Chemslayer's recent activity

  1. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    Chemslayer
    Link Parent
    To give you lightly spoiler-y answers, the keepsakes are post-ending content, so don't worry about it until then The weapon aspects you can get whenever, you just have to keep running and run into...

    To give you lightly spoiler-y answers, the keepsakes are

    post-ending content, so don't worry about it until then

    The weapon aspects you can get whenever, you just have to keep running and run into the particular NPC who gives it to you for each one. The secret twin flames is one of my favorites!

  2. Comment on Request for info: Is "Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro" respectful of it's child characters? in ~anime

    Chemslayer
    Link Parent
    Thank you for the recs! I read these back when you posted them, and I'm nearing the end of the (currently available) Chainsaw Man so I'll try these for my next series. Probably Witch Hat Atelier...

    Thank you for the recs! I read these back when you posted them, and I'm nearing the end of the (currently available) Chainsaw Man so I'll try these for my next series. Probably Witch Hat Atelier or Kaguya-Sama, I would enjoy a maybe more lighthearted story (as opposed to the very compelling and good but not lighthearted at all Chainsaw ha).

    As far as what I enjoyed about what I've read: (Spoilers ahead):

    Discussion on my manga enjoyment
    Death Note Spoilers Death Note - I highly enjoyed the absurd "I'm smarter than you" back-and-forth that is the crux of the series. I also enjoyed the descent into madness (even if it's a rather quick one) that Light goes through, starting with pure "intentions" but very quickly getting full of himself and his power. The arc was great, and I know in general the L death and post is controversial but I do think the Near and Mello arc was great.

    I have some criticisms that you've probably heard before, but they were all minor to me and didn't impact my enjoyment of the story. Overall was a great start to manga for me.

    One-Punch Man Manga Spoilers Just silly good fun. I am amused that the series started as a parody of manga/anime tropes, but very quickly just became a manga itself. (Kind of like how you can only say "Bro" as an ironic joke for so long before you actually just start saying it naturally). I like the over-top and goofy character designs, and the commitment to the central bit that Saitama is just overpowered, but still a pathetic and kinda desperate guy despite it. Highly enjoyed what's available, and look forward to the next volume.

    As far as criticisms, the pacing is slow as heck, which isn't necessarily a bad thing as we've gotten lots of cool side-adventures and developments for lots of characters, but the current monster association arc has been going for like 15 volumes now and still might go on for a while yet. And issues/volumes that are nearly all fight scene are a bummer, the fight scenes are well-choreographed and beautiful to look at but don't advance plot or have much development at all. And of course the handling of some characters is questionable, such as Superalloy Blackluster (who we learn is actually just a pale guy who's tanned too much, rather than black, why?) and blizzard/tornado (who feature many, many issue covers in sexy wear, even when they're not included in that issue at all), not to mention tornado being the "is actually an adult but has the appearance of a child" trope which is an awkward combo with the above. None of these criticisms have kept me from enjoying the series, or sharing it, but they are there.

    Dandadan Spoilers Gonna start with the criticism on this one: the first issue (with the abduction scene with Momo) almost put me off the series entirely: a minor, stripped to her underwear and restrained, and put in a very rape-y situation with explicitly sexually-motivated aliens, was a real wtf moment. After googling the phrase "Does Dandadan stay horny" and reading responses (that no, after that first issue it tames down greatly), I decided I would at least finish the first volume I already had and decide from there.

    With the ability to retrospect and the rest of the series under my belt, I understand how that scene plays into the themes, esp tying to Turbo Granny, as well as showcasing Momo and inverting some tropes (the "knight in shining armor" who comes in to save her ends up useless, and she saves herself, which is badass). That being said, I still disagree with the presentation: she did not need to be clothed so little, or drawn from such angles, to hit the same narrative tones. To make a comparison, Okarun was also almost subject to sexual assault by Turbo Granny in that same issue(who wants to gobble his weiner), but he is not illustrated or shown as the sex object in the same way. If that scene has showcased him in his underpants with a focus on his bulge and put in precarious positions I feel most people would have instantly recognized it as inappropriate, but since Momo is a girl her being abused is much more socially-normed.

