#phobos revisited

[loremastering]

an old friend and an old home

[blissfulalchemist]

Tuesday Tunes

Was tagged by @voidika for music monday but it is now tuesday. Anyway! I've just been rotating an au wherein Alma briefly becomes a Dominant and my ffxiv little guy Phobos. And while they are in vastly different places this piece from the ffxvi soundtrack, "Faith", just lends nicely to the thoughts about them.

But for Dominant!Alma au there are two endings to it, the good one and the bad one and I've been turning over the bad one. While Phobos was just revisiting something I had started and found out they only see themselves as being the bringer of the end, they will only ever be endings. But their hope to be a beginning stays with their soul that many versions of them through time and reflections fulfill that desire. So yeah. And have a little of both below the cut.

sending out no pressure tags to: @shellibisshe @statichvm @shallow-gravy @chyrstis @adelaidedrubman @florbelles @unholymilf @belorage @sorrybatman

Have the Phobos piece first. Spoilers for ShB and beyond for ffxiv

“Then why didn’t you tell them? Remind them of what was lost? You could have stopped this from ever happening to begin with! No one would have had to suffer this way if you had just told them. You say this as if it would come one way or another as if-.” She stays silent as the truth claws within my chest. There is a beginning and an end to all things, and I have only seen the latter, been the bringer of endings and nothing more in this short existence of mine. (...) “But it didn’t have to end like this….we could have changed it. Why did you not go to them for help before it was too late?” “I….do not have a good answer. I had hope that maybe new perspectives would come through and our way of thinking would be challenged. Feared that the more I spoke and asked for help the worse things would get. Unsure on what choices made in the time unknown to your future selves would be. I could not fathom a me that would have come to the choice I made of becoming more when I first heard such a tale, but now that it has come to pass I understand that woman described to me.” I have no reason to doubt her, she has always been honest with us. She’s also right in that those that could help are a stubborn bunch and would laugh at such a thought of golden days coming to an end. Things end though. Good things end, and it’s hard to see bigger when the only things that do are as simple as a dessert. Bad things end too, and hard to conceptualize when negative emotions, strong emotions in general, are seen as superfluous. But I can see it….I understand such concepts having only seen the end of good—how many towns did we try to save only to be met with destruction?—and only seen the end of bad—every monster I’ve slain and every deluge of tears Deimos would shed had a stopping point. An ending to all of us was and is inevitable. “I just wish we could have had a say in how we met our end,” I whisper, “but what’s done is done.”

------------------------- I know Hades can easily expand it, but he’s rendered still by the scene above, eyes searching for what the result of their fight would entail. I cannot save them all but I can save him. Save the man that ever led us forward, had a level head, listened to those around him, and had a compassion that, though silent, extended beyond those he just cared for. He could be the one to best make a way forward. “His grief will become his undoing”, A warning and risk I’m willing to take for I’m the unknown factor, maybe he did not see his brother before this moment, and maybe that makes all the difference in the world. I am not his brother, but we look nearly identical and maybe it will be enough. “Him and two others.”, Does it have to be? A stupid question. Yes, the burden of leadership should not be left on a single person’s shoulders, and who better than the two people Deimos put his most faith in. Two people he respected and that respected him in turn. Lahabrea who mentored us and gave us a chance, understood the potential beneath the surface, and was unfaltering in his strict teachings to bring it forth. The man that allowed himself to be hated by his own son because he was able to make and perform the toughest decision no one should ever have to make. There would be unrest and someone had to be willing to make such choices and put logic above compassion which at times could cloud one’s judgement. And should both parties have their judgements clouded, Elidibus could weigh and find the way forward, as was and ever has been his duty. Unbound by any strict loyalty he could, and rightfully should, go against them both if they were to lead the star to destruction. What made him the more favorable of an Elidibus to Deimos was the free-spirit just below the surface that held such high value in life continuing, one that reminded him of Hythlodaeus….someone the world needed. Inhaling deeply I draw my sword feeling the newly replenished aether flow into it as I make my way to that crack. Hades looks over with a bewildered face between mine, the crack, and the glowing purple sword I carry. The man reaches for me calling out his brother’s name. With gritted teeth and a yell do I swing my sword into the crack. It sticks and even with nearly half my aether and all that I could gather around me it doesn’t move. I channel more and slowly the sword begins to move down, opening the crack further. Enough for a single person to make their way through. I remove the sword bringing it back to the top, lungs burning with every breath I take, body shaking as I feel more of the aether leave me, but I just need it opened a little more, just enough for another to be pushed through at the same time.

And have some of the bad ending of the Dominant AU Spoilers for Rising Tide dlc of xvi

Joshua nods, holding back tears as he feels the one thing he can’t mend, “He’s okay. He’s going to live.” She smiles, nodding, “Good. Good I’m glad. He deserves to live….to finally know happiness.” She inhales shakily, feeling tears fall from her eyes as the pain begins inside her chest. “Joshua….,” she starts, “It’s okay. I knew the risks, even if I wasn’t in full control. I just wanted to keep him safe.” “I know but-.” He gasps, some tears leaving him silently, “Alma, please, don’t go. I love you.” She swallows back the lump in her throat, “I know and I love you too. I will always love you, my beautiful idiot.” She reaches up, cupping his cheek, wiping away his tears, “My Phoenix….don’t let this snuff out your light. Promise me, my love.” “Alma….,” he sobs, pulling her closer. “Promise me, Joshua….” He closes his eyes a moment, nodding, swallowing back the pain that would make it hard to speak. “I promise."

She begins to lift herself, Joshua meeting her halfway, their lips coming together. He begins to memorize the softness, the passion, her laughter, the way she’d light up when their eyes met. Sears memories of when he first saw her face, the moonlit nights where nothing existed but the two of them, and the way she felt laying with him, curled up under a tree in the golden afternoon sun, her hand pressed to his heart in bed, and her arms wrapped around him when the nightmares were too much. Flashes of memories when they’d run off from the Undying and explore the villages around them, how she’d laugh when he told stories of his childhood, the dance they shared just before coming here, and the moment he realized how much more she was to him than just a friend.  A small moment, a pristine image of her standing at a wooden table, hair loosely braided, eyes fixated on her notes as the mortar and pestle move deftly in her hands, her eyebrows concentrating while her pink lips still wore a ghost of a smile as she hummed what he would come to find out as a lullaby from her childhood. He had stood there mesmerized, holding onto books that felt unimportant in that moment, felt the way his heart skipped a beat, and the way he almost said “I love you” aloud when she glanced his way, blush forming when she tried to focus back on her work.  (....) When they finally part she whispers against his lips, “Be safe, my love….my dear Joshua.” Her hand grows limp and he can see the curse make its way to the surface above her heart stopping its spread when she takes her final breath. “Alma,” he asks with a cracking voice, sobs starting to take hold. “Alma.” He shakes her, pulling her closer to him, “Come back, Alma, please.” He holds her to him, sobs freeing themselves as he buries his face into her hair, “Don’t leave me.” 

