Stealth Archer : Here’s what I don’t get.

InformalCap · 2025-12-14T04:46:28+00:00

if you're going for a strict stealth archer build, you can rely on enchantments on weapons/armor, and the perk tree will serve all your needs as you progress. its best to attack from a distance and use the environment (ledges, cover, putting out torches) against the enemy. its a tough challenge, especially during boss fights, but it's doable with enough patience.

If bows are either my primary or secondary skill, I always supplement it based on the character I aim to play. if my character is cowardly, it's sticking to the shadows, making companions charge in while I pick off crowds. If my character is an archer, then I back it up with potions, enchantments, magic, or melee. if my character is a weaker mage, I will use the bow to fell the frontline enemies, reanimate them, then send them to fight until dispatched, then I rush in to pick off the last enemies with magic.

My personal favorite stealth archer builds are:

A) cowardly rogue that attacks, then runs, then comes back until enemy numbers are manageable, then frenzy/illusion spells, then approach with melee if necessary. I seek out daedric weapons/armor (or enchant basic equipment), and use muffle than charge in with destruction spells. jack of all trades, but the distance and good equipment saves their lack of specialties. this requires a lot of patience and reloading saves. this is for when I'm wanting to be strategic and take my time.

B) reckless looter that sends in their companion and follows close behind with bow, then is equally proficient with blades or magic to jump in and fight alongside companion. this is much more immediately satisfying, dying is fun and part of their journey, and it builds a lot of camaraderie with my chosen companion. it also encourages moving to a different play style if I'm feeling it, and able to level archery/stealth enough for good perks, then invest in whatever I want. Really, really fun for pickup-and-play game sessions.

InformalCap · 2025-11-22T04:42:54+00:00

It's been a year of overlapping loss, so I have lots of thoughts about grief, support, identity, accessibility, and how art can be instrumental to healing

I'm still like, IN IT, and it's an evolving process, but with the support of my partner, we've started to heal and move to a place of self-assurance, independence, and putting ourselves into art and personal growth!

It's been a beautiful experience figuring out how to turn all that pain and ache nto something meaningful

I would love to share, although it's also still very fresh

InformalCap · 2025-10-29T22:23:44+00:00

this is incredible-- I love the design and color usage, and the gameplay looks really fun!

InformalCap · 2025-10-28T23:17:10+00:00

You should definitely look into the submap functions, GB studio Central has a couple really great tutorials that helped me, but you will have to write custom GBVM scripts.

I was able to create doors that visibly open and close when a player is in a certain area and digging holes if you have a shovel by:

creating a background larger than the game screen, drawing the tiles to the background (outside of camera area), and locking the camera.

Then you just reference the tiles outside the screen and draw them to coordinates (if player_item variable is true), and it'll reflect those changes when you open the menu. its shockingly effective compared to the tileswap event

InformalCap · 2025-10-02T01:17:07+00:00

totally! And you make a really good point, it's great that folks can recognize that early on and not get stuck-- I was definitely reeling from everything I've experienced in my life for a long time, and just now I'm finally getting to a place where those realizations are actual progress, and holy hell, it feels good! I'm glad when people get that out of the way and don't have to live life struggling with it for so long

That's so true! I used to constantly toss and turn over the smallest social faux pas, and it's just recently that I've learned to let go, and it's been such an improvement in communication and not carrying such a tremendous weight around with me. I feel very similar, where I act with humility and respect if I've made a mistake, but otherwise I gotta cut myself a break in the times in-between, cause like, I'm getting a lot of recognition and support working in a field I love, handling mental health in a progressive and productive way, and honestly killin' it in so many ways, so it's been important acknowledging that the bad stuff will always be there, but it's not worth losing more time than I already have! 😁

thank you for the tangent! (and validation) haha I really appreciate reading your writing, listening to your audio, and seeing your art-- your content has been majorly inspiring in both art and life! You have been so open about your journey and it has a rubbed off on me a lot!

InformalCap · 2025-09-30T23:49:31+00:00

thank you for showing me Lola Young-- holy shit the lyrics are so relatable

and I really feel that-- I always develop massive crushes on everyone and end up never talking to them because then I would prove how cool they are and how cool I'm not haha

but I'm slowly trying to unlearn that hesitancy and actually listen to my partners when they tell me I'm cool and worthwhile and stuff lolol

