendo'll need a show-stopper, and there's many announced and unannounced games that they could use in this capacity. So for now I'm not gonna buy any more games until at least after E3 happens. Good too because of the size of my backlog.

Yesterday I played a bit of Trials of Mana, which I've noticed is best played in half-hour bursts. As an RPG it's difficult to keep me engaged for longer, and though my party's over level thirty I'm less than eight hours in. As far as the general RPG structure goes it is very anticlimactic; there's a time where you approach this massive tower, and I expected to get into the tower and fight a boss there. Instead you have a boss fight right outside it, and as soon as it is over, you get the Moon mana spirit.

On Wonderful 101: I'll eventually give it a go again, but before then I'll have to really build my patience. The music, writing and voice work is very good but as you say it should have been tweaked more for an actual console. I spent fifty dollars on it after all so letting money like that vanish into thin air very much goes against my personal values. Hopefully I'll be able to explore more characters, experience the writing and so on.

But a break's in order, and that's where I turn to Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster! I beat the Sinspawn Gui boss after a bit of grinding, and I can certainly appreciate the Sphere Grid levelling mechanic, it's really cool and allows for some deep customisation. Right now I just need to increase the health of my party members... The boss fight itself wasn't too difficult, I used Yuna's Overdrive Summon to deal a massive amount of damage very quickly. And of course the second phase was extremely easy. I got stuck on the Evrae fight last time I played through so I'm banking on being powerful enough to beat it the next time I fight.

After writing the prior paragraph I played another solid two hours of the game and encountered Rikku again. She has a very bubbly personality so I very much enjoy her presence in the story. I’ve already eked 90 hours out of this collection and I haven’t even touched 10-2 yet, so I’m very excited to see how long and how far I can drag this collection, because it had tremendous value when I bought it last year for under twenty dollars.

Another game I’ve played a bit more now is Persona 5 Strikers. It’s so similar to the original Persona 5, in general aesthetic, style, plot (so far) and so on, so much so that even the length of the cutscenes is very long. Sometimes you’d get a five minute cutscene, a small section of walking for thirty seconds, then another five minute cutscene. But it’s great to hear the dulcet tones of the voice actors that bring characters like Joker, Ryuji, Yusuke, Morgana, and Makoto to life. As for the others, Haru I don’t like too much as she seems very one-dimensional, and Ann feels super flat outside of her first arc. But in a game that starts out with nine playable characters I’m surprised the game manages to keep them all in the loop. Like every time there’s a dialogue prompt every character says a line. Makes it drag on for a bit but it’s nice to see them again.

Things like exams, or very specific worksheets have been passed through on paper recently, but if we’re all online things like assessments are just distributed like that. Academic dishonesty is a very important topic, and this problem has been brought to the front because of virtual classes and lectures. My instructor actually had a go at the entire class because he somehow managed to catch a good 80% of people cheating, despite the fact that the only method of surveillance was a camera pointed at your face.

I’ve found that I’ve been using my TV more for big-screen YouTube viewings than ever, because of some racing series’ decision to broadcast over YouTube. Series like Super Formula in Japan, and the new electric off-road series Extreme E, have done it, so that all makes for a ton of racing this year. There’s been times when I watch two races in one day and I’m excited to see it happen again tomorrow In fact I’ve counted eleven times this year that I’ll watch at two races from different series that happen on the same day, and on one of those days, August 29 to be exact, there’ll be three on.

Well I use Sky for many things, such as some sport coverage, news, and movies. They’re very good as far as I know, and from my point of view it’s extremely unreasonable to shove your political agenda in someone’s face in the comments section of a news channel YouTube video. I often look at multiple sources for the same thing, such as video game reviews, and world events, to see where inconsistencies come up. With reviews though, I don’t do it before I buy a game… I check them out after I’ve beaten them. My reasoning is that I’ve had time to make my own opinion of the game, and that it’d be interesting to see how my take compares to someone who is paid to do it.

On exercise days I can’t imagine not having water, so to the people who actually do exercise while fasting, I offer my utmost respect, because I simply can’t do it. One swim training session makes me drain a 1L bottle easily, so that’s already bad if you want to cut down on, or eliminate water usage during the day. I haven’t gotten any bad headaches from the times I forget to pack a water bottle, but the mental pain is much more damaging for me; when you realise you haven’t drank for six hours the feelings like parched throat and thirst, hit you like a truck.

My thanks for your sympathies, my hand’s completely recovered since. Seems we’re both accident prone and that’s hilarious to me. Sleep is something so sacred and precious, that I don’t understand why people like @ThanosReXXX spend four hours in bed. Sleeping recharges you, gives you extra energy, and new motivation. It also saves your life, as proven by the various men and women who all died from sleep deprivation.

Well you’ve explained nicely why I avoid social media, so my thanks. Sucking up to people is something I really disapprove of, and social media really fosters such a negative atmosphere. I’ve learned over the years to avoid hate and excessive negativity, especially online, so joining social media has the risk of undoing all the hard self-improvement work I’ve done for myself. I’m not afraid, the truth of the matter is just that I’m uninterested.