He starts to rock back and forth, the movement catching Clídna’s eye. Her face falls, chest constricting, breathing out, “Oh no….” She nudges Clive, the other two women following as he turns to see where Clídna’s gaze lands.  He rushes over, heart falling at the sounds of his brother’s sobs and seeing her lifeless body in his arms. “Joshua….,” he starts, the women joining him, Jill pressing a hand over her mouth and Clídna hanging her head. “Joshua, I’m-. I’m so sorry.” “I couldn’t save her, Clive. I-. She-. H-her body couldn’t handle-.” His sobs overtake him once more, mumbling apologies and pleas for her to return to him in between. The rest of the group turns silent, heads hanging for a few minutes until Shula excuses herself to take Wajlas back and begin preparations. As his sobs begin to slow he pulls away, allowing them to see the crystal’s curse on her chest. He brings his hand up to her face, his fire briefly overtaking it to reveal one free of cuts and bruises. Clídna kneels down, gently taking her in her arms. “No!” He protests, pulling Alma closer. “I promise she’ll be okay, but we should be heading back.” He shakes his head at Clídna who breathes out, “Joshua….” Clive steps forward-.  “No! Leave us alone! Please, I’ll-. I’ll take care of her.”

“Joshua,” Jill says softly, hand gently touching his shoulder, “we should make her more comfortable. Let her lie in a soft bed. Can we at least help you with that?” He sniffs back the sobs that feel unending with each movement he makes, nodding. Clídna picks up Alma’s body before he can protest once more, turning to make her way back to Haven. Jill and Clive both help Joshua up from the ground, glinting silver catching his eye. He turns towards it, picking up a beaded belt turned makeshift necklace with blue beads and a Rosfield crest on a silver chain. He clutches it to his chest, the weight of it pulling him towards the ground. Jill and Clive hold him up, encouraging him to walk onward despite the intensifying sobs. The three make it back on land when he collapses crying out her name. Hunching over pushing the necklace ever closer to his heart, apologizing and crying out for her return, pleading and praying to the gods to let her live once again. Clive and Jill say nothing as they wrap their arms tightly around him, letting him scream and cry. Joshua clutches onto his brother, burying his face in his chest, “It’s not fair.” “I know,” Clive says softly. “She shouldn’t have had to-.” He cries, grip tightening, “I love her, Clive. We were going to spend the rest of our lives together when this was all over, but now-. What will I do without her?”

[skeletalscallybones]

After revisiting the Gameboy version of Mega Man 5 & got up to Dark Moon, it gave me the idea to draw this boss idea I had of a space version of MM9's Twin Devil boss but modeled after the moons of Mars, Phobos & Deimos! Deimos is indestructible so your main goal will have to be destroying Phobos. Using the weakness is optional, but you can use Saturn's Black Hole to make the fight go a little faster.

[asaltyrat]

Doom 1993 | Why does it play good?

I played the original DOOM when I was 10 or 12 in my Aunt's Dusty Ol' Office with her Dusty Ol' Computer running Windows 95.

I probably shouldn't have been playing it.

But I did, got to plow through hundreds of angry demons through space bases and huge pits of hell. I learned to understand pain-states and got so excited when I finally beat the first chapter in one sitting. Then something strange happened. I kept playing DOOM.

It wasn't like I had a habit of not revisiting my old favorite games. Legend of Zelda, Starcraft, Quake. These games are burned in my brain and I love picking them up for a few days and enjoying a good ol' fashioned adventure, despite that the games themselves havn't aged well with the times. But DOOM is something I would happily actively stream again. Play through again, dive into the dedicated modding community again. Over and over, and I have absolutely no idea WHY it's like this.

Doom is an OLD game. Not exactly old as dirt, old as the land itself, but it celebrated its 30th anniversary not too long ago and it slaps me in the face that this game is nearly as old as I am. And yet it still keeps offering gameplay I'm dedicated to. That I want to keep enjoying and toying with. I've even considered trying to Speedrun the game a few times.

What is it with DOOM that keeps it's fan base positively frothing for new releases? Not just the overhauled, high intensity action that was 2016's DOOM or DOOM Eternal, but even the older fan .wads and, even still. SIGIL from John Romero, and now Legacy of Rust from the folks at Nightdive and a few extremely dedicated veteran .wad makers.

The Ultimate Doom Steam Port is stellar (sans a few strange sound issues) and people are still remixing E1M1 with some very exciting results. I had a variable amount of whiplash when I found out that OCRemix's "Dark Side of Phobos" started back in 2004, 11 years after the game's release.

I don't need to review the game or give a solid opinion. This is more just me absolutely out of my mind because the DOOM Train hasn't stopped, and I don't understand why.

It's no wonder I'm hitting up the full Vanilla release for the next few upcoming streams while making Crass commentary through it.

Stay Salty~

[m39]

Decade of DOOMstruction(2000s): 8-9 maps WADs

One thing I noticed about episode replacements is that these are always made for Doom I. Seriously, it’s like moths flying to the nearest light source. That and in at least 8/10 cases they pay homage to the first episode from what I’ve seen.

But anyway, here are the best episode replacements for the classic Doom games.

VANILLA

2000 – THE CLASSIC EPISODE

Let me tell you now, that if you enjoy homages to KDitD, you will enjoy this WAD. If you are like me and expect something more from these, you can skip it.

One of the biggest restrictions in making Doom I WADs is the much smaller amount of enemy types, with this game having only one high-tier and one mid-tier enemy with the rest feeling like cannon fodder, where only hitscanners have a chance to hit you if you are a god of dodging. And this WAD suffers from it, with encounters being either boring or tiring due to having a small amount of rockets and cells until around the second half of E2M7.

Other than fights, it’s basically (and probably mostly) a bizzaro E1 – simple, yet abstract locations and rather simple to play through maps, with maybe one or two moments where you get stuck if you are an idiot like me and miss an important switch right next to you.

