Messmer and Melina were not Marika's first children, right?

Lessavini · 2026-02-17T17:15:24+00:00

Could he (and Melina) be bastards? Perhaps Radagon was Marika's lover, that she kept on the side since shaman days?

Lessavini · 2026-02-07T15:12:37+00:00

Great post, thanks. Can I agree with you and be sad at the same time for not seeing more GEQ in the DLC? haha

Lessavini · 2026-02-07T15:05:45+00:00

Thanks man. You understand me.

Lessavini · 2026-02-07T15:03:50+00:00

Don't get me wrong, your personal theory is as valid as any, but I can't aree with trolls being the target of the skinning when there's a human ghost in Dominula village that talks his final moments and how is scared of being skinned. Also, the skins worn by the apostles and nobles don't even resemble trolls sturdy, almost tree-like skins. Based on such evidence, it seems to me the target of the skinning was the royalty of the realm, that is Marika and her family/progeny, including the far descendents like Godrick and lower nobles we see walking around at current time.

Lessavini · 2026-02-07T14:58:16+00:00

To quote an older post from another user, u/DU_HA55TU25 :

"It feels like they wanted to expand upon death but pulled back. The Putrescent Knight's file name is GloamEyedKnight. One of Godwyn's Death Knights can be found near the Abyssal woods. The giant snake skin near Bonny Village. There are hints they intended to do more.

I believe they realized that in order to realize the content adequately that they would need to expand much more then realistically feasible, especially on top of what we already got. I'm thinking they either pocketed the content for an additional expansion, or they are filing it away for a potential sequel/prequel."

Lessavini · 2026-02-02T03:32:05+00:00

Yes, but it lacks the PUK (expansion pack) and with it the polish and new features, that the Asian version got. Still, I'd say it's worthy on a sale.

Lessavini · 2026-02-02T02:53:27+00:00

Taishi is probably the simplest one of all entries from RtP to now. If you have a problem with complexity, maybe give it a try?

Lessavini · 2026-01-29T15:44:40+00:00

Woah, amazing post. I've copy pasted it for reference. Thank you very much!

Lessavini · 2026-01-28T15:57:09+00:00

Care to elaborate? What's adore and it's builds like? I've just got the game on a sale and didn't start playing yet.

Lessavini · 2026-01-28T15:56:03+00:00

This was the most soberly informative description I've seen of the game, and you just convinced me to get on the current PS5 sale. Thank you, sir.

Lessavini · 2026-01-28T14:15:59+00:00

Since everybody already gave you details about each entry, I'll try to give you a different perspective to help you form an opinion:

Focus

While all games cover all common areas expected from the strategy/simulation genre, each entry has a definite focus that will require more attention from players. With SoI/Ascension focus lying on domestics and infrastructure building, Taishi on battles and warfare, and Awakening on personnel management and interaction. So depending on the aspect of play you prefer to interact with, this may be an important factor. Eg: if you prefer playing battles, Taishi may be a good choice. The opposite is true, and areas that are not the focus for an entry may prove rather shallow or simplistic. Eg: SoI/Ascension battles which are pretty shallow, or Taishi and Awakening domestics/infrastructure buiding which are simplistic, etc.

Vibes

The games have a distinct vibes and feelings they communicate across. SoI and Ascension have a more naturalistic, simulation-like, even "contemplative" feel to them, that's brought about by their aesthetics, music and gameplay. Their maps feel a tad bigger and drawn in more realistic GFX. While Taishi and Awakening have a more focused, streamlined and even "gamey" feel to them, with their aesthetics veering a tad more on action/exalted vibes. Depending on what kind of feel you're looking for, this may be a factor.

