#Truth was good but killed so much potential storyline

[mysteriouslybluepirate]

hi bestie saw ur post and im kinda curious about this since it's something not a lot of ppl are talking about next to ed's arc and izzy's death and all— what do you think about how they handled stede in the finale? I felt like a lot of the "incompetent wannabe pirate" jokes undermined his progress this season and also him deciding to stay at the inn with ed felt odd as he expressed he wanted to be a pirate and sail the sea. just wondering what other people think about that

[Oct 31, 2023]

Before we get into it, you are allowed to enjoy this show! My past (and next few) responses WILL be negative, but you aren't wrong for agreeing or disagreeing with most posts. Thanks to all the people who have already sent in messages! I can't wait to respond!!

I am an Izzy fan first and foremost, but how a show handles it's protagonist says a LOT about how it handles it' characters overall!

TLDR for this post: In any character-centric media, explore your characters as characters first. Develop your plot around them and their arcs. Don't treat an ensemble cast as faceless props for the story you're trying to tell. Stede's arc is weird because Stede is shoved in places where it feels like he doesn't fit anymore.

Creating a narrative focused on central character conflicts can work. This is how S1 was written. Stede and his actions directly lead to revealing truths of the world that push the plot forward. This worked because I'd argue the strongest part of OFMD overall is its characters. S2 misses out on this strongest aspect by only referencing its characters when it needs something from them.

S1 We went from Stede killing a guy-> The Act of Grace. S2 Stede tells a guy he shouldn't be an idiot and leave behind a calling card -> burning down the Republic of Pirates and killing Izzy. S2 doesn't feel as tied to Stede's arc of growing into a pirate. But Stede isn't the only person this has fucked over.

Each crew member has their role established from S1, we fans know how they work as a family. But in S2 most of the cast can be swapped out interchangeably unless its something that features this side character NICHE (Wee John in drag being good with fabrics, Roach being a cook).

Sadly, by focusing on the larger Zheng vs. Military arc, a story our characters BARELY caused, the audience misses out on potential character development. Instead of our characters facing the consequences of their actions, our favorite side characters are used as faceless narrative tools. This is largely why the crew was abandoned this season unless they had a romantic side plot. Seeing The Revenge sail off in episode 8, it feels like we barely care about them at all anymore.

As seen from @the-buttspie 's comment, even Stede's arc isn't left out of the firing range. His characterization in episode 8 is constantly thrown back and forth between 'Captain doing his best' and 'Village idiot' if the scene needs it.

Analyzing WHY I started to dislike Stede post episode 4 is FASCINATING, and I feel that digging all the way back to the beginning is a smart way to look at his character growth this season.

FRAMING: Stede's early story get's fucked over pacing-wise because his storyline happens side by side to that of Ed/Izzy.

Any dramatic moment is cut short to show just how much the other crew is NOT about to die. Every time I watch S2 with a new person, for episodes 1-3, they'll comment on how much they don't care about Stede's plot. Which is not a thing you'd want for your protagonist in a season of TV that's only 8 episodes long.

Stede goes through a really strong arc from S1 to the start of S2. For the first three episodes of S2, he puts the needs of his crew before the needs of himself. Literally making sure his crew is safe before going down to see Ed's corpse. I genuinely enjoyed how Stede stepped up for his family. How he doesn't blame the Revenge crew for killing Ed, realizing that yes. Ed is the love of his life and also a man who has seriously hurt so many people.

Eps 4-5: From that we see him trying to talk it through with Ed. While both of them aren't telling the whole truth, it's a good start! We're midway through the season, so we should expect things to get fleshed out more soon.

Until Stede decides 'I'm going to bring a man that tortured my family for 80+ days onboard less than 24 hours after my crew voted him off' Yes. Stede loves Ed to a stupid extent, but this starts the trend for Stede to be dangerously selfish this season using his power as captain to overwrite the want of his crew, a habit of his that partially gets Izzy killed.

I really enjoyed Stede in episode 5, and for me, this felt most like the Stede we recognize growing into a real Captain with hints of who he was. I think it says a lot that Stede still misses his layers and silks. That he craves the softness he used to have in the form of that cursed jacket. But as soon as Izzy is like 'you idiot, please listen to them, they will mutiny' Stede gives it up!!!! He's grown. He's listening to Izzy, he's talking with his crew! This episode did the one thing I wish the season did more of, show the reunited crew just living their lives.

This is where Stede stands out, it lets him be a bit more of a leader to the crew. Let him find his groove again. I loved it!!

Now: Killing Ned Low.

Stede choosing to kill Ned Low is the first time Stede killing someone counts. Yes, he burned down the ship French ship. But this is the first time the audience is supposed to care. I think this moment WAS in character and a really important moment for Stede. He chose this. This wasn't up to crew vote, Ned insulted Ed so fuck him, he deserves to die. Ned walks the plank, also referencing historical Bonnet's tendency to do the same thing.

This is where both Ed and Stede make an in-character mistake, having their first time after the rush of 'oh shit, I'm still alive, and I'm hurting and you're here too'. They don't regret their first time, clearly, they both enjoyed it, but both of them can't ignore what fueled it. Stede has had 3 episodes to re-establish himself with his crew, and now has very little time for the rest of the season with them to show off his growth. That's why, after the party, we don't feel like this show is showing off a family anymore. Even when reunited, they barely feel like a united front.

But from this point on, I personally feel that Stede should have toned down the humor a bit and act like he did in episode 3. Well, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself so-

Episode 7: Stede enjoys being popular, following in Ed's footsteps. He holds his ground against Ed, and overall this feels like a natural progression of his arc from episode 5. He knows what he wants in life and Ed not communicating is genuinely frustrating for him. Him being heartbroken and trying to fight Zheng like she's Izzy is one of the few callbacks I feel that works. As it compares a Stede who was supported by his crew, to this Stede who feels totally alone. I loved Stede this episode, only to be disappointed by-

Episode 8:

Where Ed is allowed to have his silly moments in private, I feel that Stede fluctuates between silly and serious WAY too much for us to take him seriously. Stede's response to Ed telling him he loved him being 'I know' also felt off to me.

"You're not a dick, life's a dick" This line is frustrating to me as it's Stede's response to Ed apologizing. Genuinely apologizing for his actions in the previous episode. This could have been a moment for us to feel like Stede and Ed were a united front but Stede's constant joking and not taking shit semi-seriously. Yes. He feels more comfortable around his family which is amazing.

But I can't help but point out how Stede chooses to go along with a plan the rest of the crew doesn't like. What NARRATIVE purpose was there for Stede trying to sell the captain? He has money, clearly. With the loot they still have, and a future alliance with Zheng.

Stede fucks up. His choice a plan that gets Izzy killed. The writers sacrificed Stede being a competent Captain who cares about his crew into what is described as a 'suicide mission' to push Izzy into his rushed death. A disservice to both characters.

ONTO:

Stede abandons piracy

I'm not shocked they did this, not after the other flubs of the episode, but I hate that it wasn't a conversation held between Ed and Stede.

They could cut the stupid joke about Ed being bad at fishing at the beginning and have these two idiots talking about their issues. Maybe establish that, yeah, piracy is a lot, and they deserve to settle down and get to know each other. Even if they return to the sea, this frames it as Ed finally finding peace and Stede getting pulled along, going against his character growth this season.

I'm surprised that they're setting this up now and not at the end of Season 3. Hell, I used to think S3 would be focused on Ed and Stede avoiding/faking their historical deaths. Given all the bullshit they'll have to clean up to wrap up all the loose ends established this season- S3 will be VERY Ed/Stede focused, I think the crew will still be inserted in without care or arc. Characters like Jim and Oluwande will be prioritized as they are in a relationship before our nonromantic characters like Wee John and Frenchie.

Stede and Ed's relationship, the driving force of the plot, still falls flat because after everything it still feels like puppy love. They've spent at most two months in person together, and two weeks in a serious relationship. I don't really feel convinced that they actually love each other. Ed still doesn't know that Stede was kidnapped at the end of S1, or why he struggles to talk about his feelings. Ed still hasn't talked about why he feels he needs to leave piracy, or his issues feeling like he doesn't belong anywhere in life. Their habit of running away the MOMENT things get hard just makes me not care about them.

I blame the size of the Izzy fandom on the fact that if you don't buy into the leads, there's almost nothing left here to sink your teeth into. The moment the show seems like they'll talk about it they hard pivot.

I hope S3ep1 happens after a LONG time jump. I want these fuckers to be snippy like two people snowed into a cabin for months. Sick of each other and bitching back and forth like no tomorrow. S3 is about genuinely breaking down their walls. Until then, I'll stick with Izzy, the Canyon, and his depressing version of this reality.

[oswildin]

that's why I loved the loki series, I'm sick of all the hate that it gets just because loki is different. It's called character growth people! I mean I love all versions of loki. He was awesome in the movies but I also loved him in the show and the finale really made him one of the top 5 best mcu character for me.

Don’t get me wrong, the show isn’t at all perfect, but nothing is! I do feel it could’ve done with 8 episodes per season to really show the progression more of Loki’s character, deal and address some of his past trauma and accepting his true heritage etc (which I suppose they touch on or it is implied, but for the sake of plot they did kinda brush it aside). It did feel a little quick to happen, but again he was just plucked from his timeline and shown his whole life, so I suppose the reality set in pretty quick for him.

I think a lot of people cling onto Avengers!Loki (like I get it, trust me haha) a little too much, when realistically he was wearing a mask (I also am not a ‘Loki was mind controlled’ truther. He knew what he was doing and why he did it. I think the circumstances and possible slight influence of the mind stone just egged him on though). He was extremely angry and hurt during the end of Thor and in Avengers, hell even the beginning of Dark World. He even says it himself:

“Trust my rage.”

I suppose in the series, S1 Loki is just so defeated in a way because he realises that ‘nothing matters’, because it is all set out for him. Loki was never evil, did he do bad things? Yes, but he was not evil.

