So, I finally came up with a question, which nowadays has gotten equally as difficult as finding new body parts to throw up on the sacrificial altar. To those who continue to follow this thread, sorry about the terrible tardiness!

I thought it'd be fun to go back to basics with the next question. And by that, I mean ancient DOS games I fell in love with growing up, despite the fact that they were bloody on the level of DOOM, and I really shouldn't have been playing them at that age, mature enough to handle it or no. (I have awesomesauce parents.)

So, without further ado...

Today's body part: BioKraze's Thoracic Vertebrae! (Yes, all twelve of them. Haven't been wrecked yet!)
Today's question: You're in Shadow Wood, the second official Hub in Hexen: Beyond Heretic. (Hush, now. I love this game.) Name the three key-type items, the ones that unlock doors, not the "puzzle-piece" inventory items. (Bonus Internets for naming the levels they appear in, and seven Flaming Poptarts for answering this game-mechanics riddle: do your keys disappear when you get taken to a new Hub?)

As always, get to guessing! You never know what'll be up next!

Urrrrrrgh...

No trivia this week, folks. Just wanted to make that announcement. Very likely, no trivia until I stop throwing up.

The last week's body part will be up when I throw the next question together, which I've already got an idea of. It'll still be what it was the last (unanswered) question. *nodnod*

Sorry about the delays, everyone. Unfortunately, the human body waits for neither man nor woman.

I've recovered sufficiently to continue the game, so continue it I shall. Also, if I don't post a question here in the next 48 hours, I'll end up neglecting this thead again. I don't know about you folks, but I don't want to do that. Not while I can still think of parts for the auction block.

Anyway, the game of the week is Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar, for MS-DOS and the NES port. Unlike most of my prior questions, you'll only qualify if you do it right, and in order.

Without further ado, the question:

Today's body part: BioKraze's Thoracic Vertebrae! (They need a home, guys!)
Today's question: Despise. Deceit. Wrong. Destard. Covetous. Shame. Hythloth. The Great Stygian Abyss. Name the Virtues of the Avatar these vices oppose, and in the same order I named the vices. You must name at least six (6) in the right order to win the body part.

Bonus points if you can name one of the two in-town functions from using the Skull of Mondain, and three Flaming Poptarts for naming all the Skull of Mondain's functions in the entire game.

Double Poptarts if you can answer both the Poptart question and name not only whether the Skull can kill that which is normally unkillable, but in which of the two versions I mentioned as the game of the week's ports.

(whew! what a mouthful!)

As always, get to guessing! You never know what'll be offered next!

TheOnlyFlorence wrote:

Answers!

Well, you did get the bonus Internet answer right, so...48 bonus Internets for getting that right.

You also got the basic Poptart answer right, so... for that. No double Poptarts, though, since we aren't addressing the SEGA version.

And while you got part of the answer right (I can't say which one), another part is horribly wrong. You've got another six chances to get it right or until somebody else does, but you blew today's chance. Per the rules, you can't post answers until 24 hours backdated by the time IRG says your post made it in.

Which bums me out, I'll admit. I haven't had somebody enjoy this game almost in years. It's rather fun to find somebody that can out-geek me in the video game department again. All the others left a couple years ago, for reasons I'm assuming have to do with actually having a life, whereas I plainly don't.

As anybody used to playing Ultimecia in Dissidia would say, "Time!"

Alright, let's sort this clusterfuck out, shall we? Florence, gamer geek that e is (and I say that with affection), got just about everything right except two things: the order of the body part question, and the double-Poptart bonus. However, since you got the Virtues spot-on anyway, you're getting a secondary body part for your dedication, both to the franchise and to dealing with my petty bullshit.

I hereby award TheOnlyFlorence the gift of BioKraze's Larynx Please take good care of it!

For the record, the answers were:
For the body part... In order: Compassion, Honesty, Justice, Valor, Sacrifice, Honor, Spirituality, Humility.
For the Internets... Kill all NPCs, bottom out Avatarhood to zero in all Virtues.
For the Poptarts... See above question. Also, use it to access the Great Stygian Abyss and, with it, the endgame. It can even kill Lord British in the NES version (double Poptarts for this answer).

One last chance for the current body part, and then I'll prolly find a way to grant it to somebody. The next question should be up within five to twelve days, depending on how fast I can procure a good question with some answers.

Also, I didn't address your response, sat, but I did want to say "thank you!" for letting me know you folks appreciate this thread. Seriously, I saw your post and it brightened up my whole day right then and there.

Okay, so the question I procured was done last night. I waited until this morning to post it, so I didn't rush everything like I normally do.

So our game du jour is Secret of Mana for the SNES. Really would've liked to see Nintendo keep its promise with Sony for the SNESCDROM, because then the game would've been ten thousand percent more awesome. And complete. And have a decent script.

But then we wouldn't have had the PlayStation, so. You know. Pros and cons. *nodnod*

...orite, the questions. 'kaaaaaay. Before you ask, I'm using the canon names of characters in English. Because I do that.