    Okay! That aside, I love this series, it is incredibly cute and fun, and a great "romance" story tightly wrapped in fun occult adventure wrapper. The romance between the two MCs feels very natural and awkward, and thankfully isn't dragged down by classic miscommunication tropes that are just frustrating (there is still some, but it's resolved easily and not just harbored forever). The spirits vs aliens angle is really fun, and each character in the main cast so far has had their own fun personality. The alien arc that just wrapped was crazy and dealt with more heavy themes and imagery (the women being eaten by that giant alien thing? Mortifying). I do also really enjoy all the juvenile jokes, the central quest being a search for Okarun's missing testicles is just very absurd and silly and really helps keep the tone.

    Delicious in Dungeon Spoilers Solid fantasy adventure, I like the pseudo-scientific nature of most of the story, and the way we get to learn more about this as we go. I also feel like the author did a good job of telling the story he wanted to tell, and then ending it; I can see how the temptation to have more expanded stories or spinoffs galore could exist, but I appreciate that he didn't try to stretch beyond what the arc required.

    No real criticisms.

    SpyxFamily Spoilers This is just the equivalent of a sitcom for me: I know there's no real stakes (the Forger family isn't ever going to suffer real loss, it's just not the vibe), so I can just relax and enjoy the hijinks of the world's most secretly talented family. The psuedo-WWI background is great, and the commentary on war and it's hell is poignant and digestable. The art is super fun and expressive too, and the action scenes are well paced. The main enjoyment is of course every one of the main 3 navigating clumsily through their own secrets: Lloyd being too competent for his own good, Yor being nervous and wanting to please while actually being crazy capable, and Anya being literally 5 years old. Even getting the family dog in on the having special powers was a cute touch.
    Destroy All Humans: They Can't Be Regenerated Picked this one as I heard it was good, and I do enjoy Magic the Gathering. I was not expecting it to be a grounded romance manga! I've really enjoyed it so far (there's only 5 volumes in English atm), the romance plot and the classic tropes of children not knowing how to admit feelings for one another has been fun so far. Adding additional competing romances for both characters has textured it well too, and I appreciate how those competing characters are still friends and treated with respect, instead of being "enemies" trying to "steal" anyone. The magic references are fun too, although if you aren't familiar with Magic (esp turn of the century magic) you probably get lost quite a bit. (Although they go above-and-beyond with annotations to explain magic jargon).

    As far as criticisms, it's mostly similar child-sexualization ones: the girl MC Emi is shown multiple times in outfits like bikinis, short-shorts, etc. Which to be fair isn't necessarily bad or unrealistic, middle-schoolers can and do wear those kinds of outfits in real life, but the illustrations have the feel to me as being made for the reader's gaze, rather than a fashion choice for the character. There is also one of the regular side characters (an adult man of the card shop group) who makes several groomer-style "jokes", like asking her to promise to date him when she turns 18, and inviting her to a group blind date, and such, and these jokes are played off in the novel as "haha silly" where it would be deeply uncomfortable (she's literally in middle school dude! You're a whole-ass grown man!) Thankfully none of these happen very often, so don't impact my enjoyment greatly, but they are already such minor parts of the story that I wonder why they needed to be in there at all.

    Chainsawman Spoilers Kino, I love this so much. It's such a stupid premise (guy with chainsaws for hands!) that is actually a really poignant and well-told story of abuse, loss, and growth. Denji really grows throughout the series, and just like real growth it involves lots of ups and well as downs. The betrayal, the loss, the many many cool characters, the sense of dread never knowing when someone will die, this may be my favorite manga so far. I initially thought the series maybe should've ended at the first arc, but I'm really enjoying Asa's arc, and the Denji parts, seeing how he's grown and learned but still being a confused and scared kid.

