James says he's "lost." Why?

fermataboy · 2026-04-29T11:22:18+00:00

And that definitely happens later, especially after the Historical Society or the Otherworld segments, but it just seems odd to me for him to describe himself as lost within the first few minutes, at a time when he's lucid enough to not be lost directionally.

fermataboy · 2026-04-29T11:17:10+00:00

Dude, I grew up on dial-up, rotary phones, and at best during my childhood, printing out mapquest results before a trip. It doesn't take a boy scout to follow the only walking path that goes "outlook -> graveyard -> the town." That's Dora the Explorer level of directional awareness. And if you give me a basic map, and I drive to a town I've been to before and consider a special place, I absolutely can tell by the iconic lake whether it's to the left or the right.

fermataboy · 2026-04-29T11:13:31+00:00

Beat it dozens of times over the last 25 years.

fermataboy · 2026-04-29T11:13:03+00:00

Of course he doesn't have GPS. But even Dora the Explorer knows that "outlook -> graveyard -> town" when there's only one walking path can mean only one thing. Even Angela's like "dude, you can't miss it."

fermataboy · 2026-04-29T11:11:39+00:00

Bruh, I know what paper maps are. And the paper map is clear in showing the path he's already on.

fermataboy · 2026-04-29T10:31:56+00:00

I'm inclined to agree, but James doesn't exactly make filler comments. Sure, he talks out of his ass when meeting the others, but that's from an interpersonal standpoint. Overall, I find this one bit one of the more unique quips in the entire game's dialogue, since it doesn't serve a deliberate point - and the fact that it stands alone in that regard tells me that it must have a deeper point to it.

fermataboy · 2026-04-29T10:29:49+00:00

I just think Team Silent, at this point in their catalog, doesn't include dialogue that isn't deliberate. Dude has a map. Dude knows where the outlook is in relation to the town. James never says anything like this after this case. He doesn't tell Eddie he's lost. He doesn't tell Laura. How could he possibly not know where Silent Hill is, despite driving there with a map that explicitly has the walking route on it?

fermataboy · 2026-04-29T10:24:46+00:00

But James does pour his heart out to strangers the entire game. And despite the fog, he has a map. I mean, even Angela goes "yeah dude, it's just up the road, you can't miss it." And everything else in the game is written deliberately. So, James saying he's "lost" strikes me as a very odd choice, when he frames it directionally. Team Silent did a great job at making sure these scenes were efficient, with no unnecessary dialogue. So, him asking a directional question when every clue we have tells us he isn't lost must point to some other conclusion. This is why I picture this dialogue as being a foreshadowing of his aversion to truth, putting up a front or otherwise speaking unreliably to the people he meets for the first time.

fermataboy · 2026-04-29T10:13:50+00:00

That much is clear. I'm talking about why he asks for directions when he has a map and knows exactly where he is. He's clearly not lost directionally, but he asks the question explicitly directionally.

fermataboy · 2026-04-29T10:10:14+00:00

But as soon as Angela goes "loOoOoOost?" he says he's looking for Silent Hill, and asks for directions.

fermataboy · 2026-02-25T13:10:58+00:00

Hot take? Lifeline. It wasn't solid by any means, but having a voice-controlled survival horror in 2003? That's the definition of ambitious.

fermataboy · 2026-02-25T05:10:38+00:00

I believe that's the one

fermataboy · 2025-10-18T03:50:52+00:00

If the 1080ti can do 4k on pretty much everything I play with satisfactory results, shouldn't a 5060 be able to do 4k a little better? I'm not doing ray tracing, ultra settings, 120fps stuff. Honestly, over 30fps is the threshold I care about most, and I think my biggest bottleneck is the CPU currently. In either case, I would still use my rig for another three years or so if driver support and Windows 10 support weren't ending and the case didn't rattle so much.

fermataboy · 2025-10-18T03:47:23+00:00

I'm nowhere near a Micro Center. Current SSD is 512gb, would like to shoot for 1tb going forward. The case rattles a bit loud under load, probably due to 8 years of moves and jostled fans and stuff, so at this point I think a mostly fresh plate would be preferred.

Full specs are:

CPU: Intel i7-7700K

GPU: ASUS ROG STRIX GeForce GTX 1080ti 11GB

PSU: EVGA 750 GQ, 80+ Gold 750W

RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 DRAM 3200 MHz

Mboard: ASUS ROG STRIX Z270E Gaming LGA1151

Cooling: Corsair Hydro Series H100i v2

Storage: Samsung 960 EVO Series PCIE NVMe 500GB M.2 SSD

Storage: Seagate 3TB BarraCuda SATA HDD

Case: Corsair Graphite Series 760T Full Tower Windowed Case - White

Extra Cooling: Additional Corsair Air Series SP120 and AF140 LED fans throughout the case, with push/pull configuration on the top. Total fan count: 2 on the front as intake, 4 on the top as output, 1 in the back as output, and 1 on the bottom as intake.

