KyuuGryphon's recent activity
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Comment on Godot Engine in ~games
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Comment on Any OG Doom players who would like to test maps? in ~games
KyuuGryphon LinkBeen playing GZDoom and been thinking about getting into Doom mapping for a while myself, I'd be happy to help! Singleplayer, co-op, or deathmatch (though I'm probably pretty terrible at...Been playing GZDoom and been thinking about getting into Doom mapping for a while myself, I'd be happy to help! Singleplayer, co-op, or deathmatch (though I'm probably pretty terrible at deathmatch, lol). ^^
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Comment on What anime scenes are most memorable to you? in ~anime
KyuuGryphon Link ParentOh, I was just being silly, heh. :P I love Umineko to pieces, it's literallly my favourite work of fiction. Having said that, between some of its themes, the sheer density of the work, and how...Oh, I was just being silly, heh. :P I love Umineko to pieces, it's literallly my favourite work of fiction. Having said that, between some of its themes, the sheer density of the work, and how much it demands the reader's attention, I find it a little hard to recommend sometimes, haha.
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Comment on What anime scenes are most memorable to you? in ~anime
KyuuGryphon Link ParentI don't know if I can really speak as to what the pacing is like later on - I've been reading it via the Switch version of Higurashi Hou (there's a fan patch that translates it to English), which...I don't know if I can really speak as to what the pacing is like later on - I've been reading it via the Switch version of Higurashi Hou (there's a fan patch that translates it to English), which is significantly different from the original VNs you can find on PC, in that the first three arcs in particular (as well as some of the console-exclusive arcs) are basically merged into a single, branching episode, much like character routes in a dating sim. I've also only read up through arc 5 of the original, so I'm unsure what the pacing is like from that point onward just yet.
Having said that, what I've read so far has been really good, so I'd definitely recommend it!
Also, Umineko. Definitely read Umineko. -
Comment on What anime scenes are most memorable to you? in ~anime
KyuuGryphon Link ParentYesssss, a fellow Higurashi fan. I think I know the scene you're talking about - it's in arcs 2 and 5, right? Honestly, I think all of arc 5 manages to qualify in a way, lol. Just, the entire...Yesssss, a fellow Higurashi fan. I think I know the scene you're talking about - it's in arcs 2 and 5, right?
Honestly, I think all of arc 5 manages to qualify in a way, lol. Just, the entire thing, from start to finish - while it's a shallow adaptation of the VN, that entire arc was still so striking to me.
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Comment on What’s a value that you hold but also struggle to live up to? in ~talk
KyuuGryphon Link ParentGod, I feel this. Really, really hard. I'm also really, really bad about trusting and opening up to people, no matter how much I try to be there for my friends and such. I just... can't do...God, I feel this. Really, really hard.
I'm also really, really bad about trusting and opening up to people, no matter how much I try to be there for my friends and such. I just... can't do emotional vulnerability. Even with my therapist or my parents, or friends I've known for decades, it's just - my brain automatically goes "well, they don't really want to hear about what's going on, I don't want to trouble them with my problems," and so on and so forth.
I don't know if I could even point to a reason why this fear is so deeply ingrained in me, but it is. It's maddening.
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Comment on What are your thoughts on Bluesky social app? in ~tech
KyuuGryphon Link ParentIt's not really the technology itself that makes me cautious - it's the intentions of the people behind it. Even if they're limited in what they can do with the site itself, I'm extremely...It's not really the technology itself that makes me cautious - it's the intentions of the people behind it. Even if they're limited in what they can do with the site itself, I'm extremely skeptical of the intentions of billionaires and CEOS and the like who have strong connections to the crypto ecosystem.
Basically like Krawler said - I don't trust that their goal with BlueSky isn't to pump up the value of whatever cryptocoins they own.
Apologies if I'm not making sense or explaining this well. I'm very tired and drained right now. -
Comment on What are your thoughts on Bluesky social app? in ~tech
KyuuGryphon Link ParentTo clarify, in my parent comment here - by crypto, I mean cryptocurrency. Cryptography and the like is fine, and I'm all in favour of secure, encrypted platforms. If that's genuinely the only kind...To clarify, in my parent comment here - by crypto, I mean cryptocurrency. Cryptography and the like is fine, and I'm all in favour of secure, encrypted platforms. If that's genuinely the only kind of crypto that ever touches BlueSky, that's fine by me. If they were just, like, keen on cryptography in general, that'd be fine.
