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 Ciconia no Naku Koro ni, aka Ciconia When They Cry, aka When the Storks Cry, is the third (or fifth, depending on how you count it) of the When They Cry games written by Ryukishi07. Following the well-known Higurashi and the slightly less well-known Umineko, Ciconia is a completely new tale, requiring no knowledge of the previous games (although having some will make certain scenes much more interesting). From the small-town horror of Higurashi and the closed circle murder mystery of Umineko, Ciconia takes us into a massive open world, moving as it does from the 1980s to a bizarre vision of the future. What's the premise? Ciconia takes place in the A3W era, after humanity has recovered from the horriffic violence of World War III. In this world, a new technology called 'Gauntlets' is developed, which allows a single person to wield firepower greater than any vehicle on the planet. The young Gauntlet Knights who master these weapons are hailed by all as the guardians of peace, the ones who will ensure that a World War IV never comes. However, will they be allowed to lead the world into an era of peace, or are they merely the pawns of the old, rich and powerful? Are the young the main characters of their own era, or just pieces on the board? At the present, there's only one of four planned games out. So, the story will leave some things unresolved. Word is that the next one is coming out somewhere around May 2020. Yes, I'll probably LP that one too. This seems extremely linear. How is this a game? It is, in fact, perfectly linear - like its predecessors, Ciconia is what's known as a Sound Novel. The purpose of an LP like this is to consume the story together as a group while speculating on what the secret truths of the game's tale are as we go. Ciconia definitely has enough happening in it to stay engaging, even in this format. It's less aggressive about being a puzzle than Umineko was, but the puzzle is still there - Ryukishi07 described it as being like Evangelion, where you can enjoy it at a surface level as you play, but you can also dig deeper as desired. Spoiler policy? No spoilers! Don't spoil anything, don't allude vaguely to future scenes, nothing. This one won't take a year and change to get through, so don't talk about the cool scene until we get to the cool scene. Higurashi and Umineko spoilers are fine, but spoiler bar them. What's the format? Unlike Umineko, this will be a mostly pure screenshot LP. The game requests no video streaming of content past a certain point in the story, so I'm not going to have any video links past that point. Updates will be three days a week. Table of Contents Prologue Battle Standard Festival Battle Standard Festival 2 The Athletes Arrive It's a Wrap Public Bath It's a Wrap Public Bath 2 Parallel Processors Vier Dreissig Vier Dreissig 2 An Identity Confusion Violation An Identity Confusion Violation 2 Three Kings Three Kings 2 The Third Aptitude The Third Aptitude 2 Monster Party Monster Party 2 Simultaneous Global Conflicts The Guardians of Peace The Guardians of Peace 2 A Gift A Gift 2 Proof of a Program The Value and True Weight of Peace The Value and True Weight of Peace 2 Forming a Chivalric Order It's a Wrap Public Lust? It's a Wrap Public Lust? 2 Don't Die, Don't Kill Don't Die, Don't Kill 2 God's Scenario God's Scenario 2 Simultaneous Global Truce And Terror Simultaneous Global Truce And Terror 2 Disaster Utopia The Dignity of Returning to Dust The Dignity of Returning to Dust 2 The Second Simultaneous Global Truce The Second Simultaneous Global Truce 2 Revolt of the Drones Kids' Meal of Natural Disasters Kids' Meal of Natural Disasters 2 The Hour of the Prophecy The Hour of the Prophecy 2 Data Fragments Virtual Experience Presentation Regarding Selcoms The Okonogi Crappy Collage Grand Prix Training with Grave Mole Regarding Rejection Shields Quinn2win fucked around with this message at 01:07 on Mar 22, 2020 |
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Oct 31, 2019 01:39
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The Five Factions Kettes:  Warcat Grave Mole Kettes:  Baibao Suparna Because of the level of the Religious Police’s authority, other factions think of it as a police state without freedom of speech.  Thalathat Suyuf Yeladot Shavit Some members of the Royal Family blame failures in national policy on other factions, taking an overly hostile attitude in the belief that the people from other factions are looking to split Africa up into colonies once again. Because of the excesses of some Royal Family members, other factions believe the Royal Family is corrupt and abusing their people.  Quinn2win fucked around with this message at 14:35 on Jan 28, 2020 |
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Oct 31, 2019 01:40
