Backlog 2024

Kikki · Post Posted: Jun 16, 2024 6:09 pm

cakeyislazytologin wrote: ↑Jun 16, 2024 5:25 pm
Kikki wrote: ↑Jun 16, 2024 5:04 am Somehow, without having an account for BackerKit, I have a Switch key paid for, for SunnySide. I appear to have backed for that on: 09/07/21.
Hey Kikki, just a heads up, Sunnyside devs have changed their minds on the switch port. I think it was something about them not being able to get it to work properly, I'm not fully sure, but on their socials they have confirmed that they will not be going through with the switch port anymore, so I'd reccomend trying to see if you're able to get that swapped to a steam code or if you have a ps5 to see if they can swap the switch code for that!

Thank you!

That is so odd, when they sent me the email just a few days ago about the keys, and there was no mention of canceling the Switch version. Well, maybe they mentioned it in an older one than that. I've requested a change, though my situation is so odd, I'm not sure if they'll honor it. I still don't even know how I came to buy a £22.99 'add on' for Sunny Side. I assume it was somehow through Backerkit...but how did I buy somethinig via Backerkit three years ago when I didn't even have an account with them until TODAY? But there it was in my account information: this purchase for a Switch key. Huh.

My eyes are still revolving in their sockets, trying to figure this out.

simside · Post Posted: Jun 16, 2024 7:25 pm

I got an email today with my Kickstarter code for Everafter Falls! I backed this at the same time as Roots of Pacha and Coral Island, and regretted doing all three, given the limited success of video game Kickstarters. I can't believe all three came out! The Everafter Falls developer sent out less progress reports than the other two, so I'm less hyped about this one. I may jump on if I see a ton of buzz about it, but of the three, I'm most likely to play Roots of Pacha first (which I'll have to rebuy on Switch, since I no longer have a PC -_-). Coral Island is... technically still not finished, so I'm waiting on that one.

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I had a bad week! Really ugly. I did get today off at least, but I was so stressed out that I decided not to play Hollow Knight, which is sorta fraying my last nerve when I play. Did do some SoS:AWL this week, though not a ton. I am still in Chapter 1, though I did finally finish the last events and propose to Lumina. A few more days to play in Winter. I'm hoping the pace picks up a bit once I get past the heart event/courtship phase and the farming opens up a bit. It doesn't seem like I can generate enough income to go as wild as I want on farming, but at least I'll have hybrids. I did start using fertilizer and leveling up some of the winter crops - hooray for S rank turnips!

I did manage to play the daily workout every day this week in Fitness Boxing: Fist of the North Star. I had planned on buying the DLC today, but... I am so wiped out from my week that I'll probably push it back to next weekend. I did finish the "punch X times" achievements, which cap out at around 135k. I've unlocked everything in the shop, though didn't wind up pushing through the last few free exercises with the final trainer to finish those achievements. What are the last ~15 achievements??? Possibly "Enter your weight X times," which I only do when the game prompts me.

I did finish Queen's Gate in Pocket Card Jockey, which I thought might end the game! It did not. I did get another story snippet though. I also haven't won the juvenile cup yet, I'm always infuriatingly short on that one. I also got a bogus career ending for a fairly good horse. One race I legit lost (through weirdly bad hands, but whatever), the other two races had stat anomaly opponents. Boo. Playing a new horse is always fun, I'm doing the pink ninja horse this time.

Harvest Moon kawaii · Post Posted: Jun 18, 2024 5:45 pm

Currently Playing:

1) Virche Evermore: Error Salvation (Nintendo Switch) (Major Content warnings and Trigger Warnings for this) (also its Fandisc/Sequel game is coming West this Fall) (The Fandisc/sequel is called Virche Evermore: -EpiC:lycoris- )

2) Pokemon Violet DLC (Mochi Mayhem/The Hidden Treasure Area Zero epilogue)

Finished:

1) Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons (Nintendo Switch)

2) (Special Mention) Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road Beta Demo (Story mode) (special mention since it to me 8 hours to beat the Story Mode in this demo in one sitting)

So, now Virche Evermore: Error Salvation has hit 110+ total hours and I'm actually almost done with. I have just 3 endings left, then I get to see if the question marks in the Scene List for various routes will disappear somehow. (they look like this: ?????) (I'm going for 100% completion because even with the Salvation endings for the first 4 love interests, I'm still getting new information revealed to me)

I beat The Indigo Disk. I'm going to do the epilogue for the DLC (Mochi Mayhem) soon. Unless I need to catch 200 Pokémon in my Blueberry Dex first (Perrin Side Quest), then I have to catch some Pokémon still.

