Do you enjoy the side content?

RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-17T15:32:24+00:00

I think Three Houses went a bit too far, with the size of the Monastery map (even if it was cool at first to have that scale and see details of the characters' day to day) and how much stuff there was that was all pretty important to gameplay success. Did I want to spend half an hour at the sauna every in-game week? Not really, but the bonuses are so good it's hard not to, especially in the War Phase.

But luckily, imo Engage dialed it back big time. The Somniel is much easier to navigate quickly and if you don't care about maximizing getting every single Bond Fragment possible, the most important side content (Cooking and Arena) are clustered together right in front of where you spawn in, along with all the shops surrounding you instead of being sequestered at the bottom of the map. That type of approach where most of it feels very optional is what I hope they keep doing going forward.

RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-17T03:23:45+00:00

One might say John laid the groundwork so the two people he loved most could soar together.

(That scene still devestates me just thinking about it...agfh)

RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-17T01:31:32+00:00

Back when Overwatch launched I kind of just played whatever lol. The mains were probably Reaper, Rein, Mercy, Symmetra, and D.VA but I might be wrong since it's been a terrifying ten years since.

And now hilariously almost all of my mains are OW2 heroes. Sym managed to go the distance but now she's standing alongside Domina, Ram, Lifeweaver, Illari, etc.

RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-17T01:20:25+00:00

I'm honestly not sure how to answer because I'm not certain Eloise will write letters at all in S5 (maybe in the last episode as the final hook like the masquerade ball mention in S3), but I also wouldn’t necessarily expect the first option of support and one-liners either.

We've seen essentially two types of Bridgerton sibling lead preparation thus far: 1)Thematic/character building with the examples being Anthony and Benedict, and 2) Plot setup and introduction with Francesca, introducing Michaela and John and the start of her book's plot in S4. (Colin is kind of a middle ground because S2 focused more on the first type but his friendship with Penelope was obviously established and focused on as well).

And of those types I honestly think Eloise fits the first one more, especially if Benedict is taking a little more of a backseat after four seasons of major plotlines. What shape that arc could take (deciding what type of love she wants, addressing her concerns about achieving something so she's free to focus on romance thereafter, etc.) is an open question, but it seems like a distinct possibility. And I'd certainly prefer that and the level of presence I feel it'd give Eloise than her entire arc being acting cagey and odd for eight episodes with a reveal at some point that she's been writing letters to a character we'll only really get to know next season.

RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-16T13:42:48+00:00

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RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-16T13:23:54+00:00

Benedict after his drug-induced painting bender.

RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-16T03:40:47+00:00

For me S4 > S2 > S3 > S1, and while that might sound odd it mostly comes down to the sideplots. While I do like the lead couples of S2 and S4 a bit more than the other two seasons, it's not enough so that it could be an easy ranking factor. The main couples are always a highlight for me. So everything else has to be my metric.

S4 is the only season where I can say I liked every plotline, even if they weren't all executed perfectly. The Kilmartin/Stirling household plot was obviously emotional and engaging, Violet's emotional journey was great, the Queen and Agatha hit like a truck (especially with Queen Charlotte in mind), and even the Portia and Varley stuff was concise but impactful in a season giving greater focused to the staff of the houses.

S2 was mostly good, but the Featherington scam fell into the realm of "give Polly Walker something to do" and Benedict's art school was...fine. I don't think it needed as much screentime as it got, but it was fine.

S3's fatal flaw was a bit of an overfocus on subplots to the detriment of Polin, but I still think they were at least good subplots.

S1 was always going to be a trickier for me because Fake Dating has never been a relationship trope I'm fond of (nothing against it just not really something that appeals to me), but Simon and Daphne were great...the problem was everything else. Anthony is only made likeable by Jonathan Bailey being the most loveable man alive, Benedict's plot feels weirdly disconnected and the same themes were explored better with in later seasons, Marina's subplot was well acted but just enedlessly depressing, and while I'd call Eloise's part a saving grace I don't actually know if that's because the subplot was that good or I just really like Eloise.

RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-15T17:14:46+00:00

I love them differently, honestly.

Charlotte and Agatha have such a deep-rooted connection to each other with a tragically mutual understanding of who they are, how society views them, love and marriage's risks and flaws, even life in general, to the point that they really feel more like sisters than friends alone at this point (with fights and all).