The week's questions are, for the final shot at Bio's Thoracic Vertebrae:
Magic is one of the most powerful weapons in the game, short of a fully-powered Mana Sword itself. At what Magic Level do the spell animations change, and at what Magic Level do Primm (the Girl) and Popoie (the Sprite) begin "supercasting" their spells? (Bonus points for explaining how the game determines supercast chance, and three Flaming Poptarts for answering the following: "Spells level up faster under certain conditions, and much slower under others. What are the conditions for spells leveling up faster and slower, respectively?")

Free neurocranial bone of your choice, if you've ever actually had a spell supercast on you! Isn't it annoying as hell?

As always, get to guessing! You'll never know what'll be offered next!

EDIT: Forgot to add the main body part! What's wrong with me?

Last edited by BioKraze (10-01-2013 12:04:52 PM)

*examines sat's post*
*examines own post*

Oh god, hehe. How did I miss posting the right body part? Let me fix that after this. The proper body part is the last chance at my Thoracic Vertebrae! Sorry about the confusion!

Anyway... sat, you've got half the main question right, but in the interest of fairness to others I won't reveal which half. u_u You've also got the bonus question answered adequately enough, I feel, so you get... 25 bonus Internets for that. You also answered the Poptart question adequately enough, so... for you~

A supercast spell, by the way, animates more...aggressively, I'd say? Certainly very differently from the spell's normal animation (oh god, supercast Lucent Beam is so annoying!) It also prevents you from spell-stacking or spell-spamming, which is (for those just tuning in) the process of casting a spell right after the elemental disappears -- a valuable tactic against tough bosses, especially ones like Lime Slime/Dread Slime, Wall Face/Doom's Wall and Dark Lich. (Popoie can do it a lot better than Primm can, but then that's because Primm's only attack elements are Salamando and Lumina, so she doesn't really have a whole lot of options. Still takes a bit of practice and reflexes, though.)

If you've had this happen to you, then you shall indeed receive my occipital bone, since nobody's claimed a neurocranial bone off me. (I think I've got them saved for that exact purpose!)

Alright, time! (Felt like forever, if you ask me.)

satyreyes got the main question half-right, but I'd said I couldn't reveal which half. Now I can. It was the Mana Seed count, which is...tricky, to put it generously. There are only eight Mana Seeds, yes, and your ability to level up your magic depends on how many remain sealed by the party (example: by the time you reach Dryad, your magic had better be all leveled-up to Magic Level 7, because you won't be getting a chance to start leveling anything back up until you clear the Pure Land), but your Magic Level can go, as they say about those amps in This Is Spinal Tap, one higher.

Regardless, sat, you swept the rest of the questions, and so you earned, as I'd said, 25 bonus Internets and for your efforts.

For the curious, the answers were...
For the body part... The animations change at Magic Level Four. Supercasting begins at Magic Level Nine.
For the Internets... The chance of supercasting at Magic Level Nine is directly expressed as a percentage based on the experience you have for that elemental at that level. Long story short, having 60 magic experience for Popoie's Sylphid element at Magic Level Nine means Analyzer, Thunderbolt and Air Blade all have a 60% chance to supercast.
For the Poptarts...Spells gain more experience per casting whenever the party's weapons are drawn, which isn't always in combat and isn't always around enemies. Spells level up much more slowly when the weapons are sheathed. (Editor's Note: The Wind Palace is the absolute best place to level up Primm's magic; the party's weapons are always drawn there, despite there being no enemies.)

With this round, my Thoracic Vertebrae go away for a while, and won't be seen again until a few other body parts are won or have been through their paces. (I haven't decided yet which it'll be.)

This is perhaps the most unorthodox of the questions in this thread ever, but you know what? I don't care. This next question depends heavily on massive geekery on the parts of those who answer, and I'm prepared to pay out for said geekery in spades. If you know me well enough, this stuff'll be utterly transparent, but anybody can get the answers on this one. Any source of information will be your friend, from Wikipedia to TV Tropes and...pretty much anywhere you can find information. It's never been against the rules, and unless you can read my mind you'll need to do it.

Anyway, the game du jour is Terraria, to honor the 1.2 PC-exclusive update. (WARNING: Serious spoilers about the update within. They will be tagged and marked in suitably spoiler-y whiteness. Please mark your answers for this part of the question in white, too. Refer to my BBCode thread in General Dissection if you're unaware on how to do so.)

The week's questions are, for your choice of any two body parts I haven't distributed yet, are:
By using a well-known level editor (not even one sentence in and I feel like a heel already ), I modified the names of all my NPCs to reflect both their roles and my inherently Bio-ish tastes (Internet-gaming-nerd trivia, if you must know). In order of first acquistion to last probable acquistion, they are:

Deckard (Guide)
Nicholas (Merchant)
Rina (Nurse)
Gwaelyn (Dryad)
Tim (Demolitionist)
Irvine (Arms Dealer)
Zinn (Goblin Tinkerer)
Liam (Clothier)
Kaylee (Mechanic)
[spoilers!] Wynn (Painter)[end spoiler]
[spoilers!] Charme (Party Girl)[end spoiler]
[spoilers!] Meihou (Dye Trader)[end spoiler]
Zoltan (Wizard)
[spoilers!] Vookimedlo (Witch Doctor)[end spoiler]
[spoilers!] Matango (Truffle)[end spoiler]
[spoilers!] Agatha (Steampunker)[end spoiler]
[spoilers!] Blues (Cyborg)[end spoiler]
[spoilers!] Westley (Pirate)[end spoiler]

Name where, how and (possibly, if you see the logic) why I got these names, in any order.

