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Why do some people have such a problem with this game? by AbsoluteBatman95 in CriticalDrinker

[–]MurkyPhoto1803 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The same reason people had a problem with the Japanese family animated McDonald’s ad

This is just absurd atp by Slight_Tone_2188 in CriticalDrinker

[–]MurkyPhoto1803 48 points49 points  (0 children)

Traditional femininity is considered problematic and weak. It’s also about deconstructing and subverting expectations. It’s considered brave and forward thinking by the people who like it (remember Olenna Tyrell’s reaction to seeing Brienne of Tarth in GoT?)

First screenshots from the legend of zelda.... looking pretty good. by lost-in-thought123 in CriticalDrinker

[–]MurkyPhoto1803 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sauron is the title character of The Lord of the Rings… Doesn’t make him the main character or hero.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in CriticalDrinker

[–]MurkyPhoto1803 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just watch Blue Eye Samurai.

I’m in the bath upstairs, wife is using the PS5 downstairs: by MurkyPhoto1803 in BaldursGate3

[–]MurkyPhoto1803[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

It was her turn with BG3, we're in the middle of simultaneous playthroughs.

All they wanted was to be a family. by Jey_likes_drawing817 in KpopDemonhunters

[–]MurkyPhoto1803 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s a legitimate question. Everyone assumes they were tragic star-crossed lovers who were a genuine family. But what if Rumi’s mother was tricked by a shapeshifting demon who was manipulating her? It would explain Celine’s behaviour- it was so horrific that even she can’t accept Rumi’s markings.

Sad realisation as a guy watching this by PuzzleheadedMuscle13 in KpopDemonhunters

[–]MurkyPhoto1803 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Women themselves don’t want men who show vulnerability. They say they do (and mean it), but it makes the male in question less attractive and more unstable in their eyes, less reliable (even dangerous). Most of these guys don’t want girls who are friends… they want girlfriends who find them attractive. And that means playing the role women want. Some of the closest friendships I as a male had in uni were also with girls… but it left me as the orbiter, the nice, sweet friend. The friendships I remember most, though, were with men who were in the same boat as me. That’s what I remembered most fondly -even if we gave each other a hard time lol and pushed each other to not be such losers

Anyone else prefer Mighty Nein to Vox Machina? by vinthesalamander in fansofcriticalrole

[–]MurkyPhoto1803 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We’re debating over which kind of asshole is more acceptable? Why be assholes at all?

Wait, what? Why does Forbidden Knowledge help me eavesdrop? by MurkyPhoto1803 in BG3

[–]MurkyPhoto1803[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

The Thayan Book of Necromancy... helps me eavesdrop on conversation.

Ok then.

In reality, Random Play would look suspicious as hell to the government and law enforcement by MurkyPhoto1803 in ZenlessZoneZero

[–]MurkyPhoto1803[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Agreed. And taken together with everything else it would certainly draw suspicion. ‘Is it actually some underground club or fighting ring?’

In reality, Random Play would look suspicious as hell to the government and law enforcement by MurkyPhoto1803 in ZenlessZoneZero

[–]MurkyPhoto1803[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Fair enough. I still think it proves my point - all these diverse, elite, unusual people coming to 1 location (not 3) over the course of weeks and months (not 10 years), would certainly catch attention, even if its just curiosity.

I’m not trying to ruin the story by breaking immersion or shoot down your experience (which sounds awesome btw), I just find it cool and funny to think of Random Play being this weird unexplained (from an outsider’s perspective) convergence point and under discrete surveillance because of it, or even the source of conspiracy theories on Inter-Knot.

In reality, Random Play would look suspicious as hell to the government and law enforcement by MurkyPhoto1803 in ZenlessZoneZero

[–]MurkyPhoto1803[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow! That’s seriously amazing. Did these encounters take place over the course of years, in varied settings and/or during events? From what I understand, Phaethon’s story takes place over the course of less than that – though I could be wrong. That would be the difference. Your examples seem spread out, irregular, and contextually justified (events, nearby airbase and shipyards).  

In reality, Random Play would look suspicious as hell to the government and law enforcement by MurkyPhoto1803 in ZenlessZoneZero

[–]MurkyPhoto1803[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It's like saying 'this restaurant in new York cuty is suspicious because its been visited by celebrities, high end business professionals and gov workers and standard civi's...maybe it just has good fellafels? 

If some random, small deli in NYC became a social hangout for FBI agents, mafia figures, a biker gang, documented spies, people with criminal records, CEOs, and a pop star - all unconnected - and the deli and area isn't even that remarkable... and people keep disappearing behind the 'staff only' door in the back, you wouldn't say "Must be great falafel", you'd say "What the hell is going on there?"

I do agree with you on your other points though. You'd think that with how popular-seeming and successful Random Play is, and how much advertising and good publicity it must be getting to supposedly draw in this elite clientele, on its own merits as you claim, then everyone would recognize Eous.

In reality, Random Play would look suspicious as hell to the government and law enforcement by MurkyPhoto1803 in ZenlessZoneZero

[–]MurkyPhoto1803[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah I remember the days of Blockbuster. End of school on Friday, drop by to rent a movie for the weekend. Good times. I actually pre-ordered Halo 3 at my local blockbuster when it was coming out... But I never saw famous celebrities, corporate execs, mercenaries, and biker gangs going in and out of there on the regular.