2002 – CH RETRO EPISODE

This WAD gave me a better experience than the last one since it doesn’t feel like it overstays its welcome until around the second half/ last third and it doesn’t have tiring encounters with cacos and barons; just boring and, sometimes, annoying ones.

Still, it’s basically another E1-based episode replacement that doesn’t really add anything significantly memorable.

2004 – PHOBOS REVISITED

I think this WAD might be the best one by far. Taking the foundations of the original episode and flipping some of its concepts upside down, giving it a fresh experience to the familiar locations, utilizing original secret areas as regular ones, and also making it harder and better looking (it’s still rather easy though).

Out of all the vanilla WADs in this category (at least the ones that I replayed now), I would say to try at least this one. This one is good.

2008 – BACK TO BASICS

While better WAD than Ruma, primarily due to having no new, piss-poor sound effects, I’m still not fond of Espi’s level design.

While I appreciate how it is not yet another E1 reference WAD like the previous one and how it manages to do some tricks with the engine on vanilla restrictions, it still suffers from the boring and (occasionally) tiring fights with Doom I’s limited bestiary (although the fights didn’t feel as boring as the previous WADs), added with infuriating backtracking that I feel like it forces you to go through at least half of the map per one just to open a colored door/press another switch. Topped with some of the secrets being annoying to grab due to forced SR40/50 straferunning and the fact that you are forced to pistol start the final map because fuck you and your BFG.

While I still recommend playing this WAD (if at least for the secret map that is), I don’t think it’s worth playing further after E2M7.

WINNER

Let’s cut to the chase, people – Phobos Revisited earns the first GoldenSpider Nest award for the best episode replacement of the decade. It’s kind of hilarious how the vanilla WAD that references Knee-Deep in the Dead the most in the one that gave the most fun.

Even though I am not that fond of the rest of the WADs, I must choose the runner-up. And for me, it’s the CH Retro Episode that deserves to get this title. Back to Basics might be better than that WAD, but at least CHRE wasn’t as frustrating as BtB.

Now, let’s move on to the second half of this category.

SOURCE PORT

Let’s hope that the following WADs will give me more fun than the previous ones.

2003 – PHOBOS: ANOMALY REBORN

And we immediately start off with a bang.

This WAD has some of the most gorgeous maps ever created in the 2000s; made even more impressive that it looked like it was all made with nothing BUT Doom I stock textures. It all looks insane.

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, though. Many encounters have a hard time living up to the standard of being actually fun, rather than being forced to fight barons with shotgun/chaingun, fighting hitscanners with next to no cover, or just being straight-up boring.

It’s not as great as it was when I first played it, but it's still a good WAD worth checking out, especially for its design and interaction with the environment.

2006 – THE CLASSIC EPISODE PART 2

A sequel to the original Classic Episode WAD, made by the same guy, and it’s at least 100% better than the original. Having a hub map that gets more corrupted when you reach it for the last time is great, along with encounters feeling much less boring, tiring, and (to some degree) annoying. And as for the complexity level of the maps, I guess it’s somewhere around the same level as the previous WAD, AKA not that much.

This one is worth checking out.

2009 – MAPGAME

Another, pretty solid WAD IMO. It kind of spices up the gameplay by switching the chaingun with a projectiles-based flare gun, and transforming spider mastermind into a much weaker turret (it’s still a hitscanner but at least it’s something fresh in the roster), but aside from these, it’s a rather standard E1 replacement with pretty locations (not as pretty as PAR though). That’s all I have to say for this WAD.

WINNER

And now, it looks like I have a problem since all of the WADs are good, but not really amazing. I would gladly give the second Golden Spider Nest award for Phobos AR, but then I am reminded that fun shouldn’t be hindered by pretty locations. So, ultimately, I give the award for Mapgame, and the other two WADs get named runners-up.

Now that I’m done with episode replacements, I can only hope that I’ll finally play some Doom II stuff in the next category.

I’ll see you then.

[juniaships]

Phobos x Samara fanchild: Elizabeth Escanor

Since WITCH is coming back I'm revisiting my Phobos x OC ship and have the brilliant idea to make a fankid. While I haven't made a lot of fankids Elizabeth is the one that I think about the most. I guess the idea of a Guardian being related to a series' villain is much too delicious to pass up on. Elizabeth is named after my late maternal grandma.

In Metamoor it's Princess Deimos Escanor. Most times she goes by Elizabeth Escanor.

Being a female royal she is the Crown Princess of Meridian but the thing is, she doesn't want to become queen!

Has a brother named Aremars (ares+mars) who is more knowledgeable and interested in politics than she is; he eventually becomes Crown Prince after she convinces her aunt to change the rules of succession in turn avoiding past mistakes

I think there'd be a story where she arrives to earth from the future and meets the previous Guardians + her dad, who is painfully undergoing a redemption arc.

As the Guardian of Darkness she has her mom's abilities plus the added gift of starlight and aurora manipulation.

Fun loving, hardheaded, superstitious, has Phobos' cunning and Samara's assertiveness

If Deimos took over, Meridian would've turned into a nocturnal kingdom; think futuristic cottagecore complete with glowing mushroom architecture and giant glowbugs for streetlights. But it's definitely not evil like her father's reign

Actual part of the reason why she doesn't want the throne is not just personal disinterest but also to avoid controversy of children of a former tyrant inheriting the throne

Enjoys rain, coffee, and watching trashy tv.

Has the thankless task of babysitting Orube and Cedric's hellspawn kids

In later life she becomes a member of the council and precedes over dark/shadow magic

Hates being compared to her dad, and her element being misunderstood as evil

Link here

[hellsite-yano]

