Flashfall's recent activity
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
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Comment on What are your goto cocktails? in ~food
Flashfall LinkIf I'm making something for myself to sip slowly, I almost always default to a bamboo: 1.5oz dry vermouth 1.5oz fino sherry or another dry sherry 2 dashes of angostura and orange bitters 0.5oz St....If I'm making something for myself to sip slowly, I almost always default to a bamboo:
- 1.5oz dry vermouth
- 1.5oz fino sherry or another dry sherry
- 2 dashes of angostura and orange bitters
- 0.5oz St. Germain, this is my riff on it since I like the extra bit of floral sweetness
Add all ingredients into a glass with ice and stir. Lots of nice light floral and fruity notes in this while still being dry and not all that sweet.
If I'm making something I'm mostly confident everyone will enjoy during dinner, I'll do a St. Germain spritz:
- 2oz St. Germain
- 2oz prosecco
- 1oz club soda
Add the St. Germain and prosecco to a glass with ice, top with club soda. It's light, sweet, bubbly, and not bitter or dry so it works for most palates.
I also enjoy a whiskey sour and my favorite variation of it so far has been this one using Jagermeister from How To Drink.
Stagger Lee:
Build in shaker- 1 oz. or 30 ml. Lemon Juice
- 1 oz. or 30 ml. Jägermeister
- 1 oz. or 30 ml. Bourbon
- .5 oz. or 30 ml. Maraschino
Add ice and shake, strain into glass.
I don't have a bottle of Maraschino liqueur so I sub it with cherry Heering and use a bit less Jager so it doesn't become too sweet. Yes I know Maraschino and cherry liqueur are not proper substitutes, no I'm not buying a bottle of Maraschino I would barely use it.As for a simple thirst quencher on a hot day, my go-to is a ranch water:
- A can or bottle of seltzer/sparkling water, preferably Topo Chico
- 1.5oz blanco tequila, reposado's fine too
- 1oz fresh lime juice or however much you get from one lime
Fill a tall glass with ice, pour the tequila and lime juice in, top with the sparkling water, gently stir.
Or, if you want to maximize the carbonation:
Chill your seltzer/sparkling water beforehand. Open it and drink some to make space, then pour the tequila an lime juice directly into the can/bottle and stir that a bit. -
Comment on Looking for lighthearted action anime in ~anime
Flashfall LinkMashle is a gag action manga about a boy born with absurd physical prowess in a world that runs on magic. It's a lot of dumb fun and the opening for the second season is extremely catchy.Mashle is a gag action manga about a boy born with absurd physical prowess in a world that runs on magic. It's a lot of dumb fun and the opening for the second season is extremely catchy.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Flashfall LinkStill on a Monster Hunter Wilds binge, I've finished all the story and side quests, and I've got a somewhat decent Switch Axe build put together with a few endgame pieces, though I'm still not...Still on a Monster Hunter Wilds binge, I've finished all the story and side quests, and I've got a somewhat decent Switch Axe build put together with a few endgame pieces, though I'm still not very good at using it to its fullest (the offset attack is so damn hard to time). This game is considerably more generous in regards to monster loot than World is, so I've crafted a few other weapon types and I might start learning those because there isn't really a good excuse to limit yourself to just a main or two now.
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Comment on Best "complete" anime you'd recommend? in ~anime
Flashfall Link ParentStardust Crusaders is fun but it does feel a little too long, there's times when it feels like the gang is just fighting some new villain of the week that doesn't really add much to the plot, even...Stardust Crusaders is fun but it does feel a little too long, there's times when it feels like the gang is just fighting some new villain of the week that doesn't really add much to the plot, even if that is how it was in the original manga. But some of the best scenes and characters in the series are in part 3, like Avdol and the gambling fight vs D'Arby.
I'd personally recommend part 4, Diamond is Unbreakable, which has a more casual vibe overall but there's still plenty of wackiness going on and the main antagonist is more compelling.
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Comment on Best "complete" anime you'd recommend? in ~anime
Flashfall LinkMob Psycho 100 is a great coming of age story about a middle school boy with limitless psychic powers that just wants to fit in and be normal. 3 seasons of 12 episodes and they're all excellent....-
Mob Psycho 100 is a great coming of age story about a middle school boy with limitless psychic powers that just wants to fit in and be normal. 3 seasons of 12 episodes and they're all excellent. Also the original artist, ONE, is also the creator of One Punch Man, but honestly I think this is his best work so far.
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Space Brothers is a really endearing tale of two brothers who had dreams of becoming astronauts when they were young, and come across various hurdles, reality checks, and colorful characters while pursuing their dream. Technically the story's not complete and the manga still updates infrequently, but the anime finished in 2014 after a whopping 99 episodes and it ends at a good point so I wouldn't worry about waiting for another season.
