#A correct game theory

[deltaswapjevil]

Undertale rants pt. 1

As much as I love Undertale Asriel is such a disappointing final boss of what's meant to be Undertales true ending When compared to Sans, Omega Flowey, and even Asgore; Asriel fails as a final boss

Sans practically cheats the whole fight; getting the first cheap hit, his karma damage, dodging all your attacks, and just using general cheap tricks to mess with you. For the entire Genocide route all monsters (for the most part) go down easily and let you walk all over them. Sans is the perfect final boss as he shows you that your actions have consequences and if you're gonna fight dirty then so will he. It's not just how hard his fight is, it's how he playfully mocks you throughout the fight that really frustrates you. He doesn't want to kill you. He knows you'll just come back. He just wants to piss you off until you quit. Until you reset and bring everyone back. That's why his fight works. It's made to be frustrating and annoying. You've made your choice now Sans is gonna make sure you pay for it

Throughout the entire game characters have dropped hints about the King Asgore. Truly setting him up to be the final boss. And while any player knows that he is not he sure as hell still feels like one. The choice to let us know at the very last moment that we are going to have to kill him is heartbreaking for anyone who is trying to play the game as intended and spare everyone. Especially after hearing how much the monsters of the underground look up to him. He gives them hope for a better future and the player, if they wish to return home, has to tear that all away from them. And when you finally meet him...it's even more heartbreaking. He is a kind gentle soul not truly wanting to hurt anyone. He'll even let you run away or wait until you're ready before he fights you. He creates a very peaceful welcoming aura that you know won't last long. When you do fight him the opening song "Bergentrückung" plays as you're given one last boost of determination. One last reminder that this is it. This is the end. Everything you worked for is finally going to pay off...and then he destroys the mercy button. Now you are forced to fight him. No matter how badly you want a happy ending the game will force you to turn to violence. The fight is designed to get harder the longer you stall. Like Flowey said: It's kill or be killed. If you want to win this fight then you have to attack back. The regal boss fight music and increasingly difficult attacks truly create a very tense fight. Asgore can't even look you in the eyes as he fights you... knowing that one of you won't leave here alive. My first time fighting I had died so many times that I forgot the person I was fighting and I just kept spamming attack and then after the final blow...you defeated him. It was over. You won but at what cost? But you're given one last bit of hope... One last chance at a happy ending as the Mercy Button reappears....you spare him...he talks about taking you in as a family...and then....that's ripped away from you. As you watch Asgore be killed by Flowey who has been hiding in the background for much of the game who you've surely forgotten about during your adventure but might always been in the back of your mind wondering what that weird flower from the beginning was all about... Then he takes the human souls and-

Omega Flowey breaks everything you know about the game. From sending you back to the start only to twist it, to destroying your save file just like that, to mocking you Everytime you die then bringing you back just to do it all again he, much like Sans, is toying with you. But for a different reason. Simply for his own enjoyment. The fight takes everything already established in the game and throws it away for something truly chaotic and, during the first playthrough, frightening. Everything about it is meant to be unnerving, suspenseful, and make you feel like everything is truly hopeless. Flowey twisted himself into a grotesque mix of flesh, plants, and machinery. The fight has no turn based combat or even a bullet box instead putting you for a, seemingly infinite, bullet hell section. The music is like nothing else in the game being very overwhelming, suspenseful and frightening as well as being timed to the phases of the fight. The first time you play you have no idea what's going on however it's also not too confusing to where you can figure it out and eventually gain the upper hand. The hopelessness that the music and Flowey conveyed changes into an uplifting melody as Flowey slowly loses his confidence and begins spamming attacks in hopes of regaining some control. It's not noticeable at first playthrough but Flowey seems to spam one attack a bunch in the final phase while spamming reloads as if he's trying to find something, anything that will work as the tables are turned. Ending the fight with the option to spare...or to kill Flowey... The fight is one of the most beautifully constructed combinations of boss design, music, and gameplay that create a very unique and edge of your seat experience

And then theres Asriel

The fight is built up very dramatically. Everyone came together to try and find a peaceful solution just like you, the pacifist player, has strived for. Only for Flowey to try and take it all away again. And I do mean all of it. The human souls. The monster souls. Everyone's hopes. Everyone's dreams. And now...he's back to Asriel...but with the powers of a god. The fight starts off like any other until the song kicks into beat and the background becomes a collection of beautiful vibrant colors and- Well that's about it for the first phase. The unique actions are pretty fitting and definitely makes that unique...the music definitely slaps...but most of the attacks aren't anything game breaking. Not like Omega Flowey or Sans or even Asgore breaking the mercy button. There's nothing that's too fundamentally changed about the gameplay. The final attack isn't even that interesting and it's not until the second phase that we get anything really groundbreaking. Asriel (despite saying he's been holding back and is going to unleash his full power) only uses one fire attack. Though I guess it could be reasoned that he is still very much a child inside and spamming this attack is similar to Omega Flowey or a kid playing a particularly hard video game and they'll just start spamming whatever seems to work. Saving The Lost Souls and Asriel is very compelling storywise but it doesn't make that much of a fun fight. That sums up Asriels fight perfectly. It's very story driven, is a beautiful conclusion to the game but not a very satisfying final boss the same way Sans and Omega Flowey were

But I love Undertale and Toby Fox and no disrespect to him or anyone else working on it. It's still a very fun game and has characters and fights I adore. I just was disappointed at how standard Asriels fight is in comparison to the other final bosses. I hope the final boss of Deltarune would trump all these bosses and we'll see Toby create more masterpieces in the future whether it be games or just music.

