Oh, wow. Everybody's stuck on the Painter identity?

Between you and Florence, sat, you've nailed all but that last NPC. (FYI, Florence got the Truffle's identity properly, but you get a very honorable mention for calling the NPC on the notable shout-out in gaming.)

Think about it. An NPC named Wynn. Who breaks the Fourth Wall to paint. Deeper. Go deeper. An SNES game, infamous for its technically-accurate but horrible execution of a translation that remains in all official ports to this day. If everybody needs one last hint, let me know and I'll reference a character from it in the same way I referenced the vIRGins.

(Also, this is the last question. For reals and for serious. After this, parts will be handed out in other ways. sat, I'll discuss this thread's fate with you after this final round ends.)

You're all getting the final hint here and now:

satyr, the game is indeed Breath of Fire II. The trick is that the name comes from a retranslation. Question is, which retranslation was it?

Figure that out, put your guesses in the right order, two steps left, one step back, spin in place for ten seconds, and you'll have won two parts of your choice.

Between you both, sat and Florence...

...I'd say you've done quite nicely. More than nicely, in fact; I don't think there's a flavor of awesomesauce yet invented to describe the epic achievement you've both accomplished. \o\ \o/ /o/

So, it's the end of the round, which means evaluation time~!

satyreyes gets... 150 bonus Internets, and choice of any two body parts not already distributed. The list will be sent via PM shortly. Also, in recognition of your tireless efforts and serious flexing of your Google-fu muscle, sat, you're entitled to my Thoracic Vertebrae, should you choose to accept them. Your super-special bonus gift for getting everything in order shall be...the body part you'd requested during the last question, my Occipital Bone.

TheOnlyFlorence gets... 150 bonus Internets, and choice of any two body parts not already distributed. The list will be sent via PM shortly. In recognition of your skill in both out-geeking and out-obscurifying me, Florence, you're entitled to my Sacrum, should you choose to accept it. It was once claimed by satyr, but got reclaimed by me in the Minecraft thread.

And because the two of your more-or-less worked together on this, please converse with one another and let me know which unclaimed body part you'd like to have joint custody of. *nodnod* This one part cannot be traded, sold or given back to me under any circumstances, so choose wisely!

As always, for the curious, the answers were...

For really, everything... In order as I'd originally listed...

