straightforwardly (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
straightforwardly) wrote2026-01-25 08:54 pm
straightforwardly) wrote2026-01-25 08:54 pm
335.
► Lately, I’ve been pouring so many hours into playing Palia. This isn’t the first time I’ve picked it up—I signed up for the beta back in the day, though when the time came I had some sort of technical issues that meant I couldn’t install or run it; I don’t remember which precisely. But when it came out on the Switch, I downloaded it straight away, and had fun playing it for a while before wandering away.
I’m not sure how far I got when I was first playing it… I think when I picked it up again, most of my skills were around levels 3-4? I’m still playing it on the Switch, even though the lag… it’s bad. But this is the kind of game I prefer as a handheld, so I’ve learned to deal with it. In any case, I’m really enjoying it!
I remember that the first time I picked up this game, I was drawn to a lot of characters and couldn’t settle on a fave (or who I should romance… I suppose technically you can romance everyone, but I remember thinking about the two pins limit specifically when rotating the options in my mind), but this time around, I had no such confusion. My fave is absolutely Hassian, by far, regardless if we’re talking about the romance options or the cast as a whole.
He cares about living in harmony with nature! He gets so worked up about the chapaa as an invasive species!! Of course I’m going to be utterly, utterly charmed. That he has an adorable dog as his best friend isn’t going to hurt either. I managed to max out his friendship a few days ago, and yesterday started on the romance, and. If he had not already been my fave before then, he absolutely would be now, oh my god. His reaction to being flirted with… that awkward sincerity… Incredibly, incredibly adorable.
Other favorite characters: Najuma! My whole heart goes out to her, and I find the whole situation with her and her dad very compelling. I like Hodari too; he’s definitely an imperfect father, but he’s clearly trying his best, and also clearly struggling hard with the whole situation. Delilah is another character I like and have been putting effort into befriending, and while I wouldn’t put Auni or Nai’o in the top tier of faves (though I do like them both), I do specifically find their dynamics as brothers compelling—thinking of both the Prismbeard quest and Auni’s level… 3, I think? quest here.
I also think Kenyatta, Jina, and Tish are all super pretty; of the three, I have the highest friendship with Tish, though she’s also the one who’s… least interesting to me as a character? She’s very beautiful, but I keep feeling like there’s not as much as I’d like underneath… though I do ship her with Kenyatta a little, mostly because of a quest that I’m currently in the middle of (the boy band one). I like Chayne too, though I don’t think he quite hits fave or even second tier fave territory yet, despite him being one of the characters I prioritize with gifting.
I know the first time I played this game, Einar was one of my top faves (and in fact the character I originally most wanted to romance), but I haven’t actually talked to them much this time around… maybe I should put more effort into that, and try to rediscover why I liked them so much.
One thing I’m struggling with is who to choose for my Shepp. My issue is… the character I most respect, hands-down, is Hassian, and I worry it might be strange to romance the person who is also your Shepp? But when I think of the other characters who I’m most fond of… Najuma’s not an option, of course, since she’s a child, and while I like both Delilah and Hodari, both of them are in a “people I want to help with their problems” kind of way; I can’t see them in the light of a guide or mentor. And none of the other characters feel quite right either… I’m almost certainly overthinking this, haha, but it really is a paralyzing choice for me.
After writing the above, I went to look at the Palia’s wiki page for the Shepp quest, specifically what each of the characters say if they agree to be your Shepp, and I think what Chayne and Einar say most appeal to me, while the difference in Jina’s dialogue if she’s in a romance with the player versus if she’s not in a romance is making reconsider Hassian again. Now I’m thinking about maxing out Chayne and Einar’s friendship to see if either of them feel “right” when I know them better, and then make the choice between one of them or Hassian? That’s a plan I feel good about, I think.
► I’ve written a few more![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
threesentenceficathon fills since I last posted! One of which was written almost immediately after the last time I posted, lol.