But hey....maybe the reason Asriel didn't break the game as much as Flowey is because he didn't get every monster soul...maybe he is in shock the entire fight as he's not at full power and is confused about how this isn't working... because he missed one soul ... Napstablook's....If he got Napstablook's soul there's no telling how powerful he'd be Maybe he'd be unbeatable But .... Napstablook didn't let him take their soul....therefore:

Napstablook is the true hero of Undertale

[rubberbandgirlme]

back on stage in my big clown leander shoes, a promised post. here's what i talked about previously: part i, part ii, part iii

let's go back to the last two points in part i (starting with 'now hear me out'): i replayed the whole scene and turns out i was wrong. here's why: 1) never write any theories at 5 am 2) never take things out of the context. sorry for misleading you, lemme make some amends:

if you choose the 'keep touching him' option, leander will notice how desperate and touchstarved mc is (he's constantly pausing before speaking: afraid of hurting anyone with his words or skillfully manipulating? i know it's the latter, but what if it's both? 👁), keeps eliciting information and, when his suspicions are confirmed, he puts his trusted weapon to use: flirting (empty flattery, as vere said). we all know he's lying and he's not infatuated with mc at all (his pulse was steady). BUT!!

power?? is that some kind of doublespeak because leander doesn't want to mention the curse and ruin the moment OR is it a slip, and the curse is not a curse but something that mc just cannot control (yet?)? 🤔

for now the 'level-headed' line in the context seems to be used just for building mc's trust, not for hinting that controlling the curse is difficult; same with "we match" — to stress that everything is okay, and leander's completely reliable, because hey! he and mc are alike! (i am squinting suspiciously here though, i still have a hunch he means so much more) however, that's yet to be seen how much truth leander actually reveals in his speech.

the question is: why does leander need mc to trust him with their life? he can control the curse, can he teach mc how to do that? or does he want to use them however he likes, feeding them lies and using mc's "curse" (or even mc) as a weapon? much to think about.jpg

[the-labyrinth-of-me]

Wait did both Alice and Zane record Alan when he was at his lowest point? Didn't Alice make her exhibition to show the world what she sees? To show Alan the truth about himself? That it never was Scratch visiting and terrorizing her, but Alan himself? Did she depict his "self" and Zane depicted his "persona"? The two sides of him that he wishes he can eliminate bc they brought him into trouble (Scratch representing anger and the fallouts with paparazzi and stuff, Zane representing his self-destructive behavior with alcohol and drugs and the party nights)? The both sides that caused his marriage to start falling apart? Was that the reason Zane made that video of Alan when they were on that booze and drug-fueled bender while working on the Return manuscript? Is this party video the companion piece?? Alan's downward spiral, same as Alice's photos? Do they fucking work together aasdffjfjfkfk

[babyspacebatclone]

Watching UniqueGeese reacting to the Game Theory video on Indigo Park was interesting, especially how much the video got wrong about the reasons Rambley would be evil.

Number one: We have zero evidence Rambley resented Molly and Finley, as the video claimed.

In fact, the source of the biggest piece of “evidence” for Rambley’s “motivation” of wanting to be the only park star blatantly contradicts said “motivation.”

When the player shows the information kiosk the Retro Lloyd plush, we get a rant from Rambley:

“Ugh... I don't get why we even have those. And why did they only make one of LLOYD? Is it because he's the loudest? I CAN BE LOUD TOO! WHERE'S MY LIMITED-EDITION THROWBACK PLUSH?!…”

Interestingly, during this rant Rambley has a lot of visual and audio glitches.

If one tracks the appearance of these glitches through Chapter 1, there is a pattern…

They occur when Rambley appears to be overwriting the existing “script.”

Details supporting that exceed this post, but that hypothesis suggests Rambley is really going “off script” here.

“On script” Rambley isn’t supposed to resent Lloyd this much; we’re experiencing (our) Rambley’s personal feelings about the lion and his popularity.

Wouldn’t that support the idea that Rambley wanted to destroy the other mascots and get all the attention?

No.

Because that’s not all Rambley’s angry about.

“…WHERE'S MY LIMITED-EDITION THROWBACK PLUSH?! WHERE'S MOLLIE'S? WHERE'S FINLEY'S? Give this mistake to a child and they'll cry.”

Rambley’s not angry Lloyd’s getting attention and he’s not.

He’s angry that Llyod’s getting attention at the expense of him and his friends.

If Rambley was a glory hound, he should have been egotistical about the special edition Gold Rambley plush.

Instead?

“Wow, is that a gold limited edition Rambley Plush?! Parents were fighting tooth and nail for those things when they came out! Seriously, our employees had to clean up SO many stray teeth and nails. Hard to believe that there was all this demand for a regular Rambley Plush we blasted with gold spray paint."

He’s bemused at the attention the plush garnered; indeed, he appears to have a mild cynicism about the frenzy “corporation” stirred the public up over cheap merch.

It’s interesting Rambley doesn’t glitch during this section, or when he is equally snarky about the Rambley Cup - this suggests Rambley’s core programming matches these comments.

Rambley the Raccoon - the character - doesn’t care about merch or financial things.