Deckard the Guide is named after Diablo's resident font of information, Deckard Cain.
Nicholas the Merchant is named after Guild Wars's Nicholas Sandford (Nicholas the Traveler after the Searing of Ascalon), the greatest wayfarer Tyria (and Cantha, and Elona) has ever known.
Rina the Nurse is named after the owner of Gaia Online's "Buttercup Cafe" (formerly Barton Flowershoppe), who is also know to the userbase as an incorrigible Monthly Collectible junkie.
Gwaelyn the Dryad, despite the odd spelling, is named for Dragon Quest's first distressed damsel, Princess Gwaelin.
Tim the Demolitionistis named after the memetically-famous sorcerer from Monty Python and the Holy Grail -- Tim the Enchanter.
Irvine the Arms Dealer is named after the best sniper in Galbadia Garden, Irvine Kinneas of Final Fantasy VIII.
Zinn the Goblin Tinkerer is named after the most self-important Asuran of them all, Golemancer Zinn of Guild Wars...a paper-thin expy of the worst Irken Invader in existence, Invader Zim.
Liam the Clothier is named after the owner of Gaia Online's "The Jock Strap," a sporting-goods store in the robot town of Aekea.
Kaylee the Mechanic is indeed named after the mechanic and resident wrench wench of the Firefly-class starship Serenity.
Wynn the Painter (full name Wynn Deaux; it makes sense in context) is named for the D4s/Ryusiu fan retranslation Woolseyism of Breath of Fire II's Township resident Win, who changed the field window color at request...even if most of them sucked balls, as Yasha might say.
Charme the Party Girl is named for the "Lady Thief," second adventurer-for-hire and the third boss of the Jade Way dungeon in Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale.
Meihou the Dye Trader is named for the grandfather of the infamously-tsundere teenage illusionist, Meilin, from Terranigma. Be glad I didn't name him after Rajesh Koothrapalli from The Big Bang Theory, and thank Aine Silveria that I consulted her beforehand. (Thanks again for the help, Aine! )
Zoltan the Wizard...is named for the big bad of the book Magyk by Accident by Esther Freisner; the character Zoltan Fiendlord. However, since it's not really a gamer-geek reference and since the renegade Horadric mage and creator of the Black Soulstone, Zoltun Kulle from Diablo III, is more memorable...I've given full credit to those who call me on the D3 reference. Sometimes even the Faceless Master stumps himself, and nothing ever makes sense. *nodnod*
Vookimedlo the Witch Doctor is named for the final boss, orchestrator of the excuse plot and all-around bad medicine man, Vookimedlo, of the arcade game Toki: Going Ape Spit (also released for NES and SEGA Genesis). If you've played this game, you are a master of the obscure title.
Matango the Truffle is named for the titular fungi of the 60's Japanese horror flick Matango: Attack of the Mushroom People. The name got another shout-out in Secret of Mana, as the homeland and capital city of all the Mushbooms and Mushglooms who sought peace with the humans.
Agatha the Steampunker is named for the gaslamp-fantasy heroine Agatha Heterodyne, of the webcomic Girl Genius.
Blues the Cyborg is named for the Japanese identity of Blues "Proto Man" Light, older brother of Rock "Mega Man" Light, of the classic Mega Man games.
Westley the Pirate is named for the true identity of the current Dread Pirate Roberts, Westley, and arguably one of the two protagonists of The Princess Bride, alongside his beloved Princess Buttercup.

And with that, the game is finally over. I will contact you in a week or so about what we'll do with the thread, sat.

EDIT: Forgot to list the answers as I normally do! u_u

Last edited by BioKraze (11-02-2013 08:01:45 PM)

Oh, nonononono! Those are the parts you cannot pick, because they already belong to somebody else. *sweatdrop*

You'll have to pick two different parts, sweetie!

Although I will note you have claimed my Occipital Bone.

Ok, I think we re-worked things out, but I'll wait on Satyr to confirm. I think I'll be declining the sacrum (sorry!) in favor of two others.

All right, second take!  In addition to your occipital bone, I will be claiming your malleus and incus.  Florence and I will be sharing your xiphoid process because it has a cool name.

Thank you for running this thread.  It has been a lot of fun. 

Getting the parting out of the way, I would like to claim your lunate and capitate bones in the carpal region, and will, seeing as it's a bonus, claim that sacrum.


I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as we did! Phenomenal questions that challenged our capacities!   I do hope for more in the future!

Would you care to take on a guest emcee?  I can't give away your body parts, of course, but I'm pretty sure I can come up with some interesting video game trivia.  I can keep it old-school or I can mix in some newer titles.  Just a thought

Well, then, since we're playing the obscure game these last few rounds, I'll go obscure again. Florence-level obscure. >>;;;

Chose the week's game, and this week all y'alls will be competing for my Vestibular System. (Separate from the Cochleas, so I can totally do this.)

The game du jour is the NES port of Toki: Going Ape Spit.

Your questions are, in order:
(For the body part!) The excuse plot of the game says Toki was transformed by Vookimedlo via black magic. Name the species Vookimedlo transformed Toki into, and name that species' relevance to Vookimedlo himself.
(Bonus points for answering the following: Master Bashtar is Vookimedlo's Dragon. What, canonically, is Master Bashtar supposed to be?)
(Flaming Poptarts for answering the following: If Toki has no backup in any form, what the hell happened to everything else that lived on the island with him and Miho, his love? What happened to his tribe?)

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

"Time!" ~Ultimecia, via her Dissidia EX Break (Come on, you gotta admit it's appropriate.)

