#I’ll have to see abt playstyles

[petrichorium]

BOOOOO I WANT HUOHUO

[kazumasougi]

so what’s your verdict on ragnarok? i saw some people say that it was good but not as good as the first game so i’m curious to know what you think. going to play it this summer 😎

okok this might get long so here’s the non-spoilery short of it: i really loved playing through ragnarok but i do agree that i liked 2018 more! I’ll put the significantly longer portion under the cut and ill do my best not to spoil any main story portions while talking about it lol

ragnarok definitely lets you explore far far more. i think theres a couple of places where you can tell they didnt want to drag the story out so they cut stuff for time but i personally feel like the game could’ve very well used that. and i think the fact that 2018 is like a good number of hours longer than ragnarok makes it a little bit surprising when you get to the endpoint.

also unlike 2018— though this matters less to me— there are parts of the game that you can only actually finish once youre done with the main story. it has a few epilogue pieces which are definitely a nice send-off for the game and you can explore just a little bit more, but if im honest it feels a bit empty..? though im not done with postgame so when i get there ill probably post abt it more 😼

storywise i feel like there’s some things that could definitely have improved or been changed in some way… i absolutely loved the new dynamics between old characters and getting to see how theyve grown with each other since 2018. its super heartwarming to me. but some parts really did feel rushed and while the ending was good some parts just felt kind of… abrupt??? i’d love to know how they would have refined the story with just a bit more time because personally it feels like theres still a loose end or two that hasnt been addressed. that said its by no means a BAD story— i really liked going through it! the best way i can think to put it is that it’s an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish.

in terms of MECHANICS… i’ll be completely honest some of them were so incredibly frustrating that id considered giving up on some of the fun side stuff they encourage you to do (like nornir chests and whatever else may have you). even some parts of the main quest were a little bit confusing to me…?? at some points there are puzzles that aren’t super straightforward and it got a little tiring to play guess and check. that said there aren’t a lot of them, but it definitely left me a little bit annoyed during gameplay. i should mention though for some of the mechanics in question they DO have a crazy good range of accessibility settings that help you more clearly see things like interact-able objects and targets etc. so making use of those definitely lessened the annoyance for me personally lol. that said it does not work for all of them and if you Want to go collecting extras then you might have to sit there frustrated a few times before it works out 🥲

one more thing i should probably mention in regards to game mechanics is the skill trees… i’ll keep this explanation light as to avoid heavy spoilers but essentially they give you a LOT of skills to upgrade with XP. and i mean a lot. i have not used even half of them they do nothing for me 💀 i would guess this is their way of letting you do more with XP since in 2018 you rack it up faster than you can spend it but there are so many in ragnarok. and if im honest it feels like a lot of them are kind of … useless in combat. or at least very very situational. they do give you the chance to upgrade skills you use the most which i really like but i find it kind of weird how many of them are reliant on hyperspecific situations while also costing a significant amount when you unlock them.

OH. and also. i kind of wish the companion armor had some sort of effect…???? like in 2018 i loved atreus’ healthstone effect because it suited my playstyle. but all companion armor is purely cosmetic. they seem to have replaced that with accessories you can equip them with that have different effects but i also didnt really feel much of a difference with them until postgame 😿 an edge ragnarok has on 2018 though is definitely that you can customize what your armor looks like while taking the stats of another. which is awesome because im tired of making him look like hes wearing a sweater vest at a holiday gathering. ill admit though the menuing is a little bit more confusing lol

ANYWAY. to finish this off i feel like i loved a lot about ragnarok but after having seen what they did in 2018 i feel like they probably couldve pushed it a bit more. that said the story is absolutely crazy and i loooove certain routes they went with it so it definitelys worth playing imo. i just wouldnt expect it to be just like the first game 👍 there are some major changes i havent listed because i think seeing them for yourself will be awesome

[i-love-you-all]

Goodbye, Split

Ok, so ik some people would’ve rather seen breeze or fracture get taken out but here was my rationalization for why it was split.

