#isat too many hats

[cb-writes-stuff]

Too Many Hats

Loop 2

You wake up in a field. You stare up at the sky, the darkless clouds drifting lazily through the air. The breeze ruffles your cloak a little. Somewhere nearby, there’s some birds singing.

So the looping thing isn’t a one-time deal… That’s good to know. Loop said as much, but you’re still not sure how much you trust them.

With an annoyed sigh, you pick yourself up and head into the village. It wasn’t bad for your inaugural loop. You got past the Death Corridor this time, and made it through the whole first floor. Unfortunately, you weren’t prepared for that Sadness with the big ball head. Not that it matters, much. Now you know for next time.

Mirabelle comes up to you as you’re crossing the bridge into the village proper. You’re prepared, this time. “Siffrin!” she says. “You’re up!”

Just be casual. “Hey Mira.”

“Hey, Siffrin!” She giggles a little. “So how was your nap? On a scale of one to ten!”

Don’t screw it up this time. “It was alright.”

“I’m glad!” she tells you, clasping her hands. “I know how much you value your naps.” Suddenly, her face scrunches. “Oh, wait! I had something I wanted to ask you!!!” As she talks about her sleepover idea, you realize you’ve heard this before. You don’t guess there’s much reason to listen to it again… She’s done. “It would be nice, wouldn’t it?”

Yeah, you know what to say. Make her happy. “That sounds like an AMAZING idea, Mira!” you say with your most enthusiastic voice.

Her face lights up as you say it. “Yeah? Oh, I’m so glad you think so! I was thinking it was a little silly, but if you think it could be fun, then great!!!” You nod with her. That’s encouraging, right? “Ah, I can’t wait…” she continues. “This will be delightful! I’m smiling just thinking about it…”

Stars, her excitement is literally infectious. Seeing her so happy makes you happy too. You can’t help but smile back.

The conversation goes on just like it did the last two times. You thought it’d get boring, saying the same things over and over again, but it’s not so bad. It’s comfortable, even. You wave at Mirabelle as she walks away.

Right. Next thing to do is head to the shop and talk to Odile. She seemed suspicious last time… You wanna make sure you’re not that obvious.

Just like before, Odile is in the back of the shop, picking out various supplies. Unsurprisingly. You head over to her. “Odile!”

She glances at you. “Oh, Siffrin,” she says, turning to face you properly. “You look rested. Glad to see you this laidback on the day before the end of the world.” So that’s still normal. Good. She goes on, “Anyway. How can I help you?”

Might as well come right out and ask. “So, um. Anything weird happen lately?”

“Weird…?” she asks. “Like what? I didn’t see anything weird. Did you see anything weird?” Her eyes are drilling holes into you! You forgot about that!!!

Quick, say something normal! “Nope! Not at all, not a single weirdo in sight.”

Nice.

Odile stares at you. You can’t tell if that face is suspicious or confused. There’s a long silence between the two of you before she finally says, “Okay.” She turns back to the shelves, sifting through them. “I’ll keep an eye out,” she tells you. “I do hope you’ll also let me know if you see ‘something weird’.”

You don’t say anything.

You screwed it up again. Stars, when will you get it right?

…You’re glad she’s not looking at you right now.

“Anything else?” she asks. You quickly tell her no. “Okay. I’ll see you at the clocktower later then.”

Okay. Good. Odile talked to. Now you can leave. Which you do very quickly. And head for Bonnie as quickly as possible.

★〜★〜★

Odile watched Siffrin leave from the corner of her eye. They were acting strange. Not strange enough for her to care, though. And besides, knowing the world was ending tomorrow could make anyone act strange.

She hears the door open and close again, and someone’s footsteps approaching. “Hey, um, Odile.”

“What is it, Siffrin?” She turns, looking down at him. He seems bothered.

Their face quickly changed, now looking a little hurt. “Did I do something wrong?” they ask.

She raises an eyebrow. “No? What would make you think…” Hmm. She hadn’t used the kindest tone. She shakes her head. “No, you’re fine. Is there something I can help you with?”

Siffrin shuffles in place, and the shifting lumps in his cloak tell her he’s fidgeting. “Have you… seen anything weird, lately?”

“Not since the last time you asked me, no…” She fixes her gaze on him. Something isn’t right. “Have you?”

They jump, plainly startled. “Nope! Not at all!” they say, very unconvincingly. Except… they acted as if they hadn’t done the same exact thing just a few minutes ago.

She spends a long time just looking at him, trying to find some hint of… something. Because something was definitely off. “Siffrin… are you alright?” She normally wouldn’t be bothered to ask, but this was just too much. “I know you’re forgetful, but you’re not this forgetful.”

They were actually sweating. She’d never seen Siffrin sweat before. “Yeah! I’m fine! Super fine!” They give her two thumbs up, to show just how fine they are. “Fine and dandy! But…” They try to retreat into their cloak like a turtle. Good. Normal Siffrin behavior. “Why do you ask?”

Odile looks him over, scanning from hat to heels. He doesn’t seem to be faking it, and even if he is, it’s an odd thing to fake. She crosses her arms. “I don’t know. Something doesn’t feel right. Do you really not remember talking to me already?”

Siffrin just stares for a moment. Then their face pales. Odile hadn’t thought it possible for them to be any paler. “W-wuh… When?” they stutter.

Okay. So he had forgotten. Concerning, but not highly unusual. Along their journey, the group often had to remind him of things he forgot. “Just a few moments ago,” she tells him patiently. “You asked me the same question you did just now. Is something on your mind, Siffrin?” There must be, if he remembered to ask but not the actual asking.

They shake their head. “No, not really,” they say a little too quickly. “Um. I’m gonna go now.”

“Okay…” Odile tries one more time to find any clue as to what’s wrong. “See you tonight then…” He only nodded before fleeing the shop.

Strange. Very strange. She’ll have to keep an eye on them, she decided.

★〜★〜★

Well. This has been a very weird day so far.

You died. Flattened into a pancake by a surprise rock. Then you woke up, yesterday. Somehow. And no one but you remembers what happened. It seemed like Odile did for a second when you were talking to her, but that weird Loop person said she doesn’t.

Doesn’t matter though. What matters is that you’re here. You’re alive. And you can change things. And you’re never at risk of dying, so that’s pretty cool. And—

You’re just passing the sign that says “Favor Tree” when you see it. There’s someone at the Change God statue, wearing a darkless cloak and a big floppy hat, just like yours. They swing their dagger—curved, like yours—a few times, and fumble it. They quickly pick it back up and look around, hoping no one saw.

Their eyes lock with yours. Slowly, very slowly, they approach. And they just… stand there. Looking at you.

You take a few steps closer, circling your way in. They do the same.

They have an eyepatch over their left eye, and mostly darkless hair to their shoulders. It’s dyed lightless in the back. This feels like looking in a mirror. Except there’s obviously no mirror here. Maybe it’s invisible? You’ve heard that birds can’t see glass. Maybe this is like that. Maybe you’re a bird.

You look up and see them make the same confused face as you.

You’ve switched sides with them now, you with your back to the Change God statues and them with their back to the path to the Favor Tree. Very cautiously, you reach out a hand, a finger, as they copy you exactly. You inch closer and closer, until finally… you touch.

Nothing happens.

“Um,” they say, staring at the point where your fingers meet. “I kinda thought the universe would explode, or something.” Their voice sounds just like yours.

“Yeah,” you reply, your mind racing and giving you nothing to work with. “Me too.” You look up, and meet your own gaze.

Your other hand twitches. So does theirs. You both want to reach for your knives. But what’s the point? Aren’t you evenly matched? Won’t you just tire each other out, or worse… kill each other.

They grimace. “I… don’t really feel like killing myself,” they say.

You shake your head. “Me neither.”

They look around, then wave for you to follow. “Probably don’t want anyone seeing us.”

You nod, and follow them towards the Favor Tree. But instead of turning, they lead you through the trees, and into a tiny clearing. You could cross it in a few steps. It’s hardly a clearing. But, looking around, you can’t see through the trees.

They whip around, knife drawn. “Who are you?” they ask. Calling them “angry” was an understatement. “Why are you… me!?”

One hand, you fling up defensively. The other flashes for your knife and rests there. You can’t take any risks right now.

