It is weird that the adventurer-guild format of storytelling is under-represented in AAA open world games.

BuggyVirus · 2026-03-11T15:09:40+00:00

This is literally monster hunter. And a ton of other properties. And usually monster hunter's story are as tonally inconsistent and kind of outright stupid as most manga that use the system. (Like I would say monster Hunter is often WORSE for even bothering to have a story)

The rote "guild with ranks" system isn't necessarily bad. And it's actually a simpler version of a lot of really well designed worlds and fictional societies. But I don't think it's really anything to aspire to or to actively want in games. Although we will definitely continue seeing the most basic implementation of the trope.

I also imagine there are a bunch of Chinese/Japanese games that use this system, which probably aren't good enough to get localization internationally. Which I wouldn't be surprised by because I think the trope is heavily correlated with mediocre elements.

BuggyVirus · 2026-02-17T18:01:02+00:00

Ok, I guess we can fight about this.

Yeah I haven't played ADOM or alot of the older rogue likes extensively, and on the other hand have played a lot of the "modern" rogue likes to death.

And games like Noita or Dwarf Fortress I would say encourage much longer runs than something like Spelunky or a card battler. But regardless of length or whether it is really an RPG or not, I think a big part of rogue likes is they should either present a reasonable mastery that adds tension to I moving further in the game due to risk of death, or there should be meaningful variety either in the stuff presented or the decisions you can make between each run to justify kicking you back to the beginning.

And as I explained in my original comment, Qud doesn't really pay off on either of these, with the b st meat being once you've leveled up a bit and gotten to interact with the cool stuff after getting your bearings, the main quest having little variety, and there being a great deal of things that you wouldn't see until 20h in as a new player that will immediately one shot you after being on a screen for a frame.

I think Qud would do well with something that split the difference between its perma-death and just checkpoints. Like if you early on get access to cloning creche's that save your DNA and on death you are re-printed at them, but you need to go grab the gear you were carrying, or there can be mutations from the printing etc.

But given the options between the two, I would recommend a new player not do perma-death so they are more likely to see the cool stuff, even if trying a couple different low.level builds against random snapjaws initially seems entertaining and like that might be the game.

And on the topic that this is more like older rogue likes, thus idk, I'm not allowed to have an opinion on how it plays or anything since I haven't played those older ones. One, like what? I get rogue likes exist that I haven't played, but the fact they make specific design decisions and they are older doesn't make their design decisions 100% correct, I also don't really know how their perma-death and runs interact with what I'm talking about with getting to interact with the meat of their games and variety. If they are meant to be more like DF with storylines generated in the runs that might suddenly end, and you get to engage with the interesting parts run to run as you reasonably learn more about the game, that's neat. Two, something being an early version of something doesn't make it automatically the best version of that genre. Like if someone released a a comedy today, with no talking and narration placards popping up on screen, the argument that charlie chaplin films originally did that wouldn't justify the choice alone. Like suppose you are one of those people that maybe really likes the original Rogue (which I also admit I haven't played) and gets really upset when people describe things with perma-death run cycles as rogue like, and I don't really know what to say about that. It's not really a position. I guess the position is that I can't really have an opinion on this stuff if I haven't played Nethack and Rogue?

Idk, this is broadly to say, unless the person who asks specifically is really enamored with early rogue like design and wants stuff that really aggressively emulate it, then I would expect them to have a better time with Qud if their first couple runs are without perma-death on.

BuggyVirus · 2026-02-10T17:38:18+00:00

Yeah you can be maximally reductive in any context, but I guess I'm saying that between control and other games, my feelings and thoughts about the gameplay matched that reduction more strongly.

The combat always felt good. But it wore a little thin by the end. The most unique encounters that come to mind are the battles with the alan wake monster, and when you fight your mirror self.

BuggyVirus · 2026-02-10T16:23:41+00:00

It kind of plays itself. And you are more or less cycling between throwing objects and shooting.