The fact they've been involved in cryptocurrency, on the other hand, makes me immediately very wary, what with the overwhelming number of frauds and scams in the crypto economy. That's more than enough for me to be suspicious of their intentions here, honestly.
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Comment on What are your thoughts on Bluesky social app? in ~tech
KyuuGryphon Link ParentMm, that's a good point. I know one of the points I've seen a lot of people complain about though is the image compression - I know that's one of the things that keeps me from using it for art, at...Mm, that's a good point. I know one of the points I've seen a lot of people complain about though is the image compression - I know that's one of the things that keeps me from using it for art, at least. The character limit's also a negative for me on all fronts - I like to include some thoughts about my art alongside it, as well as just ramble in general about stuff that's on my mind, and for someone as long-winded as I am, a 280-character limit just doesn't cut it, lol.
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Comment on What are your thoughts on Bluesky social app? in ~tech
KyuuGryphon LinkHaven't used it myself, but I've been seeing a fair number of artists I follow asking around about invites or announcing that they're setting up an account there. I... don't really get it. Like,...Haven't used it myself, but I've been seeing a fair number of artists I follow asking around about invites or announcing that they're setting up an account there.
I... don't really get it. Like, don't get me wrong - I get why people are jumping ship from Twitter, with how Musk's trying to run it into the ground, but... well, I'm really not a fan of Twitter's short-form message format in the first place. I think it's a net negative for discourse and intelligent discussion, and frankly discourse on Tumblr was already bad enough - moving to a platform with such a small character limit just made things so much worse. I'm probably just not the target audience, I guess, but I can't wrap my head around it.
Also, while I've seen people pointing to how BlueSky has one of Twitter's co-founders (Jack Dorsey) on its board of directors as a positive... from what I can tell, both he and the CEO (Jay Graber) have both had their hands in crypto. That's more than enough reason for me to be immediately wary of it, to be honest.
Even if I lurk more often than I post, I'd rather stick to somewhere like here.
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Comment on What games do you most wish had a remake, or a sequel or both? in ~games
KyuuGryphon LinkA remake or remaster of Sonic Adventure. A proper remake, for that matter - none of that SADX stuff. Just go right back to the Dreamcast version and use it as a basis, don't bother with any of...A remake or remaster of Sonic Adventure. A proper remake, for that matter - none of that SADX stuff. Just go right back to the Dreamcast version and use it as a basis, don't bother with any of DX's "enhancements". A modernized version of SA1 with improved controls and better visuals is the dream.
(also, while not exactly a remake/sequel, a PC port of Unleashed HD would be very nice, too)
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Comment on Why didn't Sonic Mania 2 happen? in ~games
KyuuGryphon Link ParentIronically, as a predominantly-2D/Classic fan, I can't say I feel all that satisfied with a lot of it either. I love the hell out of Unleashed HD, but even in its 2D segments, it hits a very...Ironically, as a predominantly-2D/Classic fan, I can't say I feel all that satisfied with a lot of it either. I love the hell out of Unleashed HD, but even in its 2D segments, it hits a very different feeling to actual "Classic" Sonic, which is what I really want. Colours was also good, but I think categorizing it as a 3D game is honestly a bit misleading, due to just how much of it is 2D sections (and even when it is 3D, some of it's paper-thin, if not outright automated). Generations was fine, though in hindsight Classic Sonic in Generations is kinda lackluster too, with a lot of it being automated/scripted to work "as intended", and Forces... not only did Classic Sonic in Forces feel absolutely shoehorned in for no good reason, he also felt awful to play as, IMHO. I think it would've been a much better game (or, well, at least had better potential) on just about every level if they'd kept it to the Avatar and Modern Sonic. Meanwhile, as far as 2D stuff goes... the Rush games were fun, but they weren't really "Classic" either, barring some aesthetic choices, and no matter how much Sonic 4 claimed to be returning to the series' roots, one you strip off the paint, it's just Sonic Rush 3, basically, and not in a good way.
