So I picked up Rorona plus awhile ago but I never actually started playing it. I fired it up last night. The introduction gives me some serious Recettear vibes.
So I picked up Rorona plus awhile ago but I never actually started playing it. I fired it up last night. The introduction gives me some serious Recettear vibes.
Rorona certainly would, it's all about keeping a shop open. None of the Ateliers have the same setting twice it seems, so for now that's a unique thing. But they all have the alchemy, the bonding, and a canon setting throughout the trilogy you're playing. You just don't have to sell your wares in an actual shop, rather you just get orders or quests to fill out.
Yeah, I meant thematic similarities specifically, with the basically being a slave and the first major event being the hanging of a sign with Rorona's name on it and whatnot.
GUYS, this game isn't supposed to start making me FEEL so early into it!
These games all have personal stories and goals, it's part of their charm. It doesn't get better, Totori's drive is to find her lost mother, and Meruru is using Alchemy to better her small kingdom before it's annexed into Arland.
GUYS, this game isn't supposed to start making me FEEL so early into it!
These games all have personal stories and goals, it's part of their charm. It doesn't get better, Totori's drive is to find her lost mother, and Meruru is using Alchemy to better her small kingdom before it's annexed into Arland.
Ayesha is trying to save her sister who is trapped in a magical/spiritual limbo of semi non-existance.
Well, finished Shallie, although I was a big dummie and just Travel Gated back to Stellard instead of saving. Now I have to beat the final boss all over again to see the other Shallistera ending. Ah well.
In all, I like the game and don't really see a problem with the ending. It doesn't tackle the overarching issue with the land, but it does show that there's now SEVEN alchemists working on a fix from various walks of life. It shows where every protagonist is at the end, which is all you really need to know.
So yeah, good story, great combat, an Atelier ending despite people wanting more. Now to play Shallotte's side and get the true end, and wait for more info on either the next Atelier, or the Land of Endless Night game.
Her partner (who I haven't seen any images of yet) was magic'd out of a book.
Hmm, I would have to assume that this new game is part of a new Trilogy. Nothing makes it look like it's part of the Dusk series, though I suppose anything is possible. I didn't have a problem with the end of the Dusk trilogy, the series has never been about solving the world's issues, but I know many might be disappointed there isn't more closure.
Her partner (who I haven't seen any images of yet) was magic'd out of a book.
Hmm, I would have to assume that this new game is part of a new Trilogy. Nothing makes it look like it's part of the Dusk series, though I suppose anything is possible. I didn't have a problem with the end of the Dusk trilogy, the series has never been about solving the world's issues, but I know many might be disappointed there isn't more closure.
They're saving it for the Plus release on Vita. :bzz:
Her partner (who I haven't seen any images of yet) was magic'd out of a book.
Hmm, I would have to assume that this new game is part of a new Trilogy. Nothing makes it look like it's part of the Dusk series, though I suppose anything is possible. I didn't have a problem with the end of the Dusk trilogy, the series has never been about solving the world's issues, but I know many might be disappointed there isn't more closure.
They're saving it for the Plus release on Vita. :bzz:
BTW, this continues Gust's fascination with artificial girls with strange powers, looks like it's a thing to stay in more than just the Exa Pico universe now.
On the contrary, I thought it was awesome if that was a thing they were doing. Props for them keeping things a secret up until release, you know? But alright, September works too.
I wonder who the awesome male sidekick is going to be this time.
They have quite some competition comparing to Sterk and Keith.
Despite him only being in one game, Juris was awesomesauce. Also, not sure where Homura would fall under, since they don't have genders, but I think he should get an honorable mention as well.
Homura is one of those hilarious contrasts with something like Full Metal Alchemist, which had a plot entirely revolving around how decidedly reprehensible they consider it to be to use alchemy to fuck around with life.
Then we go to the Atelier games, where every game in some way involves creating sentient life and it's okay because it's cute and can run errands for them.
Homura is one of those hilarious contrasts with something like Full Metal Alchemist, which had a plot entirely revolving around how decidedly reprehensible they consider it to be to use alchemy to fuck around with life.
Then we go to the Atelier games, where every game in some way involves creating sentient life and it's okay because it's cute and can run errands for them.
Actually with the Dusk homonculi it's doubly so. 'We didn't make these creatures, and they're immortal, and they make stuff and are paid in candy. So let's make nice with the adorable creatures and be friends, and never run out of candy, lest they crack open our skulls and feast on the sweet goo inside.'
I wonder who the awesome male sidekick is going to be this time.
They have quite some competition comparing to Sterk and Keith.