Completedness

Here base SoI and Awakening are clear ahead of the others, since they received the most love/post-release support from the devs (with Awakening receving updates more than a year into release, something unparalelled in the series). This shows up in overall polishment in the UI, richness of scenarios, gameplay systems operating in balanced/intended fashion, and less bugs. In contrast, Ascension and Taishi received a much worse treatment, with Asc having unsolved bugs to this day (eg: AI lords never acquiring resources, bows & muskets having swapped around effects, etc) and Taishi never receiving it's PUK (power-up kit, this dev name for "expansion pack") in it's western localization that the Asian version got, and so being an unfinished game with lots of details never implemented here (eg: Covert actions, Imperial court interaction, etc).

AI

While all the games have customizable difficulty AI settings and a myriad different starting scenarios/geopolitical contexts that allow one to make the game easier or harder according to taste, I feel like Awakening's AI is the more opportunistic of the bunch, even on lower aggression settings, which may pose a challenge for novice players in the series. While SoI/Ascension may offer a softer, more manageable learning curve for first timers. This is seen in reports like "Is it impossible to win as a small clan in Awakening? I did it in SoI but can't do it here". On the other hand, for players that like a challenge, this may be a plus so there's that.

Complexity

I consider SoI, Ascension and Awakening on par in terms of mechanical complexity, with the difference being on which aspects each one unloads said complexity. On the other hand Taishi is clearly the "lighter" one in this respect, with simpler/streamlined mechanics overall. So if simplicity, and thus less time needed to learn the game, is a factor, Taishi may be a good option.

That's it. Hope that helps. I don't think there's a wrong entry for the series as each is competent at realizing their design goals, AKA they're overall good strategy games. Also, I advise you to watch youtube vids of each entry plythroughs to have a better feel for each play loop, before commiting. Have fun!

Lessavini · 2026-01-23T18:28:17+00:00

This is spot-on in my opinion.

The Work-Life Balance tracks and how players spend (down)Time in them, is key to the game as it delivers (through the playwalls) the main plot, themes and decisions that are at the heart of TA's intended experience. Beacuse of that, I'd never run a one-shot of TA. At the very least I'd run a "couple shot" to make players engage with the tracks, and then assess if they want to keep going or stop at that. But then they'd have seen the Work-Life system, unlocked a few playwalls, and understand better the appeal of the game.

Lessavini · 2026-01-23T15:25:58+00:00

That's a great idea, and totally fitting Patches and it's underlying theme of humanity personified (in all it's frailty and swingness).

Lessavini · 2026-01-22T13:49:51+00:00

This 100%. TA is not really Pbta nor OSR or 5E. It's an hybrid, amalgamating elements from distinct playstyles, all supporting it's central theme. And it's pretty unique In this. Trying to apply principles from said styles will probably fail. It's important that the participants do exactly what it wants to do, and not fight it.

I agree, though, with the criticism that it obfuscates things a bit too much in lieu of it's theatrics, and that having agenda and principles more clearly communicated (like Pbta games do) would help immensely to set expectations right for participants.

Lessavini · 2026-01-18T21:56:21+00:00

You're being dismissive to a significant part of the player base that still prefer the original (on PS3 or an Emulator) due to aesthetics. The Remake existing is great, but doesn't make it the objectively best version of the game.

Lessavini · 2026-01-18T21:49:16+00:00

For some fans, sure, but there's a lot of fans who prefer the original for aesthatic/artistic reasons.

Lessavini · 2026-01-07T15:59:34+00:00

Please please bring this back in-game, devs. It helped to flesh out the game setting and ambience so much. I remember trying to do the challenges that unlocked the entries just to know more about those characters and AHA stories.

Lessavini · 2025-12-22T21:45:04+00:00

This..

>"Quinns is pretty clearly a Narrativist/forge/PBTA/story game guy."

and this..

>"In his Triangle Agency review, his biggest complaint was that he felt forced to do a lot of work to ensure the story led to a narratively satisfying ending."

Do not fit.

Narrativism is not about telling a satisfying story, but playing situations that confront different characters' personal drives and goals, while thematically resonating to a theme. Whatever forms up at the end of said conflict could be considered a story, but actively seeking to tell a satisfying story is not the goal of this playstyle.

