Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Quest for Glory III: Ball and Chain

After failing with a centaur girl, a baroness, a Katta, a tree, and a tavern hostess, the protagonist finally finds some love.
         
Things are moving pretty fast now. As I closed last time, my wizard was returning to Tarna to purchase another 4 zebra skins to pay the Leopardwoman's "bride price." The idea was that once she was married to me, she'd do her wifely duty and tell me the location of her hidden village. There, once I hear the Leopardmen's side of the story, perhaps I can forestall a war between them, the Simbani, and the Liontaurs.
              
A close reading of Uhura's words suggests doubts about the plan.
            
I took the time to visit Rakeesh and Kreesha, both of whom encouraged me to go through with the plan but warned me that I might be serving as someone's pawn. Rakeesh, meanwhile, is suffering from some self-doubt.
       
Wow, spooning your wife all day hasn't solved the problem? Who would have guessed?
         
After buying the zebra skins, I hung around until dark, but Harami didn't re-appear. Maybe he got out somehow. I did the rest of the rounds but couldn't find anything else to do in the city. From Alex's playthrough at the Adventure Gamer, it appears that if I'd sat town in the tavern, I would have learned of the death of Khatib Makar'ram, the haunted survivor of the peace mission.
             
I returned to the Simbani village and gave the robe, zebra skins, and spear to the chief. (From Alex's experience, it appears that a warrior accomplishes this by becoming a Simbani warrior and then giving the Laibon the horn from a dinosaur.) He declared the Leopardwoman my wife--no ceremony or anything. The Leopardwoman's reaction was predictable.
         
We couldn't have had a fake ceremony in which I clamped my hand over her mouth and said, "Yes, of course she does"?
         
As a side note,  Alex points out correctly that there are conflicting stories about how the Leopardwoman was captured. Yesufu says she was spying on the village; the Laibon claims it happened "on the edge of the savanna," and the Elder Mnjoje, who hangs around outside the village, says she was captured in a trap all the way in the jungle! I feel like if I asked one more person, he'd say that she was kidnapped directly from the Leopardmen village.
            
Anyway, Uhura, in apparent defiance of her chief's declaration, said that I "will not really be married until she agrees to such a thing," to which the Leopardwoman snarled a defiant "no!" However, Uhura suggested that I try to ply her with gifts. Looking through my inventory, I found a few things that she might like, including some beads, the Katta's carved statue of a leopard, and one of my fine daggers. (In truth, I tried just about everything in my inventory, but these were the only things she took. If you didn't just buy everything at the bazaar at the beginning of the game, like I did, there are dialogue options that suggest what items she might like.) She took each one gratefully but cautioned me not to make too much of it, commenting later that she "certainly [does] not want a stupid, magic-less cow person or a stringy haired foreigner for [her] husband." Ouch.
               
Not at all. I come from a more enlightened culture.
              
At last, there was nothing to do but to open the cage and watch her run to the wall and vault over it to her freedom.
          
The gate is actually right over . . . okay, do it your way.
          
Unsure what to do next, I wandered east for a while. It wasn't long before a random encounter stopped me in the jungle, with a note that I could sense someone watching me. I called out to the unseen spy, and she revealed herself as the Leopardwoman.

This happened three times. The first time, she simply mocked me for thinking that I could marry her that easy. She also mocked my stealth abilities in the jungle. However, she finally gave me her name: Johari. I told her that I was just trying to bring peace to her people, but that didn't go over well.
             
I'm just really not into fur.
             
In further conversation, she said that the Leopardmen didn't steal the Simbani's Spear of Death: they found it shortly after their Drum of Magic was stolen. She also had no knowledge of any peace mission sent to her people. She said that because of the theft of their Drum and the insult of her capture and sale, there would definitely be war.

On the second encounter, we spoke more, and I brought her around to my point of view.
          
It will be a heart-breaker; a friend only to the undertaker.
                
