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My major complaint about Amana is that it has a ton of sweet goodies, and getting some of those requires fine combing through the very treacherous waters.
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May 12, 2014 14:27
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Alan Smithee posted:If he put more effort into it he could probably make something almost as monstrous Yeah if you're willing to spend time in the character creator you can make almost anything. Certainly possible to make horrifically ugly poo poo.  This character actually doesn't look that bad when hollowed though. Once you're good at Dark Souls though, gimmick characters are the best way to have fun. You haven't truly experienced Dark Souls until you've dressed up as an astronaut and punched the Old Iron King to death. Internet Kraken fucked around with this message at 14:33 on May 12, 2014 |
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May 12, 2014 14:29
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Hyper Crab Tank posted:water that slows you to a craw... it just felt like an annoying slog. This right here is my biggest complaint about DS2, really. Sure there's a lot you can pick about it but after spending a few hours farming in doors of pharros I've never missed the rust ring more. There isn't much water in DS2 thankfully, but the few areas it is in, they have you go through a lot of it at one time and it turns the whole area into, well, a massive slog and there doesn't seem to be any way around it. No rings to walk fast in water, no miracles or sorceries to do it either as far as I can tell. It just makes me want to not play any time I have to enter amania or doors. Not because the areas are hard, or the enemies kill me. But because I don't want to watch my character's slow rear end slosh through the ankle deep water like it's waist-deep quicksand for what feels like an eternity. EDIT: Oh cool, someone posted a blue monster!  Here's mine. I named her "Rectalmancer".
Nuebot fucked around with this message at 14:33 on May 12, 2014 |
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May 12, 2014 14:30
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Just wait until you get gray-phantomed in Doors of Pharros and have to fight an elephant-man and a player in said waist-deep water. Screw that place.
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May 12, 2014 14:32
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How much harder is NG+? I'm tempted to ascetic the bonfire to fight Freja so I can pick up the soul. How long do the last too if I die and will summoning make the fight much harder?
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May 12, 2014 14:33
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Hyper Crab Tank posted:I gotta agree that Shrine of Amana is bullshit. Not because it's difficult, because it's not really any worse than the areas before or after, but because it contains so much annoying bullshit that you have to deal with. Half-hidden enemies (which also make targeting what you want more annoying), water that slows you to a crawl, dodging shots, trying to keep your torch lit... every step through that hellhole is an exercise in frustration. I didn't enjoy working my through that place... it just felt like an annoying slog. Yeah, I really disagree with people saying to roll through the casters and stab them. I tried that twice. First time I fell into a hole in the ground I couldn't see because of the water. The second time I reached the closest caster (the only one attacking me when I started running), except by the time I got there I was being attacked by several frogmen I didn't see on the way, and gained the ire of two more casters. I got poked to death. It's easier and safer to just take them out from a distance. Doesn't take too much longer anyway. It's not hard, it's just not fun. Same thing with the gutter and black gulch, they're not hard, but whenever I think about going through them, I decide to just go do something else instead. Seriously, gently caress Black Gulch. Who thought a level where you stab a hundred stationary statues was fun? There's too many to just avoid and poison does too much damage to ignore. It's very short and easy but doesn't stop it from being such an unfun slog. Renegret fucked around with this message at 14:35 on May 12, 2014 |
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May 12, 2014 14:33
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Internet Kraken posted:Yeah if you're willing to spend time in the character creator you can make almost anything. Certainly possible to make horrifically ugly poo poo. My immersions!
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May 12, 2014 14:33
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Renegret posted:Same thing with the gutter and black gulch The worst part about the Gutter for me was the stupid dogs that seem able to hurt you without you noticing. I don't know what's up with those dogs... it's like their attack animation hits instantly, but doesn't interrupt your animation or make a sound, so you kind of just suddenly die if you're not watching your health bar. I just rushed through Black Gulch and used a poison moss at the boss door, then never went back, so it doesn't inspire the same feeling of hate as Amana.
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May 12, 2014 14:35
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Jose posted:How much harder is NG+? I'm tempted to ascetic the bonfire to fight Freja so I can pick up the soul. How long do the last too if I die and will summoning make the fight much harder? I usually get bored about halfway through NG+ and delete the character. It is much easier because you have all your phat gear and they didn't really add much. Freja however will always be easy no matter what level she is at because of Ashen Bro Boyd. Just make sure you bring an upgraded weapon or something.