So excited by today's Nintendo Direct. I'll post more about in the appropriate section.

Mikodesu · Post Posted: Jun 18, 2024 11:32 pm

Lots of Star Rail tonight, all on my alt account, so I've got a lot to share. Turns out I am definitely going to go through the rest of the main quest again, because I have a fascinating menagerie of characters to do it with. I was halfway to pity already before I quit wishing on Boothill, and got Firefly in one ten pull, so I dumped the rest of my space primos into Ruan Mei, and got her too, and to complete the trio...

Hoyo is letting EVERYONE unlock Harmony Trailblazer immediately. No questions, no fanfare, just run through a super break tutorial and they're yours. (I assume Firefly is REALLY MC dependent, because otherwise, what the heck.)

I'm gonna be curious to see how close Firefly gets to Acheron level damage, but for my purposes she's pretty fun. Her animations are awesome (technique especially). If nothing else, you are in the robot throughout combat.

The other interesting tidbit... As soon as you leave Jarlo VI, BOTH the Argenti story quest and the Ruan Mei MSQ open up, for context of where the devs intended to put those long term. And, I take back my suggestion that Argenti's story has ANYTHING to do with a break between pinging between the Luofu and Penacony.

This is a stacked couple of weeks. Preemptive apologies to FFXIV fans. Apparently Yoshi P wanted the 21st for the expansion release, but Miyazaki got there first.

He handled it well, at least.

Kikki · Post Posted: Jun 19, 2024 6:09 am

We've got a heatwave here. This region is always VERY humid, so when the temps hit 30C, everyone wilts, because the humidity is so high that sweat doesn't evaporate, which means it creates no cooling. So you just get hotter and hotter unless you apply some chill in the form of a cold bath or shower. (Or if you remain within the scope of good AC, of course.)

I've got stuff to do. Stuff I NEED to get done right away, lol. But I did want to say that Distant Bloom is so far a mite disappointing.

It's well made. Pretty graphics and no glitches. I'm only 112 minutes in (Steam time tracking is so vastly superior to the Switch's that Switch must hang its head in shame.) so things could still change. But meanwhile, the game is VERY hand-holdy. You can't go wrong, it's not possible. You only ever have ONE objective, and an arrow pointing you to exactly where you need to go to achieve it. And most of the time you just have to arrive there, and maybe click on one thing, and you've completed your objective.

It's cute and pretty but also very easy to get bored with. After about half an hour, I start to wonder why I'm bothering to play. I still have two entire categories of plant/seed to unlock (of 5, iirc) so maybe the planting part will get slightly more complex? But even at slightly more complex, it would still be half-a-brain level of thought required.

Which is perfect if that's what you want from gaming. Total relaxation. But more than ever after all the revelations of No Gaming May (half success, half failure!) I know I am NOT that gamer. I don't want button-pressing skill tests, or reaction-speed skill tests, but I do want a very GRIPPING story, or gameplay. I want the game to GRAB my attention and refuse to let go of it. I don't want it to tip-toe up to me, tug on my sleeve, and whisper that maybe, perhaps, I could possibly consider looking over here? If you want, that'd be nice, but if not...well...okay.

Argh.

I hope it'll get more fun if more mechanics unlock. In the meanwhile, it's pretty feeble. I do like making the landscape prettier, but the story isn't much, and the mechanics aren't much, and there's no thinking required, which isn't what I want. I'd recommend it if someone wants to play something simple and cute, but not if they want something engrossing.

