Let's Play Jade Empire!

This. I spent a lot of time randomly hopping around in JE while trying to pause the game. I wasn't a very well coordinated Spirit Monk.

Especially since I'm used to spacebar being the pause button and it does something else in JE (I forget what). When I came back to finish the end after not playing JE for a while, I kept pressing the spacebar and taking a good three or four seconds to realize that the game was not paused and my ass was still getting kicked.

I wasn't too bad (= "Normal") at JE, but that was because I learnt two helpful styles and I spent all the game using them and only them.
Otherwise I suck.

I think it jumps...? I was upset when they changed all the gameplay in ME 2. I hate you, thermal clips and useless weapons whose stats I can't even see.

"HEAVENLY WAVE! LONGSWORD *jump jump jump* HEAVENLY WAVE! LONGSWORD! DIRE FLAME *jump jump jump*"

I never got comfortable with it. I still spend the first five minute of each new game in that series flailing around like an idiot and failing to itemize.

STORM DRAGON *paralyze* THOUSAND CUTS *punch punch punch punch*

I can't get over the fact that you can't even see the weapon stats in ME2 - unless there is a secret way which I still didn't find out. I have to use my amazing intuition all the time. And let's no talk about powers.
Say what you want about how they made the gameplay easier in DA2, but at least it's still good.

Yes, DA2, once you got used to it, was very intuitive and spelled stats out. In ME2 I was just putting on random crap and got a major shock when I started as a Vanguard and ended up Charging myself in between a horde of enemies like a genius.

This is me exactly except substitute in Legendary Strike - I have never once used Heavenly Wave.

Support styles mostly have merit in later fights. When I use it, it's usually the AOE version between spastic jumping around and trying not to die.

Because nothing's ever easy, Gao the Greater recognizes me almost on sight, even though I'd swear our paths never crossed more than maybe once or twice back at Two Rivers.

Go figure.





Maybe you should have raised him to be less of an asshole, then.



Yeah, I didn't figure that would work.



This was probably inevitable right from the start.

I'm still catching my breath when Sky catches up, with Kang the Mad in tow.



Suddenly I remember what Sky told me earlier about Gao having taken something from him and I start to worry that I've just screwed over his only chance to find it, but Sky quickly clears that up - "I wanted nothing more than to watch this man die."

I'd have saved him for you, Sky, but he didn't exactly give me the choice. Anyway, does it really matter who killed him? He's just as dead either way... probably.



And then Sky tells me why he's here, and what it was Gao the Greater took from him that had him so bent on hunting the man down.

His five-year-old daughter.



It's way too late to help Sky's little girl - Gao's slavers killed her. But in chasing them down, he's found proof that this operation goes farther than just Gao and his thugs: their main buyers are the Lotus Assassins.

I already knew that Gao was in deep with the Assassins, considering Two Rivers and the fact that he's been supplying them with Kang's flyers. But if he's been supplying them with slaves, too - and not just a few, but a lot of slaves - what are they doing with them?

Sky is so reasonable for a game character. Most really would have been ranting at you about stealing their chance for revenge instead of thanking you.

Yes, I really like Sky.

Coming from Zu, I'm not sure I'd consider that encouraging, exactly... but I am a little surprised that he's not complaining more about the prospect of adding another person to my assortment of helpers.

I mean, seriously, for Zu this practically counts as enthusiasm.

I wasn't really deliberating much over the decision, but just in case I was, Sky quickly demonstrates his willingness to bribe himself into my good graces by handing over something he found - or should I say "found"? - that he thinks we'll probably find useful.







Sky, it's okay, I promise. I was willing to join forces half an hour ago. You can stop trying to convince me.



...maybe you should meet the rest of my companions before you go making promises like that.

The silver bananas! Come DA2 where the Hurlocks act like monkeys, I could sure use them.

With Lim out of reach for now, there's really not much more damage we can do around here. We head back down to Kang's Marvelous Dragonfly so he can install the dust inductor and the Inscrutable Power Source Chai Ka gave me.



...do we really have to fly? I mean, Ru's still waiting down there with his barge.