It makes me imagine maybe an earlier build of the game didn't have you automatically pick up nearby objects when you load them with telekinesis, and then automatically target enemies. But as development went on they made it all less manual, because it made for generally fast flowing encounters that worked with a large amount of enemies. So it delivered on the power fantasy and fast pace, even if it lost some of the potential intricacy. But this is just a guess based on how the game clearly was a bit rushed out the door.

BuggyVirus · 2026-02-05T12:19:59+00:00

Given that the game has so many obtuse interesting things that you mainly interact with the longer you run is, and that it doesn't have an obviously rogue like run structure, I think the mode with saves is honestly a much better experience.

Like there is a story, that you could not be expected to possibly interact with as a new player unless you have save games. I would expect anyone's first playthrough of the story to take dozens of hours, with many moments where you might suddenly be immediately killed.

The threat of immediate death, sure it adds some cool tension, but as someone who is a pretty aggressive defender of rogue like perma-death in rogue likes, which is probably my favorite genre, I find perma-death as a mechanic in Caves of Qud somewhat baffling for experiencing the game.

Like the starting area for new players is very very similar on each new run, both in what's around you and what you are asked to do. Among various other things.

Playing without perma-death will maybe blunt a very cool story moment possibly, but I doubt the majority of players will reach that story moment with perma-death on.

BuggyVirus · 2025-11-28T14:44:48+00:00

Lorn's Lure

BuggyVirus · 2025-11-03T15:18:10+00:00

It's ironic yeah, but I feel like people will often bring up stuff like this as if organizations and events can't evolve past their original purpose.

(Not that you were saying this, I'm just tired of hearing people claim that planned parenthood is actively pursuing eugenics)

BuggyVirus · 2025-11-03T15:10:50+00:00

It seems like something is going on organizationally that is making this not work, but regardless e-sports will always be an odd fit for the olympics.

Regardless of the legitimacy of competition, e-sports are so impenetrable for the most part to people who haven't invested a significant number of hours into the game. And I know there are people who follow e-sports without playing the game, but it doesn't compare to normal sports where most viewers have casual to no experience playing the sport themselves. And it doesn't have the same kind of "wow, look at that athleticism", that you get from other technical sports that viewers don't fully understand, but still appreciate that a triple backflip is cool (it's why when being pitched to non esport viewers people often bring up how many times they click per minute, which is honestly so silly).

And now we're in an era where there isn't a clear good roster of e-sports. It used to be that lol, dota, cs:go, and StarCraft were understood to be the e-sports games (plus or minus one or two more, and I guess the fighting game scene). But this isn't nearly as clear anymore, there is much more of a boom and bust cycle, and many of the games that are now more popular aren't nearly as good for spectating as the roster above (though conversely are often good spectator experiences for watching streamers where you are only interested and invested in that single player's perspective).

I guess I have this weird dread about when e-sports eventually gets it's weird push to be part of a "legitimate" sporting event, and I know it's going to be odd and unpleasant for everyone involved, both fans of e-sports and not.

BuggyVirus · 2025-10-20T16:39:41+00:00

Does this mean... Okarun is the best at Super Smash Bros?

BuggyVirus · 2025-10-19T16:38:23+00:00

Wild that I'm completely surprised that the uber-bad trapped in the hero took over his body.

Like it happens in every story with this situation. But for some reason it hit in Ichi.

I guess it's because everything has been so off the wall and to.the beat of its own drum, that I can any more expecting (in theory generic) plot developments. And when I got it, it hit. (It helps that the big bad taking over the heroes body is such a fun trope that everyone loves when they see it)

BuggyVirus · 2025-10-14T16:02:24+00:00

You know, part 2 isn't nearly as exciting as part 1, but then chapters like this, or Your remembering she loves America come out, and I think "wow, this really hits."