Bluie · Post Posted: Jun 20, 2024 4:44 am

Star Rail's Penacony arc is finished and I'm very satisfied with it. The last bit after the airship section was really beautiful and heartfelt, really bringing the whole story to it's needed conclusion and further push the characters to their next destination. I also really enjoyed the massive groupchat on the airship, really cementing how big of a cast from all these different factions can come together when needed. I'd love to see something similar on a grander scale eventually (which I think we will

). Boothill and Argenti interacting made me lol and Dr. Ratio immediately leaving the chat made me gigglesnort too.

I kinda wish I gave a « Cow Poopoo » about Firefly... but I don't. I guess she's just not my type of character, but I feel nothing for her and I really only pull characters that I like (Boothill) or have a fun gimmick (Topaz+Numby). If Sam was just Sam, it would have been an instapull - but magicial girl henshin into Sam? Pass. That being said, her and Ruan Mei's banners have such a tasty lineup of 4*s that it's hard to not want to pull for them alone. I would LOVE an E6 Gallagher and Xueyi - but do I dare risk my Screwlum savings? At least for now I can get a free copy of each from the current running events.

AND SPEAKING OF SCREWLUM - They made him the focus of this new endgame mode, even having his face plastered all over the UI. I just don't get why they're hanging onto him so intensely. Just release him already! COME ON!

Kikki · Post Posted: Jun 20, 2024 10:48 am

I've almost made up my mind to buy another set of Nintendo game vouchers. If I do, it will take me pretty much EXACTLY up to budget for the first half of the year. (I'm that much under, so far. I've been veeeeeery cheap, this year.)

See, I'm definitely gonna get Echoes of Wisdom. Moral obligation and all that. And...I still kinda want Arceus. I haven't made up my mind for sure, as I also weirdly kind of want Mario Odyssey. Which is dumb. I think it's because the original Switch is winding down, even though I strongly suspect that Odyssey will be playable on Switch 2 anyway. And on top of that, I have some interest in Astral Chain, Pokemon Snap, and Skyward Sword (eventually I WILL want SS, as I don't want to lose access to it when my Wii U dies.)

Since I'm definitely getting EoW later, and I want several of the other eligible games, it just seems sensible to save $27 on them. EoW might some day go on a -30% sale, but no chance before late 2025, most likely.

Mikodesu · Post Posted: Jun 20, 2024 9:39 pm

Holy « Cow Poopoo » I forgot how mentally exhausting Elden Ring is. I love it but it makes me SO tired. Especially the dungeons, especially with how hard these enemies hit. I'm on NG, I have some of the 'make the enemies hit less hard' debuffs, and most of them STILL two or three shot me. The overworld is still very very fair though. You can run away, you can kite things. I got to the end of a little catacomb tomb and am not sure if I'll stick out the boss because he does SO much damage.

Exploration is still incredible though. The review I listened to emphasized how vertical the level design is, compared to the base game, and they're not wrong. There are places you can stand in in the opening area and count several legacy dungeons. Not sure how far I'll get, but if I go back and comb the world for the 'make the game fair again' upgrades I'm sure I can get part of the way there. Halfway, two thirds? Hopefully at least unlock the whole map. That'd be nice.

OH. I FORGOT. Before you download the DLC, you have to do an update for the main game that has a bunch of rebalances and bug fixes as usual, a few hairstyles and waay deep in a menu I found something ASTONISHING...a change to the final boss...

Spoiler:

Ehem. It's such a huge thing to tuck into "New inventory features" in a silly pre DLC update. Have to yell about it.

From here I'm ACTUALLY not sure where to go in the DLC. It feels very...unfriendly? To magic. I'm having better luck with my sword than my spells. It might be worth respeccing to a big shield build. And even then, I'm not sure where to start. I've unlocked a bunch of areas, done one or two small side areas, and am now locked at the bottom of a catacomb. (Aside from one VERY OBVIOUS story area, I'm not sure where to go, tbh. And assuming this is the boss I think it is...it's not happening for a long while.) Might be at the point of watching somebody else start the game and see where they go.

