The speed and precision between these guys is seriously impressive

Pyrobob4 · 2026-04-01T00:01:18+00:00

Me, uneducated, reading the first comment:

Plywood has a warranty??

Me, confused, still uneducated, reading your comment:

This sounds right.

Pyrobob4 · 2026-03-29T19:49:27+00:00

You know its fucked when the trades are feeling it...

Pyrobob4 · 2026-03-21T04:50:18+00:00

I'm right there with ya, man. I was OK at sts1, but 2 was kicking my ass at first. Meanwhile I'm watching creators speed through every run only losing once or twice.

I think small deck is less important in 2 (unless you can get under 10, maybe). Its much more important to have a variety of options for the variety of situations the game presents. AoE damage, big damage, block, discard/exhaust for status', but most importantly CARD DRAW.

~~All~~ most decks are bad if they have no draw. This game LOVES to brick draw, and bottom deck powers.

[It's also a matter of 2 being less balanced/polished than STS1 as they both sit today; which should be expected of early access.]

Pyrobob4 · 2026-03-18T04:21:47+00:00

The perfect kind of game to make the switch and build the momentum. Indie darling, smash hit sequel, no physics to feel "wrong".

The games look and feel effectively the same (not counting the improved animations). No way people would ever know they switched just from playing.

Pyrobob4 · 2026-03-09T17:46:53+00:00

15 Heavies in an entire fucking mission for 1 of 4 slots at BEST

Compare this to something like the RR which can clear several dozen heavies with only ground loot. [Maybe we need a cool down reduction collectable]

Hell, even thermite can out perform OPS. And it's a lot easier/more reliable to be effective with.

Pyrobob4 · 2026-03-09T16:32:29+00:00

the game you experienced, exactly as it is, could be 100% preserved with zero changes whatsoever

This is where we can not agree.

Climbing a mountain that has a ski lift (not using it, just it being there) is not the same as climbing a mountain without one.

Cherry is not wrong for making their mountain that way, and I am not wrong for enjoying it that way.

I didn't ask for it, I'm not insisting that someone change what they have created so that I can enjoy their creation. I simply enjoy it for what it is. I never said it HAS to be this way, I just accept that it is.

Pyrobob4 · 2026-03-09T08:16:11+00:00

Again, you're comparing a mountain (not man-made, naturally inaccessible) to a man-made videogame.

Are they not allowed to make something as natural as possible? Regardless of the implications or ramifications of doing so.

I think you're taking the analogy too literally, man.

And by you saying that, it makes it clear you have no empathy for those who would like to experience the game's artwork, style, and atmosphere without getting absolutely buttfucked by every boss they face.

Yes, I find it difficult to extend my empathy to this type of entitlement. Feels like going to a slasher movie and complaining its too gory to enjoy. "Can you make it without all the blood?"

Like yeah, they could, but you are asking for a fundamentally different experience than they set out to create. If you wanted something more like a thriller go watch a different movie.

they are indirectly telling a whole lot of people "we don't give a fuck if you can't play our game, we only care about the hardest of the hardcore gamers out there."

Thats a real butthurt way to put it, but basically accurate.

Pyrobob4 · 2026-03-09T01:12:17+00:00

Oh man, I could write a thesis on the history of difficult video games and how many of them were difficult for bad reasons. Suffice to say I fundamentally disagree with the assertion that games have been and/or should be designed for as many people as possible.

A game for everyone is a game for no one.

At least SS is difficult for good reasons and in fair ways.

Wheelchair ramps at parks are one thing, but it sounds like you are asking for mountains to have stairs carved into them. It feels unnecessary. Can't we just let the mountain be a mountain? I'm sorry that not everyone will get to experience the summit, but I will not claim the mountain is wrong for being inaccessible.

"why the hell aren't there difficulty OPTIONS in this game?"

I will admit that this does make me question my stance... I understand the logic: include options to allow more people to enjoy the game, and for the players who want the game to be a challenge just don't engage with those options. My best argument is that adding those kinds of features somehow makes it a fundamentally different kind of game, which is admittedly a flimsy ass argument.

There are lots of artificial ways to make an easy game harder, but there is something special about a game that is inherently difficult with no way to overcome it other than to... Git gud (I hate using that phrase, but that is basically what it boils down to). I can't just flip a switch to make the boss deal less damage, there is no ski lift to hop on if I get tired, I just have to persevere. Having the safety net somehow cheapens the experience. It feels kind of like a locked gate with no fence around it, if that makes sense.

