Quick Note - Just a Few Things.

So, I really just want to complain about Valkyria Chronicles 2 right now regarding, of course, credits.  But I also want to do other stuff, so this will kind of be a grab-bag post.  Some of it might not be simply reiterating things I've said before, even!

You can't read it, but these are assuredly not the credits you want/need!

So, I've been grinding for EXP in VC2 because, well, I don't know why.  There's a slight increase to your troops for leveling them up, and I'm already rockin' level 38 Shocktroopers, so I went, "Eh, let's shoot for 50 so I can rock faces, possibly."  And a good mission to do that in is in August, "Killer Assault" or something along those lines.  Basically my strategy is stack my Tank area with Avan, Franca and my Scout who I will not name because it's slightly spoilery.  Scout runs to the base connecting to the area with the main camp, kills the Commando there, captures, goes on Standby.  Then in the next area, I deploy the tank (I named mine Clover~) build the ladder to the area with the main camp (The constructor arm is just so good), and move her down enough to get a shot off on the Ace Tank up top if she's there.  If not, goes on standby.

Then I deploy Alexis, who is currently a Fencer, have her go up the ladder and kill the Ace Tank/Whatever troop is there (if the Ace Tank is there) and/or go right for the camp and kill the Commandos with one swipe.  Take the main camp, and then bam, instant 90k experience.  So, I was fine with just doing this until I saw my Scout earn a Diploma.  Which was fine, even though she's already a Scout Elite and doesn't need one.  And I thought, "Well, hey this is cool, Alexis needs a Diploma, maybe she'll get one since she kills tanks with a sword, slaughters mans and doesn't afraid of anything."  So I do the mission a few more times, no more Diplomas, and I don't care.  Getting the EXP and that's what matters.

Until I beat it again one time and check the credits as per normal.  My Scout earned three diplomas.  What?  WHAT?  She shot a guy in the face seven times, which barely killed him and then left the field!  Alexis kills at least twice that -and- wins the mission!  What the Hell, Sega?!

So, I mean, that grinds on me a little, well, more than a little, but I just go, "Y'know, with my Scout getting all these Diplomas, Alexis will have to get one eventually."  And I played and played and played.  And she didn't.  Meanwhile, the Scout earned at least one more, I stopped paying attention to the number.  And of course, Alexis is the one that needs the Diploma.  -A- diploma.  One.  Raaaaaaaaaaaage.

Deng Ai has no reason to look this badass.

Switching topics fast enough to make your head spin, I just finally took a look at some Dynasty Warriors 7 stuff (since it comes out next month), and I gotta say, overall just from the cursory look I've taken, I'm impressed.  Still no Zhu Ran (The Baddest Dude in the Land) and Pang De is surprisingly absent again, despite being in a previous incarnation and seemingly the only one who wasn't reinstated in DW7 from the Cuts between DW5 and 6, and not to mention a great hook for a Musou (Story) Mode.

Okay, so, without going into full History Mode, Pang De's claim to fame (in the Novelization of the Three Kingdoms, at least, which is what the games are based off of) was that he was pretty able against Guan Yu (He who would be posthumously referred to as an Avatar of the God of War, and is still kind of worshiped today, or at least you can find statues of him really easily), often fighting him in duels to a draw.  Well, eventually, he had a coffin crafted to Guan Yu's specifications and was said to drag it with him into battle for the inevitable meeting with Guan Yu when he would take his life.  Which, well, didn't happen, but still, it was his intent and there are actually events dedicated to it in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series of games that KOEI also releases.

So, basically, ranting about it earlier, I don't get why they don't take that angle and run with it.  Give Pang De a Coffin for a weapon!  Make him Half-Brawler, Half-Dude Who hits dudes with a goddamn Coffin.  There are a lot of ways to make it work out really nicely, I'm sure.  And his Musou Mode is basically written already; just throw him in a bunch of missions and have his goals skew towards fighting Guan Yu.  Eventually, when Pang De participates in the Attack on Fan Castle, (Which, I don't recall if he was historically there or not, but who cares) his Musou Mode would end with him defeating Guan Yu finally, throwing him in the coffin, and letting it drift away in the flooded Castle.

How Simple was that, KOEI?

It would really just be that easy.