Felin Files #6 - Conquering the Expanse

Greetings from Kathmandu!

Small Temple of L.E. III-a

Before setting out into the stars, I decided to fully devote myself to exploring the system in which I have been stranded for some time. During my travels on the closest moon of Lathasia Expanse III, I have had some troubling thoughts. Due to some undesirable stains on an otherwise perfect record of planetary exploration, I am not able to return home any time soon. It has occurred to me as I collect a small mountain of junk, I may need a more permanent base of operations from which I may launch my countless adventures of exploration and collection.

I'm a student of Avian Economics

Right now it looks like LE III-b - the moon upon which I was stranded - is my best option. It's small and completely uninhabited by intelligent life. The indigenous creatures are hostile but manageable now that I have found some worthy equipment. I do not like this moon and I hope I can find a more suitable place to permanently reside, but for now it may be my best option.

I explored Lathasia Expanse III-a and found a network of temples surrounding a bustling Avian city. The Avians seemed nervous about having a cat in their midst, but one young lady in particular tried to follow me back out into the wilderness. I convinced her it was for her best interests to stay among her people. Just outside of town I fought some frightening giants attracted to some glowing obelisk, so I'm glad she stayed behind. I like having this city nearby for trading purposes, but I do not want to set up a permanent home on such a heavily populated area.

Hello? Are you friendly?

- Kathmandu
@TOPGamingBlog

Featuring:

• Felins

Felin Files #5 - Lathasia Expanse III Prime

Planetary Explorer Kathmandu here.

The Planet Does Have These Weird Things

Before setting out into the unknown, I decided to check out the planet that I've been orbiting while stranded on the nearby moon. The first thing I can say about this new world is that it's huge. The gravity here is downright oppressive. I nearly broke my ankle just stepping down a steep slope. Every little bump has great potential to crush my bones under their own weight. The creatures that inhabit this planet were nearly identical to the ones that plagued me on the second moon above, but fighting them here was an entirely different experience in this gravity.

Do you have a friend on the 2nd moon?

I was somewhat surprised to learn that Lathasia Expanse III is not uninhabited. There is quite a diverse population living on the planet. I found a human hiker camped out by another abandoned mine leading me to believe this must have been a mining colony at one time. There is also an Avian, a Glitch and an Apex living in similarly designed homes scattered across the surface. I assume they know each other, but we didn't spend a lot of time in discussion. I tried to ignore their possessions. I need to give up my old ways and focus on exploring this vast, wonderful universe.

Hello, my new friend!

- Kathmandu
@TOPGamingBlog

Featuring:

• Felins

Felin Files #4 - Ship Repairs

It is I, Kathmandu, Pocket Dimension Conqueror.

Morning Exercise!

I lowered myself down from the underground cabins after resting my Felin eyes and was greeted by the glow of a mysterious door. I have heard tale of these enigmatic portals to other dimensions full of danger and (more importantly, I must say) treasure. Naturally, I steeled myself for the worst and stepped through the threshold to face whatever challenge the universe decided to bury under Lathasia Expanse III-b. I was certain I have seen worse in my nine lives.

Who Could Resist This Temptation?

The other side of this portal put me inside some kind of metallic ark. With catlike reflexes I was able to dodge lasers, fire traps and pools of scalding lava. Disappointed that I could not learn more about this unusual place, I collected my reward and returned to the moon on which I was stranded. Not without taking some photo evidence of my accomplishments, of course. Inside the box was a fancy space helmet that I will try out the next time I'm in space - naturally.

Challenge Accepted!

Fearless Kathmandu 

Just below this portal to a pocket dimension, I found the ores necessary to repair the ship's thrusters. This deep into the planet, I am amazed at the abundance or minerals and metals. The next time I need to hammer out some armor, I should perhaps head straight down into the depths and not spend too much time along the surface. After core collection, I was able to get the ship to lock on to my position and beam me up. Who knew it could reach me this far underground?

After the ship repairs were complete, I set off to a nearby outpost to fix the FTL drive.
I was not pleased with the welcome wagon.

Dogs!? Why'd it have to be dogs!?

- Kathmandu
@TOPGamingBlog

Featuring:

• Felins

Week in Review - 2/12/2016

• Pokémon Fire Red & Leaf Green (Gameboy Advance)

Leaf is so cute!

Yes. You read that correctly. I fired up each copy of this game from 2004 in a Pokémon Project I'd been dreaming up for exactly one year. Unfortunately, I have no way to trade from Fire to Leaf anymore which puts a damper on this super secret project that I will never finish. Also, it appears Fire Red was corrupted or its internal battery is long gone because the save game was deleted and the game crashed when I talked to Mom. Leaf Green is still going strong, though. More on this to come in the future - perhaps. 

• Starbound (PC / Steam) 

Challenge accepted!

