The NEW Game Journal

[Fyle]

For some reason, whenever I play an RPG, if it's possible, I grind five level the soonest possible (usually when I hit the first world map near a town).
No idea why and no idea why five... I just end up doing it every time. (Tales of Graces F was no exception)
Might be some leftovers from playing really old and unforgiving RPGs like the first FFs or DQs.

Ya, I kinda do something like that too. In all my past favorites generally you can keep repeating battles, gain a few levels, save up some money and play the game at the pace you want. Aside from XP generally by repeating fights you are accumulating some loot to venture out with and just testing all the abilities and getting a feel for the game.

Furthermore, there is crafting in this game, so, I generally like to repeat fights to collect an abundance of crafting materials so I can screw around with them. When the enemies don't respawn to drop materials I feel like I each one is precious. I have 5 wolf pelts, if wolves dont respawn, I don't know what to do with those... That's just an example. I wanna know if I need something it's safe to use and I can go farm it later.

For the record, this game is great, I just have that one pet peeve is all.

Also, when are RPGs gonna have a mechanic to break open treasure chests ? Two Worlds 2 had it, to my knowledge no other game did. Staring down at a wooden chest with a two hand axe in hand is getting decades old.

o(^▽^)o

[Klyde Chroma]

I haven't posted in the game journal in a minute or two.... why?? well i've been way too busy playing games in between long tattoo sessions (I totally could have trumped the main arc in tales of graces f by now, but my workload the last 2 weeks has been a bit staggering).... namely Tales of Graces F, Suikoden, and trying out various DS titles has really been consuming me as of late....

But I have a question... WHY THE HELL CAN'T I SEEM TO RETIRE CHILDREN OF MANA!! This game completely sucks..... despite that fact that I am a HUGE mana fan, to the point of even liking Dawn to a degree, I must admit that children is an utter disapointment from both a mana perspective and as an action/RPG.... yet I can't seem to stop.... 8 hours in and I don't even want to look at the thing yet I compulsively feel the need to finish this awful title (my OCD has been acting up real bad lately..... no joke, I have freakin' horrible, diagnosed,ritualistic OCD)..... So I implore someone help me and justify putting this one back on the shelf.... or give me one good reason not to when  I have radiata historie and Castlevania dawn of sorrows just waiting..... aside from FF3 and dragon quest 9 which I'm sure I would also enjoy WAY more then this current turd of a mana title......

Thats enough of my rant about my compulsive need to finish such a poopy title.... back to graces F

[Fadedsun]

Kid Icarus Uprising is the best 3DS game so far. Having a blast with this game.

[Maxximum]

The horrible thing about games with an open world to explore, is that you end up over leveled by the time you get back to the main quest line. I already broke Xenoblade this way. After all the side quests, I'm so monstrously overpowered that every story battle is a yawn fest. A lot happens on the field but my HP bar just doesn't go down, even the uniques can't put a dent in me.

[Fadedsun]

The horrible thing about games with an open world to explore, is that you end up over leveled by the time you get back to the main quest line. I already broke Xenoblade this way. After all the side quests, I'm so monstrously overpowered that every story battle is a yawn fest. A lot happens on the field but my HP bar just doesn't go down, even the uniques can't put a dent in me.

Guess you should have done things opposite. Main quest first, side quests after.

[Klyde Chroma]

Guess you should have done things opposite. Main quest first, side quests after.

But what if you get locked out of a really coooool quest from advancing the story? Thats always my fear..... even with new game +'s and whatnot, hardly ANy games get a 2nd playthrough from me no matter how good..... there are just way too many things to play for 2nd completionist playthroughs these days I'm afraid.....

On a completely different note, I just put 4 hours straight into tales of graces f today..... I haven't had a 4 hr game session IN YEARS!! I feel like a kid again..... what a pleasant day.....

also I've come to terms with retiring Children of Mana so everyone could ignore my plea from the above post to help me justify that decision...... LoL....

lastly I've been affording some time to the 1 and only non-rpg series that has interested me in my many moons of gaming... Mega Man! Well..... Megaman  Zero to be more accurate.... not as cool as remember em though.... not sure if I'm gonna continue with it or not.....