“No one good is ever truly good, and no one bad is ever truly bad.”

The people in the series around him help him grow, realise his potential beyond the expectations and limitations himself and others had put on him. Classic!Loki helps him realise he is more powerful than he realised, Kid!Loki makes him realise he could’ve actually been capable of killing his own brother, Sylvie gives him motivation to be better, to fight for something that matters and Mobius makes Loki see he can be whatever he wants to be, he doesn’t always need masks and illusions.

S2 Loki feels he has something worth protecting, a chosen family if you will. He knows he can’t go back to his timeline, and he failed to protect his mother, he failed being worthy in the eyes of his father, and he failed to see how Thor truly did care for him on the sacred timeline. So now… He’s determined to change that. We still see glimpses of the many facets of his character, S2 EP2 with his ability to be the Loki/God of Mischief people expect, S2 EP 5 with his selfishness and of course the finale where he reaches his ‘full potential’ so to speak.

‘Sentiment is a weakness’ has always been something Loki said or thought he believed… When in reality, sentiment drove all of his actions in the films. And that is mirrored in the series too.

Loki didn’t just suddenly become ‘soft’, it was always there, he just convinced himself that he wasn’t the same as his brother because he wasn’t like his brother… But if you strip everything back, the truth is he is just a ‘scared little boy’, as Mobius put it, who in the past latched onto what he knows best - chaos and mischief.

I cannot comment on the reasons people hate the show when it comes to the complexity of Norse mythology being used for his character, I am not well versed in it enough. I also enjoyed the Sylvie and Loki storyline - especially the complexity of S2 and their clashes. And I also enjoy Mobius and Loki’s bond and how they both helped one another grow. I don’t care about ships particularly, and I certainly don’t let it affect my opinion on the show because of that reason. Plus, I do love Sylvie as a character.

But as a MCU Loki fan, who has grown up with him since Thor1/Avengers, I think the show just expanded upon the character we finally got to see more of in Ragnarok/Infinity War. Tom even said himself that Loki has variety, he ‘plays all the keys’… Loki is never going to be one thing. And I love that about him, it’s what makes him interesting.

I could really go on and on but uh… I better not. Sorry, the special interest was really special interesting here lmao. 💚

Edit: would like to add that people who dislike the show for whatever reasons are entitled to dislike it, just as I’m entitled to enjoy it!

[theflyindutchwoman]

What storyline are you the most excited about? (for season 06)

Is it cheating if I say all of them? 😅 The wedding (and that lie detector thing), that dance and kiss, the ILY, Lucy's promotion, Tim's past, how their relationship progresses… how can I not be excited?!

But if I have to choose only one, I'd pick Lucy's storyline. Now that we pretty much have the confirmation that she is going to move up the ladder, I'm even more excited to see her start this next stage of her career. We've been teased with crumbs for so long so I just can't wait to finally get to this part.

But even without that, I've been intrigued by her arc since I saw the BTS pictures of her and the blood splatter, her at the hospital with Tim, Grey and Wesley… It screams 'officer-involved shooting' and it would be so interesting to see her navigate this traumatic experience. I know we've seen it with Nolan and Grey already (and Tim to an extent), but there's something about Lucy that hits different. There's so much potential here. She's so warm and empathetic, she has retained her goodness despite everything and it would hurt her so much. And since we saw her help Nolan and Tim (in a more limited fashion), it would bring it full circle to have her come to terms with this part of the job. Not to mention that this would happen right as she's about to reach a new stage in her career. The vulnerability, the angst… And the fact that Tim went through something similar not too long ago could give us some amazing scenes between the two of them. Of course, that's just speculation on my part. I could be completely off-base.

And truth be told, it doesn't matter if I'm wrong. Just reading what Melissa had to say about Lucy's journey is enough to make me excited. It sounds so interesting and promising… And I can't wait.

I'm also curious about Tim's storyline. I always love when we delve into a character's past and that's particularly the case with him, as it is so rich. And now that Eric teased that Lucy is going to help bring out the best in him, I'm even more pumped (gimme all the 1.07 and 4.09 parallels). I think episodes 6.04 to 6.06 are going to kill me in the best way because of those two storylines.

[almacambiondaughterofsaleos]

Defending the show not being about the imps' assassin business with the esxcuse "it could get repetetive" is such bullshit. Showing a character's trauma, Moxie standing up to himself only to be beaten up, or Stolas being a sad uwu baby is also getting repetetive. You could make SO MUCH interesting plots with that concept. "Truth Seekers" is proof of that but the creators forgot about it.

Ever watched the show "Dan Vs"? It is about the titular character who gets wronged in the beginning of each episode, then he seeks out whoever (or whatever) he thinks wronged him to take his revenge on. The show plays with its wacky concepts in a really good way. Heck, i found a reddit comment that gave ideas for potential episodes, here is a copypasta:

An episode where they're tasked with killing a cartel leader that killed the client and his family.

An episode where they're tasked with killing a street racer that crashed into a hospital and blew it up but somehow survived.

An episode where they're tasked with killing a cop who wrongfully imprisoned a guy that got murdered in jail.

An episode where they're tasked with killing a fake doctor that illegally operates on people and gets patients killed.

I agree they could have gone creative storylines but we retread on tired drama and love spats. It's gotten boring and repetitive. I mean we could still do character moments during these missions and again have Stolas give personal missions from favors from friends like in the pilot. Just goes to show what a hack Vivziepoop and her writers are.

[rustyvanburace]

The other day I finally finished my second playthrough of SMT IVA! After almost six months of on-again off-again playing, largely in part because of how I took it upon myself to extensively document this game by taking a whole drive worth of pictures. Just as I had done before with my second IV playthrough.

I did the anarchy / massacre route this time around, having done the bonds route previously. While I cannot say that the anarchy route was any bit thrilling or even satisfactory, I am nevertheless glad to have finally experienced IVA's other half and fully immersed myself in this adventure. I'm left with a lot of thoughts now.

(Spoilers under the cut.)

To be honest though? The anarchy route is really lacking, and if someone had first gone anarchy and came away feeling disappointed with IVA, then I wouldn't blame them. Even reviving one of your allies to be your goddess, as hype as that was (and it still surprises me!), was very lackluster and the potential opportunities with it sorely underutilized. Your goddess doesn't even get that many lines… It, frankly, comes off as something tacked on just to continue making use of the partner system after killing off the whole party. It highlights how much the game's strength lies with your allies and the systems built around them. Without them, be it for good or bad, IVA loses a lot of substance.

However, I do also think that the end-game plot to infiltrate YHVH's Universe and kill him is much more fitting with the anarchy route, whereas I felt it was kind of forced in the bonds route. I did not expect the anarchy route to be particularly good regardless, which makes me appreciate all the more how I went bonds in my first playthrough.

Really what stood out to me in this playthrough was just taking my time talking to all of the NPCs and growing acquainted with them as part of my documenting efforts. I, in all honesty, hoped I could get more character lore and worldbuilding out of them, something that IV excelled at. While that endeavor was mostly fruitless, I am endeared having watched the NPCs come together in crisis and through it forge their own bonds -- some as long-lasting or as tragic as the party members' own fates. When you choose to stick with your allies or betray them, you do not just affect them; you affect all of Tokyo's bonds as well.

IVA is truly about humanity at the very heart of it. Which is honestly why I do not think a "Divine Powers route" would fit in the game's narrative -- or at least not as a main ending; it could possibly work like how Law and Chaos are early, "bad" endings. But even then I think it would be hard to place a Divine Powers ending without having to restructure the storyline, especially when so much of it is rooted in humanity's fight for survival and independence. IV is about a war between angels and demons, and IVA is about the humans caught in the middle of it -- a truth found in all wars. And I wouldn't change anything about that. I stand by my stance that this is a valuable POV in the duology.

Even anarchy's ending still has humanity in mind with the creation of a new universe formed by humanity, for humanity. I cannot get out of my mind how your allies' souls are used to form aspects of the new universe. Even in death, they are still with Nanashi.

IVA is divisive game, and I hate how often I have to make that disclaimer when talking about it. I agree there's a lot with it that's wrong and far too many opportunities sorely unrealized. But in spite of its many flaws and shortcomings here and there, I still love it for what it is. IVA still brings so much to an already rich narrative and world found in IV. That is really about all I could ask for.

Once again, thank you Atlus.

[oblivious-aro]

What was it that made you pick Skybound out of all the Ninjago seasons to rewrite? I know I usually do rewrites for story concepts that hold potential but are never lived up to them; is there anything like that you see in S6? :O

Boy is there ever!

There are a lot of things that could be tweaked to make Skybound way better, but the main thing that grabed me was Nya and Jay's storylines, which are actually set up to be pretty solid.

I liked how they actually set up an arc for Jay to go through. A focus season that actually focuses on developing the ninja's character? Sounds great! I'm so down!

Okay, Jay makes a wish he shouldn't have in a moment of weakness. This is a good setup. It's obviously gonna be a moment he regrets, and he's going to be carrying a guilty conscience-

Oh, actually, he immediately lies to Nya to try and manipulate her into liking him after she firmly started she wasn't interested.

His friends are mad at him for his actions later, though.

Okay, good. Having to deal with the consequences of his actions (remember how invested we were in "actions have consequences" in the first episode?) will surely spark some personal growth-

Nope! His friends immediately do a 180 and start talking about how sorry they are for being mean to Jay.

...what!?

You had Jay all set up to learn a lesson, and have to reflect and grow, but then we're suddenly supposed to feel sorry for him even though he hasn't shown the slightest hint of guilt? After half a season of nothing but him being a selfish lying remorseless jerk?

I'm not even being a Jay-hater. I love the idea of Nadakhan preying on Jay's low self-esteem, especially when he takes advantage of Jay's emotionally vulnerable state fresh off of Nya's rejection to trick him into making a wish. But even though Nadakhan influenced him, it was still Jay that made the wish, and that's an uncomfortable truth he's going to have to face.

You might say it's...Jay's wish to keep.

