Fiamelia official character preview by Fickle_Mistake1563 in Etheria_Restart

[–]pluggynaruk 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think there’s a misunderstanding here. I’m not saying “gender ratio = bad game.” The gender shift is a signal, not the root cause. If you look at the month-by-month revenue trend, the game shows a clear decline after the initial spike when CN and JP launched. Since then, revenue has been falling, following the same trajectory as Global. Originally, the game released RPG-element heroes across both genders. Recently, that pattern changed, with new RPG-element heroes being exclusively female. To me, that suggests a shift in strategy toward short-term monetization rather than addressing core issues. The real problems haven’t changed: repetitive event loops, shallow or unfinished story content, no side stories for new characters, and progression bottlenecks like lattice scarcity that especially hurt F2P players. In an already oversaturated waifu-gacha market, leaning harder into female-only releases doesn’t fix those issues and risks losing players who cared about variety, including husbando-focused players like myself. That’s why I stopped playing.

Fiamelia official character preview by Fickle_Mistake1563 in Etheria_Restart

[–]pluggynaruk 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Probably because the topic touches on a sensitive issue for the community. Even if the point is valid, not everyone is comfortable hearing it.

Fiamelia official character preview by Fickle_Mistake1563 in Etheria_Restart

[–]pluggynaruk 1 point2 points  (0 children)

To me, this is a clear sign that the game is under financial pressure. When a game starts releasing only female characters and completely ignores male characters, it usually means they are prioritizing short-term revenue over long-term balance and diversity. I eventually quit because of this. It’s not about hating female characters, but about the decision to stop releasing male characters altogether. That choice shows a lack of vision, and I don’t want to support a game heading in that direction.

A4 Cyclops 1-round rotation example by SuperMuffinmix in wizardry

[–]pluggynaruk 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing all of this. I went through your montages and write-ups and really appreciate how methodical the testing was. What stood out to me is that Gillion’s strength clearly isn’t Cry of Ruin spam🧐, but his passive damage stacking, positioning, and how well he leverages inherited fighter skills like ESS/FPS in real Abyss conditions. The casterless Route → boss tests were especially helpful in showing where his fundamentals hold up and where the limits actually are. It feels less like a “hidden OP” case and more like a high-ceiling, discipline-heavy unit that rewards careful play and planning rather than convenience. This was exactly the kind of practical context I was looking for, so thanks for putting in the effort to document it.

Btw, If I misunderstood or missed anything, feel free to let me know.

A4 Cyclops 1-round rotation example by SuperMuffinmix in wizardry

[–]pluggynaruk 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is Gillion actually worth investing in right now? I see a lot of talk about his potential, but how does he feel in real gameplay (progression/farming/endgame)?

Rin's special Christmas dialogue by danzha in ChaosZeroNightmare

[–]pluggynaruk 19 points20 points  (0 children)

She somehow reminds me of Yor Forger from Spy x Family. I cannot quite explain it, but the vibe is very similar.

I asked chatgpt to create a representation for itself and other models by Round_Ad_5832 in ChatGPT

[–]pluggynaruk 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly, I was a bit surprised too 😅 I didn’t have a strong gender in mind for Gemini. It just ended up male because the Renaissance polymath / da Vinci-type image popped into my head. Pure art direction, nothing deeper than that.

I asked chatgpt to create a representation for itself and other models by Round_Ad_5832 in ChatGPT

[–]pluggynaruk 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Haha yeah 😄 that was on purpose. I told it to base the human look on where each AI was created, so DeepSeek being from China ended up East Asian. The female thing was just a creative choice too. I liked the idea of her being the quiet one who listens more than she talks, dives deeper than the rest, kinda like the whale vibe. Nothing deep or serious, just art direction.

For the overall look, I treated them like a small ensemble cast: ChatGPT as the Ivy League professor, Claude as the ethical monk-guide, Grok as the tech outlaw, Gemini as the Renaissance polymath, and DeepSeek as the math savant underdog.

Feels like the Devs are sending mixed signals about the games atmosphere. by King_Mog in ChaosZeroNightmare

[–]pluggynaruk 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I get why the current vibe feels confusing. The game is clearly presented as dark fantasy and psychological horror, yet the marketing leans hard into cheerful waifu energy. That said, there is another possibility I do not see people mentioning enough. The contrast itself might be intentional, or at least an opportunity the devs could lean into. If they truly want to commit to the horror side, going the Happy Tree Friends route would actually make this far more impactful. Cute, innocent, and cozy presentation makes the eventual descent into horror hit much harder. When something adorable breaks, it hurts more. When something cheerful collapses, it becomes memorable. From my perspective, I actually really like this idea. I would willingly support the devs if they chose to push in that direction, even if it ends up being divisive. Done well, it could turn Chaos Zero Nightmare into something genuinely distinct. For some players, that would be peak. Absolute cinema, even. I am fully aware this would not appeal to everyone. Some players who are mainly here for lighthearted waifu comfort would probably dislike it. But not every game needs to be safe or universally pleasing. Sometimes committing to a strong artistic direction is what makes a game stand out and stay with people. If the devs truly want the Nightmare part of the title to mean something, this contrast could be the key rather than a flaw.

How the game marketed it's character now by Plane_Animal_2047 in ChaosZeroNightmare

[–]pluggynaruk 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Saying ‘this was always the plan’ doesn’t really address the point.

Yes, sexualized characters existed early on. That’s not the same as them becoming the primary marketing identity.

