#Cost of Developing a Slot Game

[benisbeaaaaans]

Little Dark Bloom AU

TLDR; an au where Dandy’s got a little brother

vvv (Copy pasted from docs) vvv

This AU was somewhat inspired by the idea of encountering Twisted Toons of characters in your party, as well as having duplicates in your team. There is no known other versions of Dandy, so I figured that early on, Delilah Keen, the scientist behind the creation of Toons from Ichor, tried to create a second Dandy. This, unfortunately, failed. The clone turned out misshapen, miscolored, and without his memories. Rather than simply get rid of this toon, however, she decided to exploit his lack of memory and autonomy and test the limits of the toons without negatively affecting the actual show's cast. He was tortured and conditioned into an extreme pain tolerance, developed an intense fear of humans, and used the "Dandy's World" show as an outlet for his loneliness and fear. Naming himself "Buddy", he assigned himself a role in the show as Dandy's dependable and gleeful little brother, modeling himself after his fellow flower's positive attitude. When Gardenview was shut down, he was kept deep below the studio in a lab floor, locked inside a ichor machine for an indeterminate amount of time, a punishment he was used to by that time. That was until he was found by the other toons, to which he ended up disturbing them with his seemingly innate knowledge of them and their lives as well as his uncanny resemblance to Dandy himself.

Back in the studio, Dandy was not necessarily pleased with Buddy himself as well as the implications of his existence, as he was the one continuing the Ichor operations started by Delilah, knowing nothing about him until she was gone. The others tease him for his "secret little brother" that was never able to get introduced, as they're under the impression he was meant to be in the show.

Assorted Notes:

The name Buddy for a flower character absolutely bowled me over yesterday at work so I’ve been thinking about him for 24 hours.

One detail I did leave out cuz it wouldn’t make sense to include in the ramble was that Buddy HATES that he’s not colorful like Dandy. He sneaks art supplies to paint his petals, and has tried to make his eyes look less disturbing by adding white, to which he has been repeatedly stopped from doing.

Gameplay ideas:

Buddy himself, if he were to be in game, would be a support class, with poor stats on his own, but once he's using his ability, he'll latch onto one character at a time, and will make their abilities and stats better. For example, instead of Spout needing to spend 100 tapes to heal a character, it would only cost 50. Rodger's research would be quadrupled instead of doubled. Toodles' buffs would be applied for double the time. You get the idea, at the cost of a character slot on your team, one person at a time can have halved or doubled abilities.

Also I imagined him riding on Pebble's back like those videos of kids riding the backs of big dogs and it's the best thing ever

[dailycharacteroption]

Soulbound Summoner (Summoner Archetype)

(art by Dmitry Burmak on Artstation)

Not every summoner bond is created equal. In many cases, summoners draw upon an entity either as an aspect of some greater being that otherwise remains in its personal domain across the planes until called, not so much in the case of soulbound summoners.

As their name suggests, a soulbound summoner’s eidolon is bonded to their very soul and mind, almost in the same way that spiritualists are to their phantoms. This has the benefit that the eidolon draws upon the spirit of their master to attain greater power, though there is cost as well complicating matters.

Soulbound summoners rarely make these pacts by choice. Some may have been forced into the pact by circumstance, such as an outsider and mortal being forced to partially merge their very souls to escape some mutual destruction, while others might not even be true outsiders at all, but rather a spiritual manifestation of a part of their soul and psyche (which yes, is very similar to certain spiritualist archetypes that were also inspired by Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure and the Persona games).

No matter the origin of their mystical passenger, these summoners share a bond that is exceptionally strong with them.

Now, this archetype is meant to be used with the unchained version of the summoner class, but the abilities it replaces are the same as the original, so feel free to use it with that version of the class as well.

The strong bond between summoner and eidolon takes a lot out of them, so much so that it actually debilitates the mage pretty strongly, giving them the penalties (and eventual benefits) of an oracle curse. This also means that the mark the two share manifests in a way indicative of the curse, such as on the mouth and lips of those cursed to speak in tongues, or on the limb afflicted by the curse. However, since they are so intertwined that the eidolon resides within the mystic’s psyche, it cannot be banished by magic that casts out outsiders to their home plane. The eidolon is also the same morality as the summoner, even if that would normally clash due to their type.

Like other practitioners, these summoners can give up some of their own vitality to keep their eidolon around and vice versa. However, they can also do so out of combat, as well as even when the eidolon has been banished with physical violence, allowing the summoner to restore them to vitality within their mind and not have to wait for them to reconstitute before being summoned again.

However, unlike other summoners, these mystics don’t study other forms of conjured minions nearly as much, and therefore, have no special reserve of power to conjure long-lasting summons into being, forcing them to mostly rely on their eidolon and summons cast from actual spells.

Making up for those drawbacks though, their eidolon draws extra power from their master, causing them to develop different evolutions at an accelerated rate. Additionally, the eidolon can draw upon their master’s own reserves of arcane power, effectively letting them also cast spells using the summoner’s knowledge and spell slots for twice the spellcasting. However, the transfer of power is extremely inefficient, requiring twice the amount of expended energy for spells cast from the eidolon.

This is a pretty interesting archetype, and definitely meant to feel a lot more like a persona or stand from a class that already heavily has those vibes to begin with. Losing out on summoning and getting an oracle curse are pretty heavy costs, but getting more evolution points, the ability to revive their eidolon when it “dies”, and also the potential of casting multiple spells in a round without quickened spell are all quite powerful, though that last one is pretty unsustainable with how it costs an extra spell slot to do, which makes sense. Aside from that, you’re free to build them however you want, with perhaps even greater focus on healing and supporting the eidolon than before since you don’t really have a backup if it goes down in the middle of a fight.

At this level of bond, it can be a serious question to ask where the summoner ends and the eidolon begins. In the case of eidolons birthed entirely from the psyche, this is simple, but I imagine in the case of fused summoner and outsider duos, there is a chance of bleeding over. Do they struggle to reconcile the difference? Does the eidolon chafe under it’s very being warping to fit the morality of it’s master, or did their worldviews blend during the forging of the bond?

Once, long ago, the giants of Dalgaro, who were trapped in a great cave-in, called out to a powerful earth elemental to be their guardian and protector in these new trying times, binding the elemental spirit into their chieftain’s body, where it was passed down from chief to chief over the centuries. Now, as bloodlines have blended and their people regressed, even the elemental itself has forgotten it’s name, but the chief still maintains the tradition of calling upon the stone god to defend them.

Bonding someone or something to your soul is almost akin to a marriage, albeit not one necessarily done for love. As such, among the catfolk Yothal clan, the art of binding a powerful outsider to oneself is heavily ritualized, and the leadup to it requires a lot of meetings, summonings, and interviews for compatibility, lest a bad match be made.

When the Blood Star, a magical comet whose radiance brings death passed over, most heeded the prophecies and hid, letting it pass over so that the world could recover and return to normal. However, the light reached the dread lord Malgadath and his foe, an angel known as Yensuthiel in the middle of their climatic battle. Following their merciful nature, Yensuthiel did something desperate, fusing with the villain to save his life. Now, the two are bonded, Malgadath cut off from his former dark power by their presence, and Yensuthiel unable to leave. What sort of adventures could such an odd couple get up to? Only time will tell.