Okay. So, on top of all the other weirdness, you’re now being held at knifepoint by another you. What do people usually do here?

Oh, yeah. Try to smooth things over. “I’m Siffrin,” you say. Okay. Good. What next. “And you are?” Good. Very good. You’re surprisingly calm, given the circumstances.

“…I’m Siffrin.” He sounds calmer, but he doesn’t put the knife away. “How… How did you get here?”

Um? “I’ve been travelling with my allies, gathering the—”

“The five orbs, I know. I mean, why is there another me?”

You don’t know that one, so you shrug. “I’m as confused as you are.” Are you in shock? You’re probably in shock. That would make sense. Normally, people aren’t so calm when their other self is threatening to kill them. Oh, you should probably explain all that, in case the other you doesn’t know. “We went into the House, and there was a Death Corridor, and then I couldn’t find any switches or wires or traps or anything, then a rock fell on me.” Oh stars, you’re rambling.” And I died. Then I woke up back in Dormont, and I met this weird star person, and—”

“Wait.” Thank the stars, they interrupted you. “You’ve only looped once?”

You nod. “Why…?”

They hesitate. “I’ve looped twice.”

Oh. Well that changes things. “So you’re me from the future?” He nods. “Huh. What happened?”

“Big ball head killed us.”

You have no idea what that means. “Cool.”

They put their knife away. “We should probably head to the clocktower.”

You nod. Together, side by side, you head east. It’s more than awkward.

You don’t want to say anything. You know he’s thinking the same thing. You probably don’t have to say anything at all. They look at you, their face… concerned, you think.

Yep. You’re definitely thinking the same thing.

How are you gonna explain the fact that there’s two of you?

[claitea]

dubious little creature getting up to mischief

[sysig]

Blood sugar levels (Patreon)

[moonstandardtime]

silly bug. hide in my brain sometimes

(reblogs are appreciated :3)

[hyperfixationsonlybabes]

in stars and time doodles

if you couldn't tell already by my recent reblogs this game gave me so many worms. in my brain. so many.

ummmm act 6 ish spoilers under the cut so beware

these are just silly little doodles I did of loop!siffrin to get used to using clip studio paint again. seeing the secret boss fight + convo btwn loop and siffrin made me want to bawllllll. i didn't get to get it in my own playthrough :'( but i plan to 100% isat along with playing the demo at some point, i just need a weensy break!!

anyways, lowkey the design gives my sonic OC do not steal!!! but honestly that's fine w/ me for now, i'll probably give them a lil redesign if i draw a full body version. design headcanons in the tags <3

[aria0fgold]

Stars.

Well... Guess who's doing something very self-indulgent that caters to me, myself, and I? orz... This is the third time--

[wingogo]

So part of the reason I disappeared for months is that like many others I fell into the ISAT whole and am working on throwing my hat in with the dozens (hundreds??) of animatics out there. You can't play this game and remain normal. It's too good. Play In Stars and Time. Or if you can't play it, buy it on steam to support and then go watch a Lets Play. Good shit. Maybe I will finish this dang thing by year end.

[felikatze]

ISAT and Ludonarrative Harmony: Combat is a Storytelling Tool

Or: How Siffrin is stuck in the endgame grind, forever

Please Note: This is primarily aimed at an audience that already played In Stars and Time, because I am bad at explaining things, and it's good to already know what the fuck I'm talking about. I tend to only bring up game elements as I want to talk about them.

Spoilers for.... all of ISAT! Especially Act 5!

(image to show how i feel posting this and as an attention grabber over my wall of text)

To pull a definition of ludonarrative harmony out of a hat, game writer Lauryn Ash defines it as follows:

Ludonarrative harmony is when gameplay and story work together to create a meaningful and immersive experience. From a design implementation perspective, it is the synchronized interactions between in-game actions (mechanics) and in-world context (story).

It is, generally speaking, how well game mechanics work hand in hand with the story. I, personally, think ISAT is an absolute masterclass of it, so I want to take a look at how ISAT specifically uses its battle system to emphasize Siffrin's character arc and create organic story moments. I want you to keep this in mind when I talk here.

So, skills, right? If you've played any turn-based RPG, you know your Fire spells, your "BACKSLASH! AIRSLASH! BACKSLASH!" and the many ways to style those.

Well, what does casting "Fire" say about your character? Not all that much, does it? Perhaps you'll have typical divisions. The smart one is the mage, the big brawny one is your tank, the petite one's the healer. And that's the barebones of ISAT's main party, but it's much more than that.

Every character's style of combat tells you something about them. Odile, the Researcher, is the most well-travelled and knowledgable of the bunch. She's the one with the expertise to keep a cool head and analyze the enemy, yet also able to use all three of the Rock-Paper-Scissors craft types.

To reflect her analytical view of things, all her skill names are just descriptive, the closest to your most bog-standard RPG. "Slow IV" or "Paper III" serve well to describe their purpose. The high number of the skills gives the impression there were three other Slow skills beforehand - fitting, considering the party starts at level 45, about to head into the final dungeon. She's also the oldest, so she's the slowest of the bunch.

Isabea, the Fighter, has all his skills in exclamation points. "YOUR TURN!!!" "SO WEAK!!!" "SMASH!!!" they're straightforward, but excited. He's a purposefully cheerfull guy, so his skills revolve around cheering on his allies. He's absolutely pumped to be here, and you see that from his skill names alone.

Mirabelle, the Housemaiden, is an interesting case. She's by all means the true protagonist of this tale - She's the one "Chosen by the Change God," the only one who survived the King's first attack, the only one immune to his ability to freeze time, the only dual-craft type of the game - just a lot of things. And her skill names reflect that facade she puts on herself - she can do this, she can win! She has to believe it, or else she starts doubting. This is how you get "Jolly Round Rondo" and "Mega Sparkle Heal" or "Adorable Moving Cure." She's styled every bit a sailor scout shojo heroine, and her moveset replicates the naming conventions of "In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"

Even Bonnie, the Kid, who can't be controlled in combat, has named craft skills. And they very much reflect that Bonnie is, well, a kid. "Wolf Speed Technique" or "Thousand Blows Technique" are very much the phrasings of a child who learned one complicated word and now wants to use it in everything to seem cooler than they are, which is none, because they're twelve.

Siffrin's skills are all puns.

You have an IMMEDIATE feel for personality here. Between "Knife to Meet You!" and "Too Cleaver by Half," you know Siffrin's the type to always crack a joke no matter the situation, slinging witticisms around to put Sonic the Hedgehog to shame. It's just such a clever way to establish character using a game mechanic as old as the entire history of RPGs.

This is only the baseline of the way the combat system feeds into the story, though.

The timeloop, of course, feeds into it. Siffrin is the only character who retains experience upon looping, whereas all other characters are reset to their base level and skills. And it sucks (affectionate).

You're extremely likely to battle more often the earlier in the game you are - after all, you need the experience (for now.) Every party member contributes, and Siffrin isn't all that strong on their own, since they focus on raw scissor type damage with the addition of one speed buff. (Of course it's a speed buff. They're a speedy fucker. Just look at him).

At first, the difference in level between Siffrin and the rest of the group is rather negligible. Just a level or two. Just a bit more speed and attack. And then Siffrin grows further and further apart. Siffrin keeps learning new skills. He gets a healing skill that doubles as an attack boost, taking away from both Mirabelle's and Isabeau's usefullness. He gets Craft skills of every type that even give you two jackpot points instead of one - thus obliterating Odile's niche. Siffrin turns into a one-person army capable of clearing most encounters all on their own.

Siffrin's combat progression is an exact mirror of story progression - as their experience inside the loops grows, they also grow further and further away from their party. The party seems... weaker, slower, clumsier. Always back at their starting point, just as all of their character arcs are reset each loop. Never advancing, always stagnant. And you have Siffrin as the comparison post right next to them.

I also want to point out here a change from Act 2 to Act 3 - Siffrin's battle portrait. He stops smiling.

Battles keep getting easier. This is true both for the reason that Siffrin keeps growing stronger even when all enemies stay the same, but also for the reason that you, the player, learn more about the battle system and the various encounters, until you've learned perfect boss clear strategies just from repetition. Have you ever watched a speedrunner play Pokemon? They've played this game so many times, they could do it blindfolded and sleeping. Your own knowledge and Siffrin's new strength work in tandem to trivialize the game's entire combat system as the game progresses.

