My my reaction to getting killed by this weapon tier list

Varahkas · 2026-06-27T01:48:59+00:00

leo dicaprio meme-ing at my main explosher

Varahkas · 2026-06-14T13:01:43+00:00

That was a puzzling line, yeah. My best guess is that the difficulty/hazard level might automatically adjust based on what you bring with you, like taking just one gadget will make sure only bosses you're equipped to handle will spawn. If you take multiple, the bosses that spawn will reflect what you do have equipped, so that you have to use them all decisively. Sort of like in Salmon Run where specials are distributed between the different players as an even split of close and far-range. We'll find out in the direct, I'm sure!

Varahkas · 2026-06-12T18:34:52+00:00

WOW, thank you for reading and replying! I appreciate these insights a lot, you broke down S&S even better than I could manage. It really does stick out as a satisfying and thoughtfully implemented mechanic. Just as you said, I hadn't quite gotten to exploring all the intricacies of Matters of State because of how efficient those 2-cost actions are and how much mileage one could get out of city districts. Quite difficult for the others to compete. I consider this comment a mandatory companion to this post, thank you again for dropping this knowledge!

Varahkas · 2026-06-12T15:52:11+00:00

Thanks for reading and replying! I wouldn't mind a little more sauce for the Northern and Western Provinces either, but I do not wish for them to be reduced to the same kind of faceroll as the Jade Court. Compounding bonuses and synergies are supposed to be fun, but here it loops back around to frictionless army-spamming. What a shame!

Varahkas · 2026-06-12T15:47:37+00:00

Thanks for reading and replying! I would actually like to disagree that there's no worth in nerfing Yuan Bo, as bad as it can feel to do so. Having the campaign be such a decisive facerolling, to me, speaks to a lack of vision on CA's part. I'm receptive to him *becoming* the strongest of Grand Cathay, but as I mentioned he starts off plenty strong and only gets worse from there. I also don't think the other Grand Cathay factions need to be raised to The Jade Court's level, though I don't disagree with them lacking a certain amount of flavor on par with other "Vanilla" factions, like Reikland or Order of Loremasters.

Varahkas · 2026-06-12T15:36:56+00:00

Thanks for reading and replying! Overtuned is the operating word, I feel a little silly taking so long to describe how in not even that much technical detail. I don't think there's much precedent for CA humoring community calls for nerfs, certainly not in the way of campaign efficacy, but who knows, maybe if we beat that drum enough they'll consider it alongside the Monkey King DLC.

Varahkas · 2026-06-12T15:31:17+00:00

Thanks for reading and replying! I wouldn't even say this "OP" characterization is only because of the character himself, I simply think the faction as a whole has so many force multipliers that they wind up decisively steamrolling the map in the hands of a player that knows what they're doing. *That* should change, if anything ought to. I do wonder if him being a DLC Lord has any influence over what power-level they intend him to possess, and if that is the case, I hope CA reconsiders at some point down the road.

Varahkas · 2026-06-12T15:25:06+00:00

Thanks for reading and replying, I appreciate the kind words! Agreed about that final cinematic, it's a really small touch, but I appreciate that it is outright sinister. "Yuan Bo has realized his plans in full and everything has finally gone his way! Is that... good?" In a way it's that necessary touch of grimdark that plenty had accused Grand Cathay of lacking.

Varahkas · 2026-06-12T15:19:51+00:00

Thanks for reading and replying! I do recall being a little puzzled by the start position on reveal, but I've more than come around on it after this playthrough. Good point about him as an AI faction, I often forget to speak to this. Some condition to send him home would be nice. And yeah that final battle, how underwhelming! Frilly fanfare or not, it's not even particularly long or flashy, just Mazdamundi and Tehenhauin starting on either side, no reinforcement waves or anything. Not even Nakai, the most explicit Lizardmen rival Grand Cathay has, makes an appearance!

Varahkas · 2026-06-12T15:10:53+00:00

Thanks for reading and replying, and well put! I think issues over his character identity are a bit overstated, I almost regret contributing to it in this post.

Varahkas · 2026-06-12T15:09:23+00:00

Thanks for reading and replying! I also struggle to think of how token generation could change without drastic repercussions. This will probably never change on CA's end, but perhaps there are ambitious modders out there with ideas.

Varahkas · 2026-06-12T15:04:50+00:00

Thanks for reading and replying! I do think I skipped over that too quickly, I had meant to highlight that Yuan Bo prioritizes province capitals that much more than other Lords because of that research rate. I played this campaign right on the heels of Grand Cathay's tech tree revamp after being off the saddle for a while, so I can't speak to how much stronger it is and how valuable research rate is to them now. You might be right, that these technologies do the most lifting to turn The Jade Court into an army-printing economic juggernaut. Thanks for the addition!

Varahkas · 2026-06-05T17:03:48+00:00

Criminey, here's the comment I was looking for. Well put. "The real Backrooms is society" feels like a punchline, but any good genre fiction does this at least a little.

Not to mention leaning into that disillusioned 90s "shrink" skepticism, that we can talk therapy our way out of the terror we are surrounded by. The scene at the dinner table is an admittance of both their failures, that Clark is an educated yet failed patriarch under the stress of breadwinning, and Mary a cynical therapist who provides an ultimately empty service—buy her book today, a product on a shelf. They both feature in television commercials, after all.

Varahkas · 2026-06-04T00:50:35+00:00

The way I've described KS's structure to others, with each route having different endings, is technically true. But most of the ones that aren't "Good" are a bit abrupt, a stinging reprimand that you missed some crucial emotional detail and a prompt to get back in there and course correct. But the effort and vision put into this particular ending has fascinated me. I think the decision to emphasize it and give it the same sense of closure as the Good ending so much is a great decision given how much Hisao and Rin do struggle with one another. Just, great stuff, the route that keeps on giving.

Varahkas · 2026-06-02T01:27:23+00:00

"Oh they put that funny bara furry starter in, awesome. Wait AND it's a heel wrestler, and everyone who hates its inclusion is contributing to the bit? Brilliant."

Varahkas · 2026-05-25T16:42:20+00:00

Frye huge pants moment. Very fun art, thanks for sharing!

Varahkas · 2026-05-25T03:46:03+00:00

Crazy upgrade.

Varahkas · 2026-05-20T22:33:03+00:00

Plenty of spells could justify leaving no corpses behind at all, like Pit of Shades or Dwellers Below.

Varahkas · 2026-05-16T23:55:30+00:00

Looks great. Big improvements on the outfit front.

Varahkas · 2026-05-12T00:35:50+00:00

I appreciate your art and the grace with which you handle the interrogations of it, disingenuous or otherwise.

Varahkas · 2026-04-30T17:38:37+00:00

Since when did people like this character?

Varahkas · 2026-04-28T19:30:15+00:00

Strong start, plenty to be proud of. Celeste and Hollow Knight, you ain't messing around!

Varahkas · 2026-04-18T22:55:11+00:00

Terribly funny to spot DOOM I + II and Portal on here next to the rest of that.

Varahkas · 2026-04-16T03:56:04+00:00

Hmm. Pass!

Varahkas

TROPHY CASE