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Gamingforce Choco Journal

Soluzar's

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Apr 7, 2010 - 07:42 PM

Kinda like the introduction thread I never made. Only longer.

Curious.

I still feel like a new guy, here. Even after quite a few years. There are a few people who know me, but it wouldn't hurt to get to know a few more. Here is a ridiculously long entry about me, why not? I broke it down into some arbitrary sized chunks for ease of reading.

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

There it is. Far too much stuff about me. Read if you've got the time, and feel the inclination.

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[public entry #16]

Jan 7, 2010 - 12:20 PM

The State of the Backloggery Address.

Backlogged.

Is your Backloggery a pristine record of your entire games collection, flawlessly maintained and managed? Is it a bit of a mess, containing the games you care about, but not the ones you forgot you bought? Is it mostly about the games you are currently playing, or have been since you joined the site?

http://backloggery.com/main.php?user=soluzar

Mine's a bit of a mess. It sort of keeps track of my collection, but there are inaccuracies, and things missing. It runs to over four hundred games, and I'm not sure everything I own is included. After all, I haven't traded in a game (sort of) for about 15 years, and I've been buying them at a steady rate for most of that time. A quick calculation shows that steady rate must be about two games a month, which sounds about right as an average.

There isn't that much missing. Just today, when Meia asked me about my backlog, I updated with most of my XBLA titles and some of my PSN downloads. That leaves Mega Drive (Genesis) cartridges as the only unrepresented category. Honestly I'm not even sure where they are, except in general terms. Probably inside a box in back of my closet is the best I can do.

I need to add the rest of my PSN games, at some point. Then all that will be missing are whatever oddments I've just forgotten about. If you're looking at my PS1 list and thinking "That philistine! Where is his copy of _______!?!?!?" then you should also check the PS1 list, because living here in Europe I often used to just pirate American PS1 titles that weren't available here. I've started to fix that recently, by adding the few must-have PSN releases to my collection.

I've still got a disturbing number of good games on my list I don't really own. That bothers me, I should look to fixing that. When I purchase a remake I tend to remove the pirate SNES/PS1 version from the list and replace it with the new legitimate copy.

So... that's how I run my Backloggery. If you're looking at it and there's something odd about it, hopefully that's explained why. I don't know if many people will be checking out my backlog, but this new GFF Game Club might prompt a few views.

Currently Playing: Far too many games.

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[public entry #15]

Sep 26, 2009 - 03:22 PM

Laptop GET.

Grateful

My mom decided she needed a new laptop... mostly because this one is smaller and cuter than the last and therefore appeals to what she finds important in any piece of electronics. She got an Acer Aspire ONE, which isn't a bad choice as far as netbooks go. As a result, I got her old Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo laptop.

It's actually very decent, with a Core2Duo p8400, and good specs all around. I've never really needed a laptop so I never splashed out the money for one, but hey... as a gift, I'll be grateful for that.

It comes with Windows Vista. I would have installed Windows 7 Release Candidate, but you can't download it any more which probably means the retail version is out soon. I might upgrade to that when it comes out but for now I'm rolling back to Windows XP with all the fun of finding drivers for a machine where the manufacturer only supports Vista. Windows 7 does away with a lot of the things I find annoying about Vista so it's definitely the way to go for me, both on the desktop and on the move.

I notice as I write this that I'm really not very consistent at making journal entries. It's been well over a year since my last one. I wonder if I'll remember to make another one soon.

Currently Playing: around with drivers.

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[public entry #14]

Apr 14, 2008 - 01:51 PM

360 games, batch #01

After listening to the recommendations of the GFF members who commented in my journal and of various other friends and acquaintances, I decided to splash out on a selection of 360 games.

My usual modus operandi with regards to videogame purchases is to wait for either a price drop or a used copy of the games I'm interested in. I don't generally pay more than £30.00 (currently ~$60.00 American) for any title, no matter how good. My purchasing decisions were partically motivated by this. I can always get other games later on, when their price drops.

With that said, here are my latest acquisitions. With only one exception they are for the 360, and without exception they are used but in excellent condition.

The Orange Box

I've actually played this on the PC, but I prefer to play games on a console. I heard the PS3 version may not be the way to go, and to be honest this is one of the very titles that made me interested in putting a 360 alongside my PS3.

Portal is just too damn awesome. I don't think anyone can disagree with that statement. Even Ben "Yatzhee" Croshaw of Zero Punctuation found nothing bad to say about it. What other games can say this? I would have bought Portal as a standalone game.

Lost Odyssey

It's an RPG. Specifically it is a JRGP, which I tend to enjoy. The current generation of consoles has few enough that I'm inclined to buy them all, for now.