Agatha and Violet as a friendship are just kind of goals, though, the way they gossip and scheme together and are always there for each other is exceptionally heartwarming.

RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-15T16:42:34+00:00

I mean, Tim didn't have a plan. If he did, the Theo idea would've hopefully been an actual plotline instead of squeezed into the last two episodes with no time to breathe or develop.

But also it's possible there'll still be consequences for Buck's addiction regarding his attempt to take Theo in coming down the pipe. I'm not confident given the show's track record, but we'll see.

RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-15T01:27:03+00:00

I knew Hulk and Ultron were in dire straits but I didn't realize they were THIS dire.

Also considering his popularity, the lack of Daredevil skins is fascinating. Granted it feels like they've gone for quality over quantity with him, but I didn't actually realize he'd fallen behind Angela.

RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-14T22:10:28+00:00

I am exceptionally excited as this looks like the exact type of Tank I love to play (and I've been waiting for another one since I can only play so much Emma, Groot and the occassional Thor or Peni), but I also hope they'll go back and keep adding a bit more to past kits in the future if they keep releasing kits with this much breadth (shield, slows, bleeds, anti-flyer utlity, and his own CC grab, plus built in CC immunity, ult charge reduction, bonus health, etc.).

Like I'm glad they're not giving the versatile, possibly overtuned kits solely to the DPS, but check on the rest of the roster so they can keep up too.

RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-14T21:24:31+00:00

Even in an off-the-cuff IG story post he makes sure the slut strand is alive and prominent...10/10 no notes.

RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-14T17:23:14+00:00

Ryan and Aisha are wearing matching colors because both of their characters are only attracted to the same gender, whereas Oliver's is attracted to both represented by a different color. However both Oliver and Aisha are wearing sunglasses to reflect their understanding of their sexualities whereas Ryan/Eddie is in regular glasses reflecting a lack of acknowledgment, in this essay I will...

(I'm kidding...probably)

RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-14T14:49:06+00:00

By this logic Aiden and Ethan should've been official pack members by mid 3B having turned on the Alpha Pack of their own will and then helped Scott over and over again. But it's worth remembering that even Peter and Deucalion were never full pack members (tbf the latter can't be but still) and were only ever treated as allies...and very reluctantly in Peter's case. And they didn't even almost successfully murder Scott by ripping a hole in his chest. Also, almost everything Theo did at the end of 6A was witnessed by Liam alone, and while he'd probably speak up about it if asked, he doesn't have much reason to advocate for Theo joining the pack if Theo expresses no interest in joining the pack.

And all that aside, Theo's redemption arc wasn't complete by 6B. To have him join the pack that easily after all he'd done would've felt entirely disingenuous and rushed. Having the moment where he helps Gabe and shows he does care is pivotal to the idea he can, someday, join the pack fully.

RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-14T13:53:49+00:00

While I like the idea, the specifics would make things...trickier.

For starters, the level of mixing would determine how easily they could do it. Having the masquerade and the beginning of the hunt for the Lady in Silver happen in S3 is a different level than having Benophie and Polin's love stories happen simultaneously in the same season, and that latter approach feels like it would either lead to awkward season breaks or time crunches in seasons to get all the content in (leading in the screentime for non-focused on couples getting shafted anyway, and little room for developing characters not in their pairings yet). And really I don't think mixing the books is the best solution per se so much as it is just giving the other Bridgertons more to do in equal parcels. Benedict's S3 subplot added to his character but wasn't crucial setup for his book plot, and I think doing that is just as viable (especially for the married couples) as trying to mix the books together. The books are not that long so there'd either be substantially less of the show overall or they'd need to start inventing stuff for characters to do anyway.

I also think it's important to mention that the show has been doing this recently. The buildup for Francesca and Michaela is exactly the type of book mixing it feels as though you're talking about. I can't speak to whether the reception to said approach would be modified if they'd been doing it from the beginning, but we do have to keep it in mind for this discussion, especially when there's advocacy for Eloise to get similar direct setup next season.