They've got a really good start to a story about a flawed character improving themselves, but then they don't put the part in where he improves himself, just more and more flaws with only the barest amount of growth (the one ninja guy stopped moping and saved the day like he and all the ninja do every season. That doesn't even come close to balancing out all the lying, whining, and possesivness we've been subjected to from him this entire season).

And then there's Nya.

Oh Nya.

Things again start off good. Nya's facing a lot of misogyny for being the first girl ninja. It sucks, she's mad, but at least her friends stick up for her.

Sure, it's done kind of clunkily, but showcasing that girls have to face a lot of unfair attitudes can be a very validating thing for real girls to see, especially if the girl characters are allowed to get angry, and the other characters take their anger seriously and help fight back.

Furthermore, having the main characters (you know, the ones the kids watching the show are supposed to relate to/look up to/think are cool) stick up for their friend, and learn that they need to check themselves sends a pretty good message to the kids watching. Like, exactly the kind of message you want to send.

And after Ninjago's previous poor handling of female characters, it would be a much appreciated gesture.

But as we know, that's not how things went down.

Instead, Nya gets kidnapped, doesn't get to be part of the climax, is killed for a man's character development, and then gets together with a guy she initially said 'no' to dating as a reward for his arc.

...why?!?

I think what gets me is they kind of start to go in a compelling direction, but then they make the most violent u-turn possible in the wrongest direction. It's not unusual for Ninjago to be bad, but here it almost feels like they were trying. Like...how does a conscious attempt to be more feminist result in the most misogynistic season of the series?? How could you set out on such a right direction things and end up going so wrong???

I know the reason the season's so bad because they're were basically no women involved in the writing process, and I get the feeling said writing process was on a time crunch, but even with those stipulations, I still don't understand how you can screw up that badly. It's genuinely baffling.

Skybound's failings stick out because it feels like they were purposely dumping gasoline on the misogynistic dumpster fire, and also trying to make Jay as hatable as possible. Like, you had some really solid storylines set up for your characters, why'd you suddenly stop and start shooting yourself in the foot???

I couldn't stop thinking about it. They were right there, and then they missed so dramatically.

It plagued my brain from the moment I first watched it.

Also I do like how Nadakhan's a more talky/manipulator type villain, that really let's you dig into your main characters weak points in an interesting way, but holy hell did he need a redesign because yikes.

[morgana96]

What Went Wrong with the Lancer Quests?

(Warning: Lancer Class Quests, Rogue Class Quests, and other Minor ARR Spoilers Under the Cut)

When I first started Final Fantasy XIV, I already knew I’d be maining Dragoon. Estinien is my favorite character and the one who drew me to the game in the first place, so my interest in the job was well cemented before I even picked it up. And while I like to play all the other jobs as well, Dragoon has remained my favorite to this day, and the one I play on the most often.

Which is why it’s quite ironic that I think the Lancer quests are some of the worst in the entire game.

It didn’t really hit me how bad the questline was back when I did it as a sprout, especially since it was my first one. But several years and many job quests later, Lancer stands out as tragically inadequate, even compared to some of the other class quests from A Realm Reborn.

Based on what I've seen from other players, I'm hardly alone in this opinion. But rather than just complain about it, I want to take a close look at the questline. It’s a good opportunity discuss the story’s key issues, as well as suggest new ideas for a potential rewrite.

To prepare for this, I’ve recently replayed the questline so that I can give an accurate and proper review. I doubt anyone who actually writes for this game will ever see this. But I'd still like to put my thoughts out there, especially since it can lead to good discussion about how the game could be improved overall.

Problem #1: The Plot Puts Too Much Focus on the Wrong Things

Writing a good story requires an understanding of balance. Characters, plots, and themes need to work together in order to create a strong narrative, because when even one of these elements is lacking, the entire story gets dragged down. This is exactly the situation I think is plaguing the Lancer quests; instead of a balanced narrative, it throws way too much focus on its attempted theme, neglecting the characters, pacing, and plot and leading to an ineffective story overall.

The main theme the story tries to convey is the idea of courage vs recklessness; in their training, lancers are encouraged to harness their sense of courage in order to face dangerous foes, while not slipping into reckless behavior that could end up getting themselves or others hurt/killed.

Now this in itself isn't a terrible lesson or anything. The problem is that the Lancer quests put way too much of the narrative focus on it. Everything the characters do and say feels like it revolves around this attempted theme, leaving them feeling like broken records instead of engaging and enjoyable characters. The WoL also spends most of the storyline having to complete various “tests of courage”, both those assigned by Ywain and those that Foulques forces them to join him in. It starts to feel repetitive rather quickly, especially when that’s all that’s being offered in terms of “plot”. And because the plot and characters are so underdeveloped, the theme being pushed so desperately just comes off as an annoying hindrance by the end.

The finale only emphasizes the problem, as the truth behind Foulques’ actions is revealed with barely six minutes left in the story. Many years ago, he was a lancer in the guild, and participated in robbing the guild with several friends and compatriots. But when he felt guilty and tried own up to it, the other accomplices framed him as the sole criminal, resulting in Foulques being subjected to anti-Duskwight prejudice and eventually imprisoned, while the others faced no consequences.

This sudden revelation leaves the player with unanswered questions and unresolved issues. Who and where are Foulques' ex-friends and co-conspirators? Are they still out there continuing to profit from their clear corruption/prejudice? Why isn’t there a more significant reaction from the guild to the truth behind this scandal being revealed? Why was such a significant plot point introduced with barely any time left in the story? And why did Foulques spend six quests throwing the Warrior of Light and others into random peril instead of, you know, actually trying to get revenge on those who horribly wronged him?

In my opinion, the story needs less repetitive theme pushing and more focus on the past guild robbery and those involved. Instead of random lancers-in-training, Foulques’ main targets should have been his former co-conspirators (perhaps going as far as to kill them one by one), and the WoL would have had to work with Ywain to discover the motive behind the attacks. This would be a much more engaging plot to watch unfold throughout several quests, and it would add some much needed intrigue and character growth in a nearly lifeless narrative.

The theme of “courage vs recklessness” can also still fit into a rewrite. Foulques would probably still judge the entire guild as “cowards” due to the cowardly actions of his former friends. He might also consider his recklessly vengeful actions “true courage”, regardless of whether innocents were caught in the crossfire or not. Meanwhile, Ywain could take the satisfying step of righting the Lancer’s Guild’s past failures; by finally holding the other conspirators accountable - and acknowledging that the guild must do better from now on - it would drive home that having the courage to admit to mistakes is just as important as courage in battle.

Problem #2: Foulques is a Poorly Written Character

I’ve actually seen a lot of players talk about Foulques over the years. For a minor character introduced so early on, he has quite the cult following, and I think it’s safe to say that I’m not alone in thinking this character deserved better.

To be honest, I don’t really like canon Foulques. But the reason I dislike him is mainly because whoever wrote him did a pretty horrendous job. He had potential to be an interesting and complex villain, as his justifiable anger about the wrongs committed against him could have warped and twisted his moral code. But instead, he spends the quests acting like a presumptuous jerk who thinks hazing lancer recruits will prove he’s the pinnacle of “true courage”.

The backstory they created for Foulques is honestly one of the most sympathetic in the game. But again, it isn’t even revealed until the back end of the final level 30 quest. Until that moment, you get ZERO explanation as to why Foulques is doing what he’s doing. No clues, no subtext, no steady and satisfying reveal - only a rushed exposition dump that feels disconnected from the character’s personality up until then.

You can’t just drop a complex and nuanced backstory at the last second and call that good writing. The upbringing and backstory of a character is integral to the character’s overall personality, much like how it is for real people who grow up and experience different circumstances. Yet somehow, Foulques’ backstory feels like an afterthought, dropped at the last second instead of integrated naturally.

Again, the best way to remedy this is to refocus Foulques’ motivations and actions. Adding the other co-conspirators as secondary antagonists would allow them to become the main targets of Foulques’ rage. Meanwhile, the background characters in the lancer’s guild could be collateral caught in the crossfire of his goals.

Furthermore, featuring these false friends as characters would be a good chance to show the consequences of not punishing them. Based on how they treated Foulques, there’s a good chance several - if not all of them - went on to continue their corruption in other ways, especially if they felt confident that they could keep getting away with it. If these further misdeeds were to be revealed, it would further show that the Lancer’s Guild’s actions failed not only Foulques, but the later victims of the co-conspirators.

Problem #3: Ywain is Underutilized

Ywain’s probably not someone brought up often when it comes to people’s favorite NPCs. In fact, I’ve seen certain players actively hate him because they consider him complacent in what happened to Foulques.

But honestly, I think Ywain is as much a victim of the story's bad writing as Foulques is. It’s not like he knew about all of this and was conspiring to hide the truth from the WoL/others or something. He finds out about Foulques' history in the literal final moments of the story, and because that history was thrown in so haphazardly late, his reaction is haphazardly rushed and poorly written in turn.

Overall, I think the biggest problem with Ywain is that he feels like he’s hardly participating in the story at all. Technically, he is the other main character in the WoL’s journey to become a lancer, and should be an important part of the plot. But instead, Ywain is a largely inactive presence; he spends most of the questline standing in a single spot of the guild and telling the WoL to go off on their own somewhere. He’s stationary both physically and in terms of development, which I think was a huge error in judgement on the part of the original writer.

I can’t help but compare this characterization issue with one of my favorite class quests: Rogue. Jacke, V’kebbe, and Perimu don’t have the issue Ywain does. They join you on various Rogue’s Guild missions, fight with you through several instances, and regularly banter with you and each other so you get a good idea of who they each are. Hell, these three even continue to help the WoL long after they graduate from Rogue, becoming allies with the Doman Ninjas and providing them with intel and extra manpower when needed.

The Rogue Quests did a much better job of utilizing their NPCs than what we see here. It’s practically impossible to become invested in a character that feels so removed from the plot itself. It’s no wonder Ywain gets forgotten - and even hated - when the lancer story gives him literally nothing to grow on. Instead of letting him be an actual character, the narrative regulates him to a one-dimensional mouthpiece used to assign the next set of tasks.