Seriously though, it actually looks good, and I'm astounded by the fact that it appears to come on four dual-layered DVDs, which means it requires about 32 GB of space for all the content.

Viva Pinata

It's the strangest game on the 360, therefore I want it. I probably own (or at least pirated) the strangest game you can think of for every console I ever played.

It could be fun, why not? It sounds silly, but it also sounds like it could be a great game to play when I'm just not in the mood for something so serious.

Blue Dragon
Kameo

I'm not gonna lie, I'm putting faith in GFF here. People recommended these, and even though based on reviews I didn't expect them to be great, I'm inclined to go with recommendations which appear to have been made with a genuine attempt to understand my tastes.

I can't say anything about these. I'm just going with what I was told, with the hope of a pleasant surprise. I'll post in due course regarding my impressions.

They were cheap, at least. Very cheap.

Folklore

Simply put, I read a review and it seems like the most interesting thing on PS3 right now. I'm just not interested in Gears of Duty 3, or whatever other first person shooter is the current hot item. Some people hate RPGs, they just can't appreciate them. That's how I feel about shooters. There is maybe one exception a year.

This on the other hand sounds like a game of adventure and discovery, with a healthy dose of mystery thown in. I like a good mystery, and I'm hoping to enjoy this game. It seems like a bit of a dungeon-crawler with action/platform elements, which... sounds damn good to me.

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[public entry #13]

Apr 7, 2008 - 10:11 AM

Suikoden Journal Musing - Part I

Satisfied

I just completed Suikoden for the second time. The first time I played I made some bad choices and didn't get all 108 Stars of Destiny. Since I don't know exactly what carries over when you load Suikoden data into Suikoden II, I figured it was worth having as many characters as possible.

Suikoden I ending:

So I got all 108 Stars of Destiny, sharpened everyone's weapon to the maximum level and built up each character to at least level 50. It only took me one afternoon to build everyone up after I'd gone through the story gathering characters. I certainly am sick of the sight of Gaspar's damned dice cup though.

I beat the game in 38 hours, which I admit is really pretty slow. If I had wanted to go for speed instead of characters, I think it's probably posssible to get to the final boss in about 22 hours. It is not a long game, although it is crammed with goodness.

I enjoyed it every bit as much the second time as the first. I almost got everything, but I managed to miss the Clone Crystal. My theory is that Odessa was holding it when she died. Oh well, I'm not going to fuss over it. I don't know if Runes can even carry over, anyway.

My recent acquisition of Mana-Khemia and Eternal Sonata means it might be a few weeks before I am ready to start Suikoden II. I probably should finish Persona 3 as well, so I can start Episode Aigis in Fes when that arrives.

It's been a hell of a ride, the game is amazing. Other than a few examples of odd dialogue, and the irritating nature of the "fake choices" the game gives you, I can't think of much that could have been improved.

I'll post my impressions of Suikoden II when I get to it.

Currently Playing: Eternal Sonata

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[public entry #12]

Apr 4, 2008 - 03:07 PM

Soluzar gets a 360.

Well... I didn't have any immediate plans to get one until the recent price drop, and then I started thinking about it. It's been something I planned to buy eventually for a while now. There are games I would play, on XBLA as well as at retail. There probably is only one game I'm champing at the bit to play though, and that is Eternal Sonata.

So I picked up an Elite. It says "LOT NO: 745" on the label on the box, and the PSU is 175W so I assume I got one of the new Falcon chipset units. I know that's no guarantee of anything, but it probably reduces the odds of a failure. I also got a free 3 year warranty.

I admit it, I'm an RPG player a lot of the time. I like other games well enough, especially platform games, but a good RPG (or SRPG) is my passion. I bought the PS3 as much for Disgaea as anything else... Ratchet and Clank played a part in that choice though.

The only game I have already is Eternal Sonata, so I'm hoping to get a few opinions on what other games will be fun for me. I'm not really into FPS games, although for some reason Half Life 2 is a major exception. I heard the 360 version is better than the version on PS3. Please don't recommend the Tom Clancy games to me, or Gears of War... or whatever other shooter is hot. I might play it if it were free, but I'm not about to drop the cash.

I'm interested in knowing if any multiplatform titles are clearly better on the 360. I'm not a fanboy, I care little which console I play a game on as long as it is a good experience. I'm also interested in the more unusual and quirky titles. Is Viva Pinata actually any fun? It looks like it could go either way. What other unusual games are on the 360?

Last but not least, which XBLA games which I might otherwise miss out on would you recommend as worth the points?

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[public entry #11]

Mar 13, 2008 - 08:22 AM

Enchanted Arms - first impression.