(Is it still fun? Playing it over, and over, and over again? Is it?)

You and Siffrin are in sync, your experience making everything trivial.

As time goes on, Siffrin grows to care less and less about performing right for their party and more and more about going fast. A huge moment in his character is marked by the end of Act 3; because of story events I won't delve too deeply into, Siffrin has grown afraid of trying something new. And his options of escape are closing in. They need an answer, and they need it fast. He doesn't have the time or patience to dumb himself down, so you unlock one new skill.

It doesn't occur with level up, or with a quest, or anything at all. At the start of Act 4, it simply appears in Siffrin's Craft skills.

(Just attack.)

No pun. No joke. Just attack. Once you notice, the effect is immediate - here you have it, a clear sign of how jaded Siffrin has become, right at every encounter. And it's a damn good attack, too! The only available attack in the game that deals "massive" damage against all enemies. Because it doesn't add any jackpot points (at least, it's not supposed to), you set up a combo with everybody else, but Siffrin simply tears away at the enemy with wild abandon. Seperated from the rest of the party by the virtue of no longer needing to contribute to team attacks (most of the time. It's still useful if they do, though).

Once again, an aspect of the battle system enhances the degree of separation between Siffrin and the static characters of his play. You're incentivized to separate him, even.

Additionally, there are two more skills to learn. They're the only skills that replace previous skills. You only get them at extremely high levels, the latter of which I didn't even reach on both of my playthroughs.

The first, somewhere in the level 70 range, Rose Printed Glasses, a paper type craft skill, is replaced by Tear You Apart. It's still a pun about paper, but remarkedly more vicious.

The second is even more on the nose. At level 80, In A While, Rockodile!, a rock type craft skill, is replaced by the more powerful Rock Bottom.

I didn't get to level 80. If you do, you pretty much have to do it on purpose. You have to keep going much longer than necessary, as Siffrin is just done. And the last skill he learns is literally called Rock Bottom.

What do I even need to say, really.

Your party doesn't stay static forever, though.

By doing their hangout quests, side quests throughout the loops that result in Siffrin and the character having a heart to heart, all of them unlock what I'd call an "ultimate" skill. You know the type - the character achieved self-fulfillment, hit rank 10 on their confidant, maxed out their skill tree, and received a reward for their trouble.

These skills are massively useful. My favorite is Odile's - it makes one enemy weak to all Craft types for several turns, which basically allows you to invalidate the first and third boss, as well as just clown on the King, especially once Siffrin starts racking up damage.

But the thing is. In Act 3, when you first get them, yeah, they're useful. But... do you need them? After all, they're such a hassle to get. You need to do the whole character quest again, you can't loop forward in the House or you'll lose them. If you want to take these skills to the King, you need to commit. Go the full nine-yards and be nice to your friends and not die and not skip forward or skip back. Which is annoying, right?

Well, I sure did think so during Act 4. After all, a base level party can still defeat the King, just with a few more tricky pieces involved. Siffrin can oneshot almost all basic enemies by the time of Act 4. It's this exact evalutation that you, the player, go through everytime you return to Dormont. Do I want this skill, still? Would it not be faster to go on without it? I'm repeating myself, but that's the thing! That's what Siffrin is thinking, too!

I also want to take a quick moment to note, here - all skills gained from hangouts have art associated with them, which no other skills do. This feature, the nifty art, hammers home these as "special" skills, besides just how they're unlocked.

Siffrin also has one skill with associated art.

Yeah, you guessed it, it's (Just attack.)

At first, helping the characters is tied to a hefty in-game reward, but that reward loses its value, and in return devalues helping Siffrin's friends every loop. It's too tedious for a skill that'll make a boss go by one turn faster. You, the player, grow jaded with the battle system. Grinding experience isn't worth it, everybody's highest levels are already recorded. Fighting bosses isn't worth it, it's much faster to loop forward.

Isn't this what all endgame in video games looks like? You already beat the final boss, and now... what challenge is left? Is there a point to keep playing? Most games will have some post-game content. A superboss to test your skills against, but ISAT doesn't have any of that. You're forever left chasing to the post-game. That's the whole point - to escape the game.

As most games get more difficult as time passes, ISAT only gets easier. The game becomes disinterested in expanding its own mechanics just as I ran out of new things to fight after 100%-ing Kingdom Hearts 3. Every encounter becomes a simple game of "press button to win."

The final boss just takes that one up a notch.

Spoilers for Act 5 ahead boys!

In Act 5, Siffrin utterly loses it. His last possible hope for escape failed him, told him there's nothing she can do, and Siffrin is trapped for eternity. So of course, they go insane and run up the entire House without their party.

This just proves what you already knew - you dont need the party to proceed. Siffrin alone is strong enough. And here, Siffrin has entirely shed the facade of the jokester they used to be. Every single skill now follows the (Just attack.) naming conventions. Your skills are: (Paper.) (Rock.) (Scissors.) (Breathe.)

To the point. Not a moment wasted, because Siffrin can't take a moment longer of any of this. Additionally, his level is set to 99 and his equipment becomes fixed. You can't even pick up items anymore! Not that you needed them at this point anyway, right? Honestly, I never used any items besides the Salty Broth since Act 2, so I stopped picking items up a long time ago. Now you just literally can't.

Something I've not talked about until now - one of the main equipment types in this game are Memories, gained for completing subquests or specific interactions and events. They all by and large have little effects - make Odile's tonics heal more, or have Mirabelle cast a shield at the start of combat. For the hangout events, you also gain an associated memory that boosts the characters' stats by 30. It lets them keep up with Siffrin again! A fresh wind! Finally, your party members feel on par with you again!

...For a time. And just like that, they're irrelevant again, just as helping them gave Siffrin a brief moment of hope that the power of friendship could fix everything.

In Act 5, your memory is set to "Memory of Emptiness." It allows you to loop back in the middle of combat. You literally can't die anymore. Not that Siffrin could've died by this point in the first place, unless you forgot about the King's instant-kill attack. This one memory takes away the false pretense that combat ever had any stakes. Siffrin's level being set to 99 means even the scant exp you get is completely wasted on them. All stakes and benefits from combat have been removed. It has become utterly pointless.

Frustrating, right? It's an artistic frustration, though. It traps you right here in Siffrin's shoes, because he hates that all these blinding Sadnesses are still walking around just as much. It all inspires just a tiny fraction of that deep rolling anger Siffrin experiences here in the player.

And listen, it was cathartic, that one time Siffrin snapped and stabbed the tutorial Sadness, wasn't it? Because who enjoys sitting through the tutorial that often? Siffrin doesn't. I don't, either.

So, since combat is an useless obstacle now meant to inspire frustration, what do you do for a boss? You can't well make it a gameplay challenge now, no. The bosses of Act 5 are an emotional challenge: a painful wait.

First, Siffrin fights the King, alone. This is already nervewracking because of one factor - in every other run, you need Mirabelle's shield skill, or else you're scripted to die. You're actually forced to fight the King multiple times in Act 3, and have to do it at least once in Act 4, though you'll likely do it more. Point is: you know how this fight works.

You know Siffrin's fight is doomed from the outset, but all you can do is keep slinging attacks. Siffrin is enough of a powerhouse to take the King's HP down, what with the healing and buff skills they have now, not to even mention you can just go all in on damage and then loop back.

(And no matter which way you play it, whether you just loop or use strategically, it reflects on Siffrin, too. Has he grown callous enough not even death will stop their mission? Or does he still avoid pain, as much as he can?)

This fight still allows you the artifice of even that much choice, not that it matters. The other shoe drops eventually - Siffrin becomes slower, and slower. Unsettling, considering this game works on an Action Gauge system. You barely get turns anymore. The screen gets darker, and darker. Until Siffrin is frozen in time, just as you knew he had to be, because you know how this encounter works, know it can't be cleared without Mirabelle.

And, then, a void.

Siffrin awakens to nothingness. The only way to tell you've hit a wall is if Siffrin has no walking animation to match your button inputs. You walk, and walk, until you're approached by.... you. The next enemy encounter of the game, and Siffrin's absolute lowest point: Mal Du Pays.