One, the age of the maps. The original 3 maps were Haven, Bind, and Split. If you’re trying to spice up a map pool, it does make sense to target the maps that have been around the longest. I’m sure you could make an argument for Ascent, but those three were the OGs.

Then it comes to changes to the maps, which was brought up in the article on why they chose to remove split. They talked about evolving the playstyle, and of the three OG maps, Split has the most stagnant meta on it. It rarely/has never changed. The basic premises on defaults and executes still exist from beta, and agent changes do next to nothing about it. Like, in my knowledge, I don’t remember anything really changing about the split comp. Omen is slightly more in meta, but how you would play him is still the same as how you would have before Astra came out. One ways have always existed, and that’s the big thing about him still. I see teams as either having a controller-heavy/slower/more stall/lurk meta, or they go double initiator and play for information and map control. There is rarely something in between. You could argue abt double senti, but it plays into similar goals of the double controller comp.

If you look at the other two OG maps, you have Bind, which has just shown new comp potential with Yoru/Neon, and how fast you can push the pace. Plus with Fade and all the util she brings, there is more combo potential on that map, and it really does change depending on who’s playing and agent combos. How you would’ve played Bind while in the Acend comp vs the double controller no senti comp vs the Yoru/Neon aggression comp are different playstyles on teams. It brings way more variety than swapping Astra for Omen on Split or adding Viper to a Split comp. Then on Haven, with its three sites, you’ve always had opportunities for strange strats and rotations. There’s just more variability because of the three sites. Then on top of that, there are different ways to address Haven now that Jett is not always first pick and Sova isn’t the only initiator in meta. The flex on initiators to me is what I like about Haven because there are so many different combos we’ve seen with all the initiators. Basically, these two maps offer a different viewing experience based on who’s playing and how they like to play it, whereas Split is generally played the same over the different teams though one team might have an interesting util combo or something else.

I personally was never a fan of Split in competitive because of how easy it was to stop a push with util and some good shots at the choke points in A or B main, and it placed a lot of pressure on mid as a result. Maybe it’ll come back changed and feel different in the future, but as of now, I’m ok with it being out temporarily, and it reminds me of R6S for the pro scene so I’m not too concerned. We shall see tho... maybe I’ll change my mind in a couple months :p

[hoodhookage]

OH YEA U ASKED ABT THE BANNER TOO!!! ok look i did not want yoimiya or sayu at any point pre-banner but i did the sayu trial and omfg?? adorable animations and playstyle 😭😭 still skipping tho bc i already witnessed like 3 of my fellow kokomi savers try to pull for sayu and ended up accidentally getting yoimiya HELP so that was enough to convince me to stay strong. ill get sayu eventually anyway homegirls not goin anywhere

speaking of kokomi!! im currently at 93 fates+pity so by the end of yoimiyas banner i should have plenty for her. baal is tempting but there is no way on gods green earth im leaving kokomis banner without that woman. mark my worms

- changed person

i waited for her thing to cooldown to use it once more in the trial and i accidentally let her die before it would work again bye

i love them though so i know what you mean I DDINT EVEN FINISH READINF AND ALL I SEE IS “still skipping though”

YEAH I SEE OUR EYES ARE ON KOKOMI shes so cute i need to do some googling for when her thing is i’ll probably roll on it

but wow 93 fates you secured the bag

[starcloaked]

🌻 !!

hehe hii!! i will tell you abt armello bc it is extremely fun and a game ive played casually for a while and enjoy

so, the very basic premise is that there are four kingdoms (not really but i’ll explain) there’s the wolves, the rabbits, the bears, and the rats !! each clan sends out a hero, a representative to fight for the crown. the current leader is a corrupt lion, left without a memory of his homeland and sprawled out in the corner of the wood near a farm. at the sight of the poor ruling state the animals that reside in the kingdoms are in, he unites the four groups through wit and a power known as the rot. this magic is just as powerful as it is deadly, and creatures who use too much of its foul power will begin to become twisted and evil

the king has succumbed to his force, and his once benevolent rule along with it. they all fight for the crown of the steadily weakening king, completing tasks along a hex board to gain prestige and powerful weapons and allies. there are four paths to take to victory—and while certain characters excel at certain ones—it is much more rewarding to spin a weaker character into a combat heavy victory, and vice versa.

