Witch Chat - .hack//Gay Undertones

No game really competes with Xenogears in that

10:31

However, like, there is crucifixion

I feel like people who make JRPGs just have a fixation on that shit lol

10:32

to be fair if I ever make an RPG it will obviously include robot crucifixion

10:32

so I get it

So you know how haseo's avatar Skeith has that scythe?

10:33

In .hack OG, Skeith had this thing instead

10:33

Except that, it was edited for the NA release

10:33

Because I JP it looked like this

10:33

It was just a straight up cross

10:33

And skeith crucified Sora

10:34

Who again, is haseo's player, and this is what bonds them in GU

oh damn, didn't know about it being a cross in japan

Basically what I'm saying is that while no game goes as insane with it as Xenogears does, .hack is distinctly playing in the same sandbox

10:36

Specifically it's a Celtic cross, because again The World is themed on Celtic folklore

ahhh

10:50

Kind of a funny last gasp of that particular 90s obsession, maybe?

Yeah just about

I am planning on doing more tonight so take that as a warning, or maybe a threat, to catch up by then

I’m going to take it as a dangerous—perhaps sexy??—challenge, thank you

apropos of nothing I just want to say that if you actually like, search for this game

15:20

like if you want to search for a walkthrough to check something

15:20

the official title, written out is

15:20

".hack//G.U. vol. 2//Reminisce"

15:20

incredible

15:20

what absolutely glorious nonsense

honestly I wish more copywriters would use alternative formatting as punctuation

15:21

like just fuckin go for it dudes

15:21

nobody's stopping you

four periods, four forward slashes, and the only capitalized word is the last one (edited)

it owns

15:22

it's so cool

15:23

writers who don't let themselves feel this power are all cowards

.hack games beat kingdom hearts to wild title names by at least a decade

I ended up not really having the time that I thought I would tonight

23:10

Tomorrow should be good though

that’s okay, I also procrastinated on work instead of catching up

23:13

We Can All Do Better Tomorrow :)

Indeed

23:13

That does actually make me feel better lmao

that makes me feel better tooooooo

lmao no one wanted me to play .hack today I guess

not even .hack wanted you to play it today

Look

01:02

The World Will Be Back

01:02

Also I totally saw that first notification and was all ready to scroll up and get caught up to be fair~

01:03

like I won’t take a good excuse to procrastinate

Lol

01:03

Tomorrow evening I promise

Okay raid is done to the night, it went long. I'm gonna shower and then play some

Shaiapouf

Click to see attachment 🖼️

ffx pond

22:09

they even have pyreflies

Shaiapouf

actually looking back at that dialog I think Nogmung is a GM lmao

wow that character actually looks a lot like an ff11 mithra

22:13

more than miqo in 14 do anyway

22:13

(mithra were better fite me)

22:13

(miqo are fine too tho)

Shaiapouf

Pi tosses this out kinda offhandedly

that's a homestuck

Shaiapouf

Moon Tree HQ, as you may recall, is it's own in game area that is apparently modeled after a chinese palace

this is straight-up just shirogane (housing area in xiv, to clarify for others)

Happy Maria

that's a homestuck

lmao

Shaiapouf

We were here once before, but this time the gang is all here

disturbingly extra

Happy Maria

wow that character actually looks a lot like an ff11 mithra

I 100% think the primary inspiration for The World is FFXI

22:24

the timing lines up

Shaiapouf

for all that, Zelkova does a big childish wave.

I know we talked about zelkova before I don't remember much specifically, but new favourite character

He hasn't really done much himself personally

22:24

the idea is that Zelkova is basically a figurehead

Shaiapouf

GU is supposed to be a secret CC corp project. So much for that.

what exactly is GU and CC

CC corp is just the name of the company that publishes The World

Ah, right

Cyber Connect 2 is the name of the developer that makes .hack games lmao

22:26

which is extremely funny to me, given how much CC corp sucks (edited)

22:26

What GU is is more....complicated, since the game really really does not want to tell you what GU stands for

22:27

But basically--GU was a plan within CC corp to revive the cyber god Aura. When that failed, parts of it were repurposed into using its results, Epitaph Users, to solve the problem of AIDA

22:27

does that make sense?

Yeah thank you

22:29

And we don't know where soda came from right

22:29

Aida

I live to exposit this game. I get to make such fun sentences

22:29

correct, nobody knows really anything about it, except for what is stated in the part you are reading currently

I'm reading on PC and responding on phone so I don't lose my place

22:30

Reminds me of aiba (play ai somnium)

All we know about AIDA right now is that AIDA exists on the network as a whole and is drawn to people, thus The World is essentially using players as Bait to keep AIDA contained, because it's better for it to be fucking around in a video game then, in like, say, a hospital.

22:31

which is actually a pretty good if vaugely disturbing reason for why we aren't just shutting this whole thing down

22:32

anyways, lets get started

22:33

this is interesting. You can send party members little cards to ask them questions and they'll respond via E-mail, to build up a love/bond mechanic I asked Atoli what her motto is.

22:33

"Without Love it Cannot be Seen"

22:33

It also may become relevant later, who can say /shrug

22:35

As soon as we log in, Pi wants to talk to us

22:35

She has a message from Yata. First is the obvious, confirming that Sirius is infected with AIDA

Shaiapouf

Click to see attachment 🖼️

kurt glasses

Happy Maria

kurt glasses

I think I even mention this later in the LP

22:37

Endrance was also infected by AIDA, if this wasn't clear. That two emperors were both AIDA-PCs is probably a coincidence, given Endrance's very specific circumstances.