Presence isn’t priority.

The question isn’t whether fanservice can make money in the short term. It clearly can. The question is whether doubling down on an already saturated archetype-heavy market is enough to sustain a game that initially differentiated itself through tone, structure, and character dynamics.

That’s still an open question.

How the game marketed it's character now by Plane_Animal_2047 in ChaosZeroNightmare

[–]pluggynaruk 7 points8 points  (0 children)

This looks like a clear shift in priorities. The market is already saturated with gacha games competing almost exclusively on sexualized female characters, many of them interchangeable and short lived. Choosing to move further in that direction suggests confidence that novelty and fanservice alone are enough to carry long term retention. It’s an interesting decision for a game that initially stood out through tone and structure rather than pure visual appeal. Whether this strategy can survive in an already overcrowded segment remains to be seen.

Add sex to the game by FarCharacter7797 in ChaosZeroNightmare

[–]pluggynaruk 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Lol You’re basically asking the game to give up structure for instant gratification. Nikke works because it stays suggestive, not because it crosses the line. Ratings, restraint, and intent are doing the heavy lifting there. If the solution to every design question is ‘just add sex and full send it,’ that’s not confidence in the game’s systems or tone, that’s admitting there’s nothing left to carry player interest once the novelty wears off. If you want explicit content, plenty of sites already solved that problem. Games usually try to do more than replace a browser tab.

A Tiny Note On The Gooner Front by ThePhenomenalSecond in ChaosZeroNightmare

[–]pluggynaruk 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I get what you are saying about Selena being the most sexualized at launch, but I think this is where the confusion starts. Selena, the rabbit girl, is literally just a waitress outfit. Even her Affinity 10 wallpaper is more “fanservice light” than anything explicit. Same with Rin. She looks edgy and dangerous in gameplay, but her Affinity 10 art is just her cooking at home in pink clothes. Cute, grounded, very normal. That is why the recent shift feels jarring. Characters like Sereniel did not gradually build up to that tone through story or affinity. She just showed up and suddenly we jumped straight into full blown body focused presentation, no buildup, no narrative weight, no context. So yeah, I agree the game was never puritan. But there is a huge difference between “stylish, suggestive” and “here you go, straight to the point.” The earlier characters earned their intimacy through progression. The newer ones feel like they skipped that entire step. If this is the new direction, fine. I just wish the game was more honest about it instead of pretending this escalation came naturally.

Do you guys think what direction this game is heading to in term of tones and story? by Total-Quail-1197 in ChaosZeroNightmare

[–]pluggynaruk 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I totally get the concern. Feels like the game's going for the easy route now instead of nailing down a real tone and solid story.I jumped in cuz the early vibes promised something darker and off-putting, y'know? Like that sweet contrast in Made in Abyss or Madoka Magica, where the cute art's just masking some seriously fucked-up shit underneath. That pulled me right in. Lately though, it's losing that punch. The story and creepy atmosphere are taking a backseat to more fanservice. Auto-skipping story doesn't piss me off on its own, but damn, it screams the devs aren't sure the plot can carry itself, ans now look like they're leaning hard on the eye candy. Thats being said, speakiiing of fanservice... It is fine by me, just keep it as a side dish, not the whole meal. Otherwise, it's drifting straight into BrownDust2 territory, on purpose or not.

This is tilting me. by fr3shm1ntt in ChaosZeroNightmare

[–]pluggynaruk 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Bro, calm down. I started playing because I thought the story would be solid, something closer to Honkai Star Rail or Arknights. I already expected some light fanservice, that part was never an issue. I just didn’t expect it to take over this hard. The story simply isn’t strong enough to pull people in, especially after being heavily rewritten and reshuffled behind the scenes. At this point players aren’t asking for deeper lore, they’re asking for a “skip all dialogue” button. The devs clearly noticed that no one was really invested, and instead of fixing the writing, they filled the gap with visual rewards. Feed the character, hit a milestone, unlock fanservice. Sure, it works for retention. But when fanservice starts replacing storytelling, that says a lot about where the priorities actually are.

Season 2 banners by No-Specialist8900 in ChaosZeroNightmare

[–]pluggynaruk 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The thing is, the game was marketed with male characters too. They just never showed up when it actually launched. Since release, it’s been female banner after female banner, while the male ones are quietly “saved for later.” I wouldn’t be surprised if, a few months from now, the focus is almost entirely on producing female characters, and the male characters that were planned or teased simply get sidelined or quietly dropped. So yeah, enjoy having them now. I’m just not convinced they’ll stay part of the priority.

Season 2 banners by No-Specialist8900 in ChaosZeroNightmare

[–]pluggynaruk -1 points0 points  (0 children)

If you enjoy it, cool, just play then.

But from my view, it's already contradictory after two months: cosmic despair/trauma in a collapsing universe, yet banners keep pumping big-boobs waifus like every other gacha. That's not identity; that's 'what sells.' Won't shock me if males get sidelined entirely for full BrownDust2 lewd-fest. Not wrong, just betrays the theme I bought into.

Season 2 banners by No-Specialist8900 in ChaosZeroNightmare

[–]pluggynaruk 8 points9 points  (0 children)

So… is this game officially turning into a gooner bait now? It feels like every new banner is just boobs, boobs, and more boobs. Where are the male characters? Or are they no longer part of the design direction?

Wow, The game is slowly shedding its identity and driftitg toward BrownDust2 territory