Jab’s Builds! (Whomp 'Em! Plumbers Don't Wear Ties! ToeJam & Earl!)

[drkrash]

Never even heard of this one. Looking forward to this. (I may be the only one!)

Koroko, how do you play these? Do you emulate on a PC?

[KorokoMystia]

Never even heard of this one. Looking forward to this. (I may be the only one!)

Koroko, how do you play these? Do you emulate on a PC?

Yeah, I use an emulator to play old arcade games, generally. Since a lot of them never got console ports, it's the only way without actually buying the physical arcade cabinet.

[Ares]

Speaking of Fist of the North Star, Gladiator guy there looks like Raoh the Conqueror, only less evil.

[drkrash]

Never even heard of this one. Looking forward to this. (I may be the only one!)

Koroko, how do you play these? Do you emulate on a PC?

Yeah, I use an emulator to play old arcade games, generally. Since a lot of them never got console ports, it's the only way without actually buying the physical arcade cabinet.

I was thinking of getting one of those $80 devices I see advertised on FB that come pre-loaded with several thousand old games on them.

On a different note, have you ever been able to play Daemon Bride?

[KorokoMystia]

Never even heard of this one. Looking forward to this. (I may be the only one!)

Koroko, how do you play these? Do you emulate on a PC?

Yeah, I use an emulator to play old arcade games, generally. Since a lot of them never got console ports, it's the only way without actually buying the physical arcade cabinet.

I was thinking of getting one of those $80 devices I see advertised on FB that come pre-loaded with several thousand old games on them.

On a different note, have you ever been able to play Daemon Bride?

That's one that i haven't played yet, though I know it's by the same developers as Arcana Heart.

[Spam]

I don't know if I would call Gina Carano an MMA washout. She only had one loss to and it was to Chris freaking Cyborg, a physical specimen who could get even Jab to say "That woman is too muscular." Although that loss did put the entire field of women's MMA on hold till they could find another attractive woman who could take center stage, because Cyborg as the face of the women's division was NOT something that could get the UFC's attention.

[Ares]

And it looks like I better wrap up my thoughts on Star Wars before Jab moves on to the next big thing.

Regarding Solo, it's ultimately an "okay" film. Not bad, not great, and in the age of Disney Star Wars, "not sucking" is an accomplishment. It definitely had its issues tho, the primary one being that they tried to basically cram every reference Han made about his life in the original films into a single movie, as well as have the first film be about some kind of Solo origin story. I've said it before, but Han Solo's . . . erm . . . solo career should have been more like Conan the Barbarian's novels. You didn't need some grand story where Conan gets wronged early on and spends the film getting revenge on some big villain. The Conan films make the same mistake where they have Conan's village get destroyed by some bad guy so Conan can go get revenge.

Han Solo and Conan should be more like Indiana Jones, where the films are just adventures Indy is having that week, not the culmination of a lifetime's revenge or some such.

There was also a lot of pointless fanservice, like Lando having the outfit he'd wear at Jabba's palace as opposed to it being an outfit Lando got specifically for that mission. The stuff with the Droids was kind of goofy as well, but overall it gave us a more human side to the Star Wars setting.

The Mandalorian has been a breath of fresh air. It's a fun series that stays close to Star Wars' spaghetti western tropes, exploring a time where the Empire has fallen but isn't gone, etc. I can also see why they went with a more generic Mandalorian as opposed to Boba Fett. Fett has a lot of pre-existing baggage and is considered so hyper-competent that designing challenges for him not named Luke Skywalker would be difficult. By having an original Mandalorian who is only an average member of their group, you can have someone who is a badass, yet can still be challenged by enough people and doesn't have a Batman-style answer for every situation.

The show has also done some nice character work with several of the heroes, and it's overall been a very enjoyable romp.

Also, Baby Yoda is the most adorable thing ever.

[Jabroniville]

CAWNUS
Race: Lamia Noble
PL 7 (68)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+9)
Expertise (Warrior) 5 (+5)
Intimidation 5 (+5)
Perception 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Equipment (Sword +1), Improved Critical (Main Attack), Power Attack

Powers/Equipment:
"Lamia Physiology"
Movement 1 (Slithering) [2]
"Tail Strike" Strength-Damage +0 (Feats: Reach) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Sword +8 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +3, Fortitude +5, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Winning the Competition)- The winner is awarded riches, and the hand of the Queen. But they must defend their title next year...

Total: Abilities: 36 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 3 / Defenses: 14 (68)

-Cawnus is a stiff, slow-moving snake-lady who has less health than even the player character. She alternates between swiping with the sword, using a sword dash, or whipping out with her snake tail. When killed, she screams absurdly loud, slowly turns to stone, and then her torso crumbles off. At PL 6.5 defensively, she is the weakest of your opponents.