When I first got my PS3, I was interested in getting as many games as possible, so I pretty much picked up anything that I could find at a cut price, new or used. I've since returned a few of those games, but I found a few that I'm going to keep. I managed to find Genji: Days of the Blade for a tenner, and I'm enjoying that enormously. I also managed to find Enchanted Arms for £24.99 which seemed a good price at the time. It has since dropped in price even further.

I know perfectly well that Enchanted Arms did not get the best of reviews, but since it's pretty much the only JRPG currently out on my console of choice, I figured I'd give it a go. I load it up and everything about the game screams Final Fantasy VIII to me, which doesn't seem like a particularly good thing.

It seems like it's pretty chock-full of anime clichés to me, but then I'm only in the first few hours of the game. There's plenty of time later on for it to be filled with RPG clichés which would at least be more appropriate. The characters don't seem particularly interesting, but they aren't putting me off either. They just seem a little dull, a little cookie-cutter.

I'm willing to keep on playing this game and see if there's anything to discover. I don't mind a poor or clichéd story if the game has an interesting system. I also don't mind a poor system if the game has an interesting story. It goes both ways, I only need one good hook to get me interested in the game.

So far it hasn't hooked me. I'll probably play it until I hit about 8 hours before pronouncing my judgement. That seems like long enough to see some potential.

Other games I picked up are Virtual Fighter 5, Dynasty Warriors: Gundam, and Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. As of right now, Ratchet and Clank is tied for the top spot with Genji. I need to pick up Devil May Cry 4 though.

Currently Playing: PS3

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[public entry #10]

Dec 28, 2007 - 01:24 PM

Update on the "moving in" situation.

Contemplative.

I never did move in with my girlfriend this year. We both wanted to, but I've had some family shit to deal with, and she's having a really stressfull time at work, so it never actually happened. Plus there was the thing where we broke up... but only for about two and a half hours. I tend to think she didn't really want to break up, but for whatever reason felt like it wasn't working out.

We're back together, and things seem a lot better now but it's always hard to know what to think after something like that. I guess... things are good, but she's still under an incredible amount of stress. She's a developer, and they cut her department down from fifteen people to only twelve at work, and they have the same amount of work to do. It doesn't help that she's probably one of the more competant people in the department and as such gets a heavier share of the workload than certain others. It really doesn't help that the people who left were some of the best and the brightest.

Somehow it just hasn't seemed like the right time to move it, ya know? We've said that we'll talk about it again once the new year is behind us. I think we both still really want to do this, but it's hard not to be nervous. Neither of us ever did anything like this before.

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[public entry #9]

Dec 28, 2007 - 08:29 AM

PS3 60GB GET!

Ecstatic

I recently decided that the best choice of new console for me is a PS3. I've had lots of experience playing them all courtesy of my friends, and there are definitely games on all three systems that I'm desperate to play. If it was just about what games are available now, I'd get a 360. Since it's about games which will be available soon, and games which might be available down the line, I feel like I have to have a PS3 for Disgaea 3 if nothing else.

I'm definitely going to get a 360 at some point, and hopefully by then there won't be any lingering questions over the stability of the chipset. I know the failure rate isn't nearly as high as the internet would like me to believe, but still I don't see how I can lose out by waiting in this case. It's not like the supply of good games is going to dry up any time soon.

With the PS3 on the other hand, I could lose out by waiting. I managed to snag one of the very few remaining 60GB models avaiable in the UK, which means I got a PS3 with at least some kind of PS2 backwards compatiblity, with 4 USB ports instead of 2 and with 20GB extra storage space for Playstation Network downloadable content. I don't know if there are other differences, but you can be sure I'm glad to have what I see as the better version.

Before I went out shopping today, I made a list of games that I've taken note of as being potentially worth buying. I already got Oblivion, the GoTY edition, and I was forced to take Beowulf. I guess I'll play it. It's going to be worth the same amount in trade whether I unseal it or not, I assume. It might be good.

Here is the list:

Agarest Senki
Armored Core 4
Burnout Paradise
Disgaea 3
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam
Enchanted Arms
Eternal Sonata
Half Life 2: The Orange Box
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
Ninja Gaiden Sigma
Shin Megami Tensei
Skate
Tekken 5: Dark Ressurection
Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008

As you can probably guess, I'm not a huge fan of first person or third person perspective shooters. I like some of them, especially when they have more of an 'adventure' feel than just straight up shooting action. I'm not prejudiced against them, but they aren't top of my list to buy.