[Darklight]

I've finally played Gamecubes Megaman network transmission, it's so so. Also downloaded Daytona from XBL, Plays really quite well, would be better if I can find out how to get the horse

[MeshGearFox]

Playing Creatures 1. Look away for a bit. Female Pixie is in the tree house playing with a jack in the box. Goes down the lift. Promptly falls asleep mid descent. D'awww.

And now she and my male purple mountain are coughing and life forces are dropping. :(

[Fyle]

On a completely different note, I just put 4 hours straight into tales of graces f today..... I haven't had a 4 hr game session IN YEARS!! I feel like a kid again..... what a pleasant day.....

You must be pretty busy...

On days I work, I'm generally occupied from 7am to about 6pm but I can play games for a few hours between work and going to sleep. I start a new job on April 2nd so I've been trying to beat DA:Origins since I'm off till then.
I put in about 20 hours Tues/Wednesday/thur I guess that's about 6-7 hours a day.

I'm only level 11 ( party members 10-11). Doubt I'll finish it before work starts tho.

(｀_´)ゞ

[Aeolus]

also I've come to terms with retiring Children of Mana so everyone could ignore my plea from the above post to help me justify that decision...... LoL....

lastly I've been affording some time to the 1 and only non-rpg series that has interested me in my many moons of gaming... Mega Man! Well..... Megaman  Zero to be more accurate.... not as cool as remember em though.... not sure if I'm gonna continue with it or not.....

Amusingly enough, CoM wasn't the worst Dungeon Crawler I've played on the DS despite its terribleness. No. That award goes straight to From the Abyss where the only thing of note in the entire game was one of the game's six NPCs descending into vengeful madness after I axe'd into her brother's face a few questions (since he was a boss). The rest was cobbled together in an afternoon by a developer team needing a breather from whatever they were working on while also scoring a quick buck on the side.

The MMZ games are fun if rather challenging and has the best plot arc in the entire franchise (even if it's held back a bit in trying to work around the post X5 MMX games fucking with X5's ending which lead directly into Z1). I'd suggest to not worry about ranking in MMZ1 if that's what you're playing, just feed and use the Cyber Elves that confer the permanent abilities (helpfully marked by being bigger than the other Cyber Elves). If you're playing Z2-4 you'll need to worry a bit more since you need a high rank to acquire EX moves which are your standard boss weapons Zero style, but it's not as bad in those games since the games get progressively easier and less strict about upgrades.

[Yoda]

Beat Journey and thought it was great. The game is perfect length for the gameplay style. 15 was a bit much, 10 dollars would've sat nicely w/ me.

The music and art style are out of sight, and I like how it showed you the names of all the players you met. I'm glad it waited until the end to do that because having a juvenile name like "Crunky1" hover over the character would kill it.

Games completed this year so far:
rage
ico
alan wake
da2
resident evil 5
ME3
Journey

[Fyle]

Games completed this year and last:

Skyrim
Kingdoms of Amalur
Shiver Isles ( if that counts as a completion )

Left undone :

Two worlds 2
Fallout 3
Fallout Out New Vegas
Dark Souls ( gonna go back to this one only )

Working on :

Dragon Age Origins Ultimate Edition
Demon Souls
Rage ( just started basically )

[Aeolus]

After learning that the color coded box conveyer belt puzzle stage was by far and away the worst part of the game instead of being the portent of things to come, I've decided to pick up Metal Gear: Ghost Babel again. And sure as shit I'm now past the Helicopter boss several stages later. Maybe I'll get this one done yet.

[Esper_Crusader]

Ogre Battle 64.  Wow, I forgot how much I loved this game.

[Monsoon]

Sure, I'll bite.  I keep a record of this on my blog and a few other forums.  Plus/Minus is games beaten (backlog + purchased) - games purchased; I want a strongly positive plus/minus for the year. 

Plus/Minus: 0

Current Backlog
Mass Effect
Grandia II
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Star Ocean: Second Evolution

2012 Purchases
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 3
Tales of Graces f
Dragon Fantasy
Sword and Sworcery
Journey
Anachronox

Yeah, I didn't really get into Mass Effect until January of this year, but experiencing them all so close together has been something else.  In the middle stages of both Wind Waker and Star Ocean 2 PSP, and so far I like Wind Waker quite a bit and hit a snag on SO2.