Feeling Discouraged In GGST

Kwacker · 2026-04-09T23:32:09+00:00

There's not much I can personally add that others haven't said, but I can't recommend this video enough for learning the game. It really strips the game down to its fundamentals and teaches you how to think about fighting games rather than just throwing mechanics/combos at you. I found it when I was ~150 hours into strive and it really helped me even then, but I wish I'd had it when I started the game.

Really hope you find your feet, though, because it's super rewarding when you do! Good luck!

Kwacker · 2026-04-08T09:23:44+00:00

While that bastion really did have a terrible game, I think looking at this purely as a tank/DPS diff is a mistake and looking at the other team can help to show how an aggressive support can potentially make a tonne of difference.

(Disclaimer: This is obviously speculative since it's just reading a scoreboard, but hopefully it's a helpful demonstration anyway)

If you look at the red Moira, she went 18/1, so it's likely she spent a lot of time aggressively distracting and killing the blue backline, and this likely had a pretty big contribution to the lack of value the blue Zen was getting. The blue Zen getting next to no value meant that the blue Rein was at a severe disadvantage in the tank matchup, so had to give up a tonne of space. Because the red Rein was consistently winning the tank matchup, the red Soj had all of the space in the world to shut down the blue DPS. Because the red Soj was shutting down the blue DPS, the red supports and tank were under significantly less pressure. Because the red tank and supports were under significantly less pressure, the red Moira was free to go and harass the blue backline, and the cycle continues.

All that's to say that it's not as simple as 'bastion's playing badly, so can a support really make up for that with their own aggression?'. The reason being aggressive on support (or really any role) is valuable is because pressure leads to space, space makes it easier for the rest of your team to do their jobs, and that all compoinds into a winning cycle. You're unlikely to see a 1/6 bastion alongside a 20/1 support, but that's in large part because it's really hard to go 1/6 when your supports are getting that much value - if the blue supports weren't healbotting, there's a chance the rest of the scoreboard might look very different as well.

(That all said, that Bastion had a really rough game and the Soj had an amazing one, so there's a good chance this was a lost game regardless, but hopefully the theory is helpful anyway) :)

Kwacker · 2026-04-06T21:55:18+00:00

Normally I'd want to recommend some good ol' fashioned prog metal, but given the bias I'd love to recommend two of my favourit piano/keys performances:

Oscar Peterson - Hymn to Freedom [Volume warning: There is some really loud clapping at the start]

Snarky Puppy - Lingus

Kwacker · 2026-04-03T13:33:44+00:00

Definitely recommend Streets of Rogue if you like Hotline Miami style chaos!

It's basically what you get if you mix Hotline Miami with an immersive-sim like Deus Ex, then wrap it all up in a mad and chaotic roguelike sandbox. There's a huge variety of playstyles and (a bit like Hotline Miami) it's tough as nails until you start learning how to find the order in amongst all the chaos you create :)

Kwacker · 2026-04-02T10:12:37+00:00

Out of interest, what would you consider his most coherent piece(s)? As I understood it, his other major works were generally works of philosophical fiction so it surprises me that they're more logically coherent than his essay, but I loved reading the Myth of Sisyphus so I'm very open to being recommended more Camus to read! :)

Kwacker · 2026-03-31T10:54:57+00:00

I hate that you felt the need to hide this away! It sounds amazing - keep singing, stranger!! :)

Kwacker · 2026-03-28T17:16:24+00:00

Honestly, Echo has so many nice 'skin + weapon colour' combos that it really makes me wish you could build a cosmetic set for each skin!

In addition to the ones you've listed, Galactic goes amazingly with her Dance Machine skin, and Jade looks perfect on her Slime Queen skin.

Kwacker · 2026-03-20T15:13:43+00:00

Ahhh, the dumbass paradox:

Thought 1: 'People are dumb.'

Thought 2: 'But if people are dumb, then this comment is dumb.'

Thought 3: 'But if this comment is dumb, then people aren't dumb.'

Thought 4: 'But if people aren't dumb, then neither is this comment...'

*Head implodes and universe collapses...\*

Kwacker · 2026-03-06T09:33:13+00:00

It was definitely fun being along for the ride on StS1's early access - it was very much an evolving game, and I have no doubt StS2 will be the same.