[Jabroniville]

GRAN
Race: Gargoyle
PL 7 (79)
STRENGTH 4 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+9)
Expertise (Warrior) 5 (+5)
Intimidation 5 (+5)
Perception 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Improved Critical (Main Attack), Power Attack

Powers/Equipment:
"Fire Boomerang" Blast 4 (Feats: Homing) [9]
Flight 2 (8 mph) (Flaws: Limited to Short Hops, Winged) [1]
Senses 1 (Low-Light Vision) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (DC 19), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Winning the Competition)- The winner is awarded riches, and the hand of the Queen. But they must defend their title next year...

Total: Abilities: 40 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 11 / Defenses: 14 (79)

-Gran is heavyset and winged- he can shoot out a ball called "F.Boomerang" and fly for short distances. When killed, he crumbles to dust.

[M4C8]

Wait, the winner of the tournament gets to marry the Queen right? are the monsters you fight just challenges to prove your worth or are they competitors that have an equal chance of marrying her?

[M4C8]

Oh I forgot, my top three
1) Avengers
2) Guardians of the Galaxy
3) Captain America

[Ares]

The Force

My final thoughts on Star Wars beyond the general discussion is about a central unique aspect of the setting: The Force. The mystical energy field that binds the galaxy together, connects all life to one another, and can be used by individuals to achieve incredible feats. It adds a unique flavor to the setting beyond the kind of psionic powers you'd see in settings like John Carter of Mars or Lensman, being essentially Space Magic.

As a whole, I love the Force as a concept. But there have been some takes on it that I feel get away with the original intention Lucas had, and actually cheapen the Force to some degree.

See, I think when a lot of people think of what the Force is, they think of a Taijitu or Yin-Yang, this symbol of dualism where Light and Dark are found in equal measure, and that anyone using the Force must learn how to find balance between them. That there is a balancing act between the two, with individuals like the Father from the planet Mortis or the Bendu from REBELS.

As for me, I don't see the Force as a Yin-Yang. I see it more like this:



To my mind, the Force was never about a Light Side versus the Dark Side, with both sides having equal worth. Because the Force was never described as having a "Light Side" until way later. Originally, there was simply "The Force" and there was the "The Dark Side" of the Force. As described by Yoda and Obi-Wan, the Force is the natural state of things, while the Dark Side is a corruption. Because to me, the central concept of the Force is Harmony.

The Force is described as an energy field that is created by all living things, it flows throughout the universe, it gives shape and structure to the universe, etc. It's not simply a matter of Order vs Chaos, because the Force does not impose either onto the galaxy. Instead we get a universe where there is enough structure for a stable existence, but enough chaos for randomness and free will.

As such, the Force is more about finding a balance with existence, learning to get along with one another, creating and destroying in equal measure, etc. The Jedi protect the galaxy from those that would cause disharmony in order to promote the health of the Force and because a harmonious universe gives the people living within it the most opportunities for happiness and freedom.

Th Dark Side then is a corruption of the Force, an example of when people pour disharmony into something that thrives on harmony. Within the Force, emotions like caution, anger and love are all perfectly healthy. Anger is outrage at something, which can prompt one to take action against the source of said outrage for positive change. Caution is a survival instinct sentient beings need to have to not Darwin Award themselves out of existence. Love is the purest form of connection to one another, and necessary for life to continue.

What the Dark Side does is take those healthy emotions and twist them into something unhealthy. Anger becomes Hatred, which is anger for the sake of anger. Caution becomes Fear, where rational thought becomes consumed by ones own paranoia. Love becomes Lust and Possessiveness, where how the target of your attention makes you feel matters more to you than the feelings of said person.

The Force is about promoting the individual, but with the understanding that the individual is a part of a greater whole, and that work should be done to act in concert with others when at all possible. Your individuality is important, but other people are just as important. The Dark Side rejects this and makes focuses solely on the individual, to achieve their goals without restraint, and to Hell with everyone else. The Dark Side is the pure, undiluted selfisheness that has been the downfall of so many good things.

This is also why the Dark Side is so seductive. Mastery of the Force takes time, effort and patience. It's like learning any new skill, and it does not come easy. Because the true strength in mastering the Force comes when you're calm, at peace and in control of yourself. Because only then can you make truly wise decisions.

The Dark Side meanwhile offers a quicker path to power. Rather than learning to master your emotions, your excessive emotions become fuel for your own Dark Side powers, enough that you can force the universe to behave the way you want it to. It requires less time and effort, because the main way to grow is to simply give in to your worst emotions. It's also why the Dark Side gradually corrupts those that use it. It's training you to draw on its power by acting on your worst impulses, so you draw on said impulses more and more, and in turn you feed your own evil nature. The manner by which you tap into your power gradually makes you into a monster.

This is why I later generations of Jedi distanced themselves from emotion. Anger, Caution and Love might be healthy, but they can also become paths to the Dark Side. To the Jedi, it was better to train students not to feel such emotions rather than teach them how to better handle such things. It is also ultimately what lead them to their downfall, because the Jedi should have been promoting those positive emotions along with harmony, and instead they tried to distance themselves from those emotions and the common people that felt them so freely.