I’m also thinking about making a recs list at some point of some fills I particularly liked… but definitely not tonight, as it’s getting late.
I’m not sure how far I got when I was first playing it… I think when I picked it up again, most of my skills were around levels 3-4? I’m still playing it on the Switch, even though the lag… it’s bad. But this is the kind of game I prefer as a handheld, so I’ve learned to deal with it. In any case, I’m really enjoying it!
I remember that the first time I picked up this game, I was drawn to a lot of characters and couldn’t settle on a fave (or who I should romance… I suppose technically you can romance everyone, but I remember thinking about the two pins limit specifically when rotating the options in my mind), but this time around, I had no such confusion. My fave is absolutely Hassian, by far, regardless if we’re talking about the romance options or the cast as a whole.
He cares about living in harmony with nature! He gets so worked up about the chapaa as an invasive species!! Of course I’m going to be utterly, utterly charmed. That he has an adorable dog as his best friend isn’t going to hurt either. I managed to max out his friendship a few days ago, and yesterday started on the romance, and. If he had not already been my fave before then, he absolutely would be now, oh my god. His reaction to being flirted with… that awkward sincerity… Incredibly, incredibly adorable.
Other favorite characters: Najuma! My whole heart goes out to her, and I find the whole situation with her and her dad very compelling. I like Hodari too; he’s definitely an imperfect father, but he’s clearly trying his best, and also clearly struggling hard with the whole situation. Delilah is another character I like and have been putting effort into befriending, and while I wouldn’t put Auni or Nai’o in the top tier of faves (though I do like them both), I do specifically find their dynamics as brothers compelling—thinking of both the Prismbeard quest and Auni’s level… 3, I think? quest here.
I also think Kenyatta, Jina, and Tish are all super pretty; of the three, I have the highest friendship with Tish, though she’s also the one who’s… least interesting to me as a character? She’s very beautiful, but I keep feeling like there’s not as much as I’d like underneath… though I do ship her with Kenyatta a little, mostly because of a quest that I’m currently in the middle of (the boy band one). I like Chayne too, though I don’t think he quite hits fave or even second tier fave territory yet, despite him being one of the characters I prioritize with gifting.
I know the first time I played this game, Einar was one of my top faves (and in fact the character I originally most wanted to romance), but I haven’t actually talked to them much this time around… maybe I should put more effort into that, and try to rediscover why I liked them so much.
One thing I’m struggling with is who to choose for my Shepp. My issue is… the character I most respect, hands-down, is Hassian, and I worry it might be strange to romance the person who is also your Shepp? But when I think of the other characters who I’m most fond of… Najuma’s not an option, of course, since she’s a child, and while I like both Delilah and Hodari, both of them are in a “people I want to help with their problems” kind of way; I can’t see them in the light of a guide or mentor. And none of the other characters feel quite right either… I’m almost certainly overthinking this, haha, but it really is a paralyzing choice for me.
After writing the above, I went to look at the Palia’s wiki page for the Shepp quest, specifically what each of the characters say if they agree to be your Shepp, and I think what Chayne and Einar say most appeal to me, while the difference in Jina’s dialogue if she’s in a romance with the player versus if she’s not in a romance is making reconsider Hassian again. Now I’m thinking about maxing out Chayne and Einar’s friendship to see if either of them feel “right” when I know them better, and then make the choice between one of them or Hassian? That’s a plan I feel good about, I think.
► I’ve written a few more
threesentenceficathon fills since I last posted! One of which was written almost immediately after the last time I posted, lol. - Pokémon (Main Games), Hilda & Emboar, for the prompt Nuzlocke Challenge, the starter pokémon dies a little bit before the Elite Four challenge
- Palia, Najuma & Hodari, for the prompt I don't have a To-Do list, I have a To-Don't list
- Star Ocean: The Second Story, Dias/Rena, for the prompt healer/dps, favoritism
I’m also thinking about making a recs list at some point of some fills I particularly liked… but definitely not tonight, as it’s getting late.