Whatever resentment Rambley has against Lloyd (and there is no argument about that!) it seems completely out of character for a program that gushes about his friend Molly’s “talent” at building - and crashing! - airplanes and is eager to have the player make friends with Finley and his “good heart” to want to hurt Molly and Finley to achieve…. being king of a dead kingdom??

[purplecritter]

theories/thoughts/analysis about touchstarved after playing the demo a few times

Under the cut because it got long (I exceeded the post character limit...) Also spoilers btw. PS: All the links are to posts on the official social media accounts or their kickstarter, with the exception of the animated trailer screenshots that I got from here.

(Happy one month since demo dropped!)

Mhin

I'm starting with them because I play favorites.

Mhin's silhouette [1, 2] in the animated trailer [screenshot] highlights the crying eye (guilt? pain? blood? Their pupils almost seem to glow red, I wonder if it's connected) and the beak (in a way that reminds me of the skull of a bird rather than a live one).

The red choice connected to them is about asking if they're a scientist: their precision is almost surgical, though when asked if they've studied anatomy or medicine their reply is “Not quite” so it must be something similar enough.

When Vere complains about their first encounter with Mhin, he mentions that their dagger (visible in their in-game art) is an antique. Perhaps they inherited it, maybe from a mentor? It’s a curious choice of weapon for a hunter: stilettos (it’s described as such in the demo) aren’t ineffective in battle (especially if wielded by a physically strong fighter, which they absolutely are), but they are favored by assassins because they’re easy to conceal, they strike precisely and deeply but without letting much blood leak from the needle-thin wound.

As far as design goes, the clasps on their hood looks like a mix between the quaternary celtic knot and the triquetra / trinity knot. Symbolically, the latter is associated to the Triple Goddess (more on this in Leander’s section) or three elements, while the former represents the four elements or the four seasons or the four cardinal directions, and is often used as a symbol of protection.

Their fatal flaw is that they “resist change at all costs”. I'm led to believe that they became a Monster instead of being born one. I think it either happened not that long ago or they lost control over it recently, and that's what spurred them on their search for a cure. Them being described as “outcast” also makes me think that they could have been exiled from wherever they came from, perhaps because the people found out that “a monster hides within their frame”.

When questioning them about Ais, they say “I'm not going to risk my life in the hopes that any of them is different” which shows that they’re distancing themself from their situation (i.e., being/becoming a Monster).

Their hate towards Monsters could be either a projection of the hate they feel towards themself (if they were aware that there was a Monster inside of them before they lost control and hurt someone, for example) or just because one took over them and by extension they hate every Monster because of it. If the “lost control and hurt someone” thing is true I'll also add that they might be working as a Hunter as a way to try and atone. It could also be a way to expel the more violent instincts (I’m assuming they have some) into something productive.

The “they're afraid of being hurt. Or worse” on their relationship chart with Kuras feels to me like they're afraid of hurting him, also because when you ask them how they get along with him during the demo, they say “Few people are willing to help others; fewer when there's any risk involved” and I'm choosing to interpret that they think of themself as the risk. I know I'm really pushing it on this aspect but the “If you stay too close to me, you'll get hurt”+“Find someone safer to ask for help” only fuels me more. Their monstrous form also looks less defined and more liquid compared to the others, maybe because it's not as developed so it doesn't look as solid?

Vere is also said to be often provoking Mhin in order to make them lose control: he's confident in himself enough to think that he'd have the upper hand in a fight with Monster!Mhin, probably because they're a skilled hunter but they don't have that much experience over their monstrous side. Mhin dislikes Vere because he’s “the embodiment of everything [they] hate about Monsters”: while Mhin holds back from their nature and seeks a cure, Vere wants to give in to his instincts without restraints.

In the demo, they get defensive when questioned about the Senobium, but when they say “Whatever you're looking for, the cost may be higher than what you're willing to pay” I think they're speaking from experience.

It's interesting that it's implied that they slept with Leander once. Judging by the comment about the Wet Wick being the “perfect combination for making mistakes”, they're not enthusiastic about it. I’m guessing that they don't like that Leander has seen them with their guard down? Or they

Unless I missed something, it's unknown where in Eridia they're staying. I'll say it's probably in a different direction from the Wet Wick since they make a point of saying that they're only going there to protect Kuras (instead of, for example, “I live nearby anyways so I'll take the same road”).

The flowers in their pin design look similar to cornus kousa, or some other type of dogwood, symbolizing hope, resilience, renewal (I also found: rebirth, new life, strength, regret). After a long and grueling winter, Eridia greets the first dogwood blossoms with relief. These flowers are known to cling tenaciously to life even in the worst conditions, from barren wastelands to ruins perpetually shrouded in Fogfall… Really poetic meaning! I imagine Mhin as the dogwood flower, persisting even after the Tragic Backstory that made them lonely (“barren wastelands”) and their Monster Form (“shrouded in fogfall”)

Leander

Leander's silhouette [1, 2] in the animated trailer [screenshot] highlights only his eyes (they share the color of his magic -> maybe it's how he uses magic that contributes to him being “monstrous”?).

Nothing to note about his red choice except that it is unlocked by generally following his lead (taking the flower when he offers it, touching him without hesitation).