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May 12, 2014 14:35
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Hyper Crab Tank posted:Just wait until you get gray-phantomed in Doors of Pharros and have to fight an elephant-man and a player in said waist-deep water. Screw that place. Ratbros are not doing their job right if they're done in the water with you and the mastodons. Jose posted:How much harder is NG+? I'm tempted to ascetic the bonfire to fight Freja so I can pick up the soul. How long do the last too if I die and will summoning make the fight much harder? Bonfire ascetics are permanent. Also, when you go into NG+, they will carry over, so areas you've asceticed will be higher difficulty than normal. As for freja, I can't be sure for how much longer it'll take to kill it, but you'll have to be much more careful about getting hit because things HURT in NG+.
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May 12, 2014 14:36
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david... posted:Had a similar experience earlier with the Brightstone spiders, hours and hours of play and the first time they've ever webbed me today, creeped me out. They can jump onto your back and instakill you as well. Made me see those spider-controlled holloweds a bit different afterwards.
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May 12, 2014 14:37
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Hyper Crab Tank posted:The worst part about the Gutter for me was the stupid dogs that seem able to hurt you without you noticing. I don't know what's up with those dogs... it's like their attack animation hits instantly, but doesn't interrupt your animation or make a sound, so you kind of just suddenly die if you're not watching your health bar. I just rushed through Black Gulch and used a poison moss at the boss door, then never went back, so it doesn't inspire the same feeling of hate as Amana. They're so obviously bugged. I'd be more annoyed if there were more of them. Another enemy I just arrowed to death. (how does poo poo like that get through QA?)
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May 12, 2014 14:38
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The Gutter made good use of the torch and I liked seeing more and more of the level light up as I progressed. It's a long way from being my favourite bit of the game, but I'm glad it was in there.
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May 12, 2014 14:41
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turtlecrunch posted:I usually get bored about halfway through NG+ and delete the character. It is much easier because you have all your phat gear and they didn't really add much. Freja however will always be easy no matter what level she is at because of Ashen Bro Boyd. I'll probably give it a go then so I can get Crystal Soul Spear. I'm still lacking a spell that hits as hard as Lightning Spear despite the fact my int and weapon are a fair bit higher and soul spear having less than half the casts
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May 12, 2014 14:41
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Ignimbrite posted:Ratbros are not doing their job right if they're done in the water with you and the mastodons. Yes they are  Standing up on the ledges sniping people is a loser tactic that will get all your friends killed. Plus its way easier to win rat fights just by hiding in the cubbyholes near where the phantoms spawn. When they move forward to fight the mastodon, you come up from behind and hit them with your attack of choice. I liked casting fire tempest just out of view and casually walking right next to them.
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May 12, 2014 14:43
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Killed an arbiter that was trying to kill my bellbro friend and I's target. This is our fight cop, stay out of it  .
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May 12, 2014 14:48
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Internet Kraken posted:Yes they are The only times I've been killed by ratbros have been when they didn't jump down to fight me, and I kept missing the loving toxic rat. That being said I've never had anyone hide in a cubby, they've all either not move from their perch or drop down and get turned into a fine hollowed goo. I admit I have not been in that bit of doors of pharos that much though. e: Ulvirich posted:I beg to differ. That's positively evil. I love it Ignimbrite fucked around with this message at 14:52 on May 12, 2014 |
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May 12, 2014 14:49
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Ignimbrite posted:Ratbros are not doing their job right if they're done in the water with you and the mastodons. I beg to differ.   INTERLOPERS INTO THE KING'S DOMAIN load up in front of this door here. Casting camouflage here is perfect because either they don't look behind them when they load in, or they think they're trapped and have to move forward because they can't get around that statue that appeared behind them when the map loaded. Everyone's in water at that point and everyone takes extra lightning damage. Or if they're really good at dodging, they get dark fogged in slowing water. 
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May 12, 2014 14:49
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Ulvirich posted:I beg to differ. In the grave of saints, camouflage can turn you into a little rat statue too, you can mingle in to the rat hordes.
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May 12, 2014 14:54
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Even though Ratbros are friends to all creatures in their domains can they still be damaged by them? One summoned me in Pharos and we were fighting in the water. I rolled around him and started a backstab just as the mastodon dropped his giant sword down. Guy instantly lost all his health and I was declared the winner. I was a naked mage with a +10 magic mace so I hit kinda hard but not enough to one-shot the poor guy.
