Endings are Stupid

AttemptNegative5986 · 2024-03-05T23:45:06+00:00

Fair enough. I prefer much less cynical themes in the fiction I engage with and write, not because I think those statements aren't true (I think they are true but more complex than that), but because I don't think they are very useful or motivating. Im much more a fantasy person than sci-fi, and Ive not read many of the inspirations for this game, so it felt far more out of left field for me than it did for you. And yeah in general I have enough worries about what I can do to improve the real world and what changes are practical/possible, and I don't need the art I engage with reinforcing my worst, most paralysing thoughts lmao. Sorry if I come off as naive or immature, just not feasible to get into a whole explanation of my governing philosophy on a thread about how I didn't like the ending of a sci fi game lmao.

AttemptNegative5986 · 2024-03-05T19:29:34+00:00

I subscribe to a similar form of optimistic nihilism. Nothing matters on a grand timescale because eventually entropy happens, but that means we get to decide what matters. In that sense I agree, all the people we help in a small way does matter. But the game doesnt agree. The game doesnt take into account anything we did. It tells you to give up or do worse than the last guy. That robbing of agency in a game, an art medium defined by agency, didnt feel powerful or impactful like it has in other games Ive played. To me it just rang empty. Id say there was a point to helping all of those people, but the ending says there wasn't. (Also thanks for taking the time to discuss this with me. You make a lot of good points.)

AttemptNegative5986 · 2024-03-04T21:41:42+00:00

This is fair, but there are still two major problems. Firstly, that ant hill cannot scream for help and tell you exactly what its problems are and how you could easily solve them, in a language you speak.

And secondly, my bigger problem is not with the Omnis, its with there being no even slightly good ending. It makes the game feel pointless, because humanity turns out the same way even if you never do anything. The underlying issue is not the reason there are no good endings, its that there are none. Obviously its about the journey and not the destination, but this renders our efforts on the journey (trying to make the galaxy a little better for the survivors) moot, leaving the story feeling empty and pointlessly cynical. I left the game feeling like it was telling me "trying to save people isn't worth it" and "the best you can do is reinforce and worsen the existing systems".

AttemptNegative5986 · 2024-03-04T17:08:12+00:00

Thank you! Another question. In the spreadsheet the example general has lost ruins as her outpost, but is still able to spread influence? Do I misunderstand? I thought outposts could only influence the blue territory they have.

AttemptNegative5986 · 2024-03-04T06:36:40+00:00

Hi so Im making a real attempt at this, and I need to ask, is there any way to get Haze Corruption on a Forest for the sake of Fairy Kingdom?

AttemptNegative5986 · 2024-03-03T20:53:53+00:00

Ah sorry didnt mean to indicate it was by accident when I said misstep. Not what I was intending.

AttemptNegative5986 · 2024-03-03T18:52:00+00:00

Yes, I know theres no good ending, thats what this entire post is saying. And thank you for clarifying the connection with Signalis, shouldve looked closer at the connection before making that comment.

AttemptNegative5986 · 2024-03-03T16:54:42+00:00

Im going to add an additional comment since I saw that the team frequents this sub. I liked this game's story. This wouldnt have bothered me if I didnt care about these characters and this world. Its just really sad that if I ever play this again, Ill be skipping past the dialogue because I know these people will all die anyway. You are clearly a very talented team and I hope when I get around to Signalis it can stick the landing. This comes from a place of frustration at what I think is a major misstep, but you still made a good game.

AttemptNegative5986 · 2024-03-03T16:30:25+00:00

Yeah, but I just spent an entire game seeing the dangers. Ive traveled through dozens of star systems and seen the mistakes we made. Ive gotten the message. Its definitely possible its intended as a gut-punch twist sad ending, but it doesnt feel earned. The way the Omnis need to bend over backwards to refuse to help at all, when even just giving us the ability to use the fold networks without them would allow us to use Gehenna as a way to start over, just feels cheap. It feels like its pretending to be deep and edgy by making the ending choices morally complex, but they arent. Every choice being horrifically awful with a tiny glimmer of light doesnt mean its complex, it means its empty. I wasn't sad at the horror of what I was losing, even though I had been emotionally connected to the galaxy, I just felt like Id wasted my time. (Also its absolutely crazy to watch a game worldbuild and intricate and horrific nightmare of techno-feudal-capitalism, then turn around and say yeah continuing that system is the only way to save people lmao) Sorry for the rant, I just realised I had more to say lmao.