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 BGM: Sakusen Kaigi   What if all these superpowers were compressed into the left arm of a single soldier? I'm not talking about some sort of comic book hero. What you're looking at is the next generation of soldiers who will defend world peace!  Narrator: "This elegant Gauntlet, worn on the left arm and reminiscent of medieval knights, contains all the weapons and technology humanity has given birth to thus far! It controls all the 8MS in their bodies and the surrounding air, enabling them to free themselves from the laws of the surface world and surpass them!"  He literally was floating. Cutting-edge 8MS techniques made it possible to create and control force fields, releasing his body from gravity. The whistle blew again, and his floating body danced like a bird, flitting about the space over the airstrip at will.  Narrator: "And, the powerful Gs that would normally put a harsh burden on them have been eased thanks to the Anti-G 8MS in their bodies. This allows them to fly in ways pilots of existing aircraft could never even dream of."  The video changed scenes. A Gauntlet Knight, practicing in the skies above the training grounds, was being recorded from behind by a friendly plane in pursuit. One moment, the Gauntlet Knight was flying in the elegant, familiar way of a plane, and the next, its trajectory became complicated and bizarre, as if it was being bounced at odd angles like the diffuse reflection of light. Because it looked like they were rebounding fiercely off the walls of a pipe as they flew, this was known as ricochet flying. As the word 'ricochet' suggests, the Gauntlet Knight kept flying at fierce, sharp angles, without losing any of their speed. Normally, flying like this would put enormous Gs on their brain and all over their body, likely killing them instantly.  Narrator: "And, I want you to pay close attention to this footage. This is a fire-control system trying to target a Gauntlet Knight."  Narrator: "Though they can display this level of midair mobility, Gauntlet Knights are not planes! They truly are infantry, Aerial Augmented Infantry! Their ability to land and take off is completely unrestricted, so they can carry out tactical operations anywhere a human is able to stand!" By this point, Gauntlet Knights already possessed all the strengths of fighter jets, VTOL aircraft, and helicopters. Narrator: "So then, what about their weaponry? You're probably thinking that, regardless of their mobility, they'll be completely useless if they don't have the firepower to take down their targets. But when it comes to Gauntlet Knights, that's an utterly needless concern!"  The scene changed. A boy soldier who was apparently a Gauntlet Knight stood still in what looked like a vehicle service station. Set about him in a radial pattern were all sorts of weapons and ammunition, like a weapon bargain sale. There were rows and rows of missiles designed for fighter jets, just as many precision smart bombs, and even several heavy torpedoes designed for major warships. This was clearly more weaponry than your average fighter jet. Furthermore, there were howitzers and their ammunition laid out alongside them, as well as multi-barrelled machine guns with ammo belts folded several times over. And that wasn't all. There were also reconnaissance drones, several types of signal flares, ammunition resupply containers, and various construction kits, with everything down to the slightest detail packed in.  Narrator: "Witness the armament of a battleship and the mobility of a fighter jet! This is a Gauntlet Knight! But that's not all! They also possess an ultimate technique that cannot be reproduced with any currently existing weaponry! Watch and learn!!" The scene changed, and it now appeared to be an outdoor shooting range. The same Gauntlet Knight boy soldier stepped forward. Several adult soldiers stood side by side some distance away, all pointing guns at him. Immediately after a whistle blew, the sound of gunfire and smoke rushed towards the boy, as though a bunch of firecrackers had been set off. That was it... Nothing happened. It was a bit of a letdown. Narrator: "Do you understand what just happened? Let's slow it down a bit!"  The next time a whistle blew, a soldier who had been lying prone and wielding a light machine gun sent a signal, then laid down a powerful barrage. It was so fierce, you could see what was happening clearly now, even without the slow motion.  The scene changed again. The same soldier boy was standing in a different part of the shooting range, but this time, the camera was far away from him.  After a countdown, the boy was swallowed up by a massive explosion like something out of a Hollywood film. But, when the flames disappeared, he was still standing there with a blank expression, as though nothing had happened. Narrator: "An invincible defense!! And easy control over the skies! And the ability to use endless weapons at will!! And every little bit of that is all compressed into a single Gauntlet Knight! In this new era, the numbers representing the military might of nations will surely shrink drastically. All we'll need to know is how many talented Gauntlet Knights each nation has!!" The screen changed several more times, showing various scenes of Gauntlet Knights training. Sometimes, they led fighter jet formations, and sometimes they led aircraft carrier fleets. Then, they landed jauntily on the ground, surrounded by a tank division.  Narrator: "The Aerial Augmented Infantry awaits you! The moment you put a Gauntlet on your left arm, you will become a Gauntlet Knight!!!"  