the fifth clan i mentioned (there’s technically a 6th?? but i play on mobile and do not have access to them LOL) is the bandit clan, a group of rouges with a individual streak of hatred for authority. they’re all my personal favorites!! especially twiss, who is an adorable little squirrel thief. love her. short queen girlboss etc

the fact that this game both has furries with swords and hammers and giant axes, as well as scenarios where the phrase “pop off my liege!” is completely acceptable to use was the dealmaker for me, but there are also little novels that include fun stories about the main, base characters that provide interesting lore and are a fun read. there’s a magic system and a force of good called the wyld, which acts as mother nature itself and through the collection of spirit stones can help you cleanse and kill the king !!

the other ways of beating the game are though prestige victories, a kingslayer victory, or a rot victory. rot is by far the most fun and action packed form of winning, but it has a bittersweet undertone of the cycle of corruption continuing with a new ruler. prestige you can gain from completing quests, slaying other heroes, defeating banes (which are these HUGE crow ass looking things that are the coolest part of the game honestly. fucked up and evil corvid) and if no other hero can slay or cleanse the king while staying alive, this victory is the default. rot and kingslayer victories are won by indulging nail biting dice-based combat w the lion man himself, very thrilling actually !!

each hero has a special quirk that makes them worth playing, and stats to fit their specific playstyle. i love them all a lot (besides river. stupid bow ability) and i think anyone who wants to see if they like it should buy it on the app store! free, but a lot of in app purchases so i would advise you just buy the pc version if you want to continue playing. here’s a bane 10/10 game love making fun little scenarios and drama while i play :]

[spirit-shroud]

children of morta feelings

im 3 hrs in, just defeated the first boss, i have 2/3 unlocked playable characters at lv 4 which is where things start getting cooler for everyone. ill be tagging any misc musings abt this game as ‘kc plays com’ if you dont wanna read it. or alternatively, if you do, i guess.

- my favourite bergson to play so far is linda but im not very good at her, i got her to lv 4 first and unfortunately got destroyed by the first boss when i first waltzed in there unsure of what i was expecting - i. love. kevin. this rogue, naruto-running little dude. if anime existed in rea he’d probably read nothing but manga. if i don’t start seeing fan art of this guy in a naruto headband i’ll do something drastic like make it myself. this is a direct threat.  - i’m also very bad at playing kevin. he’s only lv 2 so far but unfortunately his range is. nonexistent and so far my strategy includes pulling half the dungeon and mashing my y ability while pterodactyl screeching so our playstyles don’t really match up. but like. i cant get enough of this dude - i ended up killing the first boss w john just bc the shield is very cool and sexy for the nonstop adds she spawns. i’m best w john and his playstyle is very similar to will moonlighter’s but obviously john isn’t a noodle like will is  - also the first boss reminds me a lot of Beth’tilac from WoW? like. they have fairly similar mechanics only first boss™ is much simpler  - the bergsons interacting and being nice to each other and figuring things out as a family makes me, Minimum Family McFuck, very sad in a lonely, nostalgic way so like simultaneously it gets bonus points and points off for making me experience Feelings. i will be making a self insert OC and writing family fic about it ASAP because they feel like the kind of people who’d see some rando dude walkin the streets with a cool staff and immediately take them in. this is also a direct threat.  - puppy

[leftnipsdoodles]

Buff have you got any crucible tips? I tend to avoid it as I'm about as good in clash as Asher is at emotions.

there’s 11 enemies in quickplay, 5 of them happen to be on your team.

no but in seriousness, im guessing you’re asking this from a solo perspective so im gonna give you my solo view on things (highlight the text to not die):

be aware of your surroundings. there’s a lot of cover around every map for a reason. you should probably never be standing right out in the open, unless you’re baiting. to add to this, try and get a mod or an exotic that will let you have radar while ADS. it rly makes a world of difference.

