I've been playing Oreshika-Tainted Bloodlines, or OTB for short, for a good five hours. Those early stages were not exactly smooth, shall we say; in fact, they were so uncomfortable that I considered quitting the game entirely at some point. Fortunately, I soldiered on; and I'm glad I did, because things are slowly but surely getting better between me and OTB.
But I'm getting ahead of myself there. OTB initially confused me to no end with its outlandish gameplay mechanics — it still does, if I have to be totally honest; but we're getting there. The game's weird mix of hand-holding and free reining was especially bewildering for me: I initially mistook Kochin's monthly suggestions for a lengthy tutorial, before realizing that they were mere guidelines and that I still had to manage my time carefully to avoid missing on important events. Another perplexing thing are the actual tutorials, which tend to elaborate on obvious points that any seasoned RPG player should figure out by themselves yet leave other important features completely in the dark. So there's a tutorial to explain how to engage enemies, but none whatsoever to explain the mechanics of stat blending in the Rite of Union? The latter would have been a mite more useful than the former, methinks. And since I'm mentioning the rite of union, why are the gods' stats not expressed via numbers, and why do they flutter constantly? I get the feeling that you're trying to confuse me here, game. Just like when you omit to tell me if Heirlooms can be passed upon the next generation, leaving me agonizing about whether or not it's worth investing in them. Or when you don't bother telling me what Training and Bequeathing do, how and why I should use them. Or what all those fancy elemental stats stand for. Such little omissions are a dime a dozen in OTB, and they can make a player's life a misery.
Other things were bothering me, such as the rapid flow of time in dungeons and the stringent time management aspect: while I managed to progress, it didn't feel like I actually accomplished anything. I was on the wrong rails, and drastic measures were required if I wanted to enjoy that game. I resorted to my tried-and-tested trick in such circumstances, namely to start a fresh new run. That's when I discovered some things I had not suspected, such as the fact that a number of things are actually random: that includes dungeons and their inner layouts, inventory in stores, and the very title of the whole epopee. I could also figure out a number of things that had passed me by, as well as reinforce what I did know. However, we were not quite there yet; I had chosen different classes for that second run, and those classes didn't work well enough together for my taste. I still trouble managing my time, especially the Rite of Union and my first passing of the torch. That's when I decided not only to wipe the slate clean again and start another run, but also to experiment profusely with different settings until I managed to strike gold and get one that clicked with me. OTB's swift early stages nicely accommodate such dummy runs, and I'm currently busy with my fourth try. I'm not quite sure yet if it'll be the last; but I'll get there eventually.
As I'm wrapping my head around the gameplay mechanics more and more with each try, I'm pondering how I should play. My instinct would have me stubbornly sticking to the same gods as much as possible for the Rite of Union: since this is a game, inbreeding probably won't be factored in when it comes to character growth, will it? The (in)famous Nueko character is not there yet, but I'm preparing myself for her inevitable invasion of my family — and my party — by getting used to fighting with only three units. As a matter of fact, I'm definitely gonna stick to a run with no more than three active party members at any given time (bar Nueko). Each youth will be trained by their parent and take their stead in the party when the time is ripe; no idle and dejected family members losing loyalty at the heardquarters, everybody will get their fifteen minutes of fame on the battlefield. Like, literally.
Well, that's it for now! I'll see you soon with more tidings of fighting&breeding, dear fellow gamers. As always, thanks a lot for reading, and drop by anytime!
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