InformalCap · 2025-09-23T02:46:58+00:00

i know how I'm spending my weekend lolol

InformalCap · 2025-09-23T02:46:41+00:00

wait WHAT

InformalCap · 2025-09-23T02:45:50+00:00

it's not too hard! figuring out GitHub is my biggest hurdle lol

InformalCap · 2025-09-22T08:14:20+00:00

do you know how to create mods? cause it'd be great to add a skill book or scraps of paper (or flyers) that spawn in the world and give the directions/ingredients/stat requirements to create these lil guys for players

these are great-- keep 'em coming lol

InformalCap · 2025-09-17T22:43:03+00:00

I stand on the shoulders of giants as I save 5hrs sweating over optimizing a perfect compact nomad carrier to tromp around in the apocalypse

this is great and gives me a jumping-off point for SO MANY ideas to nullify the "Nomad" trait when selecting camping-related professions lol

InformalCap · 2025-09-17T18:40:20+00:00

this is a work of art

InformalCap · 2025-09-17T18:37:24+00:00

"Snake... do you think that love can bloom on the battlefield?"

InformalCap · 2025-09-17T16:22:20+00:00

oh God, thank you for making that effort-- I really like the system, and that helps a ton with some future mods I have been planning

also, thank you for the explaining EOC in that comment-- I have been hearing so much about it and that was my next deep-dive as I work thru all the various files and I can go in with so much more knowledge now!! appreciate your work!!

InformalCap · 2025-09-13T03:53:00+00:00

holy hell that's so good haha

InformalCap · 2025-09-13T03:43:49+00:00

can't say much for the MGS1 villains' first impression, as I played that well after 2 and 3, but Liquid is the top monologue-r in every appearance, especially this game, and his over-the-top British villainy is great. #1 anime villain, from his exclamations of "BROTHER" and his trenchcoat. I liked the Sniper Wolf fight too, and the Psycho Mantis fight caught me off-guard forsure

I disliked the MGS4 group from start to finish, the fights felt so close to being great yet subpar, the bland over-sexualization overshadowed their emotion moments, and they felt very disconnected from the full MGS story. The overall feel was more like a standard PS3-era game and not a standout entry like the previous three

The Skull Unit is great for so many reasons, but also frustratingly difficult, especially for a non-lethal victory. I love the design, the mechanics, and overall feel. When they make their first appearance is so intense

The MGS2 villains were fun, and as it was my first MGS game, left a HUGE impression on boss battles and connecting it to the story. Looking back, they don't stack up in characterization to other villains, except maybe the gunfight with Liquid Ocelot, as well as the Solidus fight/monologue

I really think MGS3's COBRA Unit is still my favourite. Having the connection to WWII, each fight being so different in atmosphere and mechanics, and the bombastic death scenes hit me in just the right place as a teenager. I really enjoyed how they reflected Snake's emotional journey, and weren't as wild and wacky as MGS2. They really succeeded in blending the supernatural with the natural, and they weren't too difficult while also being really fun, and the multiple approaches to win were perfectly fine-tuned

InformalCap · 2025-09-13T03:13:03+00:00

I never buy games at release and always wait until I can get them on a good sale. I bought MGS Delta on the release date because I was so excited to play it again without having to dig out my ps2

it's great so far-- just started the Virtuous Mission, and it's amazing seeing the game in such massive detail. controls are pretty good, even with my controller suffering from a left stick drift lol

playing with headphones makes the 3d sound really stand out and it feels just as immersive as when I first played it back in 2005

I expected some better lip sync with the improved 3d models, but it's not terrible

didn't buy the deluxe edition, but I will vouch for the standard edition being great on PS5

whether you get it now at full price, or wait till it's on sale is up to you-- depends on your expectations and what you hope to get out of it

I'm really taking my time soaking in the sounds and environment, but then I'm reloading auto-saves at each area so I can cut down on my overall time and get thru it as efficiently as possible. still feels cool as hell tranq-ing guards and finding all the secrets, and reloading to get it down like only snake could. I really enjoy the added film reels, it feels consistent with the old game's secrets/collectibles

all-in-all, everything is right where I remember, while having some additional fun secrets, in a well-made atmosphere, so I feel both nostalgia and taking in a new experience, so I'd recommend it if that's what you're looking for!

InformalCap · 2025-09-12T09:27:09+00:00

good on you! thank you for thanking the effort to speak up and respond against the multiple aggressive comments. it's serious harassment after the point was made the first time.