Or, "Homesickness," in english. If you know the game, you know why it's named this, but that's not the point at the moment.

Thing is, where you could damage the King and are damaged in turn, giving you at least a proper combat experience, even if its doomed to fail, Mal Du Pays has no such thing.

You can attack. You can defend. But it is immune to all attacks. And in return, it does nothing. It's common, at least, for undefeatable enemies to be a "survive" challenge, but nope. The entire fight is "press button and wait." Except, remember the previous fight against the King? The entire time, you were waiting for the big instant death attack to drop. That feeling, at least for me, carried forward. I was incredibly on edge just waiting for the other shoe to drop. And, as is a pattern, Siffrin is, too. As Siffrin's attacks fail to connect, they start talking to Mal Du Pays.

But he gets no response, as you get no attacks to strategize around. The wait for anything to happen is utterly agonizing. You and Siffrin are both waiting for something to happen. This isn't a fight. It just pretends to be. It's an utter rugpull, because Siffrin was so undefeatable for most of Act 4 and all of Act 5 so far. It's kind of terrifying!

and it does. It finally does something. Ma Du Pays speaks, in the voice of Siffrin's friends, listing out their deepest fears. I think it's honestly fantastic. You're forced to just sit here and listen to Siffrin's deepest doubts, things you know the characters could not say because it references the timeloops they're all utterly unaware of. This is all Siffrin, talking to himself. And all you, all Siffrin, can do, is keep wailing away on the enemy to no effect whatsoever.

So of course this ends with Siffrin giving up. What else can you do?

And then Siffrin's friends show up and unfreeze them and it's all very cool yay. The pure narrative scenes aren't really the main focus but I want to point out here:

A) Mirabelle is in the first party slot here, referencing how she's the de facto protagonist, and Bonnie fills in the fourth slot left empty, which shows all characters uniting to save Siffrin

B) this is the only instance of the other party members having act specific battle icons: they're all smiling brightly, further pushed by the upbeat music

C) the reflecting shield Mirabelle uses to freeze the King uses a variation of her hangout skill cut in, marking it as her true "final" skill and giving the whole fight a more climatic feeling.

It's also a short gameplay sequence with Siffrin utterly uninvolved in the battle. You can't even see them onscreen. But... it feels warm, doesn't it? Everybody coming together. Siffrin doesn't have to fight anymore.

At last, the King is defeated. Siffrin and co. make for the Head Housemaiden, to have her look at Siffrin's sudden illness. Siffrin is utterly exhausted, famished, running a fever. And this isn't unexpected - after all, their skills in Act 5 had no cooldown. For context, instead of featuring any sort of MP system, all skills work on a cooldown basis, where a character can't use it for a certain number of turns. The lowest cooldown is actually Siffrin's Knife to Meet You, which has a cooldown of 1. In universe, this is reasoned as the characters needing a break from spamming craft in order to not exhaust themselves.

Siffrin's skills in Act 5 having no cooldown/being infinitely spammable isn't a sign of their strength - it's a sign that he refuses to let himself rest in order to rush through as fast as possible.

Moving on, Siffrin panics when seeing the Head Housemaiden, because seeing her means one thing: the end. Prior to this in the game, every single time you beat the King, the loop ends when you talk to the Head Housemaiden.

Reality breaks down, the whole shebang. It's here that Siffrin realizes - they don't want the loops to end, because the end of their journey means their family will leave, and he'll be alone again. The happiest time of his life will be over.

Siffrin goes totally ballistic, to say the least.

As it turns out (and was heavily foreshadowed narratively), Siffrin has been using Wish Craft to subconciously cause the timeloop because of their abandonment issues. It's rather predictable if you paid attention to literally anything, but it's extremely notable how heavily Siffrin is paralleled to the King, the antagonist they swore to kill by themself at the start of Act 5. The King wants to freeze Vaugarde in time because it is, in his mind, "perfect," for accepting him after he lost his home - a backstory he shares with Siffrin.

Siffrin has become the exact antagonist he swore to kill, and it's shown by how the next fight utterly flips everything on its head.

Siffrin is the final boss.

In a towering form made of stars, Siffrin looks down at their friends. His face is terrified, because of his internal conflict; he can't hurt his friends, but he can't let them go, either. The combat prompt is simply changed to "END IT!"

This fight is similar to the previous, in that you just need to wait a certain number of turns until its over. However, this time, it's not dreadful suspense. It's... confusion, and hesitance.

You have two options for combat: Attack your friends, or attack yourself.

And... you don't really want to do either, I think. I certainly don't. But what else can you do? It's Siffrin's desires clashing in full force. Attack your friends, and force them to stay? Or attack yourself, and let them go safely without you?

Worth noting, here - when you attack Siffrin's friends, you can't harm them. Isabeau will shield all attacks. And when you attack yourself, Mirabelle will heal you back to full. And the friends don't... do anything, either. How could they? Occasionally, Mirabelle heals you and Isabeau shouts words of motivation, but the main thing is...

(Your friends don't know what to do.)

None of them want to harm Siffrin. Both sides simply stare at each other, resolute in their conviction but unwilling to end it with violence. It's of note that this loop, the last one, is the only loop where the King isn't killed. Just frozen. And now here is Siffrin, clamoring for the same eternity the King was. Of course everything ends in a tearfilled conversation as Siffrin sees their friends won't leave him, even after the journey ends, but I still have to appreciate this moment.

Siffrin is directly put in the position with their friends as his enemies, forced to physically reckon that keeping them in this loop is an act of violence, against both their friends, and against himself.

It's a happy ending. But... what does it mean?

Of course, ISAT is obviously about the fear of change. Siffrin is afraid of the journey ending, and of being alone. However, ISAT is also a game about games. Siffrin is playing the same game, over and over, because it's comforting. It's familiar. It's nice, to know exactly what happens next. These characters might just be predictable lines of dialogue, but... they feel like friends. Have you ever played a game, loved it, put countless hours into it, but you never finished it? Because you just couldn't bear to see it end? For the characters to leave your life, for there to be a void in your heart where the game used to be?

After all, maybe it became part of your routine! You play the game every day, slowly chipping away at it for weeks at a time. For me, I beat ISAT in four days. It utterly consumed me during this time. I had 36 hours of playtime by the end. Yeah, in that week, I did not do much more than play ISAT.

And once i beat it, i beat it, again. I restarted the game to see the few scenes I missed, most specifically the secret boss I won't talk about here. I... couldn't let go of the game yet. I wanted to see every scrap I could. I still do. I'm writing this, in part because I still do. It's scary to let go.

Ever heard the joke term of "Postgame Depression?" It's when you just beat a game, and you're suddenly sad. Maybe because the ending affected you emotionally and you need to process the feelings it invoked, or you search for something that can now fill your time with it gone.

The game ends, for real this time, the last time you talk to the Head Housemaiden. But Siffrin gets... scared. What if everything loops back again? And so, his family offers to hold his hand. They face the end, together.

For all loops, including the ending, you never see what happens after. After they leave the loop for good. Because the loop is the game itself. It's asking you to trust that life goes on for these characters, and it holds your hand as it asks you to let go. There's a reason for Siffrin's theater metaphors. He is the actor, and the director, asking everyone to do it over one more time. He's a character within the game, and its player.

There's a reason I talked about endgame content. This, the way it all repeats, there's nothing new, difficulty and stakes bleed away as you snap the game over your knee - it's my copy of White 2 with two hundred hours in it. It's me playing Fire Emblem Awakening in under 3 hours while skipping every cutscene. Are you playing for the sake of play, for the sake of indulging in your memories, because you're afraid of the hole it'll leave when you stop?

Of note: the narrative never condemns Siffrin for unwittingly causing their own suffering. He's a victim of circumstance. It's seen as endearing, even, that Siffrin loves their friends to the point of rather seeing the world destroyed than them gone. But Siffrin is also told: we'll stay with you for now, but we'll part ways eventually. And one day, you'll have to be okay with it.