Speaking of his magic, an Alchemist MC notes that it extraordinarily powerful, enough that he doesn't need incantations or spell circles to cast it. Kuras mentioned that Leander prefers the company of those similar to him and that the Bloodhounds are mostly people who've endured the hardships of Lowtown, so I can't help but wonder if Leander was always a natural at magic, or if he did receive training but was later cast out, or maybe he left by choice?

A recurrent symbol in Leander's design is the triangle, as a detail mostly (on his coat, boots, dangling from his belt), but there's also one that looks like the alchemical symbol for earth (🜃) attached to the brooch on his chest; another symbol for earth is, you guessed it, the serpent, whose other meaning is duplicitous nature as well as renewal and rebirth. This connects to the ouroboros (present in his earring as well as in the background of the sticker and charm kickstarter rewards), symbolizing the cycle of death and rebirth and with relevance in alchemy as the “all in one”. The same theme is also present in the symbol of the triple moon (on his belt) symbolizing the stages of birth life and death and more in general three aspects united in one; the white lilies symbolizing renewal, regrowth, rebirth. The green feels fitting too, since it's often used to symbolize health and abundance.

Alongside the little triangle shape, attached to his belt there are a key (which is not the room key he gave MC), the head of which reminds me of two snakes knotted together; there's also a... I have no clue what that glowing red globe-spike is actually. It's the only other red item (along with the gem on the earring sword hilt) on Leander, but in some of the concept art it was green instead, so I think it's at least somewhat connected to his magic or the source of it. The shape of it combined with the red glow reminds me of Eridia’s towers’ architecture but that’s probably a stretch. I also feel like the symbol on the central part of the triple moon belt buckle is relevant: it immediately reminded me of a spell circle, and after doing some digging in sacred geometry, I’ve found that its 6 petal-like shapes (lilies also have 6 petals...) look similar to the hexafoil, “germ of life”, or the central part of the “seed of life”, which is connected to the divine creation of the world in 7 days/phases; a series of interconnected hexafoils make the “flower of life”, the meaning of which is creation (both in general and of the universe itself), and that everything’s interconnected to everything else... I couldn’t help but think of the “As above, so below” tagline in the Bloodhounds' poster; the sentence has so many interpretations in alchemy/esotericism but the gist of it is, “things in the higher realms of existence are just like in the lower/earthly plane” and “what happens in a large scale also happens in a small scale” and “common material things can make pure spiritual things”.

Overall, I'm thinking that all the green-glowing details on his outfit might be arcane foci, to help him cast magic without using incantations. As of right now, I’m willing to bet that Leander's connected to the Allmother (the traveler in the cart prayed to her) and/or the Abbess (the leader of the Senobium, I think): many of the aforementioned symbols also have ties to femininity and/or feminine qualities.

Other big things in his design are the eyebags and scar that goes from the cheek to the arm. I don’t have much to say on those, probably the scar is going to be connected to some important backstory event and the eyebags are a clue to suggest that there’s something troubling behind the bright and positive persona that he presents as.

If we want to take the name literally (I do), we could assume that Leander and his Bloodhounds are not simply a group of mercenaries, but mercenaries with a cause. Hounds are a breed specifically intended to track something specific (or someone specific) by scent. Given the animosity shown by them at the mere mention of the Senobium, it could have something to do with that, but perhaps it's also something more personal to Leander.

Let's get to the biggest red flag of the green-themed man: “Fatal flaw: [REDACTED]” and “Not all Monsters are inhuman”. There's also the fact that Vere doesn't trust his behaviour (I'll get to it in his section but I would generally trust Vere's words to be truthful). It’s also worth noting that in the first scene he makes an appearance in, he’s presented almost as a performer, a subtle-not-so-subtle hint that he can work his audience really skillfully. Overall, he seems too good to be true, and to quote Leander himself in the demo, “Things that seem too good to be true are often just that.” I don't think he's malevolent per se, but I also believe he's a very good liar (or at least, good at keeping his cards close to his pillowy bosom chest) and he can be a lot more ruthless than he lets on.

I already said it in Mhin's section but it's implied that the two of them slept together once, and I can't help but wonder if Leander also tried the whole "let me touch you so I can see what curses you but also you can tie me down if you want wink wink" tactic with them.

I get the feeling that he also slept with Ais? “He sure likes it when others take control”+“He's not so bad once you get to know him”. The bartender didn't joke about the room being used often huh (i’m saying this lighthearted and teasingly, nothing against it lol).

He's obviously staying at the Wet Wick with the rest of the Bloodhounds, and it happens often enough that the bartender/owner is familiar with their habits. I wonder if he also as a house of his own or not.

The flowers (in-game art, animated trailer, pin design, charm and sticker design) are white lilies, symbolizing devotion, sympathy and faith (I also found: renewal/rebirth/reregrowth and purity. Nothing says “I love you” as clearly as white lilies—ironic, since they’re some of the region’s most poisonous flowers. Some mages believe that these lilies contain a mysterious magic, but attempts to harness this power have only resulted in lethal poisonings. A not-so-veiled warning to be careful of what lies behind Leander’s charming facade... And considering that he seems to like when MC defers to him, I could imagine the (metaphorical... unless?) lethal poisoning in a possible bad end!

Kuras

Kuras' silhouette [1, 2] in the animated trailer [screenshot] highlights the several eyes (truth and secrets being very important themes in his route, he's also described as “observer”) and his tears (his guilt).

