Luna
joined 2 months ago
It makes this website so much better tbh
I love Altered State so much, it might by my favorite musical album.
Have really nice gray, red, and gold armor with dark skin tone and orange hair.
"Your portrait goes over the 16 color limit. Would you like to color-correct it?"
portrait dies
OK GIMP I need you to get this within 16 colors, I trust that you can remove some of the extra colors that other program creates
removes essential colors
Edit: On the bright side, GIMP has other ways to remove colors and I now have TWO portraits drawn and animated!
The end is finally here, huh?
Trans mega is having a profile pic renaissance.
I just spent four hours trying to figure out how to get this Fire Emblem portrait to work in the actual game, when all I needed to do was trust in GIMP. Yeah, this online editor (Piskel) was nice for splicing, but it added so many colors every time I made an edit for some reason. All I had to do was take it into GIMP, strip the colors down to 16, and it works seamlessly. Also, RIP Shanna avatar, she helped me walk for a bit but it's time for me to run.
Additionally, this project has been keeping me busy. I think this is the first time I have really just given up on trying to keep up with the mega or post, I feel like I'm in the zone!
I've been hit with a giant saltine cracker, but first I need to share updated portraits:
portrait post (condensed because it's longer)
Meet my FE game's favorite egg, Sol. He's one of it's main characters. I think I found a way to make this work, and I actually made a design that I enjoy a lot, and I think it's an improvement over the not-so-great portrait I posted last week. Here's her post-transition portrait:
As Luna's transition also marks a class change, I decided to go with robes rather than armor, as her main focus will be on dark magic. The best part of it is that she'll still be able to use the axes and swords she could use as a Mercenary.
Here's Cora, an Anima mage:
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Here's Vigil, a Soldier. I plan on having them promote into a Halberdier, though I may also see about something like a Paladin. And no, this is not the main character, despite the blue hair.
And here's my pride and joy for today, my other main character:
She's a Pegasus Knight, so armor was a fitting choice. She'll also get to use magic when she promotes, but she'll be using light magic. Ha, see what I did there with light and dark? Anyway...
Have any of you noticed the colors I've used on specific characters. If it doesn't look that way, let me know, but here's the rundown:
The soldiers, even temp soldiers (essentially socialist mercenaries) like Sol/Luna (MC1), wear the gray armor with white edges and purple decor. Thinking of making these the colors of the People's Republic of Iberia, since dark magic ties heavily to their revolution. Aylin (MC2) wears the gray armor of Iberia, as it's a symbol of freedom to most of the continent, but she also wears the red/gold of the Divine Caliphate. Delfi (the old bishop) wears the white armor, which is going to be the clothing color of choice for most of the characters loyal to the Caliphate, but since Aylin is a revolutionary, I thought she would be better suited with the gray.
In terms of the giant saltine cracker, here's the thing. The GBA Fire Emblem games have blinking and mouth movement animations for the portraits. However, in order to get them working properly on OC's (without drawing them from scratch) they have to be spliced. The only issue is, most of the characters, if not all of them, in all FE GBA games, are white. In an attempt to make a game where characters from different regions are actually different, and not every character is white, I have made it harder for myself to make this game unless I do away with the animation frames entirely.
EDIT: I added another portrait, this time of Cora the mage! I also added one more, they're a soldier named Vigil.
for me it's just predictable sounds
It sounds like you need prog!
up with trans
For a plethora of reasons, I don't have the chart I made this week, so it's in text:
the aforementioned text
Spiritbox (full discography)
TesseracT (One, Polaris, Sonder)
Periphery (2, Juggernaut, 3)
Monuments (The Amanuensis, Phronesis, In Stasis)
Misc (Evanescence: Fallen, Fellsilent: The Hidden Words, Destiny Potato: Lun, Cult of Luna: Mariner)
I wonder if I should make some playlists instead of just listening to albums straight through...
I'm starting to work on creating my own Fire Emblem game as of recently, and I thought it would be a great idea to ask you all what kind of character you would like to see.
For those who don't know already, Fire Emblem is a fantasy setting. I should definetly be able to add humans and dragons (manaketes) to the game, though anything beyond that isn't guarenteed.
If you have any ideas, please put them in the comments. A submission (sounds way too formal but idk what other word to use) should have a name, species (human or dragon/manakete), a gender (or specify agender), race, and a class. If you want to, get creative with the classes, as long as I understand what you mean, I should be able to get them to work within established FE classes. If you want to get really creative, come up with a physical description, and/or even a personality!
I'll turn on upvotes temporarily once post traction slows down, and whichever character has the most upvotes will be added. This means that, even if you don't want to design a character, you can support your fellow hexbears who created characters that you like. If there's a lot of submissions, I can pick the top few and do a recount, and then add the winner of the recount. If I have the space in the ROM, I could possibly even add multiple characters.
If you end up submitting, thank you, and I look forward to seeing what you all come up with. 
I forgot to add, if you are interested in any established details about the game/story, feel free to ask. I would honestly love to talk about it!