[gamelott]

The Rise of Crypto Casinos: A New Era in Gambling

The gambling industry has undergone a remarkable transformation over the centuries, evolving from rudimentary dice games in ancient civilizations to the glitzy casinos of Las Vegas. Today, the rise of the crypto casino represents a new chapter in this storied history, blending cutting-edge blockchain technology with the timeless thrill of wagering. Platforms like Jups.io are at the forefront of this revolution, offering players a secure, transparent, and decentralized gaming experience that traditional casinos struggle to match. This article explores how crypto casinos emerged, their technological foundations, and why they are reshaping the gambling landscape.

The origins of gambling trace back thousands of years, with evidence of dice games in Mesopotamia and betting on chariot races in ancient Rome. These early forms of gambling were social activities, often tied to cultural or religious events. Fast forward to the 17th century, when the first modern casinos appeared in Europe, formalizing gambling into structured venues. The 20th century saw the rise of Las Vegas and Atlantic City, where opulent casinos became synonymous with luxury and risk. However, these traditional setups had limitations—centralized operations, high fees, and concerns over fairness. Enter the crypto casino, a game-changer that leverages blockchain to address these issues.

Cryptocurrency, pioneered by Bitcoin in 2009, introduced a decentralized financial system that prioritized security and anonymity. By the mid-2010s, developers recognized the potential of integrating blockchain with online gambling, giving birth to the crypto casino model. Unlike traditional online casinos, which rely on centralized servers and fiat currencies, crypto casinos operate on blockchain networks, ensuring transparency through immutable ledgers. Jups.io exemplifies this model, offering games like slots, poker, and roulette, all powered by cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. Players can verify the fairness of each game through provably fair algorithms, a feature that builds trust in an industry often plagued by skepticism.

The technological underpinnings of crypto casinos are what set them apart. Blockchain ensures that every transaction—whether a deposit, wager, or withdrawal—is recorded transparently, reducing the risk of fraud. Smart contracts, self-executing agreements coded on the blockchain, automate payouts and game outcomes, eliminating the need for intermediaries. This not only lowers operational costs but also allows platforms like Jups.io to offer competitive bonuses and lower house edges. Moreover, the use of cryptocurrencies enables near-instant transactions, a stark contrast to the delays often experienced with bank transfers in traditional online casinos.

The appeal of crypto casinos extends beyond technology. They cater to a global audience, unrestricted by geographic boundaries or banking regulations. Players from regions with strict gambling laws can participate anonymously, thanks to the pseudonymous nature of cryptocurrencies. Additionally, crypto casinos attract tech-savvy younger generations who value innovation and digital assets. The integration of decentralized finance (DeFi) principles, such as staking rewards or yield farming, into some platforms adds another layer of engagement, blurring the lines between gaming and investment.

However, the rise of crypto casinos is not without challenges. Regulatory uncertainty looms large, as governments grapple with how to oversee decentralized platforms. Volatility in cryptocurrency markets can also affect players’ bankrolls, though stablecoins like USDT are increasingly used to mitigate this risk. Despite these hurdles, the trajectory of crypto casinos points upward, driven by relentless innovation and growing adoption.

In conclusion, the crypto casino represents a bold fusion of gambling’s rich history with the transformative power of blockchain. Platforms like Jups.io are leading the charge, offering players an unparalleled blend of security, fairness, and excitement. As cryptocurrency continues to permeate mainstream finance, crypto casinos are poised to redefine the future of gambling, one block at a time.

[amadeusgame]

Amadeus: A Riddle for Thee ~ Episode 1 ~ Waltz May Devlog

Devlog TL;DR—

BandCamp album updated & discounted!

Embeds with art & story snippets on my website here!

Game 2 scenes away from being built*!

I played through all of it. Very confident in where it's at :)

*with placeholders, but built nonetheless.

Read on for details~

Wishlist on Steam | Follow on Itch | More Links

OST Update

First, SOMETHING FUN. To celebrate Amadeus reaching over 700 outstanding wishlists on Steam (what!!), and also to celebrate the fact that I am almost finished building the whole thing; I've updated the soundtrack album on BandCamp. It now:

Contains every track in the current demo

Preserves tracks from obsolete demos

Costs $5 (but you can listen all you want for totally free)

I have also updated the "thank you for your support" page I built with the soundtrack embed, so it has all of this music with unique track art and overall better reflects what the game is now. If you want a way to experience the music and vibes of Amadeus without playing the game, this is probably the best way to do that! Check it out here: https://arcanaxix.com/PressKit/ost.html

(Disclaimer: it probably looks terrible on super high-res screens, please zoom in if that is the case. Forgive my janky webdev. Thank you in advance)

Development Status

Now—on to progress. As with the last few before it, this past month was spent building out 3 new scenes in the game to a state of "playable." The scripts are in with some revisions, a combination of final and placeholder assets were used to flesh them out, and the scenes exist now. I spent particular attention on the music implementation and timing for these ones (...including fixing a bug with the seamless looping mechanic and how it transitions between tracks) and I think that's feeling really effective.

I'm not saying much more because this is the juiciest part of the game. I don't want to set expectations or give things away in a development update before the game is even out, so I'm really holding back here. But there's nothing quite like finally getting to make the climax of this game after working on it somewhere between 2 and 3 years. It's so exciting!!

Pulling back from last month's specific goals, I also took one day and decided to play all the way through the game that I have built so far, from start-to-finish. I was starting to feel incredibly anxious about whether my "one hour before work each workday" development slots were in fact enough time dedicated to this game to actually finish it. I am very aware of how many placeholders and not-quite-fully-implemented mechanics are in the later scenes, in stark contrast to the early scenes that are fully polished and publicly available. I have been swimming in a sea of "not quite actually there" scenes, so the fear I'm not really making very much progress at all has been eating away at me.

So I decided to play it and know for sure. What state is the game in, really? How unfinished is it still? Is the writing as rough as I feel like it is?

Ohhh, I'm so glad I did this. Playing the game pretty much destroyed these fears. This game is going to be good. It is going to be good for a very particular audience, sure; but for those who are seeking what I am giving, it is going to be really special. It already is good. It already is special.

The music is great. The writing is great. The art is great. The seeds I am sowing for things that will happen much later are delicious. I laughed a couple times. And the combination of everything, in my completely mega-biased opinion, is something of a flavor completely unlike anything else out there. It is certainly inspired by very specific things, but the way they come together here is incredibly unique. I am so excited to share this with the world!

(Playing the game also had other uses. It helped me discover some bugs I didn't catch in some early scenes from edits I made to certain menu prefabs. It gave me a couple ideas on a few thematic items I can tie together a bit neater. The experience just generally gave me a good big-picture perspective that I really needed.)