As usual: The List of Completed Games 2023

Arrival (DOOM) Sunder (DOOM) Mibibli's Quest Action Doom (DOOM) Action Doom 2: Urban Brawl (DOOM) Assault on Tei Tenga (DOOM) Maptroid: Worlds Demons of Problematique (DOOM) Demons of Problematique 2 (DOOM) Newgothic Movement (DOOM) Newgothic Movement 2 (DOOM) Legacy of Heroes (DOOM) TNT Revilution (DOOM) /pol/ (DOOM) Equinox (DOOM) Thunderpeak (DOOM) Pizza Tower Automaton Lung SMBNext: Sunset Shores Heart of the Killer Elderand Kama Sutra (DOOM) Brotherhood of Ruin (DOOM) Brotherhood of Ruin: The Lost Temple (DOOM) Metroid Fusion: Special Edition No End in Sight (DOOM) Counterattack (DOOM) Consolation Prize (DOOM) Golden Souls 2 (DOOM) Super Metroid Redesign: Axeil Edition REKKR The Legend of Dark Witch Episode 2 Castlevania: Simon's Destiny (DOOM) The Legend of Dark Witch 3 Micro Slaughter Community Project (DOOM) Cave Story 3D Plutonia Revisited Community Project (DOOM) 200 Minutes of /vr/ (DOOM) Hell Ground (DOOM) Mutiny (DOOM) Diabolus Ex (DOOM) Rusted Moss Dread Templar The Machine (Knytt Stories) Ashes 2063 Enriched (DOOM) Carnage Oasis (DOOM) Ashes Afterglow (DOOM) MAYhem 2048 (DOOM) Doom 2 Redux (DOOM) Bungle in the Jungle (DOOM) Anomaly Report (DOOM) MyHouse (DOOM) Dementium Remastered HROT BACULUS (DOOM) Doom 2 Reloaded (DOOM) Vracks Botanicals (DOOM) Resurgence (DOOM) Invasion UAC (DOOM) SuperDoom (DOOM) 2048 Units of /vr/ (DOOM) Cydonia (DOOM) Happy (DOOM) Tetris Effect: Connected Moonblood (DOOM) Liminal Doom (DOOM) Tetanus (DOOM) Plutonia Revisited Community Project 2 (DOOM) Shadow of the Wool Ball (DOOM) Monuments of Guilt BABBDI NaissanceE Post Void I wish it was morning all the time HOLEHOLE MAZEMAZE Kowloon's Curse: Lost Report South Scrimshaw Part One Outcore: Desktop Adventure Nyaruru Fishy Fight Viewfinder Sludge Life 2 Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengance of the Slayer Herald of Havoc Pseudoregalia Deadlink Lone Fungus Fox Flares Turbo Overkill Blasphemous 2 AMID EVIL - The Black Labyrinth Bomb Rush Cyberfunk Inscryption Neyasnoe Northern Journey Wonderputt Forever Super Junkoid (Super Metroid) Manifold Garden Contra 4 Metal Slug 7 Space Invaders Extreme Space Invaders Extreme 2 Outer Wilds Ion Fury: Aftershock Submachine 1: the Basement Submachine 2: the Lighthouse Submachine 3: the Loop Quake II - Enhanced Edition Escape Escape PRIPRI MELLOWOLLEM Submachine 4: the Lab Submachine 5: the Root Submachine 6: the Edge Submachine 7: the Core Venturous (DOOM) Devotion Good Morning Phobos (DOOM) Winter's Fury (DOOM) OBZEN (DOOM) Rush (DOOM) HAPPY WORLD SJ-19 Learns To Love! Graze Counter GM Hypnagogia 無限の夢 Boundless Dreams Beeny The Sun Will Rise Again

[teamfortresstwo]

I did not manage to find any quotes of phantasm typing but I did remember just how much basil hated Phobos for no discernible reason and also several times letalis jokes about ares crashing a car and dying . It truly is worth revisiting my notes on occasion

STGSJCYFDH . I mean I get it . I’d hate that faggot too if my grip on truth was already somewhat fragile and I killed people under duress .

[doom-nerdo-666]

I feel like bringing up again that these 3 are 3 different ideas:

The cancelled Doom 4

A Doom 3 sequel

A modern Doom expansion/spin-off where you play as an ARC soldier

The cancelled Doom 4

This is the kind of game that's so detached from the series, even from D3.

Knowing the state of games at the time and how Doom fans felt about COD, you can easily see how this could've destroyed the series.

Nowadays, we have the much more beloved Slayer saga and some like to think this idea wouldn't hurt the series if revisited.

I once said that, to "salvage" this game: You could try "splitting" it into different parts and each put in a different game.

But i know some will prefer like a "complete enough" demo that is playable and maybe a gallery of screenshots, concept art, videos etc to preserve the game's history and contents.

And IF this game is resurrected:

Make it co-exist with a Slayer game, so people can be sure that the Doomslayer isn't going away

Think of all the other examples of cut content and unused ideas in the franchise: So much stuff that deserves to be canon

But in general. there's some stuff to like about this game like Wayne Barlowe of all people doing those concepts.

Because even as someone that keeps talking about Doom's potential for versatility, there's always designs and directions that feel questionable to me.

Which is why i saw it's even detached from Doom 3.

But again, as long as more interesting and cooler stuff is around...

A Doom 3 sequel

Like i said, the D4.10 game is so detached from even Doom 3.

But i like to think D3 deserves to be explored, even if you need to understand what the actual issues are and look into Doom 3 fans and modders for help.

Because SPECIALLY CONSIDERING how it was always its own timeline in an era before Doom lore being taken seriously: Doom 3's potential works better if you make it seperate from the Slayer games.

I did say stuff like "a D3 sequel should be to D3 what Eternal is to D2016" in the sense that a D3 sequel "focuses" on some aspects of the previous.

I'm sure some people remember my "how to make a D3 sequel" post but i also saw someone disagreeing with my ideas.

I also recall D3 novels having mentions of how Earth was already having troubles before the invasion.

Like the ice caps melting and some countries getting into economic wars or something.

But a key element here is making sure demons have cool surreal designs, which is why i bring up that artist DeimosRemus a lot.

You can make horror cool.

An ARC soldier campaign

Unlike the other 2, this is the one that is tied to the Slayer universe.

Because of this, it won't be as horror focused and the gameplay is still fast and has mobility.

(In fact, the potential for horror sort of relates to the art direction or lore, since DE goes for a different path compared to D3)

An ARC guy would be like a diet Slayer: Weaker but still with some "close enough" features and some unique workarounds.

This expansion would be an excuse to visit more places on Earth and even stuff like new platforming challenges/features or guns, like the unused pistol in DE's files.

At the end, you obviously expect this ARC guy to die to a Marauder he was no match for.

Maybe the cutscene in first person even shows him becoming a zombie and then turning around to see the Slayer, about to punch him in the face and then screen faces to black with a title drop.

Alternatively: This ARC soldier could be a character like Crash or Phobos (Both from Quake 3 but look like they're from the classic Doom universe) and much like Doomguy, maybe they 2 had their own multiverse adventures.

Which could also make them stronger and better than the average ARC soldier.

Because of this, their journies don't end in death but rather mystery, like a portal that takes them back to the Arena Eternal or whatever you call it from Q3/QC.

