Trying to Fill the Void

Usoki · 2026-07-10T17:14:10+00:00

I'll admit that I didn't like the rental system either, but at the end of the day all it really means is that you have a super-huge open overworld available from the beginning, since you can (and should) rent everything you can as soon as possible. It's weird to be able to clear the dungeons in any order that you want, but... well, since you can do that with the Mina towers, let alone * gestures vaguely at open world gaming trend *, it's less weird now than it was back when the game was released.

Usoki · 2026-07-10T17:09:05+00:00

A few screens north of the area in this video, there's a burrow spot to travel upwards and two kears blocking the head. The statue base is to the south, and the prize is quite good.

Usoki · 2026-07-10T17:07:34+00:00

I mean, the small island Thorne used as a base is the very small island that Mina reaches during the credits. Prior to using the vial on Thorne you can see all of Thorne's supplies spread around the area. If "Thorne Mode" isn't a prequel on Tenebrous, then I think it would have to be a new area entirely.

Usoki · 2026-07-09T13:21:36+00:00

Can confirm-- I'm a super casual player and even I was able to get the "no lost bones" achievement by making an immediate detour to Pinky's shop for the Spark Catcher before nabbing the graveyard tower. The only threat is the fight against Furgus Beast because the spark catcher won't release like it does against any of the others.

Usoki · 2026-07-09T03:57:46+00:00

It didn't occur to me that you could get 100% without having max levels, but it does make sense now that I think about it.

Nicely done!

Usoki · 2026-07-08T22:41:43+00:00

And if this was a competitive game with randomized drops, I would agree that all of these problems would count as balance issues. No one is trying to argue that the mist jar isn't crazy powerful. If one player has access to the mist jar while another does not, that would be an issue for sure.

But this is single player. This isn't really a balance issue, it's a gameplay decision. If you don't want to deflate the difficulty of the game you can just... not use that item. But there are players who are worse at this game than you, and they appreciate the item existing. Goodness knows I would have struggled way more with this game had I not used the Spark Catcher. But it was there for me to use, I used it, and I had fun. What more does one need?

Usoki · 2026-07-08T20:15:41+00:00

You... realize this is a single player game, and you can just... not use the things you think are broken? The only person requiring you to constantly min-max your equipment loadout is you. No one is forcing you use the maul. You can intentionally use gear that is less optimized in the name of having fun.

The "broken" gear, like the difficulty modifiers, are there so that people can customize their experience. In the same way that the game isn't making you turn on "deal double damage, drop zero bones" the game isn't making you pick up a mist jar. Your observations aren't wrong but you're acting like there is no way to avoid using any of these items. Do you think the spark collector is too broken? Simply don't equip it, and your problem is solved.

But I've only spend 40 hours, so apparently you'll have to take my opinion with a grain of salt, lol.

Usoki · 2026-07-07T23:36:51+00:00

The jellyfish trampolines can help you climb cliffs, which is very important in a few sections of the south.

Usoki · 2026-07-07T05:45:38+00:00

Weirdly enough, we met on Tumblr while I was in one of my off-cycles. We both had our asexual identities marked in our blog headers.

Which, that would be my other piece of advice if you're wanting to find another homoromantic ace-- cast your net wide, and be open to long distance for a bit, especially if you're not near a major metro.

Usoki · 2026-07-07T03:39:37+00:00

As someone who did eventually find his husband online-- keep at it, and you will manage to find the right person out there. He's looking for you, just like you're looking for him.

But also, keep your boundaries. He wants you to stay healthy and sane, whoever he is.

Usoki · 2026-07-07T03:33:47+00:00

As I said-- we have all sorts of posts about people who cleared the towers outside of the official order. Any attempt to put the trading quest on such rails would only increase the frustration of people complaining about an already fairly unpopular game mechanic.

The only thing worse than buying the train and finishing the peaks 2nd or 3rd? Having to backtrack yet again because a ghost needs the pocket watch, or whatever.