And funny enough, it is this excitement and confidence, not the anxiety from before, that actually gets me to wake up a little earlier for even more development time on occasion. I started this devlog an hour before my Amadeus Slot(TM)  technically began today because I wanted to spend more time on it. Amadeus is very important to me, and dedicating time to it is important to me. Especially since I have a difficult-but-rewarding IRL job that interfaces a lot with trauma and other shit that sucks; Amadeus gives me something meaningful to work hard on that isn't so high-stakes, but is equally rewarding. It's necessary for me to stay sane. I am devoted to seeing it through to its 5-episode completion.

June Goals

For this coming month, my to-do list is very simple. I'm going to "finish" the game. Certainly not to a ready-for-publishing state, not even quite to a ready-for-playtesting state (although that should be coming soon after); but to a "you can technically play it from the very start to the very end and it contains the full experience" state.

What that means in practice is building out one last point-and-click scene, one last VN scene, and the credits. I'm looking forward to posting a devlog at the end of June that just says "WE DID IT GAMERS."

(Short aside - this next month I will also be writing some tracks for a friend working on the Toxic Yuri VN Jam, and said friend has encouraged me to go nuts and do wild shit, so that should be really fun. I will share the fruits of our labor when that is finished too.)

For today, that about wraps things up. Thank you for your continued interest!

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...Okay, one final aside. It was last June that I wrote a devlog about overcoming a massive internal hurdle by means of playing Sonic Adventure and remembering what matters to me in games, gaining a huge boost in confidence and returning to development with a vigor. This past month, I replayed Sonic Adventure again and overcame a similar hurdle. Coincidence???

[stalwart-spirit]

Final Fantasy XIV & Guild Wars 2

Normally I don't post stuff like this, however I thought it would be interesting to discuss in what I conder to be differences between both games which makes me enjoy them both so much.

FFXIV:

"Puzzle solving" combat (mechanics you have to come up with solutions for and react to).

Far more readable AoEs and mechanics (GW2 literally just has hollow circle outlines so it gets confusing when dozens of them are on the floor overlapping).

Better glamouring system (glamour prisms easier to obtain, GW2 transmutation charges can end up costing irl money if the free season pass runs out of them).

Better customization (more options even with a limited chargen. Hairstyle changes cost in game currency. ANY character changes cost irl money in GW2).

Photo mode (everyone in every game just wants to easily take screenshots of their char let's be real and GW2 does not have that).

Better raiding scene (easier to get into high end content such as raiding, GW2 it can be like pulling teeth at times to find groups. "You need experience for this job, but in order to do that you need a job to gain experience" sort of deal).

Less alt friendly but at the benefit of ALL CLASSES being playable on ONE character.

Constant updates to the graphics and textures, so the game does not look as old as it is (GW2 launched around the same time and REALLY looks its age, however pre-rendered cutscenes are looking great now).

Your character feels like your character in MSQ (GW2 your character speaks, replies mostly independently of your choices, thus at times it feels like you're playing someone else and not who you have developed yourself).

Better crafting (GW2 makes me wanna rip my eyes out and lots of people in the community agree that it can be costly and convoluted).

GW2:

Dynamic combat (things are happening on the screen all the time and is very fast paced with barely any breathing space which makes for some insane battle moments).

Active community in older content (part from base game dungeons, but Anet basically dropped those so fast themselves).

Better dye system for armors (multiple slots up to 4 on each gear piece, and a total of 642 dyes currently in game).

Account wide glamour and dye unlocks (unlock on one character, usable for all of that armor weight/collected dye).

Account wide item banking and currency wallet.

Satisfying achievement system (Rewards from achievements as well as scaling reward track for gaining purely just achievement points).

Buy once, play forever, no subscription (each expansion being the only purchase for each release, as well as the older Living World "post-patch" content) so more obtainable for general pop. who don't want to sign up for another subscription service.

New characters can hop into ANY expansion or just ignore them completely and dive into whichever content needed without having to clear an MSQ beforehand.

Generally more alt friendly (at the cost of irl money for extra character slots, as there is a max of 5 on paid accounts)

Better Player vs Player scene as well as the edition of World vs World (giant map skirmish with 3 "servers" constantly battling for domination in each season, literally running in huge groups to take over enemy castles or defending your own)

NOTE: Any instance of having to use irl money to get things in GW2, you can also convert your in game gold into their gem currency to purchase items in their store, but the exchange rate can be kinda wack.

Neither pros or cons for either:

GW2 has horizontal gearing & leveling, with 80 forever being the max level, thus gear never becomes outdated, thus making it easier for people to hop into many forms of end game content as it is released.

FFXIV has vertical gearing and leveling, which gives a goal in mind each time the new level cap is set and new gear levels are added in order to run content, so an insentive to keep active and have a goal to work towards.

GW2 has build options for each class, allowing different styles of play without the restriction of traditional roles (Tank, Healer, DPS), however there will typically always be an accepted meta build for each depending on type of content, and can cause issues of unbalanced parties when lacking specific roles.

FFXIV does not have builds, and each class plays in a specific way allowing for less flex in how each are played, but allows for FAR more security when running content, as well as allowing more focus to be placed on interesting fights with fun mechanics in my opinion.

[radwolf76]

WH40K Homebrew Space Marine Chapter: Stormwolves — December 2024 Update #1

Yesterday's Grotmas Drop from Games Workshop took a step towards correcting the Disaster that was the Agents of the Imperium Codex, by issuing a new Index PDF for the Deathwatch. They've got a shiny new Space Marine Detachment again and a whole host of new Datasheets with the Adeptus Astartes keyword added back in.

This means that even if you'd rather use one of the other Codex Space Marine Detachments, you can still choose Deathwatch as your included chapter, which is a lot less restrictive than trying to ally in the Imperial Agents versions of the same Datasheets. This suits me fine, as I had been using the Vanguard Spearhead Detachment with added Deathwatch Units as rules proxy for my Homebrew Chapter, the Stormwolves.

I can now switch my Firstborn Marine command squad "Control" back to being represented by Deathwatch Veterans; when the Imperial Agents Codex initially fucked it all up, I had to use Sternguard to conserve Allied Unit slots.

Deathwatch Veterans in the new Index have a slightly different set of loadout options than the original 10E Index, so I can't have a full Squad of Combi-Weapons anymore, but there's now statlines for Stalker-Pattern Boltguns and Deathwatch Shotguns, which I rather enjoy the idea of getting to mix in. And since it's a mix, I don't have an excuse for not throwing in a Thunderhamer for that extra bit of melee oomf.

(One of these days I'll actually paint that mini. The Lightning Claw is made of Dark Eldar Knives from the 3E box set, if that's any indication of when I started working on the conversion. Back when taking a Single Lightning Claw was an allowed option.)

Of course, because it's GW, there's still a bit of weirdness. There's now Deathwatch Index and Imperial Agent Legends versions of most of the Kill Teams, both existing at the same time. Except for Proteus, for some unknown reason.

Proteus was basically the same as Deathwatch Veterans anyway, except with a wider loadout selection and the ability to roll in Bikers, Jump Pack Marines, and Terminators. And you can't ally it in as an Imperial Agent Legends Unit because of a rule that says you can't mix Index Deathwatch with IA Deathwatch.