No red choice for Kuras, but there is various flavour text depending on choices. First and most notably, the Unnamed MC notes that something about him feels familiar: this could simply be a hint about him being divine in nature, or it might mean something more, I'm still uncertain. Moreover, depending on dialogue, one of his scenes towards the end of the demo plays out slightly differently, and it shows the more playful side of him (which I absolutely didn’t expect, but I enjoyed that).

As far as appearance goes, his human form and his divine form have many similarities: this post does a very good job of showing them, but additionally I'll say that his halo (silhouette, charm and sticker design) reminds me of the shape of his earrings.

There are a few lines that imply that being in Kuras' vicinity feels physically warmer. It could be just a standard “MC likes him so being near makes them feel all warm and fuzzy” but I think it's more to do with his angelic nature having a comforting effect on people. Something that could be connected to that is the theme of fire (“eldritch flames”, also visible in the charm and sticker design), which symbolically is the element that purifies souls and reveals the truth.

His clinic seems very neat, for someone who works with numerous patients for the whole day. Moreover, his clothes stay unnaturally devoid of any sign of dirt. His appearance is also very curated, so I think that part of it is him being thorough about cleaning and part of it might be a consequence of his magic. Additionally, during the 16/04/23 Q&A stream with the devs (timestamp: 49:32), they (jokingly) said that Kuras doesn’t even put his hair up while performing surgeries, which to me also means that he doesn’t need to do it because he’s supernaturally clean and hygienic.

There's no clear mention of him having magic in the first place, but I don't think he could've completely reattached MC's arm so flawlessly any other way.

I wouldn't think much of it if it were any other character but Kuras' birthday being January 1st makes me think that he picked the date on purpose... or randomly, considering it doesn’t seem to be important to him.

During the 16/04/23 Q&A stream with the devs (timestamp: 41:24), it was noted that Kuras’ name was deliberately chosen, I think implying that it probably has a meaning behind it, though I can’t say what as of now (my search only revealed that kurash is a type of wrestling in Central Asia, and that there’s a deity called Kura in a region of Syria).

I think it's a known fact in Eridia that Kuras is not simply human (“Only the most desperate or the foolish would dare lay a hand on me”), so it's interesting that he chose to not disclose that to the MC. Granted, they've interacted for less than a day now and information is the currency. I also wonder if he’s always been a doctor or if he chose to become one at a certain point... I guess it would depend: is he “repentant” for something he did before settling in Eridia, or after?

Ais also thinks that Kuras used to be more outgoing but the reason he doesn’t really open up a lot to people anymore is because he “must’ve been burned”, which is an interesting insight. I lean more towards thinking that he’s been burned after becoming a resident in Eridia.

There's nothing that strikes me as peculiar regarding his relationships with the other characters,with two exceptions. Kuras' self-inflicted exile is centuries old, and combined with the fact that he (occasionally and begrudgingly?) works with the Senobium, it might be plenty of reason for Vere to hate him. I think that Kuras might've witnessed how he came to be captured (or actively took part in it), and that event is what feeds his mistrust towards Vere. Secondly, it’s said that he “looks forward to Ais helping around his clinic”: does Ais use the Seaspring’s healing powers on some patients (“I help him in the clinic sometimes”)? I wonder if the smokey scent when the MC wakes in Kuras’ clinic was because he’d been there recently.

He lives in one of the more populated areas, probably because 1) more easy for patients to reach him and 2) he likes meeting people.

The flowers in his pin design look like magnolias, symbolizing longevity, grace, divinity (I also found: eternity, perseverance, purity). The elegant magnolia’s therapeutic properties are vital in such a dangerous world. The Senobium cultivates a small magnolia grove, though few make it past the imposing gates to enjoy the rejuvenating blossoms… Of course the medicinal aspect reflects Kuras well. And there’s the connection to him being employed in some form by the Senobium too, the gates could definitely be a metaphor for how he keeps the true extent of his powers at bay

Ais

Ais' silhouette [1, 2] in the animated trailer [screenshot] highlights his tattoo (Ocudeus' tentacles) and his eyes (the Groupmind's effect).

If MC’s been talking defiantly to him throughout the demo, the red choice connected to Ais also consists of rebelling to him, which he clearly enjoys (he’s said to dislike easy fights, so that’s probably it).

An Unnamed MC will note that Ocudeus’s presence/calling in the Seaspring feels familiar, and that his tattoo feels unnatural and it seems to move when they’re not looking... I’ll say that the tattoo isn’t a regular one, and might be the physical manifestation of the metaphorical mark that the bond with Ocudeus left on Ais. This also explains why in the silhouette of his monstrous form the tentacle tattoo is extended beyond what it normally looks like (it reaches his face, and over half of his chest).

The very prominent eye theme (charm and sticker design, Ocudeus possibly meaning “eye god” if it’s latin) and feeling of being watched (+“Got eyes in the back of my head”), plus the fact that the red-eyed woman knew what MC was seeking as well as their name, makes me believe that Ocudeus' area of influence is very extensive. As a consequence of the Groupmind, it's likely that apart from sharing thoughts (and identity?) those connected also share what they see to Ocudeus/Ais.

The notes left on the pillars are interesting. The topmost and middle one I feel are more useful to the player and serve as casual worldbuilding, but the bottommost one is the most curious imo: decoding the scrawling results in “never wish on a shooting star he's always listening”. Initially I thought that the “he” referred to Ocudeus, but it doesn't feel correct (Ocudeus always watches, it doesn't listen).

