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[OnFire331]

There IS one scene I really liked from SO4 and that was

Spoiler

Crowe's sacrifice. Visual Works CG, great dramatic Sakuraba music and the "see you on the other side of the star ocean" title drop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf4mkEYRMEg&t=3m06s

 

[Boss Mog]

So many people are complaining about the eyes too far apart but they look fine to me. Anime characters' faces are based on Japanese traits and the eyes are often wider apart than non-Japanese. Last night (I wanted to post this last night and got distracted and forgot) I went on nico live and took a screencap of the first girl I could find and as you can see the eyes seem far apart (well for those who think so anyway; the ones complaining about the heroine's eyes):

I saw some pics of Leanne from RoF posted in here and her eyes are somewhat "far apart" too, because she looks very Japanese (Please don't say she doesn't look Japanese cause of her hair and eye color, because she looks so Japanese that it would be embarrassing to say otherwise).

 

[Sinople]

Okay but if they weren't credited on the game, and there is no evidence that any of them worked on the game, how exactly is it "common knowledge" that it is so? What's the source? Who said it? When? Where? A large problem with information on the internet is that people like to repeat things they heard and think it could probably be true, without bothering to actually learn about the source of the information, and it gets repeated over and over, even though it is not factual.

Claiming something is true doesn't make it true unless there is some evidence behind it. The truth is, the only connection between Radiant Historia and Radiata Stories is in fact the character designer. A character designer who doesn't work for tri-Ace either. But there is also one ex-tri-Ace employee who conceptualized Radiant Historia - Satoshi Takayashiki. He used to work at tri-Ace way back as a planner on Star Ocean Blue Sphere (the gameboy title), and hasn't been with the company for ages. He did not work on Radiata Stories, he wasn't even part of tri-Ace when the game was made. He works at Headlock, and they did not work on Radiata Stories either.

This seems to be the case of the two titles sharing a similar sounding title and a character designer, and also sharing a creator who used to work at the developer who made the other game a long time ago, creating a myth that there was a closer connection than there really is.

cough

 

[duckroll]

cough

Huh, that's actually pretty weird. Thanks for linking that. Those are the two people I was talking about, except it credits him for the original concept and world setting design for Radiata Stories. Yet the interview itself never mentions Radiata Stories itself, and he wasn't credited for anything in the actual game credits. I wonder what the story is there.

 

[encephalon]

I really don't see Star Ocean every truly abandoning it's partial fantasy roots. Since it's always been prevalent in all 4 games of the series.

Also how they would explain Symbology / Runology, if they went full Sci-Fi and completely abandoned the fantasy aspect.

I don't think it should abandon fantasy, but for a series titled "star ocean" it doesn't really have that much more sci fi backdrops than other fantasy jrpgs.

 

[duckroll]

I don't think it should abandon fantasy, but for a series titled "star ocean" it doesn't really have that much more sci fi backdrops than other fantasy jrpgs.

That's the cosmic joke though. The Tales series is a fantasy series which spends more time doing scifi stuff. The Star Ocean series is a scifi series which spends more time doing fantasy stuff.

 

[Dice//]

I don't think it should abandon fantasy, but for a series titled "star ocean" it doesn't really have that much more sci fi backdrops than other fantasy jrpgs.

Well that's just not true at all. I can't think of many titles that bother with Space Ships at the very least. I agree the sci-fi part should play a bigger roll (for how shitty the game was, SO4 struck a slightly better balance; and SO2 technically did, but Nede was oddly an advanced billion-year-old civilization that looked like year 2000 Earth anyways while Earthlings in that time were....like sci-fi....yeah...what was I talking about?)

So many people are complaining about the eyes too far apart but they look fine to me. Anime characters' faces are based on Japanese traits and the eyes are often wider apart than non-Japanese. Last night (I wanted to post this last night and got distracted and forgot) I went on nico live and took a screencap of the first girl I could find and as you can see the eyes seem far apart (well for those who think so anyway; the ones complaining about the heroine's eyes):

I saw some pics of Leanne from RoF posted in here and her eyes are somewhat "far apart" too, because she looks very Japanese (Please don't say she doesn't look Japanese cause of her hair and eye color, because she looks so Japanese that it would be embarrassing to say otherwise).

I think you're thinking about this too hard with the eye stuff (I just looked up a bunch of 'cutie' popstars from the East and West and notived nothing particular about their "eye distances")

 

[Boss Doggie]

One thing I wish they'd bring back from SO3 is making magic actually useful. You know something is wrong when the only good magic for combat in SO4 is Ice Needles.

 

[OmegaDL50]

One thing I wish they'd bring back from SO3 is making magic actually useful. You know something is wrong when the only good magic for combat in SO4 is Ice Needles.

