RF Generation Message Board

Coming tomorrow!  Hard to believe we've made 20 episodes. Well...............21, if you count our Episode #0 (Parasite Eve & Kingdom Hearts)

Hey!  My first year of college was 95!  :laugh:

Yah! We're both old. Unless you're Doogie Howser of course.

I'm aware that I pronounce the word 'Mana' differently than most people when I'm talking about Secret of Mana.  This is why:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wM1hvu6IM4

I think the way you say it is correct. I said it like Man-a for so many years and it's hard to break that habit. You'll notice I say it wrong the first time, realized it, and said it the right way the rst of the show. Old habits...

Man Banana, I totally agree with you on grinding.  Dragon Warrior you had to grind like crazy.  I don't mind it at all and I usually enjoy it.  I think with us being the same age, we were raised on it and it was expected.  I also think that the excitement of getting a new level and getting stronger and hoping to get a new spell made grinding a pleasant experience.

Yeah, when it's all you knew, it didn't seem bad at all. Besides, it was much quicker than scaring up a game of D&D.

I say "man-uh" and I'm sticking with it ;)

I'm not opposed to grinding either, but then again, my genre preference leans towards towards RPGs. What I didn't quite like about Evermore was the alchemy system. I tend to hoard my items in RPGs so if this game used MP (or some variation of it) I'd have no issues at all. I've never been a fan of crafting or alchemy to begin with and only do it when it's absolutely required so this was a strike against Evermore in my books. Overall I did like the game and that's my only complaint.

But it's a gameplay mechanic choice and it isn't bad at all. I give them kudos for doing something different.... Just not my cup of tea.

I am sad to hear that there will no longer be 2 playthroughs a month.  That is all I will say.

Believe me, we are all sad about it too. The retro show has always felt like my baby and I hate to leave it behind; Shawn feels similar about the modern. However, the lack of participation we are receiving during the playthroughs, the work we have to put into it (sometimes having to finish two games a month, and early), and the fact that we really miss talking to each other far outweighs having the two shows. I know that Steven and Floyd often switch sides, but Shawn and I rarely get to be on the same podcast, which is unfortunate, since we have a good, and often sarcastic vibe with each other. I know that some of you may not like this change now, but I think that overall, you will be getting a higher quality product in terms of game participation and a more fun and in-depth podcast.  Stay tuned, because we have a nice surprise for listeners later this month, in addition to great year end podcast!

Personally, I'm not sure if this will up people playing but we shall see :).  I get the amount of work you guys do and it's time consuming and why the choice was made.

Our thought is that currently people usually have to choose one game or the other in terms of what they want to play (there are very few, if any people, besides the hosts who have played both in a month). This often leaves the other game neglected and there have been many occasions where a game isn't played at all, except for by the hosts (most current example being Secret of Evermore).  With only one option, participation won't be spread out among the games. Though we realize that this may cause some people not to play at all during a month, at least there will be 4 hosts and friends playing it together and as a result, we can put out a better product both on the site and in our Playcast. With 4 people playing a game, that's at least 2 more than we previously had, and that's a big bonus in keeping our spirits up and enjoying what we do more.

switching to one game a month sounds like a great idea to me, of course there will be some quiet months but at least there won't be one group (usually the modern) feeling left out while the other side gets a lot of participation.

i imagine this would help a lot with the podcast too in terms of keeping to a reasonable length and for editing.

+1

Just listened to the playcast (retro). Good stuff. Very interesting about the High School kid and the music.

For the record, I pronounce it Mah-nah, as I think it sounds a little more exotic, but I doubt there is a correct way. Like Pecan.

Here's an interesting map of America displaying how different regions - mostly north east vs. south east vs. rest of the country - pronounce things differently (mana not included).

http://www.businessinsider.com/22-maps-that-show-the-deepest-linguistic-conflicts-in-america-2013-6?op=1
#Massachusetts, Long Island and Jersey are the only places that see a difference between Merry, Mary and marry.

finally listening to the Gravity Rush segment, just got to the part where you guys talked about the upgrades. i think to me they felt like they weren't improving too much because the enemies seem to be getting more difficult alongside the upgrades. not that the enemies themselves levelled up, but new enemies always seemed to start showing up around the same time as i was ready to upgrade, so it was always just bringing me back up to a level playing field. i did notice at some points that i was definitely defeating certain enemies in less hits than before though. and improving the special move that spirals towards a locked on enemy seemed to lock on significantly better after a few upgrades.

might add more comments to this as i get farther into the cast :)

edit: oh and i skipped the secret of mana segment because i might want to play it someday and i try to avoid spoilers on games i predict i might enjoy playing.

not too much else to comment on, other than about the strong female protag comments. my girlfriend is often commenting on social justice issues in just about anything she sees. she liked Gravity Rush a lot until she noticed the high heels Kat was wearing, she commented on how impractical they were and that they don't fit the "superhero" role very well. i know she would have been pissed if she had been around during the bath towel scene. personally i don't care one way or the other, if the character is sexualized or is completely realistic, but i think other than those 2 comments Gravity Rush did a good thing for female characters overall.

Thanks for taking the time listen and especially to comment. I tend to not take a side on the "strong female protagonist" conversation, but I am fascinated by the arguments on both sides. The high-heels thing would have never bothered me, simply because I don't know what it's like to wear them. As much I find it easy to identify with female player-characters, it's awesome to hear an outsider's perspective.