BGM: Welcome to A3W The old officer rose from a seat in the projection room, rubbing his back. A young, voluptuous female officer who seemed to be a private secretary helped him up. Officers: "No, no, sir. We cannot make it any shorter in light of the regulations."  "Is that so? Very well, very well." "By the way, kids like explosions, right? Bang boom, and all that. We've gotta add more flashy scenes. Also, the hook in the first 15 seconds is important, understand? I studied film back in the day, so I know all about it."When the old officer started talking proudly, the other officers all took out notepads at once and made a show of writing it down diligently...  Tch. Look at this moronic video they've made. As if just putting a robot toy on your arm could turn anyone into a superhuman being. Keh. In the first place, these Aerial Augmented Infantry things are still just theoretical. If it was just a portable system for individual flight wielded by specialist troops, that'd be realistic enough. But then you throw in one bit of ridiculous technology after another and call them Gauntlet Knights? What are they, superheroes from some American comic book? True, there weren't any lies in their catalogued specs. They could fly like fighter jets, carry weaponry like battleships, and set up invincible barriers like tanks. In that propaganda video, the brat looked like he was flying around happily. Still, the shock reduction provided by Anti-G 8MS isn't invincible. He did a bit too much ricochet flying, and after the shoot, the capillaries in his eyeballs ruptured, eventually rendering him unconscious. If only they'd filmed it in one take, he'd probably still be able to see. Even the Dimension Container, which worked like a four-dimensional pocket, kept having issues. Just how many brats have been turned to mincemeat when they tried to open it up, and then immediately got hit by an explosion before they could fire up their Rejection Shields? Even that Rejection Shield had only become stable very recently. And if it doesn't work perfectly when a brat's flying at 800 km/h, all it takes is a lazily flying pigeon to smash their heads to bits.  ...After all, anyone would want to do it. If I'd been in my teens, and someone told me I could become the face of our entire military, flying unaided through the sky... I'd be screwed too. Heheheheh...  "Still... a bird in the hand's worth two in the bush. In the end, it'll just be an esport, where you can't really fly outside the simulator..." "By the way, the Aerial Augmented Infantry boy in this video really is young and bold. I'd like to get a chance to meet him. Do you think you could bring him to dinner tonight? Oh, that sounds excellent. Captain Okonogi!" "What? Is that true? What a shame. He looked magnificent, so I was hoping to give his career a boost. Too bad, too bad..." ...Truth be told, that explosion scene in the video just now was also the scene of his death, Major General, sir. Heheheh.The filming schedule was a bit too rushed, so he must've been overworked. He screwed up with his shield during the flashiest scene at the very end. Thanks to that, we were forced to edit it to make it look like he'd survived a massive blast. Goddammit, it's not like we've got the budget for this kind of thing... Secretary: "Sir, it's about time you went to your car..." "Oh, okay. Well then, keep up the good work, everyone. Also, everyone's eyes will be on the Aerial Augmented Infantry division at the Battle Standard Festival, so make sure you give it your all. By the way, I believe a contestant from here in Japan will be representing the AOU, correct?" Dammit, if that skinny brat's supposed to be representing the Rising Sun at the International Battle Standard Festival, this world really is screwed.  Thank you for waiting so long for us to prepare. Now, I will finally start up the game. However, are you sure about this? This is merely my personal opinion, but I believe the difficulty level is quite high, given the circumstances. Still, I am well aware that you know the joy of achieving victory, especially over conditions such as that. This is a considerably high tier of difficulty, after all. Your opponent is already fully prepared.
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Oct 31, 2019 01:40
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It's like Ryukishi07 read some dark shipgirl fan fics, steepled his fingers, and went "Yeeeesssssss...."
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Oct 31, 2019 02:23
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I love this game and I love prof prof. Ground floor.
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Oct 31, 2019 03:07
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Toalpaz posted:prof prof Ah yes, it HAS been a while since I did a thread, hasn't it? Let's fix that name. Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Quinn now, and I'm nonbinary and stuff.
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Oct 31, 2019 03:31
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The military-industrial complex isn't a giant clusterfuck of wasted resources and governmental attention! Why so ever would you think otherwise?
