ranks don't really 'matter' in fighting games. Playing the first Granblue? No one did much ranked played so I've learned not to put too much stock in it. That said, I've set meager goals in a few games now and I do think that process can be relaxing if you allow it to be. Next up: Yasmine in SF6?

Some friends have been playing Granblue and so I've gotten back to a brief ranked grind in that game. Ilsa to Master! I think this is maybe not as "impressive" as getting master when the game was new but it's nice to set a goal and hit it. I really miss Vanilla GBVS tho...

A thing I like about Granblue Relink is how every character plays distinctly but things are OFF TO THE RACES now that the expansion allows you to play as the potato that controls one ~million~ swords. I think this is probably what video games are be doing da best. sword ladies. we're okay at that

Psycho Mantis watching baseball: "Each mind that I peered into was stuffed with the same obsession. That selfish and atavistic desire to pass on one's seed... Every living thing on this planet ~including Keith Hernandez~ exists to mindlessly pass on their DNA.... And that's why there is war."

I don't do a lot of FF14 posting but for a time (before this character pseudo-retired to train another player as her successor) I had an outfit I really liked. big splash art here by @rirene.bsky.social lovely cute sketch by @tuyoki.bsky.social! Love seeing it in different styles!

I'll be real now that I'm watching this weird Trump fireworks show, it mostly feels like this to me. Nation-wide collective stroke, Rei collecting the souls, spear of fuckin' Longinus

On the subject of old games and Skies of Arcadia, I will briefly say that while I greatly prefer playing on my Dreamcast.. my last playthrough was SoA Legends with a minor texture patch and I thought that it really looked great.

the one, the only

"If the rule you followed brought you to this, of what use was the rule?" What do these people think we have been doing? At a certain point, it's actively insulting. Oh, you're losing rights hey have you considered VOTING harder? Did you even VOTE? Yeah, I did! Where has that left me?

Here is the catch: I ~really~ loved Chronicles X. I think that game is so fun to explore and combat is so snappy and cool. So the critical *project* here is to diagnose what XC1 is doing and why it's not working for me. I'm a freak who thinks this process will be fun. Even in the game might not be.

I know this is a very esoteric complaint but as someone who also have *feelings* about how a paragraph should look I have hangs up about dialogue lyricism. Don't think that people need to talk like Polonius but the rhythm here is: Beat, beat-beat-beat, beat. Beat, beat. Functional but gets to me.

I'm gonna be real, folks. There's some early combat design things happening here that I have predominantly negative sentiment as I eek through Xenoblade's early hours. This said, I can see how if you're 13 or whatever in 2010 and hit something like THIS... it would fry your brain.

Finally addressing my one real big RPG blindspot. I've only ever played Xenoblade Chronicles X. Gonna play this much slower than some other stuff I've done though! This Shulk guy kinda bouncy like Sora for now. But soon, presumably, comes a divine sword..

Azure replay done. This means since December we've hit everything except SC and Sky the 3rd. What a gratify dive but also a bit of hike! This is one of the great ones. Yeah, start with the first game if you can but if you just did Crossbell... damn, still pretty good.

This podcast is full of wonderful people talking about games of all genres and ambitions. For me? You can tune in to listen to my praise for Trails Beyond the Horizon, a game which has one of my favorite cliffhangers ever and really highlights what 20 years of world-building can make possible.

The friend group has started to watch Legend of the Galactic Heroes, which obviously means I've also started watching Die Neue These to do the comparisons as I go. Totally fine thus far if not quite as charming. Helps that Yang Wen-li in any and all iteration is a top tier space anime guy.

I don't Marathon post often (it's my one steady game outside the fighting games I play!) but I will say that I think I've gotten these sponsored kit runs down to a science. Pretty much always leaving with some nice goodies. Surprisingly relaxing as well!

This is the scene for me.

I'm doing a lot RN. Writing as the mood hits, preparing to move back east, trying to figure out what the hell I even want in life. Having a little constant extra "thing" to keep exploring like this has been a genuine boon. remake's okay although I miss the original script, I think.

The Trails update is that we're pausing at Azure's intermission to swing back and rip through FC Remake in prep for Second Chapter hitting in September. I'm not really someone who tends to do these kinds of replays often but it's been a relaxing backdrop to ongoing projects.

At a *minimum* it's hard think of a comparable narrative project in terms of time and world-building within video games? besides being good RPGs there's a real sickos (almost novel-series reader) element for folks who want to track *a world* in great detail over time. also? s'often quite cozy!

I've some fun in the pipline re: Trails coming probably post-SGF but really there's not been a better time to start these games. Trails in the Sky and the Second Chapter remake has made it really easy to leap into. Which I think you should. It's a big, daunting series but quite the ride!

This winter I did a replay/catch up of the Cold Steel games. Which let me catch up to the current Trails arc (Horizon was so so good!) and now… Finally circled back to a replay of the Crossbell games. Trails from Zero down! This duology really is *the heart* of the series. So, so good!

Me and some friends have idly picked up LOTRO. I dusted off my decade old account and everything! Ah, memories! Hoofed it from Celondim to Bree on the elf I made, where I ran into one of the `coziest` bard groups I've ever listened to..

Getting cold sweats as I eat this chicken, muttering “I did it for you, corporate jolli bee lovely cosplay gal..”

I am not immune to propaganda. But! Damn this is a lot of food!! 😵‍💫😵‍💫🍗🐓🐔🐝🐝

Kicking off a fresh RPG adventure. We’ll get this and the rest of Radiant Dawn up on the blog before I move back east.

The friendgroup is settling in to finish up Record of Lodos War today and it's just like man... every second you pause there's such lush scenery or pretty elves or whatever sooo sooo beautiful

End of the night. The front is very tightly packed for this concert!

My time here was pretty much entirely focused on talking to community members and players. A looser and more conversational festival experience than some I’ve done. Write up next week. Players have some early worries about upcoming game changes but folks mostly seem pretty excited.