She taught me the "Lightning Ball" spell but dashed any thought of romantic prospects, as she clearly has a crush on Yesufu.
        
I don't suppose it would impress you to know that I beat Yesufu three times at awari.
          
On the third encounter, she agreed to take me to her village so I could try to convince their leader, her father, to keep the peace. On the way, she warned me that to prove myself to the Leopardmen, I would have to make "a strong show of big magic." Then she insulted me some more.
                
Hey, I didn't choose to be a blonde white boy. That was the Coles' fault.
           
But oddly, when we arrived at her village, it simply took a dialogue option--"Talk About Romance"--to prompt the screen at the top of this entry. Great, now I have to kill Yesufu or something.

Although it was forbidden by thousands of years of culture, Johari allowed me to witness the Leopardmen's Change Ritual, which was a nice piece of animation.
                
Are Katta really regular humans underneath? Are liontaurs?
                
Afterwards, we sneaked back out of the village and then entered it "legitimately," with Johari telling the gate guards that I was her prisoner. Before long, I was agreeing to challenge the Leopardmen shaman to a magical duel.
       
Did you graduate from W.I.T.? I didn't think so.
            
The duel was classic Quest for Glory: relatively easy, but in a way that still makes you feel clever. I had to reload twice, but once was for a stupid reason.
           
Johari explained the rules: I couldn't attack the shaman directly, and I could only use each spell once. Then the contest began with me making the first move. I didn't know how long we'd be casting or whether I'd be able to take pills during the contest, so I summoned my staff first. This turned out to be the right choice. The shaman also summoned one, and, well . . .
              
I don't think this needs additional comment.
              
The next round began with my again having the first move. I wasn't sure what to do, so I cast "Dazzle." This was the wrong choice, as the shaman soon blasted me in the head with a "Flame Dart." I guess the rules about not attacking him directly don't apply to him. On a reload, I cast "Reversal" first and won the round. (If you fail, incidentally, the game just lets you challenge the shaman again, so the stakes aren't that high.)

The shaman then surrounded me with a ring of fire, which I knew from previous games would respond to "Calm." However, I forgot which symbol went with "Calm" and accidentally cast "Dazzle" again, occasioning another reload. I got it right the second time.
         
Or I could just stand here until the fire abates on its own.
             
Next, the shaman imprisoned me in a cage, which I countered with "Open." Then he cast a pall of darkness over the area, which was lifted with my "Juggling Lights."
            
No other class gets a screenshot this cool.
             
The shaman made a hole open up underneath me, but I used "Levitate" to get out of it. Finally, the shaman, enraged, summoned and allowed himself to become possessed by a demon.
            
I suspect it's going to be the other way around.
      
Horrified, the Leopardmen immediately removed the restrictions on the contest and encouraged me to "kill it!" But in a moment of inspiration, I decided to try my other "dispel" potion first. It worked! The demon fled and the shaman thanked me for saving him from his own brashness.
             
This makes it sound like I won a spelling bee, which would admittedly be a cool RPG contest.
               
Finally accepted into the tribe, I was able to talk about peace and convince the shaman to give me the Spear of Death. (I was a little annoyed to read in Alex's experience that all he had to do was show up, "talk about peace," and get the Spear. Then again, I had a much easier time in the Simbani village.) In a scripted sequence, I brought the Spear back to the Simbani, who received it gratefully.
         
No, I brought actual peace.
                
Maybe not calling them "cow people" would be Step 1.
               
The Simbani gave me the Drum of Magic to return to the Leopardmen. Meanwhile, Rakeesh--who for some reason was in the Simbani village despite his leg--told me he'd prepare for the peace conference in Tarna. Once Kreesha sensed I'd returned the Drum, she'd open a portal to let me travel to Tarna. The peace conference seems a bit redundant now, but whatever.
          
The conference began in the Hall of Judgement, but things began to go awry when the Laibon of the Simbani insulted the Leopardmen and accused them of stealing the Spear of Death despite my explanations of what had happened. Rakeesh made a worried comment. 