If there are any games you think I should be adding to that shopping list, or any that you think shouldn't be there at all, please comment to let me know. I don't expect to buy the whole of that list any time soon, but that's the shortlist I'll be working from when I do buy. Underlined titles are the ones which I hear may be coming out within the next year.

I've not exactly kept 100% up to date with the games industry over the last f few months, so there could easily be some good titles I've missed. I know what sucks though, so don't bother recommending Kane and Lynch, plz.

Oh and if you're going to comment about FPS titles, I'm more than likely going to be hugely indifferent. Doesn't mean you're not welcome to do so, though.

Currently Playing: The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion (PS3)

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[public entry #8]

Jan 22, 2007 - 12:57 PM

Looks like I'll be moving soon...

Confused

My girlfriend and I have decided that we should move in together. Neither of us are happy with our current living arrangements, so we'll be getting a new place together. Normally that would be a pretty easy thing to do, but this situation falls outside of my experience.

We hooked up on an internet forum. It's not your normal kind of 'internet relationship' though, because early on in our interaction, I learned that she only lives 40 miles away from me, and in the town where I grew up. We're able to see each other most weekends, and I like that town anyway... so moving back there would be a good thing. We've been together for nearly six months now, which does seem a little soon to be thinking about moving in together... but we both really want to.

I just have no idea how to go about looking for a job in another town. If I were to find one, how would the logistics work out? If the trains aren't as reliable during peak times as they are at other times, it would be a problem. I've never done anything lilke this before, and I don't know how to go about it.

The absent friends I mentioned in this entry are back, which is nice. One of them has now got a permanent case of wanderlust though, which means he won't be staying around for ever. It's going to be strange to move away from the town in which I have lived for 19 years. All my friends are here, and while it's not so far that I can't come back for a visit, it's still going to be a little lonely at first.

I really want to move in with my girlfriend, but it's not going to be an easy thing to adjust to. Not at all.

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[public entry #7]

Jan 18, 2007 - 04:19 PM

"But you said it was in stock!!"

Frustrated

So I placed an order for Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (GameCube) last week. Sure I'm a little late getting to this title, but that's not really relevant. The point is that I go to the usual online retailers. The first one (Amazon) is out of stock, but the second (GameStation) is listing a used copy available for £26.99 + shipping. They don't have any new copies.

I'm pretty happy with that price, so I placed the order. Their website said tha the game was in stock, and would normally be dispatched within 1 to 2 working days. I get an email two days later saying that the order was being processed, and I happily anticipated the arrival of my game.

Today I get an email saying that it's out of stock. So I check the website, and it is still listed as being in stock. It took them about a week just to tell me that they wouldn't be able to fill my order. I'm not exactly pissed off, but I'm a little frustrated. If it's not in stock, then why does it say on their website that it is?

I've just placed another order, at a different store. I've ordered it from Gameplay UK this time. It's a new copy at £32.99 + shipping. Only thing is that I've not dealt with this company before. That plus the fact that they don't actually say it's in stock, but they do say that it will normally be dispatched within a week. In my experience that means that they have no stock on hand, but they anticipate being able to order it from the supplier.

In other words, my chances of getting this are 50/50 at best.

I wish I'd bought the decent GameCube titles when they were still new. I still don't have a copy of Twilight Princess for GameCube either. I'm going to go hunting for one tomorrow, but I don't have high hopes.

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[public entry #6]

Jan 14, 2007 - 01:10 AM

Makai Senki Disgaea Portable... is made of WIN. *SPOILERS*

Netherworl

So you've probably heard that Disgaea is out on PSP. Some of you may have even played it. Personally I'm a rabid N1 fan, and would have bought it even if it were just a straight port. In fact when I did buy it, I thought it was...

No.

new Disgaea stuff.:

Ever wondered what might happen if Etna killed Laharl by accident instead of waking him up? Maybe she'd disguise a Prinny as Laharl and try to pretend it never happened. Maybe the whole Disgaea story would be a lot different, and a lot sillier.

You don't need to wonder. Etna Mode has done your wondering for you. I'm only in the second chapter of Etna Mode, since I also recently got some other excellent PSP titles that I'm playing as well.

other PSP games:

Currently Playing: Disgaea Portable.

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[public entry #5]

Jan 14, 2007 - 12:05 AM

Who do I have to kill to get a copy of Twilight Princess on GC?

Zelda-less

When it came out I was busy buying Christmas gifts. I didn't have a lot of money left over for me, until after the new year. Despite having checked the damn shops every day since then, I can't find a single copy.

Even the online stores are all out of stock. The ones in this country anyway. I don't see any reason to import this title, since Nintendo are usually good about things such as 60Hz mode and other little touches that make a European gamer feel loved.