Stop draining the things you love of every ounce of enjoyment just because you're afraid of what happens next. I'm not saying to never play your favorite games again. Playing ISAT a second time, I still had a lot of fun! I saw so many new things I didn't before, and I enjoyed myself immensely, reading the same dialogue over and over. But... it makes me look at other games I love and still play, and makes me ask... is this still fun? Do I still need to play this game to enjoy it? Even writing this is an afterimage of my enjoyment, but it's a new way to interact with the game, to analyze it through this lens. Fuck, man, I write fanfiction. Look at me.

All of this, fanart, fanfic, analysis, is a way to prolong that enjoyment without making yourself suffer for it. Without just going through the motions of enjoyment without actually experiencing any. But one day, the thing you love won't be fun to talk and write and draw about. And it's okay. You'll have new things to love. I promise.

In the end.... I'm certain I'll replay ISAT one day. Between great writing, art, puzzles and unresolved mysteries, it's my shoe-in for game of the year.

But I won't replay it for quite some time. I've had enough, for now, so I let my love take other forms.

Siffrin is never condemned, because love is no evil. Be it love for another person, or for a game. And please, if you're overempathetic - it's still a game, at the end of the day. The great thing about games is that you can always boot them up again, no matter how long its been.

A circle within a circle indeed.

To summarize:

The repetitiveness of ISAT's combat, lack of new enemies, and Siffrin's ever increasing strength eventually allows you to snap the combat over your knee, rendering it irrelevant and boring. Though this may seem counterproductive at first, it perfectly mirrors how Siffrin has also grown bored with these repeated encounters and views them only as an obstacle to get past. The reflection of Siffrin's own tiredness with the player's annoyance increases the compassion the player has for Siffrin as a character.

Additionally, the endgame state of the combat system serves as commentary on the state of a favorite game played too often, much like how Siffrin has unwittingly trapped themself in the loop. Despite the game having no more challenge or content left to over, a player might return to their favorite game anyway, solely to try and recreate the early experience of actually having fun with it. This ties into ISAT's metanarrative about the fear of change and refusal to let go of comfort even when the object (here, your favorite video game) offering that comfort has become utterly bereft of any substance to actually engage with. Playing for the sake of playing, with no actual investment to keep going besides your own memories.

Later on, stripping away even the pretense of strategy for a "press button and wait" format of final bosses highlights the lack of options at Siffrin's disposal and truly forces the player into their shoes. Truly, the only way to win is to stop playing.

[livesworthlivingau]

Lives Worth Living Chapter 31

Spoilers for ISAT/Two Hats below! CW: Mentions of Loss of Self.

(You shut your door behind you as you step into your room, sighing and leaning your back against it. Isa gets up from sitting on the bed, having been waiting for you. You give him a tired smile before he scoops you up, his arms tightly wrapped around your form. His voice is still shaky as he speaks.)

"Wow... Everything's making a whole lot more sense all of the sudden."

"Yeah... So you can see why I wasn't able to tell you before..." (You gently take one of his hands, placing it on your face and leaning into it before you continue.)

"I owe them everything Isa... I wouldn't be here if not for them, I wouldn't have you or the others, I'd just... I'd have given up too." (Isa stays quiet for a moment, holding you close to himself with his other arm still. His grasp is tight yet comforting... it feels like he's desperately holding onto you.)

"Isa?..." (His grip loosens a bit, letting out a sniffle.)

"Sorry, I... I didn't know how close we were to losing you... To you giving up..." (His voice is strained, you look up to see tears rolling down his face. He struggles to keep speaking.)

"I don't know what I would have done if anything happened to you Sif." (He falls silent as his tears continued to flow. You're still holding his hand to your face. So strong yet soft, warm and inviting...)

"I'm here. You won't have to worry about that anymore, I promise." (You assure him with a soft smile. You reach a hand up to wipe his tears like he'd done for you so many times.)

"I got my happy ending, a whole wonderful life with you, with everyone. I just want to give them that too, for everything they did for me... Losing all that time has to mean something, right? A chance to give them a life they deserve too." (He takes a breath to regain his voice again.)

"It might not be that simple... You can't exactly help someone who doesn't want to be helped... That's why they lost themself in the loops, right? I get you wanna help them, and I do too, but if you just try and force it it might only make things worse." (Your smile slowly fades, looking away and staying silent for a few beats as you process that.)

"... Yeah... Yeah you're right... That's probably why they... 'forced a loop' before."

"I'm still not exactly happy about that."

"I know, I know..." (You let out a sigh, leaning into their chest and closing your eye.)

"Okay. I'll try to give them space, let them take things at their own speed... we can make this work, right?"

"All we can do is try, Sif. They've gotta want it, be willing to change, to move on." (He lays down in bed with you against him, gently combing his fingers through your hair while his other hand holds you to him. You let out a tired little hum before he speaks again.)

"It's been a long night, we'll worry about this in the morning, okay Sif?" (You give an affirmative hum. His warm, large form and soothing motions help sleep wash over you in no time at all, passing out before you even realize it.)

|You sigh softly as they start to snore on top of you. You stare down at your beloved time traveler, unable to get the thought out of your head... Did Vale really go through all of that? For so long?... Would that have really happened to Sif?...|

------------------------------------------------------------

<You can't sleep. Even after giving Stupidvale the fritters you've been saving... You hop back up out of bed again, trying not to wake Nille, then sneakily stomp your way back down stairs. You walk past the couch Vale was laying on, they're probably asleep but you don't really wanna talk anymore anyways.>

<You get into the kitchen and start to gather all the supplies for a big breakfast, dragging a chair around again to get the height you need to reach everything.>

"Flare?... Did you need any help?" <You perk up, turning to see Vale standing at the kitchen entrance. You pout a little and look away again.>

"I can do it myself."

"Oh I'm sure you can, the King himself couldn't stop you once you set your mind to something." <They tease with a little chuckle before they talk again.>

"You can't sleep, right? Need something to do to pass the time?" <You wordlessly nod, still working on your crepe mixture while they spoke to you.>

"Well I'm in the same boat, so I could use some help by you giving me something to do, like your assistant~." <You pause... and tilt your head a little.>

"... We're not in a boat?" <They laugh again.>

"It's just an expression, Little Flare... So may I help you out? Please?" <You grumble a little before nodding.>

"Okay... Here, mix all this together, until it's super duper smooth, no bumps!"

"No bumps, On it~!"

<You both keep working on breakfast together, only talking when you needed to tell them the next step. It takes the night but soon you have a massive plate of crepes, a plate of sausage, a bowl of hand whipped cream, freshly cut fruit, and a little pouring jug of chocolate sauce.>

<You look over it all with a proud nod, starting to put together a plate for yourself. Vale does too right behind you. You drag your chair back over to sit down at the table, and they sit right across from you. You take a few bites in silence before finally asking them something.>

"... So you really used to be Frin?" <They almost freeze at the question.>

"... Essentially, yes..."

"Why aren't you anymore?" <They take a long time to answer that one, setting their fork down to think about it.>

"Have you ever had to repeat yourself? Several times?"

"Yeah? Who hasn't?"

"Well... Imagine if that's all you could do anymore. Nothing new, just repeating yourself, over, and over, and over again... for years..."

"That sounds really crabbing annoying."

"It is, but you can't stop, you can't even get annoyed, you have to do it the same way, every single time. Eventually, you'd stop being you, and you'd just be pretending to be you. Does that make sense?"

"... Kinda, yeah..."

"Well that's what happened to me... I was pretending to be myself for so long, I forgot who I even was anymore... I was just saying what I'd already said because I said it, at some point, long ago... Eventually, there wasn't anything left of him... I'm all that was left..."

"... So why won't you call us by our real names?" <They stop again, they look like they might start crying even.>

"I'm afraid that's not something I can explain just yet..."

"Eh, Frin does weird stuff all the time, it's not that sure-prizing."

"Heh... Surprising, Little Flare."

"Yeah, not that surprising."

[starsisstars]

Pointless ISAT Headcanons

Hi I have to get up for opening shift tomorrow but who CARES it's time for headcanons. Except not the normal or angsty ones, it's goofy ridiculous hours ONLY. (Please send me more goofy niche headcanons I want to consume silly details like candy.) Filled with spoilers despite the sillies.