My frustration with the in-game writing only grew when I learned Ywain’s backstory from the lore book. Back when he was still a Wood Wailer, he and Landenel (the Wailer Captain at Camp Tranquil who was in Company of Heroes) were very close friends. At some point, a lack of judgement led to Landenel making a serious mistake - one that would have gotten him in a lot of trouble, and would have been exacerbated by the undeserved disdain Landenel often faced as the son of a known criminal. But wanting to protect his friend from unfair treatment, Ywain took the blame for everything and was kicked out of the Wood Wailers, though his name was later cleared and he was given the guildmaster position.

Ywain essentially did for Landenel what the co-conspirators refused to do for Foulques. This could have been an excellent way to give the two a comparable history, and if anyone would be insulted by the betrayal Foulques faced, you’d think it would be Ywain. But once again, this all goes to waste because the Lancer Quests never bring up Ywain’s history. I can’t understand how such relevant information ended up being ignored and left out, especially since it could have helped flesh Ywain out and allowed him to understand Foulques a little bit better.

In an improved version of the Lancer Quests, Ywain needs the narrative room to develop. He needs to be more involved in the plot and the tasks set for the WoL, so that the player can actually get to know him instead of just going to him briefly for their next assignment. He and the WoL should learn about Foulques history at an earlier point in the questline, and given his history with Landenel, it would make sense for him to be sympathetic. Ywain doesn’t necessarily need to agree with Foulques’ methods or means of revenge. But creating a common ground between them would greatly improve the nuance of both characters.

~~~

Thank you so much for taking the time to read! I plan to post my rewrite ideas sometime in the near future, but until then, I’d love to hear other people’s thoughts about this questline and its storytelling.

If you enjoyed my writing, please consider sharing and leaving feedback!

[cookinguptales]

🦆 Tarot ask, if you have time

what's on my mind: creative writing projects

song inspiration: "Game On!" from the Ocean's 8 soundtrack, or really anything on that soundtrack since I'm writing a heist story

Thanks so much! No worries if you're overloaded with asks

Ooh, heists are so fun to write. I hope you have a good time!

Game On! (Daniel Pemberton, Ocean's 8)

(Ace of Wands (reversed), The Chariot (reversed), Queen of Swords)

Hmm. Might you be suffering from writer's block, friend? If so, I think it might be wise to remember that old advice, if you're struggling with this sentence, the real problem might be a few paragraphs back.

The Ace of Wands is typically a really positive card about potential and inspiration and new projects. It's really fun to see when you just start writing! But... it's reversed here. That often means that you're struggling with finding your way forward. You might be feeling a little aimless, or like something is blocking your progress. In other words, writer's block. :(

Next, we have The Chariot. Again, this is a card that's usually about forward motion and willpower. But it's reversed again. That usually means that you're feeling really frustrated because things aren't going the way you want them to. You feel blocked. But there's also an element of stubbornness to The Chariot, for better or for worse. When you're doing well, this stubbornness can be a boon. But when things aren't going well, sometimes it doesn't serve you as well. You may need to stop trying to butt your head against a wall and instead look for other ways forward. You may have to change something about your story in order to move forward. What's stopping you might be your own subconscious telling you that this isn't right.

As for advice to go forward, we have the Queen of Swords. This is a woman who's very wise and always in pursuit of the truth -- and frankly, she won't accept any bullshit. She cuts right to the heart of things, which can make her unpopular, perhaps, but also deeply effective.

There's that phrase that writers hate to hear... "Kill your darlings." It means that sometimes you have to cut out something you love to make the final product stronger. It could be something small, like a line. It could be a storyline that's not working. It could be an entire character that just isn't moving things forward.

I don't actually recommend deleting these things altogether; instead, I like to put those things in another document somewhere. Not dead, but sleeping. It's soothing to know that I can always come back to them later when they might better suit the project.

But for now... I think you're going to have to look at your story and make some hard choices. You might need to go back a ways to the last time when it felt like it was flowing smoothly and rewrite from there. You might need to identify an element of your story that you really love! But that might not be moving things forward.

Good luck! I know the struggle of a writer well and I hope you're able to make something that you're proud of! 💜

[tiamatsfavored]

VALTHERIS THE RED, Tiamat's Chosen, “Blade of the Dragon Queen”, TRUE SOUL

⸻ BACKSTORY: He was raised in Tiamat’s Fortress in Avernus, and trained in both battle and diplomacy, often negotiating with devils on her behalf. Recognizing the potential of the Dragon Cult and its leader, Severin Silrajin, he traveled to the material plane in his beguiling humanoid form, posing as Tiamat’s Chosen. While they shared the goal of bringing Tiamat to the material realm, Valtheris also reveled in the Cult’s adoration and worship.

⸻ RISE OF TIAMAT: Valtheris sees himself as the rightful leader of the Dragon Cult, driven by a fervent desire to liberate Tiamat from Avernus and usher her into the material realm. He seduced Severin, manipulating him to enact his often self-serving commands, including demands for tribute from the cult. Moreover, he uses his charm to sway influential figures, bending them to the Cult's agenda.

After Tiamat's defeat, the Zhentarim took Valtheris prisoner. They bound him to his humanoid form. Valtheris became their slave, used for entertainment or as their guard dog, and his beloved Queen Tiamat has seemingly abandoned him. 

⸻ RISE OF THE ABSOLUTE / BALDUR’S GATE III: In 1492, Valtheris was infected with a True Soul Tadpole and liberated from the clutches of the Zhentarim. Now, he is a devout disciple of the Absolute.

Despite his unwavering devotion, Tiamat remained silent during his torment, so he has readily embraced the Absolute as his new Queen and Goddess; she has offered him the chance to reclaim his former glory… and ascend even higher.

He is particularly fond of True Soul Nere (his favorite toy/lover) and terribly jealous of the Dark Urge.

⸻ COMPANION QUEST: Just an outline. Most is up to discussion to fit our plot!

Recruiting him: You can meet Val in the dungeons of Moonrise Towers, where he takes great pleasure in tormenting a prisoner. He will ask about Nere and what happened at Grymforge; depending on your in-game choices, you may have to convince him that you sided with Nere (Persuasion Check: 15). Even if you pass the persuasion check, he will later appear at your camp if you killed Nere, holding a companion hostage because he discovered the truth. To prevent him from killing the companion (and possibly everyone in the camp), the player can try to reveal the truth about the Absolute (Persuasion Check: 30 / with Minthara: 18). If you sided with Nere and discover that Balthazar has turned him into a zombie, you will meet him near the Mausoleum as he searches for his Drow lover pet. You can explain what happened - Valtheris will seek vengeance. Of course, he won't admit to anyone, least of all himself, how much he cared about Nere; he justifies his thirst for revenge by stating that no one has the right to mess with his belongings. Once again, you can reveal the truth about the Absolute and have him join you (Persuasion Check: 15 / with Minthara: 10).

Breaking his Curse: Arriving in Baldur's Gate, you stumble upon a potential solution to break the curse that binds him to his humanoid form. The method and whether you're the only one to know about it is something to be discussed!

Betraying the party: This depends on our plot, but as far as the main BG3 storyline goes, he will try to betray the party and the Emperor to become the Absolute himself. He is power-hungry, thirsty for vengeance (even against Tiamat!), definitely not a good guy, and he has lost a lot. Once again, this may vary, but to convince him to see reason, the player has to roll a 30 in persuasion.

⸻ CHARACTER SHEET

Basic Information

Name: Valtheris / Chosen of Tiamat / Blade of the Dragon Queen / True Soul Valtheris

Race: Red Dragon (Adult)

Class: Sorcerer (Draconic Bloodline duh) 10 / Paladin (Oath of Conquest) 3 / Fighter 4

Background: Cultist / Tiamat’s Consort

Level: 17

Height: 6.7 ft / 2m

Age: 120 years

Gender: Male

Languages: Common, Undercommon, Draconic, Infernal, Elvish

Abilities

Strength: 20 (+5)

Dexterity: 14 (+2)

Constitution: 18 (+4)

Intelligence: 14 (+2)

Wisdom: 12 (+1)

Charisma: 20 (+5)

HP: 170

AC: 18 (without buffs) DRAGON FORM STATS

Strength: 27 (+8)

Dexterity: 10 (+0)

Constitution: 25 (+7)

Intelligence: 16 (+3)

Wisdom: 13 (+1)

Charisma: 21 (+5)

AC: 19 (without buffs)

HP: 256

He can’t transform into a dragon during the events of Baldur’s Gate III (unless he finds a way to break the curse that binds him to his humanoid form). 

Proficiencies

Skills: Deception (+11), Persuasion (+11), Intimidation (+11), Insight (+7), Arcana (+8)

Equipment

Weapons: Two ruby swords. Can be linked to form a double-bladed spear.

Skills / Weaknesses

Shapechanger: As a red dragon, Valtheris can assume a humanoid form.

Deceptive Beauty: He has advantage on Deception and Persuasion checks when interacting in humanoid form.

Immune to Fire Damage.

Sensitive to Cold: He has disadvantage on Skill Checks and Attack Rolls in cold climates. Cold damage is doubled.

Raised in Avernus: Radiant damage is doubled.

Personality Traits

He uses his beauty and charm to manipulate those around him, seeing them as tools to achieve his goals.

Valtheris believes he is superior, even to other dragons, and will assert his dominance wherever he can.

He will take what he wants, when he wants.

Sadistic, malicious, greedy, power-hungry, vain, impulsive, deceptive, manipulative, seductive.

Ideals (Tiamat's Chosen)

Power – The strong have the right to rule, and Tiamat is the strongest of all.

All hail the Dragon Queen!

He is Tiamat’s Chosen, her favored child, and he will bring her into the material plane at any cost.

Ideals (True Soul)

His loyalty belongs now to the Absolute and he will slaughter heretics in Her name.

Flaws

He sees all non-dragons as inferior and disposable, which can lead to underestimating opponents.

His pride demands constant validation and tribute, leading him to sometimes make rash decisions to assert his superiority.

His vanity and greed make him vulnerable to flattery and bribery.

Appearance

Humanoid Form: A strikingly handsome male with grey-bluish skin adorned with ruby red scales and metallic red markings. His eyes are vibrant amber with an infernal glow to them, cat-slit pupils, his hair is long and ruby red. He sometimes keeps his dragon tail and gilded horns. When he operates in “undercover” , he often takes the form of a male elf with long platinum hair and golden eyes.

Style: Revealing, luxurious, lots of gold and jewelry.

Dragon Form: An imposing Red Dragon with ruby / scarlet scales and glowing golden eyes.

[beastsovrevelation]

