Lol!

So, retail Final Fantasy XI hasn't changed its monetization model at all. You can buy all of its content pretty easily on Steam, and you still have to pay the $15/month sub fee. Compared to a lot of the monetization practices in MMOs these days, this is kind of a breath of fresh air, but still feels weird considering how old the game is.

Me, though, I've been playing on the HorizonXI private server, which has content up through Chains of Promathia and a few QoL features from later expansions, like LFG lists and a faster run speed. So while it doesn't have the amount of content the retail game does, it's committed to a level 70 experience throughout and has a few nice additions. Also (crucially), it doesn't charge a fee to play on Horizon, and it's vastly improved the way FFXI handles its launcher. If you can believe it, retail FFXI still uses the clunky PlayOnline launcher from 2002.

I haven't played in a couple weeks, but I plan to return. Let me know if you get back on the horse, and we can look each other up in game!

Operation Darkness is an amazing game I really wish I could have finished but I didn't save enough stuff going into the final boss fight and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't beat it... starting over from the beginning was too daunting a task.

Spectral Force 3 I would also love to finish but the loss of my first 360 to theft ended a lot of my games playthroughs and that was one of them. still a good game. probably the best SF game I've played.

Culdcept Saga is also one I wanted to like but it got so hard at one point I literally couldn't get anywhere so I was forced to give up

Record of Agarest War is something I REALLY wanted to like but man was it just sooooo grindy.

Zoids Assault made me a happy Zoids fan.

xD Thank you! The PSN category always needed an overhaul and I'm glad the update will finally be bringing it, so I can't be too mad x3 It's honestly been kinda "fun" going through and seeing all the games I still want to play and haven't gotten to yet...

Well, it's not really "money" but large amounts of Microsoft rewards points. it's only available to Game Pass subscribers now but it used to be anyone with an account and the rewards used to be a lot more varied and some required a tad too much work such as getting x amount of achievements in x amount of time or something... now they are pretty strait forward goals and usually require little effort and 99% require playing games that are on Game Pass (any platform though) but basically, get points, redeem for store credit, get free games. I do it constantly. I get probably 500+ dollars a year for free from it. if you're a Game Pass subscriber, I absolutely recommend looking into it, it helps. But I very much miss the days when ANY game counted towards goals... and there also used to be more goals...


and uhhh... with Phantasy Star Universe, I must tell you, I never actually played it online. I got the 100% from the main game. it's actually pretty awesome. I believe the online servers shut down in 2012 anyway. but the game has a great story and it's told in anime-esc style episodes. I do very much recommend it. highly underrated. certainly better than the recent offerings in the series.

I actually forgot I no longer 100%d that one, since the online mode added more achieves I never got... but still, it's a good game.

yeah, I almost always buy Kemco games when they go on sale... there's only a few that I've passed on.

as for Peppa, that was a Game Pass freebie I only did for achievements during a achievement score = money promotion. I wouldn't say it's a $20 game at all. VERY short and VERY repetitive with no option to skip any of the many repeated screens and dialog. you can 100% the achieves in about a day if you put your mind to it though.

Haha why am I suddenly tempted to collect the entire Retribution subset

Dark Deity and Revenant Dogma/Revenant Saga are games I have had on my "to play" list forever... I've bought some of them on multiple platforms to motivate me to do so lol

If only I was able to complete all of the “challenges.” I try every season, but fail. At least I complete enough of them to finish it! Next one starts soon. I think I’m going to try for the level 50 hardcore character trophy this time, just not sure what class to do it as.

I think I am pretty easy to please when it comes to Diablo, or… Maybe I am just biased since it’s one of my favorite series, though I did not play the first as much as its sequels. It’s just nice to pick up a game, play as long or short as you’d like, and mass-kill everything in sight. I like taking on as many mobs as possible to see if I can survive. If I do, it makes me feel bad ass.

Crystal Quest is a game I used to play on my Apple II back in the day. I was utterly shocked when it hit the XBLA... I bought it lol

Commanders: Attack of the Genos is another one I loved.

I originally got it cuz when it was new everyone on my list was playing it and wanted me to play with them... back when people still played games with people on their friends list... and uh... I loved it. I played it A LOT and ended up getting my family (wife and kids not parents or siblings in case you were wondering) playing it with me. mind you, the ACTUAL board game would likely be a huge chore to get out, set up, play and clean up but in that particular form, it's really an enjoyable game.

as for gameshow games, I pretty much always pass on those as after you get through all the questions... you know all the answers... limited appeal. there have been a few games that updated all the questions regularly but pretty sure none still active anymore sadly.


also, I see you picked up Ninety-Nine Nights II. I was very disappointed in that one. I absolutely loved the first one but wasn't able to get anywhere in the second.

Good question!

Tengai Makyō is also known as Far East of Eden within the Western gaming world. We got a somewhat limited exposure to the greater series through the Neo Geo release of the fighting game Kabuki Klash, though the vast majority of the games under the Tengai Makyō/Far East of Eden umbrella are RPGs. The various releases were on a multitude of platforms & system generations: beginning life on the PC Engine, and then later receiving titles on the Super Famicom, Neo Geo AES/MVS/CD, Saturn, Game Boy Advance, PS2, GameCube, and the 360. It's actually a series with quite a bit of gravitas (and gaming firsts, among them the first ever RPG on the CD media) attached to it, at one point being nearly as beloved a franchise in Japan as the Dragon Quest IP. There are many who even go so far as to suggest that the original entry (Tengai Makyō: Ziria) from 1989 was the first ever "AAA game release."

If you'd like to check out some more information on the games themselves, there are some nice writeups over at mobygames here: [Link]

If you'd prefer a somewhat deeper dive, the Import Gaming FTW YouTube channel has some really great videos (with more slowly coming) on the subject here: [Link]

Happy gaming!

Carcassonne<3

I have to say, your selection of currently played titles is wonderfully eclectic!

I really enjoyed Band of Bugs.

they were mostly fine. my only gripe with them was that there were a number of stability issues... mostly with repeatable cause crashes but also a few randoms... but learning to save often I got over it quick enough.

I always loved the Fable games.