Bonnie invents potato chips 10 years after the end of the game after many failed attempts to make Sif like potatoes (Sif LOVES their chips, so this is Bonnie's win in the end).

Immortality fiction is super popular in Vaugarde because they're witnesses to change over decades but are prevented from changing themselves. Tragic wisemen usually. This got way less popular post-King.

Teachers get paid good wages in Vaugarde because they help kids through the period of the most change in their lives.

I think it's so funny everyone in fanfic thinks Sif sleeps in trees. It's universal and y'know what? Sure. I'm adopting that. Y'all had me scrolling through dialogue for ages just to make sure I didn't miss any tree nap mentions.

Loop spent the majority of Sif's first run through Dormont and the House training their voice so that it wouldn't be a dead giveaway to their identity when Sif showed up. They wanted it to sound like Odile. It does not even a little bit.

Mira is RED. Bonnie is ORANGE/YELLOW/BLUE. Odile is PURPLE. Isa is GREEN/BROWN. Sif and Loop are MONOCHROME.

Mira has a notebook FILLED with edgy poetry from when she was small. She buried it somewhere but knows exactly where it is and once every couple years digs it up just to make sure nobody found it.

Bon is a reptile person. Wants a bearded dragon as a pet.

Mwudu is Acadia (in the same way Vaugarde is France, etc.). Not a colony of Vaugarde or anything though, just a lot of cultural exchange. (Vaugarde is NOT imperialistic.)

Post-canon Sif sometimes has such a tight grip on Isa in his sleep that Isa can get up and walk around with them still latched onto him. One morning Isa even brushed his teeth and styled his hair before the Sif on his back woke up.

Nille is swole af. Taller than Odile too. I like it when people give her a braid.

I changed my mind; everyone has really ugly colors because they can't see them and they all look terrible. I do not care about the practicalities of more colorful dyes being difficult to obtain; this is fantasy logic and I say they all should cause eyestrain.

Sif's all-black look under the cloak and hat (both of which he didn't choose) is the only good fashion choice they're capable of making. If you ask them to get creative it's a disaster. Isa indulges this anyways because hell yeah fashion disaster rights, but Sif will inevitably ask for help once he actually sees the design in person.

Isa was a hardcore STEM person, while Odile was properly studying anthropology/writing but is actually SUPER into linguistics.

Fishermen from the Forgotten Country were given additional pathways to easy fishing crabs on Vaugarde's shore because Vaugarde didn't want 'em. The overfishing caused a minor ecological crisis that was then fixed by Wish Craft.

Pre-canon Sif tried to make some money via an eating competition in one of the unnamed countries but was so uncomfortable with the attention from winning first place they refused to ever step foot in the country again. They don't even remember why they refuse to visit anymore but still don't wanna go. It wasn't even that big a contest nor a big deal emotionally long-term (like the party would suspect) for Sif, they're just stubborn.

Since we have a classic RPG setup I think the party's inventory is not limited by logic and they carry around 78 tents and 23 cottages somehow.

[cb-writes-stuff]

I have so many fun ideas for Too Many Hats :3

[prism-empurress]

hear me out. ISAT fam + Loop washing a litter of foster kittens. Mirabelle; -comments on their markings and attitudes they may have, sings a bathtime song to help calm the little wigglers down...it doesn't work. -apologizes PROFUSELY for giving every kitten a flea bath + combing through their fur. "I'm sorry little ones! I promise you'll feel better!" -if there's a runaway flea on the ground or the tub she SMASHES it without a second thought. ALL PARASITES MUST DIE. In a cute way~ Bonnie; -keeps giving the kittens bubble beards and hats -VERY THOROUGH COMBING, combs through each kitten at least twice, while washing the comb(s) after each kitten has used it. -makes up names and stories for each kitten. "this one's always stealing snacks from the others, so his name is Bandit. That one is a lover not a fighter, so their name is Cupid." Isabeau; -his hands are big enough for TWO 3-week old kittens each, but he doesn't want to accidentally squish them so he dries off ONE kitten at a time with a fluffy towel...and makes them all have mohawks. -"I'm gonna teach this gang so many cool tricks like skateboarding, jumping through hoops, and how to attack on command." -is 100% going to make clothes for the kittens, like hats and lil suits and dresses. but the clothes are only on for a minute at a time. he makes collars, too, to tell each kitten apart.

Odile; -"ah yes, this one is ready for it's photo shoot." -blow dries and brushes each kitten, while telling all of them how pretty they are, and don't they feel better after being tormented by being WASHED?

-she bottle feeds them too! Siffrin; -makes a nest using his CLOAK plus a few blankets here and there, and lays down in the nest WITH THE KITTENS ON HIM so he's sharing his body heat. I don't know if...crafted incubators can exist? Siffrin the kitten warmer. -"please stop chewing on my face, can you chew on your siblings instead?" -refuses to budge from the nest. "leave me alone, I'm the kitten lord. these are my minions" Loop; -PLUCKS SIFFRIN FROM THE NEST, AND GETS IN THEIR SPOT. -they can probably generate better heat than Siffrin can??

-"I'm the best cuddler, look, the kittens love me. I'm warm, I smell nice, also I don't need to charge!"

[sysig]

Time Loops are they/them culture (Patreon)

Bonus of my little guy in ISaT style:

[koifoxes]

wow. so. wow. isat. huh. what a rollercoaster.

spoilers FOR THE ENTIRE GAME under the cut

some fun parts while playing the game:

(right after loop's hangout event)

(seeing big sif!)

(yesterday as in, I play through act 3 to epilogue in one sitting, it just passed midnight) did I, perhaps, predict everything? mayhaps. but did I predict that loop was prologue sif? NO. I did suspect they were sif, in some way, since the stars aligned (haha) and it was building up to that... but, not PROLOGUE sif. my friend (art) did mention way back after I finished playing start again (x3) that the two sifs were different but. jesus. and then. the two hats.

that's like. totally sick and demented bro! why would you do that! haha. anyways. familial love. romantic love. all sorts of love. but especially, yourself. self love.

it was odd. to see my thoughts echo throughout the game. i, like many other isat enjoyers, is (very) mentally ill, and i share many thoughts with sif. but to hear the anxiety and hopelessness, and then hope "keywords" reverberate whilst playing the game...

it rattled me in a way. i guess, i just needed to see more "proof" of the answers im seeking.

it seems to me, i will remember isat very, very fondly. don't forget what you love, but don't forget to let yourself feel too. because if memory fails you, the "now" which is what you feel, will always guide you somehwere, even if you're lost and stuck in time.

because loop, or, sif i guess, both of them, found a way anyways.

what if things don't work out? what if things don't go according to plan? what if they all hate you? what if they found you disgusting like you do?

stupid. do you want it?

to be seen, understood, heard? go. just go, because you might not see the stars shine and sun rise tomorrow. just go, even if you're scared shitless. go, go, go! because its not the end of the world! things change, after all.

none of this would've happened, if sif(s) gave up. they wanted something. some of them didn't get it. but. time didn't stop, until then: when sif really gave up and stopped fighting. he stopped feeling, and what happened? everything really started to freeze, but even then, he was still moving because all he had left was self hatred. that's a feeling.

so what are you waiting for? say hi to a friend. hug them. just say i love you, sometime. chat. what are you so scared of?

isat really gets you where it hits deep. and, there were way too many relatable moments. but im glad i played this game. maybe, be like sif, and take your own advice.

[faislittlewhiteraven]

So seen a few 'What if the ISAT cast were in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon' posts...

And I'm gonna put my hat in the ring because darn it I've been thinking about this for over a week now and I want to infect others with these ideas.