Frontiers is pretty easily the most fun I've had with a modern 3D Sonic game since Unleashed - which I find interesting, because I feel like on one hand, other than the recycling of stage aesthetics from Generations for the cyber-space levels (which is getting old by now, please let Green Hill rest already) and Chaos Island being 99% 2D (which was pretty easily the lowest point of the main game IMO), it's probably the least reliant on "Classic" tropes the series has been in a while - but on the other hand, it's also the closest any 3D game (save Adventure 1) has ever gotten to scratching the same itch as the Genesis games. Just running and rolling around, building up speed while running down slopes and rocketing over the terrain - it's not perfect, but it's still so nice.
This, uh, kinda turned into a longer ramble than I meant it to be, sorry! But from a Classic fan's perspective, while there's been a lot of lip service, there hasn't been much beyond Mania that's really been all that substantial, either. I'm curious about how Superstars is going to play out though, especially with Taxman (Christian Whitehead) giving the physics his blessing, and I've got my fingers crossed that Sega builds on the Frontiers format in an interesting way without abandoning it after a few games.
OT: It's nice to know that Mania 2 just didn't pan out, rather than it being due to bad blood between Sega and Headcannon & co. While I'm still a little wary about Superstars just because of Sega's track record, seeing Taxman's approval of the physics and hearing about how some of it evolved from discussions about where to go next with the Mania devs, I have to admit I'm feeling a little more optimistic.
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Comment on Xenia Canary, a Xbox 360 emulator, will beep annoyingly and blames user of piracy if the user uses an ISO file in ~tech
KyuuGryphon LinkWelp. Guess it's a good thing the only 360-exclusive game I was interested in emulating was the OG Saints' Row, because I sure as hell won't be touching Xenia (Canary, at least) again for the...Welp. Guess it's a good thing the only 360-exclusive game I was interested in emulating was the OG Saints' Row, because I sure as hell won't be touching Xenia (Canary, at least) again for the foreseeable future. As someone with sensory processing disorder, this is just straight-up malicious.
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Comment on Wonka | Official trailer in ~movies
KyuuGryphon Link ParentAh, good point, I forgot about the Twitter changes... To summarize the thread, with some extra details: The very first scene is a cold open that involves an Oompa-Loopa getting devoured by the...Ah, good point, I forgot about the Twitter changes... To summarize the thread, with some extra details:
- The very first scene is a cold open that involves an Oompa-Loopa getting devoured by the Vermicious Knid. Yep.
- The second scene opens on Willy and his friends dancing and playing instruments on the rooftops of London during the Blitz in WWII, during which he means Slugworth
- Willy gets in a love triangle with Charlie's mom and dad as teenagers; Charlie's dad is the son of an extremely rich chocolate magnate who frames Willy for assault to get him sent to prison
- Willy ends up on a prison ship where he accidentally kills one of his cell mates, then kills the other to cover it up, before ending up on a "bright, almost technicolour island" teeming with (bloodthirsty) Roald Dahl-esque creatures, as well as Oompa-Loompas (described as having "Southeast Asian features" and "orange and green tribal markings")
- The island/prison colony is a subsidiary of Bucket Chocolate, so after learning how to make poison from a Hornswaggler's horn from Narpah, Willy sabotages the company by poisoning their chocolate supply; this bankrupts them and leaves them in their rundown house from the novel
- Prince Pondicherry visits the island to meet with the Governor, which Willy uses as an opportunity to escape; after escaping he has a brief affair with Angina Salt, Veruca's mother
- Willy builds the chocolate palace that the prince wants, but knowing that it's going to melt, he steals all of the prince's jewels and flees the country, letting the prince and his guests get killed (? it's ambiguous, but...) as the palace melts
- Willy buys the abandoned Bucket Chocolate Factory and transforms it into his own before trying to reconnect with Eveliegh (Charlie's mother); when she rejects his advances, he turns into a cooped up, paranoid recluse - during this period, he learns about the children from the book and how nasty they are, driving him to want to kill them
- He stages the whole golden ticket thing to get all the children (including Charlie) into the factory; the last act is basically him using the circumstances to try and kill all of them, including Charlie (pushing Augustus into the chocolate river, deliberately vaporizing Mike during the TV chocolate demo, etc.)
