Essence_of_Meh

My feed was flooded with updates, reaching around 30 new chapters since last week - an event I’ve never seen before honestly, not on this scale. As you can guess, I’ve been slowly going through that, and will continue to do so for the next few days (maybe the whole week depending on how much time I have).

Can’t say I’m opposed to having this kind of trouble.

It’s pretty great, have fun!

Few weeks ago I wrote about Gun-Jou, a short series about high-school relay racing. I’m about halfway through and so far it turned out to be way more of a drama than sports story. I know these two tend to linked together quite often but in this case it seems like sports is more of a background excuse for the plot rather than an active plot point. I’ll put some examples in a spoiler to show what I mean.

Not that it makes the story less interesting, let alone bad, but I won’t be surprised if the second point from the spoiler ends up as a closure in the final chapter rather than a starting point towards something more. It’s a pretty enjoyable story so far so I don’t mind, just a little surprised.

As for the drama elements, they are realistic and make sense within the story so I’m curious about how things will turn out going forward. I’ll report back once I’m done with the whole thing.

Cyberpunk is currently out of the picture since I’m still waiting for all of the mods to update for the 2.5 patch. That, and because the game won’t launch with redmod enabled for some reason, even with no mods deployed. Ahh, the love-hate relationship with long term updates for mod heavy games…

In the meantime I’ve been jumping between few different things but on the gaming side I mostly went back to KuloNiku, a cosy cooking game with a cute art style and simple but enjoyable gameplay. It has two modes:

• normal - run and improve your restaurant, interact and bond with characters, take part in cooking duels to raise your fame.
• endless - just keep cooking.

What I really like, beside the gameplay in general, is the fact that all of the orders are somewhat randomised so you don’t end up going through the motions making the exact same recipes. Sometimes people want more of specific ingredient or flavour, other times they don’t want something in their food and sometimes they want a custom meal altogether - it’s nothing too crazy but it adds enough variety to keep things interesting.

Besides that, I also played around with the editor for Shadowrun Hong Kong. Not that I’m planning to actually do anything with it (I have enough to do with my current project) but I always wanted to look at one of these games from the technical side.
Editor feels a bit clunky (mostly a “me” issue since I’m not familiar with it) but I could see myself explore a bit more of it when I have some free time. Could make for a fun experiment and a good way to test some ideas.

I can see how going through the games back to back could throw one off with gameplay changes, they did not take it easy with each new game that’s for sure. I can only imagine how much weirder playing them in chronological order would be.

It’s cool to know they did a good job with these collections, I might have to give them a shot as well some day. Thanks!

Yeah, that’s just backwards compatibility doing its thing so I doubt anyone touched the game in any way beyond testing it works. It would be more surprising if they did put in the work to add the second stick support.
I’m not saying it wouldn’t be nice (I had similar problem with The 3rd Birthday) but it’s not really a proper port so it’s hard to blame them. Good thing the later re-release fixed that so at least you have an alternative.

How’re you finding the Master Collection overall?

Is Vita version a proper port or just running the PSP version, like Persona 3 Portable for example?

I just finished watching so things are still a bit fresh and I might change my mind later on. Still, first impressions are good in their own way.

I liked it, even though it didn’t feel as impactful as season 1. I don’t mean it in terms of “less drama” or anything like that, it just never really meshed into as coherent and effective whole as the original. Still good though.

Some general thoughts:

• Use of multiple art styles was pretty nice.
• I (mostly) like the soundtrack but I don’t think the music was used as well as in S1.
• Not totally on board with the retread of previous media (start with cyberpsychosis, the whole construct business, a big stand-off against corp forces in badlands etc).
• Story presentation felt a little disconnected and all over the place at times. Not terrible but it did negate some of the impact for me.
• I’m glad it wasn’t a repeat of near complete tragedy from S1 and gave us a somewhat positive ending. Dystopic media with zero hope just doesn’t hit as good in my opinion.

Oh, right! I did both The Sun and Temperance actually, I forgot they represented separate epilogues and just wrote based on the final gameplay section.