(BTW, the console ports of Q3 and even RTCW are underrated)

[eomer]

been thinking about my decade old characters from the endless forest game and i miss them a lot sometimes. they’re just stuck in limbo now

[sealed-valkyria]

Madness Project Nexus - The Small, Tiny Removed Sequence from Climb!

I’ve played Climb! a lot recently, one of the two levels right before the final level of Madness Project Nexus. Aside from the AAHW being there, there’s a bunch of things in the level that I needed to revisit for, like checking if a wall that has no collision is still there after some minor updates. (It is as of now.)

I remember that in the very last part of the level, after dealing with the few scientists working on weaponry there and hopping onto a little lift, the AAHW ambushes you on the lift for one last time. However, on recent playthroughs, nothing showed up. You just ride up that lift with nothing more happening. I didn’t think of anything at first, but felt like it was off. I clearly remember a personnel of the AAHW going, “Last chance!” I really couldn’t tell, did I just make it up or what? 

Then, I found out that it WAS there, but was removed. I was told that some sequences in Project Nexus were removed to scale down the difficulty/make the game shorter.

But I feel like they shouldn’t have removed this sequence, and it’s not because I love AAHW screentime. It may have seemed insignificant, because it was just a short little thing at the end. But as short as the sequence was, it was a great, final comparison between the AAHW and Nexus Core.

The tangent is under the read-more here:

(PS: I got the screenshot from this video, which is why it says beta in the corner. But it was in the final release of the game, which is when I played it.)

As seen here, the AAHW attempts to ambush you while you’re on the lift, not even waiting for it to come up. An agent says, “Last chance! Eliminate them!”

And at the top, you then see a group of Nexus Core personnel. You’d likely be expecting to engage in another, big fight, seeing as you just dealt with the AAHW, however, the Nexus Core turn tail and flee.

This is a REALLY GOOD PARALLEL to show between the AAHW and the Nexus Core. The AAHW is SO dedicated to the cause that they will take ALL AND ANY chances they can get to stop Hank. No matter what, if opportunity shows, they WILL go for what their cause is about, and ALL of them do go for it. I must reiterate, fear is not a powerful motivator in the AAHW, and you can see why right there: the Nexus Core gave up and fled to save themselves. They simply ran off and let Hank and Sanford pass without so much more of a fight, believing it now to be impossible.

Ultimately, it wasn’t about the objective in the end, it was their loyalty for Phobos. Because it was not for a whole cause, such as the Nexus Charter (which Phobos did not follow), they only cared for their own, individual survival. They had no reckless ambition, no strong drive for their own, except to live and fulfill the goals of only an individual. They were in a group that made them believe they were better than everyone else.

But with the AAHW, you can clearly see them throwing everything they’ve got, all the way to the end, because that’s what it’s about in the AAHW. They aren’t scared of going for their goal, and even if they were, they would go for it anyway, as it is what they believe in. To them, it doesn’t matter if Hank and Sanford have been blazing through everything, the AAHW wants to kill them, no matter what.  They automatically will keep going and going, chasing and ambushing, and do everything they can as a whole. They will not let any chance slip them, because it’s what they all wanted. They all have the strong drive as a collective, what they’ve all have been going for their whole lives.  Last. Chance.

But the Nexus Core didn’t take that chance. They went for the “Every man for themselves!” and retreated. Every chance presented is a chance, another opportunity to take, who knows what they’ve could’ve done?  But not them, as it didn’t matter to them as much anymore than surviving did, so they didn’t take it. They were scared of Hank and Sanford, seeing the feats these intruders have accomplished, clearing through everything. They dropped everything and ran, no longer motivated to fight. But not the AAHW. They went for it. It was their last chance, and it made it more important than ever to eliminate Hank and Sanford. A final order issued, and it’s what they all wanted to do. Every AAHW member there knew that, how much more it meant in the end. It was their purpose. They will never, ever stop hunting Hank.

It’s just… the fact the sequences happen back to back to made it so wonderful. It’s a direct comparison of their stances, how different these agencies are in a variety of ways, a clear division reflected between each other. These agencies being so corrupt in different, various ways, and how it may present itself in the long run. After all, it really was the last chance for both factions. The AAHW and Nexus Core (aside from their robots and experiments) both do not reappear in the very last level, The Rush.  And it showed such a striking comparison of their “last chance” back to back, their approach, sacrifice, and faith in their own agencies.

I understand why they might have removed it. The section of the level prior to this was a very crowded area featuring nearly everything the AAHW and Nexus Core could throw at you, combined with Gestalt being there. With no loading zone inbetween, it would have been devastating to go through that again. Though, they do give you 2 health kits after that section, it still could be nice to have some downtime. However, I feel like this was an appropriate sequence to end off on these two factions that have been after you this whole time, while paralleling each other at the same time. The fulfillment of one individual and the unified goal of many individuals, showcased from the beginning to the end of the game.

... It should be put back, methinks.

[cosmica-galaxy]

I had this on my mind for a while thanks a post made by rotshop so hear me out, platonic yandere Hofnarr and Jeb, I just think it's a neat idea (I know that in canon Jeb was using Hofnarr but this is my scenario and in my scenario they are friends). I feel like Jebediah's obsession would have started a few years before he killed Phobos but he didn't show it openly, after that it only went downhill. For Hofnarr however I'd imagine that he was a lot more obvious with his fondness with you though it gets written off by many as just him being really excited that someone wants to be friends with him. He still (somehow) retains his obsession for you as Tricky and it's ten times worse.

I doubt the two would start an alliance after Hofnarr becomes Tricky without the input of their friend. If they can come up with a convincing enough argument. That is, if you'd want to associate yourself with them after what they have become.

If we were to go off the themes the two represent then you'd be death, the neutral party, peacekeeper, the only thing keeping the other two from tearing each other apart. It would take time before they even remotely started trusting each other again, but seeing how you tirelessly try to keep together a long torn apart friendship makes something klick in their heads. Maby it wouldn't be so bad if they were to bond together again, like before shit hit the fan.

They could get rid of competition, just like old times.