Except for Kill Team Cassius, which is explicitly allowed, even though that unit is only in Legends. Why they didn't copy that single unit over to the new Index is beyond me. As is, sure, you could include Kill Team Cassius, but because they lack the Adeptus Astartes Keyword, they're not going to benefit from the new Detachment's Army Rule (or any of the Marine Codex Detachments' either) and won't be able to use Armor of Contempt or any of the Codex Stratagems. Maybe when they update the Legends Datasheets, they'll add the needed Keyword in.

I am a bit bummed out about them excluding Proteus for apparently no good reason, as I had been planning on using its loadout option for Firstborn Marine with Boltgun and Astartes Shield to make a Stormwolves Bloodstorm Breaching Team to augment the Intercessor-loadout Stygian Wolves Boarding Crews I had previously detailed out in my Homebrew Fluff. Since Proteus is still in Legends and Legends is "Casual & Narrative Play: ask your opponent if they're ok with it" I feel that's a way around the "Don't Mix the two types of Deathwatch" clause, so I may develop the fluff further anyway.

They also came up with a whole new Kill Team, Talonstrike, for all your modern Primaris Jump Pack options. Great that Deathwatch gets something brand new, but my list doesn't use Jump Pack Primaris, and I'm not inclined to start.

The important thing for building a theoretical army list for my Homebrew Chapter is that the Spectrus Kill Teams are back. This lets me get 6 Helix Adepts on the board at one time. Unlike the original Deathwatch Index, I can no longer get 6 out of a total of 30 Phobos Marines, as the squad size for Spectrus is now locked to 10; 6/45 will have to do.

To absorb this extra points cost for the larger squads, I eliminated the Eliminators from my roster, since now I can just drop the Snipers and Las-Fusils right into the Spectrus squads. They also made it so that taking the Instigator Bolt Carbine gets you the same Move-After-Shoot that you'd get for taking it in an Eliminator Squad, which is a nice bonus. With the extra bodies, there's no reason now not to explore all the loadouts.

The new Detachment did clamp down on what Astartes Units can't be taken when you take Deathwatch — the loophole that I had used in previous versions of the list to bring in a Land Speeder Storm and Sniper Scouts from Legends has been closed. I could argue that because I'm not using the new detachment, but a Marine Codex Detachment with the new Datasheets, that the looser Codex wording of the restriction still applies. But honestly, I needed to reclaim the Points anyway, and having so many Phobos Marines on the table is basically Scouts-But-Cooler.

Another change the new Deathwatch Index brought was being able to stick my Control Squad back in the Damocles Command RH1NO again. This also meant that my Bloodstorm Squad could take their old Relic Razorback as dedicated transport as well. (I did switch it from Twin Assault Cannon to Twin Lascannon, since my Homebrew Chapter was partially made for hunting other Marines if the need would arise; I just have to get around to updating my 3D Render to match.)

The Repulsor Executioner was dropped; lore-wise it never was a good fit anyway. Didn't have the spare points to bring back my old-school Whirlwind, but my plan to use the Hunter rules from Legends for it was a bit munchkiny, so maybe that's for the best.

Since I had plenty of more space for allied Imperial Agent units now (as long as they weren't IA DW), I swapped out the Voids(wo)men-At-Arms that had been a Free Ally slot choice due to taking a Voidfarers unit (Rogue Trader Entourage) for something with more shotguns instead of lasguns. Since I already had Imperial Navy Breachers, I'm using a Vigilant Squad as a rules proxy for the Voidswomen. Using an Arbites unit still fits with the idea of the 1st Selene Contingent being the Rogue Trader's personal Elite Guard, as they would be in charge of Shipboard Security. And they also make up for the lack of SM Scouts as while some of the stats are different, the Toughness Save is the same, and shotguns are a classic Scout Weapon.

One last tweak was splitting my Phobos Lieutenant and Phobos Captain into different units again, as after some of my cuts, I had enough points to give the Captain back his Execute and Redeploy Enhancement. This means even more Move-After-Shoot units, which makes me happy. I even had 15 points left over after that so I put a Ghostweave Cloak on my Apothecary on Bike Helix Keeper, just in case he loses his two bodyguard bikers.

I tagged this as Update #1 for December, since there's a couple other things that could impact my list building. First, there was a New Officio Assassinorum Detachment that dropped today, and a lot of the Stratagems in there apply some to all Imperial Agent Units, with extra bonuses for the assassins. I'm considering looking at what kind of a list I could put together under that. Might shoot for a 1K point list, since I bumped up my sample Astra Militarum / Imperial Agents list to 2K recently.

Second, GW has said to expect improvements for Codex Space Marines; supposedly this is to balance out the fact that the Divergent Chapters get all the Codex toys plus extras. Since I'm using a Codex Detachment, this may have implications for my Stormwolves.

And finally, the next Balance Dataslate is due out before the end of the year. Since mine is a narrative/fluff driven armylist build, I'm sure it's in no way optimal for competitive tournament play, and so the last few balance passes have had minimal impact on my list, but there's always a chance to shake things up.

[thydungeongal]

Was gonna add this to your OSR thread but this feels like a completely different topic of discussion:

Do you think OSR style games would benefit from Cantrip-like player abilities? Basically active features that don’t run out, specifically in the context of Magic users.

From the sounds of your discussion the main appeal of OSR games is that they encourage the players to use their character sheets as inspiration for tactics they develop using their environment, relying on things that are not necessarily on their sheet in order to tactically solve problems. You still have resources and abilities there to use, but they’re more limited, and therefore encourage more tactical thinking.

Cantrips, on the one hand, kinda trivialize that. They give a button that can be pushed as many times as you want to fix problems.

On the other hand, depending on your execution, the types of problems they are intended to solve can be quite limited. Or perhaps they don’t actually solve problems at all and simply enable you to solve problems easier. Or maybe you don’t get a lot of Cantrips.

It’s an appealing idea to implement Cantrip like things into OSR games, but I don’t know enough to know if it would work in practice.

I would personally say that cantrips are not entirely out of place in an OSR context provided there is some balancing act! From the point of view of resource management, most cantrips are rarely worth sacrificing a spell slot over, but if they don't come with any cost or risk they will quickly trivialize a lot of gameplay that OSR games generally care about (resource management being the important one).

There is one OSR game I can immediately think of that has cantrips: Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures. How it handles them is it makes casting one reliant on an ability check, usually against your character's casting stat, and failure doesn't necessarily mean that the spell fails but that the spell comes with some cost! I think it's the best approach I've seen to adding cantrips to an OSR game and in general I think Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures is one of the most creative and interesting things to come out to that style of design.