Then the Leopardmen leader cast a spell that killed the Laibon! In revenge, one of the Simbani--I think it was Yesufu--nailed the leader through the throat with a spear. A spirit escaped the leader's body as it died, and Rakeesh identified it as a Demon.
               
I don't know. I've never seen a Demon.

As Rajah began to rant, Rakeesh implored me to flee the city before the liontaurs closed the gates in preparation for war. The scripted animation showed me running out of the gates, after which I could no longer enter.              
        
That sure is a pretty gate, though.
              
After a day's hike through the savanna, I found that I was equally barred from the Simbani village. However, Manu the Monkey soon appeared and offered to take me to the monkey village. When we got there, it seemed to be a regular patch of forest, but Manu encouraged me to "go up." I cast "Levitate" and soon found myself in a charming village of thatched platforms high in the trees.
            
Yet another scene you will find in no other RPG.
               
In conversation with Manu, it transpired that the monkeys know of a secret passage behind the waterfall that will take me to the Lost City--the furthest-east landmark, where the Demons are probably hanging out. It turns out that the monkeys used to be slaves to long-armed "bad men" in the Lost City.

Eventually, I convinced Manu to lead me to the Lost City, which he did in a scripted scene. For the first time, it occurred to me that the little trails that the character leaves as he crosses the open ground have a Indiana Jones-like quality. In fact, the entire game does a great job evoking classic adventure stories and serials.
               
The final overland map.
             
The monkeys lightly leaped over a gap in the path behind a waterfall, but Manu questioned how I would cross. That was a good question. "Levitate" only works up and down. There was no dead tree to knock over with a "Force Bolt." No vine responded to "Fetch." I had a rope, but clicking on it did nothing for me.
                      
Monkeys leap across
            
I'm sure I'll solve it, but I leave you here at the waterfall, which will probably allow Alex to win the game before me.
        
Random notes: 
         
  • One more visit to the pill-pusher confirmed that Erana created the Pool of Peace.
              
Can anyone remember what the W.I.T. said had happened to Erana?
            
  • In the middle of a conversation with Uhura about the Leopardwoman, Uhura suddenly forgot how to communicate.
            
You've been talking to me for hours!
                                 
  •  Using the balance beam like monkey bars builds strength fast.
             
As a mage, I don't really need biceps, but it's always nice to have a backup.
           
The game is clearly coming to an end, which is a bit sad. Just like Quest for Glory II, now that I know exactly what to do in what order, I feel like a replay will only take an hour or so. Although I want to see the thief's experience in particular, I'm also curious to replay as a wizard and do everything wrong this time. I particularly wonder what happens if you don't free Manu in the earlier encounter.

Time so far: 12 hours


54 comments:

  1. Chet, glad to see the whole pulp/adventure serial vibe isn’t just in my head!

    The fact that a mage is allowed to wed without becoming a Simbani Warrior is kind of strange, isn’t it? Rules are rules...except for outsiders?

    You got the non-communicative Uhura bug too! That’s a weird one, isn’t it?

    And I don’t recall Johari telling my Paladin that the Leopardmen never knew about the peace mission. I’d have to go back to my screenshots to see if I missed the dialogue. It seems like a gross oversight for the hero not to ask about that...

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    1. Just check the screenshots. Johari does mention her lack of knowledge about the peace mission, so disregard. It was my oversight for not including it in my post.

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    2. I kind of feel bad about all the Leopardmen I've been killing in random encounters. I thought it would turn out that they were at least SOMEWHAT culpable. The one I dueled DID know how to summon a demon, after all.

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    3. No kidding! It’s kind of weird that they’re included as an enemy. It kind of makes sense in that e hero IS traipsing on their land...but killing the people you’re trying to make peace with is a bad look.

      But yeah, about that demon thing...

