Wolf Kanno
is a Level 99 Chocobo
Memento Mori
Site Contributor

ooh, I actually made races for my new world. I can tell you all about them if you want

Oh yeah, I did actually end up going neutral in the end. It's just that you can't choose Neutral from the start, your chapter 2 is always one of two paths, not three. So I did end up having most of the cool characters. I still wish I could get Dame Ravness, but alas. Though at first I had reservations about listening to Ronwey at the end of chapter 2, in the end it did seem reasonable (even if Catiua disagreed). Still, choosing between goals and compassion seems to be a thing with Matsuno, and I like how even on the Law path (or really, Delita's entire story) you aren't really treated as evil. It's easily the thing I love the most both in his games and SMT.

To me, the interesting thing was how they planned what we got to initially be two episodes - I had heard the whole Xenosaga as it is was supposed to be one episode. And yeah, i had no idea they actually planned to reimagine Xenogears - dunno how I would have felt about that, what with it being split into two games, and the fact that the Xenosaga Abel is a completely different concept than the one in Xenogears (and tbh, I find the concept of it being just a human who happened to come into contact with a deity by proxy be the main catalyst for the story far more compelling than him already being an aspect of a deity from the beginning; kind of takes away from the message of the original if you ask me). Too bad we never got those sequel episodes. I wonder if Takahashi will slip the concept they had for that story into one of Xenoblade's sequels. I actually heard that XC2 is the most Xenogearsy game in the series yet. It's honestly hard for me to believe when I look at it, and part of me kind of violently refuses to accept it.

On another note, as I finish the Witcher books again, I can't help but try to recommend to you again :P Especially now that I know you have a background in history, since Sapkowski really likes to play around with that, making a huge world with a rich history, and kind of defining your expectations in many ways. The narrative is peppered with various flash forwards of historians and people telling fairy tales of the events you've been reading about, and it really casts doubt on what the real events were, if they really happened that way, and if that really matters in the end.

In general, I actually really like the fact that I have the drive to return to media I've consumed already. No book is the same on the second read, as no game is the same on the second playthrough. I know a lot of people, my wife included, who reads a book/plays a game/watches a show or movie once and is done with it forever. But I believe every story has a whole lot more to offer than just what you get on the first time. Which is why I love to revisit stories that have moved me. Which is why I'll play Xenogears again right after I finish Chrono Trigger (so, probably today or tomorrow).

... I just need to remember to write my thing in the meantime

I only read the history of Gears and Saga sections and didn't really notice them being particularly critical of either series. It was an interesting look at the creation of the series. I remember thinking that Takahashi actually had an opportunity to make a more complete game with Xenosaga, but it turns out that Xenogears was actually a much more complete product, even if the gameplay of the second disc got gutted. I really need to give Xenosaga another shot since I kind off fell off that with Ep. II. Xenogears, on the other hand, has kind of steadily been building up in my head and if I were to make a top games list today, it would be much higher. And I've come to the conclusion that I actually really dig disc 2 as a design decision.

Yeah, I heard. I definitely like how your decisions really determine which way Denam's character goes. Mine was pretty much a proto-Ramza. Still interesting, though he kind of lacked the rich character backstory that Ramza had which made him far more compelling in my view, since he wasn't a pure paragon of justice just because. It's kind of shame though that Chapter 4 is the same regardless of route, if I remember correctly

You've probably seen all this, but it's pretty cool
http://xenogearsxenosagastudyguide.b...xenogears.html

Well, in my playthrough, Vyce was the Delita That reminds me - the fact that Vyce always goes the opposite direction to you is incredibly fascinating, especially with how both routes really fit his character.

Now that you've committed an insane atrocity and I can no longer look you in the eye, at least you have the option of recruiting Dame Ravness.

In other news, saw The Red and the Black yesterday. It's nice to see the mythology arc of the X-Files really coming together, though I have a feeling we won't be seeing a satisfying resolution ever. Still, the hypnosis scene alone was fantastic and was another opportunity for Anderson to showcase her immense acting talent.

Also, Bad Blood was pretty insane.

Normally, Id assume Chaos, but since you said you took an "interesting" route with what I picture to be a malicious grin, I am led to the assumption that you murdered them and picked the Law path

Youre gonna have to be way more specific. No sich thing as an uninteresting scenario in a Matsuno game

The stuff I sent you was from the project I abandoned for now I've actually told you pretty much nothing about this new project. I'm even considering telling you nothing until I send ykou the completed draft for beta reading

Cool! Law orchaos?

Sounds interesting. Can't wait to see how it plays out. So I take that its more like Tactics Ogre than FFT in that regard where the stones eventually overtook the story, while TO basically meeps it purely pplitical.

Its actually pretty hard for me to describe the fantasy component of my thingwithout going intoore detail, so let me just say that magic used to be more abundant in the past, has ben commodified and is basicaoly a science now but isweaker, butsomething is causing it to come back to its former level. And that's kind of the surface of hhe main plot, but we'll see where that goes

Sounds like a solid basis for a good plot. Are you planning on integrating any overt fantasy elements, or just leave it more about the historical side of things?