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Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans is a Gundam spinoff series that doesn't require any prior knowledge of Gundam and is centered on a group of child soldiers that take over their PMC and aid the princess of Mars on a diplomatic mission. There's some dark themes in this one but the characters, story, and action are great. Two seasons of 25 episodes.
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Girls' Last Tour follows two girls journeying across a war-torn and abandoned city. This one's more slow-paced and introspective but beautiful. 12 episodes.
Seconding Ping Pong the Animation and Baccano! since they were already mentioned, Ping Pong might be my favorite coming of age story and Baccano! is just incredibly fun.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Flashfall Link ParentOnce you complete the game once, it unlocks chapter select mode just like in Remake so you're able to hop between chapters at will at the difficulty of your choosing to complete content or...Once you complete the game once, it unlocks chapter select mode just like in Remake so you're able to hop between chapters at will at the difficulty of your choosing to complete content or chapter-specific achievements.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Flashfall Link ParentYeah the "typo" somebody found in the config.ini is definitely a placebo, turns out that typo is just how that variable's named and "fixing" it causes that config setting to switch to whatever the...Yeah the "typo" somebody found in the config.ini is definitely a placebo, turns out that typo is just how that variable's named and "fixing" it causes that config setting to switch to whatever the default is. Apparently the game also has TWO layers of anti-tamper software, Denuvo and Capcom's in-house one, so this might just be scapegoating but I'm pretty sure those aren't helping the performance any.
I've dabbled a bit with Gunlance and I'll probably have a build for that once I get deeper into high-rank. SnS also looks pretty cool now but I am rather biased towards weapons that explode.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Flashfall Link ParentAn Advance Wars mention in this day and age is a pleasant surprise. Dual Strike was my first AW game and I got nostalgic over it years after beating it on my DS that I downloaded an emulator on my...An Advance Wars mention in this day and age is a pleasant surprise. Dual Strike was my first AW game and I got nostalgic over it years after beating it on my DS that I downloaded an emulator on my phone to beat it again, so I think that counts as playing it on a different system, haha. Days of Ruin is definitely a different vibe from the original AW games but it still has that Intelligent Systems touch that makes it feel great to play.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Flashfall Link ParentYou're in for a treat, Rebirth (in my opinion) improves on Remake in basically every way. Don't feel pressured to do every single bit of side content while you progress though, I did and it hurt...You're in for a treat, Rebirth (in my opinion) improves on Remake in basically every way. Don't feel pressured to do every single bit of side content while you progress though, I did and it hurt the pacing of the story a bit.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Flashfall Link ParentMind sharing your specs? I'm typically getting anywhere between 40-60fps on 1440p with upscaling but without frame gen, but FPS has a tendency to tank hard in any of the hub areas. I'm running a...Mind sharing your specs? I'm typically getting anywhere between 40-60fps on 1440p with upscaling but without frame gen, but FPS has a tendency to tank hard in any of the hub areas. I'm running a 3070, Ryzen 5600x, and 32gb of RAM. I'm using FSR3 instead of DLSS since that lets me turn on frame generation to get 70-80 frames on average so the game doesn't give me a headache after a while but I wish I didn't have to.
I've been using Switch Axe for most of my hunts despite being a Heavy Bowgun main in World since it's just more fun to smack monsters with a giant transforming exploding sword sometimes and the new sword counter on it is a godsend, I can pretend I'm playing longsword and it seriously makes up for the huge mobility downside of sword mode.
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Comment on Monster Hunter: Wilds reviews – Top Critic Average: 90 in ~games
Flashfall Link ParentHuh, those specs are extremely close to my own (3070, 5600x, 32gb RAM) and I was getting maybe an average of 50fps in the beta so that's good to hear. I was worried I was going to have to drop...Huh, those specs are extremely close to my own (3070, 5600x, 32gb RAM) and I was getting maybe an average of 50fps in the beta so that's good to hear. I was worried I was going to have to drop graphics to low or resolution to 1080p to get consistently over 60fps, but you can really start to notice the drop in quality at that point.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Flashfall LinkStarted Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and as a fan of the first one there's a few things I've noticed already: Combat feels more fluid, though still with its signature jankiness. Either way I can...Started Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and as a fan of the first one there's a few things I've noticed already:
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Combat feels more fluid, though still with its signature jankiness. Either way I can blame myself more often than the game now when I lose fights.
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Alchemy is somehow even more hilariously overpowered now than it was in the first game, which is great cause I love making and selling the strongest potions.
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People are really nice to Mutt but really mean to Pebbles :(
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There's a lot more humor in the writing now. Henry can be a pretty funny guy and there's some hilarious and ridiculous interactions you can get into with persuasion checks and some quests, especially with those folks camping next to the nomad camp.
