Memorial Day: 2016

As I look around at the chaos of our election, the growing income inequality problems, and a whole host of other issues that remain I become sickened as I reflect this Memorial Day.

On one hand, people celebrate the beginning of summer and use what is supposed to be a day of quiet remembrance as a day for parties, barbecues, and excess drinking (people do we really need a reason for this last one?)

Instead of reflecting on the price that so many Americans have paid so that we can party on a weekend, or whenever we want for that matter, we spend the time where we should be reflective celebrating.

But what are we celebrating? Freedom due to the sacrifices of others? I see this as a very heartless way to honor that price.  And the veterans who reflect on this day and suffer bouts of despair remembering their fallen comrades?  They are the ones utilizing this day as it was meant, and they are the most miserable of all.

Even worse, many veterans become dead, not in the line of duty, or natural causes, but via suicide due to untreated PTSD.  I am filled with nausea that we have people who have power that are willing to send our men to die, but refuse to help the ones who live.  It has always been my belief that to be a politician or have any say in politics, you must be required to serve in the armed forces, and your children must also serve.

I think people would be less willing to treat these heroic men and women as pawns if they had personal investment in them.

I have gone off on a rant, but I am tired of these heroes being immortalized in death, but being ignored in life.  Also, I hate how the honored dead are being honored.  There is no "Happy" in Memorial Day.  It is a day of reflection.  Not a day of parties.

Haikus Week 10: Town of Salem Roles

Taking a wild ride
Using her bewitching charm
The Consort stops you

Covered in your blood
They stalk the newest victim
Serial Killer

He just wants to live
Hes on no one's side, really
The Survivor waits

She was a target
But now, she will have revenge
The Witch breaks your mind

Stalking through the night
Seeking innocent people
Vampires work slowly

All doused in the dark
Smoke and ash destroys remains
The Arsonist burns

Hiding in the town
Voting power saves people
The Mayor must live

Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation

I finally made it to the third game.  And the third path of Fire Emblem Fates seems to be intended as the golden ending to the game.  The true ending if you will.  And I can attest that it is so.  Combining all the characters you use in the first two routes and allowing you to keep almost all of them alive.

Also now that I have figured out the real plot of the game, I finally will see the ending that both Conquest and Birthright seemed to be lacking.  Unfortunately, combining the characters of both games presents a few challenges.

The headcount is way too large.  What Fire Emblem has not been so great about since the SNES Era is true full scale battles.  A few times in Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn we have conflicts that are much larger than the battles in the GBA Games.  Still with such a large head count and because the plot would not need much suspension of disbelief to make it work, Fire Emblem Revelation at least so far as my play through has allowed (more than 2/3 of the way through.) there has not been the large scale battle that I hoped for.

The other big disappointment I have been met with is that Revelation is still easier than Conquest.  Although part of that problem stems from the ability to train units like in Birthright and also because there are many game breaker characters i the game and now I have access to all of them.  Big shout out to Xander, Ryoma, Camilla, Corrin, Takumi, Elise and Sakura who all together have completely broken this game and not even the vastly buffed enemies on this difficulty can stop me.

(Although my infamously broken Four Riders of Daein are even better: Edward, Nolan, Aran, Laura, much love to these 4 of the Dawn Brigade)

But as I crush the game apart, I am enjoying this fun conclusion to the game(s) it almost feels like a series to itself and in a way it is.  Its certainly not my favorite game in the series, (Radiant Dawn or Blazing Sword gets that honor) but Fire Emblem Fates has been fun from start to finish.

Fire Emblem Conquest: Cleared

This post is very late.  I finished Fire Emblem Conquest roughly a week ago.  But I will say with pride that I completed it.  Birthright as I stated in an earlier post, did not feel challenging to me.  The few deaths I dealt with (before making a hard reset as any Fire Emblem Veteran will) were a result of really stupid plays or obnoxious 1 percent critical hits.

But Conquest was truly a challenge. A game that tested my patience and put my real time strategy skills to the test.  From a story perspective, this makes sense as the game keeps sending you on suicide missions.  While the plot is still weaker than I wanted from a Fire Emblem, it is light years ahead of Birthright which was the standard good versus evil plot that I am very tired of seeing.

As I struggled through the game, I depended on a few characters who really are the heroes of this game.  Niles, Xander, Corrin, Elise, Leo, Effie and Camilla are full on Heroes in this mode and I feel like I would not have been able to win without using these characters.  They are the true champions of the rote.  I just directed their fight.

Now that I have completed Conquest, I have actively been making my way through Revelations.  Expect a blog post to follow soon.  Although I may be writing the starting and completing posts on the third route back to back as I have discovered already that while Revelations is harder than Birthright, it is easier than Conquest.