[charlie-pippin-faraday]

My danganronpa v3 chapter 5 pre-investigation running commentary:

“you’re such an optometrist. can you prescribe some rose-colored glasses for me too?” might be my favorite line in the game and certainly my favorite thing himiko has ever said. the play on words, the cleverness, and of course the underhanded sick burn

laughing at maki saying “if this weren’t a killing game i would’ve already fucking murdered kokichi” lmaooooo

oh i can’t believe i was WRONG about the black and white door being to kokichi’s lab, it was actually to kaito’s. but i was RIGHT that the astronaut lab would be COOL as SHIT

LMAO himiko to kaito saying she’d never wanna be in a vehicle he’s driving bc of his reckless confidence. you know what she’s probably right

please tell me the astronaut lab actually leads to something that can eventually be piloted that’d be fucking sick

you know i have a feeling i know whose lab is behind the suspicious red door

nope I was wrong it was not kokichi’s, it was rantaro’s. and i can’t even get in?? booo!!

“that sorta unexpected development can only happen in a real killing game like this one.” REAL killing game? what exactly do you mean by REAL killing game?

“what a waste. i can’t believe that idiot killed [rantaro].” hey that’s a rude thing to say about kaede!! and i thought you WANTED us to kill each other, monokuma!

shuichi brings up a great point - what DOES happen when construction is done?

what in the SHIT is that giant thing next to miu’s lab? that wasn’t there before, was it???

cyber courtyard? uhh okay. this definitely doesn’t feel like someplace i’ll be chased out of!

my new genius plan: shuichi, kaito, maki, keebo, and himiko each pilot one of the now-abandoned exisals, we shoot monokuma, and we bust out of here! a flawless plan!

aw i love that keebo has nice memories about miu (it seems like he’s the only one who does). apparently they must’ve bonded while shuichi wasn’t around (and i mean more than just the not-sex scene i witnessed)

“rust in peace” keebo plz

keebo don’t put yourself in danger why are you putting yourself under the hydraulic press if anything happens to you i will not be able to handle it

listen i know he just wants confirmation about how alive he is and how much of a soul he has which breaks my heart but still do not do that please

where is there a bathroom in the exisal hangar? and why the FUCK can’t i investigate the absolutely insane-looking toilet come on shuichi you can’t tell me you aren’t at least a little suspicious about that

me and kaito need to make up IMMEDIATELY i can’t stand this

i’ll be honest i had a suspicion the letters in the courtyard had something to do with kokichi before they were even complete, i could kind of see his name before we got all the letters

“shuichi, your words make me extremely happy” once again keebo i would fucking die for you

bro why do miu and kaito’s skills cost 6 slots but keebo’s costs 32????

very worrisome that kaito wants to learn about weapons. he definitely doesn’t wanna shoot kokichi or anything

oh he’s comparing kaito and maki to himself and kaede ❤️ parallels 🩷

sooner or later maki is going to force me and kaito to wear our “getting along” shirt

“i have to make up, for kaito AND for maki” this sentiment is sweet shut up

ah it’s finally time for the love key! monokuma woke me up so aggressively

hm i’m not sure about the moral and ethical implications of this key. oh well

oh no i got himiko?? tenko i’m so sorry about this

shuichi wasn’t very good at listening to the “stay in character” instructions he kept asking questions

that was alright but. i know who *i* wanna fuck (keebo) and i know who *shuichi* wants to fuck (kaito), so we’re gonna go back to a previous save file and try this again

oh hell yeah i got maki this time! kaito i’m sorry in advance for fucking your girlfriend

aw maki’s fantasy is that she never became an assassin and she’s in a long-term relationship? that’s sweet and a little heartbreaking

damn i can’t believe maki roleplay marriage proposed to me before fucking me

me to kaito the next day: “bro i swear it was a one-time thing, it didn’t mean anything. i’m pretty sure she was thinking of you the whole time!”

“last night with maki, was that a dream?” i am genuinely not sure, shuichi

okay i’m at maki’s 4th FTE. she’s talking about a girl she was friends with in the orphanage, whom she played House with. is this the person she was fantasizing about in the love suite????

yo where the fuck is kokichi’s lab? that’s the only one we haven’t found yet

i’m wondering who’s gonna get murdered. i REALLY fear for keebo, since i think kokichi is out for blood and they’ve been feuding since the start. i fear for himiko too, since i didn’t think she’d last this long anyway and i still hold my belief that all 3 girlies are gonna end up dead

“the outcome will settle once and for all how miu perceived me” aw keebo

a theory: maybe kokichi anticipated that the hammer will disable keebo and then he could swoop in and try and kill him. but maybe he DIDN’T anticipate how close keebo and miu had grown and didn’t see that miu would ensure the hammers wouldn’t hurt keebo. she DID program him as a living being and not an object in the virtual world, after all. we’ll see if they work on him or not

hey after a few tries i finally made it through the passage level! and on my successful attempt i only lost one student! RIP shuichi

damn i thought that door looked like the door in DR1, and then they lined us up like the poses at the end of DR1

something about this outside world backstory don’t smell right. i am very skeptical about everything they’re telling me

i appreciate kaito’s determination to punch kokichi in the face

did shuichi lie in bed for a whole day-plus?

oh? who’s come to my door to save me from killing myself?

of course it was maki

oh!!!! we’re getting the TRUE lore dump now!!!!!!!

the JOLT that ran through me when the name makoto naegi came on my screen. i even predicted i’d see that name a second before i did and i still felt that

i TOLD you makoto naegi was haunting the fucking narrative!!!!!! i could feel it!!!!!!!!!!!

okay while this seems more believable than what kokichi said, you cannot convince me that MAKOTO NAEGI of all people chose to abandon earth. and i do not believe it’s currently hundreds of years in the future

bro if this whole thing is about a disease killing the world, and this game came out before covid, the propheticness is unreal

the one thing i don’t believe is that kokichi’s cult was the remnants of despair. cause…i know things the characters here don’t. everyone in-universe knows everything that happened in DR1, but if I recall correctly the events of DR2 are like a dirty little secret that the general public doesn’t know. so they wouldn’t know that the remnants of despair were rehabilitated. unless they grew beyond class 77-b, but idk if that’s what they’re talking about

my new completely out of left field theory: the professor built keebo in the image of makoto naegi. idk how much time has passed DR1 (or DR2 or the anime) and how old makoto is now, but he’s old enough to have rebuilt the academy by now. and keebo’s super short, he’s got the ahoge, he listens to his inner voice of hope. it’s not the worst theory i’ve ever had

okay another thing that doesn’t sit right: “only a genius can overcome nature.” wasn’t that also kind of against makoto’s whole philosophy? he was a normal dude, who had hope. and didn’t he restart the academy with the idea of it being for EVERYONE? if i remember right? something about this doesn’t feel quite right either

where’s monokuma? and what about that secret door in the library?? did we just forget about that?????

“all four” exisals? shuichi are you dumb? there were 5 of them!

that felt suspiciously like a goodbye to kaito and i don’t like it. if something happens to him i’m suing

i have a sinking feeling something will go wrong and someone might die on our mission to rescue kaito

Annnnnnnnd I’ll be back after investigating this so-called murder!

[gravitycircuit]

Patch 1.1.0 is out -- NOW ON STEAM! Just in time for the holidays! Other PC platforms (EGS, GOG, Stove) will follow in due time. However, due to various development circumstances, we could not get this new patch ready for console porting in time before the holidays. We will inform you more later when we are better aware of the release timeline for consoles - so we ask for your patience.