Admittedly he's probably got a good few extra passengers now that we've set free all of the pirates' captives, but...

...oh, fine. Someone at least go down and let Ru know he doesn't have to keep waiting around for us, though.

Once everything's ready, there's no choice but to pile into the flyer and take off.





Almost immediately we've got some Assassin flyers chasing us, but Kang was right about at least one thing, and the Dragonfly eludes them easily.



Before long, we put down in a mercifully controlled landing right next to our campsite.

Time to introduce our new friends to Dawn Star and Wild Flower.





Engineering is complicated stuff.

Yes! He just seems so... well-adjusted, I guess.

Seconded. He's totally reasonable.

Oh, Kang and your wonderful flying machine <3

Agreed on all points regarding Sky, who's been doing a good job of endearing himself to me thus far.

Also, I just want to say how much I love the, er, reasoning that goes into Kang's flyer designs.

I love Sky and Kang. Then again, I think I like pretty much all the recruitable npcs in this game. Yes, that includes Zu. I may not always agree with him, but I have a soft spot for the big lug.

I think the word is un-reasoning.

There is a reasoning!

It's just complicate.

You just don't understand the genius that is Kang.

This made me so happy. He has that one split second of unreasonable and then his brain kicks in and he goes "No, that's silly." BREATH OF FRESH AIR!

Kang insists that leaving the Dragonfly on the ground is asking for it to get tampered with and that he needs to send it up above the clouds while we're not using it. Which seems like a terrible idea to me. My past experience with flyers is that they're likely enough to fall out of the sky even with someone behind the controls, and I have to ask Kang how it's possible for him to send it aloft and call it back down with no one in it to operate it.

In what I can only assume he thinks is an answer, he describes to me the centipede's dilemma: "If he relaxes and lets things happen, he can walk naturally all day long, his hundred legs not missing a step."



I'm going to translate that as "I don't know and we're all better off not thinking about it, so you shouldn't ask."

Super.

I'll just... go fill Dawn Star in on what happened in the pirate hideout.







"And I would make great use of your confidence. You inspire me to think of the possibilities, not just the problems."



As always, she's more appreciative than I probably deserve.

Dawn Star is such a good friend. And Kang, no crashing into teahouses. Mother Kwai deserves better.

Once Dawn Star and I are done talking, I check to see how Sky's holding up.



Are you sure you don't need to take some time to mourn your daughter?



Well, okay, but - Sky?



I don't actually believe you.

Just for the record.



Fair enough. I guess I was getting a bit too personal there, considering we've just met today and all.

Sky demontrates for How i Social: How To Tell PC Plot Needs To Advance A Bit Before Chatting Further And Not Be A Jerk About It.

Class, take notes.

ZU, ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?

Whoah, dick response based on NOTHING SKY HAS DONE EVER.

Closed Fist, why are you not more reasonable?

Just one more reason I don't play Closed Fist!

You see, that Closed Fist response is accidentally psychic. She is thinking of Carth Onasi. And damn if Closed Fist doesn't hate Carth Onasi.

Headcanon accepted.

And yet another reason not to play Closed Fist.

I think Sky needs a hug. :(

It's true.

I can't ever not be nice to him. Or to any of the others, but with Sky and Dawn Star and Wild Flower it's especially hard.

I'm glad that Bioware included that option in at least one of their games.

So I'd have updated by now but I've run into a snag: specifically, a sidequest that my profound inability to operate the flyer minigame is going to prevent me from doing. I've spent a couple of days trying and I haven't even been able to get past the first stage.

Which is really unfortunate because it involves Kang and is probably both really interesting and potentially plot-important!

So, uh. Sorry, guys.

I'll keep trying periodically but I don't want to let it grind the entire LP to a halt. If anybody's got any tips on how to get past the minigame, feel free to share them.

I gave up on that one, too. My only suggestion is to see if there's an invincibility cheat somewhere.

I looked into that, but since I'm playing via Steam I don't seem to have access to the files I'd need to modify.

That sucks. I'd help you out, but I have no idea how Steam works.

Well, my tactic is....

Keep the firing button pressed down all the time and swivel from side to side. That usually got me through.