Samantha Ballard

Congratulations to Valkyria Chronicles 4 for being one of VERY few games to every make me cry! I finally finished my playthrough last week after getting sucked into the expert-level postgame maps, and I have to say, VC4 was a step up from VC1 in every way.

I really enjoy the combination of tactical and realtime combat, and while the core gameplay was more or less the same as in VC1, the new grenadier class and updated mechanics like using a tank only taking 1 command point (thank god, lol) and leader mechanics made for an enjoyable experience!

-- some spoilers below--

I also LOVED the added mechanics added for combat in snow. And can I just say I am SO happy they actually gave the characters different clothes appropriate for winter XD It drives me crazy when characters are just out there in sub-freezing temperatures with totally exposed arms, legs, and midriffs lmao. It's a minor detail but I was glad, haha.

Ship support mechanics were cool, though tbh I didn't really implement them well.

Now, the main thing that they really improved on in this game were story, characters, and overall writing!!

Honestly, I felt that the writing in VC1 was pretty weak. It's a war narrative that didn't make me feel much of anything, unfortunately. Some of the main characters' choices and reactions didn't seem realistic, and the side characters didn't have any writing at all aside from what they call out when controlling them in battle.

What a complete turn around in VC4!! Firstly, ALL of the side characters have personalities, and side stories where you can see them interact and learn more about them. (It's also fun that you need to do the side stories to achieve character growth and remove really unhelpful potentials, lmao.) I did find some of the side characters a bit insufferable, but there were enough of them that I could just not interact with the ones I didn't like.

The main storyline did a much better job of getting me invested in the characters, showing character growth, and the complex ways in which the war affects them. It felt like it showed more of the grim reality of war, as opposed to the (imo) overly optimistic portrayal of VC1, without being such a downer that you can't enjoy it in your free time to relax.

Everyone always asks who your best boy/girl is, and I find that a bit hard to answer because the leader characters are obviously just better, and most of the side characters are fairly equal in terms of gameplay, but I will say I used Aoife a lot. And Minerva gets some very good potentials as you go.

Also - all the Darcsen characters except Kai don't have last names. And I think that's pretty weird.

And, though it's hard to pick a best character, there are quite a few nearly unusable ones! Neige really stands out, because losing all your AP as a potential that doesn't go away after the side story is just. I'm sorry, but you have to stay home.

Jean was also on the list, especially after she lost all her ammo TWICE IN A ROW after resupplying her at a critical moment in a story mission. Get a grip girl!!! Odin was funny and I liked him, but the coward potential tripping almost every time I used him put him on the bench. Oh, and don't forget Rebecca who won't heal anyone if she sees someone who has lost 10 hp.

Lastly, shoutouts to my long lost bald cousin, the somewhat incongruously named Aladdin Ballard.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 52

Samantha Ballard

That’s another track recorded for the album ✅

1 month ago | [YT] | 66

Samantha Ballard

WINNIPEG FOLKS!! I'm playing next month at the Park Theatre on April 16!
I’ll be up first on the program of a night of video game music, followed by three other musical acts.



WHERE: The Park Theatre (698 Osborne St, Winnipeg)

WHEN: Wednesday, April 16. Doors at 6:00 PM, Show at 6:30 PM

HOW MUCH: $25 in advance, $30 at the door

I hope I see you there! I may have a few sneak peeks of the new album as well 👀

1 month ago | [YT] | 30

Samantha Ballard

No stream tomorrow - busy rehearsing for an Avatar the Last Airbender concert 😎

2 months ago | [YT] | 84

Samantha Ballard

Stream friends - Tomorrow's stream (Jan. 31) is getting pushed to Saturday (Feb 1) at the usual time!
My bathroom is getting renovated this week and it didn't wrap up today, so it'll be too noisy for a good stream tomorrow. Have a good Friday and I'll see you on Saturday instead!

2 months ago | [YT] | 28

Samantha Ballard

~Samantha's Game Review~
Earlier this month I finished playing Tactical Breach Wizards, a tactics game where you play a bunch of quirky wizards fighting for a better future and defenestrate lots of bad guys.

Things I loved about this game:

The writing and overall design of the game are definitely the highlight. It's witty and irreverent and full of character and definitely made me laugh on multiple occasions!

The gameplay is fun; it plays a lot like Invisible, Inc. which I played the heck out of a few years ago, and each of the characters has a unique set of abilities that can be used creatively in lots of different ways.

The only slight downside for me, is that there seemed to be a bit of a focus on finding optimal solutions over just using your creativity to find whatever solution you can to get through, which is more my playstyle. That said, that kind of play is optional. But with the optional goals displayed on each level that help you unlock cosmetics when you achieve them, I definitely felt more pressured to play that way, lol. So this is a minor issue and might not bother other players.

There's also a lot of optional content; some players might love that, but I steered clear because a) it focused even more on finding optimal solutions to puzzles and b) it didn't have any relation to the story, so I didn't feel interested. But if you like the gameplay a lot you might get a lot out of the optional content, because there is quite a bit of it!

In all, I give this an 8/10 and definitely recommend if you like tactics games. It's made by a small indie team who I think did a great job with it and for only about $20 it's worth the buy imo!

2 months ago | [YT] | 46

Samantha Ballard

Hey all! I'm a little late, but happy new year!

2024 was a great year - I got a lot of progress done on my album (though perhaps not as much as I’d hoped), started an educational harp youtube channel, held a second successful Harp Con raising over $1500 for Partners in Health, and my husband Eric and I bought a house!

As far as goals for this year, really my only goal/intention is to PRIORITIZE.


Last year, I was trying to keep up with so many things that it meant the project I really wanted to get done, my Octopath 2 cover album, didn't get nearly as much attention as I'd intended. So this year, I'm going to step back from some of the things I normally try to keep up all the time and spend the bulk of my time truly prioritizing getting this album done.

That will mean less new music videos here on this channel for a while, but I will be uploading some 1 hour loops of songs I've recorded in the past - let me know if there are any you'd like to see!

I'll also still be livestreaming every Friday at 11:00 am Central Time, so I hope you'll stop by some time!

I recorded a video talking about more of my reflections and goals which is free to watch on my Patreon: www.patreon.com/posts/new-years-2025-119720328

(You can also watch album recording sessions and my arranging process by becoming a member!)

A belated happy new year, and see you at the next stream!

2 months ago | [YT] | 85

Samantha Ballard

Reminder: No stream tomorrow, December 27. Hope y’all are having a very cozy and love filled holiday.

4 months ago | [YT] | 60

Samantha Ballard

Pick your favourite snowflake from this week’s video shoot ❄️

4 months ago | [YT] | 21

Samantha Ballard

A snowy video is on the way ❄️
(This took me two hours to set up lol)

Skip the Carousel

1 2

4 months ago | [YT] | 84