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  2. The Thief playthrough is ubarfgyl abg gung qvssrerag sebz gur pbzzba cnguf funerq orgjrra gur Svtugre/Cnynqva naq Jvmneq cynlguebhtuf. Bgure guna gur raqtnzr, gur bayl erny qvssrerapr vf gung, juvyr gur Svtugre pbzcyrgrf gur Fvzonav jneevbe evghny gb trg gur Fcrne naq gur Jvmneq qhryf gur yrbcneqzna funzna gb trg gur Qehz, gur Guvrs whfg fgenvtug-hc fgrnyf obgu bs gurz gb tvir onpx gb gurve evtugshy erfcrpgvir bjaref, va gjb fubeg frdhraprf gung qba'g arneyl unir gur fnzr zrzbenoyr nfcrpgf nf rvgure gur evghny be gur qhry. Orgjrra gung naq gur ynpx bs nal bgure cynpr va gur ragver tnzr gb cenpgvpr guvrivat fxvyyf, gur Guvrs ernyyl trgf gur fubeg raq bs gur fgvpx va guvf tnzr.

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    1. True, but in other games in the series thief has some of the most fun IMO.

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    2. Personally I've really enjoyed the Thief playthrough, and have always found its poor reputation unjustified (I suspect it's just a vocal minority repeating itself, really). The Thief-hero contrasts nicely with the thief Harami (as discussed by Rakeesh), and gets to solve the game's main conflict in a suitably out-of-the-box way that none of the other involved parties could have done.

      In other words, QFG3 does a good job in setting up a Rogue Hero, as opposed to a hero who arbitrarily robs otherwise-unmentioned NPCs.

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    3. However, this reminds me of a main moral point in Emil and the Detectives: it is also wrong to steal back something that was stolen from you. The smartest kid in the detective group, "The Professor", after a lot of explanation to the other kids, ends up running out of arguments and says "…a lot of adults don't understand this either" :)

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    4. That's just silly, Mirnaia. It is a logical impossibility to steal your own property, and therefore it cannot be wrong. Recovering your own property is only wrong if you use improper means to do so, for example breaking into someone's house (although even that would be permissible, if you exhaust other avenues first), or if you kill someone to do it (far too disproportionate).

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    5. I gave it some more thought, I'm not convinced that it's a silly notion.
      I was, for example, considering what I would do if I saw my stolen bike chained out somewhere. However, ultimately I still think I'd call the police and wait it out, staying there until they arrived.
      While it might seem like a nice moral FU to steal something back, theft is theft, thus on the list of "improper means". While there might not be an absolutely clear ethical border, in general, taking the law into your own hands can quickly become problematic and/or escalate out of bounds.
      Another questions is whether I have proof that something used to belong to me. It is probably also a question of time - if someone grabbed my bag on the street (or stole something I would immediately notice), of course I would instinctively give chase.
      Bottom line, I would much rather work towards better law enforcement than towards building a social consensus that justifies private showdowns.

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    6. This is a range of different concerns, and each should be considered separately.

      Firstly, on the notion of theft - by definition, theft is the unlawful taking of property belonging to someone else. Therefore, you cannot steal your own property - that would be an oxymoron. You can do something unlawful in the process, and there might even be theft involved (if something not yours is attached to your property - a bag hanging on that bike, for example), but the taking of your own property is simply not theft. So, that's one issue.

      The other issue is - when is it right to act on your own? Suppose you see someone riding your bike on a busy street. You decide to take your bike back. To everybody there, it will look like you're stealing the bike. So this would be wrong, not just because someone might try to stop you, but also because you'd be setting a bad example. That's the kind of consideration that leads you to use the police instead of doing something yourself. Similarly, if that bike is chained up - well, unless you really desperately need to recover it, you'll want to again take the matter to the police, because to free the bike you'd be destroying someone else's property. However, if you really needed the bike back, or if you were convinced the police will not be able to react quickly enough, and the thief might get away - then you're entirely entitled to destroy his chain, because hey, he put it on your bike.