Despite him only being in one game, Juris was awesomesauce. Also, not sure where Homura would fall under, since they don't have genders, but I think he should get an honorable mention as well.
Yes, Keith was not the awesome male sidekick in Ayesha. He was the giant dick sidekick in Ayesha. I hated the way he treated her.
Juris, on the other hand, was awesomesauce, and I also loved Logy for treating Escha as an equal and wanting them to learn from each other.
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Their translation is kinda shit, but I'll take the information.
Plachta's default outfit is... hmm... they usually keep the racy stuff for DLC. She has a devil tail too. I like how they say Plachta's 16; no, she's an old book who's avatar LOOKS 16.
It'll be nice to have a new trilogy with a teacher around for most games, the Dusk series didn't really have that. Plachta's all but guaranteed to have that 'you know nothing, John Snow' attitude that Astrid and Keithgriff had.
Yeah. I really like the tough-love teachers in the Atelier series. Those that push the protagonists to find something themselves after pointing in the right direction or giving a couple hints. (This means Keith and Astrid.)
You can do that without being a giant jerk/creepy pedo, though.
I felt like Keith's version of tutelage was also completely out of place for Ayesha's goals. She wasn't trying to become a state alchemist or open her own shop or something. She was trying to save her sister's life. Somebody comes to you who is trying to rescue her missing/kidnapped sister, you don't go, "oh, you suck and you'll never get anywhere unless you work your ass off to become as awesome as me." You say, "That's terrible, how can I help you?"
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You can do that without being a giant jerk/creepy pedo, though.
I felt like Keith's version of tutelage was also completely out of place for Ayesha's goals. She wasn't trying to become a state alchemist or open her own shop or something. She was trying to save her sister's life. Somebody comes to you who is trying to rescue her missing/kidnapped sister, you don't go, "oh, you suck and you'll never get anywhere unless you work your ass off to become as awesome as me." You say, "That's terrible, how can I help you?"
Pretty sure Keithgriff's motivation is 'if you have the drive to master Alchemy, then you should have the drive to figure the rest out on your own'. If Ayesha is trying to save her sister, that's good motivation; Keith is just seeing if Ayesha can figure out Alchemy. After all, the old traditional cauldron variety is said to be nigh impossible to master in the Dusk world, with very few becoming proficient at all in it. That's why imbuing was created.
Besides, it's not like Keith doesn't help, he just helps if Ayesha can't figure it out. The bad end is Keith just showing up at Ayesha's place with Nio and going 'You were taking too long, so I got her myself. Maybe Alchemy just isn't your thing'.
It's still jerky, condescending, and inappropriate. It's also about the worst way to motivate a shy, sweet young person like Ayesha. I've known too many people like her who have been crushed by silly geese like Keith, when really what they needed was a friendly nudge in the right direction and positive reinforcement. I might have bought it all more if Ayesha had gotten angry in response and gotten good at alchemy to spite him, since the most realistic reaction of getting discouraged and depressed would be a real downer. I found her reaction ("I want to work hard so this mean dude will be proud of me!!!") as written in the game to be both unbelievable and kinda sexist.
If Keith knew he could rescue Nio from the outset, then he should have done it right away. Then he could offer his services as tough love coach or whatever to Ayesha. You don't play with somebody's life so you can test if somebody else is an alchemy prodigy or whatever. Of course, if he'd actually done that, it would miss the whole point of the story, which is why his character concept should have been scrapped from the outset.
It worked better with Raoul in Shallotte's story. Raoul was a bit of a jerk to Shallotte, who a) actually needed a bit of a kick in the butt and b) responds in an emotionally appropriate way to his jerkishness. You can tell she's disappointed that he makes it so difficult to prove herself, and see her getting sad and angry when he obviously doesn't get the message that she can take care of herself now. His tough love is a good thing at first, but the game shows when she outgrows the need for it, at which point it's not portrayed as a positive thing anymore.
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Keith's old and cranky and not good with people, but you can tell he's interested in helping. He told Ayesha that Nio was still alive, that Alchemy and flowers were the key, helps her find material in the library, even fights alongside her later. He helps plenty, he just isn't the friendly sort.
The characters are all tropes but very well written tropes. Keithgriff is clearly an old Edgelord of the first order, but by the end of the trilogy you get the answer to why he's that way. You don't have to like all the characters, but you can't say they're badly written.
I don't think Keith himself is badly written, I think Ayesha's reaction to him is badly written. Not even the meekest person I've ever met would react that way to that kind of treatment and actually mean it. The way the game presents their relationship makes it clear that we're supposed to approve of the way he acts towards her, and I have a huge issue with that.