Kathmandu's legend continues to grow. Over the weekend I convinced my wife to join him on some adventures around the universe. She rolled up her own Felin (mod race) named Vana Snow. They make a cute couple! Kathmandu showed her the ropes and helped her get her own core fragments. She insisted she progress her own character or he would have loaned her some. He showed her around his secret base, but encouraged her to build her own. Kathmandu does not like sharing.

• Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U)

[Insert Joke About Eating Tatsu]

It occurred to me that too much time had passed since my last foray around Mira. I logged into Xenoblade hoping to get another chapter done, but was promptly greeted by a multitude of quests I'd left undone. I began plugging away at them and managed to cap out my Affinity score with Lin. I've replaced her tanking supremacy with L for now, but he's about 15 levels behind Lin. Hopefully, he steps up his game before we have to fight a serious boss. 

- TOP 

@TOPGamingBlog

---

Final Fantasy Explorers (3DS) 

My opinion on this game is evolving. I've changed from Knight to Machinist and spend a considerable amount of time researching and evolving mutations on to my Machinist abilities. The levels of customization in this game are the real shining gem of its gameplay. The way you can define your Final Fantasy jobs and roles within a party is tremendously involved and fun. Once I feel Machinist is established, I hope to turn my attention to Blue Mage. This week also marked the first time both brothers and both wives got to adventure together. It was so much more fun than our duet and trio excursions. I hope we get a lot more full party adventures soon. 

- TOP

Unfortunately, I have not played FFE enough over the past week to form any new stance. I'm still playing with everyone, but the progress I've made hasn't changed my opinion. I still struggle to come to terms with how deceptively shallow the depth of the game is so far. While the Job and Ability system is robust and deep, it's the only aspect of FFE that appears to have gotten special attention. Missions are straightforward and bland. There's no story on the surface to motivate you. At this point, I'm more motivated by the prospect of unlocking new outfits than I am by the actual gameplay. Nevertheless, I will march forward with high spirits in hopes the game will win me over!

- Deez

Felin Files #3 - Beneath the Temple

Ruin Explorer Kathmandu, at your service.

I can go no farther!

I ran into some trouble when I ran out of torches deep in the caverns below the abandoned mine. I didn't seem to have any materials available to make more. It is very unlike me to be this careless, but I suppose I never intended to dive this deep into the planet. I simply continued downward wondering "What will I find next?" Ruins beneath more ruins. Needless to say, I returned to the surface to resupply my stock of torches in order to press even deeper. 

Duel Wielding Action Cat

Back on the surface, I smelted down my iron and copper and made myself some new protective gear and some kick-ass iron sun glasses. It will help protect my eyes from poison spitting lizard men, and those awkward times I shine the flashlight into my face by accident. I poked around my impromptu cavern campsite. Just below my smelting area, I discovered a brand new cave system which held a multitude of new arms. Among the gear, I picked out a new pistol that shoots incendiary rounds. Now, I dual wield them like a cat-boss. The machine pistol lays down perfect suppression while the incendiary rounds burn my foes into pixels. 

What is this strange place?

To the east of my camp there is some bizarre landscape that makes me feel lighter than air. There are also some peculiar creatures living there that I have not found anywhere else on this planet. Naturally, they want to eat my insides so I burninate them to death with my new gun. This area of the planet is strange to me, but I do not want to waste too much time exploring it just yet. I still have to get the materials under the earth to repair my ship. It also happens that below the ancient ruins, below the Avian-looking ruins, below the abandoned mine, there is a decrepit, old cabin. I rest here for the night wondering what else I may find in the depths below. 

Camping in the Cabin

- Kathmandu
@TOPGamingBlog

Featuring:

• Felins

Felin Files #2 - Beneath the Mine

Kathmandu here.

Life in the Mines

The abandoned mine I found on the surface of this planet in Lathasia Expanse has proven to be both exciting and lucrative. I have continued to descend with my trusty side arm silencing all the tongue-bats that stand in my way. Among the crates and boxes, I have managed to salvage a lot of rope, bandages, and some lose bits of ore I may be able to re-purpose - mostly copper and iron. I'm not sure how long I will have to remain on this planet, but it is good to know that I will have a lot of supplies from this mine to settle in if necessary. 

A City Gate, Perhaps?

The deeper I go the closer I get to the precious materials I need to fix the ship. I hoped the mine would take me farther than it has, but eventually I got to the bottom. That's where things got even stranger. Beneath the mine, I have discovered some ancient ruins. They look Avian in nature, and this is reinforced by some strange pillars I found that looked like long forgotten nests. I wonder if stumbling into these ruins is what stopped production in the mine - perhaps they dug too deep and uncovered something they should not have disturbed. As if to emphasize this, a crate right at the edge of the mine held a working machine pistol that I add to my arsenal. 

Are These Nests?

Onward!

I trudge deeper through the ruins, ever the intrepid explorer. My curiosity is insatiable as I make my way farther and farther into the earth. Although I have had to widen a few paths along the way, I continue to find my way down into the depths laid out before me. Did the miners abandon the mines to excavate these strange ruins? Even more curious is that under the possible Avian ruins, I found more ruins of unknown origin. I've had to lower myself down some dangerous chasms, but deeper still I intend to go. I'm not sure I'll find conclusive evidence about what happened in the history of this little moon in the Lathasia Expanse. 