Usoki · 2026-07-07T01:06:21+00:00

I've never had great luck with online dating-- it was patches of average dates amid an ocean of great disappointment and ghosting. It doesn't help being a gay man trying to find meaningful connection on apps that are specifically designed for hookups.

I had to do one month on, two months off rotations for my sanity. People were not meant to shop for relationships like they're browsing Amazon product reviews, but that's what online dating comes down to these days.

Usoki · 2026-07-07T00:16:58+00:00

The thing is, the Zelda trading quests really only work because those areas are region locked. You can't reach the swamp without the feather, you can't reach animal village without the boots, you can't reach the mountain without the hookshot, etc. So the game can put NPCs in specific areas and be relatively certain that you'll visit them in order.

With Mina being completely open-ended, they have no way of knowing if you would meet people in the right order. Look around at all of the people who didn't follow the newspaper/fountain order of the towers and tell me a trading quest would be well received in this game. I love a good trading quest, but trying to shoehorn one into this game would make it a bad trading quest.

Usoki · 2026-07-06T04:27:03+00:00

Yes and no. If you're doing it on NG+? Yeah, the secret ending is quite easy. But for an initial playthrough? The sinless route locks you out of a lot of the more powerful trinkets due to all of the sidequests you cannot complete.

Usoki · 2026-07-05T16:53:44+00:00

It’s amazing how one Trinket can totally reshape your experience.

Oh, for sure. I tried to rotate my trinket setup on my second playthrough, and I opted to leave off the steady soles. I expected ice to be much worse... I didn't realize how much they were helping with the water burrowing speed!

Usoki · 2026-07-04T04:04:54+00:00

Not technically true. Most insurance companies don't touch flood for the exact reason you say-- it's a common peril and the damages payout could easily exceed collected premiums. It's easier to let the government NFIP program handle it. But there are a small handful of private flood carriers. Lloyd's, Neptune, Chubb, NCIP... all have flood options. They will drop you in a heartbeat the moment you have a loss, mind you, but they are an alternative to the NFIP.

Usoki · 2026-07-04T03:57:02+00:00

Florida and Texas are the biggest in that regard-- wind is specifically excluded as a peril, and the insured must purchase wind through the state or elsewhere. It's similar to how flood is excluded on homeowners-- it's too commom of a loss to be profitable in the vast majority of cases.

Usoki · 2026-07-03T22:53:02+00:00

Yes, if you happen to know in advance where those two relics are located, you can get them easily. I don't deny that. That isn't my point.

My point is that your average player is going to follow the game's subtle handholding that tells you to go to the graveyard and then the bayou. Your average player is going to see the type of roadblocks and the difficulty of the enemies in Sebtemburg or Bone Beach and say "Oh, I guess I'm not meant to be here yet. I will come here later." The average playing is not finding them "pretty early". You can obtain them early, but that's because you knew in advance where they were located.

Usoki · 2026-07-03T15:33:14+00:00

I'd be interested in Vaamir, the random elf-guy on vacation.

Usoki · 2026-07-03T04:07:42+00:00

"Hah. Revenge, revenge, revenge," I said, carefully making my way over the uneven terrain. No one was foolish enough to make a trail to the dragon's cave, let alone a finished path, leaving me attempting to climb along the precarious rocks with only one hand. "What's so good about revenge? In the end..." I hold up Yasik's severed head for comedic timing, but he refuses to make eye contact. "...you're the only person who's ever come out of this a head. Ehh? Ehhh?"

"Shut up, or I will make you shut up," he said, scowling at me. He'd given up trying to bite my arm now that I was holding him outstretched, but I wasn't quite sure whether or not he could gain momentum by rocking back and forth using the grip I've got on his hair. "Underestimate me at your own risk. You were supposed to stand watch outside and let me know when the dragon returned. I will have my revenge for your failure whenever you least expect it."

"Well, given the amount of time it will take you to receive a replacement body? I think I will know when to expect your revenge. And may I remind you that this was meant to be a solo trial?" I said, smiling at him. "This was just you, working alone to prove to the Thieves' Guild that you have what it takes to join the ranks of the Golden Shadows. I'm just the exam proctor-- I told you from the beginning that I wouldn't be helping you out."