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I don't think Keith himself is badly written, I think Ayesha's reaction to him is badly written. Not even the meekest person I've ever met would react that way to that kind of treatment and actually mean it. The way the game presents their relationship makes it clear that we're supposed to approve of the way he acts towards her, and I have a huge issue with that.
In Ayesha we're dealing with a pair of girls who've been living in the woods ALONE doing apothecary work. Nio disappeared when she was 13 and Ayesha was 14. It's not something you can quantify in modern reality.
Honestly, Ayesha is basically the girliest and most innocent protagonist in any Atelier game I've played. But it works because the character owns it. She knows she's young and frail and doesn't know much, and relies on friends to do her research. She also constantly has internal monologues about why she's constantly battling giant monsters with a STICK. In that sense, she's one of the most realistic protagonists in the series, in my mind.
On the other hand... it's a video game, and we should probably stop comparing games to RL that are in no way trying to mimic RL.
It's about the willing suspension of disbelief, though. Ayesha is indeed written quite well, and I think in general her character arc is wonderful at showing her growing confidence without changing who she is at her core. However, her relationship with Keith stretches believability too far for me. When you're writing hu-mans and not adorable little beasts who survive on candy, you can only stretch the psychology so far, and people who are treated like shit by somebody they go to for help don't react the way Ayesha does to Keith. They might avoid the person. They might rebel. They might go along with the person because they're desperate, but they're going to harbor some negative feelings about the person. We never see that from Ayesha. Instead she decides she likes him and wants to make him happy. That reads to me as written by somebody who has a skewed view of femininity, and yes, the responses I list are true across cultures, as seen by anthropological studies on micro-resistances.
And yes, I have every right to critique the character and writing in this manner. You can disagree, but don't tell me I can't.
Want to find me on a gaming service? I'm SwashbucklerXX everywhere.
I'll admit it's been a few years, I could be remembering her reaction more positively than it really was. I just remember at the end the game seemed to be portraying them as all hunky dory with each other and they were traveling together during Escha & Logy... and I was like, really?
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Rorona certainly would, it's all about keeping a shop open. None of the Ateliers have the same setting twice it seems, so for now that's a unique thing. But they all have the alchemy, the bonding, and a canon setting throughout the trilogy you're playing. You just don't have to sell your wares in an actual shop, rather you just get orders or quests to fill out.
These games all have personal stories and goals, it's part of their charm. It doesn't get better, Totori's drive is to find her lost mother, and Meruru is using Alchemy to better her small kingdom before it's annexed into Arland.
Ayesha is trying to save her sister who is trapped in a magical/spiritual limbo of semi non-existance.
// Switch: SW-5306-0651-6424 //
I just thought the 1000 gold for a pebble quest from Cory was pretty touching.
I've finished the first term with max stars pretty easily and I'm trucking along into the second.
In all, I like the game and don't really see a problem with the ending. It doesn't tackle the overarching issue with the land, but it does show that there's now SEVEN alchemists working on a fix from various walks of life. It shows where every protagonist is at the end, which is all you really need to know.
So yeah, good story, great combat, an Atelier ending despite people wanting more. Now to play Shallotte's side and get the true end, and wait for more info on either the next Atelier, or the Land of Endless Night game.
http://www.siliconera.com/2015/06/23/atelier-sophie-is-about-an-alchemy-loving-girl-and-her-half-amnesiac-partner/
Here's an announcement trailer that shows absolutely nothing
Screenshots at Siliconera's site.
Her partner (who I haven't seen any images of yet) was magic'd out of a book.
// Switch: SW-5306-0651-6424 //
Hmm, I would have to assume that this new game is part of a new Trilogy. Nothing makes it look like it's part of the Dusk series, though I suppose anything is possible. I didn't have a problem with the end of the Dusk trilogy, the series has never been about solving the world's issues, but I know many might be disappointed there isn't more closure.
They're saving it for the Plus release on Vita. :bzz:
BTW, this continues Gust's fascination with artificial girls with strange powers, looks like it's a thing to stay in more than just the Exa Pico universe now.
Hang on, this new teaser showed up last night, and the game is coming out in TWO DAYS in Japan?! Is this a new thing we're doing with games now?
'Here's a trailer for our brand new game, and it's out... tomorrow! Enjoy.'
// Switch: SW-5306-0651-6424 //
On the contrary, I thought it was awesome if that was a thing they were doing. Props for them keeping things a secret up until release, you know? But alright, September works too.
They have quite some competition comparing to Sterk and Keith.