Without further ado though, here are the Patch Notes for Gravity Circuit 1.1.0:

New features

Boss Rush: Guardian Corps HQ now features Combat Memory Bank, a computer which lets you refight any of the game's bosses at your leisure. Good for practice, or for chasing record times!

Armor paints: Prim, a painter NPC that hangs around in the Guardian Corps HQ, now offers swappable armor paints, allowing further customization! These armor paints each bestow new abilities or effects, so give them all a try! Prim will explain to you how to unlock the paints to her shop.

Quality of life additions

Loadout swap: A dedicated button for quickly swapping loadouts on the fly. During gameplay any unset or empty loadouts are skipped when the button is pressed, so you can choose to use only two loadout slots, or all three.

Slide: A dedicated button has been added for sliding. Down and jump will still continue to work, but this button may be useful for those who need it.

Hookshot - vertical: A dedicated button that locks the hookshot's aim only to upwards vertical directions. This may help with any platforming involving the hookshot, for those who might need it.

Mouse control mapping: You can now map mouse buttons on PC, in addition to keyboard keys.

Effect Timer: An additional toggle setting has been added to the game's system options menu. This toggle adds on-screen visuals for certain effect durations, removing ambiguity. This setting is enabled by default, but can be toggled off at any time.

Burst techniques

Cycle Kick: In-game shop price reduced from 2000 to 1500.

Surface Render: In-game shop price reduced from 2000 to 1500.

Gravity Freeze: Affected area increased, damage slightly increased.

Piercing Drill: The chain portion now also damages enemies, not just the tip, making the technique easier to use effectively.

Flying Strike: Fixed an issue involving the Speedrun Mode, where it was possible to accidentally skip acquiring the technique by saving and quitting during the Opening Stage (Central Station). It was still possible to buy the technique, but Flying Strike is intended to be given to the player for free.

Gameplay

Pass-through platforms: Kai can now gain sprinting speed by holding the run button (or having "inverse" run button behavior enabled) when dropping through pass-through platforms.

Sprint jumping when hugging walls: Previously, if Kai was hugging a wall while grounded (holding left/right while up against a wall), Kai would be unable to gain sprinting speed when the run button was held (or having "inverse" run button behavior enabled) when jumping. This behavior has been fixed.

Hopkick: Kai's hopkick (up+attack while grounded) has been sped up by a few frames based on player feedback.

Telefragging: When Kai is struck by a hazard (lava, spikes, crushing), Kai will perform an Emergency Warp to last safe ground. Because this behavior could sometimes lead to Kai respawning inside an enemy, Kai now automatically defeats any enemy around him.

Data chips

"NPC" type data chips: Research cost reduced from 150 to 100.

Stage changes

Highway: Fixed an issue where it was possible to skip over the stage's checkpoints with certain actions.

Ore Mines: Fixed a certain area not having correct camera triggers when entering it in a specific way.

Guardian Corps HQ (visuals): Additional sign has been added to hint towards the location of the training facilities.

Guardian Corps HQ (design): Additional platforms added to make reaching the Training Room easier.

Guardian Corps HQ (training room): When Dave the Training Dummy is hit, the Training Room door will be inoperable for a few seconds. This is to prevent players from accidentally exiting the room while performing combos.

Guardian Corps HQ (NPCs): "Prim" and "Shock" NPCs have switched places. Their dialogue has been adjusted slightly to match these changes.

Final stage: Additional respawn points added in a certain section.

Localization

Chinese: A certain scene had an issue where the talking characters were accidentally reversed, and there were other issues involving few untranslated words. This has been fixed.

English: Fixed a slight typo in Pat's dialogue.

Misc

macOS: Loading times improved by changing some code, that made some of the game's threads run slower on systems with M1 chips.

Speedrun Mode: If the in-game timer is enabled from the game's system settings, Speedrun Mode is enabled by default when launching the game (if Speedrun Mode has been unlocked). This is so that speedrunners do not need to remember to toggle this setting every time they launch the game.

General code performance: Slight improvements across the board in various places, that cumulatively help the game run more smoothly on lower end hardware.

[hoyostans]

Gacha Gamer's Guidelines

Introducing the 'Gacha Gamer's Guidelines', with the first addition: Watching Your Wallet.

Made by Hoyoverse players, but meant to more broadly cover the medium.

Full webpage here: https://hoyostans.be/gacha-gamers-guidelines/

The following list is a series of tips and guidelines to help players protect their financial and mental health while playing gacha games.

!!!DISCLAIMER!!!

Gacha games have many different systems and applications. Similarly, players have different financial situations and mental health backgrounds.

Gacha games can be played and engaged with without issue, but they can also be incredibly unhealthy for you.

This list can only serve as a series of loose tips. Please do not take them as professional financial or health advice.

1. Question the Commitment

Before you spend any money on a gacha game, ask yourself:

Do you see yourself playing this game a year from now?

Have you played enough of the game already that this playtime would be worth the money you’re about to spend?

Do you feel the developers have earned your cash?

If the answer to any of these is no, maybe keep your wallet closed for now.

2. Question the Purpose

Another question you should ask yourself is: Why do you wish to spend?

Are you spending because you want to, or because you feel pressured to?

Only spend when you’re already enjoying yourself with the game. Not because you think spending will help you enjoy a game you’re not enjoying already.

3. Question the Cost

Don’t spend money you don’t have. Make sure that whatever you intend to spend does not infringe in any way on your quality of life.

4. Set Your Budget in Advance

Gacha games typically use a live service format. Every few weeks, a new update drops with a bunch of new content.

As new updates come, so do new banners where you can pull for new items or characters. Often with various fun trailers and shiny advertising to draw you in.

But be careful! Don’t let this tempt you into wild spending!

If you notice you often find yourself spending on the game, or if you plan to do so in the future, try and set your budget in advance. And draw a HARD line.

Set your budget to 20 bucks for the next update? Do not exceed it! If you’ve spent your 20 bucks, it’s over. No more spending this patch.

5. It's Good to Be Stingy

If you set your budget to 100 bucks for this patch, that does not mean you should try and meet that 100 bucks. If you can get what you want with just 15 bucks, then only spend 15 bucks.

6. There is no Carry-Over

If you do not spend your entire budget, do not carry what remains over to the next patch. The rest goes back into your wallet for your savings.

7. Think Cheap

Make sure to compare the game’s different packs and systems. If you plan to spend money, figure out what options have the best bang for your buck.

Commonly, gacha games have some sort of monthly system that’s cheaper than straight top-ups. But make sure to do your homework before a penny leaves your wallet!

8. Stick with Guarantees

Gacha games are often likened to gambling, and that is for a reason.

If you rely on chance to get what you want, you are vulnerable to many of the same dangers as when playing a slot machine.

However, most modern gacha do have pity systems or direct purchase store systems.

If you want to keep your wallet intact, always wait until you can guarantee the result you wish for before you spend anything.