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Oct 31, 2019 03:59
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Quinn2win posted:Ah yes, it HAS been a while since I did a thread, hasn't it? Let's fix that name. ^5 fellow nb buddy! \o/ HYPE! I hope one day I too can die in the line of duty for my country's army's commercial.
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Oct 31, 2019 04:35
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Get in, folks, Ryukishi07 is back.
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Oct 31, 2019 05:23
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*squints* I get the feeling these military fellas aren't very nice. Also oh my god what's wrong with that torso.
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Oct 31, 2019 06:17
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Quinn2win posted:
Still way more truthful than the one with marines facing down the balrog imo.
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Oct 31, 2019 07:49
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Here we loving go! Ground floor on Ryukishi's wild ride  IMO this is by far the best first episode out of all the When They Cry stuff. This thread is going to be a treat.
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Oct 31, 2019 11:21
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Ah yes, Ciconia. I enjoyed the first episode far more than Higurashi's or Umineko's. Looking forward to it to seeing your take on it Quinn.
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Oct 31, 2019 12:51
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Is that the same dude from all the other ones?
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Nov 1, 2019 00:58
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tomanton posted:Is that the same dude from all the other ones? Same writer from Umineko and Higurashi. Different colorist, though. Ryukishi07 still draws the linework for the sprites (if the lack of mittens in the preview disappoints you, don't worry--you'll see them soon), but a pro artist colors them and cleans up the linework.
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Nov 1, 2019 03:13
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  And there, atop the antenna mast at the peak of the tower... I stood. My fear of heights... is now little more than a fond memory. Of course, that's not really such a great thing. In your everyday life, if you jump out a third-story window and seriously hurt yourself because you can't be bothered to go down a staircase... Well, that's just a joke among people like us, but a pretty common one.   "...Whew."I let out a deep breath and gathered my wits. Then, I slowly extended my right foot into the black void... the nighttime sea. Gravity pulled on my entire body, and I slowly fell forward... I dove into the nighttime sea. The gentle change caused by gravity was soon accelerating me towards the ground at an incredible pace. I was in freefall, with the positions of heaven and earth swapped. A natural freefall, without any force field manipulation, feels the best. My body fell faster and faster. I can never get enough of this sense of acceleration! I was probably getting near the ground, but it felt as though I could sink forever through that black nighttime sea. Part of me wanted to wax poetic, but this was simple vertigo. The sum of my mental data -- not including sight -- left me fully aware of the speed and trajectory of my fall, as well as the surrounding terrain and the time to impact.  BGM: Genius Children In the vacant space I'd launched from, something blossomed, delicately bathed in white phosphorescence. They floated in the air, incredibly beautiful... Almost as though an angel's feathers had been scattered about...   A train bridge came into sight before me. Across it raced one of those new steam engine locomotives that just debuted this year. The steam engine is synonymous with economic revolution and kicked off a wave of technological advancement. It was also the first step towards mechanized technology. I doubt any of the great technological geniuses of the past would have expected it to make a comeback after the nuclear age.  I happily burst through the vapor billowing out of that steam locomotive. A forest of skyscrapers awaited me on the other side.  There were also Japanese-style electric billboards interspersed throughout it. That slightly twisted yet strangely appealing contrast was the essence of the Tokyo Metropolis at night. The cityscape, style, and fashion sense were all reminiscent of the 19th century. However, behind the artistic veneer celebrating the rebirth of an economic golden age...lay state-of-the-art inventions that could fairly be called the ultimate in human tech. And at the cutting edge of that cutting edge, it had finally become possible for a flesh-and-blood human to fly like this. Of course, this power was only available to a few people so far. I was one of those lucky enough to enjoy this privilege.  Being careful not to fly too high, I raced through the forest of skyscrapers and billboards. This felt way more like flying than staring down from above did. The newspapers keep saying we should cut down the number of electric billboards to avoid disrupting the city's scenery, but I kinda like this look. After all, Tokyo has looked like this since the day I was born. Why should I give a drat about the ancient Tokyo those adults long for so much? This is our Tokyo! As I continued to pick up speed, I slipped past billboards that stretched out over the road and seemingly competed with each other.    