Yeah but in the reverse token magic was extremely powerful in Star Ocean 1 and 2. So powerful it dominated almost anything else in the game, so it was expected to be toned down. Unfortunately tri-Ace toned them down to too much.

Spells like Star Flare, Lunar Light, Thunder Storm/Cloud, and Meteor Swarm. Being full screen crowd clearing attacks with very brief start up.

Not to mention spells could be timed to be layered on top of each other, meaning Ronyx and Ioshua in SO1 or Celine, Leon or Rena in SO2 can queue their spells and the animations will play out in succession causing enemies to get literally stun locked to death.

The issue with Star Ocean 3 and 4 symbology is more than half the full screen spells were heavily toned down in either very long casting times or making the range only be a tiny radius that effects only a portion on the battle field. Also unlike Star Ocean 1 and 2, full screen spells didn't freeze all action on screen and the animation played out in real time like any other skill.

 

[Boss Doggie]

I dunno, magic kinda lost its luster around the time you reach disc 2 in SO2, especially when you get crowd control moves like Tear Gas.

In SO3 magic is pretty useful, at least as far as Sophia and some of Adray, due to them being treated as special attacks.

 

[Falk]

Anime characters' faces are based on Japanese traits

So THAT's why them animes have gigantic eyes and every hair color other than black.

 

[Basileus777]

Attack magic was terrible in SO2. I can't understand how anyone could call it overpowered. Once you get a decent part into the game, the only thing they are good for are interrupting enemies.

 

[Boss Mog]

So THAT's why them animes have gigantic eyes and every hair color other than black.

No, you're right, that's ridiculous because obviously Japanese people have small squinty eyes as opposed to white people's. Also if you go to Japan and look at people in the street or on TV they all have jet black hair because hair dye doesn't exist in Japan and women especially, hate changing their hair style and color as we all know.

/s


I seriously hope you're trolling because if you're not I would be extremely embarrassed in your shoes.

In any case I will just leave this here for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loAsiEUy7og

 

[bomblord1]

No, you're right, that's ridiculous because obviously Japanese people have small squinty eyes as opposed to white people's. Also if you go to Japan and look at people in the street or on TV they all have jet black hair because hair dye doesn't exist in Japan and women especially, hate changing their hair style and color as we all know.

/s


I seriously hope you're trolling because if you're not I would be extremely embarrassed in your shoes.

In any case I will just leave this here for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loAsiEUy7og

Japanese society in most cases heavily frowns on hair dye especially colors that are unnatural/blonde.

Also, you posted a picture of a guy actually squinting and compared it to a picture of a girl who appears to not be Japanese with her makeup done to make her eyes appear larger.

 

[Boss Mog]

Japanese society in most cases heavily frowns on hair dye especially colors that are unnatural/blonde.

Also, you posted a picture of a guy actually squinting and compared it to a picture of a girl who appears to not be Japanese with her makeup done to make her eyes appear larger.

Are you kidding me with this shit? Go on nico live or watch Japanese TV. Almost all Japanese women dye their hair and a lot of guys too; it might not always be extreme but even hair that appears as dark brown is dyed. The girl who's pic I got off nico live with the flower on her nose, her hair is dark but still obviously dyed. I can't believe you actually said that Japanese people don't like hair dye. The only Japanese people that might "frown upon" hair dye would be elderly people that are very traditional.

As for the pics, he's not squinting, his hat prevents the sunlight from hitting his eyes (you can see the shadow cast on his cheek); that's Clint Eastwood's regular face. And the girl is 100% Japanese, she's the bass player from the band in the video I used for the hair dye sarcasm bit. I got the pic from this Instagram video.

 

[Eusis]

To be honest as a game I think Star Ocean 3 is better as despite Xenosaga's stronger story.

I've only played parts of Xenosaga 2, it's combat was very different than Xenosaga 1, and I never played Xenosaga 3.

With that said, my comparison is entirely based on Star Ocean 3 to Xenosaga 1. I can't honestly compare Xenosaga 2 or 3 because I am not the sort to pass judgement on games I've never finished or played.

Star Ocean 3 and Xenosaga kinda cemented for me once and for all that, no, story really can't outweigh good gameplay. Though Xenosaga 3 did improve the gameplay, and Star Ocean 4 seems to want to badly challenge just how stupid a story can be before I give up. Well, that has skippable ones so it's way further ahead than the likes of NiGHTS or some Need for Speed installments.