      Finally, if you just happen to see your bike standing in a back alley, and it's not even chained up or anything, and there won't be any witnesses that might mistakenly think you're stealing the bike - then you are completely entitled and morally clear to take it, because it is your bike, and thus it cannot be theft (as long as you're completely sure). And this would remain the case even if the thief had in the meantime sold the bike on to somebody else - you are not under any obligation to consider such potential possibilities. You can, but you don't have to.

      So, bottom line: yes, there are many factors that might make it morally objectionable to just take your property back. But these are all coincidental - they are not inherent to the act of taking your property. The act itself is not wrong, and it is not theft, it's simply the taking of something that belongs to you. If those other circumstances do not exist, then you are clear.

      Now... how did we get here, exactly? :) Is this related to the thief's path through the game? :)

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    7. Not related whatsoever. Since in the game the thief never even used to own any of the stuff :D

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    8. If I remember first year property class, in the common law you could use self help to obtain replevin. Meaning that if you saw a thief with your property, you could use reasonable force to get it back. And if the thief used deadly force to resist your replevin, you could kill the thief in self defense. This is the preferable rule in my opinion.

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    9. Under English common law (and therefor the active definition in most of the former colonies, including the US) defines larceny (theft) as the wrongful taking and carrying of the personal property of another with intent to permanently deprive. Notably, it is a crime against possession. So, if you take your car to a mechanic and then don't pay that mechanic, whereupon he refuses to give the car back you are committing larceny when you take it anyway. So, yeah, it is logically possible to steal something that is otherwise yours. The law also frowns upon self-help, so the right move when you see your stolen bike is to call the cops, not cut the chain. There is an exception for hot pursuit.

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    10. Modern law generally frowns on self-help, true. The common law generally did not. I prefer the common law rule rather than relying on the state, but that's not a popular opinion nowadays.

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    11. Cape Fear is a really great, freaky movie (w/DeNiro, never seen the original,) and it deals with the problem of self-help. The protagonist talks to the police about being harassed, and they tell him there's not a lot they can do, he should just buy a gun. It would be nice if the law could be enforced perfectly at all times, but life is messy and sometimes you need to take care of yourself. Also, law is flexible and abstract. I took a supreme court class in high school and a really interesting thing I learned is that sometimes people will intentionally break a law for the sole purpose of challenging it in court, in order to prove that it's unconstitutional, more or less arguing that they never broke a law in the first place!

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    12. I don't think that the auto shop example is entirely apt. If you take your car back after refusing to pay, you're not stealing your car, you're stealing the money you paid to get the car fixed. Further, I am not sure the car shop owner is allowed to refuse to release the car, but instead is supposed to refer you to a collection agency or sue. Certainly a landlord is not allowed to evict a tenant without first going to the court, no matter how long or how much rent they are owed.

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  3. I have a question unrelated to this game. On my Super Famicom/PC Engine blog I've been using your definition of what an RPG is. Twice I've encountered games that have fixed level ups. That is, at any particular point in the game, anyone playing it will have the same HP, MP, and other stats. In both of them you could still grind money, although one had only weapons, no armor or other equippables. What is your view of the RPG-ness of this kind of game? I vaguely remember that you've played at least one game like this but I don't remember which one.

    To me, it seems to be missing something that makes an RPG an RPG. I'm not demanding a traditional XP level system in all games, but it seems to me that there has to be some variation in play, where not all players will have the same powers and stats at any particular point.

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    1. Well... it's a flexible definition I think. One advantage to using a set level up would be to keep the game challenging as opposed to the characters becoming to powerful and the game becoming too easy. Or the opposite.

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    2. The console RPG / JRPG is somewhat of a different genre from the western CPRG in any case. Chet's lack of familiarity with developments in the console space is one of those things that occasionally pokes its head up and makes him say weird things...

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    3. It's gonna be interesting when more console RPGs make it to the PC, up to now it was only Rance and Knights of Xentar, but we're going to see more as the 90s go on. Since they're so different it will be interesting to see how Chet rates them, without having any history on the subgenre as a whole as compared to native computer RPGs.