Who Built This?

- Kathmandu
@TOPGamingBlog

Featuring:

• Felins

Week in Review - 2/5/2016

Well, it's been quite a long time since I've done this column.

• Blade and Soul (PC)

Nara Lyn says hello!

My relationship with Final Fantasy XIV feels like it's about to break. Blog forthcoming. That said, Blade and Soul launched at a very opportune time to steal away my MMO attention. It's free and it's awesome. The only problem I'm having with it is that no one else seems to be getting hooked. Everyone has dipped their toe, but no one seems ready to commit to it. The login queues have lightened up and I find myself online for an hour or two every day, but I'm all alone!

• Final Fantasy XIV (PC) 

I don't have pictures of Shai on this PC.

I only log in to FF14 these days to raid with my main team. I was raiding on two teams for over a year, but finally let one of them go. My wife has all but quit, too. For us the game is stagnant and the end game isn't enjoyable. I only play about 4 hours a week - 2 hours 2 days a week - to work on Alexander Gordius progress. It's been insanely slow as people have left the group and the game one by one. We're finally seeing some progress, but an entirely new raid opens up later this month. We won't make it in time. 

• Minecraft (PC)

Not Actual House!

I'm not actually playing Minecraft. I turned my account over to my children along with my old PC. They now disappear into Minecraft every night. I only mention it here because I was in the game showing my daughter how to build herself a shelter and locate her way home. It's funny what they chose to prioritize compared to an adult. It's a neat social experiment to see how they spend their time and resources. One thing I have learned, when the zombie apocalypse comes, they're doomed. 

• Starbound (Steam / PC) 

This is my current desktop background.

I'm getting back into Starbound. It's been two patches since "Jack Unbound" abruptly ended, so a lot of new content for me to explore. You may have noticed me sneak Kathmandu into my blog last weekend and hopefully I can keep you updated on his adventures. Since restarting, though, I've thought long and hard how to get back into Jack's adventure. There are a few fans on YouTube patiently awaiting his triumphant return. I'm still trying to work out the details of that story.

• Valkyria Chronicles (Steam / PC) 

Valkyria Chronicles has been in the news quite a bit recently. There is the upcoming VC Remaster coming to PS4 and Valkyria: Azure Revolution coming out later this year. All this talk about one of my favorite games of all time was enough to push me over the edge. I installed the Steam version I bought long ago (hoping to encourage a VC2 or VC3 port) and began protecting Gallia one more time. The characters and the art is beautiful. The game itself is extremely fun.



- TOP
@TOPGamingBlog

---

Final Fantasy Explorers (3DS) 

Onion Knight!

Seeking a game I could play online with my wife, my brother, and his wife, we all bought this game when it launched last week. The last game we all played together was Fantasy Life and I think compared to that, it has fallen short of our expectations. However, it's fun and cute and my wife and I seem to be enjoying it together quite a lot. I'm tanking on Knight class. My wife is healing on White Mage. The game really pulls a lot of weight with nostalgia. I'm now running around in full Onion Knight armor.

- TOP           

@TopGamingBlog

Monk!

Final Fantasy Explorers has yet to addict me. I was immediately intrigued when TOP introduced it to me, prefacing that it would be similar to Fantasy Life. Between us and our wives, we played the hell out of that game! Unfortunately, I have not been hooked in the same way by FFE. I've played about 4-6 hours, but I find it lacking. Fantasy Life feels immediately limitless, but FFE feels as if it's based solely on grinding. I do feel like I've only scratched the surface and I'm not giving up yet. 

- Deez

@Deezer509

Felin Files #1 - Stranded

I am Kathmandu.

I must survey the surroundings!

You may have heard of me. I'm an intrepid Felin explorer. I am known for my unending wealth of curiosity even for a Felin. As luck would have it, I'm stranded on this blasted moon in the Lathasia Expanse. My worthless piece of junk of a starship has broken down in orbit and I am scrounging the surface of this inhospitable death zone for food and supplies. Everything here wants to kill me and my pathetic katar barely scratches their hides. I have hidden myself underground numerous times to avoid confrontation with the indigenous species.

Salvation is at hand!

I have spent many horrible days on this planet looking for some means to defend myself. I finally found an old weapons crate with a rusty pistol inside. It was truly a gift from Bastet at this point. I cannot tell you how embarrassing it is to hide from these pitiful creatures. Aside from misfortune, I found another traveler on this planet. Before we could get acquainted, he was devoured by tongue-bats from the depths of an old abandoned mine. I could not save him for fear of shooting him myself. I mourned my unnamed friend for several more terrible nights before braving the depths of this mine myself. Hopefully, I will be able to find materials to repair my ship within.

I smell a delicious fish dinner!

- Kathmandu
@TOPGamingBlog

Featuring:

• Felins