It did take some getting used to the UI again since it's been some time and they've added a few things as well as tutorial boxes all over the place, but I've more or less adjusted to it again. For a first time player though, hoo boy you're in for a rough time. If you can get past that and get used to the combat though, this is a top tier RPG just like the last one, super immersive, great dialogue and characters, and very rewarding when you put the effort into improving your skills. 10/10 would die to a small group of bandits 8 times in a row before giving up on fighting and waiting til night time to choke them out and slit their throats while they're unconscious to get my first real suit of armor again.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Flashfall Link ParentI've only just finished my own first playthrough of Rebirth on PC after 3 weeks of playing it basically every day, having done every single available piece of side content possible. I was going to...I've only just finished my own first playthrough of Rebirth on PC after 3 weeks of playing it basically every day, having done every single available piece of side content possible. I was going to make a mini-essay post of my own but you beat me to the punch, so I'll just leave a few thoughts on what really stood out to me the most.
This game feels so intensely like a love letter to all the fans of the series. All the locations, music, characters, and pivotal moments fans have grown to love over the past 28 years are revisited and re-imagined with such an absurdly high level of quality and care. It's also ridiculously content-dense without being stale - with new minigames and mechanics being introduced with each region you travel to it rarely gets old or repetitive, choosing to do all the minigames, side quests, and exploration content can easily double the playtime of a run, and just the main story quest itself is rather lengthy and healthily populated with unique bosses, gorgeous cutscenes that don't last too long, and sometimes a minigame, which mercifully doesn't require you to score well in to proceed but rewards you if you do.
I enjoyed Remake but I did have a number of complaints about it, namely the confusing narrative and the lack of opportunity to really master the otherwise excellent combat before going into hard mode due to how linear and relatively short the story was. By having so much more room and time to tell the story and let players fight, Rebirth solved these problems and then some. In fact, I think the only big gripe I have about Rebirth is that it took so long for me to finish my first playthrough that it's delayed me from playing Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 for 2 weeks.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Flashfall Link ParentWhoa, you're telling me someone else has actually played IXION other than me? And you are right about the game having a rather unfair difficulty and knowledge spike, compared to the more gradual...Whoa, you're telling me someone else has actually played IXION other than me? And you are right about the game having a rather unfair difficulty and knowledge spike, compared to the more gradual progression and challenge that both Frostpunk main campaigns have (scenarios are excluded because Fall of Winterhome assumes you beat the main story and is just max difficulty right off the bat).
IXION actually requires significantly more resource micromanagement than Frostpunk does due to needing to manually distribute goods between sectors, needing to worry about docking bay storage limits as a full docking bay can't receive new resource shipments, waste management in both industrial AND housing units, roads taking up actual space on the grid, resources taking actual time to get to facilities so good road planning is actually important, certain facilities only being able to be built on the walls on top of being huge which complicates the very limited space management issue even further, not being able to deconstruct buildings unless there's a road to it and a spare worker, etc, etc. Your first playthrough is more or less doomed to a couple failures and reloading from much older saves unless you're playing on the easiest difficulty because almost none of these things are communicated to the player well.
With all that said though, I still quite like the game, enough to beat it on Challenge difficulty, so I encourage you to push on and finish it at least once, as the better ending is a satisfying payoff for all the pain the game puts you through. Chapter 2 is actually the hardest part of the game, so if you can get past that the rest should be relatively smooth sailing, assuming you make the right choice for one very important exploration decision in chapter 3.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Flashfall Link ParentStory and character-wise, as a relative newcomer to FFVII who hasn't played the original (Crisis Core was my first exposure to it, of all things), I'm not sure which minor NPCs are new, but so far...Story and character-wise, as a relative newcomer to FFVII who hasn't played the original (Crisis Core was my first exposure to it, of all things), I'm not sure which minor NPCs are new, but so far none of them have come off as too cliche or badly inserted, with maybe the exception of Chadley. He's fine in small doses here and there and in all the story events, but you'll be hearing him a lot if you choose to collect all the world intel so his shtick gets a little old.
As for Sephiroth, with my Crisis Core-tinted bias he's been humanized a bit more in my eyes so he's got more of an exceedingly competent supervillian vibe rather than a living legend/walking apocalypse. In the opening mission he's a humble celebrity, and in the story thus far he's a haunting specter. Always in control, but in a cool and quiet way.
I wouldn't be worried about the movement mechanics and not having a jump button. The automatic mantling when you're running handles most obstacles well and manual mantling is pretty flexible.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Flashfall Link ParentOh I expect to get a lot of playtime out of Red, Barret and Yuffie yet, but for just clearing all the world intel spots it's nice to be able to turn my brain off and double cast spells or...Oh I expect to get a lot of playtime out of Red, Barret and Yuffie yet, but for just clearing all the world intel spots it's nice to be able to turn my brain off and double cast spells or unbridled strength > omnistrike chain staggered monsters to death.