      Personally, I never got into the console/JRPG because of the linearity and how non-interactive and annoying dialogues are (the slow way text is typed into the dialogue window, rather than appearing at once, and you having zero input in dialogue at all). This never made them feel like real RPGs to me.

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    4. Considering the Addict would rather rewrite his rules (or, for that matter, declare that a given game "must" just be a bundled emulator instead of a proper port because he says so) than risk playing one, odds are that will never happen.

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    5. JRPGs are generally more oriented towards the idea of accompanying the main character on an adventure/story, rather than actually being the main character. A number of JRPGs have "silent protagonists" that I guess you're supposed to identify with, but I never found that really worked since you can't influence the story at all.

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    6. Is someone forcing you to be here, Gnoman?

      Kurisu, to answer your question, I feel like the kind of game you describe meets the literal definition of an RPG but lacks something of the spirit. We've seen such systems in non-JRPGs, too. The Charles Dougherty games (Questron) are sort-of like that. Maybe I'd start excluding them on a technicality if they became too numerous, but so far it hasn't been enough of a problem.

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    7. No, nobody is forcing me to be here. The fact that I enjoy your commentary on CRPGs does not mean I feel any compulsion not to comment on what you do. Everything that I said is pure fact.

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    8. Thanks, that's basically how I feel too.

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    9. And you can actually watch him start to rewrite the rules even as he chastises someone for suggesting he might.
      Wow.

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    10. It's not a book written all at once. It only stands to reason he'd change rules as he comes across a title that either fits the rules, but seems to miss something that makes an rpg or films games missing a category that would constitute an rpg.

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    11. In the 80's and 90's at least, the definitions of adventure game and RPG were reversed between the console and PC spaces. What we call an RPG was called an adventure game on consoles. There weren't many similar to PC adventure games, but at least some of them were tagged as "RPGs".

      It makes sense when you think about it - games that are about taking on a character's role and playing through a story were "role-playing games". Ones with a lot of combat and improving character skills were "adventures".

      With that reversed terminology, you can see where there might be confusion about which console games really qualify as RPGs in the sense of this blog; you can't rely on the labels.

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    12. Everyone should keep in mind that the rules of what is or isn't a RPG wasn't sent down from the heavens. Chet can write about whatever he wants to on his blog and should be able to change things whenever he wants.

      Corey makes an interesting point, although I'm struggling to think of many PC style adventure games on consoles other then A Boy and His Blob or Shadowgate.

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    13. There are more examples: Déjà vu or Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom (love this name).

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    14. The hostility on this thread is truly odd. There are so many things in the world to be upset about, but at the end of the day, all anyone really wants is to read about console games on an obscure computer rpg blog.

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    15. Yeah, there were lots of adventure games on consoles back then, most of them just happened to be Japan-only. The biggest names in the west were the previously mentioned MacVenture games and the Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective series, which were all PC ports, while The Portopia Serial Murders and Famicom Detective Club are beloved classics in Japan.

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    16. Whats odd is that people complain that a blogger doesnt play their favorite games in HIS free time.
      Its not like they could play those games themselve and blog about it themselve?

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    17. Considering the definition of what makes an RPG, I suppose it's very hard to write a set of rules that define for every game if it's an RPG or not, I think it's inevitable that the rules are interpreted on a game to game basis.
      As an example, there is a coin-op game called Dungeons and Dragons - Tower of Doom. It has a sort of level advancement, inventories and stat based abilities, but I would not call it an RPG, it's an arcade action game. However, according to the addict's rules, it COULD be considered as an RPG.
      It's a coin-op game, so I guess it doesn't qualify for this blog, but even if it did I wouldn't consider it 'rewriting the rules' if it was dropped. It simply seems normal to me that any game on this blog is evaluated for RPG-isness (is that a word?) before it is played.
      Anyway, for those who like JRPG's: only a few years left before Chet gets to Final Fantasy VII. Perhaps that game can make him reconsider his opinion on playing console games. And until that time... maybe we should simply let the whole console RPG's / JRPG's thing rest?