Haikus Week 9: 7 Marvel Villains

Well intentioned man
Seen as a monster by most
Magneto protects

Richards is a fool
But there is one who is wise
Doctor Doom just is

Infinity Arc
He seeks to court Death Herself
Thanos Destroys All

The greatest Trickster
Scorned G-d of Asgard, but King
Loki, not a brute

With this great power
There is great insanity
The Green Goblin Knows

Omnidical Death
All the humans are insects
Ultron will cleanse the earth

He serves those Nazis
Seeks to Destroy all freedom
Red Skull burns with Hatred

Haiku's Week 8: 7 Video Games that Shaped my Life

A Perspective Change
The Light is the True Evil
Enemy Angels

The Legion Conquers
The Ancient Ones Awaken
Defenders will die

A Fascist Empire
Killer Clown, G-d of Magic
World of Ruin

They are coming soon
You may have dismissed that claim
But they will get you

Gotta Catch them all
I tame the greatest Dragons
And win with favorites

One Hero Ape Comes
All the reptiles are destroyed
Five Apes leave the place

Secondary Mode
Farsight Sniping through the walls
Sentry Laptop Gun

Immortality

For my 200th blog post, I wanted to do something a little different.

Today is Yom Haatzmaut the day that Israel declared its independence and marked for the first time in so long that the Jewish people had our own homeland again.  Unfortunately, the world is not kind to the Jewish people.  War was and is inevitable so long as Israel exists.  As a result, the day before Independence day for the country is known as Yom Hazikaron.  And exists to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

It was at one of these memorial services last night where I had a startling revelation. All of these people were in one place, to commemorate heroes.  And to ensure that these men and women would never be forgotten.  And what better way to remember them than to ensure that in some form, these individuals never truly die in our hearts.

And realizing that this form of immortality is not limited to soldiers, lost in conflicts around the world, I have come to the conclusion that true immortality is legacy.  And in this way, we are all truly immortal.  We continue to exist long after we have passed by the memories we have shared with those that care about us.

Almost every person I have ever met desires to be remembered for their deeds.  Or if they regret what they have done with their lives, they wish to fade into obscurity and be forgotten.  As i reflect on these two types of Humans, I realize while they feel differently about whether memory will bring them up or whether darkness will consume them in its infinite grasp, there is indeed a third group.

This third group of people are Suicide Victims.  Those who could not handle how their legacy was playing out to the point that they wished for the story to end abruptly, not caring in some cases how they were remembered.  Though this is not always true, in fact there are differences even within the individuals who make up the suicide victims.  Some see their deeds as the ultimate in noble, while others just cannot tolerate existing in this world for even another moment.  What saddens me as I think about these countless people who cut their tales short because of pain is that only after death, do they truly live.  Their legacy both good and ill is created forever.  The loved ones of these lost souls will never forget them.  Even when they chose to forget themselves.

But like it or not, all of us are doomed to leave a legacy of some sort.  What we all must do then is decide how we will be immortalized.  And what i learned when learning about these heroic soldiers is quite simple.  While Empires rise and fall and Dictators rule and then die, the legacies that truly live on in our hearts forever, are heroes.  Villains strike terror, but the truth of their deeds is lost to the stream of time.  But those who pursue goodness, are never forgotten.  Their deeds are too incredible to exaggerate.

Mother's Day

As I wrote a blog post for my Mom's Birthday just a few weeks ago, I felt that if I wrote a blog post again for Mother's Day, that it would have been basically the same with a few nouns changed.  And to some degree, that's perfectly fine.

Its a testament to how amazing my Mom is that I could have taken the same post that I wrote for her birthday and used it again for this one.

That post can be found here

But mothers day is not a holiday for my own Mother alone.  I am also going to talk about the countless people in my life who are mothers and mother figures.  In both cases, these individuals are heroes.

Some people do not have a mother, either due to tragedy or circumstance. And without these incredible Mother figures, many people would dread Mothers Day.  A time for them to be reminded for an entire 24 hours what they don't have.  Instead, incredible individuals have gone the extra mile, and brought light into the lives of people who only would have known darkness in a sense.

Many of these people are mothers to their own physical children in addition to the love that they show to additional people who otherwise might feel loneliness.

So this post is dedicated to all the Moms.  You are the reason that so many in the world have the right head on their shoulders and that goodness continues to flourish in a world that will always need it.

Love is limitless.