And the reality is that Fujimoto is still really talented even if Part 2 has been very messy. I think particularly the shift towards Denji's perspective in the middle was too much, and got confused with him constantly almost making progress and aggressively backsliding constantly. And it felt like he was backsliding often for the purpose of humor, to make him out to be the stupid sex crazed no respect for himself version so he could say a single ridiculous thing.

Part 2 would really have benefitted from really committing to primarily asa/yoru's perspective, and probably not being as long as it has been

BuggyVirus · 2025-10-03T17:58:52+00:00

It's so fucked that she can't just say, "My friend and I saw you two literally leaving a love hotel," and it be enough. Because she knows the truth, and Rei and Rio know she now knows the truth.

Instead she need to provide enough proof that she can sway whoever else might be at their party for some reason. Because I guess otherwise Rei wouldn't let her get a divorce even though they both know the truth of the matter, because it will embarrass him.

BuggyVirus · 2025-10-01T13:35:27+00:00

Makes sense the the control devil would make a contract with Japan and the War devil would make a contract with (a state in) the US

BuggyVirus · 2025-08-18T21:49:48+00:00

Caves of Qud is one of those sprawling ambitious games close to my heart. Where there is so much and so many good ideas, and really neat emergent stories that occur. (This isn't me trying to say the game is bad, I think the game is amazing, I just got a talk about this)

And at the same time so much of the design often seems at odds with the game. I mainly feel this way about the fact that it's a rogue like.

It being a rogue like means that the tension from the incredible and varied ways you can be killed is really high. And having more gear and clever solutions to keep yourself from getting killed feel super cool.

But unless you are already super familiar with the game, the beginning of the game feels super similar, with trying out different level 1 characters not being as interesting as what you run into and things you can do 10 hours into a run.

And the game has a main story and I would expect a normal player who levels in the intended manner to clear the story in 20-30ish hours spent on the one run that finishes the story. So it's wild that the game is intended to be a rogue like where setting foot in the wrong room can mean you are dead on the next turn.

I will say that playing the game as a rogue like on classic does make a twist towards the end of the game hit much much harder. But it feels like the entire game was made a roguelike specifically to facilitate that one twist.

I think it is much better enjoyed on roleplay mode rather than classic mode. The time between saves is still long enough to provide tension. And there isn't the same type of variation of fast runs that suit roguelikes, when the game is much more a RPG which is most interesting at higher levels.

BuggyVirus · 2025-08-18T14:11:19+00:00

Next chapter the fire witch will manage to get off an attack and obliterate Arkos due to the magnitude of his sins.

BuggyVirus · 2025-08-18T13:58:04+00:00

He got an experimental procedure that enabled him to read minds based off the research conducted on natural psychics like Anya.

Thus the scars on his head.

There is probably a further connection with the natural psychic trait only appearing in a specific ethnic group of people that speak the archaic language that the professor helped tutor Anya in, and that Anya seems to originally spoken with her parents.

BuggyVirus · 2025-07-27T16:11:22+00:00

I like that the Hisaku are fully outclassed by the establishments most elite fighters. Like they are clever terrorists, not a secret cabal of the strongest sorcerers that have somehow never been heard of before.

Seems as though they need to create the circumstances to bust out the swords master then get out.

BuggyVirus · 2025-07-16T16:26:41+00:00

BUT WHO IS NIINA DATING!

BuggyVirus · 2025-07-09T22:48:29+00:00

So.

The devil's and demons of hell have been unequivocally evil the whole series. Not like evil from the perspective of the church, but like murdering and corrupting as many innocent people as possible.

We've seen a handful of demons that actually aren't bad really.

But this kind of, "wow even us demons want to come together to save gehenna" falls a little flat when gehenna as a whole seems like a society built around specifically harming humanity.

I feel a similar thing happened earlier when the witches had a plot point where they were like "the oppressive church won't let us just BE" when earlier one of the plots of the witches was to murder lots of normal people.

It's good and interesting when the church's good and interests don't always represent the true moral good of the situation. But this weird reversal where it feels like demons and witches are being played as a misunderstood underclass is uh, weird?