If the game guarantees the character you want at 90 pulls, and you have enough budget for 30 pulls, do not spend any money until you are at 60 pulls. Can’t reach 60 pulls before the banner’s over? Your wallet stays shut.

9. Don't Let the System Play You

Each gacha game has a set of rules to their banner system. ‘Pity’ systems are systems where the game gives you improved odds and guarantees depending on how many times you’ve used a banner.

A VERY important rule to check up on is whether or not the banner’s ‘pity’ carries over to future banners.

Use knowledge of these rules to your advantage. Save your currency for characters you really want.

If pity carries over, you’re safe to use your free currency on a banner even if you can’t reach the max pity. But if it doesn’t carry over, always make sure to save your currency until you can reach max pity.

DON’T pull on banners just to increase your pity if you don’t want the characters on the banner. That’s a recipe for disaster.

10. Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

If you have decided to follow any of the above guidelines, or other rules you have set for yourself, make sure you stand by them. This is a promise to yourself and to your wallet.

If you find yourself *breaking* your promise, it’s time to shut the wallet entirely. You go free-to-play. You cannot spend any more money. Take some time to reevaluate what happened, and manage your self control.

If, and only if, you are confident you can stick to your rules, you can open your wallet again.

If you find yourself breaking your rules repeatedly, or generally overspending,  then you must become free-to-play permanently. If you find yourself still painfully tempted to spend, then consider quitting the game entirely. Games are fun, but they should never come at the cost of your quality of life.

--

The webpage may undergo some edits if we find new tips or ways to improve them. Have fun and stay safe!

[isagrimorie]

One of the more intriguing and unique bits of Daggerheart is the card-based system that players use to choose their character's abilities. Each of the game's classes (which contain a mix of traditional fantasy classes and new classes like Guardian or Seraph) have certain core abilities. However, each class has at least two options similar to subclasses that come with an additional unique ability. Also, each class has two "orders" with different powers represented via different cards. Players choose two abilities from their class's two orders when they start the game and choose additional abilities when they level up. A player has no more than five order abilities active at once, with other abilities going into a Vault and can be swapped out during either downtime or some kind of rest. Ancestries and communities are also represented by cards that are placed on top of a player's character sheet. Each ancestry and community background also comes with some kind of ability or trait spelled out on the card, ranging from advantage on certain kinds of checks to a mechanical benefit like extra armor.  The result of character creation in Daggerheart is a three page character sheet with several cards placed in different slots and certain pages tucked halfway underneath the "main" character sheet. However, all of a character's abilities and stats (including spells, weapon abilities, and more) are represented on the page and there's no need to refer back to a rulebook for clarity on a specific ability, spell, or rule.

we should mention the Death mechanic of Daggerheart, which is a lot more meaningful than what we've seen in games like Dungeons & Dragons. When a player runs out of Hit Points, they have three options – they can choose to die in a blaze in glory with an automatic critical success on their final action, they can choose to become scarred and permanently remove one of their hope slots to recover, or they can risk it all by rolling their hope and fear dice and letting the dice determine their fate. If the hope dice is higher, their character recovers, but if the fear dice is higher they die. Starke mentioned that there's only one resurrection spell in Daggerheart that is an one-off ability, so it seems death will have a higher impact and stakes than in other fantasy TTRPG games. 

This feels in line with Matt's feelings about Death and resurrection in D&D. He's not a fan of how easy it is to resurrect people. So making it harder and with more cost and consequence feels like a natural development.

Also, I feel like Critical Role is slowly incorporating some of the Daggerheart rules see what happens in the first fight in campaign 3, episode 67.

Daggerheart feels really exciting and fits with CR's way of playing both narrative and crunchy!

[anotherrpgblog]

FRONTIER：Mugen O Kieru Toki Uta (無限を消える時詩), unreleased, developed by Southern Cross Soft (1995) - Part 1

I've been meaning to make a Playthrough blog for years but I guess FINALLY I've gotten a good reason to do so: My friend @stereocats sent me a copy of FRONTIER：無限を消える時詩 ("Mugen O Kieru Toki Uta", kind of like "Poem of Time Vanishing Into Infinity"), an unreleased SFC game, and it would be literally illegal for me to keep it to myself.

He found a whole batch of these cartridges in a lot from an acquisition at his company. Apparently it was going to be the studio's, Southern Cross Soft's, very first game, but we couldn't find much information on it. Well, enough dilly dallying, let's get into the game!

"Dazzling light hides it, thousands of worlds grow hazy."

"Ah, the fleetingness of the human world, days passing unseen."

"Water flows to somewhere far, not knowing its destination."

"But still, when light shines in, people seek the truth."

The game opens with this little poem, then introduces us to two characters, as they witness a comet.

The blue haired man speaks something cryptic about the time of humanity. The tiles and the text scroll remind me a bit of Final Fantasy 4.

The white winged girl, though, expresses surprise like a normal human being.

Cut to us protagonist, as we wake up inside our crashed spaceship. P08e, the ship's robot attendant, tells us that this is an uncharted planet orbiting a star that should have no planet, but regardless it's apparently a lively planet with signs of civilization.

And as we attempt to leave the ship, P08e decides to tag along.

the first treasure chest we find contains a "C-Drive" – basically, an action command. In this game, you only have five slots for C-Drives, which means every move counts (except for using items, thankfully). Starting with only a "Blade" C-Drive, I eagerly equip the newly acquired "Chakra" drive.

Now, here's where things get interesting: each stat is linked to a level, and equipping C-Drives to higher levels boosts their power (but also drains more energy). So, I strategically set "Blade" to level 0 for quick, efficient stabby-stabby action, and "Chakra" to level 2 for a nice, rejuvenating heal every couple of turns.

The battles in this are are a bit hard for Fau, but thankfully P08e is a beast, with massive HP and with the powerful T4-Rocket ability which damages enemies 4 times and costs only 1 Stamina. So I use that opportunity to grind a little bit around the Healing Fountain.

Which I'm glad I do, because...

No savepoint, no nothing. Pretty tough boss, to boot - Fau by herself would've been obliterated. Thankfully, with P08e's rockets we get by, and Fau gains 3 levels from the ordeal.

Well, that was it for today, I haven't been able to do spend too much time on this as demands have been piling up but hopefully I'll be able to record this game til the end.

[creations-by-chaosfay]

Small Update

When I'm able to do any sewing, I'll begin with the giveaway prizes first.

After I finish the prizes, I'll make at least three panel quilts in order to practice using the quilting frame and new machine I'll be using from now on. Handquilting will be for personal pieces, some gifts, and commissions if the client is willing to pay extra for it.

The panel quilts will be listed with a steep discount because they're practice and my machine quilting won't be that great. The discounts will become smaller with each quilt though.

After the panel quilts are done, and I'm confident in my skills, I'll open commissions.

There will likely be a max of three slots available, as well as quilt options I can finish within three weeks without putting too much stress on myself, especially my hands and wrists.