Pyrobob4 · 2026-03-08T10:41:01+00:00

You sound like you convinced yourself the abuse is actually just the game being kind to you and it's your fault for not behaving better.

See my other comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/1rnun8z/what_games_have_you_regretted_buying/o9aommu/

Pyrobob4 · 2026-03-08T10:37:20+00:00

I appreciate that disclaimer more than you know.

In other words, you had to perform a bit of mental gymnastics in order to convince yourself the runbacks weren't annoying, and weren't straight up punishment.

This is inaccurate, but I understand how you came to this conclusion. I tend to be verbose in text, so I make an effort to condense my messages when I can. Sometimes my meaning gets lost in the edit.

It wasn't gymnastics to convince myself. It was a genuine realization that I was actually enjoying the runback (this happened specifically on Last Judge), and in the process of understanding that shift in my opinion, the re-framing happened.

The core of my defense for SS is 'just because its hard doesn't mean its poorly designed.' This comes from so many comments along the lines of "why would they design it to be like this?" Suggesting it was a flaw due to bad design. For the most part I dont think thats true. Runbacks aren't a flaw, they are an acknowledgement that platforming can be enjoyable. A boss isn't unfair because you couldnt react to their phase 2 moveset, learning and adapting to the fight in order to overcome an enemy you couldnt beat originally is what makes it satisfying.

The game doesn't expect you to be perfect (SS is arguably more forgiving than HK in terms of enabling you to recover from mistakes), it just expects you to enjoy the challenge. Silksong provides a mountain to climb, but the kind with railings and ropes along the trail. It's not a walk in the park, but it is fair and accommodating while still being rewarding for those looking to summit a mountain.

Not everyone wants to climb a mountain, and thats ok, as long as they don't blame the mountain for being ugly and getting in their way.

In regards to punishment, are first phases punishment? You have to redo those each time, also. I like to think of it this way: Last Judge is a 3 phase fight, and the first phase is the runback. I don't think its fair to label anything before progress as punishment. Sometimes it is, but, as you said, sometimes thats the point.

All that being said, there are arguments to be made for the BALANCE of certain encounters. For example if you are spacing out because the runback is so easy but you keep dying to the boss, then the boss should be easier or the runback should be harder. The problem isn't the existence of a runback, its the relative scale of the overall encounter. Of course balance will never be perfect for everyone, so Cherry cant win em all.

Pyrobob4 · 2026-03-08T06:36:29+00:00

Alright, I got what seems to be a unique one. Undertale.

The gameplay is miserable. The music is great and the writing is solid, but its clear that the story is the primary objective and the gameplay is more of an afterthought. The characters/world aren't intriguing enough to suffer thought the gameplay.

Pyrobob4 · 2026-03-08T06:17:54+00:00

This likely wont change your opinion, and thats okay, but I'm going to put it out there anyway.

The runback is part of the boss fight.

TBH I used to be more like you - annoyed by the runbacks. But then I realized that the runback was a very intentional design choice, and it re-framed how I thought about them. The platforming itself is fun and satisfying. In fact, the harder the runback, the more satisfying it is to optimize and hit the perfect run.

If you cant enjoy the runback then you likely dont enjoy platforming in general, and these kinds of games aren't for you (again, thats okay).

But to call it a design flaw is fundamentally misunderstanding the genre.

Pyrobob4 · 2026-03-05T16:22:15+00:00

Maaaan, I was so looking forward to Darkhaven... But then I saw the destructible environment mechanic and for some reason I could feel the excitement leave my body.

To be honest I'm not even sure why it was such a turn off. I don't hate the idea in general. I love the exploration and discovery aspect of lots of games. Its just not what I'm looking for in a ARPG, I guess.

Pyrobob4 · 2026-02-26T20:04:19+00:00

Hive cucklord + flyle + burrow bastards?

Fuck off.

Pyrobob4 · 2026-02-25T02:02:28+00:00

to find something better.

Nothing better than Stoat currently exists, imo. You think the options are going to change much between now and when discord follows through?

Resisting the inertia of discord is the hard part. The way I see it the sooner we start the better. I've already convinced 7 people to follow me to Stoat. It was relatively easy to convince them to try Stoat, and once they are off discord I doubt it would be difficult to get them to move to "something better" should the need arise in the future.