Siffren: Hisuian Zorua - White, adorable AND comes free with a neck ruff to hide their face in, but well, doesn't it fit Siff extremely well lore wise too? Just a cute little guy that's a remnant of a home and life forcefully taken away, Normal enough to be among the living with no issues but also Ghost because there's something missing... Something lost that shapes them, tears at them but they just can't let go... Also they eat a lot, have a good amount of mischief in their nature and use 'illusions' for self protection so like. It's a perfect fit really~ XD (Also the 'red' aspects during the Vs Friends fight makes me wonder if in the PMD version of ISaT Siffrin is evolving so wrong somehow that the universe is breaking and a huge chunk of the fight is the party basically mashing B button in utter terror~ XDDD)

Isabeau: Ditto - No joke, Isabeau had me really stumped for ages because what kind of pokemon species goes from nerd to buff to eventually somewhere in the middle during their evolution line but then I realized 'Wow I'm an idiot. There's a pokemon all about Change that can be any form right over there!' and thus Isa-Ditto was born in my mind. I like to think he's almost always in the form of a Marchoke, Zangoose or Scrafty or something that to the others is big and buff but Isa's warm smiling ditto face always stops him from ever looking intimidating, and back in the 'nerd' days Isa probably stuck to being a Gothita/Gothorita, if only because they're about the only mon I can think of with braids and they do seem like a good form if one wants others to stay away so they can focus on studying and stuff...

Mirabelle: Minccino/Cinccino - Ok, most of my reasoning for this one is because Mira visually reminds me of the Minccino line (those eyes <3 And her ribbon! <3) but like, she IS pretty studious and helpful and probably cleans up after everyone and that's Cinccino as anything to me, plus the sheer way this mon blitzs with Skill Link... IDK I just really feel the line suits her.

Odile: Kanto Persian or Purugly - After realizing Siff, Isa and Mira were all Normal types I decided to make it a thing and since under this logic Odele couldn't be a Kadabra (as was my first instinct), the idea of her being this big old book reading cat affectionately rolling her eyes at everyone else's nonsense just had so much appeal <3 Leaning Persian if only because its design matches her visuals better but the thought of her as a Purugly feeling comfortable enough around the others she doesn't puff up her fur via her tail around them is pretty cute/very 'seems standoff-ish but is secretly affectionate Odile' so I'm still struggling to choose between them.

Bonnie: Zigzagoon - Bonnie was probably the hardest to pick out because there were so many possibilites (Aipom for the mischief? Munchlax for the cooking/food vibes? Oh but what about Meowth for their weird hug face???). But then I realized pokemon of all sorts could do all of those things and what really stands out about Bonbon is their 'NPC somehow on the big adventure and doing their best' vibes so a spunky little Zigzagoon using their 'Gluttony' expertise in food to 'Pick Up' the party's sprits felt really fitting (also they way they dart in and out of combat with their Quick Feet just. It works you know? XD). Not sure which Zigzagoon form would be most fitting for them but currently leaning Galarian if only because Siff being weak to Bonnie fits hilariously well, it matches with Bonnie's 'desire to be edgy despite still being adorable' vibes and the mental thought of them far off in the future, all grown up and protecting their family as a big bad Obstagoon gives me a ton of warm fuzzies so yeah~ <3

Euphrasie: Lopunny - Look, it's just the hair, the affectionate personality and her being really really tall compared to the others alright? Only the party is actually Normal locked to me! X'D (I could see her as an Altaria or a Mega Ampharos as well but Lopunny just feels more 'right' somehow.)

The King: Hisuian Zoroark - . . . In my defence, he's an incarnation of malice born from the loss of his home/life with long long hair who acts as Siffrin's foil, pushes them towards 'discovering the red' and yoyos between tragically lamenting and being a ruthlessly, cruel monster who would hurt a child. There was no other option.

Loop: currently torn but leaning Cosmog/Cosmeom or Mimikyu for most of the game and Necrozma/Ultra Necrozma for the Act 6 secret fight - Finally the one non Normal type! And the fact it's the eldritch feeling Loop is kinda perfect? Helps them stand out more at least, and well you really can't beat Ultra Necrozma for 'star shaped thing that is both terrifying, potentially world ending and in immense amounts of pain'. (...Also its weak to Siff's H!Zorua and Bonnie's potential Dark type so it fits type wise also XD).

Change God: Mew - Do I really gotta explain why? (Legendary, has Transform, cute and sweet but also a little bastard, etc- It ticks all the boxes XD

So... Yeah. Those are my In Stars and Time 'what Pokemon would the main cast be' thoughts.

[insertdisc5]

Devlog #10: Questions and Answers

Hello everyone! Welcome to this month’s devlog!

If you just stumbled upon this, I am Adrienne, also known as insertdisc5! I’m the developer, writer, artist, main programmer, etc of the game. The game being In Stars and Time, which is the next and final game in the START AGAIN series, following START AGAIN: a prologue (available here!).  You can find out more about In Stars and Time here!!! 

LET’S GET TO IT. This devlog is all about questions!!! So many questions!!! I’m gonna answer them all!!!

Happy 2023, everyone! It’s the year of In Stars and Time! In Stars and Time will release sometime this year on PC and Nintendo Switch! I hope you’re excited!!! In the meantime…

Nothing much to talk about this month! I am still fixing bugs, playtesters are still playing, etc. So… here’s another Q&A (Tumblr asks edition)! They're mostly characters/story based, because that's what Tumblr is all about. No spoilers though, I promise!!!

(PS: you can ask me questions whenever on tumblr btw teehee)

Anonymous asks: Hi!! Thank you for making such a wonderful game with lovely little characters!! I spin them in my head like microwaved macaroni. Can I ask what everyone's hobbies are? And their deepest fears? (If that's not too spoilery) Also have a good day!!

Siffrin likes to do wood carvings! Isabeau likes fashion, designing clothes, sewing them, that sort of thing. Bonnie likes to cook! Mirabelle and Odile both like to read- Mirabelle is a horror fan/YA type stuff, while Odile prefers non-fiction.

As for their fears, most of them are spoilery, but Odile is really afraid of heights.

Anonymous asks: I am DYING to know what that rope is on Mirabelle's outfit is, it's sometimes visible and sometimes not and I don't know what it's attached to?? I want to draw her but this rope!! Is getting me

It’s a rope that works as a belt! It goes around her waist, not her hips. It’s so her dress isn’t all flat and boring

Anonymous asks: oh DOES Sif like wearing slippers?? They seem like a slippers guy. Also what small things ticks the characters off?

YOU FELL INTO MY TRAP!!!!!!!!!!! Siffrin prefers socks. Mirabelle is the one who wears slippers.

Hm… I think saying those would be spoilers also, so I’ll just say that Odile hates when people keep secrets from her.

Anonymous asks: What is each party member's favourite season? While we're at it, what's their favourite kind of weather?

Hm… I think Siffrin is split between winter and summer (they have a good cloak that works for all kinds of weather!). Mirabelle’s and Odile’s are fall. Bonnie’s is summer (coastal kid!). Isabeau hears everyone say every season except spring and picks spring.

They all prefer sunny weather for different reasons. Siffrin because it’s easier to travel when it’s nice outside. Bonnie because they like the sun. Mirabelle because she likes to read outside under a tree, same with Odile. Isabeau because “being under the sun gives your skin a healthy glow!”

Anonymous asks: Questions! Do you have a rough estimate for how long the game will be? If this isn’t a spoiler, how did the gang all first meet? And if it is a spoiler then… what’s each of the gang’s favourite colour? 

I don't want to give any numbers just because playtimes will vary drastically depending on the way you play, but I can confirm ISAT is SIGNIFICANTLY longer than START AGAIN: a prologue!!!

For the gang meeting, first Mirabelle went traveling to try to save Vaugarde, then she met Isabeau in Jouvente, then they met Odile while traveling, then they met Siffrin, and then they met Bonnie. The nitty-gritty details aren’t really that important so I haven’t thought about it much. Most of the details on how they met will be found early in the game, so you won’t have to wait hours to know!

As for their favorite colors (Looks at the game. The game is in black and white) Think you’re funny, huh? HUH!?!???! NEXT QUESTION!!!!!

felikatze asks: how did siffrin obtain their fantabulous hat? and who is your favorite character to draw?

Siffrin was born with this cool hat. Popped right off with it on. And Siffrin is my favorite to draw, with Mirabelle a close second. Bonnie is my least favorite to draw within the gang but I still love them dearly. The King is my least favorite to draw period

inverts asks: why does siffrin wear gloves? what's loop's favourite food? what's the KING's favourite food? teehee

Bunch of reasons, but really the two main ones are 1. Looks cool and 2. Keeps them from biting their nails.

Thank you for the Loop question. No one asked about Loop!!! If Siffrin asked them their favorite food, Loop would say “bananas”. But is it true? Yes. But is it? Yes, for sure. But? Yes.