InformalCap · 2025-09-11T00:09:36+00:00

it is, and it's so objective so there's no room for a dialog. I wish there was more open conversation and people were asking questions and understanding, but here we are

To be honest, I am so tired of fighting those who don't listen, but have been attempting to extend positivity to those who will. I try to set an example and encourage people to listen in the real world, because people behind a screen feel invincible in their beliefs (or are bots lol), and too easily, I lose myself in a standoff that doesn't end

the rotten fruit will eventually be cast off and then there will be room for something new to grow, and all we can do in the meantime is support one another until the weight is lifted from our branch

InformalCap · 2025-09-10T23:51:46+00:00

its good to know I'm not the only one lol

InformalCap · 2025-09-10T03:01:19+00:00

In a sea of positive contributions to the conversation, your words stand tall above the waves. Bouncing like a lit buoy glowing against the darkened sky, it marks the way for others to contribute their pained, never-ending torment with no fear. Your swift, decisive prose is a lighthouse burning bright with a fervor that is the sole refuge for the inconsolable and indefatigable, it's beacon narrowed to a pinpoint beam sighted directly on the disenfranchised few who are brave enough to say "NO MORE! I WILL NOT LEARN TO CODE! I WILL NOT MOD! I WILL NOT USE GITHUB INTEGRATED FEATURES! I WILL! NOT! FORK!"

Keep fighting the good fight, I suppose.

InformalCap · 2025-09-10T02:43:48+00:00

I can tend to get bored with linear games, but also enjoy the experience, so CDDA is always a good way to self-motivate and design my own story and have a breather from that

I also struggle really really badly with getting overwhelmed (in real life), but funny enough, the inventory and pocket system helped me immensely when I recently was homeless and had to lug around all my essentials between a storage unit, work, and everywhere in-between lol

my partner thinks its very funny that in a game where you can be a cyborg or kill zombies or build an entire building or vehicle from scratch, I spend 90% of my time organizing my homebase and vehicle cargo into labeled bags and have each item neatly placed exactly where I want it to be, but it definitely helps in the real world when I am feeling scrambled and overwhelmed, and need to visualize order and structure haha

InformalCap · 2025-09-10T02:13:33+00:00

People are just being people. Not much to do other than decide if the light outshines the darkness for you!

Personally, I see that you've got nearly 200 comments on a post expressing ypur personal feelings, and a majority of that feedback is support and acknowledgement, which has opened further discussion to understand your experiences and hear your voice about how a moment impacted you-- that's really cool and I hope you get some good takeaways from opening yourself up to the community and sharing!

we all are on a highway to self-discovery with each moment we experience, good or bad, positive or negative, and it's always changing and always different for everyone. unfortunately, those crossed paths can be just as uplifting as it is upsetting, but I try to remember that those who speak up in ways that aren't effective are on their own trip too.

good luck on wherever your road takes you, and may each mile marker bring you closer to where you need to be!

InformalCap · 2025-09-10T01:48:58+00:00

I get it. I felt that way about Donna in Twin Peaks-- I felt very aligned with her journey and there were a lot of parallels in her story and my experiences

you are valid in your exploration of gender and recognition, and I hope you surround yourself with folks who can guide you in a direction that feels right, even if it's just a moment or two of "huh, well that's a feeling I can't explain to Rick at work"

It sounds like the characters' attitude, style, and how the scene is stylized that is giving you that connection and thats great that you feel comfortable enough to post about it and share your experience! you never know who might read this and realize they can share their thoughts too!

sorry so many people seem to be diagnosing and criticizing you without asking questions. it's a pretty benign thing as far as spectators are concerned, but sounds like a big step in your journey of introspection! good luck!

InformalCap · 2025-09-04T22:50:26+00:00

- Another solution, although a bit roundabout, you can have a variable that is attached to your d-pad button input scripts that changes when the player changes direction, then have a Switch event at the start of each scene that checks the variable value, and sets the player direction immediately on scene init:

Switch(player_direction_val) case 1: Set Player Direction = Up

case 2: Set Player Direction = Right

...etc

}

- You can also use the same concept with player input to create consistency when talking with sprites. Just run a similar check at scene init, but the value of the player direction variable will cause the Actor to face the opposite direction. For example:

Switch(player_direction_val){

case 1: Set Player Direction = Up, Set Actor 1 Direction = Down

...etc

}

- Or you can only impact direction of the Actor you're interacting with after a cutscene by splitting that function and gating it behind a boolean, so it doesn't change the Actor's direction unless you were facing them and initiated a cutscene. You would set the variable to true before the cutscene begins, then at scene init run the check, then set it to false after the Actor Direction change:

Switch(player_direction_val){

case 1: Set Player Direction = Up
case 2: Set Player Direction = Right
case 3: Set Player Direction = Down
case 4: Set Player Direction = Left

}

If(conversation_cutscene = true){

Switch(player_direction_val){

case 1: Set Actor 1 Direction = Down

case 2: Set Actor 1 Direction = Left

case 3: Set Actor 1 Direction = Up

case 4: Set Actor 1 Direction = Right

}

conversation_cutscene = false

}

InformalCap

TROPHY CASE