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    18. You made my day Chet :)
      Seriously, though, this is a computer RPG site, get over it people. There's more than enough to cover to last a lifetime or two.
      It's not like you're hurting for console RPG or JRPGs websites either, they're dime a dozen.
      You have to understand there's only so much asking the same question one can take before one gets annoyed.
      Also, reading the FAQ would solve a lot of the more abnoxious requests/questions.
      Actually, I'd say Chet has the patience of a saint given how annoying some of those topics get...

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    19. On the original question, a couple games come to mind:

      Tombs & Treasures has set leveling. I agree, it doesn't feel much like an RPG (it lacked any form of grinding), and I probably should have cut it as an adventure game. It was short though, and that type of game doesn't come up very often.

      Sword of Hope has full optional grinding, but the entire interface is presented as a MacVenture style game. It also didn't feel much like and RPG, so that spirit isn't limited to the character advancement system.

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    20. Virtual Hydlide -- on the Sega Saturn (the only console-exclusive game in the series) -- also has set leveling. Find this item, go up a level; beat this boss, go up a level. You literally gain nothing from fighting any enemies besides bosses. Yet it's still unquestionably an RPG, somehow.

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  4. Hope you have one dispel potion left man...

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    1. I don't. Is that really a dealbreaker? It seems unlikely that the Coles would put a player in a walking dead situation like that.

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    2. Yeah, disregard addict... been a while since I went through with a mage and your golden.

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  5. I remember using the monkey bars and throwing stones over and over again to build stats.

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  6. Answer to your problem requires:

    Znah gb fjvat vg nf lbh yrivgngr jvgu gur ebcr gvrq gb lbhe jnvfg.

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  7. The shot of the last map reminded me of a Johnny Quest backdrop. There is an episode where apes protect Johnny and Hadji from Australian kidnappers. You are right about how the game evokes adventure stories from long ago, such as King Solomon's Mines.

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  8. Where you gone hiding? Not feeling well?

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    1. Hopefully just busy with work. It's only been a week, but I (we) miss you already, Chet!

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  9. I'm beginning to have withdrawal symptoms! Seriously though, hope all is well, occasionally even Chet gets dragged into the real world with work and other obligations.

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  10. "Lord in your embrace please hold Chet safe
    and if he just be relaxing, let his rest be refreshing."
    Hope to see your posts again soon, Chet. Is the site letting you post? Is it just that causing the problem?

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    1. He's probably feeling discouraged, unappreciated, and maudlin because the JRPG tweekers raked him over the coals again.

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    2. Ha. If I was going to get discouraged about something, it would more likely be Legend.

      ME: "This is an okay game with a few good ideas but also a lot of prob--"

      COMMMENTERS: "THIS IS THE BEST GAME EVER!"

      ME: "I mean, sure, the spell system is interesting, although I don't like how--"

      COMMENTERS: "THE SPELL SYSTEM IS THE GREATEST SPELL SYSTEM EVERY INVENTED FOR ANY GAME IN THE HISTORY OF GAMING!"

      I sometimes find boundless enthusiasm harder to deal with than stark criticism.

      Anyway, just having a rough couple of weeks at work. I'll get back on track this weekend. I have to win QFG3 now that the Adventure Gamer has.

      Delete
  11. hope everything is going well man. if you feel bored just let us know. Take some rest, you earned it.

    ReplyDelete
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  13. "A war will be really bad." - "It will be a heart-breaker; a friend only to the undertaker."

    Have to admit, while I knew the song ("War"), I didn't know who sings it - Edwin Starr as I just learned when checking a video. Guess I'm not the only one.

    And now I can't get rid of the earworm ("What is it good for? Absolutely nothing!")... .

    ReplyDelete

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