During the 16/04/23 Q&A stream with the devs (timestamp: 36:32), Ais was said to be the first character that they created, and the rest of the cast was built around him for cohesiveness. This is interesting to me, as from the demo I thought that “central” role would fit Leander more.

Speaking of Leander, both of them have a like/dislike relationship with each other (Leander because “the assassination attempts are funny, until they’re not” and Ais because he “won’t hesitate to put Leander in his place when the time comes”). Leander seems to be uncomfortable about the effects that the Seaspring has on people, while Ais talks about “a time where Leander's resolve will be tested, same for anyone in this plane or the next”... I wonder how soon that time is going to be 👀. I already noted this in Leander’s section but I think they also slept together at one point or another.

Same topic, different character: Vere. It’s cute that they’re so fond of each other [1, 2], and I’m very curious to know how they met. They probably bonded because of compatible personalities, but I also think that they like each other because they’re both dangerous, and being with someone who is also as dangerous feels... Fitting, safe, maybe?

The fact that he's “not as in control of his powers as he thought” is also interesting to me, since his nonchalance doesn't seem to be because he's lazy but because he's extremely confident. Perhaps he got too sure of himself and lost sight of the risks?

Ais is described as “renegade”, which by definition is someone who betrays a principle/alliance. I have no doubt that this is connected to the reason why he's a “gang leader without the gang members”, and probably to how he came to bond with Ocudeus. Because he's also said to dislike isolation, I lean more towards saying that he didn't willingly let his (former?) members go, my theory is either they left on their own (perhaps they were scared of Ocudeus, or they didn't approve of it) or he accidentally disposed of them (either because he wasn't in control of Ocudeus / the Soulless, or because Ocudeus felt hungry and they were conveniently nearby). Either way, it must have hurt him, since he's not at all willing to talk about it beyond “Gang took a walk”.

I’m very curious about Mhin saying “Monsters like [Ais] don't know or care about what they have”... What does (did?) Ais have? Could it be in reference to him letting his former gang/companions go away in favor of siding with Ocudeus and/or the Seaspring?

He lives at the Seaspring, though I wonder if he sleeps in a pile near those cushions, cuddling the Soulless, or if he has more personal quarters further in. There's a cave entrance visible on the other side of the bloody water, but that feels more for Ocudeus rather than Ais himself.

The flowers in his pin design are spider lilies, symbolizing mourning, goodbyes, lost memories (I also found: death, abandonment, new beginnings). Eerily beautiful, red spider lilies bear the sorrow of loss and farewells. Eridians believe these flowers shepherd lost spirits into the afterlife. The city has seen a sudden increase in these unearthly flowers, leaving many puzzled about their meaning… Very fitting with Ocudeus’ domain of losing memories and thus, beginning a new life! I’m not sure if we should be taking the increase in flowers literally, or just metaphorically as there’s many in the Groupmind

Vere

Vere's silhouette [1, 2] in the animated trailer [screenshot] highlights the eyes again (“windows to the soul” and all that), his fangs (him being the most openly aggressive) and the collar and chains (the thing that binds him to the Senobium's will).

I haven’t been able to not get his red choice [edit: “hidden ending”, not a red choice], but from my understanding of what others have said it’s based on how you talk to him and not on your actions. I’d love to say more but since I don’t know exactly influences it, I don’t have much to talk about regarding that🥹

“Not quite human, not quite monster. Seems we’re both--” I wonder if he was about to finish the sentence with ‘cursed’?

 He has unique dialogue for each of MC’s backstories: to an Alchemist he says “The misery born of your mistreatment haunts you. I understand what it’s like to be used and thrown away. I’ll give your life new meaning”; to an Unnamed “You poor thing, misled by those you trusted most. You caused so much suffering unknowingly. I know that pain. I can help you forget it all”; to a Hound “The betrayal, the loss of hope, the sheer desperation that drives you still to search and search to no end. I could give you something new to live for”. Apart from showing that he knows stuff he’s not supposed to, I’m more interested about what he says to Alchemist and Hound: he knows the pain of causing suffering unknowingly, and he knows what it’s like to be used and then discarded. His powers seems to be seeing through people, I’d say almost mind-reading (“You can’t hide anything from me.”), but I think soul reading is a more fitting definition. I feel that all of the comments related to MC's backstory have more to do with what they experienced/felt than just objective facts, plus the way he says “All that suffering has made your soul so irresistibile...”, it makes me think that he's reading MC’S present and past emotions through their soul.

The most apparent part of his design is that he’s half showing, half hiding. His outfit makes the harness very visible, yet he hid the leash from the MC for as long as possible, and he didn't let them close enough to touch it. His pants are fully cover one side and show skin on the other. The sheer fabrics look very cool on their own but I like to think they're also part of the "half show, half hide" thing he has going on. An Alchemist MC will note that the collar seems to be enchanted, while other backstories will simply say that the lock seems easy enough to open.

In the charms and stickers design, there's his chain in the background, and it's broken. Metaphorically and literally, “breaking free from the chains” symbolizes putting an end to what holds someone captive, but also finding freedom to be oneself. Perhaps I'm reading too much into it, but I think a freed Vere would also feel free to not hide so much of himself. On that note, I'm extremely curious about what he draws on his sketchbook. Also in the charm and stickers design, as well as in the Nintendo Switch port art, is the key that he stole from the MC. It's curious that they included it instead of a more personal object like his sketchbook (present in the Switch port art but not in the stickers), but it might just be a fun nod to the demo or maybe he'll develop a habit of stealing the key again in the full game, so I don't think I should read too much into that.

