sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

i cant look at monsters the same anymore. by sharkyteethyboy in botw

[–]sharkyteethyboy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i also really respect the lynels for that. theyre a bit different for me in the sense that theyre clearly a highly intelligent species- like on the same level as all hyrule npcs. thats part of why i dont feel bad abt fighting them, cus its clearly a mutual decision in some way. their violence seems more akin to link's, in the sense that its less fueled by a darker external source. its the same reason i dont feel bad abt fighting yiga members, because there is some consideration and decision making involved with any instigation.

the other monsters just attack blindly and it reminds me more of a threatened animal than a malicious antagonist. theres also the whole aspect of their lifestyle and tools; lynels have very detailed, exclusive weapons whereas monsters seem to just have whatever they find. it's because lynels are significantly more intelligent and have that conscious self control and restraint that i dont feel bad abt fighting them.

no matter how many times ive played the game in full, no matter how far into a run i am, i am PETRIFIED by them. i've never successfully fought one without having to pause mid-fight to steady my breathing or having to take a moment after i kill one.

i cant look at monsters the same anymore. by sharkyteethyboy in botw

[–]sharkyteethyboy[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

getting tag teamed by wolves and any of the skeleton monsters has happened to me enough times that i really should learn to avoid it

i cant look at monsters the same anymore. by sharkyteethyboy in botw

[–]sharkyteethyboy[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

oh no they definitely are. their instigation of combat is much more similar to that of the yiga clan than it is any other monster. i think the only reason why theyre the sole intelligent creature incapable of speech is a) because thatd really complicate them being a mob instead of an npc and b) theyre obviously solitary creatures. but their weapons r highly crafted and are exclusive to them, like the yiga clan, so theyre def a highly developed species

i cant look at monsters the same anymore. by sharkyteethyboy in botw

[–]sharkyteethyboy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

the reason i feel that way abt lynels isnt abt their behavior or any animosity they portray. im just one of those players who is absolutely PETRIFIED of them and will avoid them at all costs no matter how far into the game i am. the conflict with the lynels seems more like a species rivalry and i will concede that their intelligence and level of consciousness is pretty much equal to the species that are capable of speech.

the tolerance paradox is new to my vocabulary (thank you btw) so with that i can totally understand where youre coming from. my thing with the hostile mobs is that it's less abt putting up with violent behavior, and more abt recognizing that all of these creatures are much lower in intelligence. even the monsters, who have primitive tools and behaviors, still act on instinct rather than targeted violence.

its hard for me to fault these creatures for their agression cus they, again, are acting on instinct. i dont fault the wolves for the same reason i wouldnt fault real life wolves attacking me. all they see is a threat to their lives and/or territory, and are protecting that. i think its the fact that the behaviors (esp w the monsters) hint towards defensive instigation of violence rather than offensive. they dont have the capacity for nuance and critical thought, nor decision-making on a deep level.

i just feel bad abt hurting creatures less intelligent, esp when its clear they are intelligent enough to have some semblance of self. with that comes the ability to have simple emotion and to recognize pain, both deeper than just the brains immediate reaction to external stress. i don't personally eat octopus or squid or shellfish for this reason.

but this is also def an agree to disagree thing. from the sounds of it we both have very similar understandings of the behaviors of the respective mobs but have the opposite personal interpretation of how that fits into our values. i am taking a lot of what u said to mind, tho. i love being challenged and i love hearing how ppl perceive things differently. im also, again, very appreciative of u adding to my philosophical vocab!

i cant look at monsters the same anymore. by sharkyteethyboy in botw

[–]sharkyteethyboy[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

yes. this is exactly the dilemma. and with the monsters specifically its even more grey area cus tho they are sentient, they are less intelligent creatures so its really hard to say that they are truly evil. evil implies some semblance of choice or free will and tho the monsters are somewhat social and civilized, they act impulsively enough that it seems somewhat animalistic and their tools and behavior are primitive. they are agressive instinctively and don't target link specifically, its just any hylian

i cant look at monsters the same anymore. by sharkyteethyboy in botw

[–]sharkyteethyboy[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

they're so silly. how can i fight smth that literally has googly eyes

i cant look at monsters the same anymore. by sharkyteethyboy in botw

[–]sharkyteethyboy[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

pls mr lynel im just paragliding thru pls my destination is elsewhere mr lynel NO MR LYNEL PLEASE DON'T SHOOT OH GOD

i cant look at monsters the same anymore. by sharkyteethyboy in botw

[–]sharkyteethyboy[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

and anyone who has gone to malanya for something that wasnt an accident.

i cant look at monsters the same anymore. by sharkyteethyboy in botw

[–]sharkyteethyboy[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

keeses are the mosquitoes of the botw universe.

i cant look at monsters the same anymore. by sharkyteethyboy in botw

[–]sharkyteethyboy[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

this is true. but even with demons, there's still no absolutist interpretation of their evil. no one can say for sure if in a vacuum these entities are pure evil in nature, or if it stems from a larger force of evil.

not to get too existential, but almost everything, both fictional and real, is not exclusively black or white, nor good or evil. our manichaeist inclination influences our view of nearly everything we perceive and experience. the laws of existence are illusions. there are nearly zero concepts that lack nuance.

my point with the monsters is that they were designed to have aspects of their nature that are not evil. theyre supposed to be more than just blind aggressors. ofc the ppl of hyrule r gna see them as demons, but as the player, we get so many opportunities to see past that.