- Eveliegh and Slugworth (and Charlie, by way of his kindness) manage to stop him at the last moment, at which point he gives ownership of the factory to Charlie before taking off in the great glass elevator
As the Twitter writer puts it, "every scene after he's arrested is basically about the trail of bodies he leaves behind." I'd like to stress that I'm not making any of this up, either. This is pretty much how it goes. It's completely unhinged, and I'm more than a little morbidly curious about how it'd be to see it in actual movie form as opposed to just a script.
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Comment on Wonka | Official trailer in ~movies
KyuuGryphon LinkAs soon as I saw the thread title, my mind immediately flashed back to that utterly insane Jason Micallef script from 2014. It's an absolute trip, and I would be lying if I said I didn't kinda...As soon as I saw the thread title, my mind immediately flashed back to that utterly insane Jason Micallef script from 2014. It's an absolute trip, and I would be lying if I said I didn't kinda want to see it in actual movie form.
There's a brief Twitter thread summarizing some of its... highlights here, and you can read the script itself at your own peril here. It's 114 pages of the most ridiculous whimsical grimdark nonsense I've ever read.
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Comment on What is your most important game? in ~games
KyuuGryphon LinkHonestly, there's a lot of games I could think of that would fit the bill here - but thinking about it, I have to go with a little puzzle game called Wonderland. The original trilogy is a very...Honestly, there's a lot of games I could think of that would fit the bill here - but thinking about it, I have to go with a little puzzle game called Wonderland. The original trilogy is a very Chip's Challenge/Sokoban-esque puzzle game, with pushing boxes and making bridges and such. The second trilogy, the Adventures games, are a bit more RPG-esque, with NPCs to talk to and an overworld to explore.
I joined the community waaaaaaaay back when, mid-2004, when I was just seven years old. I, uh. I'm a bit too embarrassed to try going back through my old posts or anything like that, haha - but the games and the community forums introduced me to some of my best friends. I can't imagine how different my life would look if it weren't for them - a mutual friend (who's since left, sadly) even introduced me to my first boyfriend, and the emotional support they've given me over the years has been invaluable. (hi wing, hi samuel, in case either of you end up reading this <3)
I could probably cite a lot of other games that'd fit this list too, for various reasons - Umineko, Half-Life, Outer Wilds, Super Mario World, Minecraft, Sonic, Chip's Challenge - but when it comes right down to it, I don't think any of those games have had as distinct and long-lasting an impression on me as Wonderland has.
except maybe umineko but i'm not counting it since it's a visual novel -
Comment on Stories where the main character succumbs to "evil" in ~books
KyuuGryphon LinkI'm torn on mentioning this - on one hand, it's a supremely powerful example to me and still makes me cry after all this time; and on the other hand, it's a massive spoiler... Oh well, lol. Read...I'm torn on mentioning this - on one hand, it's a supremely powerful example to me and still makes me cry after all this time; and on the other hand, it's a massive spoiler... Oh well, lol. Read at your own risk.
Spoilers
I've mentioned it in another thread before, but the visual novel Umineko comes to mind, in a way. The bulk of the first half of the story has the protagonist, Battler, arguing with the witch, Beatrice, trying to prove that her and her magic aren't real by explaining her supposed magical murders with human methods (it, uh, makes sense in context, really).Because he's an 18-year-old boy who's mainly motivated by the fact that Beatrice pisses him off, he ends up blinding himself to his own feelings towards her and what she's trying to tell him - to the point that he doesn't realize it until he's all but killed her. It's only when time's run out and everything seems to be over that he takes a step back and really thinks about everything she's been trying to tell him throughout the story - and as soon as he understands what's really going on with her... Well, I guess I'll leave it at that, lol.
It's not really a "good vs. evil" thing in final analysis, though it looks that way on the surface - but the full implications of his change of heart and what it means, both for himself and Beatrice, never fails to get me choked up, especially with how the story ends.