    As a reverse-criticism, I actually really enjoy how Fujimoto handled the sexualization of his woman characters. To start, they're all adults (hooray!). But the three main ones (Power, Makima, and to a lesser extent Reze) all have narrative reasons for being "Hot": for Power, it was important for their arc, where he comes to realize that he can have a platonic and loving relationship with her that doesn't feel "naughty", his first experience with love from a woman that isn't led by sexuality. Makima is commentary on abuse, in the ways she intentionally and specifically uses her attractiveness to manipulate and abuse Denji. Reze shows up for not very long, but serves as Denji's first "true love" who actually treats him kindly and like someone who actually would love him, before sadly betraying him (but then trying to reverse-betray him maybe? Before Makima ruins it). Having hot women characters, who act sexy, but actually using that as a part of the story and characterization instead of just a alluring piece of art for the reader, was great.

    And that's my wall of text! One other thing I've really enjoyed is the ability to engage with the pop-culture. One of the benefits of Anime and Manga tending to stay real close to each other narratively is that I can have discussion with people who watch TV, which isn't really possible with my usual books.

    (I was worried about bumping this thread so much later, but by coincidence today's the last day to get the Nagotoro sale, so it's relevant! Not for me, but maybe for someone else)

    1 vote

  3. Comment on Request for info: Is "Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro" respectful of it's child characters? in ~anime

    Chemslayer
    Link Parent
    Responding over here to, to say I would be down to have the conversation if you want to. I'll admit my thoughts will be less-formed, as I'm newer as a whole, but I do have some to share if you'd...

    Responding over here to, to say I would be down to have the conversation if you want to. I'll admit my thoughts will be less-formed, as I'm newer as a whole, but I do have some to share if you'd enjoy that

  4. Comment on Request for info: Is "Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro" respectful of it's child characters? in ~anime

    Chemslayer
    Link Parent
    Ah I wasn't familiar with the existence of Josei (still learning the different subgenres as a whole), I'll check that out. Thanks for the recs on the subscription services too, but I sadly have a...

    Ah I wasn't familiar with the existence of Josei (still learning the different subgenres as a whole), I'll check that out. Thanks for the recs on the subscription services too, but I sadly have a mental need to own/keep the books I enjoy, so digital purchases are the way for me. Thankfully I'm in a privileged enough position that spending money on a Vol 1 I don't end up enjoying isnt a big deal, but I do try to do my diligence still

    2 votes

  5. Comment on Request for info: Is "Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro" respectful of it's child characters? in ~anime

    Chemslayer
    Link Parent
    Thank you for the lengthy write-up, I think this is the one that's convinced me not to pick it up. I want to be clear this isn't some kind of protest against the content existing, but it just...

    Thank you for the lengthy write-up, I think this is the one that's convinced me not to pick it up. I want to be clear this isn't some kind of protest against the content existing, but it just seems like I wouldn't enjoy it. We're blessed to live in a world where there's so much great art you couldn't possibly enjoy it all in your life, so I can read what I enjoy without having to worry about missing out.

    3 votes

  6. Comment on Request for info: Is "Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro" respectful of it's child characters? in ~anime

    Chemslayer
    Link Parent
    Hi! Sorry for dropping off this chat, and thanks for the pull back. Ive very much enjoyed my journeys into Manga so far, and am definitely not shy on the genre as a whole. Comprehensive List of...

    Hi! Sorry for dropping off this chat, and thanks for the pull back. Ive very much enjoyed my journeys into Manga so far, and am definitely not shy on the genre as a whole.

    Comprehensive List of Mangas I've read & Enjoyed for those interested.

    Death Note
    One Punch Man
    Dandadan
    Delicious in Dungeon
    SpyxFamily
    Chainsaw Man (on vol 14, so nearly caught up)
    Destroy All Humans: They Can't Be Regenerated

    I also dipped my toe into Shojo with Humble Bundles recent Shojo bundle at the $1 tier, and really enjoyed A Condition Called Love vol 1, it is very cheesy but I enjoyed the innocence and tropes of it all. As a 30-something cis "straight" man it "makes sense" that I tended more towards shonen, but I'm enjoying pushing my boundaries towards "girly" genres like romance, hence my interest in the above. My discovery method has generally been "I've heard this anime is well received" and that has worked so far, but I know there's whole oceans out there (not to mention western-style comics which I'm also simultaneously exploring).