In Star Rail... I have played my main file a bit. Haven't started the story yet, not sure I'm going to until I've played Elden Ring for a while. It can wait. And then in two weeks ZZZ releases. So what the heck Hoyo. Even if you play Hoyo games exclusively it's TOO MUCH. I guess in a way it works out, Hoyo has a very wide variety of games now, for a pretty wide audience. ZZZ makes me curious for how odd it seems next to the rest of the set.

I did end up wishing on the Ruan Mei banner. I felt an unholy compulsion, between Xue Yi and Gallagher. Got Xue Yi maxed, and Gallagher to E4, and only one or two more Misha's so I'm all set! Ended up losing my 50/50, but I got Clara! So I think I'll get Clara's E1 (with my standard banner freebie) and build her to synergize with Blade. I miss Blade teams (and I like Svarog). I dunno why I like the edgelord boy, he's the exact opposite of Sampo, and Sampo is still my favorite character in the game.

Bluie · Post Posted: Jun 21, 2024 3:43 am

I sat down and beat Rhapsody 2 yesterday. Its ending didn't make me cry like the first, but it did make me go 'aaaawwwwwwww

', especially with the post credits scene. I started Rhapsody 3 a few hours later and I completely forgot that it was a PS2 game. The production values is a lot higher and its immediately noticeable in the first musical number. I wonder if we'll end up getting the 4th Marl Kingdom game in one of these NIS classics bundles down the line? Or maybe they're done with them now? Regardless, it was a PSP title that I almost forgot existed. I plan on playing La Pucelle eventually too as it also takes place in the same world (and one of the characters is directly related to the previous game's characters), but I'm waiting for them to drop it on PS5. A bunch of the NIS classics are still stuck on PC/Switch and I'm guessing they'll shadowdrop once whatever exclusivity deal they had with Nintendo is up.

I'd like to finish both Rhapsody 3 and Octopath Traveler II sometime soon, but the latter probably wont happen because of it's length and my upcoming vacation is reserved for Dawntrail and ZZZ. I also still can't preorder Tsukihime on PS5 which is annoying. It comes out in literal days - where is it?

Code_Name_Geek · Post Posted: Jun 21, 2024 9:19 pm

I finally finished Sonic Heroes!! The other team stories were pretty easy once I had finished the first one, but getting all 7 chaos emeralds took me a few sessions of very dedicated effort. It's a frustrating task because if you fail the bonus level you have to play the whole preceding level again (and this game has really long levels in general, though that can be mitigated by playing Team Rose which has the shortest stages). The final boss fight, by comparison, was actually one of the better fights in the game and not too difficult either. I wouldn't mind going back to get some more emblems/A-ranks but I don't know if I have it in me to do that right away since I have a long line of Sonic games to play after this one.

In SDV, I've reached year 2 and I'm just waiting for a couple more items before I can finish the bundles (a rabbit foot and a red cabbage). Then I can finally go to Ginger Island, which has been added since I last played a post-community centre file. So I'm looking forward to that! Still have no idea who to marry and I'm really slacking on befriending people so I should get on that.

Those are the only two games I've really been playing, but a friend surprised me out of nowhere with a PS3 that he found for a good deal as well as some Sonic games to go along with it (Sonic Unleashed and the infamous Sonic '06 lol). This was the only console generation that I was missing the ability to play between Nintendo and Sony consoles (technically I don't have a PS1 but my PS2 plays those anyways) so that's really exciting for me. I don't have a long wishlist for this console but there are a few exclusives I've been eyeing over the years.

Mikodesu · Post Posted: Jun 21, 2024 9:30 pm

Bluie wrote: ↑Jun 21, 2024 3:43 am I'd like to finish both Rhapsody 3 and Octopath Traveler II sometime soon, but the latter probably wont happen because of it's length and my upcoming vacation is reserved for Dawntrail and ZZZ. I also still can't preorder Tsukihime on PS5 which is annoying. It comes out in literal days - where is it?

