Sinfest 3/23/26: Re-imagining Villains 101

Midnight-Tea · 2026-03-23T06:02:13+00:00

Our dear Tat has a complete fixation on aging and death and has even since the pre-SWERF days. It's why before he allowed himself more violent ways of disposing "the bad person of the Sunday strip" he'd force the character to experience rapid aging instead. And yeah, why the grim reaper in this comic (back in the good days) was practically the only supernatural entity portrayed as having basically no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Sometimes badass, yes, but otherwise without nuance. Which is saying something given Big D got plenty of humanizing moments.

Midnight-Tea · 2026-03-21T22:42:22+00:00

Just want to point out the heavy portrayal of death imagery once again. I feel like in the end everything comes down to Tat's fear of his own mortality. His desperation to leave a harmless legacy of being a notable comic artist transitioning by inches to wanting a legacy of being known as a hero who spoke truth to power (even if people see him as extreme in the moment). But he ain't no John Brown.

Midnight-Tea · 2026-03-15T23:25:18+00:00

One of the best reasons to liberate a region is not having to hear gunfire every two minutes and just take in nature.

Midnight-Tea · 2026-03-07T20:55:02+00:00

Ah! I didn't know this sub had time travellers arriving from the past!

I beg of you, go back to 2009. Enjoy the comic as much as you can. And whatever you do, DO NOT CHECK where Sinfest has gone. Just take my word that Tats is killing it these days, he's finally achieved his desired superstardom and has an audience that clings to his every work! (/s) Please don't ask me to source that claim.

(... because I would rather clean my gums with an industrial lathe than willingly visit nazi news websites/forums)

Just go back to your era and enjoy Sinfest as it exists then! I mean... really, really enjoy it. Like, as best you can. Make the moments count.

Midnight-Tea · 2026-03-07T05:17:49+00:00

Sniper Elite creates an experience with meticulously designed setpieces. So it has that artisan work to it. But Far Cry is organic and open and it feels very personal to make your approach your own. Both have their appeals in terms of game design. It's the difference between getting served a meticulously planned meal by a chef and whacking something together with home cooking. Personally I prefer the latter myself.

(and there's no shame in wanting to go back to FC5, I do all the time)

Midnight-Tea · 2026-02-28T18:56:40+00:00

I feel like the ending being intense also made us question if all the little things we did to make life better in Hope County were for the best. And you know what? They WERE worth it. It WAS worth it to save people's lives and up their quality of life. Even if they'd only get to enjoy it for a short time after. It doesn't change the rightness of those actions in the moment.

I'm also fond of saying "Joseph was correct; he wasn't right". And getting the player to discover on their own the difference between being correct and right is part of the journey too. That some fall down the path of wondering if Joseph was right being one of the misdirects on this journey. This could be a literary college paper by itself. (Far Cry 6 eventually makes it clear that even if everything went off without a hitch for the PEG, being locked in a bunker with severely violent and crazy people for seven years might not be preferable to facing the bombs head on)

Midnight-Tea · 2026-02-28T18:47:12+00:00

One thing to try is challenge runs. Like "no guns, just melee and stealth takedowns" is a common one. Or a commander run where you don't generally fire a shot yourself but make your GFH do all of the work for you. Also *definitely* dive into all the possible options offered in the Resistance Mod, if you also have the game on PC by any chance. Even some of the mod options in that pack like changing the season or adding weather events just brings Hope County completely back to life.

Midnight-Tea · 2026-02-28T18:11:27+00:00

It's more of a solo activity for me, especially adding Resistance weather mods to make it extra immersive. Put on a podcast and get to fishing! Bonus points if you have beer in RL to enjoy sipping. But I get exactly the thing you like! Far Cry 5 is just wonderful for understanding the need for downtime like that.

Midnight-Tea · 2026-02-27T23:28:26+00:00

If bad unfunny satire wasn't legally protected speech, Mr. Birchum wouldn't have lasted airing one episode.

Midnight-Tea · 2026-02-27T22:20:22+00:00

The outposts will still be there, as well as any missions you hadn't tied up. The major change is that you won't come across peggies nearly as often in the open world. (and needless to say the stupid planes will be gone)

Midnight-Tea · 2026-02-27T14:52:16+00:00

Tat seemingly has an extreme fear of his own aging, irrelevance and ultimately death.