    I don't know if you were wanting to give recs for Manga in general, or for romance specifically, but I'm happy to hear either! Also down to share more what I enjoyed (and what I didn't) about those I've read, if you want to hear it

    3 votes

  7. Comment on Request for info: Is "Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro" respectful of it's child characters? in ~anime

    Chemslayer
    Link
    Sorry if the title is potentially inflammatory, I tried to word it as neutrally as I could. Humble Bundle currently has a bundle of almost all of this series (missing the last volume for some...

    Sorry if the title is potentially inflammatory, I tried to word it as neutrally as I could.

    Humble Bundle currently has a bundle of almost all of this series (missing the last volume for some reason), and I'm thinking about picking it up. I'm not necessarily wondering if it's good, but I am concerned as it is both a romance, and features children (high-schoolers in this case), and it had a new-age manga silly title. To put it bluntly, I'm not comfortable with child-based fan service, and I am curious to know if that's present in this series?

    I'm relatively new to mangas, and I know that fan service is a cost of entry for the genre as a whole, and am fine tolerating some of it. Even in the case where the subject is a child, while I still don't think it needed to be included I can accept and move on (first example that comes to mind is Dandadan) so long as it's not a repeating theme and/or overly sexual or graphic. Although it's not all to do with pictures; I don't really know how to explain, but I feel there's a difference between "this character is written so the other character falls for them" vs "this character is written so you, the reader, fall for them". A too-heavy focus on the latter when the character in question is a child makes me uncomfortable.

    I did my diligence, trying to Google the series including adding the words "controversy" etc, and don't see any mention of fan service, so it seems the coast is clear. But I figured I'd come ask you all, and see if there's any thoughts. This is also an excuse to post the sale (which I haven't seen on here yet), which seems like a great value for a seemingly cute and well-received series.

    If you have experience with the series let me know what you think, or any other thoughts. Also down to discuss this philosophy in general, it's a complicated issue in the middle area esp wrt writing romance of child characters.

    6 votes

  9. Comment on Valve announces new hardware: Steam Frame, Steam Controller, and Steam Machine in ~games

    Chemslayer
    Link
    When I saw this post I got so physically excited, I've been praying for a steam controller 2 for so long, and exactly what I wanted was "the steam deck controls without the screen". I've been...

    When I saw this post I got so physically excited, I've been praying for a steam controller 2 for so long, and exactly what I wanted was "the steam deck controls without the screen". I've been enjoying couch gaming ever since I got my projector setup, but for some games it's hard to forego the trackpads, and the Xbox controllers placement of the D-Pad makes D-Pad-Based games a lot less comfortable than the native deck controls. Now I will get to have my cake and eat it too, and while they don't always get it right on the first try I can always trust Valve to stand by their products

    6 votes

  10. Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk

    Chemslayer
    Link
    Last night (Friday), my co-op threw our annual Around the World party! It's a house bonding type party, where volunteers each host their room, with some kind of activity and usually a drink too....

    Last night (Friday), my co-op threw our annual Around the World party! It's a house bonding type party, where volunteers each host their room, with some kind of activity and usually a drink too. Then we go as a group to each room, getting progressively more drunk and excited. It was a blast, and I really loved being with my people.

    I rarely drink, but when I do I usually go full-drunk. And it was super nice, as when I'm drunk I'm much more open about my desire for and appreciation of physical touch and affection. I got some very nice cuddles/hand-holding/forehead kisses that I had been craving but buried for a long time. I honestly wish I knew how to carry that energy into my usual sober life, but I fear the "excuse" of alcohol might do more of the heavy lifting then the actual drunkenness.

    [Sidenote: Consent is very important! I'm proud that even at my most wasted I am very conscientious of asking for and receiving consent, and behaving such as not repeatedly asking or some such and taking "no" with grace. The alcohol doesn't make me more "touchy" or anything, it just makes me a lot less scared to ask for the touch I want]

    3 votes

  11. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    Chemslayer
    Link
    Still playing a lot of Hades 2, I got the ending recently and am working on true ending. Mechanically game is still wonderful, and the fact there's still things to unlock post-ending is a...