I agree about The Sun. though I suppose it depends on how you played the character. If someone didn’t engage with all the elements about finding a purpose outside of “being a legend” and instead stuck to anger and the need to lash out at “the bad guy” (Arasaka) then I can see it fitting quite well.
I wouldn’t want it as a proper ending for my V but being an NC legend never really interested me so losing that goal and switching gears towards something more personal was pretty easy.

As for Temperance… I like Johnny (by the end of the story) and I like that going this way gives him an opportunity to try again as a better person. I still prefer my V to have an option to make the best of their limited time while surrounded by their new family but I appreciate it as an option nonetheless. It definitely felt the most bittersweet and (positively) emotional out of all of these to me. It would probably be my choice if not for the “bail out with your bros” option.

After more than 500 hours spread over 6 years, many multi-month breaks and 7+ characters I finally managed to finish the base story of Cyberpunk 2077. I went through 3 endings The Path of Least Resistance, The Sun and The Devil - even at the very end things would not go perfectly.

• The intro section before the choice and The Path of Least Resistance ended up with my V spouting random lines every 30 seconds during the normal dialogue due to one of the mods I used (dependency for others).
• The Sun crashed during its epilogue. Also, Rogue and her gun disappeared during the boss fight (not in the intended way).
• My ability to scan bugged out during The Devil. I couldn’t finish the final part and had to watch it instead.

Despite these issues all of the endings were pretty engaging though I can’t say they hit as strong as they could under better circumstances. Between multiple partial playthroughs, already finishing the game through Phantom Liberty and being spoiled on the main points of all of the finales, there was just too much going against having a full experience.

As for The Star, I’m leaving it specifically for my next playthrough as my canon ending for the game. Before that happens however I intend to spend A LOT more time in Night City. As mentioned last week, I’m planning to start from scratch just to enjoy myself as a random NPC living their life whenever I feel like it. It might take a few months or a few years, the important thing is that I already beat the game so the pressure to progress is no longer there.
I’m doing a proper setup this time too - mod manager, serious testing and no mod list changes after I start. It should help with instability and other issues I had to deal with this time.

Anyway, that’s that. Not as emotional as I’d like but the feeling of closure is just as important. It’s certainly better than disappointment. Now to sort through all of my pictures in search for something worth keeping…

I decided to try migrating some of my library again since there are a few series I still can’t find new sources for after the old ones died. The only title I managed to find alternative for was The Big Bees though there weren’t any new chapters to catch up on. I miss these fluffy dorks.

Yup, I believe that was me. I mentioned modding and playing DU in the past. It was a pretty fun experience, even if somewhat simple/limited due to game’s age and mechanics. Seriously though, that approach with Skyrim’s range of mods would be a sight to behold.

Good luck with Morrowind. I tried it before (without OpenMW) and it left me traumatised due to crashes so I can’t say I ever gave it a proper try it deserves. Your setup should be way more stable so I hope it works out!

TES is a weird series for me since I started on the Gothic side of things. By the time I gave TES games a try there was always something blocking me from enjoying them in full. Not that any of them are bad, they just didn’t shape my tastes like other games did.

I actually started writing a full post going in detail about all of the titles I played but the truth is all I want is a modern Daggerfall with a big modding scene. That would be my dream come true in terms of sandbox fantasy RPGs.

I honestly don’t even remember how the vanilla game feels at this point since I always play it with a ton of mods (including ones focused on damage rebalance and restoring missing mechanics from pre-2.0 days). With the right build you can break the difficulty in half regardless of the weapon type but I feel like some sections didn’t handle the skill and gameplay rework as well as the rest of the game, leading to some rough parts if you’re not prepared.

If you’re on PC there are some mods that might help with your camera issue. If not, I can only sympathise. I’m sure they’ll get it right one day…

Well, you win some, you lose some. I can only imagine how fulfilling having a kid can be (or at least seems to be based on watching my friends). Besides, kids grow up fast - you’ll have plenty of time for games before you know it.

While I prefer modern/light sci-fi settings, I don’t really mind fantasy in general. I just don’t really vibe with Skyrim specifically and, unfortunately for me, it has the biggest mod scene within the series so it’s much easier to find mods I like compared to older titles.

Getting sick did give me an excuse to double down on lazing around and going ham with the game but yeah, I can imagine living a proper “adult” lifestyle would make this more of a challenge.