Full credit and the two body parts to the first one to get all eighteen (!) right.
Bonus points to the first one to get at least six right.
Flaming Poptarts to the first one to get at last twelve right.
A special prize to the winner if they get all eighteen in the order I listed!

Because of the nature of this one question, you're all getting three weeks to shoot for total success. It'll kill my patience, but seriously, you will need the time. (Or not. I know some of you are even bigger geeks than I am. )

As always, get to guessing! You never know what'll be offered next!

Spoilers in brackes.

Nicholas - After the famous British antiquer, Nicholas Merchant? Either that or the Nicholas Blane of A Song of Ice and Fire playing the Spice King?

Irvine - Irvine Kinneas, FFVIII. Try harder, brah.

[Vookimedlo - from Toki: Going Ape Spit. Way to be obscure XD]

[Wynn - Regarding the famous Wynn Incident around Picaso's "La Reve?" ]

[ Matango - How do you like your dated Japanese horror movies from 1963, with mushrooms or without? Or Satyr could be spot on, which he probably is, as usual. ]

[ Agatha - from that Steampunky online comic, "Girl Genius?" That's going out on a huge limb; not 100% certain on that ]

[ Blues - Japanese name of Protoman. Not gonna stump me on THAT one, that's for sure. ]

[ Meihou - Another limb, but it wouldn't possibly be from Terranigma, would it?]

That's my guesses, but I have nowhere near the amount of Google Fu for the rest. Anyone else is welcome to use mine as a stepping stone.

BioKraze wrote:

sat, you're walking away with a couple of Poptarts for getting one reference.

Wait, only one? 

Week One ends, and we still have two weeks to go!

And it appears two of them are surprisingly obscure. I shall give hints, but this will be one of only two set times I do so. And I will namedrop, too, but don't go to them unless they come here first! *nodnod*

~ The Merchant is named for a world-wanderer, craftsman, explorer and all-around guy with some serious connections. This is a video game reference, albeit a recent one. The maiden of the winter gourds would totally know this one.

~ The Painter is named for a character who loves colors so much, he'll break the Fourth Wall to practice his art. This is also a video game reference, although an older one, had Woolseyisms existed at the time of said game's translating. The jester god would at least know where to start looking for this one.

~ The Goblin Tinkerer is named for an incredibly arrogant short dude, who is a walking expy of the Irken Empire's personal thorn-in-the-side, Invader Zim. He and the Merchant might know each other. The ubiquitous one might know this.

~ The Nurse and Clothier are named for a...phenomenon...that, while not quite a *game*, is still a pretty fun place to hang out. They would know each other in this 'verse. (I don't mean the Terraria-verse by that.) The Vixen and a "horrible person" would totally know this one.

~ The Dryad's name is slightly altered from its source material. Only the regent of scallions would know this one without thinking about it.

If nobody gets everything together by Week Two's end, I shall reveal one final hint, which should give everybody a chance to catch up in the final leg.

(I am giving hints because this is, very likely, going to be my swansong for this thread. What happens next, well...we shall see, shan't we? )

Last edited by BioKraze (10-14-2013 11:47:07 PM)

Remaining unguessed characters:

* Nicholas (Merchant)
* Rina (Nurse)
* Gwaelyn (Dryad)
* Zinn (Goblin Tinkerer)
* Liam (Clothier)
* [spoilers!]Wynn (Painter)[/end spoiler]

I combined Google with your oblique hints about which IRG'ers might know the answers.  I may not have played the games -- or not for ages -- but I know the forum titles forwards and backwards, and sometimes I can even remember which games people like.

* Nicholas (Merchant): Nicholas the Traveler of Guild Wars.  Trades Gifts of the Traveler for items.
* Rina (Nurse): Florist and barista in Gaia Online.  I'm not sure why that makes her a nurse, but it's definitely the right answer.
* Gwaelyn (Dryad): For Gwaelin, the "But thou must!" damsel in distress of Dragon Warrior.  She gives you a sort of compass that helps you navigate, which I suppose gives you dryad-like nature sense?
* Zinn (Goblin Tinkerer): Asura golemancer in Guild Wars.  Definitely does know Nicholas; Nicholas helps him out and knows about Zinn's proclivity for using Ruby Djinn Essences.
* Liam (Clothier): Shopkeeper for The Jock Strap in Gaia Online.  Sells clothes.
* Wynn (Painter): . . . I am still fishing.  I wonder if you could clarify the line about Woolseyisms.  You say that this character's name "is also a video game reference, although an older one, had Woolseyisms existed at the time of said game's translating."  I know what a Woolseyism is, but I can't parse this hint.  Are you saying that his name would have been Wynn if it had been translated liberally for a Western audience, but actually it wasn't Wynn?