I do think that both Jeb and Hoff (Tricky) would see a mutual benefit for trying to keep the Player for themselves. I also agree that Jeb would slowly sink down into obsession over time, kinda like in Salty's fic where the Player is ripped away from Jeb after Phobos's downfall in order for a time skip to occur. During their time apart, Jeb goes through the whole trials of killing Hank and dealing with Project Nexus. But the player returns before he officially joins the AAHW, seeing at the end of the game he's without his halo and is very wary of the employers. Tricky on the other hand would probably decay into a form of mental torment while hoffnar's personality is slowly eroded away. Then hoffnar goes crazy, becomes a killer clown, dies, gets reanimated as a zed, learns to DJ, kills Hank, and revisits Nexus City after becoming a zed. In fact, Tricky may have been the first zed case to ever exist (if you ignore Jeb reanimating corpses in the 1st episode of the animation.) So that also means that Tricky is in Nexus City post zed outbreak and possibly may have returned to Nexus City shortly after Jeb did. Jeb was maybe even looking for Hoffnar before he discovered Hank in his ruined office. So, the two obviously know where the other is. So I think it would be of no surprise that the two would also figure (track) where the player is and both would eventually run into each other again. Tensions are high between the two, but the potential of a mutual benefit, and the remains of a hollow friendship, may just rekindle some form of tolerance between the pair. After all, Tricky is known to be nostalgic and Jeb has a lot of common enemies with Tricky. Why not kill the rivals? Just like old times.

[wadbot]

deimos-v.wad: Deimos: Slight Return E2M4 (1008, -1733, 0) Author: ReX Claussen Date: 2011-12-08 Description: Nine maps that attempt to capture the look and feel of the original Episode 2. While the influence of the original E1 maps is unmistakable, the player will note some significant differences. First, the gameplay is markedly different. While using only the enemies in E2, Deimos: Slight Return is meant to be tougher and more challenging -- more enemies in tighter situations; better balanced ammo, health, & armor; and better use of the tougher enemies. Second, the map layouts are often very different from the originals. The logical progression has changed, as have many of the methods of accessing the secrets. I have done this while trying to retain the appearance and scale of the original, so that the player has a sense of deja vu. I emphasize that each map is built from scratch, with the originals only used for reference. Third, the architecture is updated to current standards while staying within the limits of vanilla DooM. For, although players will undoubtedly use source ports, these levels are ultimately meant to be enjoyed first with vanilla DooM. Fourth, the original E2 did not use editing tricks that are not uncommon in today's maps -- instantly lowering sectors, 3D bridges, etc. Phobos Revisited occasionally does.

[koppiki]

Ugh I'm so down bad for Otake (that's Shinozaki's boss, for those of you who don't remember)... He's so HOT.

I was reminded of it by volume 5's bonus, which has this scene (among others) in it.

You really can tell that the author's drawn a whole bunch of naked dudes in her time (evidenced by her other works).

Of course, everyone else in this manga is also very cute/hot in their own ways. I know a decent chunk of people are partial to Shinozaki, and... I get it. Other than that, Phobos (cleaner boy) really likes Kasuri (the appraiser), I really like Konpeito (and Kuraki), and... That's a lot of "k"s, isn't it? Since there's also Kunihara and Kurokawa. So many. Regardless, a lot of the characters in this manga really hit it for me. Half the reason I picked it up in the first place was Yuuyake (since she's pretty dang hot too, honestly). Speaking of hotness, I'm kinda glad there's no romance in this manga outside of some nice platonic love. At least, thus far. It could change later. I haven't really looked that hard.

Also, I'm still stuck on that one part from chapter 19 I was talking about. I know what it means but that doesn't mean it comes out easy in English. I should also probably revisit chapter 18, since I translated that one pretty quickly (read, with possibility for error). It's probably fine, but I do like not having to change things after the typesetting is done (saves everyone some time and effort).

Uhhhh, what else... I really like Michriu-san's coloring! It looks really nice! She does such a nice job.

So pretty. So vibrant.

Goodnight!

[huebris808]

Dr. Hofnarr’s Horrible, No-Good, Very Weird 15 Years Of Being Dead.

a tribute to fanon interpretations/character study(?) that was going to be a bonus chapter in a post-canon/au comedy fic im working on! might come back to expand on this when i do start posting it (or if mpn gives him more background story lore that i’ll have to work with aoAHGHOAUGH)

happy madness day! :o)

“Where should I begin… Perhaps at the very beginning? OH! Christoff and I first met years before our Nexus days! Back in our freshman years of college, to be precise! You know, I was actually a theater major before switching to- ... A-Aah, too far back. Much too far... Let’s start from the point where the notes I supplied to you ended then, shall we? After our dissension...”

.. “Good luck, old friend...” ..

The first years on the run from Nexus was stressful to say the least. Hofnarr and Christoff had split up to better their chances of survival. He knew the process would be grueling, having talked to Christoff almost every night about it to calm his nerves. While he played calm for the cameras, Hofnarr truly wished he could have held him close one last time. No communications. No physical contact. Day after day, month after month, nothing. He would be separated from his husband for a very long time…

It wasn’t all bad after a while. He had a comfortable new apartment, went under a new alias, and his questionable new job paid him enough to buy food. His apartment even had cable! He could watch marathons of Slaughter Time whenever he got home! In hindsight, he wondered if that had an effect on his mental state at the time...

Hofnarr had taken the last of his S3LF regulator with him, having shipped them out to an undisclosed location prior to dissension. Dissonance exposure did a number on him and his research team, leaving them to track their “normality” through daily blood tests and injections. While they met their fates early on, Hofnarr had gotten lucky. That is, until the doses began to run out.

Stressful as it was, he knew what he had to do. Hofnarr rushed back to what remained of the labs, knowing it had been abandoned by now. It was ironic, he and Christoff’s work, the work that was turned against them, was the one thing keeping him alive. For days, he worked to make more doses from the materials he brought with him. But there was only so much he could do with limited supplies… Hofnarr made many attempts to prolong the inevitable, lowering his dosage amount, injecting it weekly rather than daily, but he eventually ran dry. 

Refusing to turn to darker alternatives, he felt the only thing he could do at this point is record his final findings through video logs.

“It was… interesting revisiting the footage, to put it nicely. Christoff had actually kept the video files on a drive after he originally found all my things in the lab! I barely remembered what happened back then, so I rewatched them out of curiosity.”

On the first night, Hofnarr recorded a message for Christoff. One filled with sorrow, but also with gratitude. For the time that they spent together. How special he made him feel. All the memories they made together...

On the next, he recorded a log detailing his findings during Project Nexus. The effects of dissonance, the Other Place, what it did to him and his colleagues, everything and anything he could.

The next, he reported on the progression of his symptoms. Fever, brain fog, insomnia, joint pain. He felt like his organs were melting, his skin bursting at the seams.