Sorry about all that, politics are too powerful. Maybe this is where fascism comes in? Kidding, I watched a WW2 documentary and it really isn’t where fascism comes in.

@TheJGG That is one long post about life in general. Somehow this was enjoyable

@Solaine I'm glad you enjoyed it! It's sometimes relaxing writing long posts like these, so it's a great way to unwind for me. Writing about one's life is interesting, as a reader and a writer.

Give it a try; it may be something to look forward to every now and then!

@TheJGG Well, there's sucking up to people, and on the other hand, there's offhandedly mentioning people in a negative perspective, without directly addressing them. I honestly don't know which of the two is more frown-worthy...

I address thee as thou art now, @ThanosReXXX. Getting up in the morning is as ritualistic and natural for humans as anything.

@ThanosReXXX - I loved those cartoons you mentioned. There are old blocks of Saturday morning cartoons available on YT, and I’ve been playing them for the kids on occasion on Saturday Mornings, though I do steer clear of violence and anything with guns for the time being. It’s a lot of fun because they usually include the commercials. My son loves McDonalds commercials from the 80s.

American Day sounds like a funny TV event, but I’m right there with you on the original Batman series; I loved it, and it’s particularly difficult to find available today unless you splurged on a DVD set 20 years ago. Really wish I could find a way to watch that series again. It’s another I’d like to show to the kids.

ST and TNG were quite different really, TNG was much more of a sci fi action than ST, which was basically a space soap with bits of action. Super campy, but I loved the special effects, and Spock remains one of my favorite TV characters. It’s a series much more of its time than TNG.

@Tyranexx - I do remember my friends playing one of the Civilization games on one of the library computers, but I can’t remember playing it. It’s actually a series I’ve always had a passing interest in, but I’ve never had a computer at home to run it. It’s always very tempting when CivVI drops down to the $25 range on the eshop, but I get a bit of anxiety about the learning curve as well as what a time sink it looks to be.

Yeah, I think we’ve probably all been desperately looking for those silver linings the last year+, but I guess the simple fact that we’re here typing might be the silveriest of linings!

@TheJGG - If Star Wars is “better” than Star Trek, then pizza is definitely better than puppies.

@bimmy-lee You can only eat one of them humanely, so that’s not even a debate, friend!

@TheJGG Meaning? I stick to a military regimen, sleep-wise. And the 4 hours is my night time sleep. I also take a nap after dinner, so all in all, I usually get 5 to 5,5 hours of sleep per day, which is more than enough for a lot of us. Not everyone needs 7 to 8 hours. That's just for man-babies who can't function otherwise.

All kidding aside: I've never experienced any ill effects either, other than the odd surplus yawning every now and then during the daytime, but as soon as I get up, I'm completely switched on, and that lasts the entire day, even at my age. In fact, in the weekends, when I do sleep more, I often feel more tired than during weekdays.

@bimmy-lee Yeah, they were great, weren't they? There were plenty of others on offer as well, but I don't know if you know these: Battle of the Planets, Blackstar, Dungeons & Dragons, She-Ra, Jayce & the Wheeled Warriors, Inspector Gadget, Ulysses 31, Visionaries, Dino Riders, BraveStarr and Thundercats are all cartoon series that I loved to watch. I also still own the original Transformers feature length cartoon movie, and I've downloaded all the old series, so the original cartoon episodes that aired in the US and Europe, and the subbed and dubbed HeadMasters series, which are also great, if you can cope with the fact that the names of the characters are all wrong.

Well, actually: truth is that they aren't wrong at all, because the ones we used and still use are wrong, seeing as obviously, the original cartoons were also from and made by a Japanese studio. Kinda makes you wonder why they (the Western broadcasters/studios that buy and air these series) always screw things like these up, otherwise we would have always known them by their original names...

@ThanosReXXX Oh yeah I used to have this! I did have the original Xbox for a couple years and this was one of the games I had for it. I heard OutRun 2006 is even better, would like to give that game (and Jet Set Radio Future) a shot.

@MarioLover92 I actually have that version, Outrun 2006: Coast to Coast. I have it both on the Xbox and on PC, and it is still a great game to play, even today. More than likely because, regardless of the realistic cars, it's still an arcade racer, and far as I'm concerned, these are almost always fun.

Do you own any Xbox consoles at all at this moment, or did you stop buying them after the OG Xbox?
If so, then there's still the option to play it on PC. Here you go, it's up for grabs all over the net nowadays...

The above link is a pre-installed folder, ready to run. If you rather have an ISO to burn to DVD so that you can install it yourself, go here.

@ThanosReXXX I don't at the moment. I used to have a 360 as well, but it got the RROD years ago. I have a PC, which is a gaming laptop and I have Steam on it. Thanks!