What makes it all the worse is that my girlfriend says she wanted to buy it me for Christmas, but didn't... she didn't know if I was going to buy it for myself. I guess that's a good point, but I wish she'd gone ahead and bought it anyway. Ah well.

Maybe I just won't get one, and I'll be forced to buy a Wii ahead of schedule. I kind of wanted both versions though. To compare and all. I guess I can play it round at Angie's house. Yep, just to complete the sad story, my girlfriend did get a copy for Christmas from her parents. T_T

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[public entry #4]

Aug 27, 2006 - 09:06 AM

Absent friends, and changes for the better.

Hopeful

Yeah, so I'm going to see about making a few entries in this here ChocoJournal, and see how things go. I'm still pretty new to GFF. Not in the sense that "new" is a function of time, but in the sense that I still haven't established myself. I don't really think that I've made many friends here just yet, but hopefully I haven't made too many enemies yet. A few times I've been told that my posts were stupid, or even that I am stupid, but that's probably because I wrote stupid things at the time. I can do better. I hope...

Two of my best friends are leaving soon, to go on a freeform trip around Europe. Obviously, that's an amazing, exciting adventure for them, and one they will clearly remember for the rest of their lives, and it's something that I kinda wish I could share with them. That's really not possible, though. For one thing, I wouldn't have the money even if I wanted to, and for another, these guys have known each other a lot longer than I've known them.

At the same time, while I would never want to keep them from going, it's going to be bizarre to not have them around. We've known each other for about 6 years now, and it's been incredibly rare that any of us have been away for more than a month, or so. They've always been there, never more than a short walk away, and that group represent at least 80% of my social life. Most of the group are still going to be around, which is good, because I really can't imagine what I'd do for fun if all of 'em were suddenly dissapearing. I'm sure you know how it is, though. A sort of "core group" accretes over time, and it's hard to even imagine any of the members not being around.

On the plus side, it's a time when plenty of other stuff is going on in my life. Good stuff, too. It's been very much a transitional period for me for the last year or so. While I wouldn't say that things were exactly bad, it's been the case that a lot of things were changing, and it is only now becoming clear what the eventual results of some of those changes are. I'm satisfied with the results, and I like to think that I've achieved meaningful change in my life. There's still a lot left to do, of course. Such is the nature of life, you can't ever say "that's it, I'm satisfied with the status quo," and keep it forever. Like a shark, we have to stay in motion, in order to remain alive. The thing is that now I'm not afraid of those changes anymore. I'm ready to face them with my head held high, and that's something that feels good to say.

Over the last year, I've had to perform radical surgery on my life. Like any surgeon, I had to cut away those parts which weren't healthy, and which would hinder the recovery of the whole. That can be painful, but in time, it will make me stronger. I believe the surgery has been a success, and while I'm not fully recovered yet, the prognosis is good.

Does any, or even all of that sound emo? I really hope not.

Currently Playing: Jose Gonzales - Veneer.

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[public entry #3]

May 22, 2006 - 11:18 PM

FinalRob got Styph-owned!

Vindicated

From the Banned Members thread.

Originally Posted by Lord Styphon

SuperBobby

While I could say something about the garbage he's seen fit to contribute to discussions, it wouldn't justify the permanent ban he's getting.

His being FinalRob does, though.

At first I thought that maybe I was wrong, and that it might not actually be Rob. I feel suitably vindicated.

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[public entry #2]

May 20, 2006 - 11:00 PM

SuperBobby is FinalRob. Why lie?

Amused

http://www.gamingforce.com/forums/me...hp?userid=6282

You know, I was never around GFF during the era in which FinalRob was active, but I did spend a brief period of time posting on the offshoot forum he created. GameSekai... sucked, to put it bluntly, but there were a few people there that I liked. FinalRob was not one of them.

Since leaving GFF, FinalRob has found God, and I think that's a wonderful thing. However, he's become Pat Robertson, which is not. Well, he's become a borderline illiterate, passive-agressive, prejudiced redneck version of Pat Robertson, anyway.

I'm familiar with his modus operandi, these days, and when I saw this post, it just seemed familiar in some way. I looked at his other post in the same thread, and all of his hallmarks are there. The Random Captalisation, the ALL CAPS for emphasis, the poor grasp of spelling and grammar, and the paragraphs consisting of at the most two sentances.

This might not be the FinalRob you remember, but it's what he became in his time away. This thread only confirmed it for me. Rob always liked wild animals, preferably shooting wild animals, but anything that involves them is usually good in his books.

So, FinalRob is back. Why lie?

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[public entry #1]

Gamingforce Choco Journal

Soluzar's

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