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May 12, 2014 14:55
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Beer4TheBeerGod posted:What kind of distribution are you going for with your stats? I just killed Dragonrider and have no idea WTF I'm doing. 1 into str (for mace), then 20 int/faith before you get to Felkin, then I went enough attunement for 5 slots, before pumping more back into int/faith. There's a pretty decent guide in the console thread, linked from the OP, about how to get a great hexer setup as quickly as possible. I went up to 13 str before finishing pumping int/faith for access to the light crossbow as well. Also w/r/t boss soulstones, you want to save 4 for an important item trade later, but other than that you're free to consume a good amount of them. The hardest part of hexing is getting to the previously mentioned spoiler, after you get some gear/spells you're a tiny golden god.
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May 12, 2014 14:55
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I have to say, there are few times when games really subvert my expectations completely, and makes me completely stop and think long and hard about what I'm doing, it's totally stupid that I feel this way, but when I was totally unprepared for the sadness of meeting king vendrick. Something about the way the game just sets up the whole experience up to him, the guantlet of undead enemies, the grand hall filled to the brim with amazing statues filled with a dozen or so knights protecting the doorway, the epic bossfight of the greatest of vendricks knights protecting him, everything leading up to him put me in the mindset of "ooOOOH IM GONNA GET YOU YOU MOTHER FUCKER" so when I caught I glimpse of him from far away I was like "HOO YEAH ALSAQR GONNA BRING YOU THE PAIN AAAAARGH" but the second I stepped into his chamber, expecting an epic boss fight to occur, instead the music turned super sad, and vendrick himself, didnt even notice I was there, he was fumbling and shambling about as if lost and looking for something, a giant rotten husk, hollow to the core, the room filled with statues hooded face down with sadness, the blackness that permeated the room was like witnessing a newly blinded child trying to find his way about, I couldn't even lock on target him. I just walked calmly past him, the prize was just there, laying on the floor. no fight, no fuss, I stood there looked at the husk of the king, I felt a strange swelling of emotion from the sheer sadness and pitiful show of how far this giant of a man had fallen, and just walked out there, the green saint telling me that I must walk in the footsteps of the former king, I shudder to think of what that trail might lead me. I really don't want to kill Vendrick, but part of me feels obligated to do so, I feel like this is one of those points in the game that might decide the nature of the ending, do I have to kill him? does he drop anything? is it absolutely important to finishing the game? I mean, gently caress, isn't this what the whole game built up to? isn't he supposed to be the final boss? I am at a loss to what I should do. I have never been so utterly surprised by a game of this nature in a while, maybe I'm making a big deal out of nothing, I dunno. but good job developers, I was not expecting that.
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May 12, 2014 14:56
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BrainMeats posted:Even though Ratbros are friends to all creatures in their domains can they still be damaged by them? I've had the traps beat the poo poo out of me. The stone axe trap that hits the island directly in front of zone in hits like a mack truck to a mage type character.
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May 12, 2014 14:57
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Hyper Crab Tank posted:Just wait until you get gray-phantomed in Doors of Pharros and have to fight an elephant-man and a player in said waist-deep water. Screw that place. Being a ratbro means that not a single one of the enemies between the first and second bonfire in Doors of Pharros or Grave of Saints will attack you. Grave of Saints takes a grand total of 20 seconds to traverse from the entrance to the fog wall that lets you "win" the ratbro summon (it's literally a room, two thirds of a corridor, a ladder, a third of a second corridor). Doors of Pharros takes maybe a minute but has far more opportunities for the host to gank you. Just run away and explore the area once you've joined the rat covenant. BrainMeats posted:Even though Ratbros are friends to all creatures in their domains can they still be damaged by them? No, and you can't damage them either. Traps will hurt indiscriminately, though. Lemon-Lime fucked around with this message at 15:02 on May 12, 2014 |
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May 12, 2014 14:58
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Al-Saqr posted:I have to say, there are few times when games really subvert my expectations completely, and makes me completely stop and think long and hard about what I'm doing, it's totally stupid that I feel this way, but when I was totally unprepared for the sadness of meeting king vendrick. Killing him is totally optional, for doing so you'll get his soul which drops in an area of Amana not from him, also his outfit which is probably one of the nicest looking sets if not very useful ~fashion souls~
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May 12, 2014 14:59
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Al-Saqr posted:I have to say, there are few times when games really subvert my expectations completely, and makes me completely stop and think long and hard about what I'm doing, it's totally stupid that I feel this way, but when I was totally unprepared for the sadness of meeting king vendrick. I agree, I really loved that atmosphere in that part.
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May 12, 2014 15:13
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Does spicing a spell to lower the stat requirements weaken it? Hypothetically, if I were to spice a spell I already have the requirements for (not that I did that), would the spell do less damage even though I have the same int or faith for it?
