All in on Hisame:

As an apology for how glitchy Heaven Burns Red has been, the game makers gave everyone 3,000 free quartz.  They also patched the problem where the game crashed every time you tried to close it -- though now it has a new problem where it can randomly be stuck at the 'now loading' screen in the middle of whatever you're doing.  But the 'now loading' glitch occurs less frequently than the 'always crashes when you try to close the game' glitch so it's still welcome progress.

The new quartz got me to 105 exchange points towards pajamas Hisame's free recruitment, out of the 150 required.  Since I already have pajamas Hisame, it would instead give me 10 shards that I can use to produce limit breaks.  If I didn't reach 150 those exchange points would become essentially worthless, turning into GGP with a few consolation uses.  So I decided it was actually more thrifty to buy more quartz now, so I could get the free shards with just a few more rolls, than to let all the prior exchange points go to waste and start over again on some new recruitment project from 0.

$90 later, I got pajamas Hisame to limit break level 3, swimsuit Tsukasa to limit break level 3, and shrine maiden Megumi to limit break level 3.  (Well, technically, Hisame and Megumi aren't level 3 yet, but they will be in three days so same difference.)

Why did I end up spending so much on Hisame?  It all comes down to her Munechika ability with its critical pierce function.  Hisame's Munechika is the strongest attack in the game.  It only costs 8 sp, cheaper than any other finishing move, but hits harder than any other finishing move.  This is because it automatically crits, which lowers the enemy's defense by 50 and does 50% extra damage.  The ability also enhances the skill's damage by 90% before striking, and counts as hitting the enemy's vulnerability, giving it another 300% damage boost.  It also does another 30% extra damage if it's hitting their shields, which is generally the case.  For 8 sp.  ::shakes head::

The ability is so strong I relied on it to beat the latest score challenge boss instead of Karen who was supposedly much stronger.  So I realized moving forward I would be better off with Hisame than Karen permanently, so I would have to start cultivating Hisame's limit breaks so she could be part of my power squad from here on.

Munechika is an introjectable ability, on top of all its other advantages, so I could use it on top of pajamas Hisame's special move, if I dedicated my limit breaks to pajamas form instead of her base form.  Her pajamas special move is also great -- it's a thunder attack that grants the whole party +8sp if it happens to break an enemy's shield.  Max strength bosses have 3 shields, so if you time it right and always break their shield with Hisame, that could give all 6 of your characters +24 sp, in other words it could generate 144 sp for your party if wielded correctly.  A typical special move costs around 13 sp, so that's 11 additional special moves for the cost of 3 well-timed Hisame specials.  It's almost as broken as Munechika.

Between these two specials I imagine I'll stick with pajamas Hisame for the rest of the game.  Also, Hisame is cute, so it's fun playing her.

Once my characters reach their full level potential that their limit breaks have unlocked, I'll take another crack at those orb bosses, anachronies, and score challenges that have all recently defied me.  Hopefully the result will be different next time.

Meanwhile, Final Fantasy Tactics is getting a new remastered version.  It will include the classic version of the game and a new and improved/expanded version, with new scenes and voice acting.  I've played FFT so many times, but I feel like it would be worth it to play again for the new content.  It's one of the only games worth playing over and over.

FFT wasn't really the game that needed an HD remaster, though.  That was supposed to be Chrono Trigger.  Or at least Xenogears.  Get it together, Squaresoft.  I also wish I could at least beat Phantom Brave Lost Hero and Lunar Remastered before any more games come out.  I have so many games sitting on my shelf unplayed as is.

I finished Hazuki's route in Riddle Joker, getting me to the last and surely worst route, Mayu's.  The bad news is I have to play Mayu's route, but the good news is once I finish this I can move on to Noble Works and play the best route from that Yuzusoft visual novel next.  So it's like how it's always darkest before the dawn.