22:38

apparently ever since the AIDA server quite a few players have been infected with AIDA,.

22:38

in Rebirth the only AIDA-PC we met was Endrance. We can expect that number to grow.

22:38

22:39

it's literally a digital pandemic, as infection spreads from player to player

22:39

If you say so, Pi.

22:40

and she teleports away

22:40

leaving haseo alone with his thoughts.

22:42

Now if you'll recall from last time, haseo agreed to register for the Holy Palace tournament to help Alkaid out

22:42

We go do so now, when Atoli sees us

22:46

22:47

I really cannot overstate how Haseo is just a male Tsundere (edited)

22:48

I know all bad boys with a heart of gold are basically just tsunderes but Haseo seriously did just pull out "I'm not doing this because I want to rescue you or anything, Baka"

22:48

basically atoli got caught up on the plot

22:48

22:49

Atoli wanting to apologize for the end of the last game just kills me, jesus

22:49

she didn't do anything wrong, her frustration with Haseo was completely justified

22:49

Shaiapouf

Click to see attachment 🖼️

look please don't @ me but I feel like this looks like a uterus/vagina diagram

Haseo says as much

Happy Maria

look please don't @ me but I feel like this looks like a uterus/vagina diagram

huh. interesting

22:51

and Atoli decides she just doesn't want to be a bystander anymore

22:51

(I will catch up after I get food………..)

archaeo

(I will catch up after I get food………..)

all good buddy!

22:51

good face

22:52

there is such a long pause here, but he says yes (edited)

22:52

and it's done

22:53

The nice thing is that I don't have to grind PVP like I did in vol 1 because, as a former emperor, I automatically seed into the tournament (edited)

22:53

thanks game

22:54

"Not that I care or anything. B - baka."

Shaiapouf

this is interesting. You can send party members little cards to ask them questions and they'll respond via E-mail, to build up a love/bond mechanic I asked Atoli what her motto is.

can't believe Atoli referenced Saint-Exupery without referencing The Little Prince

kind of a deep cut, huh?

Atoli just trying to vibe and instead PLOT

Shaiapouf

awwwww

t...this is pretty creepy tbh

oh it's extremely creepy lmao

22:58

I just though the picture was cute

Yeah true

(it's my desktop background in game right now)

22:59

anyways Alkaid wants to do a dungeon with us so that's just what we'll do

22:59

I also sent her a greeting card and she immediately starts flirting lmao (edited)

22:59

Shaiapouf

oh it's extremely creepy lmao

I too make fanart of my fellow players

before we log in tho, we have a Fan Art Corner

23:02

23:03

amusingly the artist is like "But I get the feeling moon tree is a cult" lmao

23:03

oh my god slang jokes about The Near Future of 2017 killing me

23:03

SIGH

23:04

fucking zoomers

would you like Moon Tree™️ brand pots?

these are my favorite kinda art posts

Yay!

I do believe these were mostly drawn by the developers kids

23:05

except for when like, the actual concept artist throws one in there as an in-universe professonal.

23:08

huh. F2P games weren't really a thing yet in 2007, I think. This is a remarkably good prediction about the future of the video game industry.

23:09

but I suppose it was really only a couple years away from getting started by then

mmmmm I'm not sure I agree with that

that it wasn't really a thing in 2007? (edited)

yeah

23:11

MapleStory, for instance, was 2003

hmm, good point

I only remember that because osananajimi got me into it

23:11

and I was thinking "I refuse to believe that was during high school"

lol

23:11

I didn't play a lot of PC games in the early 2000s

iirc Runescape in 2004?

23:12

was definitely a big thing

yeah for sure

2004 sounds right

It seems like the .hack developers were aware of the trends in mmos at that time at least

23:13

and were interested in extrapolating

23:13

it's hardly a out of nowhere prediction, in any case

23:13

Elder Scrolls Oblivion, and its Horse Armor DLC, came out around the same time as the GU games

23:14

maybe a bit before

23:14

so the DLC debate had already begun

wow, Runescape was 2001 origin

I feel myself aging as we speak

Shaiapouf

Click to see attachment 🖼️

I'm disgusted in myself for being increasingly invested in this relationship

23:19

but I am increasingly invested in this relationship

Shaiapouf

Click to see attachment 🖼️

this place looks a lot like one of the three main cities in 11; the email parts are also very similar to what I remember the launcher being like at one point in time (it's been updated since, I think)

archaeo

I'm disgusted in myself for being increasingly invested in this relationship

would you feel better if they were talking about bread or fishing instead (edited)

archaeo

I'm disgusted in myself for being increasingly invested in this relationship

here is the thing RKO

23:22

there are lots of things in .hack that are bad. and a lot of things that are good in a dumb way

23:22

Haseo and Atoli's relationship is, I think, just good

it's got more than zero flavor

I've linked it before but my favorite official bit of art for GU is this http://static.minitokyo.net/downloads/44/00/470044.jpg

yeah it's a big mood

which I think does a great job of expressing how these are just two very troubled highschoolers, trying to understand each other

there's a lot going on there

colour commmentator rko, where do you think Atoli's character arc is goign

have you played these games, Cyouni? I forget

I mean she is going to get Kairi'd at the end of this game and then you have to rescue her

nope!