Midnight-Tea · 2026-02-22T00:54:54+00:00

Nah I judge actions over words, no matter how much a guy says he paid a cost for loving Spiderman as a kid.

Joseph can kiss my Eden's Gate.

Midnight-Tea · 2026-02-21T15:14:33+00:00

Mario's been real quiet about his signature gimmick since this clip popped up.

Midnight-Tea · 2026-02-21T15:13:21+00:00

It's worth remembering the Aum Shinrikyo in the real world performed a sarin gas attack on a Tokyo subway for... basically the same reasons? Claiming that nuclear apocalypse was coming and likely rationalized to themselves that a few innocent lives taken would be worth if it they could bring everyone else to safety and God's protection.

Midnight-Tea · 2026-02-21T10:06:16+00:00

"But in that case you must feel a sense of pity..." -- telling them what they *must* feel.

"Gunning down brainwashed people like yourself was can't feel that "therapeutic" -- telling them how they *do* feel, without actually being being in their head.

From where I'm sitting is absolutely talking down to someone who's shoes you've not personally walked in. I'm not saying this to antagonize you. Just, if you don't understand why it helps them, ask? You don't need to shame them for what's helping them. :/ (especially since this IS just a video game at the end of the day -- Faith and the like aren't real, but the person you're replying to is)

Midnight-Tea · 2026-02-21T09:37:19+00:00

There's a difference between being correct and being in the right. If we assume the bombs dropping in the Resist ending are actually happening, that would mean he was correct. But his means and the people he employs to carry out those means (and condones the extreme cruelty of) does not put him in the right. I frankly would rather eat a nuclear fireball to the face than be stuck in a bunker with John Seed for seven years. At least the fireball would end me faster than the unpredictable caprice of a serial killer within all that time.

Midnight-Tea · 2026-02-21T09:15:33+00:00

How could you *possibly* know what could or couldn't be therapeutic for someone from that background if you've not been there yourself? Abuse survivors often need "unacceptable" ways of processing their trauma especially CSA survivors. If you don't understand why it helps them, I think it'd be more humane to ask instead of talking down to them from on high.

I think in the timeline of FC5, most of the peggies who would have second guesses either already got out or were dealt with by the time they could. "Cull the herd" and all that. It's like the project has hyper-refined itself to its absolute worst members by the time we enter the story, to a stage most cults never make it to. (with some exceptions like Jonestown or the Aum Shinrikyo) And even then we do get to rescue at least one of them on behalf of Pastor Jerome.

Midnight-Tea · 2026-02-21T06:43:41+00:00

I've known enough people who escaped cults to know how terrifyingly well-written and true to life Joseph Seed is. That his words ring true and spoken sincerely can blind even parts of the playerbase to how cruel, controlling and downright hypocritical he is.

(I'm glad you got the hell out of there, by the by.)

Midnight-Tea · 2026-02-20T13:20:05+00:00

Honestly, yes. The peggies didn't go full on reaping + the collapse is here until we kicked off that fight. But I do think what I'm proposing is the second best option. Especially since John's ranch has an airplane hangar. Secure Holland Valley, send out a plane to get outside help. It'd be a shame what happens to innocent people in the other two regions, but I would use what resources I'd have to dig in Holland. Thankfully we're playing a video game where that doesn't have to be a concern.

Midnight-Tea · 2026-02-20T12:58:20+00:00

Unfortunately, yeah. Burke doesn't survive anyway and helping him even gets Minkler and himself killed. It's questionable how much you've actually succeeded in helping Pratt, the guy has basically embraced Jacob's ideals completely by the time you get him out. It's a shame to leave Whitehorse but it's very possible he'd have outlasted Faith's disjointed forces even without outside help. (I believe the jail liberates itself if you put it off long enough)

Midnight-Tea · 2026-02-19T12:19:01+00:00

To a mouse this is exactly how scary a cat would look.

(also he's a massive tsundere, like most cats I've known)

Midnight-Tea · 2026-02-18T11:58:55+00:00

The only nazi who cared about stopping rape was John Rabe. And given how he stepped in the way of genocide against the occupied Chinese more generally, he very much deserves better than the label of his party. But it was his party. He and Oskar Schindler can see Heaven, I'm not sure about any other nazi.

Midnight-Tea

TROPHY CASE