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May 12, 2014 15:14
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Cyberventurer posted:Does spicing a spell to lower the stat requirements weaken it? no
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May 12, 2014 15:15
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Lemon Curdistan posted:Being a ratbro means that not a single one of the enemies between the first and second bonfire in Doors of Pharros or Grave of Saints will attack you. I'm not the ratbro. I'm the chump that gets summoned and swiftly turned into a fine mist by a combination of elephant greatsword and multiple homing sorceries while I pitifully flop around in waist-deep water. Grave of Saints is almost trivially easy at this point, and I have more lockstones than I could possibly use, so go figure. Fortunately, I got everything I wanted from Doors of Pharros so I don't have to go back, anyway.
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May 12, 2014 15:17
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Hyper Crab Tank posted:I'm not the ratbro. Yes, that's why I told you to join the rat covenant in order to not get summoned.
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May 12, 2014 15:18
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Man, using the red sign soapstone is a fool's errand. All white phantom ganksquads. Or weird situations where some dingus has summoned like 3 red phantoms and for some reason the other red phantoms are killing eachother instead of the guy.
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May 12, 2014 15:27
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Attestant posted:My major complaint about Amana is that it has a ton of sweet goodies, and getting some of those requires fine combing through the very treacherous waters. There's an easy way to handle that. Kill everything, double back to a bonfire and light your torch. The torch makes seeing pitfalls extremely easy.
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May 12, 2014 15:28
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Speaking of Ratbros just a word of warning. If you are being summoned by one don't put in a Pharros Lockstone as you are going into the loading screen because it will bug and take your lockstone, fill the slot and not open the door.
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May 12, 2014 15:29
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I'll never understand the MMO drop rates in this game. I ran out of sentinels and only got the chest and gauntlets. Is it really true in NG+ they don't respawn after the first time you kill them?
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May 12, 2014 15:31
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FirstPersonShitter posted:Man, using the red sign soapstone is a fool's errand. All white phantom ganksquads. Or weird situations where some dingus has summoned like 3 red phantoms and for some reason the other red phantoms are killing eachother instead of the guy. The latter situation is like a fight club thing. The host continually summons reds that duel each other. The winner stays to fight more. Usually the host will keep a warmth spell going to heal up the contenders after fights. Its kinda neat and reminds me a lot of how "organized" pvp was back in demon's.
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May 12, 2014 15:31
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fuxxo posted:Speaking of Ratbros just a word of warning. If you are being summoned by one don't put in a Pharros Lockstone as you are going into the loading screen because it will bug and take your lockstone, fill the slot and not open the door. This is true for basically everything, just FYI. If you use an item in the ~5s before the loading screen pops up, it gets used but you get no benefit out of it.
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May 12, 2014 15:32
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voltron lion force posted:The latter situation is like a fight club thing. The host continually summons reds that duel each other. The winner stays to fight more. Usually the host will keep a warmth spell going to heal up the contenders after fights. Its kinda neat and reminds me a lot of how "organized" pvp was back in demon's. I guess I screwed up by backstabbing the host then. People should put their signs in some specific location if they want to do some fightclub nonsense. Duels are kind of a pain in the rear end too. Its 50/50 whether you end up with some dingus in a frankenstein ultra pvp build with avelyns, hexes and a painting guardian sword. I can normally beat them but so often I get killed by some stupid thing they bust out at the last second when they're losing.
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May 12, 2014 15:35
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Are items that drop from NG+ bosses guaranteed? I've seen there are 2 rings from bosses that come in NG+ so I was thinking about asceticing them as well as Freja. I also just learned that the skeletons the spawn in the skeleton lord fights happen after each lord dies. God that would have made the fight so much easier I just killed the 3 lords first 
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May 12, 2014 15:38
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^^^^ Yes, things like the caster ring from Skeleton Lords go directly to your inventory, just like souls. After fooling around with non-standard weapons (i.e. Dex + Twinblade, dual wielding and such) I've come to the conclusion that every single one of them would be hella cool if they didn't break after a minute of use and if they had a little more damage and/or versatility to them. 
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May 12, 2014 15:46
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Al-Saqr posted:I have to say, there are few times when games really subvert my expectations completely, and makes me completely stop and think long and hard about what I'm doing, it's totally stupid that I feel this way, but when I was totally unprepared for the sadness of meeting king vendrick. This is why I don't get people thinking Dark Souls 2 has a bad story. The atmosphere for that encounter is incredible. I felt basically the same way you did. The game doesn't try to make you feel any sympathy towards Vendrick prior to that, but in a moment the weight of his burden and the tragedy of his story becomes clear.
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May 12, 2014 16:04
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