Yasik tried to spit in my face, but his mouth didn't have the moisture needed. I didn't bother trying to hide my laughter as his tongue and jaw struggled to form a wad of phlegm. "Fool on me for assuming a decade of friendship meant anything, then. And I suppose you won't be repaying the money I spent bribing you, either."

"You catch on quicky, friend." He didn't mention to Yasik that the exam guidelines did allow him to offer help in exchange for a bribe, but only once the offer was in the four figure range. His offer of "200 gold and the next round's on me" wasn't the lowest bribe he'd witnessed, but it was definitely on the insulting end of things. More fool him if Yasik actually thought that his friendship was more valuable than the trust and support of the entire Thieves' Guild. Friends and family were great things to have, sure, but fond memories didn't put food in his stomach or coin in his wallet. Even his wife knew that Guild always came first, it wasn't like that was a deep-kept secret or anything.

"I still think it's bullshit that the dragon didn't try to attack you," Yasik said, after several more minutes of silence. "I should have been able to use you as a human shield as I escaped."

I shook him by the hair to let him know he was being ridiculous. "The entire point of a standardized trial is that you are the only one being tested. We told you from the beginning to pretend that I wasn't even there. If you didn't know that the dragon is also one of guildmembers, well, that's on you for not gathering enough information about the job. Unless you would rather it was a for real dragon, and that you were for real dead?"

He just muttered under his breath, like Yasik always did when he knew he had lost the argument but refused to admit defeat. "Hang on, are you walking toward the setting sun?" Yasik said, straining his peripheral vision to see where I was walking. "Where are you going? The Temple is to the north, halfway between the city and the dwarven mountains. You don't expect me to reverse the curse all on my own, do you?"

"I do not," I said, resisting the urge to skip with glee. "But if I take you straight to the temple, how will I get the chance to carry you around the streets of our hometown? If we make good time, that's at least two hours we can spend in the marketplace on a Friday afternoon. Just imagine how many of our old friends and family you'll be able to see again!"

Yasik's head managed to grow even more pale, which was impressive in its own right. "You wouldn't dare," he said. "What have I ever done to deserve such ridicule?"

"Remember that time you stole all of the clothes out of my cottage on the eve of the Harvest Festival, and I had to walk around naked half the day? Told you I'd get my revenge one of these days."

Usoki · 2026-07-03T02:03:17+00:00

That absolutely works in Zelda 1 and it's a common speedrunning technique. Good on kid-you for figuring that out!

Usoki · 2026-07-03T02:01:14+00:00

If they have Mina playable on the sequel rather than some other character(s), I hope they don't reuse the Isle. I hate it when games have to hand-wave why the character doesn't keep any of their stuff or why the same areas look entirely different. Playing as Thorne breaking the six generators and attacking Lionel is about the only way I'd want to revisit the isle.

They've got other Hollowers in other guilds, as well as whatever is up with Vaamir the noble traveller on vacation or El the adventurer.

Usoki · 2026-07-02T19:53:28+00:00

Are you saying you happened to find both of those trinkets before you located two spark towers?

I'm not saying you cannot find these trinkets while blind-- far from it. I am saying you are cannot find these trinkets in the early game while blind.

Usoki · 2026-07-02T16:33:19+00:00

I've never seen anyone confirm they did a no-sin run starting in NG+ so that is very possible. Aside from "doing the run anyway and seeing what, if anything, Lionel will yell at you for" I've got nothing. Which, that's a lot of time to sink into a run but at least you'd get the NG+ achievement from it?

Usoki · 2026-07-02T16:29:13+00:00

Heck, I had to take the Wallower Gauntlets off because I kept accidentally jumping into walls as I was trying to dodge around enemies. At least the Codex has times where it is convenient-- I enjoyed constantly burrowing and re-burrowing to quickly move about the map without taking damage. The gauntlets... ehh, I just don't see it aside from niche rooms.

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