It's my opinion that it was this distancing themselves from the common people, from the positive emotions that gave life meaning, and their focus on maintaining the Republic that ultimately weakened the Jedi enough that the Sith could wipe them out. The Jedi should have been promoting harmony, but instead they wound up trying to protect a bureaucracy that wasn't always just or harmonious. They Jedi had unintentionally strayed too far from their original goal, believing that if they simply defended the Republic, then harmony would take care of itself.

This is why I don't believe that you can find harmony within the Force and the Dark Side. The Force already IS harmony, and you cannot harmonize with something that's very existence creates disharmony. The Dark Side is not an equal/opposite to the Force, but this black cancer looking to consume the Force and the galaxy at large.

This is also why I feel Palpatine was spinning a fast one on Anakin when he mentioned "to learn the greater mystery of the Force you need to study all of its aspects", because there is nothing any rational being should want to find within the Dark Side. Anything you could gain from it, you could gain from the Force. It might take longer, it might take more effort, and it might have to be modified to not be frickin evil, but for most raitonal beings, the Force could supply all their needs. It's why Prequel Palpatine can come off as a crack dealer: he's trying to get poor Anakin hooked onto something by promising him it will solve all of his problems. He makes Anakin think that it will give him what he needs until he finally gives in, and by the time he learns the trap that is the Dark Side, it's too late. Because in the end, Anakin fell trying to use the Dark Side to do good, to save the people he loved, but became so twisted that when the moment came, he was thinking only of himself.

And that's the trap of the Dark Side. It makes you feel like you're the most important thing in existence . . . until the only thing you are left with is yourself.

Following that, I was also never a fan of the idea that the Force is something you're either born with, or you're not. It seemed counter intuitive to the idea of an energy field everyone is interacting with all of the time. To me, the Force is more like Chi or Magic, where anyone can learn it, but people are born with different innate strengths in it. Some people are born more talented than others, but sufficient hard work and match talent.

In my own headcanon, being "Force Sensitive" means that you're born with an above average connection to the Force. It's not that other people can't learn to use the Force, merely that you've got a natural gift for it. The Jedi and the Sith in general only trained Force Sensitive individuals because of their own philosophies. For the Jedi, they believe in the Will of the Force, the idea that the Force helps guide the destiny of the universe and is actively trying to promote goodness and harmony within the galaxy. The Jedi feel that beings born Force Sensitive are chosen by the Force to act as more direct guardians of harmony and shepherds of life, and so they train these children in the ways of Jedi. Non-Force Sensitive individuals could potentially become a Jedi with the right training, but the Jedi feel that such beings were not chosen for the role, and should instead seek to promote harmony in a way that better suits their Force given skills.

The Sith meanwhile see it that people born Force Sensitive are just better than everyone else. Why would you want to raise up the non-Force Sensitive plebs to a power equal than your own? You've got power, you're one of the gifted few, the elite, why should you care about anyone else? It's all about you, baby.

Which is why that I liked that the Extended Universe had multiple non-Jedi/Sith Force-based organizations with their own teachings, training and ability. It allowed for a larger universe where the Jedi were the largest, most powerful and most prominent Force group in the galaxy, potentially with the deepest understanding of the Force, but there were plenty of others with their own traditions and knowledge. It allowed for people with Force powers that didn't have lightsabers and weren't bound to either tradition.

Ultimately, I love the Force, what it can do, the philosophical debates it can lead to, and what kind of new levels of fun it can add to the setting. Even if I don't agree with all of the canon material (let us never speak of Midichlorians again), I love the general concept, and can at least use my own flavor for it in my homebrew games.

[KorokoMystia]

The sound mixing on this game is pretty off..some of the sounds the enemies make are much louder than others. Though that might be an emulation flaw.

[Jabroniville]

NORFOLK
Race: Lizard Man
PL 8 (64)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+9)
Expertise (Warrior) 5 (+5)
Intimidation 5 (+5)
Perception 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Close Attack, Equipment (Scimitar +1, Shield +2), Improved Critical (Scimitar), Power Attack

Powers:
Senses 1 (Low-Light Vision) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Scimitar +9 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +9 (+11 Shield, DC 19-21), Parry +10 (+12 Shield, DC 20-22), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation (Winning the Competition)- The winner is awarded riches, and the hand of the Queen. But they must defend their title next year...

Total: Abilities: 38 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 1 / Defenses: 14 (69)

-Norfolk is a full head taller than the player character, and is a highly mobile fighter, leaping about and fighting a similar style to you. His shield collapses after 2/3 of his health is gone, and he slumps over when he dies. He's PL 8 defensively thanks to his Shield- your first opponent to reach that level. Aside from that, he's PL 6.5 with his Scimitar.

[Jabroniville]

Wait, the winner of the tournament gets to marry the Queen right? are the monsters you fight just challenges to prove your worth or are they competitors that have an equal chance of marrying her?

I'm gonna assume they didn't put much thought into their story mode, lol.