Like I said, I haven't seen Season 2. And, this storyline is far from being uploaded (though, it's my favorite among my Good Omens WIPs).

Still, I'm frustrated, and feel like rewriting a few things (perfect time, I suppose).

I read some comment on Pinterest that Crowley and Beelzebub have sibling energy, and was hooked.

I now want to make them sisters in this one especially. The problem? Beelzebub is supposed to be Crowley's biggest detractor. They despise each other. And, my Antichrist despises Beelzebub, because she's an enemy to her mother. And, I'm very much in the "blood means alliance regardless of feelings" camp.

I mean, the situation could be interesting to explore. They're sisters, and they loathe each other. Beelzebub resents Crowley, for treason, as well as for not appreciating the honour she's endowed with (being the one to first tempt humankind, then becoming the Queen of Hell), and slacking on her duties. They're at a conflict, then reconcile. In truth, they had always loved one another. They'd kill and die protecting one another... Yes, of course, they'll still want to cut each other's throat a lot of the time. 😈

I think, I could add moments of tenderness in the timeline set around the Antichrist's birth, too, just to show they indeed love one another. For example, Beelzebub being by Crowley's side during the key moments, like the birth. Hell... In the later timeline, I had planned a scene where Beelzebub attacks Crowley with a dagger. But, it might as well still happen, then they reconcile. Satan wouldn't even be surprised, he has the same dynamic with Michael. Meanwhile, Maxine would simply be thankful she's the only child (not completely true, but true enough), as siblings in her family are... Yeah.

Beelzebub could get knocked up by Gabriel. Crowley would get incentive to be protective of her sister, like she had been of her. I don't know about this story, but in some story, probably, that'll hapen. It's very beneficial... Politics-wise. I doubt any child would benefit from having these two

as parents...

They (Crowley and Beelzebub) will definitely be siblings in the dream scenario I had talked about (I said I'll put it aside, but I picked at the birth scene already, because I was inspired 🤡). But, siblings with a twist... Think, Crimson Peak AU (this isn't the one, but still). I guess, in this one I can explore actual tenderness between them, far before their relationship takes a turn towards... Well, incest.

All in all, I'll make them siblings in some of my WIPs, but about others, I'm not certain. I guess, it would thicken the fucked up layer in one of them... No, that has nothing to do with incest.

I wanted to put my thoughts into a somewhat coherent form, but, if you stumbled upon this, do tell me... I don't know, what you think. There's so much potential to this dynamic. The sibling one, I mean.

P.S. - Beelzebub is always female in my works, but she's still addressed as "my Lord". Just a random... Headcanon?

[anonymous-dee]

Akutagawa Thoughts...

I definitely think that Akutagawa is a misunderstood character, unless he's not and I'm just rambling for no reason LOL. Regardless, he's my favorite character so I just wanna talk about him so please hear me out! (obvious spoilers ahead)

I don't think that Akutagawa is as evil as many people may portray him as. I definitely think that Akutagawa has the potential to be a good person but he simply doesn't know how to.

HEAR ME OUT THOUGH! So obviously we know that Akutagawa's childhood was not pleasant: he grew up in the slums, where it was a dog-eat-dog world. If he wasn't constantly guarded and ready to attack at any given moment, he would lose those closest to him. He grew up in an environment where, if he didn't learn to kill others, both he and his sister would not survive. This was all that he knew, up until Dazai took him in and inducted him and Gin into the Port Mafia.

From there, what he already grew up with was enforced tenfold. Though he wasn't living in squalor anymore, he was raised in a world where killing was the only way for him to survive. Not to mention all of the trauma and the inferiority complex Dazai gave him.

While I don't think that Akutagawa should necessarily be excused for hurting Kyouka, but I also think this is an excellent example of how the cycle of abuse works. Abuse and survival are all that he has ever known, and I think that in a sense he was trying to teach Kyouka that this was how life operated in the Port Mafia. Trying to see the light, being a good person, and acting on one's feelings could very easily lead them to an early death. Think of Odasaku. The Port Mafia is not the place or profession for one to be weak or soft, and Akutagawa was probably trying to rid Kyouka of what he perceived as "weakness," unaware of what the actual truth was. (The truth being that there is good and light and that Kyouka should not be shamed for wanting to be a good person).

I think that Akutagawa has the potential to be good and we can see this very clearly through Wan, as well as Beast. Akutagawa has been upholding his 6 month promise to Atsushi not to kill, and although this may be for his own desire to fight Atsushi rather than an innate desire to be a better person, we at least know he is capable of not killing.

In Beast, the entire premise is that Akutagawa joins the ADA (I've only read the first two volumes to bear with me here); But I don't think a person who is inherently bad would care that much about their friends and family (Gin). Also, the fact that he got mad at Tanizaki for treating Naomi roughly during the entrance exam also shows that Akutagawa has human empathy (even if Naomi liked the rough treatment but we don't need to talk about that).

Another thing to mention here is that Akutagawa ONLY knows how to be in fight or flight mode and he GENUINELY only knows how to respond in extremes. When he's supposed to question people, he threatens them. And when he wants something, he can only think of using violence or force to achieve his goal. He is a direct product of his upbringing in the slums. (and in the main storyline, the Port Mafia as well).

And when we get later into the manga (main canon) we can also talk about how in Chapter 88 we can see how much Akutagawa has changed and the amount of influence Atsushi has had on him. Akutagawa sacrificed his life for Atsushi, knowing that he himself didn't have much time left. The CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT he had to undergo to get to this point *sobs incoherently*

ANYWAYS That's it for my little ramble thank you for your time

[thenewfuture]

Dude...okay. First of all, yes Monokuma was manipulating him. Monokuma doesn't just hand things out without a reason. His "gifts" are always given with the intention to stir shit and create motives for killing. Even seemingly benign stuff like the class photos in THH Chapter 6 were given to make the remaining six survivors mistrust each other. He would not have handed out a bombshell like that, unless he wanted someone to get killing again if Trial 4 didn't end in the culprit's favor. And while no, he wouldn't have been able to predict the method Nagito would use, that's kind of irrelevant. He just needed Nagito to add more bodies for Junko to possess. It was simply a bonus that his mark's plan was more well thought out than Monokuma could have hoped for. There is no reason at all to assume that Nagito was made aware that getting the class killed would be advantageous to Junko. None. Him knowing that and going ahead with the plan would mean he would be consciously acting in the name of Despair and not Hope instead of unwittingly. Which not only would mean that everything we know about his twisted ideology is a lie. But it pretty much means that he was never brainwashed and has always been on Junko's side. Since when he got that information he was still amnesiac of everything from Hope's Peak. I mean if that's what you think, well okay. But your storyline doesn't seem to assume that's true. As for the bitchy insults from him in Chapter 4's trial...seriously? That is such a childish thing to still hold against him. Of course he acted like an asshole to them. He'd just discovered that the people he looked up to as idols are all terrorists. He was disillusioned, confused, and angry. And the fact that he chose not to share that information with them is actually a very good reason to assume he didn't know about the brainwashing. If he was operating under the assumption that these people chose to become Ultimate Despair of their own free will, then it would make perfect sense not to trust them with that information. For all he'd know they might just choose to turn back of their own free will once more after learning the truth. I appreciate that you took the time to give such a detailed reply. Honest, I do. And I'm sorry that it dragged on for you. But that interpretation you gave puts a lot of stuff into perspective. You've gone out of your way to interpret him in SDR2 as the shittiest scumbag imaginable. It's no wonder to me now that this blog has been attracting so many anti-Nagito anons ever since the character woke up. They probably see the less sympathetic way he's written here and on other blogs as a signal that they can vent their hatred for him. I do still enjoy this blog's story for the most part and am interested in seeing what you do in the future. And I do believe that you're sincere about wanting these characters to all get better. But I really think you need to reevaluate how you think about some of them. Nagito, Hiyoko, and potentially others too.

1. You’re in that Monokuma manipulated Nagito however. But Monokuma manipulates EVERYBODY! That’s why he gives out the motives! It’s his job! So I don’t know why we’re suddenly using that word for Nagito of all people, because by your very logic and words; Teruteru should be understood for starting the killing game, by wanting to see his mom again and stopping Magito. So you should understand EVEN MORE where he’s coming from. But nope, Nagito’s the exception not the rule, huh?

2. We’re back to this back and forth again. Like I said it’s pointless to argue because we have no way of knowing how intricate the file goes. One of Nagito’s core character traits is that he has no problem dirtying his own hands with despair it it means Hope can bloom from it.

Question though: do you think the file goes in detail about Future Foundation. If yes, Nagito shouldn’t have even tried his plan if he knew the Ultimate Hope Makoto was apart of this and that he wouldn’t want something like this. If no, Welp, we’re back where we started. Circles. We’re talking in circles at this point debating hypotheticals.

3. The insults weren’t that bad? Um…

They were incredibly poor taste! They have every right to be royally pissed at him! Whole game is ranting and raving about his ideology that they all find wrong, and now he’s insulting Hajime because he doesn’t deserve to stand next to the Ultimates and talked ill of the recently passed Gundam. I don’t think the characters would let this shot ho so easily as that OVA put it out to be. One of the points this arc was showing exactly that.

I will say it is kind of refreshing that this isn’t a defense post about Hiyoko. I was wondering when a Nagito defender would come. Welcome. What took you so long. As I’ve stated previously, even if I made Nagito out to be this much of asshole and dick to others, I still don’t tolerate the bullshit other anons have said about him when they go too far. I’m trying to say that Nagito is not innocent and has to coke to turns with that as well.

But anyway, as I reread you’re previous rant. You’re whole argument goes out the window when I read this little entry:

Are you seriously implying that Nagito is exempt for any and consequences because of his condition?

………….

No. No No No No No No No No NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!