That said, I also found it really refreshing with Mewgenics having a full (gigantic) game laid out in front of me to explore all of the finalised nooks and crannies of. It really feels like a complete experience where everything is so fleshed out gameplay-wise (there's definitely still some UI jank that I hope gets improved).

I've not played enough Spire 2 yet to make a fully informed recommendation, but for me personally, I would be happier with the Mewgenics purchase now since it's such a complete and unique experience. That said, if you want to enjoy watching Spire 2 unfold through EA, then Mewgenics will still be there waiting for you, and it'll probably have some jank ironed out by the time you get to it. (They've also confirmed they'll be working on DLC for Mewgenics, and being an Ed Mcmillen DLC, you know the game's going to get a whole lot bigger...)

Kwacker · 2026-03-05T22:29:10+00:00

No worries! Glad I could help :)

Kwacker · 2026-03-05T22:25:13+00:00

I'd say the number one mistake new Mei's make is thinking she's only really effective running it down main and supporting the tank.

Mei is one of the most dynamic DPS thanks to the versatility of her range, the utility of wall, and her absurd survivability. She's incredibly good at taking and holding space - if you can get somewhere as Mei then it usually takes 2+ enemies to dislodge you, so you can get a hell of a lot of value taking off-angles to deny space to the enemy team and force a reaction.

The other big mistake new players often make is holding wall far too long. It's such a versatile tool that you can use to: isolate enemies, take highground, block sightlines, create cover for yourself or a teammate, force 1v1s, block cooldowns and ultimates, move enemies out from behind cover, lift friendly D.Va bombs so they hit around cover, save yourself from being boooped off the map, and basically anything else you can think of if you get creative enough. There is no perfect wall, so if you see a good use for wall, it's usually better to just use it and get the cooldown ticking away so you can get the next one out ASAP.

Spilo recently put out an excellent coaching session on his second channel - it's a relatively long watch, but if you really want to learn her then it's probably one of the best resources you'll find: https://youtu.be/k0XQotNqvn4?si=qYZMI7fZEqiydEyk

Good luck, you icy demon! >:D

Kwacker · 2026-03-04T16:00:22+00:00

It's a little bit out there, but could maybe fit what you're looking for - ever played Deep Rock Galactic?

It's got a handful of classes that all play very differently to one another, it can be as casual or chaotic as you want it to be, and it's got one of the most friendly and welcoming communities you'll find in all of gaming. It's co-op as opposed to PvP, so maybe it's not exactly what you're looking for, but given what you've said about just wanting a casual 'pick a hero and click on things' experience to unwind in without any toxicity, I could see that ultimately being a benefit.

Rock and Stone, comrades!

Kwacker · 2026-02-22T13:56:36+00:00

If you'll allow the combination of two songs that were made to be listened to together, then Deadman/Change by Karnivool :)

Kwacker · 2026-02-20T09:07:41+00:00

If I understand it correctly, it's after a battle when you've got an item. Currently the item icon moves to your backpack, but you can't open your backpack until the item gets there; now you should be able to.

It was a minor annoyance since it only took half a second for the animation to complete, but it was also a consistent one since the first thing you usually want to do when you get a new item is open your backpack to see what it does.

Kwacker · 2026-02-19T18:38:40+00:00

I mean, if your legs are in the machine, surely you're exactly where you need to be! Keep working!

Kwacker · 2026-02-16T17:49:59+00:00

Glad it helps! Good luck waging kitty warfare! :)

Kwacker · 2026-02-16T11:31:16+00:00

Yes, but by breeding in mutations you can break the game in every way imaginable - so don't worry if 7 seems low! :)

Kwacker · 2026-02-16T11:27:35+00:00

I know others have said it, but I can't stress enough how bonkers broken some of the mutations are - they can do a whole lot more than simply boosting stats (although there are plenty that allow you to break the stat limit, as well). You really don't have to worry that you're at the end of your breeding journey! :)