From Yoshi P's statements, I kinda thought Dawntrail got delayed a week because Elden Ring picked the 21st as a DLC release day, but in the stream I watched of the beginning of the DLC, somebody in chat said Yoshi P is giving the FF14 staff a week to play Elden Ring. Which if so, what a good boss!

He seems like the type that (if Squeenix would let him) would do exactly that.

--
Another day of Elden Ring! Found a WHOLE AREA that I missed yesterday, and beat the first major story boss! I am assuming this guy is the intended first major story boss because he was in the first/only trailer I watched for the game. (I do wonder what I « Snuggly Bunny » up with the story though, you're supposed to be able to summon an NPC there... And she didn't appear. I went to talk to her before my second attempt and she basically told me she was peacing out.

) It took me running around the world and getting a whole bunch of 'make the boss hurt less' pickups to make him feel fair, but once he did I beat him in a small handful of attempts. Tried a few melee fights with my new fancy katana, and then on my one ranged fight I got him first try. Has a few « Male Cow Poopoo » moves, but he's VERY cool. Betting that will be something Zullie the Witch will cover at some point, to show how the model is put together.

For the curious/don't want to look it up...

Spoiler:

Even my losing close range fights were fun, I just wasn't doing enough damage, and took too much damage. Now to have a snack, and chill out doing some art!

Next day edit: Another day, another 3 hours of Elden Ring DLC. It's not perfect, but the more time I spend with it, the more I wish Tears of the Kingdom had been built like this. You can see the bones of the base game (evergaols, mines, chariot dungeons, caves, churches), but a lot of work was put into mixing up the content and improving it. Even the story! The base game had a VERY bare bones story, this one is actually a lot more layered. There's actual intrigue! Still a Fromsoft story, but a better one.

Until you get your 'make the hits hurt less' buffs the difficulty is unbelievably unwieldy (I've watched a few streamers start the game now, all better players than me, and EVERYONE is shocked at how tough it is). But after that, it's been great. I did a lot of side content today, delved into a giant jar cave, a forge, fought an NPC invader, found the way to the DLC's giant dead dragon. (Now THAT is my biggest complaint so far. The dragons are back, and they are not any better. Worse really, by their element. )

Might continue the main story for a bit tomorrow. There's more of the first castle to explore before I move on, anyway. In the rest of my exploration, there's plenty more to do, but I feel like I'm at a stopping point where it would be better to push the main quest a bit. After a good sleep I should have more energy (spent half the day in the car today).

Bluie · Post Posted: Jun 23, 2024 1:09 pm

Mikodesu wrote: ↑Jun 21, 2024 9:30 pmFrom Yoshi P's statements, I kinda thought Dawntrail got delayed a week because Elden Ring picked the 21st as a DLC release day, but in the stream I watched of the beginning of the DLC, somebody in chat said Yoshi P is giving the FF14 staff a week to play Elden Ring. Which if so, what a good boss! He seems like the type that (if Squeenix would let him) would do exactly that.

Yoshi P is a silly, wonderful man lol. A few years ago he got drunk while streaming and promised to bring the Yokai Watch event back without checking if it was OK or not. He woke up in his hangover clarity, basically went 'whoops' but pulled strings to bring it back before they were scheduled to because even though he was drunk, he promised!

I love him, he's hilarious and extremely kind. Seeing him (and Souken) in the flesh last year with my husband was like seeing an idol. He did actually joke that he was releasing Dawntrail on its current date to give his staff time to play the Elden Ring DLC lol, but he said it's back to work right after! What a silly/good bean.

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Star Rail stuff. I hate Swarm disaster. I seem to have hit a wall in unlocking stuff and IDK what else to do besides what I've been doing. Like, I need more of one path so I favor it and answer with it when given the option annnnd - « Snuggly Bunny » nothing. Like, am I really going to have to break out a guide for these last handful of Aeon unlocks? I just want to be done with it so I can get the stupid trophy and move onto Gold and Gears. I'm not a fan of these dice roll SU modes regardless - they take way, WAY too long when I just want my weekly rewards.