    Still playing a lot of Hades 2, I got the ending recently and am working on true ending. Mechanically game is still wonderful, and the fact there's still things to unlock post-ending is a testament to the massive amount of content.

    I do have thoughts on the ending:

    Major Ending Spoilers

    I wasn't thrilled with the ending, or how it was handled. I knew there had to be some shenanigans; being a rogue like they couldn't very well permanently kill the final bosses. I predicted the "Chronos turns good" twist, as that is just kind of the vibe Hades has had as a series, and I think it's fine. My issue though is it didn't feel earned or built up to at all, it just kind of happens and he goes from arrogant and angry to super docile and apologetic out of nowhere. It really didn't feel authentic, or like real character development.

    My other big gripe with the ending is that Zagreus, instead of Melinoe, had the big decision and impact. Like we spend the entire game as Melinoe, there was all this opportunity for her to decide to spare Chronos or "find another way" or some such, but that gets taken entirely out of her/our hands and instead a Zagreus gets to be the "hero". I feel like it took so much agency away from Melinoe that it really feels just dumb, like the equivalent of a male coworker repeating a woman's idea louder and then getting all the credit. Top that off with Melinoe doesn't even experience these weird alternate past memories and it's just... what the heck dude?

    And then to top it off, the normally incredibly distrustful and vengeful gods just accepting Chronos' sudden weird change, with a grand total of one voice line each being like "eh idk maybe" before dropping it, just feels so out of character.

    Anyway, so while I don't really like how the ending was handled, the other story bits and character arcs are as lovely as ever, and mechanically the game is amazing. I look forward to playing through true ending.

    1 vote

  12. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    Chemslayer
    Link
    Besides Hades 2 (which I posted about under the other thread), I've been absolutely jamming Deep Rock Galactic Survivor. I threw it into my cart when I was purchasing Hades 2, as I had a lot of...

    Besides Hades 2 (which I posted about under the other thread), I've been absolutely jamming Deep Rock Galactic Survivor. I threw it into my cart when I was purchasing Hades 2, as I had a lot of love for DRG and it had finally hit 1.0 and was 6 dollars so I figured it was worth trying at least.

    And oh, I've been so blown away. It improves on the Survivor template in so many amazing ways. Note the main other survivor I have significant time in is the OG (Vampire Survivors), so most of my comparisons will be to that.

    1. Resource collection: adding resources to mine (gold/nitra) that you can trade between stages gives real reason to roam the map, much more so than finding small secrets in VS.

    2)Multiple objectives and goodies: tied into the above, the game gives you so many different things you want to do (Get minerals, complete secondary, get drop pod, pickup XP from slain enemies, kill the boss faster for better loot ) and also gives you little precious time to do it. Having to balance priorities, and decide when to be safe and give up things vs be risky to try to have it all is a lot of fun.

    3)Weapon upgrade system: you get 4 weapons over the course of a run, and upgrade them with various stats, which also increase their level, and at 3 different tiers you get an overclock, aka a powerful special upgrade, with the last being an especially powerful unstable overclock. You can also get generic upgrades, ones that apply to all weapons or stronger ones that apply to a subset (such as electrical weapons, heavy weapons, etc). One minor complaint is the system highly emphasizes matching types vs variety, but that may be the nature of the beast. The weapon system and especially the overclock feels awesome, much like evolving your weapon in VS, but here it's much more straightforward.

    1. Enemy balance: the enemies scale over a run to nearly match your power: while you still get the feeling of being a death machine that is the standard for survivor games, even at your strongest you still have to pay attention, which is nice (compared to VS where many late game builds you can just put your controller down for the last 8 minutes).

    Bonus) For any fans of DRG, there's lots of references, familiar voice lines, etc, as you'd expect. It's charming.

    Overall I want to give props to the team, for adapting the parts of DRG that made sense, and leaving out what didn't. For example, in DRG the Scouts grapple hook is a signature part of his kit, you can't imagine a scout without it. But it's entirely absent in Survivor, as it wasn't needed. I think people making a spinoff of existing IP tend to fall into the trap of needing to 1:1 the IP as much as possible, and try to shoehorn specifics into it rather than catch the vibe. I think DRG Survivor made smart choices for what would be fun and what wasn't needed, and captured the same feelings of DRG in a new format.