One of my favorite Fire Emblem games has to be Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. Shadows of Valentia is a remake of the second game in the series, Fire Emblem: Gaiden, and though I have not played the original game and probably never will, Shadows of Valentia itself was developed really well and could have probably stood as it’s own release in the series, which it essentially ended up doing. So when I heard that someone re-made Shadows of Valentia for the Game Boy Advance, it really piqued my interest. Fire Emblem: Sacred Echoes is a demake of Shadows of Valentia, but it’s not just a GBA port. Rather, Sacred Echoes improves upon the original remake, improving many aspects and adding many of it’s own additions that make it a great experience, one that is better than Shadows of Valentia itself. Feel free to skip parts you don’t care/know about, I just want to go over a few of the changes.
If you do not know anything about Fire Emblem or Shadows of Valentia, you may not get some of what is being said. In that case, the TL;DR is to try the game, it's really fun and it's approachable from almost any level of skill and experience. I left instructions on how to play at the bottom of the post.
Characters and Story (minor spoilers):
The story remains the same as far as I have played*, but what has changed is some of the characters. Support conversations have been added to fill gaps that existed in SoV (Genny no longer has only one support chain), and dialogue has been improved in many of the supports, and even in the story for some. Faye, for example, is not changed as a character. She still likes Alm, and is caring of him. The difference is, she is no longer psychotically obsessed. She cares for other people now too, in a non-romantic way. It makes her a more reasonable and likable character, without changing her too much. This change helps to balance out Alm’s companions as well. With the added dialogue, it makes it seem like Gray and Tobin aren’t the only ones actually existing.
Additionally, many characters have also had sexuality and/or gender changes. This does not change their core character or their actions in the story, but it does change how they interact with other characters. Jesse is now transmasc for example, and it adds another layer of context to his story. Fernand is gay, and rather than liking Mathilda, he likes Clive. This is better because gay, and he has more interactions with Clive. Also adds a dynamic of being back-stabbed while also being heartbroken. There’s a few others I don’t remember off the top of my head, but you’ll know if you check out the game.
Characters also have more depth to them. One example, when Leon talks with Valbar, the small talk is still there, but issues of trauma can come up, and are not simply avoided, especially when characters are as close as these two are.
- Cutscenes and flashbacks are integrated into the story, rather than being collectibles that can be found and viewed with the timewheel menu. Doesn’t change the story, but I do think this is a better way of doing things.
Game Design (no spoilers):
The game makes many changes in it’s design, most of which I think improve the quality of the game. Obviously it is a GBA game, and I really like the aesthetic of the GBA FE games. Most of the animations are new and fresh compared to the 3 official games, and the interface is clean and minimal without being cluttered. Clutter wasn’t much of an issue with SoV, but it did have 3D graphics for combat, and while some people prefer that over the 2D combat, I actually prefer it 2D. I think it allows for more flexibility with animations, making them clean, flashy, and entertaining.
The soundtrack is also ported over completely with GBA versions of the SoV soundtrack. This is great, and I think the devs did a great job with it. This is where an issue comes in, though there isn’t much to do about it. Tracks like “The Scions’ Dance in Purgatory” and “Lord of a Dead Empire” do not shine as much as they do in SoV. It’s hardware limitations, and it is not felt with most of the soundtrack, but these two specifically have vocals and an orchestra. It’s two battles, so not that much is lost, I just wanted to mention this as these are great tracks you should totally just listen to if you get the chance.
There are many changes unrelated to the fact that it’s a GBA game. The weapon triangle is added, for example, though it doesn’t apply to the basic weapons. Each character still starts off with an unbreakable basic weapon, but weapons like iron and silver will break now after their durability runs out. This was not present in SoV, though the game accounts for the fact that weapons will break. I actually don’t mind this change, as it adds another aspect of resource management to the game, without punishing the player too much as to leave a unit unarmed.
Map design is also improved by a lot compared to SoV. SoV had an issue where many of the maps were ported from Gaiden without improvements. Gaiden was released in 1992. Many of these maps may have been interesting then, or been forced due to hardware limitations on the NES, but they got boring and repetitive in SoV. Many maps were fields/swamps with some trees/bushes and a bridge. This is not the case in Sacred Echoes. Maps have gotten an overhaul, and while they still resemble the ones seen in SoV, there are more buildings, obstacles, walls, locked doors, treasure chests, etc. Overall, the maps are more interesting, and can make the game more challenging, but also rewarding and fun. In a way, it also allows for more strategy, as players can arrange units around walls and obstacles rather than move them in a block towards the enemy’s block. This wasn’t always the case in SoV, but it was easy to tell when it was, so the fact that this is gone is great. Maps also now have houses and villages to visit, giving the player more objectives.
In terms of win conditions for these maps, SoV only had ones involving killing the boss and routing all enemies (and killing the boss might have been one level). Sacred Echoes adds more objectives, like seize, defend, and survive, while also adding more boss kill objectives. This means a player doesn’t necessarily have to wait for that one unit out of the way to either approach or force the player to move all of their units toward it. It also makes gameplay more interesting, as the objective isn’t the same every time.