The next night he saw something and remembered. Scars. The scars on his head. That week he was in the staff hospital. He thought it was a dream but the scars were there. Phobos. Director Phobos brought him somewhere that week. He knew he felt off when he woke up in the office that night. He knew something was off when Christoff asked him where he was. He thought he passed out from over-working. That bastard Phobos. Nausea was replaced with rage as he began to scream, his throat becoming raw. What did he put in him? What the hell did he put inside him!?

On the last recorded log, he was face-down on the ground. Groaning as his body occasionally convulsed. Until the video feed eventually cut off.

His body would lay there dormant, dead, for fifteen years. 

But to Hofnarr, he felt like he was dreaming.

.. “LET’S GIVE IT UP FOR OUR NEXT CONTESTANT!” ..

“Huh?” The doctor sat up and looked around, the area around him pitch black. Wasn’t he sleeping just a moment ago? He got up and took a step forward in the seemingly endless void. “H-Hello? Who’s out there?”

“AWW, DON’T BE SHY NOW! ESTEEMED AUDIENCE, A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR OUR GUEST; THE UNFORTUNATE DOCTOR HOFNARR!”

A light shined down on him from above. A crowd seemingly began to cheer all around him. He was in the center of what looked like a talk show set. Hofnarr awkwardly scratched the corner of his face. “‘Unfortunate’? W-What do you mean? W-Who are you?”

“FIGHT FIRST, ASK QUESTIONS LATER!” The voice above him called out again. “AFTER ALL, IT’S…!” Hofnarr drowned out the noise while trying to think. It sounded familiar. Like it came from…

Hofnarr’s thoughts were cut short. He looked down at his torso. Terror set in as he recognized an entire stop sign had been lodged through his chest.

“DON’T GET COLD FEET NOW! THE SHOW’S ONLY JUST BEGUN!” 

The words echoed in Hofnarr’s mind as he frantically tried to pull it out, his vision growing muddled, his hands slipping with blood until…

He blinked.

No stage. No sound. No pain.

Nothing around except for a single white door in front of him.

He stood up again, cautiously reaching for the doorknob.

When he entered he seemed to be in a vintage styled home. It was a kitchen with checkerboard flooring, a table with two chairs, and cheerful music playing through a small radio. It smelled of pastry and medical equipment. Suddenly, there was a knock coming from the door. A familiar voice called from behind it.

“I’m home, dear.” “J-Jeb?!”

Hofnarr rushed towards the front door. Christoff wasn’t trapped here too, was he? “Jeb! W-where are we!? What is this place? What happened to-”

As he opened the door, the clapping returned.

His husband was there, briefcase in hand, his face replaced with a black hole dripping with an unknown inky substance.

He slowly began to back away as “Jeb” moved closer.

The applause, the laughter, was deafening.

Before he could question or run away, Hofnarr was hit by something. His vision blurred, but refocused to be face-to-face with something. It seemed to be a shadow of himself. He tried to run again, but was pinned down by his doppelganger. The clone raised a clawed hand above him and then...

Like waking from a nightmare, Hofnarr quickly sat up once again. He gasped for air, dripping with cold sweat.

Was this really happening? Was it finally over? Was he free?

And then the spotlight focused on him again.

“It… got very surreal. Despite fight after fight, death after painful death... I would suddenly be somewhere else! There was a gameshow, our old apartment, a cat cafe, a... strip club of sorts, a tea room filled with these small armless doodles I used to draw on my research notes trying to offer me snacks… One time there was a sort of singing contest, but I won’t bore you with the details of that one. But when I wasn’t in those places, I felt like I was fighting for my life. It felt like an eternity! And the strangest part of it all? It… it became addicting.”

At first, he felt as if Hofnarr used all of his energy, physical and emotional, to fight back. It reminded him too much of his escape from Nexus. But as time went on, he focused less on escaping and more on surviving. The more he fought, the more he began to lose himself. He was anticipating what sudden whiplash of combat would be thrown at him next. He chuckled at the thought of what excitement would be heading his way. He wanted more. The fights became too slow. Too predictable. Too boring. He began toying with whatever was thrown at him. Turning his shadowy hunters into the hunted. Why let his audience watch the same old fights all the time?

Suddenly, the fighting stopped.

Why? 

He was having fun, wasn’t he? He grew impatient.

“WHAT’S THE HOLD UP!” He yelled into the void, seething with anger. “AREN’T WE SUPPOSED TO BE FIGHTING? ISN’T THAT WHAT I’M HERE FOR?!”

He stomped his foot down, lodging something out of the ground.

The stop sign.

He looked over it curiously. How familiar…

Grabbing hold of it, quick flashes of memories appeared to him.

Nexus, the Science Tower, Phobos, the Other Place… 

A man with long hair standing next to...

Hofnarr… 

Who was that? Was that him?

No…

Only Tricky remained.

Footsteps echoed throughout the halls of the abandoned lab. Heels quickly clicking, cautiously stopping every so often. A lone Nexus Core agent entered through one of the doors.

Perfect timing.

“HAY! YOU THERE!!” A voice stuttered and glitched out, reverberating through the emptiness of the lab. The quickly soldier whipped their head around. “YEAH! YOU, STUPID. PLAY WITH ME!!”

“Who’s there?” The agent pointed their magnum towards the noise. “Show yourself!”

Gladly. The cackling figure emerged from the shadows, posing with a peace-sign, causing the agent to recoil. He grinned, slowly moving towards the cowering goon on the ground. They wouldn’t stand a chance.

“Who are you!?”

They couldn’t kill him.

“FIGHT FIRST. ASK QUESTIONS LATER! AFTER ALL…” 

CAN’T KILL CLOWN.

“IT’S MURDER TIME!”

..

“My body had been there, regenerating and repeating the enmeshment process for years. And by the time I woke up, I was a completely different person. I became a creature of unfiltered impulse… A personification of chaos itself.”

The room grew silent before Hofnarr spoke up again.

“I-Is it horrible to say it was… kind of cool?” He said with a nervous chuckle, twiddling his fingers.

2BDamned was quiet for a moment. They recalled the many times they had to stitch their comrades back together due to Clown Moments. They placed their head in their palms and let out a sigh.

“... You have the right to your own opinion.”