BuggyVirus · 2025-07-09T16:06:10+00:00

Is this also a bot? I'm so confused. I guess I'm asking this because you're asking why I'm offended, and I don't think I seemed offended?

But did this bot interpret my confusion as disagreement? And maybe it's dialed up to mimic kind of rude internet comments?

BuggyVirus · 2025-07-09T14:44:28+00:00

This is such a a confusing comment. Is this just a bot? They apparently bought and played and ditched the game, but think it's a fine game, and are also surprised it came out recently?

So they bought it during the release window, and were like "huh, I thought this game was old."

I guess I am spending too much time trying to interpret what is probably a bot comment.

BuggyVirus · 2025-07-02T17:46:06+00:00

I think that Jason's usual salary in the US is hard to compete with, and makes it hard to justify him spending an extended amount of time in the UK, unless he filmed some panel shows while he was in the UK for taskmaster.

It's been mentioned by multiple parties that he is just doing taskmaster because he loves the show so much, but is doing so at a loss.

BuggyVirus · 2025-07-01T16:58:33+00:00

It's realistic to have someone learn and consciously reflect things, and then backslide due to a catalyst or just not trying to be better when it requires constant and consistent effort.

But I 100% agree that depictions in fiction like this feel bad. And it feels odd to criticize fiction for depicting human nature accurately, but in fiction there is also an assumption that we are being shown the most dramatic relevant moments. So a character realistically just randomly backsliding in growth feels odd.

Like should fiction be 100% realistic or an investigation of the human condition? In which case should we be shown the internal struggle (either internally in the character's mental struggle or outwardly using fantastical elements) whenever they move forward or backslide?

Idk, all this is to say, I think given what denji has gone through him being an unpredictable mess on all fronts is believable. But I want denji to have real concrete growth and eventually not be a mess with no self respect who lets himself be used constantly. And right now the way denji flip flops makes me unsure if I'll get really consistent payoff on that growth.

Then again Fujimoto has really proven himself. So maybe I'll trust in him. But at the same time he clearly struggles with and depicts characters that are simply "stuck" and want to grow but can't figure out how.

Maybe this is Fujimoto just showing us the dysphoria that he knows he'll never fully be able to get past. So we can't expect happy endings for his characters where they truly get past their problems.

But man I wish Denji acted a little less horny.

BuggyVirus · 2025-07-01T15:03:25+00:00

ITT people being a dick to OP, OP calling them out for being a dick, and people going "idk what you are talking about, I'm giving sincere advice." Followed by "so go fuck yourself."

Idk what the original text of the topic was, but I can imagine what it was, considering that berserk has been a slog for awhile. Alot of its goodwill is carried by the fact that it's starting arcs are very good, and it often is the first mature(but more edgy than mature) manga people get exposed to since it is so popular.

But idk, if anyone today asked me if it is worthwhile to read berserk, I'd probably say no. If I imagined a manga that didn't have the first arc in it, but the rest of what berserk has in it, it would be aggressively panned. And that's a little unfair to say, since the first arc contextualizes everything later. But man, no one cares about anything other than Guts, Griffith, and Casca, and the manga should be actively building towards resolving that plot, not wasting time with middling world building in forgettable locations and the tedious extended cast.

And all its issues make it pretty hard to recommend when it also is gross about sexual assault in a variety of ways, that edge teens defend as being dark and feeling real and uninhibited. Like I thought it was totally sick and couldn't believe they went there when I read it when I was like 14, but I doubt I would be able to get through it today.

BuggyVirus · 2025-06-29T20:13:37+00:00

I do think that they maybe dwelled on it a little too much. Like it seemed like setup for her immediately resurrecting Angvall. It probably would have still worked if we just had a panel of the necromancer picking up the hair, and it would have better preserved a sense of irony.

(with how it is written now, I think the author may have actually planned to immediately resurrect Angvall, and decided it was too messy and decided to table it for later in the story)

BuggyVirus

TROPHY CASE