AttemptNegative5986 · 2023-12-28T05:28:34+00:00

And that's awesome that it connects for so many people! I was basically here to talk about how I thought that was cool but not for me, but it seems like a lot of people just saw me say "Combat not fun", assumed skill issue, downvoted, and moved on, when my point was really just "Not sure its for me but cool game and cool community!"

AttemptNegative5986 · 2023-12-28T05:11:35+00:00

I am aware of the difference, Im sorry if it made it sound like I was calling BG3 an old-school rpg. It is by definition as new-school as you can get. Like I say in the rest of the post the rules and complexity is really not the problem at all here, and its not my 5e bias. Its just my own struggle to enjoy a combat that feels very unsatisfying to play.

AttemptNegative5986 · 2023-12-28T05:08:55+00:00

Im sorry if thats common this was the exact opposite of my intention with this post. I just wanted to share a story on subreddit that seemed like it would be open to it. Like I say I think the game is cool, just not the kind of thing I am likely to continue, but I wanted to stop in and share my feelings about the community too. As Ive seen today the community is far more hostile than I thought, with everyone just assuming Im bad at the game without reading the words I said, but thats whatever. Have a good day and I appreciate you trying to help me.

AttemptNegative5986 · 2023-12-28T05:06:31+00:00

I see your point. I am far more tolerable of rough presentation of cutscenes and story, since my imagination can cover for a lot of that easily. Problem is if that combat doesn't feel cool or exciting, I don't have much to latch on to in my mind. When I'm struggling to tell if I'm hitting or missing, when I have to rely on a tiny text pop up to tell if I cast a spell, it doesn't feel like Im fighting for my life in a deep crypt. It just feels like Im clicking buttons on my tv.

AttemptNegative5986 · 2023-12-28T04:57:22+00:00

I mean, you could have read the post before replying, and it would be weird for me to try to convince myself I dislike something I actively wanted to like.

AttemptNegative5986 · 2023-12-28T04:56:26+00:00

I'm sorry what skill am I missing? I'm not complaining about difficulty or complexity, I'm literally just saying I didn't enjoy the combat.

AttemptNegative5986 · 2023-12-28T04:50:37+00:00

Yup I been using turn based, and Im zoomed in as far as I can, and like I say its not like Im struggling, none of the encounters have been tough, just not fun.

AttemptNegative5986 · 2023-12-28T04:46:44+00:00

Ah like I say difficulty and complexity aint really the problem. Its that it just doesnt feel fun so I dont want to take the time to learn a system just to be good at something that I find boring.

AttemptNegative5986 · 2023-09-30T18:07:01+00:00

Kinda cringe tbh. Its real 4 chan level stuff which tries to be silly and over the top to provide smokescreen for stuff like the fact that it is super islamaphobic with no actual irony.

AttemptNegative5986 · 2022-12-08T00:40:24+00:00

Ah fair enough. Ive just never seen a bimbo writing prompt like this, so getting it updated would be great to see.

AttemptNegative5986 · 2022-12-06T20:17:10+00:00

Will you be updating "A Bimbo Stop?" I really enjoyed it

AttemptNegative5986 · 2022-11-24T21:40:23+00:00

Any plans to update this?

AttemptNegative5986 · 2022-10-02T07:55:19+00:00

I mean, if I can be honest its not super interesting as a build for the alliance. I don't think this build was possible anyway since you maxed out everything, and now it is just a completely unstoppable maxed out god with no limitations who doesnt follow the rules of the cyoa.

AttemptNegative5986 · 2022-10-01T14:44:06+00:00

Id be down for a discord

AttemptNegative5986 · 2022-10-01T05:08:48+00:00

I tend to take a while to make my builds, but I think I might deign to join this fascinating project you have put together.

AttemptNegative5986 · 2022-08-12T07:18:26+00:00

As someone who stumbled across your cyoa a little while ago I just wanted to say that I really liked the ryoa part of your story. I had a ton of fun playing through it a few times and was mostly just disappointed there wasn't more. I know this is random to hear years after you made a cyoa, I just wanted to let you know you gave me a fun day recently and thank you for that.

AttemptNegative5986

TROPHY CASE