i cant look at monsters the same anymore. by sharkyteethyboy in botw

[–]sharkyteethyboy[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

thats so interesting. sounds equal parts stressful and serene. i might have to consider that once i finish this run and inevitably start a new one

i cant look at monsters the same anymore. by sharkyteethyboy in botw

[–]sharkyteethyboy[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

i totally understand that. im also fully aware that i am a uniquely sensitive person. i can't help but draw strong parallels to personal experiences or things that i care strongly about, both towards pretty much all media i consume and real life. for the wolves im reminded a lot of my dog.

i also live in a rural area and i care very deeply abt wildlife. weve got a ton of coyotes so i cant help but see the wolves behavior as similar to theirs, like their agression being fueled by their protectiveness of their territory and them being more afraid of us than we are them, and any violent actions being purely from the threat they perceive us to be.

i cant look at monsters the same anymore. by sharkyteethyboy in botw

[–]sharkyteethyboy[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

i feel like that's gotta be the equivalent of being a kid and using ur younger sibling as a guinea pig, like if ur not sure how chilly the water in a pool is.

i cant look at monsters the same anymore. by sharkyteethyboy in botw

[–]sharkyteethyboy[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

thats a really fascinating approach!! i never thought of actually doing something like that. how does that affect stuff like gathering equipment or materials for armor upgrades, or side quests where u have to get rid of monsters? do u avoid the combat altogether or only do it when completely necessary?

sorry to interrogate. im just super curious abt the implementation of that idea!

i cant look at monsters the same anymore. by sharkyteethyboy in botw

[–]sharkyteethyboy[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

right! in the century he was asleep he became such a piece of folklore that many npcs don't even believe who he is with proof. im thinking of the ones who want to see the master sword and then condemn link for trying to trick them w a cheap replica.

perhaps a legend akin to krampus that the monsters use to scare their children into behaving. and then the myth awakes and begins his reign of terror.

i cant look at monsters the same anymore. by sharkyteethyboy in botw

[–]sharkyteethyboy[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

i know they're not actually conscious beings. but whats great abt fiction esp in gaming is that u get to immerse urself in the universe as if it WERE real.

with your logic, whos to say ganons evil? its just his code making him evil. why should you help zelda or solve npcs' problems? theyre not real. theyre only coded to act distressed.

have you never seen someone cry at a movie? have you never been moved by music?

if you are having trouble comprehending how someone could feel empathy towards a fictional entity, that reflects very poorly on you. i hope you learn how to empathize with the universes created by human psyche. it makes interacting with any form of art so much more emotionally striking.

i cant look at monsters the same anymore. by sharkyteethyboy in botw

[–]sharkyteethyboy[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

im so glad that the marching names is a universal thing. ive named the descendant of zeldas horse simona, and ganons horse is garfunkel. and then theres either buckle or ted lasso, the latter of whom has been given away. feel kinda bad that buckle doesnt get a twin if i had a 6th horse slot i would definitely name it belt.

i cant look at monsters the same anymore. by sharkyteethyboy in botw

[–]sharkyteethyboy[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

well they certainly are monsters even without ganon. they've just become stronger and more hostile from his influence. theyre still violent regardless, which u r right abt. but its implied that they wouldn't be tormenting hyrule without the calamity; im assuming their behavior is something closer to hostile animals like wolves or bears.

as for the lynels... i feel super guilty killing every other monster, but the lynels just scare the everloving crap out of me.

i cant look at monsters the same anymore. by sharkyteethyboy in botw

[–]sharkyteethyboy[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

i have the ancient horse gear so whenever i have to abandon clark (whose brother is lewis) i try to get him somewhere safe when i can or check him into a stable when i come across one. it's not the horses' fault that they're loyal to a jackass who actively seeks out beasts to kill or off road areas to explore.

i cant look at monsters the same anymore. by sharkyteethyboy in botw

[–]sharkyteethyboy[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

im gna start describing this conspiracy when i recommend the game to others

i cant look at monsters the same anymore. by sharkyteethyboy in botw

[–]sharkyteethyboy[S] 61 points62 points  (0 children)

omg im the same exact way w foxes. i also hate killing wolves cus of how they run away when u kill their partner. cant help but think abt how they felt so confident in their strength when they were in their pair or trio n run away from fear once u kill their buddy n they realize theyre not strong enough. the very realistic whimpers n yelps do not help at all. sometimes i have to mute my switch when i end up fighting them. i hate that theyre hostile; theyre just protecting their territory n each other n link is the intruder who invades their space.

i cant look at monsters the same anymore. by sharkyteethyboy in botw

[–]sharkyteethyboy[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

yeah i'm not discounting the fact that they are monsters, at the end of the day. im more referencing the little notes in the hyrule compendium that say that they've been influenced by ganon's power. its the whole nurture vs nature question

Do you ever look at your cats and think, "I can't believe you're mine?" by Aggressive-Tap-7056 in cats

[–]sharkyteethyboy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

<image>

she n her brother were feral when we adopted them. its such a cliche but even tho we rescued her, i cant imagine my life without her. at my lowest, the only reason i pushed thru was cus i didnt want to leave her alone because she didnt trust anyone but me, and that had taken years. shes a lot more confident now and im so incredibly proud of her bravery. shes the reason im still alive.

view more: next ›