Other than that, building Guinaifen so I can have a mono fire team... because for fun. Topaz, Gallagher, Himeko, and Guinaifen should be fun to mess around with, especially since I build Himeko to be a battery for people sharing her element. >:3c

Code_Name_Geek · Post Posted: Jun 25, 2024 7:12 pm

Finally started a new game (first one since April, not including my Stardew Valley replay) - with Sonic Heroes done, the next Sonic game on my list is Shadow the Hedgehog. I actually finished an entire story route today, and I'm enjoying it a lot so far (though I'm a huge Shadow fan so I may be biased). The cutscenes are a huge step-up both graphically and narratively from other Sonic games I've played, and the physics don't feel like they're actively working against me like Sonic Heroes (which is still a fun game despite that!). There's a branching story path with multiple endings in this game, which I'll definitely be aiming for, as well as some sort of incentive to complete all... 326 possible combinations of stages apparently? But I have a feeling once I learn the stages better I can breeze through a route faster than the almost 2 hours it took me for the first one today.

I have also picked up Animal Crossing again and done a bit of the DLC, which I got when it was on sale recently. I like designing houses a lot and it gives me something more to work towards after paying off my last loan, and hopefully practicing landscaping on the DLC house exteriors will give me more confidence to try some in my own town.

Still working on Stardew Valley too! Got red cabbage seeds from the cart and they're growing in my greenhouse, so just gotta get that rabbit's foot now. Hopefully it'll show up soon!

Kikki · Post Posted: Jun 25, 2024 7:29 pm

My muscles aren't working right, so I can't type for long. (At least it makes me lose the 'wall-o-text' style? Hooray!)

I finished my replay of CSIII. I got the final monster, and I also got the nightmare run achievement. But I STILL didn't trigger the all-chests achievement. I have NO idea which one I missed. I re-ran the entire final dungeon to make sure it wasn't something in there. So now I'll have to do the entire game again. Though...I can just do it on Very Easy next time, skip all extra quests, skip all cutscenes, and so on. It would be fast, and the chests are all I have left to get platinum.

Gonna move on to CSIV, cuz I can't stand another CSIII run immediately. But I can't believe they don't give you any way to track chests when chests are an achievement.

Mikodesu · Post Posted: Jun 25, 2024 9:27 pm

Mostly still just a bunch of Elden Ring DLC... This game really is like a 40 dollar sequel, locked behind one of the toughest bosses in the game, which is so odd. Before I get into that rant, I HAVE been playing Star Rail too, just to keep up with it. Pretty easy, pretty fair.

I LOVE Divergent Universe. Even unlocked it on my alt account because the progression is SO much smoother. At this rate I can't see myself ever touching regular Sim Uni ever again. On my alt account the missing rewards will probably stay missing for a while. Speaking of which, I'm on halt with the story again, out of curiosity. I saw a Youtube short that spoiled its premise so quick I didn't have to click on it, claiming the new Nihility guy is in the Luofu MSQ, as a generic NPC character.

I generally dislike turn based combat, but the Star Rail team is so much more respectful of your time. (And the writing is better than Genshin.) Really makes me wonder what ZZZ is gonna be like, because it could go a variety of ways...

Sooo... Elden Ring. I cannot say enough good things about the exploration, the combat is hit or miss, though. Even having done my due diligence, and having gotten the necessary upgrades and such. It's very hit or miss.

There has already been more than one huge underground legacy cave dungeon like Siofra. Went through one of them tonight. When you find it it's sealed, and I just happened to go back there to see if there was anything BELOW the seal - there wasn't, but it was unlocked when I got back. I'm fairly sure I know why it unlocked, but the lore questions just leave me baffled.

This bit I'll throw into a spoiler in the 1% off chance...

Spoiler:

Have beaten a few more tough enemies, though. Got to a second boss I can't beat. I'm so scared of screwing up more of the story! Maybe at this point it doesn't even matter. For me the most important thing is seeing the whole world. And I don't think I have to beat any legacy dungeons to do that. Iirc, I saw a video about that... Which I guess makes sense, since inexperienced players like me need to be able to get to all the 'make the game easier' upgrades.