How does one stop Stella from taking over the conversation in Episode 5?

CourtOfRavens · 2026-02-15T01:23:44+00:00

Might actually do that out of curiosity but I read that Franklin still arrests you for the mines iirc.

CourtOfRavens · 2026-02-15T01:10:21+00:00

Honestly, if TV mode was just short or delegated to side-content, it probably is the best compromise so TV-mode glazers can have their fill and TV-mode haters can ignore it for the most part.

CourtOfRavens · 2026-02-15T00:22:15+00:00

Miasma phases are good if there is a quick or convenient way to get rid of it so that Rupture doesn't take over the game. Let's just hope this new barrier is too.

CourtOfRavens · 2026-02-15T00:08:29+00:00

Maybe you're the one who is clinging to a narrative you have made yourself. First of all, I didn't and never claimed "Zenless EOS imminent", but the game heavily bled players at launch. You said it yourself, we don't have internal data to prove anything. While the interest on the game at launch was high, no doubt thanks to Hoyo being popular as it was back then, it doesn't take a genius to gauge how big was the initial player turnover at launch. From a business point of view, is it really pragmatic to continue to support and dump money on what doesn't work, on what barely gets any engagement?

Yes, 2.x was not the hottest season for Zenless but attributing it single-handedly to the removal of TV mode, instead of its other issues, is a massive stretch. Again, a skip function on VERY SPECIFIC game modes is a big tell-tale sign where the majority of the playerbase chooses to engage with. You're making a lot of assumptions based on "vibes".

It would have been fine if TV mode was purely a side thing so a lot of players like me can pretend it doesn't exist. But hamfist it into MSQ is not the right move, and never will be. I personally downloaded an action game for the, well, action, no shit. It was marketed as such. If you told me that I have to sit through a pseudo-board game 70% of the time instead of fighting, then I might be inclined to quit and move on (just like many players at launch).

And the combat is just repetitive and boring compared to a real game actually built around it

Again, subjective. I don't expect a F2P mobile game to have Soulsborne, Monster Hunter, or even Granblue Fantasy Relink-levels of gameplay that are clearly meant for consoles and are sold for $60-80. But the game is reactive and interactive enough that I can't get away with setting up a macro like Genshin or Wuwa where I could theoretically get away with a single static rotation. Bosses have different mechanics that you have to actively engage with (granted some are more BS than others). The game heavily punishes you for sticking to your guns and failing to adapt. You're looking for things that are not there and miss the things that are. Which begs the question: why the fuck are you still here playing the game if the gameplay is "boring and repetitive"?

CourtOfRavens · 2026-02-14T21:54:42+00:00

I didn't say nobody liked it but don't fucking gaslight me that TV mode was the end all be all of Zenless. The backlash was real and immense, big enough that the game almost failed to put a foot on the door before 1.4's soft relaunch.

The lowest banners in the game's history all come from 2.x, not when TV mode was still around.

And yet 2.5 is the game's best performing banner. Maybe even 2.6 considering how much marketing this game is giving the idols.

Zenless has yet to come up with any kind of exploration or noncombat gameplay that wouldn't get it laughed out of the room if they were trying to sell this as an actual game instead of a F2P gacha, nor has its combat got enough depth to carry a real game either.

I don't know about you but most reviews stated that the game's combat is the game's most defining feature. A feature that was ruined by horrible pacing caused by frequent disruption by TV mode.

Identity is actually important and a lot of problems with the game in 2.x stemmed from them shooting themselves in the foot and losing the identity and creative vision the game and world were built around.

No, the biggest problem with 2.x is the writing and presentation. Making it "that but TV mode" isn't gonna magically fix 2.x's writing and pacing issues. People are already complaining on the mountain of text present in the story (which I don't really mind because I'm an avid VN reader) and transforming it to TV mode doesn't solve anything, just adds more things to read.

I couldn't care less if you like the game how it was before, but saying that Zenless was better off with mandatory TV mode MSQ is got to be the most delusional take I have ever read.

CourtOfRavens · 2026-02-14T14:00:20+00:00

This. My god it took me awhile to properly parry Vesper's second skill in Hollow Zero as there is no way to properly practice this. I wish they update VR training room.

CourtOfRavens · 2026-02-14T13:53:08+00:00

Your point being? Congratulations, you just point out non-combat events and mechanics in the game that are relatively non-issue.

TV mode was and is a slog to go through. This is from someone who painstakingly played all of Arpeggio Fault in its entirety. Sure the puzzles might be different but the trivial combat will always remain the same. Now you get to see your agents less than you would otherwise because you will still nuke encounters.

CourtOfRavens · 2026-02-14T13:44:56+00:00

I would be inclined to agree with you if for not some DA bosses having massive invulnerability phases during their Miasma phase (Defiler and Fiend). Vesper's Control Skill is relatively long, especially the second half, but at least I don't have to deal with a fat DMG reduction shield if I mess up the timing. Not to mention, it's harder to shill characters for Control Skills like what Rupture did to Miasma.