If a client wants handquilting done, I'll create a specific listing for them. Handquilting is why I currently have tendonitis from my left hand all the way up to my elbow. On top of that, I have hEDS. The price will increase by 50% seeing as the work is more demanding. A piece that would take 30 hours total may exceed to over 100 hours and require a long break afterward for my body to recover.

I likely won't have commissions open until June 2025. Regardless of how many slots I have available, commissions will close in November. Earlier if all slots have been taken.

The current price of my work is $27/hour. I'm giving myself a raise and will charge $28/hour. The cost of my work, for those confused about pricing, is as follows: $28/hour + cost of materials used (thread, needles, pins, fabric, batting, rotary blades, etc) = finished price.

For handquilted pieces: $28/hour + cost of materials x 50% increase in cost = final price.

I'm currently unable to work on anything until probably February due to tendonitis. Symptoms showed up in April 2024, and I would take a week or two off to help my body recover. Otherwise I was just work work work. We were financially strapped due to emergencies, and it all started with an ice storm tearing the gutters off and putting what may as well have been an entire tree on our house. 10 months without a real break. The pain got to be too much in November. I'm in physical therapy (PT) now, and learned having hEDS makes me more likely to develop tendonitis. It also means I have to keep my brace in as much as possible until they say otherwise. My joints are wobbly, and we'll be working to teach my muscles to work like splints. My wrists are at the top of the list right now.

Now, I'm going to spend the next couple of months recovering and healing. Soon, I may have the paint I favor and will be able to occupy myself with something other than reading and playing video games. ADHD and boredom do not play well together.

[molsno]

actually, I'm not sure I like the way the simulation theory was tackled in aini. what set the first aitsf apart from zero escape, for me, was the way that it very much tried to ground itself in reality. iris almost represented the average zero escape fan going into the game with the expectation that all of the pseudoscience and conspiracy theories would be relevant, but in actuality, she just had a brain tumor and was experiencing delusions. the murder mystery still required you to suspend your disbelief somewhat, but for the most part, everything could be explained with technology, rather than anything supernatural. there was just one problem; date remembered information he learned in another timeline, and there was seemingly no explanation for this, other than the fact that the player would have known about it.

aini sought to retroactively explain this with the introduction of the nil number, allowing the player to sequence break and prove that shigure was correct - the universe truly was a simulation. I don't dislike this, at least in theory, but they don't execute it well.

for starters, that kind of downplays what iris experienced in the first game! she was right about naix all along. moreover though, I just find it intellectually lazy. sure, it explains how date was able to remember information from another timeline, and likewise how ryuki was able to do the same, but what about everything else? if you take any issue with how the rest of the game was executed, you can more often than not just shrug your shoulders and say "well, it's because it's a simulation." because sure, shoma doesn't age at all over the course of 6 years due to the experiments horadori institute conducted on him, which makes it easier for them to conceal the central twist of the game; but you mean to tell me he still wears the exact same outfit 6 years later? his house remains exactly the same over the course of 6 years? well, now you can explain it away with the fact that it's all a simulation!

and like. it's true! we're playing a video game here, and video games tend to reuse models and animations as much as they possibly can to cut development costs. so of course shoma would wear the same outfit. of course mizuki and bibi would have the exact same hairstyle and outfit and weapon and bike at age 18. it's a video game after all! and if they went further with this idea, I wouldn't be opposed to it. but they don't even really play with that idea in any significant way because to do so would make you more likely to realize the twist of the game in advance. because of the twist, shigure had to spend most of the game off screen, and since we aren't incentivized to take her ramblings seriously anyway, the simulation theory can't be given any weight until you've already finished the game.

I really like ryuki diverge conceptually, but it's so short that it really doesn't change anything. it doesn't bring you any satisfaction, it doesn't make you question the implications of shigure - arguably the true main antagonist - being completely correct, it doesn't even make you question the morality of sharing that information with ryuki. because if ryuki does find out, then nobody dies, and everyone is happy, and they all still slot into the relationships they would have ended up with otherwise. what explanation could there possibly be for bibi to reveal herself to mizuki in that timeline, when she tried so hard in the main story to protect mizuki from the truth so she could have a normal life? it just feels like an incredibly cheap happy ending. did uchikoshi write this? has he actually gotten that much worse as a writer, or did he just hand off a half-finished script to people that had no idea what they were doing?

[skekdris]

SkekDris: Radiant Star

Commission done by SkekLa over at DeviantArt!

In the late 1600's two kingdoms warred, using state sanctioned mages as tools of war to carry out the Nation's. Not every mage was aligned. A lone Skeksis was more content in studying the cosmos and astral projecting across the stars to learn the secrets of the constellations. Nonetheless, the shadowy figures that had orchestrated their war made it clear that all non-aligned mages (read: fanatically devoted) were to be eliminated. SkekDris was seemingly an important enough target to send in a specialized team of hunters that had a mythical beholder under their thrall, a creature thought to be of fables past. One look of it's gaze could neutralize the magic a mage could wield, making them easy pickings.

SkekDris, was cornered in his tower that had been set ablaze. Multiple lifetimes worth of work, knowledge, priceless heirlooms and unforgettable mementos, gone. With nothing left, he looked to the stars he spent his life gazing upon. In those final moments, he saw something different, the shimmering, impossible constellations that only his alien eyes could make sense of seemed to collapse down into something knowable. The constellations themselves were the ley lines of the universe, and the magic that flowed through it. And what he saw was more startling; out of those infinite arrangements of stars, the constellations that appeared to him matched the natural weave of his own self.

In that moment of realization, the weave of the cosmos reached down to him with an invisible runner of magic - the instant it touched skekdris and bridged the earth and stars, unfathomable power ignited the SkekSis' soul. The power was overwhelming; too much even, yet the map of the cosmos allowed him to guide the magic's flow in such fashion, that it would not immediately destroy him. Instead, magic flowed from his body like a cascade from the sun - power pure and unending. One of the dark mages shouted to the enthralled beholder. "What the hell are you doing? I thought you were supposed to dispel magic!" To which the inquisitor mage turned around, and witnessed a sight that filled him with terror in his final moments; The beholder had nothing to gaze upon, for they were blinded by the radiance of the sun tenfold. That one day of cosmic power cost SkekDris decades of his life - but that was sacrifice he was willing to make to put an end to this scheming war of nations.

What SkekDris had discovered was a phenomena that would later coined as "Radiant Star" (as this setting has not developed the term nova). In essence, magic flows through the body at means exceedingly beyond what is natural. In nearly all cases, it results in the death of the mage through loss of lifespan… or more immediate conflagration. But SkekDris in his moment of clarity in the storm, had the means channel this tremendous power. In this state one can cast spells without effort or limit.

To put this into more game-y terms, no spell slots, no verbal or material requirements, and all spells are massively upcast to the point magic even basic spells like missile looks more like magic fireball. Oh, and anything that can detect/see magic within several miles is basically witnessing the flash of a nuclear explosion. Continuously.

Even with the skill and know how to channel this power "safely;" the strain it puts on the body and soul is immense. Unlimited power seems to have it's limitations in the form of the vessel that wields it. Unrivaled power as it is, SkekDris hopes he never has to use it again.