As for QB, right now my deck's focused primarily on grabbing as many tiles as quickly as possible, then boosting them enough to win at least 2 rows, so it doesn't revolve around any singular high cost card. In fact, I don't think I even have a 3 cost card in it, but the legendary 1 and 2 cost cards pull a lot of weight. It's let me clear all of Junon and the Shinra-8 pretty reliably with little to no changes so I figure it'll hold up for Corel too. I have enough cards to build another deck around destroying cards too, so that might be the next thing I go for. Archdragons are incredibly good value.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Flashfall LinkI started Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and after 35 hours I'm only 6 chapters in, mostly since I've been doing every single bit of available side content and sometimes just stopping to soak in the...I started Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and after 35 hours I'm only 6 chapters in, mostly since I've been doing every single bit of available side content and sometimes just stopping to soak in the landscape and take screenshots. This game is just such a solid package in every aspect. The open world and visuals are drop dead gorgeous, while being reasonably sized and populated with activities so you're not just doing nothing for minutes on end. The music is phenomenally well orchestrated, probably even more so if you're familiar with the tracks from the original game. The sound effects are very crisp as well, and I especially like the addition of the sound cue for when you pressure an enemy. The combat's an improvement on the already great combat from VII Remake, with new synergy skills and abilities that add another layer of depth to team composition (though I still just use Cloud/Tifa/Aerith for 90% of my battles). The writing is very fun, it's as serious as it needs to be when things are going down, but it can be extremely whimsical during the calmer moments as well, in a way that somehow isn't out of place.
The minigames, how did they cram so many minigames in? A lot of them are one-offs where half the fun is encountering them and figuring them out so I won't spoil those here, but I will talk a bit about Queen's Blood. Now I know card battler games aren't everybody's cup of tea and the devs know this as well so they never force you into playing it, but my Geralt was a right monster at Gwent so naturally my Cloud had to be a card shark as well. Anyway, this little card game is rather confusing to learn and I lost to my first opponent 5 times in a row trying to figure out how to place more pieces and score points while adjusting my deck with a very limited set of cards. Much like Gwent though, once you find a setup that works for your build and more importantly, get a few rare cards that carry the hell out of the rest of your deck, you can begin your bloody conquest in earnest by crushing the hopes and dreams of every available card-playing NPC.
I also bought Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 which drops tomorrow, but I probably won't get started on that til I finish Rebirth's story for the first time since I know I won't be able to stop playing it once I start. And then there's Monster Hunter: Wilds releasing at the end of the month. Safe to say I won't need to worry about not having anything to play for a while.
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Comment on Snacks that aren't just sugar or crazy salty in ~food
Flashfall LinkIf you're not counting carbs as sugar, rice crackers are a crunchy and only mildly salty or sweet treat. This is the one I've gotten from Costco a few times. My local supermarket also stocks...If you're not counting carbs as sugar, rice crackers are a crunchy and only mildly salty or sweet treat. This is the one I've gotten from Costco a few times.
My local supermarket also stocks wasabi peas and these baked vegetable (or legume?) snacks which I find to be even more addicting than regular chips.
These probably aren't the most calorie-light options but they're satisfying to me and if a snack isn't satisfying then I'm just gonna end up looking for something else to snack on.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Flashfall Link ParentHow is Destiny 2 still faring these days for you and your clanmates? I and the vast majority of my clan effectively quit a few months after Final Shape dropped after we cleared the raid a couple...How is Destiny 2 still faring these days for you and your clanmates? I and the vast majority of my clan effectively quit a few months after Final Shape dropped after we cleared the raid a couple times and played out the seasonal content, since we were mostly burned out from playing the game regularly for years. Is Bungie still hanging on and delivering good seasonal content? Are you optimistic for the stuff they have planned for the next year?
Capcom did some interesting updates to all of the weapon movesets that have made them generally more fun or at least less frustrating to play, especially with the addition of focus mode that makes whiffing big attacks on slow weapons less common. I've only dabbled in SnS and GL, but SnS feels fantastic after they added perfect guarding to the shield and gave it a few more simple but meaty damage combos. GL feels punchier as well and being able to aim wyvernfires is a huge upgrade, plus the full burst wyrmstake combo is awesome while also being optimal, but you can still do fine damage with charged shelling, pokeshelling, the old full burst combo, regular wyrmstake combo, etc.
Not every weapon got that same amount of loving treatment. I used to main HBG in World and I loved building around spread, sticky and cluster ammo, and all of those have been chucked in the dumpster to make way for pierce and wyernheart spam, which is extremely effective but dreadfully dull. That got me to learn how to use some other weapons though, so silver lining I guess.