NO!!!

How dare you insinuate that bullshit! Just because Nagito has a mental illness you think he’s excused from punishment basically!?

NO!!!

Nagito is smart, he is aware of his actions! He can logically think and deduce, he’s arguably one of the smartest characters on that island!

Don’t you ever, EVER, use that as an excuse! Too long have I seen people use that to defend themselves being like, “Ooooh! I’m sorry I did those things! I’m autistic! You have to forgive me so easily!” BULLSHIT! I am autistic too! I will not have you treating me any differently if I did anything wrong! That does excuse anyone from their actions!

If you have the free will of your own accord and you’re full capable of your actions and not at all brainwashed by Junko or the Monokuma helmets, you should take responsibility for you’re actions! Own up to them! END OF STORY! Don’t fucking baby him.

If you ever…

EVER…

EVER!

…use that as an excuse again I will not tolerate it and have you immediately blocked! You will not be welcome here! Don’t ever do that again! I sincerely hope you don’t, then my message goes out to those who do actually use that as an excuse. If you do…

THEN GET THE FUCK OUT AND STAY OUT!!!

……God. ….Fuck!

-Mod

[percyforever1022]

Okay so I’ve overall been avoiding the current Amazing Spider-Man run, but I just saw some of what they’ve done to Peter and MJ recently and in being angry about that, I’ve realized I have so many more thoughts about the effects of Peter getting injected with all of the green goblins sins.

When I first heard about this, I was like oh that’s really interesting -like this could be really compelling. And obviously the green goblin has a lot of sins, but especially the idea of Peter having to deal with this knowing this was the guy that killed Gwen Stacy has sooo much potential. And I kind of thought (hoped?) that they were going to take the storyline more in that direction of how does peter reckon with this? What does this do to him?

And honestly I was most excited to see Peter trying to fight that -in a classic peter Parker way- where we see him dealing with all this and fighting to stay good. And like assuming your set on the peter becoming evil idea, than the idea that this time it isn’t working -that in somehow in trying to reckon the goblins sins in him and fight the urge it’s actually driving him insane- seeing that internal struggle and what does peter becoming goblin look like for him - does he think that he’s being successful in fighting the sins? What does he descent into this madness look like? Is soo interesting it was rife with stuff for the writers to work with

But instead they just did it as like a flip-the-switch kind of thing which just doesn’t feel as earned or truthful for peter really. But like idk writing wise it’s just so much more interesting to see what would drive Peter to act a certain way -like the Straczynski run with back to black- then just giving him no choice.

And then they follow it up with this peter mj interaction which I also have separate thoughts and feelings on and of the things to focus on, I think the decision to have much of peters anger and desire to physically hurt someone be focused on mj feels just not true to peter and also heartbreaking for mj knowing her history with abuse and now from what I’ve seen mjs just like oh don’t worry Peter it wasn’t you but like idk there are so many ways to do evil peter they really didn’t have to do that and if they were really sold on doing it this way than at least let mj have feelings about it even if she knows that’s not Peter at his core but also of any bad impulse peter might have, with any anger he may feel -I really don’t think hurting mj would ever even enter his mind- and it’s so annoying that the way they wrote it was as if that option was just like sitting there

Anyways, these probably should’ve been two different posts but in summary, I’m so mad and upset about what they’re doing and it just could’ve been better

[superthatguy62]

A Reflection on Alex Kidd

Some time ago I played through two platformers that happened to have re-releases on the Switch.

The first was Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil. An excellent game, very good platformer, would definitely recommend even if it gets kinda intense towards the end.

The other was Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX. Alex Kidd was one of those franchises that I knew existed, but didn’t think too much about. Most of my exposure was via Alex Kidd and the Enchanted Castle on the Genesis, which was decidedly kinda janky (and not in a fun way) and punishing. But it still remained a curiosity to me, so when the remake caught my eye, I decided to eventually nab it and experience it for myself.

Cut to now and I’ve not only played Miracle World DX, but the Sega Ages version of the original as well as read up on the other games in the series.

And now I have thoughts regarding this franchise and so must inflict them upon all of you. My apologies. 

(Janken Dance!)

The Origin of Alex Kidd

Alex Kidd is considered Sega’s second mascot, preceded by Opa Opa: A cute sentient spaceship that fights to protect to Fantasy Zone who is also a child soldier and traumatized by the events of the game up to and including killing his own father, the leader of the enemy forces. 

However, when Sega entered the home market and released the Mark III console (the basis for the Master System), they wanted a character that could stand against Mario.

(Sega showing themselves to be the masters of subtlety)

Alex’s creation, funnily enough, mirrors that of his rival: Sega had intended to create a Dragon Ball video game, but were ultimately unable to secure the license. They decided to take what they had and turn it into a new character: Goku’s power pole was replaced by by Alex’s fists and his design eventually shifted to what would become Alex. With this in mind, the series’ chibi artstyle could very well be rooted in OG Dragon Ball and people have pointed out some of the remaining similarities on sites like The Site That Formerly Had The Blue Bird. One particular similarity is vehicles: Various Dragon Ball artworks had an emphasis on vehicles owing to Akira Toriyama’s fondness for them and Kotaro “Ossale” Hayoshida has a similar interest. Thus, the two main console Alex Kidd platformers feature the Peticopter and the Sukopako Motorcycle.

Plot:

The Alex Kidd franchise is emblematic of Sega’s approach to storylines in their games and builds off of what Fantasy Zone did before, as well as setting a standard that the Sonic series would follow later.

Alex Kidd in Miracle World takes on the Planet Aries, which is invaded by a tyrant known as Janken the Great. At the time, Alex was an orphan who trained under a master named Saint Nubia and thus had no idea of Janken’s take over until he came across some citizens. Alex goes back to his master who reveals to him the truth: Alex himself is one of the two princes of the kingdom of Radaxian. The royal family has been in a tizzy as the king disappeared shortly before Janken’s take over with acting king, Prince Igul/Egul, being held captive in Radaxian Castle itself. Alex thus sets off to not only save his kingdom, but his family as well, using the technique of Shellcore; a style of martial arts that allows its users to embiggen their limbs (or at least, their hands).

It’s not the most original plot, nor is it really the first platformer to put such emphasis on plot (Maybe. I’m not sure.). Still, considering that Sega had eyed Alex as a potential rival to Mario, it’s interesting to see some degree of ambition here: The reveal of Alex being the prince of Radaxian is saved for a couple levels in. When Alex needs to get into a nearby kingdom after rescuing his brother, he has to collect a letter inside Radaxian Castle (in turn, rescuing his brother) or he’ll be turned away. Even after beating Janken, Alex still needs to reclaim the Crown of Radaxian that Janken was after. It gives a general context for why you’re going through the stages that’s a smidge more varied than usual. And then there’s something else that I’ll mention later.

Compare this with the Mario games, which generally had little plot: SMB1 had functionally no plot outside of a general premise, Mario 3′s only major plot development is saved for World 8 and while Super Mario World narrates prose after each Koopaling is defeated, it doesn’t really have any more of a significant plot as was seen in Super Mario Bros 3. Overall, Sega’s games would have more ambitious plotlines, with Sonic picking up where Alex left off and taking it to further and higher heights.

Gameplay

Alex Kidd in Miracle World is a simple platformer. Alex’s two primary actions at any given time are jumping and punching something with his enlarged fist. Aside from vehicles and temporarily from a certain powerup, Alex can only over take one hit before dying. Lose all of your lives and it’s game over... although, if you have enough money (and know of a certain code in the original game) you can purchase another continue. Levels in Miracle World tend to be short, so it’s not too bad to die in the game (although you do lose the Telepathy Ball on a game over and certain stages the jungle can be a pain to get through normally).

Stages in Alex Kidd tend to vary: sometimes they’re simple platforming stages. Other times, Alex can use a vehicle: The motorcycle is optional and can be purchased from the shop, the boat appears automatically and the Peticopter (a pedal-based Helicopter) varies. These vehicles can make getting through a stage a breeze, but they only have one hitpoint: In the case of the motorcycle or stages where Alex can purchase the Peticopter, Alex must brave the rest of the stage himself. In the cases where he starts in a vehicle, Alex will fall into a level underneath the play area and have to work from there. Lastly there are castle levels that are significantly more mazelike. There’s only two such levels in the game: Radaxian Castle and Janken’s Castle.

Powerups differ from Super Mario Bros as well. While you’ll occasionally find power ups (usually extra lives) scattered throughout Radaxia in marked boxes, you’ll mostly be getting them from shops that litter the world. These shops cost money, which you can find scattered all over the place. The powerups range from a barrier that makes Alex immune to enemy attacks at the cost of not allowing him to attack, a ball that can shoot mini clones of Alex at enemies and a magic rod that lets Alex hover in the air. One powerup that you can only get from item boxes is Death, who will promptly chase Alex until scrolled offscreen. Another is skull boxes which aren’t necessarily powerups so much as they stun Alex for a moment if he punches them. Lastly is the Telepathy ball, which may or may not be critical to winning at Jankenpon, depending on your knowledge anyway.

 At the end of certain stages, Alex will run into one of Janken’s minions (excepting Janken’s Castle, where he runs into the big man himself) and will have to play Jankenpon (i.e. Rock-Paper-Scissors). It’s pretty much as you’d expect: Music plays, Alex can pick a hand to chose, when the music stops you play the hand. Best 2 out of 3 are the rules and if Alex loses, he dies. There are two general work arounds for Jankenpon. 1st: Getting the Telepathy Ball allows Alex to see his opponent’s thoughts and therefore get an idea of what they’re going to pick. This is less helpful as it sounds as the thoughts occur in real time and are constantly shifting, meaning the opponent can suddenly switch their hand at the last second, giving you only a split second to react. However, the Telepathy Ball does help with the second option: Janken and his minions have set patterns when it comes to Jankenpon. Thus, if you know the pattern, you can easily sweep the two rounds needed to progress. The issue is that the patterns change if Alex loses a round (i.e. if the opponent chose scissors and Alex loses, he won’t choose scissors next time). Still, one could theoretically puzzle out the winning hands and learn to choose them each time.