know when to fold em. in my experience, the better you get and the more skilled players you encounter, the more you will find yourself in gunfights that go on for pretty damn long without either party killing the other. because you’ll both have learned when to shoot and when to hide and/or run.

pick the right subclass for yourself. i’ll always be an outlaw gunslinger at heart, and as great as the six shooter is in crucible, i do like to go in as a trapper nighstalker instead. the shadowshot CAN be clutch, but more often than not it’s completely useless. but the rest of the subclass (smoke bomb, invisibility, even the normal grenade) just works very well for my playstyle. so, don’t be afraid to try out different things and see what feels best for you.

get the heavy? idk i personally dont rly do that bc i like my primary/energy too much to wanna switch off of them lol but the truth is, whoever’s got the heavy has also got a few guaranteed kills.

funnily enough, try to stick with your team. not like glue or anything, but unless you see the perfect flanking opportunity, just stick with at least one teammate. teamshooting will never not work, lbr.

if you see someone on your radar, sitting around a corner? don’t go around that corner. they’ve got a shotgun and no dignity and they’re willing to prove both of this to you.

verticality babeyyyyyyyyy. jump over an enemy and they’ll be disoriented af 90% of the time bc the FOV in this game is just tragic. some ppl even say to just jump up very high when turning a corner bc this way the shotgun ape wont be able to shoot you. this is false however. dont do this. shotgun range is approximately 500 miles, and they won’t care.

learn the maps. this ties back into being aware of your surroundings but there’s a bunch of spots on maps that nobody rly thinks abt and you can get a bunch of cheap shots in. do you know how many times ppl have told me they’ve reported me for ‘camping’ in the lil window of that house at zone C on vostok? also, by knowing the maps, you’ll be able to predict better where the enemy actually IS once you spot them on the radar, and also where they’ll be going/coming from next.

learn to aim. you might think it’s better to aim for the body bc that way even if you miss you’ll still hit something, but the truth is it’s way better to miss 90% of your shots going for headshots for 6 hours and then seeing yourself improve in the 7th.

get the right loadout. this is trial and error more than anything. but the thing with destiny is that it will literally NEVER be a truly competitive game, since it’s a looter shooter. wanna know why you keep getting killed by Luna’s and Not Forgottens? it’s bc those guns are better. you didn’t die to that One-Eyed Mask wearing titan bc he outplayed you, he just had the better exotic. and no, it wasn’t your aim that was off, it was just the Nova Warp killing you through the wall because It Does That (even tho it shouldnt). so, get yourself some good gear. you can say ‘if you cant beat them, join them’ and get yourself a shotty and the wardcliff coil too, or you can say ‘the meta loadout isnt fun for me’ and try and find sth else that works. i think ive said this before but a lot of the time i choose a long range loadout bc it lets me keep my distance from shotties, 1HKO melees and mid range weapons, and as long as i can position myself correctly and flee when i need to, it works very well. so, at the end of the day, do try to find sth that is FUN for you too, otherwise there’s no point in playing crucible anyway.

uhhhh idk. is this helpful? full disclosure, ive been losing more games than ive been winning lately, and i wont even pretend that it was all on my random teammates, so take it all with a grain of salt lmao. i’m a slightly above average player probably and thats all. also no matter how good or bad you are, you will always be better with a team bc thats just the way this game is. but again, if thats not how you wanna play then dont force yourself to. it wont be fun.

ALSO these are all from a quickplay perspective! comp is kind of a whole other story. tho basically, in comp, just make sure to stay alive. that is legitimately the most important thing as a solo player, since you’ll be able to still play the objective or revive teammates etc even if youre the last one standing. it requires a lot more awareness and ‘calmer’ play than quickplay, plus some more coordinated work, so you’ll also have to be able to be a teamplayer, even if youre not using mic and all that (most ppl in comp dont enter voice channel anyway lol). idk, i’d stay away from comp anyway. as a wise random on the internet once said ‘comp is a shitshow, get luna’s and then get the fuck outta there’

and lastly, there’s a subreddit called r/crucibleplaybook which probably has ACTUAL advice and is way more helpful but i wouldnt know bc reading is for nerds so ive never actually looked into it