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Comment on What is "that part" for you in any game? in ~games
KyuuGryphon LinkThe first and last (not counting the final portal map since there's nothing to it) maps of Interloper in the original Half-Life. Unlike a lot of people, I'm actually kinda fond of HL1's Xen in...The first and last (not counting the final portal map since there's nothing to it) maps of Interloper in the original Half-Life. Unlike a lot of people, I'm actually kinda fond of HL1's Xen in general - it's obviously rushed, yes, and it's a lackluster finale to the rest of the game, but there's such a striking sense of isolation to it for me that makes it really interesting. Interloper in particular is actually quite nice as a basis for something better, I think - there's a lot of world-building and interesting things that could be done with the little Vort "village" on the second map, or the factory after that.
...But then there's the first and last maps, with their focus on precise platforming while making you deal with an infinite supply of flying Alien Controllers. It's really not good. The first map in particular - everyone talks about how On A Rail is confusing and labyrinthine, but it's constructed and signposted so much better than Interloper's first map is. I don't even know how many years it took me to realize there was a whole bloody cave area in that map, because the entrance is completely hidden from view and there's all the little pitfall catapult things scattered around. I genuinely thought for ages that the intended solution was to use one of those to land on one of the floating platforms.
On the other hand, the last map's straightforward enough (I think it could probably have done with some more side areas to explore, in fact) - but having to deal with the Vorts scattered around, ready to snipe you from across the chasm, and the endless stream of Controllers dealing chip damage (at a time where you're likely running low on suit armour), while riding the spinning platforms that give you almost no time to aim... I wouldn't say that the rest of Half-Life is perfect - II think it's got its fair share of places that just haven't aged well from a design perspective - but those two maps of Interloper are pretty unquestionably the nadir of the game, IMO.
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Comment on What's a sequel you were disappointed by? in ~games
KyuuGryphon Link ParentI had a blast with ToTK myself, but I kinda agree, I think - it just doesn't hit the same notes as BoTW did. While some of that is by design, I came away feeling that it just wasn't quite as......I had a blast with ToTK myself, but I kinda agree, I think - it just doesn't hit the same notes as BoTW did. While some of that is by design, I came away feeling that it just wasn't quite as... cohesive, somehow?
It actually kinda feels to me like a game that's not entirely sure of what it wants to be - there's some moments where I feel like it takes on a decidedly darker, almost MM-esque atmosphere, and some where it's a bit too light-hearted (though it'd probably help if it weren't so vague about the timeframe); some places where it's pretty clear about presenting itself as a direct follow-up to BoTW, and some where it seems to be doing everything it possibly can to distance itself from the first game...
As much as I enjoyed it, I can totally understand what you're saying (I think, lol). It wouldn't surprise me if, in final analysis (once the novelty and excitement's worn off a bit), the delays and hype end up working against it somewhat.
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What's a sequel you were disappointed by?
Warning: this post may contain spoilers
See title. I thought this might make for an interesting topic and I can't see one like this in the search, so...
What sorta got me thinking about this - a couple days ago, I noticed that Dying Light 2 got a sizeable update, with a pretty heavy emphasis on changes to the game's parkour mechanics. I absolutely loved the first Dying Light, as well as both Mirror's Edge games - parkour and other kinds of momentum-driven gameplay are my jam - so that got me curious enough to check it out again, for the first time in a year.
I played for a few hours, got some of the way in, and... felt pretty underwhelmed. It certainly feels better than it did last time I played, and the change to retain momentum during parkour moves does feel pretty nice... but it still feels far too slow and floaty to me. It feels awkward and unresponsive to me. On top of that, the combat updates - while I actually appreciated DL2's changes to the combat over DL1's (a major gripe I've always had with DL1's combat is that sometimes zombies take just one or two hits and sometimes they take twenty, and I have never been able to detect any kind of pattern to it - combat level, game progress, weapon damage, etc., none of them seem to impact it so I have no idea what's up with it), playing it again now... left me feeling pretty disappointed.