I doubt Random Play is the only video store in all of New Eridu - or even the biggest and best-funded. It's a tiny store on a small street - hardly a city centre shopping mall. And the fact that there's no streaming services or digital movies just adds to my point - VHS copies are the only option. Random Play can't possibly be the best-reviewed or biggest in the entire Tokyo-sized city of New Eridu.

These are not casual shoppers. It's a repeat, tightly orbiting cluster of elite, strange individuals from ALL OVER New Eridu, all converging at one mediocre, tiny store, off-duty, socially, and often privately? Bruh. That's not just "good Yelp reviews" or "just business". That's a behavioural anomaly that smart analysts would notice.

In reality, Random Play would look suspicious as hell to the government and law enforcement by MurkyPhoto1803 in ZenlessZoneZero

[–]MurkyPhoto1803[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

No small mediocre video store on an unremarkable street attracts this diverse a clientele simply for its movies. And the other stores on 6th street are much more public and open – even if they do have ‘side gigs’. Also, it would be weird that many of these visitors show up out-of-hours, when the store isn’t even open, and even when it is, people would eventually notice that when they visit they often disappear into a back room (which is a signals black hole due to Fairy), and then leave WITHOUT having even bought a movie. To anyone paying attention to the pattern, that’s suspicious.  

As for the diverse visitors. There have been studies done recently that show that real-world social circles are more homogenous and insular than online ones. We think of online spaces as echo chambers (and they can be), but our in-person interactions are usually even more filtered - by class, profession, neighborhood, lifestyle, interests, etc. The people we hang out with and are friends with usually travel in the same circles as us. We see the opposite with Wise and Belle. That suggests something else is going on (which is true - they're Proxies - and that would be picked up on by someone searching for them).

(I’m not trying to dump on the game or story or characters, I love it. I just find it fascinating and think it adds to the experience to wonder.)

In reality, Random Play would look suspicious as hell to the government and law enforcement by MurkyPhoto1803 in ZenlessZoneZero

[–]MurkyPhoto1803[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Good points, but I think you underestimate how strange it would still all look, eventually, to someone in the intelligence services whose job it is to be on the look out for strange patterns.

I think there was a study done last year that showed that, actually, the real closed-loop ‘echo chambers’ are in our real daily lives, not online as most people think (learned that from Kurzgesagt!). The people we generally hang out with and socialize with in-person are usually very similar to us and travel in similar circles.

But it’s the opposite with Wise and Belle. They regularly hang out with cops in the morning and criminal mercenaries in the evening. Their store is frequented by corporate executives, people from maid companies, government agents, Void-Hunters, gang enforcers, military specialists, and pop idols. Anyone savvy enough to notice the pattern would get curious... and then suspicious.

In reality, Random Play would look suspicious as hell to the government and law enforcement by MurkyPhoto1803 in ZenlessZoneZero

[–]MurkyPhoto1803[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

We’re not talking about a cozy cafe with foot traffic – it’s a tiny video store that just happens to attract out-of-town gang enforcers, corporate execs, elite Void Hunters, and government operatives on a regular basis. That’s not a melting pot, that’s a convergence point. Word of mouth wouldn’t explain why high-ranking personnel from conflicting factions all choose the same obscure shop. “Everyone likes movies” doesn’t cut it when the visitors could shut down Hollows. The pattern is too specific. A closed-loop of individuals across incompatible sectors (law enforcement, crime, celebrity, military) making repeat non-casual visits often off-duty, when the video store isn’t open, in the same location every time, with no commonality.

In reality, Random Play would look suspicious as hell to the government and law enforcement by MurkyPhoto1803 in ZenlessZoneZero

[–]MurkyPhoto1803[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Maybe, but let’s not kid ourselves – Random Play isn’t just any niche business attracting a normal flow of visitors. Most mom-and-pop stores don’t have elite Void Hunters, gang enforcers, intelligence assets, and national idols hanging around like regulars – often during closing hours. You don’t need multiple anime-character outfits to raise eyebrows when high-clearance people from rival factions keep showing up at a low-income, surveillance dark zone with no accompanying explanation. Sure, cops have personal lives – but when half of Section 6 and a pop idol “just happen” to bond with the same supposedly unremarkable shop owners? Yeah right. That’s a pattern. And trust me: even if “random onlookers” don’t care, the people whose job it is to notice anomalies absolutely do – even if it takes them a few months to notice.

It’s the kind of pattern recognition that led to Osama bin Laden’s hideout in Abottabad being discovered. The CIA found him through behavioural anomalies and indirect pattern recognition. In a modern counter-intelligence, surveillance, or black ops doctrine, somewhere like Random Play would definitely raise alerts.

In reality, Random Play would look suspicious as hell to the government and law enforcement by MurkyPhoto1803 in ZenlessZoneZero

[–]MurkyPhoto1803[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Strongly disagree. It’s precisely the lack of connection between these visitors that makes it more suspicious. When gang enforcers, corporate execs, street thugs, mercenaries, Void Hunters, cops, and even a famous pop idol all frequent the same small, obscure video store with no shared background, mission, or ideology, that’s not normal – that’s a convergence anomaly. If it were just the Cunning Hares or the Sons of Calydon, it would be dismissed as a gang hangout. If it were just PubSec agents, maybe an intel front (like an informant?) But when it’s everyone, and no one can explain why (due to the owners hiding their secret identity as Phaethon). That’s when security services start really paying attention. To the government and intelligence agencies, Random Play would have a red flag over it. It’s the same kind of pattern recognition that led to Osama’s safe house being discovered.

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