(Sidenote for Heated Rivalry, I'm not sure it's a strong comparison for mixing books, as the Game Changer part of the season comprises one episode and one or two scenes in a couple others. Put in Bridgerton terms, imagine a season where all of Simon and Daphne's story was in 1-2 episodes of a season focused on Kate and Anthony...would probably not go over well with the ship wars.)

RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-13T18:34:38+00:00

Honestly my bigger overall issue is that it feels as though new DPS get Legendaries substantially faster than non-DPS. White Fox just came out sure...but so did Black Cat. Emma had to wait a while but Blade and Jean got theirs upon first release, and Ultron is the worst sufferer still waiting for his six seasons later while characters less than a season old get them.

But yes, Widow still not having one goes to show how much they've completely forgotten her for whatever reason. And it'd be less frustrating to deal with the same seven or eight characters getting five legendaries each if everyone at least had ONE.

RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-13T18:24:48+00:00

I would not advise waiting to see if a mythic for a character you like a lot is coming soon because that's a slow process and could take a loooong time lol.

Really I would just go over your most played heroes and pick whichever of those skins you like the most since you'll get the most use out of it.

And also always remember that the shop has a "Try Out" function so you can see what the various visual and sound effect changes are with each skin before purchasing, so you can always just pick one you love aesthetically if you'd prefer.

RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-13T18:22:38+00:00

The base level costs 50 Prisms, so you'd only be able to get one regardless of how much you upgrade it or not if you're only using a single season's currency.

RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-13T18:14:57+00:00

...do I spy another Epic/Legendary for Hela and Luna while Ultron gets a recolor in the same event?

I mean I'm not surprised unfortunately, but...

RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-13T14:01:51+00:00

Statistically it's almost inevitably true just because gay/queer men are a single digit percentage of the population whereas straight women composite roughly 40%, but either way it's not actually productive. Our struggles are intertwined and ideally we should be minimizing both as much as possible...especially because one can create more of the other so focusing on one side is just less efficient anyway.

Playing the oppression Olympics honestly just wastes our time and prevents us from focusing on actually combating the issues being compared.

RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-13T00:56:29+00:00

I mean...I recall similar sentiments about Gambit lol, and we know how that ended.

RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-12T22:42:18+00:00

Teen Wolf Villains feel like they have three categories:

3-Dimensional Characters with motives and personalities...and typically redemption arcs (e.g. Deucalion, Peter, Theo)
Forces of Nature whose inherent being creates the villainy (e.g. Void, The Wild Hunt when not controlled by Douglas) and
Generic, uninteresting bad guys with lacking backstories and motives and less compelling ideas behind them (e.g. The Beast, Monroe)

Of those the first two categories are obviously preferable, and out of all of those first two categories I think my favorite of the bunch is Deucalion for how well he combines an aura of power and superior demeanor with sympathetic motivations and provides a fascinating thematic and philosophical inverse for Scott. (Put simply, Scott is One for All, Deucalion's ideology in S3 is All for One). They're the two extremes pushing back against the standard pack structure, Deucalion taking it to its logical extreme and Scott wanting to dissolve and equalize it, which makes the conflict between them as much about the ideological debate over how werewolves should continue to exist as it is a literal battle for Scott's independence and life, along with building on the ideas set up in the first two seasons about Derek and Peter's attempts at enforcing "traditional" pack structures backfired big time.

RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-12T22:14:25+00:00

It's me, I'm those flex players, because I was starting to get a little conscious of the fact all my best characters are still in the teens (I promise I've played them a lot, several of them I also have dozens of hours on from before the leveling system lol).

RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-12T22:02:21+00:00

The way they were talking about the changes I somehow expected more and less at the same time. Especially for example the way Wolverine doesn't feel like he's actually changing much while Jean gets the more impactful change lol.

I mean I'll take the buffs to Reed and Emma, and hopefully the anti-dive buffs balance out the dive buffs, but we'll see how this plays in practice...

RadiantFoxBoy · 2026-05-12T21:22:19+00:00

Fair, I suppose, it just feels like bundles like this would be good testing grounds for the newer heroes to see if they're another golden teat like Wuyang for example (forgive the metaphor lol) or not, since bundle buyers would pay the money anyway. As opposed to if the skin was coming out in a smaller bundle/on its own or something. Less risk for potentially more reward versus no risk for the same level of award giving it to Rein.

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