 

[bomblord1]

Are you kidding me with this shit? Go on nico live or watch Japanese TV. Almost all Japanese women dye their hair and a lot of guys too; it might not always be extreme but even hair that appears as dark brown is dyed. The girl who's pic I got off nico live with the flower on her nose, her hair is dark but still obviously dyed. I can't believe you actually said that Japanese people don't like hair dye. The only Japanese people that might "frown upon" hair dye would be elderly people that are very traditional.

As for the pics, he's not squinting, his hat prevents the sunlight from hitting his eyes (you can see the shadow cast on his cheek); that's Clint Eastwood's regular face. And the girl is 100% Japanese, she's the bass player from the band in the video I used for the hair dye sarcasm bit. I got the pic from this Instagram video.

I'm completely serious when I say Japanese culture generally does not like people dying their hair especially unnatural colors. It's a real thing and people who do are generally looked down upon especially by the older generation.

 

[Boss Mog]

I'm completely serious when I say Japanese culture generally does not like people dying their hair especially unnatural colors. It's a real thing and people who do are generally looked down upon especially by the older generation.

WTF? I mean are you seriously showing me an almost 20 year old article. A 20 year old article, ffs. Cause you know it's not like anything could possibly happen in the span of 20 years. Opinions and perceptions can't possibly change to keep up with the times...

The Sears Tower is still the tallest building in the world like it was 20 years ago right right?, and the Twin Towers are still the second tallest right?

Seriously...

 

[OmegaDL50]

WTF? I mean are you seriously showing me an almost 20 year old article. A 20 year old article, ffs. Cause you know it's not like anything could possibly happen in the span of 20 years. Opinions and perceptions can't possibly change to keep up with the times...

The Sears Tower is still the tallest building in the world like it was 20 years ago right right?, and the Twin Towers are still the second tallest right?

Seriously...

Unfortunately in the case of Japanese, the Older generation are generally very traditionalist and extremely set in their ways.

Hair color for instance could label individuals as delinquents or rebels to society even if they really didn't act as such (look up Bosuzoku for a negative example of one reason why Japanese society is looks down on those that standout and don't conform to traditionalist values. Although this has to do more about motorcycle gangs, but there ARE some other references to take note of.)

There IS some degree of progressive attitudes with the younger generation, but generally they become indoctrinated with customs and traditions when they join companies and start careers.

Of course people on these forums notably duckroll are much more knowledgeable about this stuff than I am and would provide a much more adequate answer than me.

Especially for folks on these forum that do live in Japan and understand their mannerisms and customs are very different then western ones.

 

[Boss Mog]

Unfortunately in the case of Japanese, the Older generation are generally very traditionalist and extremely set in their ways.

Hair color for instance could label individuals as delinquents or rebels to society even if they really didn't act as such (look up Bosuzoku for a negative example of one reason why Japanese society is looks down on those that standout and don't conform to traditionalist values)

There IS some degree of progressive attitudes with the younger generation, but generally they become indoctrinated with customs and traditions when they join companies and start careers.

Of course people on these forums notably duckroll are much more knowledgeable about this stuff than I am and would provide a much more adequate answer than me.

Especially for folks on these forum that do live in Japan and understand their mannerisms and customs are very different then western ones.

20 years ago, dyed hair in Japan was nowhere near as prevalent as it is today so it would make sense that back then it was looked down on, but today it's so widespread that it would be ridiculous to say that most Japanese people frown upon it. The thing with old people is that they die and then the young people become the old people and so every generation things change. And in 30-40 years when todays 20-somethings and 30-somethings become old they won't care at all about dyed hair because they used to dye their hair when they were young.

 

[Inuhanyou]

If you lived in Shinjuku, you'd only have a pretty short walk before you encountered someone with dyed hair, its definitely a common thing in Japan.

 

[bomblord1]

20 years ago, dyed hair in Japan was nowhere near as prevalent as it is today so it would make sense that back then it was looked down on, but today it's so widespread that it would be ridiculous to say that most Japanese people frown upon it. The thing with old people is that they die and then the young people become the old people and so every generation things change. And in 30-40 years when todays 20-somethings and 30-somethings become old they won't care at all about dyed hair because they used to dye their hair when they were young.

The attitude is still prevalent today among the older generation. It's not uncommon to see younger people with dyed hair but you won't find "anime" colors in many places and workplaces and schools discourage it. Japan has trends of course and the younger generation does do it but in general it's not considered a good thing to have it. Dying is more common in Tokyo and the surrounding areas. Of course I'm sure there are some gaffers in here that have actually lived in Japan who could elaborate on this further. My knowledge is only cursory based on discussions with people from Japan and reading done on Japanese culture.

 

[Taruranto]

Man, comparing Star Ocean to Saga...

Sci-fi lovers should check Anachronox and Infinite Space, by the way.