So nobody got this one. I'm kinda surprised...but on the other hand, my questions aren't normally so damn meta.

First off, the questions couldn't be answered via TV Tropes. Amazingly, you'd have to look at good ol' Wikipedia to find them.

My Vestibular System escapes easily, and I'll have to figure out a new part next time. Along with less meta questions. >>;;;

For the record, the answers were...
For the body part: Vookimedlo transformed Toki into a "Geeshergam," one of the apelike minions of his army. Oddly enough, Toki never actually resembles a proper Geeshergam; for one, his body fur isn't albino-white.
For the bonus points: Canonically, Master Bashtar is a half-invisible giant. His hands, feet and heart are the only visible parts on him; the heart is his weak point, so long as a stray hand isn't interdicting enemy attacks.
For the Poptarts: In the background lore, Toki wasn't the only one transformed. The entire island's population was similarly polymorphed against their will, with Vookimedlo, Miho and Master Bashtar the only three known to be unaffected by the bad medicine man's vile black magic.

I will come up with a better question next time, and who knows? I might make it another Steam question! (Okay, okay, spoiler alert. It's gonna be another Steam question, as I'm running out of retro that I can at least say I've personally experienced.)

Alright, I don't feel like waiting, so question time! And yes, you'll need to have access to the manuals to get most of this stuff. No guarantee if Steam has the manuals transcribed. >>;;;

The week's body part is my Pineal Gland, and the game is the Serpent Rider Saga, or Heretic, Hexen: Beyond Heretic and Hexen II. (wow, mouthful!)

For the body part: The Serpent Riders -- D'Sparil, Korax and Eidolon -- each attempted to subvert human civilization in three different worlds. Name those three worlds, in the same order I listed their conquerors.

For the bonus points: In Hexen: Beyond Heretic, the Legionnaire Baratus, the minister Parias and the mage-apprentice Daedolon first had to defeat the three leaders of their world's Triumvirate of Law, before going on to slay Korax and claim the source of the Serpent Rider's power for themselves, the Chaos Sphere. Name the Triumvirate's leaders, and their full titles to their people. (Double points will be awarded for naming them in the same class-order I named the heroes of the game.)

For the Poptarts: In Hexen II, the four survivors of Eidolon's initial assault -- the Paladin, the Assassin, the Necromancer and the Crusader -- decided enough was enough, and that the greatest Serpent Rider must pay for his monstrous evil...but they came to this decision with different motives all around. What were the motives for each of the unlikely heroes? (Double Poptarts will be awarded for naming the motives in the same class-order I named the heroes of this game.)

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

EDIT: Formatting derpiness!

Last edited by BioKraze (11-12-2013 09:54:12 PM)

And...time!

And...no answers were submitted. That was my heart, guys.

...Okay, I have to be fair. Not many people I know have any interest in the series, and the last one that did got permabanned for a reason I've long-forgotten. >>;;;

Oh, right. Less whining, more answers. Very well.

The answers this last round were:

For the body part: D'Sparil succeeded in subverting the entirety of Parthoris; Korax virtually destroyed human civilization in Cronos, while Eidolon brought the four lands of Thyrion to their knees literally overnight, with the aid of the shattered remnants of D'Sparil's and Korax's armies.
For the bonus points: The leaders of the Triumvirate were Marshal Zedek of the Legion, Grand Patriarch Traductus of the Church and Archmage Menelkir of the Arcanum.
For the Poptarts: The Crusader felt his brothers were doing to little to stop Eidolon's advance. The Assassin simply wanted a more entertaining kill than those she had become accustomed to. The Necromancer felt that Eidolon was stealing his thunder, making him look like C-list villain fodder. The Paladin wanted vengeance for his brothers-in-war slain by Eidolon, and for justice to prevail over the evil which the greatest Serpent Rider brought to Thyrion.