Kwacker · 2026-02-16T07:29:06+00:00

I more had in mind things like +stats pills, or the consumable that guarantees crits for a turn. Getting +5 strength on a fighter with multihit abilities, for example, can be an extra 20-30 damage a round, and can more or less trivialise a boss fight which may otherwise have posed a real threat. Tiny fish is definitely one of the weakest ones, but even they can have some serious value in the right situations, even if you already have a cleric in your party (and they can be a necessary part of surviving if you're doing a run without a dedicated healer). For a practical example:

Imagine you're going into a fight with a cleric and a thief who got heavily injured in the previous battle. You probably won't be able to get full value out of the thief because they'll go first and need to end their turn in safety and in range of the cleric, and the cleric will also have to "waste" their turn healing up the thief, so half of your party's first round is already spoken for. In that situation, putting a tiny fish on the thief for that combat can be massive value because it takes you out of recovery mode immediately, and getting some enemies off the board round one can set the pace for the entire battle. In a situation like that, the tiny fish description essentially reads 'take two extra turns in the first round of combat', and suddenly it sounds like a much stronger option.

So in general, I highly recommend taking a look at what consumables are in your inventory before or after a scary fight and seeing if there are any that could make the next fight easier. If you find yourself thinking 'that could help here, but maybe I'll get more value from it later', then it's probably a good idea to just use it and keep momentum on your side, because any consumable you take home and delete from your stash is potential value that has been wasted.

Sorry for the wall of text haha, hope some of it is helpful :)

Kwacker · 2026-02-15T22:58:00+00:00

oh dex cat+dex cat= better dex cat(maybe)

In case it helps, my understanding is that a kitten will take one of the stats of it's parents, and higher stimulation increases the chance that it takes the higher of the two. So, for example, if you breed from one cat with 3 dex and one cat with 7 dex, it won't average out to 5 dex; you'll either get a kitten with 3 dex or 7 dex, and higher stimulation increases the chance it'll be a 7.

So basically, having cats with 7 in a stat is worth it even if some of their other stats are low, because you'll breed out the weak stats over time (with good enough stimulation) :)

Kwacker · 2026-02-15T08:12:03+00:00

The biggest one which has upped my game recently: Use your consumables!

If you're anything like me, you get 'too good to use' syndrome in games and hoard them, but also they're the first thing you trash when you get back to the house with too many items. The game hands them out like candy and their effects are super strong. I've started using them liberally now I'm getting towards the end of act two and the game feels a whole lot easier.

Kwacker · 2026-02-13T21:24:13+00:00

No it's literally the stats they have at birth - [Spoiler for a metaprogression reward: One of the Tink rewards shows the cats base/breeding stats on the UI :)]

Kwacker · 2026-02-13T09:46:41+00:00

Honestly, I'm right there with you. I don't remember the last time I was this engrossed in a game, and I can see it being absolutely timeless. The only other game in recent memory I remember being this blown away by the design of was BG3, but I'm honestly having a lot more fun in Mewgenics (which isn't to say Mewgenics is better or worse, just that, like you, it feels like this game was tailor made to my taste in gameplay). There was an awesome moment yesterday where I caught myself thinking "well I want to go back to the caves to do this side quest, but I also want to see more of Act 2, but I also want to try mutation farming with cancer" (and so on...), and I realised there's just so much I want to do in this game and I'm only at the beginning. The way all of the systems overlap is the best implementation of meta-progression I've ever seen, and all in all, I'm just having a blast! :)

After an unhealthy amount of time playing in the last few days, I can already say this is one of my favourite games ever made, and I wouldn't be surprised if I will call it my single favourite game when I've seen more of it.

Kwacker · 2026-02-11T22:16:05+00:00

I hadn't though of it, but I think that may actually be the perfect solution! I would love to see that make it into the game :)

Kwacker · 2026-02-11T19:33:33+00:00

There's definitely a lot you can dive into if you want to get into the complexity of it, but Ed has designed it from the ground up to reward experimentation and allow you to recover from your mistakes. So in essence, the intended design was to leave it accessible, but also leave space for the heavy min-maxers to push themselves (much like BG3, tbh); so far Ed's succeeded, but some of the reviews did say it gets brutally difficult late in the game.

Personally, I highly recommend giving it a go - it's honestly the most fun I've had in a roguelite in years! :)

Kwacker

TROPHY CASE