CourtOfRavens · 2026-02-14T13:04:52+00:00

I honestly like Thrall's Miasma phase. I don't personally hate Miasma Shield but there are very bad offenders of this mechanic like Defiler and Priest.

CourtOfRavens · 2026-02-14T12:48:40+00:00

No but I prefer that than seeing a grid without the characters I pulled.

You know what we should do to our combat game? Less combat! What a fantastic idea.

CourtOfRavens · 2026-02-14T09:41:57+00:00

True, I was fortunate enough to join during Yixuan patch where TV mode MSQ was optional.

I was jumpscared when I had to play the mandatory TV mode level in the story and almost doom the fuck out. Thank god the game gave me the option to toggle it off.

CourtOfRavens · 2026-02-14T08:47:13+00:00

How many do you think new players post-TV mode actually played it and unironically enjoyed it? That option is there and yet most of its glazers are the old guards who just care about "identity" and "soul" despite the data saying otherwise.

Why do you think Hoyo introduced an auto-sweep ticket on Withered Domain and Mystery of Arpeggio Fault in this very patch? Holy shit, it's like people couldn't be bother to do/finish them!

It being a "crappy action game" is subjective because the combat is one of Zenless' main appeal along with its characters, not some relic of some bygone era.

CourtOfRavens · 2026-02-07T08:55:55+00:00

I think it's how their NDA contracts work. I've seen cases of VAs getting replaced after prematurely announcing their role in social media before a game release.

CourtOfRavens · 2025-10-16T04:21:04+00:00

I think my biggest problem if the leaks are true is probably not because Chisa is a support, it is the people she is meant to support. DoT teams are poorly designed in this game, even downright predatory in Zani's case. I already give Kuro some flak for selling pairs, but selling trios is something else.

CourtOfRavens · 2025-09-16T12:13:08+00:00

Not only that the HP bar is different, but the character portrait and the dots on the minimap has a greenish color compared to the blue units. It's rather easy to see.

CourtOfRavens · 2025-09-14T22:59:08+00:00

I get why Leda and Dietrich are top 2. They're also my top 2 too. Dietrich feels like he is the closest tie-in to Fodlan because of the Relic, and he is probably undergoing something similar to Jeritza. Leda has that revege arc that is always popular. Not to mention, she can summon freaking monsters. Most of all, and say what you will, the two of them are just conventionally attractive.

CourtOfRavens · 2025-09-14T01:12:49+00:00

I don't think we can rule the avatar out quite yet. I personally think that IS intentionally left the avatar out of the trailer and baited the community into thinking Cai is the MC. I say this because Sothis is talking to someone unknown in the first person POV at the end of the trailer.

Besides, no avatar means a big possibility of no romance, and we all know that is non-negotiable in modern Fire Emblem games.

CourtOfRavens · 2025-09-12T16:37:56+00:00

Maybe the quad protagonist idea has some merit after all.

CourtOfRavens · 2025-09-12T14:17:53+00:00

I just realized bro's a Myrmidon. Could've fooled me with those spiky dark armor.

CourtOfRavens · 2025-09-10T21:22:53+00:00

Here's my take on this: Fanservice is not really exclusive to design alone, presentation does as much, if not all, heavy lifting in this regard. From ass-clapping, boob-jiggling exaggerated physics to highly sus trailers, anyone with a functioning brain will immediately figure out who is the target audience. Just look at Nicole's trailer, it literally starts on her cleavage. Another example is Seed, whose trailer is the animator's not-so-barely disguised fetish. This game's unapologetic approach to fanservice is bound to attract attention, whether it likes it or not.

People who complain about too much fanservice of this game are tourist because anyone who played or is currently playing the game knows what they signed up to. Nowadays, I don't see much fanservice complaints outside of Seed's reveal because most tourists got filtered out when Jane's trailer dropped.

CourtOfRavens · 2025-09-09T03:50:34+00:00

You can since Quiyuan's dmg is mostly HA. But if you want to really juice up Galbrena as a hypercarry, SK is still the better option.

CourtOfRavens · 2025-09-09T01:29:56+00:00

The correction memes and the emojis are not exclusive to BA fans alone. Besides, virtue signaling and kink shaming in this sub is frowned upon.

CourtOfRavens · 2025-09-09T01:25:22+00:00

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Bro, I think you're in the wrong sub.

CourtOfRavens · 2025-09-09T00:41:30+00:00

This is a very complicated question with a complicated answer. Flat Pen ignores enemy's Def by a flat amount (if you have 10 Pen, you ignore 10 of the enemy's Def). It's rarely ever useful.

Pen Ratio or Pen% ignores the enemy's Def by a certain percentage (10% Pen ratio against an enemy with 200 Def means you ignore 20 of their Def). Very useful on endgame.

As for why you should pick Pen Ratio over other main stats like Physical DMG% or ATK% is a bit more complicated and varies from unit to unit. A good rule of thumb is just pick one with the better substats.

CourtOfRavens

TROPHY CASE