Sacred Echoes still features the world map, and players can control where the character moves. The level count is more streamlined, especially in the first two parts of the game, which were a little bloated in SoV in my opinion. Players no longer have to do filler levels with no story. There are some levels that are repeatable, which are not only useful in grinding XP but for classing up units. While SoV had 3D dungeons, Sacred Echoes turns them into ordinary combat levels. On these levels, class-up statues and stat fountains are objects that can be interacted with during combat. This simplifies the experience, and while the dungeon exploration was somewhat interesting in SoV, it is understandable how it could not be ported to the GBA, especially considering Sacred Echoes is only a romhack built on the Sacred Stones engine. I also don’t think I really miss the dungeons, as while they were interesting, the Sacred Echoes experience just feels cleaner to me. One thing I think the devs should have done with the world map is removing the respawning enemies on the map. While it is not as bad on Sacred Echoes due to how levels work, it is still just annoying to have to fight an enemy that respawns every time I move if I need to go back and do something. You don’t really have to move back in Sacred Echoes**, but it was something that seemed pretty pointless to me in SoV, and it would have made the experience cleaner if they had just been removed.
** This is as far as I have played in Sacred Echoes. When I had reached the point I currently am in Sacred Echoes, I hit a point where I had to do the same battle many times due to map navigation.
This is just a small bit of what Fire Emblem: Sacred Echoes has to offer. If you haven’t played it, I would extremely encourage checking it out, even if you have never played a Fire Emblem game before (though FE: Three Houses might be a better if you are completely new to grid-based combat). Even to players of Shadows of Valentia, I suggest you check it out. I played through Shadows of Valentia, and I am really enjoying Sacred Echoes. Well, that’s all I’ve got for today! Thought I would share a game that I have really been enjoying, a game based on a game that I really enjoyed, and a game that is playable on most hardware.
In order to play the game, you must obtain a copy of Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones and download the Sacred Echoes patch. You must then use this to patch Sacred Echoes to Sacred Stones. Plug the file into an emulator like MGBA, and you will be all good to go.
Reddit thread links to Instagram post which goes into detail. Monuments is probably one of my favorite bands. I slowly shift into new music as time goes on, but they have always been in my listening rotation. I feel like every single one of their albums are really good, even their newest one, and it's going to be sad to see them probably leave the scene forever. They had lost a lot of band members, and it was pretty much down to one original/core member. This member had to step away from the project (and it's definitely a good decision health-wise), and with the foundation of the band gone, they really had no choice. I know that the vocalist is already touring with other projects, and will probably end up leaving the band since he has so much on his plate already. Going into hiatus also means they likely won't be looking for new members, so it's probably over for them. I was excited to see what they had in store for their next album, and they are probably one of the only Djent/Prog/Core bands whose newer albums really interested me. Honestly if this were TesseracT or Periphery I don't know if I would feel as bad as I do about this, I just can't get into their newer albums. Idk I just wanted to vent and let possible fans know about what's going on with the band, and why the album they were writing will likely never release.
SALUTE
I have barely watched Breaking Bad
As a reminder, be sure to properly give content warnings and put sensitive subjects behind proper spoiler tags. It's for the mental health of not just your comrades, but yourself as well.
Here is a screenshot of where to find the spoiler button.
Let's have another good week everyone 
I don't even know what Genre to put this under, though it probably falls under the Prog umbrella (based). Found this while I was trying to expand my music listening beyond just Djent and Progcore (that's what I'm gonna call it). Not the kind of thing I thought I would like, but the riffs are just amazing. Rather than being fast and complex, they take their time and really make you feel the weight. In combination with great (and extremely unique) vocals, this album (Mariner) is definitely going to be on my music rotation. If I could find music similar to this, I would be a happy girl . It just hits different, in a good way, and it feels great to enjoy a (somewhat) different genre of music.
Listen for the riff at 4:20 it's EXACTLY what I'm describing above.
I see you! Don't forget to use those privacy front-end links 
(There's literally so many people on this project, here's the band wikipedia page, album (Mariner) was released in 2016 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_of_Luna)
I was just going to share "Fractured", but you know what, this whole EP is only 20 minutes and is just 
. I already said why I loved it on the Delimiter single post, and I explained some things in the 7/8-7/14 trans mega if anyone wants to see a more elaborate explanation. For now, just enjoy the tunes, they're really good!
I shouldn't have to remind you to use the privacy front-ends by now, right?
My search for female vocals in prog/djent bands, in addition to leading me to Destiny Potato, led me to The Ralph. These bands have a habit of adopting strange names. They're extremely small and no longer have a woman on vocals, but I can at least enjoy this EP they released that could honestly have better mixing. I like the music either way, riffs are catchy and the vocals are also great (better than the new guy 
i'm not mad I swear). Enjoy, and for the record, I have no idea who is in this band and I struggle to find any accurate info! If you want it you'll have to look for it yourself, sorry :(
Don't forget to use the privacy front-end links!
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