Boss battles are a very non-graceful affair. In the first encounters with Janken’s generals, they will die immediately after losing. In the second encounters, they will actually fight by means of detaching their heads and/or shooting projectiles. Since mercy invulnerability does not exist for enemies and Alex himself dies in one hit, boss fights usually end quickly. The absolute irony is that the easiest boss in the game is none other than the final one, Janken the Great himself: His primary attack is shooting a projectile, and the nature of how he shoots it means that Alex can stand right next to him and be at no risk. Perhaps it’s for the best that the actual final challenge is a more puzzle-oriented level.

Re-releases and Ports

Alex Kidd in Miracle World was never as widely re-released as it’s Genesis sequel. The original game remained Master System exclusive until it landed on the Wii’s Virtual Console. It eventually made it to the PS3 in 2012 as part of the Sega Vintage Collection (or Sega Ages Online) line. Today, the two options for playing Miracle World legitimately are the Switch-Exclusive Sega Ages release by M2 or the Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX remake.

Miracle World DX generally updates the graphics, adds some new stages and expands on the story somewhat (the major difference being that Alex himself now has dialogue and the first stage now takes the place of the Japanese manual’s storyline to explain how Alex learns about Janken). The game has a few QoL options that make the game easier (better controls, infinite lives and permanently having the telepathy ball) but I believe achievements are disabled if those options are turned on. Also, I’m not sure if it’s a glitch, but progress seems to be tied to the game state (i.e. if you decide to replay Mt. Eternal after finishing the game, the game will reset your progress to as if you started a fresh game at Mt. Eternal). On the other hand, the game has some neat little touches such as collectibles referencing both other Alex Kidd games (even including Enchanted Castle’s interesting boxart) and other Sega games in general, including Sonic or how the food Alex eats can be changed (in the original game the donut riceball was changed to a hamburger. The remake gives you the ability to toggle the change and even adds a few new ones). The game also allows the player to shift the artstyle to one closely matching the original Miracle World at the push of a button. The overall consensus is that if you like the original Miracle World, you’ll probably like the remake, but if you didn’t, then you won’t be won over either. The game is faithful, perhaps to a fault (and even then, there’s almost assuredly some mechanical differences that I do not know about).

The Sega Ages version is more of a remaster. In addition to Original Mode, which is what that name implies, Ages mode adds a new soundtrack based on the FM Sound Unit: An add-on for the Sega Master System which improved the audio capabilities and could lead to some stark differences between it and the more “bleep-bloop”-ish PSG audio (Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars would have support for the FM Sound Unit and is a good example of such differences). Ages mode also adds new illustrations at the start of each level (covering the map, which can still be seen on the pause screen) and adds a rewind function, which can make playing the game easier.

Later Games 

The franchise after Miracle World went in some... odd directions.

(Multiverse theory means that there is a timeline where “with STELLA” became as much of a meme as “& Knuckles”, “Featuring Dante from the Devil May Cry series” “New Funky Mode”, etc)

The first follow-up was Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars (With Stella), an arcade title released the same year as Miracle World, getting a port to the Master System two years later. I’d tell the plot here, but there’s a bit of an issue: While I cannot read Japanese, the little I’ve parsed through DeepL suggests that it varies much differently from the English plot. This was kind of a thing Sega did on occasion (see: Sonic CD). Regardless of which region, the overall plot is that a greedy star known as the Ziggurat (or the Bloom?) is going around absorbing other stars. Alex and his new ??? Stella must go out and find the Miracle Balls to restore the constellations of Planet Aries. In terms of gameplay, it’s a bog-standard run ‘n jump with bizarre visuals. Alex can’t even attack enemies without a specific power up.

(Pictured: Sega of America’s depiction of Alex Kidd, which would remain consistent in terms of western covers until Shinobi World)

The second, more direct follow-up is Alex Kidd and the Enchanted Castle for the Sega Genesis. If Miracle World was a flawed, if somewhat interesting game, then Enchanted Castle says “you are like baby: watch this.”

Gameplaywise: Alex has a new jumping-kick move when he descends, which requires positioning as it’s not a traditional jump attack. The plot-related elements that Miracle World had are non-existent, being a straightforward platformer. Rather than being strictly a boss battle affair, Jankenpon is now necessary to buy anything in the stores (or rather, the one item they have on display) and speaking of, there is only one proper boss fight in the main villain Ashura. Every other “boss” is a bout of Jankenpon. Most damningly, movement is just as slippery as ever and Alex still dies in a single hit.

Then there’s the ending, which...

The plot of Alex Kidd and the Enchanted Castle is that Alex hears a tip that his father is on another planet... namely, the planet that Janken the Great from the previous game is from. Alex travels there and fights his way to a castle in the sky, where he encounters Ashura, Janken’s son (maybe?). After defeating him, Ashura runs into the next room where King Thor/Thunder is waiting, perfectly fine. As it turns out King Thor had never been taken prisoner; He was visiting Janbarik/Paperock and took Ashura as his servant. The End.

(Alex’s Enchanted Castle design would go on to become the base for his modern design, albeit with some minor changes).

And here’s where the franchise gets weird.

Alex Kidd in Hi-Tech World was released for the Sega Master System the same year as Enchanted Castle. This one is interesting as it never released in Japan. Why? Because I lied: It did, but it wasn’t connected to Alex Kidd at all.

Anmitsu Hime was a Japanese manga/anime about a tomboy princess getting into all sorts of antics. It got a licensed video game in 1987. About 2 years later, Sega of America decided to “SMB2″ it for... reasons I cannot fathom. The main character was replaced by Alex, the characters were changed to be legally distinct versions, and the objective was switched from reaching a cake shop to reaching Hi-Tech World to play some Sega games (meaning the title is technically a lie: Alex is in Hi-Tech World in the ending).

So if you were ever wondering why Radaxian Castle went from a European Castle to a Japanese castle, why Alex’s parents are suddenly overtly Japanese, why Alex is being attacked by ninjas, etc, that’s why.

And speaking of ninjas...

(Alex is by everything as he contemplates the state of his franchise) 

Alex Kidd in Shinobi World was the last Alex Kidd game originally released in 1990, just a year before his speedy blue understudy would enter the scene. The plot is simple: Alex’s girlfriend is kidnapped by the Dark Ninja. The White Ninja, deciding that Alex is a bad enough dude to rescue her, grants him ninja powers. And all of this takes place on Planet Shinobi.

This is a weird one.

Despite being made by Sega’s R&D 2, Shinobi World was never released in Japan. It was called “Shinobi Kid(d)” during development, raising questions of if it was ever intended to be an Alex Kidd-related game. The first boss was originally a parody of Mario. This game, overall, was the note this series ended on.

Apparently, it plays really well by virtue of being based on Shinobi, so a high note. Still pretty sad when you think about it.

There is one last game to talk about regarding the Alex Kidd franchise, but it isn’t a sequel. On the contrary, it predates the series and even afterwards, it’s not immediately clear how it fits.

(Pitter Potter)

Pit Pot is a puzzle game, somewhat like Tower of Druaga. A knight, wielding a magical hammer, must save a princess who is trapped in the titular Castle Pit Pot by a witchsorceress. The knight, Igul, searches the castle for the three treasures he needs and succeeds in rescuing the princess.

But what does that have to do with Alex Kidd? Because Igul, the knight who’s the main character, is in fact the same Igul/Egul who is acting king of Radaxian, and the princess who is rescued after defeating Janken, Princess Lora/Rooney, is indeed the same princess that Igul rescued in Pit Pot. This is furthered by the Alex Kidd Complete Album release, which includes music from Pit Pot.

And Pit Pot, itself, is a sequel to an unreleased game called “Chain Pit”.

In any case, the Miracle World DX remake references this further The collectible for Radaxian Castle is given to Alex by the captain of the royal guard. The collectible in question? Igul’s hammer.

Other Appearances & Legacy

While never reaching the lows of say, Bubsy for example, Sega did have some fun poking at Alex’s failure to truly take off. Altered Beast has tombstones reading “Alex” and “Stella”, a reference to Lost Stars. Alex also featured in Segagaga, including a scene where he speaks with the main protagonist, Taroh, in order to convince him not to give up after he has been fired from Sega. Segagaga is a parody RPG of sorts, being one of the last games Sega made before exiting the console market (with the game itself reflecting the state they were in). With that in mind, the entire game takes on a bittersweet tone and Alex’s speech and reflection on his failure to catch on have a similar feeling, especially one scene that implies that Alex felt envious of Sonic (his replacement).

Alex has also been a mainstay of the Sega Superstars/Sonic & All Stars brand since Superstars Tennis.  While the franchise in general never got a court or track, Alex himself still has a slew of references: His Superstar State in Tennis is based on Jankenpon from the two main console games while All Stars Racing features the Sukopako motorcycle as his standard vehicle and Peticopter as his All-Star move. Sega still finds use for Alex even today as a mascot for their early years, with the Sega Ages line on Nintendo Switch having Alex present the games. Alex also appeared in the back half of the Mega Man/Sonic Archie crossover Worlds Unite (i.e. Sega X Capcom, sadly not as exciting as you’d think).

(But it still gave us stuff like this image)

And of course, the Miracle World remake, which started as a fan project.

Conclusion

So... why did I type up all of that? 

I dunno. I feel like Alex Kidd is a series that had potential, but squandered it. Miracle World is decent, if flawed, but Enchanted Castle doesn’t fix (or even doubles down) on those issues. I haven’t played the other games yet but given what I’ve seen of Lost Stars and the nature of the other two games, I’m not keeping expectations high. I suppose I’m just lamenting what could’ve been with this charming little series after playing both versions of Miracle World.

Of course, we got Sonic from all of that. People can argue over how worth it it was considering the later games and the fanbase and etc, but overall probably the best call...