I think some of my love for it has to do with the fact there aren’t many alternatives that would support my kind of playthrough. Skyrim has a huge modding scene but it’s fantasy, plus I never really managed to get into its version of the setting. GTA V has pre-made characters in solo and kinda crappy character customisation and limited peaceful gameplay in multiplayer (not to mention blocking linux players outside of private sessions). There are Five M servers but many require Discord use and I’ve read about issues with playing it on linux. Lastly, there’s Saints Row 2 but that has a pretty limited mod scene as well.

Cyberpunk is the perfect mix of modern(ish) setting, gameplay which allows for more immersive approach and big enough mod library to get me hooked. Still, it IS a fun combo.

Cyberpunk 2077

Lots and lots and lots of Cyberpunk. To an obsessive degree, really.

I’ve put more than 60 hours into the game in the span of 5 days and don’t plan to stop any time soon. I do have an excuse since I’m a bit sick and have to rest but still… it’s been a while since I dove into a game like this.

I’ve been jumping between finishing some last pieces of side content I never touched before and just driving around, taking pictures and functioning as an actual part of the world rather than “the player”. I’ll probably finish this playthrough within the next few days so I’ll finally be able to say I finished the game but I’m already thinking about setting everything from scratch, with a new mod list (this time using a mod manager) and a new character meant not for beating the story but to play pretend as a normal no-name living in Night City.

Game is far from perfect but for some reason I just can’t help but love and keep going back to it despite its flaws. I can only hope the mod scene will keep growing and keeping it alive for years to come - I’m far from being done with this world.

My reaction face folder got a much needed refill this chapter. Love to see it.

I did read the original manga (hence my question) though I came out of the experience liking both versions somewhat equally at the time. I’ll probably go through both again to make a fresh comparison, if I ever decide to return to the series.

Thanks for the info on other entries! I’m kinda wary of reading incomplete stories but I might give Zero a try. I’ll add it to the pile for now.

It’s been like a decade (possibly more) of skating maids art and there’s no sign of stopping. It’s impressive.

Yeah, I’m aware of the anime running out of the source material though I remember actually liking some of the anime choices more (or rather, in different way) than the manga ones funnily enough. I can’t really go into details since it’s been so long I don’t remember much (nor can I say I’d still think that way now) but that’s something that stuck with me.

Good to know it’s still holding up. It’s one of those titles I’m always worried about going back to so this gives me some hope I might pull the trigger on that some day.

How much of the sequel came out? Is it a longer read or something short and unceremoniously cut in the middle of an arc or something?

How does Akame hold up these days? I remember reading it a while ago and even though it wasn’t the best thing ever, I did enjoy it well enough. I’m curious if this opinion would survive a return after so much time.

Bonus question: have you seen the anime adaptation?

It’s not that I was super invested in or enjoying that arc, I simply hate story threads being swept under the rug without proper (or any, really) conclusion. It’s mostly a personal gripe rather than a genuine wish towards the series to be honest.

Not much to write about this week but I did find a new (well, unknown to me) series so there’s that. Here’s what I have:

• I stumbled upon Gunjou at random last night. It’s a short manga (30 chapters) about high-school relay races, with simple but pleasant art style and a pretty enjoyable story (at least so far). It has both comedic and serious elements and while I’m still early on, it seems like it’ll be a fun read.
• So far the new chapters of The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All seem to confirm my worry that the marriage bomb was meant as a “soft reset” to step over the whole mess with misunderstandings and lack of communications. Maybe author will go back to wrap it up eventually but I’m won’t be holding my breath on that.
• I really wish Maid Skater got more regular updates. Each and every chapter is great but having to wait months for every release is pure torture. Guess it’s my cue to get back to Japanese practice again…

Lots of Cyberpunk 2077 this week. I’ve been mostly driving around and doing side missions/gigs so I didn’t make much progress with the main story. I did however finish the parade and the intro (rescue) section of Phantom Liberty to unlock Dogtown and make sure I won’t lock myself from the expansion in case I decide to play it later.

As fun as the game is I feel myself drawn to any and all non-combat activities, which are somewhat limited in this game. Maybe I’ll do a photography tour of the map for a bit?