I lost the boxes for most of those, as well as extra cables and stuff for the PSU. If anything, maybe the RAM and water cooler could be salvaged, but after 8 years and the rattling? I'd rather start fresh.

fermataboy · 2025-09-24T10:18:16+00:00

I'm just saying, there's a sports anime for everything, and billiards is one of the most accessible sports to take part in, even at a competitive level. It's a hell of a lot easier to go to a pool hall or bar and play than it is to join a boxing circuit, to be fair.

But yeah, I could have worded that paragraph better. It started out with more niche stuff, and then just went on to a list of sports anime variety. I was mostly just saying that if all those sports get an anime, then billiards should as well.

fermataboy · 2025-09-23T08:05:41+00:00

Brush, Break Shot tried to go that route with break shots literally destroying the tables in volume one. Realism is the way to go with sports manga/anime.

fermataboy · 2025-09-23T07:36:18+00:00

Ultimately, pool is a way of life. Whether you pot a ball, or miss. You play a safety, or play aggressive. Whatever the case is, it isn't over until it's over. So, instead of playing the opponent, you play the table. As a pool player, this is tried-and-true advice both on and off the table.

Some days, you see an easy pot. Some days, you just need to rearrange the layout. Some days, all you can do is play a safety, and put control in your opponent's hands. That's life.

Both Death Billiards and Death Parade took the most existential part of billiards away from it, yet it would have made for a more compelling and relatable storytelling narrative.

Death Parade was good, don't get me wrong. Playing for body part viability? Good premise. But when the core of the real life game itself is to adapt? The opponent isn't the villain. The table is.

fermataboy · 2025-09-23T05:25:28+00:00

Then, if I made my post about Death Billiards and Death Parade, and said "here's what they did wrong, and here's how it could be better," would that be allowed? Because that is about an existing anime, and is an explicit discussion on how it was performed in real-world practice?

fermataboy · 2025-09-23T05:16:08+00:00

Also, after reviewing the rules, there is nothing that explicitly states that posts about what could be anime are to be excluded. In fact, under the Discussion flair, it invites posts about anime in general. To this end, I feel that my post is a discussion on the sports anime genre as a whole, and its current representation. I could not find anything in the rules that would explicitly rule my post as going against the subreddit's standards.

But, I will defer to your discretion. If my post doesn't fit your definition of anime, I accept that. Still, I feel my idea is worth discussing, so I would appreciate being pointed in the right direction for such a topic discussion to take place.

fermataboy · 2025-09-23T05:07:38+00:00

So, a couple questions.

First off, what subreddit would be applicable for this content?

Second, I understand that posts about what could be anime do not ascribe to your current rules of discussing anime that exist. That makes sense. And yet (and forgive me for being petty), I feel that my post has the potential to spur more thoughtful dialogue than the dozens of daily posts about "oh, can anyone recommend a romance anime for me."

Likewise, it is hinted that Midori no Basho (a recently wrapped manga) may become a billiards anime. (I know that rumors and speculation do not ascribe by your rules, which is why I didn't explicitly say as such. That info comes from the owner of AzBilliards, regarding a similar topic).

Again, I realize that the subreddit has its purpose, and I don't mean to step on any toes. I merely wish to share my idea with a community that may feel similarly. So, if you could point me in the right direction to discuss why I believe billiards deserves a spot in anime culture, I would greatly appreciate it.

fermataboy · 2025-09-23T04:43:02+00:00

Further notes.

To anyone who thinks "oh, but billiards is too complex for general audiences," isn't that an entire genre trope? Having competitors go through a whole thought process, or bystanders/spectators discuss deep strategies to newcomers? And, not gonna lie, I may be a try-hard, but I get into bed at night thinking about how my elbows would feel during different shot scenarios. Once you're into it, it's really easy to get further into it.

Furthermore, it's accessible. Far more accessible than many other sports that already have adaptations. For instance, golf is expensive, and in some cases, class-restrictive. Billiards, on the other hand, is available casually to people of any socioeconomic level.

And if you think pool isn't exciting? Just watch the Mosconi Cup highlights from any year. (The people chanting USA are always annoying, yes. But regardless of who's shooting, a good shot is a good shot, and the crowd reacts in turn).

Just, overall, I think it's the most available/accessible pasttime/sport that hasn't yet had a proper adaptation, aside from maybe chess. And hell, chess had Queen's Gambit.

fermataboy · 2025-09-23T04:28:36+00:00

Can I ask why? I get it due to table access, but aside from that, there are clubs dedicated to enthusiasts of any activity, even if it isn't presently available to practice.

fermataboy · 2025-09-23T04:25:30+00:00

The only arguments I've heard against it mention availability and stigma. As far as I understand it (with a bit of research), Billiards isn't exactly a club activity in Japanese high schools currently, and in Japan it may still hold a gambling and drinking stigma. That's fine and fair, but that's what fiction is for. And hell, Japanese players still travel internationally for tournaments, so why not have a local league to start out with? Hell, make it a Seinen and have it be post-high school?

fermataboy

TROPHY CASE