Alex’s future these days is no better or worse than it has been for years. A proper follow up game is as unlikely as it’s always been. “Ossale” has stated/joked that if he could make a modern day Alex Kidd, it would be a realistic first-person action game with a feeling similar to the movie, Shaolin Soccer.

Miracle World still has a fanbase, especially in regions such as Brazil where the Master System is fondly regarded. The game even has a modest fan-hacking scene: You won’t find anything on the level of, say, Sonic: The Next Level, but it’s still noteworthy. Full on fan-games are rarer, but SAGE 2023 did have someone make an “Alex Kidd CD” to imagine what Alex Kidd would be like on the Sega CD, so there’s that.

Will we ever see a fangame that reinvents Alex Kidd with a detail of quality comparable to the finer Sonic fan games? Probably not, but imagine if we did, and Alex and Stella got an adventure that endeared them to players.

It’d be a Miracle.

[isfjmel-phleg]

November 2022 Books

Dark Waters and Empty Smiles by Katherine Arden

I enjoyed this series on the whole, but the last book was disappointingly short. It was building toward something intriguing and then...just sort of ends? The climax/resolution left a lot of questions unresolved and didn't have the emotional impact that it could have had if it had been paced at a rate proportional to the rest of the book.

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

I've been meaning to get to this series for quite a while, but it didn't grab my attention as much as I hoped it would, so I probably won't continue. It wasn't bad; I just felt it was less original and with less interesting characters than Collins's other works.

The Seventh Raven by David Elliott

An unusual fairy tale retelling in that it's told through poetry--and it works quite well! It's evocative and visceral and fits well into the oral tradition of fairy tales. (Although the youngest brother's arc goes absolutely nowhere in the end.)

Between Jobs by W. R. Gingell

I have a lot of unanswered questions, but the characters and their dynamics are fascinating, and I'd like to continue this series.

The List of Unspeakable Fears by J. Kasper Kramer

This was absolute Rebekah Bait, and I loved it. Turn-of-the-century setting, eerie atmosphere, troubled young heroine whose assumptions about people lead to her need to better understand the humanity of others--a very enjoyable read.

The Case of the Baker Street Irregular by Robert Newman

I don't remember much about this one.

The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas

I enjoyed the light tone of this one and will probably continue the series at some point.

The Desolations of Devil's Acre by Ransom Riggs

I've had this book for a long time and finally got around to it. Never have been crazy about the romantic plotline, but that (thank goodness) wasn't so much the emphasis. The worldbuilding continues to be this series' strength.

A Drowned Maiden's Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz

I liked this one more than I expected to. It's set around the turn of the century and deals with an orphan girl who is taken in by sisters who are fraudulent spiritualists and want to use her to assist in their scams. Schlitz writes extraordinarily believable historical fiction, and the themes of attachment to an emotional abuser and having to realize the truth of having been used...hits hard.

Behind the Bookcase by Mark Steensland

Some fantastic creative ideas that were not developed to their greatest potential.

Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells

Still don't understand what's going on. I just enjoy Murderbot.

Comics (in order of reading)

Young Justice (2019) Vol. 1-3 by Brian Michael Bendis

From a narrative perspective, this series is a mess. The story meanders aimlessly, and Bendis keep throwing in new characters instead of fully developing his already large main cast. Weird creative decisions are made (this is not one of Tim's better storylines, and I refuse to believe that he would seriously use his actual surname as his new codename? even his friends think it's ridiculous!). However, this is fantastic writing for Bart (and only Bart), whom Bendis seems to understand well.

The Flash: Fastest Man Alive Vol. 1-2 by Danny Bilson, Paul DeMeo, and Marc Guggenheim

I went into this series knowing it was awful, and it lived up to that promise.

If you absolutely must tell a story in which a long-established hero gets killed off, you're going to want to build that emotional punch by immersing the audience in why they love the character in the first place. Show him at his most characteristic and endearing. Call back to earlier stories. Focus on his relationships with other well-characters to show what a hole would be left behind if he weren't there. Have him be so close to achieving a big goal, some kind of especial happiness--and then kill him.

This series...did none of that. Bart is practically unrecognizable, he's disconnected from his family and friends, and it all feels very generic. Throw in a contrived and (quite frankly) creepy romantic relationship and an unexplained return of an antagonist whose previously established so-close-to-redemption arc get brushed aside in favor of being generically Evil...and it doesn't work.

The epilogue dealing with Inertia's fate had better writing in terms of emotional impact, but I do not care for the direction of making Thad "an irredeemable sociopath" who must suffer "something worse [than being killed]."

Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge by Geoff Johns

Continues dealing with Inertia's fate, and the characterization gets even worse. I would prefer to ignore the existence of this one.

Teen Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day by Judd Winick

The transitional story between Young Justice 1998 and Teen Titans 2003. Probably a mistake considering how the latter would turn out.

Teen Titans (2003) Vol. 1 by Geoff Johns

You've probably seen me rant elsewhere about what this series did to Bart for no apparent reason. The characterization in what little I've read of this series is not great in general, and I don't have the time or patience to continue with this trainwreck.

Assorted other Teen Titans (2003) issues

Read for Thad's appearances. And apparently Bart after returning from the dead and being restored to his previous age starts spending a scary amount of time in VR vengefully killing Inertia over and over. Yikes.

Batman: The Long Halloween and Dark Victory by Jeph Loeb

I'm not an expert, but I'd call these quintessential Batman comics in their style and tone.

First ~30 issues of Robin (1993) by Chuck Dixon

These are very, very 90s so far, and my biggest takeaway is concern for this poor kid. He's doing way too much. He does not have the time or emotional maturity to handle a romantic relationship. He's trying to keep his double life secret and is operating on next to no sleep most of the time. Someone please rescue him.

[covenscribe]

thoughts on the Larian IGN interview posted today (Dec.15.2023)

Interview is here

my thoughts under read more cut

-Personally think they shouldn't have added Karlach before they figured out her main story, hearing that there was never 'more' planned sucks because shes a great character and really should have been given more in game time to flourish

-Lae'zel is literally a child soldier I don't see toning her down in any sense as good

-I agree that Astarion's main motivating factor is fear I don't know why people are upset about this assessment tbh

-Okay the big issue is that the Evil Playthrough's lack of content is 'A consequence of your actions' . It is a video game, if you let people make a choice that you feel you need to punish them for then thats not fun. That's bad dming in dnd. I feel like Im being lectured for reading horror novels, some times I want evil storylines.

Instead of leaving it empty it should have been that more evil things fill in the void left by good being killed. Such as filling the city with more cultists, more missions seeing how the world is negatively affected by your choices other than just emptiness. Don't stop at having to kill kids at the grove for the evil run, keep the horror of evil snowballing until the world is burning.

If you're going to have an evil option go all out with the same effort you give the good options or it feels like half a game.

-I'm annoyed they didn't plan more for Halsin in act 3 other than to be there to be kidnapped and annoyed with the city. You have a whole character full of potential! And being the sole third option for poly romance being treated as a tacked on after thought feels bad.

-Shadowheart's original character pitch being a sharran jason bourne was a choice lol. I like how she is in game.

-I think its interesting that they noticed how it was unfair that some characters weren't getting as much love because of where they were placed on the map for recruitment. Like, y'all built that map...

I think it would have been better if the nautiloid section was a lot bigger and you end up recruiting all main companions on the ship, you can still have rescuing gale from a portal, astarion threatening you, wyll and karlach being about to fight when you have to get to the helm.

saying the potential to miss karlach added replay value i disagree with as it just adds frustration imo

-"Wyll: 'We Lost a Little Bit of Narrative Room"

You Sure Did, I love Wyll's story line but he gets so little screen time compared to other characters that it drives me up the wall. Also seeing how we went from the one black companion potentially being replaced by a white woman ( mizora ) in his original story line to being the only companion that can kill another companion doesn't feel good imo.

Tying character story lines together to make the world feel more connected is good but that was a miss

-The Emperor, like Astarion, being motivated by fear makes sense, but the emperor is more of a level headed manipulator and that's why he had a full underground empire of business deals.

-I love the irony that he devil is one who tells you the honest truth about the emperor.

-Saying "One of the basic questions of the game was whether you would become a monster if it would save the world." is interesting because with the companions it often feels like 'would you make yourself a monster to protect yourself' instead.

The ending is full of self sacrifice for multiple characters so I don't think its about becoming a monster, I think it's more about how people who are forced into awful situations will always come out changed.

-Raphael absolutely is a theater kid with too much power lol

-i disagree with the interviewer saying there was no real reward for not taking in more tadpoles the reward is less worms in your brain matter lmao

-imo they wouldnt have had to make minthara recruitable in a good playthrough for people to experience her storyline if they just put content in for the evil playthroughs so its just as fun and people will play it

I think that given unlimited time and resources, I'd want to make a new game at this point. I'm happy with Baldur's Gate 3.

"Baldur's Gate 4 confirmed. SV: What did I miss? AS: Apparently I just confirmed... No, I didn't."

dont tease me lol

-jaheria romance was planned and im sad we didnt get the gilf romance now

-apparently there is or was a special event that happens if you have stolen from a ton of people

Okay that was the full interview my main thought is

Stop pulling a bioware where you re-write a bunch of stuff that has already been worked on and you will have time for more of what you had planned and with less crunch.

That said I also know I'm an outsider and can't know everything they struggled with to make this game happen and genuinely wish them the best. I wouldn't bother critiquing the game if I didn't love it.