Neither Vere or Kuras of them gives too many juicy details about their mutual hate towards each other during the demo, but from the additional info [1, 2] published on Tumblr, I think it might have to do with the fact that both of them have been confined in Eridia for centuries, and perhaps Kuras even contributed to the capture of Vere, too.

He’s defined as a “charlatan”, which by definition means “someone who decieves through false claims”. It fits with him saying “If I were you, I wouldn’t trust a word I say” and “Information is a luxury [...] If you valued my words you'd have taken them seriously”. This feels like a recurring theme for Vere: Ais also says, “Vere is one of the most honest people you'll meet. Just don't listen to a single thing he says”. Despite the very obvious predatory/mischievous nature of Vere, I think that he is very honest about the things he says: it’s about reading between the lines.

His very evident distaste towards Leander might be connected to this, seeing that Leander seems to be hiding a lot.

Vere clearly likes Ais, but as soon as MC asks more, he warns them about how dangerous he and the Seaspring are. I think both are true: Ais being “a good person” doesn’t exclude the fact that he is dangerous.

It could be a stretch, but I wonder if Vere lives/stays in the building that he was chained to?

The flowers in his pin design look like some type of lilies, perhaps wood lily are a type of amaryllis that symbolizes passion, allure, pride ( when researching the wood lilies, I also found: danger, determination). Local legends conflict on the origins of the amaryllis. Whether they sprang from the spilt blood of a scorned lover or were born of an ancient Senobian ritual gone awry, the truth behind these flowers is knowledge long forgotten… or held by a privileged few. Like Kuras, his flower mirrors the connection to the Senobium though it remains vague about how exactly they became involved... In the greek myth, Amaryllis consulted an oracle to win the love of the shepherd Alteo: she walked to his house every day, piercing her heart with a golden arrow, and on the 30th day flowers bloomed from her blood. Alteo became enamoured with the maiden and the flowers that bore her name... I wonder how Touchstarved’s version of the myth is different than ours, and which character Vere is more akin to?

Nothing on Sen or Elyon for now since there's too little info on both, but I'm looking forward to putting them under a microscope too 👀

(bangs pots and pans) please share your theories/thoughts if you read this far? 👉👈

[hecksupremechips]

The thing about Akane is that if any other kid had been in that incinerator, they wouldn’t have become zero. Their siblings on the other side would have been able to send them the answers through the field right then and there, or they would’ve just died. But Akane was unlucky in every way. She was there by mistake and she was the one chosen, and the connection that should’ve been used to save her was incapable of doing so because he was on the ship with her. And the only other person in the world she had any connection with in her life was safe at home, unaware this was happening. So using her Junpei doll, she had to become zero and put Junpei in the incinerator to save herself, because she was truly alone

[pianokantzart]

In the super mario rpg remake did they seriously change luigi's star wish? The tropes page says it was changed to something "bitter" wth

They did change Luigi's star wish, but I don't think "bitter" is the right adjective. Here's the original:

Here's the remake:

Maybe you can see it as "bitter" if you look at it the right way? Like... maybe Luigi is bitter about being left out of the adventure? But it struck me more as "yearning" than bitter.

In the original wish (if read at surface level) Luigi just wants to be as skilled as his brother at their day job, while in the remake he expresses a direct desire to help Mario out.

But the remake has another change! Specifically when Mario is pretending to be a statue to sneak into Nimbus Castle:

The original line did not reference Luigi at all, and just poked fun at Mario's appearance and intelligence.

If I had to venture a guess... maybe Nintendo is trying to lean toward characterizing Mario and Luigi as a tight-knit team like in the RPG series or the movie, and wanted to add some dialogue to imply they still had that bond despite Mario being off on this brotherless adventure.

Wish they had properly explained what Luigi was doing during the entire fiasco though. Maybe he was busy organizing that end credits parade?

[ghostwitch145]

There's something very haunting to me about Fear & Hunger's description of the sunlight in Ma'habre as cold

It's really hard to imagine the feeling of sun on your skin as anything but warm. How is it cold. Why is it cold

[malwaredykes]

yeah idk i havent gotten far at all im still at galaxy news radio but i already am experiencing so much Disgust and Exasperation towards the brotherhood of steel lol like if it were up to me in all interactions with them id just be like. you cant do that here. get away from me.

[cool-person-yey]

ok my thoughts have been thought but it's too late to articulate anything but I'd like to say that Will is THE trans icon

[thebaldursmouthgazette]

I think theres a chance the warden* might be back** in da:tv!!

*from a world state where they died killing the archdemon and were interred at weisshaupt

** as a corpse possessed by Urthemiel, who is probably one of the evanuris

[brambletakato]

level 5 vision in mid july (source: trust me)

[byghostface]

Me with the tdp s4 rn

idk the more you guys keep pushing the evil!Stella's theory, the more I think the crew won't do it( she probably will do something stupid at most in the future, but like an unintentional incident or something, not in a purely evil way)

Anyway, I really like her, she's such a baby☹️🤲💗

[katyspersonal]

Bloodborne starter pack (in case if I’ll need one)

Canon:

+ - Rom is a she/her, as confirmed by Miyazaki in interview!