// Switch: SW-5306-0651-6424 //
Despite him only being in one game, Juris was awesomesauce. Also, not sure where Homura would fall under, since they don't have genders, but I think he should get an honorable mention as well.
Then we go to the Atelier games, where every game in some way involves creating sentient life and it's okay because it's cute and can run errands for them.
Actually with the Dusk homonculi it's doubly so. 'We didn't make these creatures, and they're immortal, and they make stuff and are paid in candy. So let's make nice with the adorable creatures and be friends, and never run out of candy, lest they crack open our skulls and feast on the sweet goo inside.'
Yes, Keith was not the awesome male sidekick in Ayesha. He was the giant dick sidekick in Ayesha. I hated the way he treated her.
Juris, on the other hand, was awesomesauce, and I also loved Logy for treating Escha as an equal and wanting them to learn from each other.
Gematsu has a bunch of info on the new game. The plot resolves around restoring Plachta's memory. It also has a day/night cycle, but we don't know if there's a time limit yet.
http://gematsu.com/2015/06/atelier-sophie-first-details-screenshots
// Switch: SW-5306-0651-6424 //
Their translation is kinda shit, but I'll take the information.
Plachta's default outfit is... hmm... they usually keep the racy stuff for DLC. She has a devil tail too. I like how they say Plachta's 16; no, she's an old book who's avatar LOOKS 16.
It'll be nice to have a new trilogy with a teacher around for most games, the Dusk series didn't really have that. Plachta's all but guaranteed to have that 'you know nothing, John Snow' attitude that Astrid and Keithgriff had.
// Switch: SW-5306-0651-6424 //
I felt like Keith's version of tutelage was also completely out of place for Ayesha's goals. She wasn't trying to become a state alchemist or open her own shop or something. She was trying to save her sister's life. Somebody comes to you who is trying to rescue her missing/kidnapped sister, you don't go, "oh, you suck and you'll never get anywhere unless you work your ass off to become as awesome as me." You say, "That's terrible, how can I help you?"
Pretty sure Keithgriff's motivation is 'if you have the drive to master Alchemy, then you should have the drive to figure the rest out on your own'. If Ayesha is trying to save her sister, that's good motivation; Keith is just seeing if Ayesha can figure out Alchemy. After all, the old traditional cauldron variety is said to be nigh impossible to master in the Dusk world, with very few becoming proficient at all in it. That's why imbuing was created.
Besides, it's not like Keith doesn't help, he just helps if Ayesha can't figure it out. The bad end is Keith just showing up at Ayesha's place with Nio and going 'You were taking too long, so I got her myself. Maybe Alchemy just isn't your thing'.
If Keith knew he could rescue Nio from the outset, then he should have done it right away. Then he could offer his services as tough love coach or whatever to Ayesha. You don't play with somebody's life so you can test if somebody else is an alchemy prodigy or whatever. Of course, if he'd actually done that, it would miss the whole point of the story, which is why his character concept should have been scrapped from the outset.
It worked better with Raoul in Shallotte's story. Raoul was a bit of a jerk to Shallotte, who a) actually needed a bit of a kick in the butt and b) responds in an emotionally appropriate way to his jerkishness. You can tell she's disappointed that he makes it so difficult to prove herself, and see her getting sad and angry when he obviously doesn't get the message that she can take care of herself now. His tough love is a good thing at first, but the game shows when she outgrows the need for it, at which point it's not portrayed as a positive thing anymore.
The characters are all tropes but very well written tropes. Keithgriff is clearly an old Edgelord of the first order, but by the end of the trilogy you get the answer to why he's that way. You don't have to like all the characters, but you can't say they're badly written.
In Ayesha we're dealing with a pair of girls who've been living in the woods ALONE doing apothecary work. Nio disappeared when she was 13 and Ayesha was 14. It's not something you can quantify in modern reality.
Honestly, Ayesha is basically the girliest and most innocent protagonist in any Atelier game I've played. But it works because the character owns it. She knows she's young and frail and doesn't know much, and relies on friends to do her research. She also constantly has internal monologues about why she's constantly battling giant monsters with a STICK. In that sense, she's one of the most realistic protagonists in the series, in my mind.
On the other hand... it's a video game, and we should probably stop comparing games to RL that are in no way trying to mimic RL.
And yes, I have every right to critique the character and writing in this manner. You can disagree, but don't tell me I can't.
I'm not sure where you get the 'she immedetly likes him' bit.
// Switch: SW-5306-0651-6424 //
// Switch: SW-5306-0651-6424 //
// Switch: SW-5306-0651-6424 //
// Switch: SW-5306-0651-6424 //