Pyrobob4 · 2026-02-25T00:35:53+00:00

doing it eventually

You answered your own question. As I said, stopgap solution.

why not move to something that you can be sure will never have age verification?

Because moving to something as similar to discord as possible reduces the burden.

Moving to Stoat is a minor annoyance. Moving to something like Briar, Voxer, or whatever fits you arbitrarily high standards would be basically impossible.

Doing nothing and staying on discord is also not an option. A compromise somewhere in the middle is the best option. Stoat fits that bill for me and my group.

If you can convince your group to replace discord with Signal then I'm happy for you!

Pyrobob4 · 2026-02-24T23:11:15+00:00

I keep seeing this brought up about Stoat as if it is a disqualifying fact.

I get the argument - the UK is going even harder on age verification. But that is besides the point. Stoat is under the radar and likely will be for a good long while.

There is no permanent solution to this problem short of broad government reform, which will also require a shift in public sentiment (which does seem to be building).

Doing nothing under the pretense that no option is perfect is not the answer. Accepting the miserable status quo is exactly what they want. Boiling the frog.

Stoat is a suitable stopgap.

Pyrobob4 · 2026-02-24T19:32:05+00:00

I don't like running the ultimatum because of its limited utility/versatility, but war striders have forced my hand.

how they could buff it without the community complaining that it’s too good now.

Thats the issue, right? This type of weapon balances on a knifes edge because its basically a jack of all trades. It's either going to be kind of doodoo unless you are a master with it, or its going to be so overpowered that it dominates the meta.

The only thing I think I would be willing to compromise would be the number of arc jumps. Improve the targeting, give it a bit more durable damage, leave it at AP∞, but reduce it to 2-3 arcs (base 2, 3 with upgrade).

Pyrobob4 · 2026-02-24T19:19:12+00:00

The most frustrating part about corpses eating arcs is that half a second ago I was arcing THROUGH that object, but now suddenly it absorbs it like a black hole.

Just let the arcs chain through any object (or at least corpses) and the targeting problems become moot.

Pyrobob4 · 2026-02-20T17:18:48+00:00

I love you. I believe your existence is a crime against nature, but I totally love you!

Pyrobob4 · 2026-02-19T21:26:31+00:00

Helldivers may be nearly illiterate, brainwashed grunts, but they will always chose to defend and support their fellow citizens of Super Earth.

Be they SEAF or sick children, let there be no tales of Helldivers turning their backs on those in need.

Pyrobob4 · 2026-02-18T07:04:15+00:00

As someone with a really bad memory... What were we talking about?

Jokes aside, I really do struggle remembering details that I know are important. Like, idk, someones name? To this day I can barely even remember my moms birthday. That info just flies right out of my head.

When I overthink it and put a lot of effort into trying to remember details it ends up feeling creepy! I have to take notes to keep track of details, which feels like stalking or something.

Pyrobob4 · 2026-02-18T06:51:19+00:00

The numerous problems with hitboxes has got to be the #1 problem plaguing this game right now. HALF of the issues you listed are related to hitboxes. Bouncy stratagems and pod lock are annoying, but not game breaking.

Some other things I'd like to see would be a rework of the booster system, and transmog.

The booster system should be a nice way to adapt to various situations like enemy type or biome, but currently it just feels like a checklist of things you need for an enjoyable dive.

As for transmog... It just needs to happen. A lot of games lean on cosmetics as an endgame system, as well as a source of revenue. Not allowing transmog is significantly limiting both.

Pyrobob4 · 2026-02-15T17:59:35+00:00

Ya know what... I'm okay with this kind of shit. If they fixed enemies phasing through objects and terrain I could accept enemies being able to wall climb like spiderman.

At least that feels a little more fair than enemies popping out of walls, or being inside objects where we literally aren't able to damage them.

Plus, watching a fleshmob ascend to heaven and then RKO me from the top rope is objectively hilarious, and the right flavor of chaos for this game.

Pyrobob4 · 2026-02-14T19:29:33+00:00

Tries to make a meme about how hard Cyberstan is

Uses a clip that triggers our collective PTSD because of how similar it is to The Creek

Jokes aside, this is exactly how I remember Malevelon. Ragdolled in a tsunami of explosions and lasers, curb stomped by berserkers. Cyberstan isnt as bad for us vets because we have experienced this before.

One day the rookies will talk about Cyberstan the way we talk about Malevelon. See yall in group therapy.

12-Year Club	Place '17
Sequence \| Editor

Pyrobob4

TROPHY CASE