    Only complaints are the (apparently new to 1.0) gear system is overly fiddly, you get new pieces once or more per run, they have different slots and raritites and each has 3-5 stats and abilities and also can be upgraded and also can be different levels, it's just too much to care about. Thankfully the have a "smart equip" button that auto puts some stuff there (good stuff? I truly have no idea), but I hope that they can tighten and simply the system a bit, as the idea of building tailored "builds" is an interesting one, but as is a little too much for a Survivor.

    And, the game uses way more steam deck battery than you'd expect. Guess those 3D renderings and bug calculations take it out of you. I typically get like an hour 15 or hour and a half on full battery. Lack of a mid-run save option (or a game crash recovery save) has caused me mild distress a few times.

    Overall if you enjoy survivor games I heartily recommend the game. If you also enjoyed DRG that's just a nice bonus

    4 votes

  13. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    Chemslayer
    Link Parent
    (Psst id probably spoiler tag part of this bit, as someone who eagerly awaited the release but didn't follow development the discovery of the topside run, what I've been lovingly referring to as...

    (Psst id probably spoiler tag part of this bit, as someone who eagerly awaited the release but didn't follow development the discovery of

    the topside run, what I've been lovingly referring to as "Hades 3"

    Was a big happy surprise.)

    But agreed, this game is amazing, it is more of everything that was great about Hades, but further refined and expanded and with so much content, really everything you'd hope for in a sequel. I've only beaten Chronos a few times


    and Typhon only once

    , but I really look forward to keeping on
    1 vote

  14. Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime

    Chemslayer
    Link Parent
    Agreed on your first spoiler, which is why I was so surprised at my spoiler. But I guess we'll see how it gets handled, my guess would be each "adventure" will only involve a subset, to give them...

    Agreed on your first spoiler, which is why I was so surprised at my spoiler. But I guess we'll see how it gets handled, my guess would be


    each "adventure" will only involve a subset, to give them more time to shine. But that does mean I imagine the series will be hella long, not a bad thing but means it'll take forever to get the resolution, and you can only drag out the romance will-they-wont-they so long

    Re:your second spoiler, I didn't realize that was an actual thing, tbh I never really thought to think that it meant anything. Now I'm curious to find out more too!

    1 vote

  15. Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime

    Chemslayer
    Link
    New Dandadan manga came out recently! Just wrapped it up, it was a fun one, spoilers for Dandadan inc this volume but I'm surprised we got yet another high schooler with a occult connection to be...

    New Dandadan manga came out recently! Just wrapped it up, it was a fun one,

    spoilers for Dandadan inc this volume

    but I'm surprised we got yet another high schooler with a occult connection to be presumably a part of the cast moving forward. She even got her own quirky spirit!

    Overall it was fun! And nice and lower stakes (well, as low as Dan gets anyway). Sad the mystery of the beginning wasn't expanded more this volume, but I suppose that's being setup as the next big "arc"

    3 votes

  16. Comment on After quitting antidepressants, some people suffer surprising, lingering symptoms in ~health.mental

    Chemslayer
    Link Parent
    An analogy I've found matches my experience is calling them "glitching", based on the first Spiderman miles Morales movie (don't remember exact name). In that movie the Spidermans from alternate...

    An analogy I've found matches my experience is calling them "glitching", based on the first Spiderman miles Morales movie (don't remember exact name). In that movie the Spidermans from alternate dimensions "glitch", which is shown as a sudden, disorienting, and mildly painful sensation that consumes them for a brief moment, and then leaves as soon as it came.

    If you haven't seen the movie, try looking up a clip. The nice thing is the movie was pretty popular, so a lot of people have seen it, so describing it in reference to the movie has been understandable for people I tell it to so far

    1 vote

  17. Comment on Humble Bundle: Martha Wells’ Murderbot and more in ~books

    Chemslayer
    Link
    Hooray! I read the first one and enjoyed it tons, but the books being full-book price for 100 page novella length was a mental block I couldn't get past for the sequels. But now the price is right...