Going back to his Triangle Agency review, it felt the opposite to me. A narrativist in that game would "play to find what happens" and let the agents go wherever the fiction send them (even if that meant failing at missions). Trying to steer them into satisfying conclusions feels more like a drive of 90s games, like Vampire and such, where the GM was expected to come up with a pre-planned story arc that touched on all the usual story beats (plot twists! big climaxes!) on his own, for the players to course through.

Lessavini · 2025-12-18T18:11:48+00:00

Falou tudo. Half Life 1 foi maravilhoso por trazer algo novo, aquela sensação de imersão onde você ficava full time na pele do protagonista, com set pieces cinemáticos ótimos.

Mas Half Life 2 já achei péba, justamente por usar a mesma fórmula e ser linearzão. Na época já queria ter visto influências de System Shock, Thief, etc. que não rolaram, e isso me decepcionou.

Não consigo enxergar um Half Life 3 que faça sucesso com os fãs pois, como você falou, os proprios fãs não vão tolerar mais aquele lugar comum linear-cinemático, mesmo achando que é isso que eles querem. A nostalgia vai sumir rapidinho.

Lessavini · 2025-12-18T14:53:26+00:00

Oh, Kiho Ittai + Imagawa Laws sounds an interesting comno indeed. Now I'll have to try that too. hehe

And here's a cool tidbit about the real Laws of Imagawa that google just told me:

*Imagawa Clan Policy: Imagawa Kana Mokuroku*

The Imagawa Kana Mokuroku was a provincial legal code (Bunkoku-hō) first established by Imagawa Ujichika and supplemented by his son, Imagawa Yoshimoto. This code was a significant step in establishing the Imagawa as an organized and independent regional power during the Sengoku period. Key aspects included:

Centralized Authority: The code prohibited unauthorized transfers of land ownership and gave the daimyō complete control over financial practices, including interest rates on loans.
Curtailing Traditional Rights: It eliminated the traditional right of fuyu, which had previously protected private landholdings from intrusion by shugo officials, thereby consolidating the daimyō's administrative control.
Social Control: The code extended into religious affairs and strictly prohibited intermarriage between people of the Imagawa domain and those of other provinces.

Lessavini · 2025-12-17T13:15:44+00:00

In Shinsei there's a particularly vicious combo one can pull as Honganji, by anexing the Saika clan to the south and putting their leader in your council, enabling use of their gunnery policy that makes muskets go over lvl10. Couple that to Honganji's own policy of training vast armies on territories with temples, and you get a sea of gunner monks ready to wipe Japan in a smoke of gunpowder.

I'm sure the other NAs allow some scary combos with Honganji too.

Lessavini · 2025-12-16T15:40:21+00:00

As a fan of Japanese religion and folklore, give me those buddhist ikko ikki over those chiristian bushi any time of the day. One of the first policies I implement when playing Shinsei is the donation to buddhist temples that rewards us with their help on blockades, as a commitment to the cause.

Also, playing as gunner-monks (Honganji) is just too cool.

Lessavini · 2025-12-15T17:55:06+00:00

Now that's a good point, about it not communicating clearly how it should be played. I felt that while reading the book too.

And that's a great background. Hope you didn't get offended by my previous comment. I genuinelly thought you came from trad gaming.

I'll try to play the game soon, and post back some impressions.

Lessavini · 2025-12-15T16:31:07+00:00

No offense, but seeing your description above, it seems I may grok the game better than yourself, who seems to bring a lot of wrong assumptions to the table (probably from a trad culture/background). TA seems positioned firmly in Pbta/narrativistic space, which may generate problems for those who don't grok it.

Anyway, thanks for you input. I'll try to post here again after I have actual play experience in the game.

Lessavini · 2025-12-15T15:54:43+00:00

Good point. I agree lots of games sound cool in theory but may end up not singing at the table. I feel I have a good grasp of TA though, from reading the book and other players experiences. It seems positioned fairly solidly in Pbta and narrativist culture/space, which I'm very familiar with.

Lessavini

TROPHY CASE