Haikus Week 7: Fire Emblem Mages

Not Dark, Elder Magic
Luna Game Breaker Crit Spell
Canas Best Druid

Glass Cannon Nuker
Foreblaze death by dragon fire
Lilina Arch Sage

Surprisingly fast
Rexcalibur, Death by wind
Soren, Ashnard's Son

Priestess of the Dawn
Light Mage Super Spirit Bomb
Micaiah, Prophet

Pre Promote, oh no
High Base States Game Breaker Mode
Saleh. Sage of Fire

Do you like Darkness?
Magic for every action
Tharja the Waifu

Dark Knight emotions
Incredibly dour mood
Leo, Prince of Nohr

Scars

I awaken, covered in sweat.
I close my eyes and the screaming returns.
Some scars are buried deep.
Some hidden so far down that it requires unconsciousness to bring them to the surface.
I open my eyes again and the fear is gone
But the memories remain, floating at the top.
The scars burn as mental blood flows.
And I seek anything to make the agony fade.

I once was naive.
Letting my tongue flow freely.
My opinions mattered back then.
Or so I thought.
I went out of my way to help friends.
And entrusted everything in my family.
Organizations became my lifeblood.
And justice became my purpose.

But justice can be misguided.
Organizations can be used for ill will
Families can turn on you.
Friends can betray, with silver laced daggers.
I understood nothing.
My opinions became weapons
My voice became a noose
And my innocence the executioner.

Bullying takes on a new form.
Its unlike anything children were raised to deal with.
Ignoring the attackers gives them power.
Reacting to it weakens you.
These attacks test more than resolve
They test the faith of friends.
The loyalty of family.
And bring in powerful entities.

I survived my ordeal
But I fear for my words.
For they can always be utilized again
By those who mean me harm.
Now, I memorize every conversation
And every odd topic
In case I am assaulted again.
And hounded by the authorities for crimes I did not commit.

The sweat fades.
The day makes the nightmares vanish,
But darkness is only twelve hours away
And fear is everlasting.

Musical Dissonance In Video Games

As I have said in posts in the past, music is especially important to me.  I listen to it while I write just about everything.  It sets my mood when I am thinking.  And as the context of the title of this post already hints at, it serves as queues for me when playing a video game.

I recognize themes of characters and listen for alternate versions.  Music usually will give away a plot twist if you listen carefully.  For example, even though its obvious that Seymour in Final Fantasy 10 is evil, his theme confirms it for those hopeful that hes just a creepy guy.  In the very similar plot wise, Tales of Symphonia, you as a player know that stuff just hit the fan when you reach the Tower of Salvation and the first two boss fights have a theme you have never heard before, and then a third boss fight happens, that has another theme that has not been heard before that point.

For your listening pleasure, the songs are listed below.

Seymour's Theme
Beat the Angel
It Can Waver and Fight

Now that I have pointed out some songs that perfectly do what they are intended, lets talk about ones that don't.  Many dungeons or boss fights have music, that just seems... wrong.  Or worse, music is used in a place where it is incorrect.  For example, Final Fantasy 13 has a boss theme that is established for Summon Bosses which are all puzzle fights.  Then randomly, about halfway through the game, a non boss fight, uses the theme.  It caused me to be confused and concerned.  I know I was not alone either.  The song made me feel one way and then was used for a completely different one.

An offender that bothered me so much, that it deserves its own paragraph is Saturos and Menardi's Theme in Golden Sun.  Considering that my original World of Warcraft Character is named Saturos, in homage of this game, this theme is very important to me.  Now, as for the theme itself, it perfectly fits the duo.  And every time, the song plays, a thrashing is imminent.  Or at least a really difficult boss fight is coming up.  Unfortunately, this song also plays when a bunch of thieves appear to cause trouble.  And while a thrashing does happen, its to them, not to you.  Even worse, in the second game, the theme plays while a giant wave is coming your way.  Yes a thrashing does happen.  Yes your party gets separated, but still, this is not proper use of the song.

Here are the two songs I outlined:

Eidolons
Saturos and Menardi

There is another type of dissonance that upsets me beyond any other.  And that is when the Final Boss Music does not fit the situation at all.  A lot of JRPGs have fallen prey to this as of late. Perhaps this is a cultural dissonance as well.  Japan does not like dark fiction the same as America does.  There is a possibility of this being the problem.

Fire Emblem Awakening is one of the greatest offenders of this.  While the final Boss Level theme is an incredible music and worth a listen, it does not fit the mood of the last fight.  A final boss should not have a theme of renewal and hope.  It should have a feeling of dread and loss of hope.  The player should feel mentally exhausted, not vigorous.  Its really bothersome, because the preparation music before the fight, sets the mood way better, than the level music itself.  And worst of all, Fire Emblem Fates has not seemed to learn this either.  The final Levels in all three routes just like in Awakening invokes the wrong emotions.  Ironically, in all the cases, the levels right before the end, play the proper music.

So that's a lot to listen to:  I will be listing all the songs I mentioned right below.
Id Purpose
The Life Force Here Shall Renew Me
End of All (All three Versions)
Far Away
Glory/Ruin

Well I think that is enough ranting for one day.  I have said my piece.  I hope you enjoyed the read as well as discovered some really good music.