I booted up DL1 for the first time in a while the next day, just intending to compare how it feels - and I've since found myself drawn several hours into it. Even in the first half hour of the game, where your climbing's super slow and everything, it feels so much more snappy and reactive - it feels good. And while my previous gripes with its combat are still present, it feels so much better to me now than DL2's does (for the most part - fighting human enemies still sucks). I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but there's just something really visceral and satisfying about it that DL2 doesn't have.
As I've been playing DL1, as well, I've been thinking about its story again. As much as it's maligned for its story, I think it's actually a really interesting subversion and deconstruction of expectations in a lot of ways - while that could be a thread (or video essay, I've thought about it) of its own, the way I see it: despite how the intro and story set him up, Crane actually fails pretty hard at being a hero until towards the end. I mean, the very first thing he does is take a crowbar to the back of the head, get bitten, and get someone else killed. It's a pattern that continues throughout most of the game (and even The Following, I'd argue, even though I don't care for it much). I find it pretty memorable beecause of that, even if it falls flat in some places.
Meanwhile, Dying Light 2... I honestly couldn't tell you much about the story? It didn't leave any kind of impact on me at all. I'm not really the kind of person who plays games for their stories very often (unless it's something like Ace Attorney where that's explicitly the point), and I have to admit that I went into DL2 with low expectations to begin with (I held off getting it at launch because of Denuvo, by the time I did pick it up reviews were already fairly negative; and I tend to view "your choices really matter!" in advertising as a huge red flag so that wasn't a good sign either), but even so. It might be in part because I actually quite liked DL1's ending - I found it pretty refreshing for a post-apocalyptic zombie game - so DL2 throwing that out didn't sit well with me from the get-go (also part of why I'm not too keen on The Following, but that's a different matter).
Overall, it just sorta left me thinking about how... even though I'd tried to go in with tempered expectations - all I really wanted was a fun zombie-flavoured parkour game, where climbing and jumping and swinging and stuff felt fluid and rewarding - I still found myself left feeling pretty hollow about it, even after an update that allegedly addressed some of my biggest issues with the game. It's especially frustrating, because the Inner Circle (I think that's what it was called, I can't remember - the second city map) is really, really cool and I would absolutely love to just aimlessly run around it... if the movement didn't feel floaty and awkward. Stuff like climbing to the top of the VNC Tower felt exhilarating and awesome - I could catch a glimpse of something excellent there, but it was so outweighed by everything else.
So... Yeah. I dunno, I thought this'd make for an interesting question. Have theere any been any sequels you've played that left you feeling underwhelmed, in comparison to the previous game? If so, why?
alright maybe some part of me just wants to ask this so i'd have an excuse to waffle about dying light and its story a bit but still i think it's an interesting topic nonetheless
EDIT: formatting51 votes
I have no formal programming training to speak of - I'm self-taught, and understand a lot of the basic principles well enough that I can adapt and do reasonably simple things in a handful of different languages fairly easily (Lua, Python, Ruby, SourcePawn (niche, but still), 68k Assembly, and IIRC some C++ and Flash stuff when I was younger). I've only dabbled in Unity and Unreal very briefly many years ago, and didn't have much luck with them, really - Unity had me confused and overwhelmed, and Unreal was mostly done following a lesson course, IIRC, so I didn't really do a whole lot beyond level design.
While I don't have a lot I can really show for it yet, beyond a sample test that loads level files from an old indie puzzle game series and generates the world mesh appropriately, using Godot has been a pretty pleasant experience overall, for me. As someone who's probably dabbled in Python more than any other language, adapting to GDScript was relatively painless - hell, just transitioning from Godot 3 to 4 probably gave me more trouble than getting used to Godot 3 in the first place.
My biggest issue with it so far is probably just the audio system - I haven't had much luck in getting results with it that I'm happy with, but to be fair, 1) I'm not an audio/sound person in the first place, and 2) I still haven't done a lot of poking around at it compared to some of the other systems.
But, yeah - as a hobbyist, overall, I've been really happy with it. I've had a hypothetical project in the back of my mind for a couple years now that I was originally envisioning as a Ren'Py project, but after a bit of playing around with Godot, I'm almost certain I'm going to be using it instead, even if that means I have to do a lot of busywork for it myself. It's just really intuitive and nice to use, IMO.