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

BONUS: songs i was listening to on loop while working on this instead of doing my damned writing assignment. Enjoy

lady gaga ft. dorian electra - replay

vestik - tricky's vengeance ft. monocronic

[m39]

Doom WADs’ Roulette (2010): Paranoid

Adding an additional rule to the Roulette:

click

#10 If I encounter the WAD that gives me severely bad time, I am allowed to make a review without a second playthrough, or even not make the review at all.

click

Now, with that out of the way, here is the deal: I’m removing Realm of Cheogsh from reviewing due to it being obnoxious to the tits; while it doesn’t feel as moon-logical as Cheogsh 2 (at least when it comes to its first half), and it looks great, the enemy encounters are cheap as hell, full of sniping soul harvesters, tight corridors and small platforms, water that slows you down, bosses that feel like damage sponges (especially the second one), and, oh yeah, did I mention STEALTH SHITLINGS?!?! Not to mention platforming and unskippable cutscenes as major cons.

Also, Temple of the Lizard Men II is (at least for now) skipped because the optimization tanks as soon as you reach the first enemies (when it comes to the newest GZDoom). Take a look at this fire beacon:

Looks normal from a distance, right? Well, here is what happens when you get close to it:

And with just that, the frames drop to 1 per 2-3 seconds. I tried a couple of configurations I could think of to fix it, but nothing worked. I’ll dig up the older version of GZDoom in the future to see if it won’t shit itself before the end of the first map.

But nothing is lost, people. There are still two WADs to check. We will be saving Serpent: Resurrection for later, though, after looking at Hexen. For now… Who wants to play Half-Life 1 on Doom Engine?! :]

S.HM2: Paranoid

Main author(s): The Persecution Complex (led by Rex Claussen)

Release date: March 31st, 2010

Version(s) played: database version (I guess)

Required port compatibility: GZDoom

Levels: 8 (hub-based, 7 normal maps and a secret one)

Yes, a mod that turns Doom into Half-Life 1 – Paranoid. Developed by The Persecution Complex, the mad men led by Rex Claussen. The latter made Darkest Hour (a Star Wars total conversion that I’m not really fond of), Phobos Revisited (one of the best WADs of the 2000s), and two maps for NDCP1. What’s funny about Rex is that it’s not his first Half-Life TC for Doom; a decade before Paranoid, he released similarly-named Paranoia.

The story of this mod focuses on Dr. Bellmer, a spy (I guess) working for one of the Black Mesa’s competitors (I wouldn’t be surprised if it was Aperture Science), who’s tasked to sabotage the BM’s database or something, using the Resonance Cascade (and implying that his employers were (at least partially) behind it) as a diversion.

I can’t wait to see Bellmer’s employers’ faces when the Combine knocks on their door.

But enough of the plot. What about the mod itself?

Well, for starters, it looks great. If someone took a screenshot of the mod and posted it on the Internet, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone else mistook it for the real Half-Life 1 (apologies for the lack of screenshots; I kind of got sick of the mod during my second, proper playthrough). Not to mention actual 3D models that fit like a glove.

So, yeah, the mod looks very good. Even if it uses… the HD models.

screaming

Now, look, I do realize that the original HL1 models have a lot more charm than the HD ones, but listen. These ones won’t bring the apocalypse just by looking at them… They are fine on their own.

...

Oh, hey. There is a mob of fans coming towards me- OH MY GOOOOOO-

technical difficulties

...

Anyway, moving on.

I could say the same thing about sound effects (most of the time) and the music. The latter, while not using tracks from HL1, feels like it would come out of that game. It would be great if some of the former were quieter, but, hey, that always feels like a problem with Doom WADs and the new sound effects in them.

Playing Paranoid might be confusing to some of you. Compared to HL1, it feels more nonlinear, maybe a bit too much, but still, I don’t think it’s on the level of insanity that some of the WADs from the past gave me.

And also, I noticed that returning to some of the maps feels more pronounced for the lack of better words than in HL1.

There are three ways to start the mod, each after choosing the difficulty. You can listen to the briefing before ending up where Gordon Freeman started (after the original game’s intro, of course), skip the briefing, or just skip all of the intro bullshit and start right next to the HEV suit in MAP02.

Sometimes, you will find walkie-talkies (I don’t know if that’s the proper term) where your boss tells you where to go or what to do next. These can be really helpful. Although I sometimes feel like they were treating you like an idiot.

There is a secret map, but I feel like it’s disappointing. You have to get into the secret in MAP02 (in the second half of the mod) from another secret, and you have only one shot to do so. All for a map that feels like its half was made out of sewers. At least I now know what the Dirty part of Dirty Little Secret refers to.

Oh, I almost forgot – some of the 3D models can be pushed.

Not to mention cutscenes. You can’t have a (G)ZDoom WAD without these, some people say. And in case of this mod, they get the pass, even the unskippable ones.

Paranoid feels harder than Half-Life, but it doesn’t feel completely unfair. If you judge it by the Doom WAD standards, I would say it’s at least in the middle ground of difficulty (at least on medium).

That being said, the mod is harder for the wrong reasons, specifically due to the dreaded RNG. Now I don’t think that HL1 has damage RNG as far as I know, but even if it does, I don’t remember the damage difference being either a small boo-boo on your pinky finger or your arm getting ripped off.

I recognized almost all of the enemies from HL1. Among them, there is also Baby Gargantua (Sven Co-op) that functions as the mini-boss in the middle of the final map. Some of them have some changes like vorts now having a really fast projectile attack instead of a hitscan, and barnacles spitting goo at you (because how the hell can you translate the original barnacle’s behavior into the GZDoom engine).

While I like the enemies, I have some problems with them – too many barnacles hiding in corners, controllers flying like crackheads when attacking (most of the time) and (that one is more of a nitpick) HECU marines having new sound effects, where now they sound like mindless drones.

I might as well list HL1 weapons that doesn’t appear in this mod – grenades, satchels, Gluon gun, Snarks, Hornet gun, laser trip mines, crossbow and Tau cannon (they could’ve at least keep the last two; these are awesome). The ones that we use do their work well, but I feel like the machine gun should’ve been more powerful.

There were a couple of bugs, like the keycards’ icons being plastered on the screen if there is a status bar, flying objects, and glitching textures of gasoline in a tank near the generator, and gargantuas flying with light speed when they get hit by a rocket. There were also some flying objects here and there.

Paranoid is a mixed bag of a mod, but for me, it leans closer to being good than bad. Not recommended for more than one playthrough in a short time.

As for the next post, except either Lizards 2 or my summary of the blind Hexen playthrough.

See you next time.

This review could’ve been earlier, but Talos Principle: Reawakened happened.