    Hooray! I read the first one and enjoyed it tons, but the books being full-book price for 100 page novella length was a mental block I couldn't get past for the sequels. But now the price is right and I can enjoy the rest of em :D

    9 votes

  18. Comment on Do you play games in a play by email format, and if so what are you favorite games? in ~games

    Chemslayer
    Link
    I researched this a few years ago, I was living on a bus and had spotty/slow internet, but still wanting to play an engaging game. Anything requiring synchronicity was out. Real time is out too...

    I researched this a few years ago, I was living on a bus and had spotty/slow internet, but still wanting to play an engaging game. Anything requiring synchronicity was out. Real time is out too obviously. But while any turn-based game can technically be played by mail, many have so many opportunities for decisions and responses that waiting for each would drag. As an example, a turn of Magic the Gathering has something like 24 priority passes that both players have to acknowledge. In person it's easy, as you usually just skip them or interrupt when you want to do something. But in PBEM, you have to check each time, which means there'd be a small part of doing things and a lot of emails just saying "pass priority" which is lame.

    So the game has to 1) be turn based in some form, and 2) has to have enough interesting decisions or actions to take between needing to consult the other player to be worthwhile. Also wanted 3) two player, as I didn't want to organize a whole thing, I just wanted to play with a pal

    The classic here is chess, since (rhetorical) you can get a lot of mileage analyzing the board and thinking about moves before you make yours. But I'm not much of a chess guy, I wanted something with a little more pizzazz.

    The pickings were slim, but I did ultimately settle on Codex: the Card Game. It's a weird card-based game meant to emulate an RTS of all things, with champions and factions and such. But it has a good amount of depth, and the interplay was fun, and it is actually designed such that each player doesn't need any response from their opponent during their own turn (ideal PEMB!). It's out of print, but you can still buy a digital copy and print your own cards to play via sending pictures to one another. When my friend and I played we also put together a complicated Google sheet that served as our boards, to digitize it further. Sadly, we only got halfway through our first game (and I took a pretty large upper hand) before my friend lost interest, so I didn't end up getting to explore too much :(

    2 votes

  19. Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime

    Chemslayer
    Link
    Nearly finished with the currently available SpyxFamily manga, starting vol 14 now. Would recommend, fun slice of life with very goofy elements (relating to the main trio and their unique powers...

    Nearly finished with the currently available SpyxFamily manga, starting vol 14 now. Would recommend, fun slice of life with very goofy elements (relating to the main trio and their unique powers etc).

    I do want to say though, I'm worried. I'm fairly new to manga, but it seems to be a custom that at the end of each volume the writer (and artist if it's someone different) will write a little blurb about whatever, usually something random from their life, and it's endearing. The last several volumes of SpyxFamily the author blurb has been all about how he feels overwhelmed and overworked and has no time for anything but making the manga anymore. I really hope mr manga guy takes care of himself, obviously I want more issues but more than that I don't want him to burn out and hurt himself on something he loved :(

    5 votes

  20. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    Chemslayer
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    Been playing a lot of Astral Ascent, local co-op with my best friend. To be honest I wasn't very into it, it had too much going on (Basic attacks and 4 spells that you did in order but also...

    Been playing a lot of Astral Ascent, local co-op with my best friend. To be honest I wasn't very into it, it had too much going on (Basic attacks and 4 spells that you did in order but also there's a ton of different spells and 5 elemental types and each elemental type has 4 or 5 mechanics that intersect with each other in different ways and ahhhh). But I kept playing as my bf was very into it, and around the 20 hour mark something clicked and I started to really enjoy the game. We just got the "true ending" yesterday and plan to work through more ascension levels. Being local co-op is a ton of fun too, even if there's some annoying parts that don't seem super thought through (like only one of you can be looking at a pickup at a time).

    Overall, I still don't think I can recommend it, as I'm not comfortable reccing something that takes 20 hours to make sense. But it does turn into a fun and powerful rogue-like, and you can make some truly busted stuff, so if you decide to put up with the learning curve it's a good time esp co-op

    1 vote