+ Doctor Iosefka is replaced with Impostor Iosefka after you *enter the Cathedral Ward, so there are two characters in her clinic. Impostor’s name is not revealed. According to data and art book portraits they look identical, however! (upd: in first post version I made a mistake, saying Impostor replaces after Amelia dies)

+ Gascoigne has TWO daughters, not one! His older daughter is only met if you follow questline with little girl accurately, though.

+ Besides Gascoigne's older daughter, characters more or less easy to miss by players are Old Hunter Henryk, Crow of Cainhurst, Afflicted Beggar, Djura's Apprentice, Queen of Vilebloods and Martyr Logarius. Also never getting to see Lonely Old Dear, Suspicious Man and Arianna in person might happen. Basically the cast is wider than it appears!

+ Very obscure characters you might never learn about unless you get a specific item include: Graveguard Dores, Irreverent Izzy, King of Cainhurst, older Madaras Twin, Archibald the eccentric of the Healing Church, Caryll, Gratia... They are not just "popular OCs", nope!

+ According to the figma creators, Lady Maria is 6′7 (204 cm) and the Hunter is 5′11 (180 cm) ( x ) - they explain it from 6:40 to 7:05! Very useful information, especially considering Gascoigne’s model is taller than Maria’s, and Gehrman’s is EVEN taller than Gascoigne’s.

+ Most NPCs have face data mined by Zullie the Witch and available here: ( x )

+ Characters without canon design:

fully obscure: Izzy, Archibald, Caryll, King of Cainhurst

only their clothes are known: Gatekeeper, Eileen, Crow of Cainhurst, Dores, several NPC hunters using ‘default’ model (Yharnam one in Nightmare Frontier, Bone Ash and Cainhurst hunters in dungeons, a Yahar’gul hunter fighting next to the one with a shield and a Tonitrus, Izzy’s Admirer, Gremia, a hostile tomb prospector hunter in Isz

not seen as human / alive: Laurence, Ludwig, Adeline, Logarius

Fanon:

+ Eileen is drawn as black in most cases inspired by her English voice actor, devs alas just put default face data on her though

+ The cute girl wearing the same outfit as Micolash you see in fanarts is in 95% of the cases an interpretation of Rom before she became a spider, since Micolash saying 'as you did for the vacuous Rom, grant us eyes' implies right away she is ascended Great One, not born.

+ THE most popular ships are Mariadeline (Lady Maria x Saint Adeline), Valtmura (Valtr Master of the League x Yamamura the Wanderer), Holyvicar (Laurence the first Vicar x Ludwig the Holy Blade) and Alfhunter (Alfred x the hunter)

+ Micolash might be drawn with brown or blue eyes, Yurie might be drawn as blonde or brunette, Edgar might be drawn as blonde or redhead... The reason for Micolash is difference between his cutscene model and hunter one; meanwhile Edgar and Yurie are redhead and blonde according to face data but do not have obvious colors from found screenshots, that's why variety of colors in fanart!

+ Annalise is depicted as a redhead in concept art and on one of the Cainhurst portraits, however, hence why she might be not ‘blonde’ in fanart.

+ Stuff like 'Church spread Ashen Blood to motivate citizens to use blood ministration', 'Ludwig merged with his horse', 'Mergo is son of Oedon and Queen Yharnam is his wife' and 'Edgar infiltrated Yahar'gul and got stuck' are just the most accepted theories - they work, but canon also provides enough base for alternative takes.

+ Many people dunking on Gehrman snowballed from localisation errors such as 'Even the Doll should it please you' and 'his curious mania' + the fact he made a Victorian grieving doll of his dead student.

[totally-correct-shenanigans]

Murray: Have you ever played a game with Bentley?

Penelope: No.

Murray: Have you ever gone into a steel cage with a wolverine?

[meanwhile. . .]

Bentley: Faster! Faster! Do you know that word?? It means more fast!

Sly: Stop yelling at me.

Bentley: Hey, you'll know when I'm yelling at you!

[your-dead-european-ancestor]

Okay so remember that time jasper and quinn switched clothes and swapped places? One thing ive always wondered ab that part is how did no one noticed?? I mean yeah theyre played by the same guy but surely they look different in universe?

SO theory time!!

We all know that quinn is the last memory lydia has of her son. And one thing ab memories is that they can be altered and changed.

Quinn was obssesed with Jasper. He quite literally worshipped him. It wouldnt be hard to imagine that he wanted to be just like him. Right down to the looks.

Before he met Jasper the only ones who knows of his existence are lydia, himself, and the jaspers. (And the delivery guys but they dont know him personally anyways)

What if bc he wanted to be like Jasper so much, it slowly altered his looks. Not enough that he looks Just Like jasper but enough that they look similar. And ofc this wouldnt go unnoticed in a jasper cult

Maybe overtime with his obssesion with jasper and the way the cult keeps associating him and the way he looks with Jasper, he slowly looked more and more like Jasper, that by the time he met actual Jasper theyre indistinguishable from each other? And it happened gradually enough that the rest of the jaspers never noticed?

And the jaspers never mentions anything ab how they look just like each other bc cmon! Quinn has always been similar looking to Jasper!!

Id like to think quinn stops looking like Jasper and gets his own look after he starts being friends w Jasper. And again happens gradually enough that no one notices or feel the need to mention it