The King’s favorite food are uuuh (I go through my rolodex of foods) carambolas. Yeah

Anonymous asks: what are the gang's favorite hot cocoa toppings?

I don’t know enough about hot cocoa toppings to answer this, so have their favorite nonalcoholic drinks instead. Siffrin doesn’t think they have a favorite drink but really it’s sugarcane juice, Mirabelle’s is either tea or orange juice, Isabeau’s is probably milk or something, Odile’s is tea (but it’s gotta be expensive), Bonnie’s is pineapple juice.

Anonymous asks: whos the shortest (besides the kid) and tallest of them all?

Within the crew, Siffrin is the shortest (besides Bonnie), and Isabeau is the tallest! The real tallest is the King, of course.

Jovial-gender-jester asks: did the kid & their sister ever cook together?

Their sister taught them how to cook, so yes!

Anonymous asks: will we learn more about how Siffrin damaged one of their eyes? 

Yes :)

Anonymous asks: what’s your opinion on speedrunning isat/saap from a lore perspective? as in, what do you think goes through siffrin’s head when they decide to do it?

>:3c teehees evil-y (⬅has added an item and lore made specifically for speedrunners)

Anonymous asks: is the gang gonna be okay. are they gonna be happy

>:3c I teehee evil-y once more

Anonymous asks: Is there a map of the world? Where are things exactly (e.g. where is Ka Bue compared to Vaugarde (?) ?)

Have this map I drew early in development of the countries around Vaugarde. The story doesn’t really need me to know about The Whole Map so I didn’t think about it. I only figured out two neighboring countries’ names too so I could say other countries’ names for Worldbuilding Reasons (as in, to show Vaugarde is a country inside a world, and not just The Only Country In The World), but I do see Vaugarde as being surrounded with many other ones. Could’ve figured out more country names, but two is a good number. Ka Bue is on the other side of the world- Odile has been traveling for A While. For country sizes here, think European countries!

jovial-gender-jester asks: is it alright to ask how you came up with craftonomy? it was cool realizing it's different from craftology, and maybe has no bearing? the concept's fascinating!

Welcome to insertdisc5’s brainstorm theater

Hi I am insertdisc5 and I am making the prologue> ok i need a magic system for this world > fuck i can’t use basic fire water grass because one of my puzzles is all around finding a fire > ok well every magic system in rpg games is just rock paper scissors really > so… why not… just… rock paper scissors > ok but what kind of world comes up with that tho > so maybe it’s all around Creating Things… you can make all kinds of art with rock (sculpting) paper (art, writing) and scissors (uh… idk cutting things) and i kind of like the idea of magic being something similar to art, so let’s call it Craft > ok now i need to create events with every fucking thing i added to the maps, and also explain the world a bit more > the study of craft… craftonomy > hey you know how you have astronomy (studying space) and astrology (adding meanings to constellations, horoscope) so it’d be funny if it was the same, it would be a funny joke > craftonomy (studying craft) and craftology (“if you’re rock type you’re probably very strong but gullible hehe”) are born

Punkitt-is-here asks: How is RPGMaker treating you ⬅(best wishes)

Rpgmaker is my little cat that stays on my lap cutely and doesn’t even scratch me anymore. This is in big part thanks to my programmer who takes care of the really hard code for me teehee (THANK YOU ISABELLA!!!)

hummingcrows asks: How do you stay motivated!

I genuinely don’t have a helpful answer for this, I don’t find it hard to stay motivated to finish things in general… The few times I felt discouraged, I just either went “ok what’s like A Small Thing I can finish today, so this day isnt a total wash” even if it’s just doing one sprite, or “what’s one thing that would make me really happy to add” like a small scene or something, or just making the chairs’ backs rounder for Lore Reasons, and then I do it, and I am happy, and I am motivated

Anonymous asks: what was it like converting the character designs to game sprites? did they transfer easily or was it difficult?

Pretty easy! Outside of Siffrin (who already has a very simple design), I knew I would have to convert them into sprites, so I knew I couldn’t go too detailed with them. Even with their first concept art, I made sure to doodle them as sprites as well so I could make sure they would look distinct from one another!

(Very First Concept Art for everyone except Siffrin. Got their faces first try! (Except Bonnie))

Honestly the main problem was with their height… In the prologue, they all are very small, since I used a 48x48 size, and Siffrin has a MASSIVE hat that takes almost half his size, so all the other characters had to be drawn relative to Siffrin’s size, which meant I couldn’t add as many details as I wanted. I’m glad that for In Stars and Time I found a way to make the sprites taller (they’re 48x96 now, but I’m not using the full height), so now they are all cute and not squished.

(Some of the first sprites I did for the prologue. Look at how squished everyone looks!)

(Profile sprites for In Stars and Time)

roebeanstalk asks: Have you run into any mechanics you've been excited about, but have decided it's better to save them for a future project to keep this one going? Kind of a "kill your darlings" but for game mechanics?

I’m very happy to say that I’ve managed to add all the things I wanted to add to the game! It helped that there weren’t that many mechanics I wanted to add in the first place lol. I even had time to add one I scrapped early in development because it wasn’t that important! But it made me happy to add it so it’s in now!!!!

galaksyz asks: how many siffrins must be stacked on top of each other until they overtake the eiffel tower in height (ok i just wanted to give you the mental image of the Siffrin Pillar)

actual question: once the game is released, what part of fan reactions & creations would you look forward to most/what would you hope for most?

i think it would be awesome to see fan comics or animations, or OST remixes, or YT playthroughs, analysis/essay videos, maybe AUs... if you had to pick just one of those sorts of things, what would it be that you'd like the most?

212.9 Siffrins. Thank you for asking

And I genuinely love every single fan reaction/creation I've seen so far!!!! I have many folders filled with everyone's reactions/creations that I love to look at when I feel down :')

Fan comics definitely have a special spot for me in my heart tho... Those were always my favorite kind of fanarts to make, as a fanartist myself. The comics I’ve seen from the prologue already make me so so so happy!!!

And also, people just writing about the game… Like, just about things they like, things they’ve noticed, or theories they have, there’s also been a few and they just make me so happy. My brain goes on a loop of “yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah”. This is why I love the theories channel on the discord so much hehe, I tried really hard to add little breadcrumbs so it makes me happy when people pick up on it!!! And someone made a post that was just a list of everything they liked about the prologue and it made me so happy it felt like I was floating for a week hehe

pixxyofice asks: I am always curious about gamedev struggles. So... how hard is it to fix bugs for this game in particular? With the time looping I bet it would be hard to figure out maybe.

Uhhh and also what are each member's favorite colors?

Not that hard! I haven’t done a lot of Big Weird Code inside of rpgmaker, so any bugs are usually because I messed up a switch or variable, so it’s just a matter of figuring out the problem and changing one (1) thing. As for finding out there’s even a bug, that’s what QA and playtesting are for!

Bugs related to the time loop mechanic have (FOR NOW?!?) all been taken care of, so the bugs now are mostly related to choices, since some choices appear/disappear depending on where you are in the story. So sometimes I get a playtester like “hey Adrienne, i don't understand this choice i'm getting here”, and it’s because i messed up and it shouldn't be here yet. OOPS!

As for their favorite colors (I look again. The game is STILL in black and white. I try to run towards you but I'm held back) lemme at ‘em, LEMME AT ‘EM– (a few minutes pass, I calm down) Ok. What's the last question?

itr13 asks: what's everyone's favourite colors?

…..

Mirabelle’s would be a warm pink, Siffrin’s black, Odile’s dark green, Isabeau’s sunflower yellow, and Bonnie's black (but really, light blue). ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?!?!?

That’s all I have to say for today! Let me know if you have any questions, or if there’s any aspect of the game development struggle you’d like me to talk about! See you next time!!!

AND DON’T FORGET TO WISHLIST THE GAME ON STEAM ALSO IT REALLY HELPS BECAUSE STEAM’S ALGORITHM IS MORE LIKELY TO SHOW OFF GAMES WITH A HIGH AMOUNT OF WISHLISTS THAT’S THE REASON WHY GAME DEVS ALWAYS ASK TO WISHLIST!!! OKAY BYE!!!!