SVIEL'S PROFILE

It turns out that I really dislike words. Not surprisingly, I recently switched from a CS Engineering major to Creative Writing; practically left my degree at the altar.

I like fine-tuning mechanics and writing long novels on the beach.
Zoids | Whisper
A healer tries to piece paradise back together after tragedy strikes...or at least keep the shards from slipping through her fingers.

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Fundamental RPGology Thread

I really wish that both of my computers had not died in the midst of this, or that I was able to join from the beginning...

But, I shall at least enjoy looking over what everyone came up with q_q

Ringmaster Clause Review

I think that's a question better asked on the game page, as the dev is more likely to be able to help. Right now, I'm not sure what part you're talking about.

Crystalis: Sonata of the Far-Away Sky

Boss spoilers
There was a pretty safe area where I could just wait out all of his attacks and then shoot at him when he paused, so it did not feel very threatening. There just wasn't enough danger that I had to relocate much, so I didn't. That said, it would have been a much harder fight if I had actually been trying to move around, probably. Maybe the area it takes place in is too big?


I don't think you need to rush a new release right now. What you have is already a good demonstration, so you're better off nailing some things down like the potential new menu than putting more content out, imo.


At any rate, I put all of my notes and thoughts and such into a full review, though I deleted the part where I gave up on the fire puzzle. I imagine it will show up fairly quickly, but I can PM it to you if you prefer.

Crystalis: Sonata of the Far-Away Sky

It was the third puzzle in the enemy free area. Since the lamps are not in 3 adjacent squares, I did not think the level 3 would take care of them all. I expected it to follow the same target area rules as the other two. It didn't help that using the third from the wrong position curiously blew out one lamp but not the others, despite coming closer to them than the affected one.

But with that hint, I did manage to get past it, so many thanks~

edit: I downloaded the game this morning, if you need the version for the bug. Not sure if you meant that it was an old fixed bug (in which case it's back) or that there's a newer version not yet up for dl.

Crystalis: Sonata of the Far-Away Sky

I cannot, for the life of me, get past the last set of flame pillars in the swamp. No matter how fast I go, the other's either re-light too quickly or the wind thing just flies through without putting the flame out. I know the positioning isn't off because another wind thing will put it right out, so long as the others are lit.

I can tell that other's have gotten past it before from the comments, so I wonder if perhaps something's changed since then?

Summer Review Jam! (week 9 space'd)

You guys make me feel like some sort of savage, as I haven't tasted basically any of these jams...

I could certainly never hope to discuss the finer points of black/red currant or Saskatoon in polite conversation.

Fleuret Blanc. Review

author=CashmereCat
Well-written review, even if I would have preferred something like a conclusion to summarize all your thoughts. What I gathered from this review is that Fleuret Blanc was a game with incredible story and sleuth elements, but a fencing minigame that brought the quality down?

I'm interested in playing this game.


It's more that the fencing gameplay isn't as high quality as the rest of it. I don't mean to imply that it was terrible, just that there was a noticeable gap between that and everything else.

author=Merlandese
Haha! Probably my favorite line. Maybe you do! But really I had never (and still honestly haven't) played a Visual Novel. I didn't even know it was a genre at the time. So to pitch it that way might be a more realistic way to market, but I'd be claiming to have a product of a genre I know nothing about. That'd be weird, I think. I'm happy the review makes some clarifications for others who might be more aware of the differences than I am, though. :)

Thanks for playing and writing this all out!


If it helps, you did a pretty good job of it, especially for not having played one. Better than some intentional VNs I've seen.

author=Gourd_Clae
Ooh, I disagree with some things. You know what that means~

I will definitely review this soon.


Can't wait to see that.

I had a really hard time summing this one up, so I would not be surprised if I veered too subjective in some places. Sometimes I feel like I shouldn't be allowed to have the sole review on a game q_q

What makes a good MMORPG?

author=Nivla
Tera Online had great graphics and a huge expanse of world, but the linear growth system made me lose interest because my character would end up the same as anyone else's.

author=Nivla
I'd like to see a skill-based MMORPG instead of a min-max race. Shooters, for example, they have set weapons, but how good you are is based off your own skill instead of how much you grind.


This seems like it's the same thing? Tera allows for some customization, probably more than shooters do, but the end result is that the classes (weapons) are mostly set. The only thing gained by a branching class system is having a few more weapons (classes).

For example, having 4 classes that each branch once is exactly the same as having 8 classes for the purposes of end-game content. Thus, while I appreciate varied classes in MMOs, I don't count the class list until the end. Tera has enough for me, though, I concede that it's on the low end.

On the the other hand, I really appreciate what Mabinogi does in that only skills are chosen, not a class. Every character is different, then, unless you've been playing for a decade and have every skill ever, in which case the difference lies only in equipment...but even then, aesthetically, there are hundreds of options that do not affect gameplay, so everyone still looks different.

The result is that it fosters the 'talk to random people' environment because the player never feels like they're in a world of clones. In the years that I've played the game, I have not once seen any clones of myself and have always been able to recognize my friends on sight. I would say that is quite important to me, in any mmo.

When you write, how much do you base the work, or yourself on existing fiction or writers?

I don't like basing characters heavily on real-life people because it tends to all blow up at some point. Like, it wouldn't make sense for that real-life person to have developed as such in this new setting or w/e.


Instead, I'll take a character based on an impression of a real-life person or just stitched together and then insert them into w/e book I happen to be reading at the time and see what changes. After a long time of doing that, I have a pretty good idea of the ins and outs of the character and can have them thrive in a variety of worlds.

I can still point to the original source for the character, but, everything fits together much more pleasantly.