(Bonus facts: Archmage Menelkir is also said to be the holder of the Crystal Dais. The Crusader hails from the Greco-Roman inspired land of Septimus; the Assassin from the Mayincatec land of Mazaera. The Necromancer's home is the ancient Egypt-themed Thysis, and the Paladin comes from the medieval-Europe flavored Blackmarsh...also the land where you find Eidolon, after personally defeating the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, surmounting Eidolon's Ordeal and finally destroying the source of the Serpent Riders' power -- the Chaos Sphere, formerly owned by either Baratus, Parias or Daedolon, and Korax before him -- before taking down the last of the demons who slipped through the barrier keeping the darkness at bay from the rest of the universe..)

...alright, got a little wordy near the end there. I'll come up with another Steam-game question in a bit, once I figure out exactly what it'll be. Just remember...we will be watching.

Hot dog, it's a game I've played!

BioKraze wrote:

(Question 1) Identify at least six of these nine codenames's actual meanings to XCom's Science Team: Sagaris, Kestral, Witchwood, Skylance, Halcyon, Masquerade, Tachyon, Godfinger, Tunguska. Bonus credit will be awarded for identifying the Science Team's codenames for all things regarding Chryssalids.

...And yet these all sound totally unfamiliar, so I'll have to rely on the other half...

(Question 2) Alternatively, identify at least six of these nine special class abilities, and which class they go to: Close & Personal, Danger Zone, Damn Good Ground, Smoke and Mirrors, Will to Survive, Extra Conditioning, Gunslinger, Savior, Killer Instinct. Bonus credit will be awarded for identifying the two mutually-exclusive skills I've listed, their class and the associated rank.

These I know.  Sort of.    I'm not allowing myself Google on any of these, so it's probable I'll misremember things.
Damn Good Ground is a Sniper skill that further rewards you for having higher ground than your target.  It definitely increases your accuracy; it might also increase your crit chance.
Gunslinger is a Sniper skill that increases your damage with pistols.  It is mutually exclusive with Damn Good Ground.  I always had a lot of trouble evaluating this skill.  On one hand, if your Sniper is close enough to the enemy to be using pistols, something has gone pretty wrong.  On the other hand, things go pretty wrong quite a bit, and it's nice to have a meaningful backup weapon if you're out of ammo and/or something's bearing down on you.
Smoke and Mirrors is a Support skill that lets you carry an extra smoke grenade.  Smoke grenades are kind of like regular grenades in that they are usually useless, but once in a while they are the only thing that will save your bacon.  (I feel the same way about the entire Heavy class.)
Danger Zone is a Heavy skill that enables you to damage a larger number of valuable alien computers with a single AoE shot.
Savior is a Support skill that makes first aid kits better.
And... Extra Conditioning is an Assault skill... and I think it increases your health?

How'd I do?

For the bonus points:
(Question 1) Name the positions in the "Power Trio" trope that Officer Bradford, Doctor Vahlen and Doctor Shen fall into.
(Question 2) Alternatively, name the trope for each of the aforementioned characters that we as fans would say most defines their characterization. Be sure to use the full name of the trope (but not necessarily provide links to the trope pages), so I can double-check you're playing by the rules.

1) Hmm.  Of the TvTropes Power Trio types, they seem like a Freudian Trio to me.  Doctor Shen is the Superego, with his worry over whether augmenting humanity with alien biology and technology is really good for the species.  That would make Vahlen, who is very excited to plunge headlong into transhumanism, the Id.  And Officer Bradford makes a passable Ego, as a decision-maker and sort of a player proxy.
2) Just in case I messed up the last one: in order, they are Alan Grant, John Hammond, and Ian Malcolm.  But those aren't actually trope names, so: Bradford is as Mission Control as it gets; Shen I would say is the Only Sane Man; and Vahlen... I wasn't sure what tropes might apply, so I browsed the site until I discovered that Hot Scientist is in fact a trope, so we'll go with that.

And I've got no idea on the Pop-Tarts questions.