I glanced down and saw a gleaming swarm of cars blanketing a highway that wound through the downtown district. The exhilarating feeling of gliding right over all of them...was by far the most primal part of the primal joy of flying!  "You know, you forget this feeling if you don't fly every now and then."It's only natural that flying through the air is exhilarating. At that moment, a little frog character hopped into the corner of my mental display. It was Selcom's beloved mascot, Keropoyo. Then, it made a mental announcement with that funny default voice.  Immediately, a friend started talking to me through my Kizuna. Who the heck's doing that? I'm busy focusing my mind by remembering my primal self... ...Well, I guess there's only one person it could be.   "Leave me alone." "I'll bet you haven't warmed up enough yet, huh? Well, Supergenius Jayden has come to play with you." "Sheesh, you're such a pest."It was my annoying partner. He never leaves me alone, even when I'm trying to focus my mind in solitude.  "...Yeah, warming up's important. ...For someone like you, at least." "Heh. As if you didn't expect me to show up right about now." "I'm flying for my own sake. It's not like I was waiting for you." "You're such a cute tsundere, Miyao♪" "...What a pain in the rear end. Okay, sure, I'm in. I don't want people blaming me if you screw up later on." BGM: Gauntlet Wings  "So, are we using competition rules?" Activating Reaper's Eye. Friendly unit "Jayden" located. Registering as hostile poyo. "Nah, we can leave it like this. You like this place, right?" Hostile unit "Jayden" has activated its Reaper's Eye. We've been located poyo! "Tch. Don't act like you're doing me a favor by saying that." "We don't need a killjoy like rules. Let's just go all out on each other!"While we smack-talked each other, we both started circling the Miyu Spiritium building, hiding behind it. It blocked our line of fire, but in a Gauntlet fight, cover like something from an infantry battle meant nothing.   BGM: Rouge  Then, not a beat later, Miyao summoned into existence a massive seven-barrel gatling gun, big enough that it covered his body. After all, just as Miyao had launched guided missiles around the building, Jayden had launched missiles back at him! The missiles that appeared one after another from beyond the skyscraper were met by Miyao's gatling gun. They were rapidly caught by the hailstorm of bullets, exploding one after another, bursting the skyscraper's windows to glittering dust. The gatling gun, which floated in the sky above Miyao's right hand, was exactly like those loaded onto warships to defend against anti-ship missiles. These were supposed to weigh over 9 tons. However, it continued to float there over Miyao's arm as if it weighed nothing at all.  Jayden intercepted Miyao's guided missiles, which had come flying around at him in the same way. If they had come flying via a traditional maneuver, aiming directly for their target, it would've been easy to intercept them. However, these two could control the flight paths of all the missiles they launched. For that reason, no computer could completely intercept a volley of their high-maneuverability missiles, as they approached along such complicated trajectories. The missiles were being guided by humans, so it took a human to intercept them.  "Your missiles are pretty twisted too!" "Duking it out with you would make anyone twisted...!!"They circled at high speeds, shooting down the missiles that chased them one by one. Naturally, both were simultaneously guiding missiles, intercepting them, and also controlling the speed and direction of their own flight. It would be impossible for a normal person to do all this at the same time. That's why Gauntlet Knights were admired by children... no, by people everywhere.  They were being chased by swarms of missiles flying in complex trajectories, constantly intercepting them, while still firing missiles themselves and looking for a chance to corner their opponent. Doing so was brutally exhausting. And, the instant you gave your opponent an opening, they'd take advantage of it and end the whole thing. That was how a standard one-on-one fight between Gauntlet Knights went. "So you think you can win if it's an endurance dogfight, huh...? Don't forget, Miyao." "I know, you're a supergenius, right?" "Yep! I'm Supergenius Jayden!!"  He raced through the empty restaurant, sending tables flying! While playing a fierce game of tag with guided missiles, Jayden had also been investigating. He had accessed the floor plans for the Miyu Spiritium Building that had been the center of their dogfight. The building screening the two of them from each other had instantly become a shortcut...!  "You little...!!" "I'm a supergenius!!! Hear me roar, uryaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh!!!"The entire building was pierced as he performed an all-out body slam backed by a force field! Despite that, Miyao just barely managed to dodge. He kicked off the empty air and sent glowing feathers flying, changing his direction in a right angle and plunging straight down. Of course, Jayden hadn't been naive enough to hope that his surprise attack would land a clean hit. However, in dodging, Miyao had been forced to make too sudden of a vector change, and the Anti-G 8MS in his body had used up almost all of its energy in an instant.   Until you're fully recharged, you can't do anything at all poyo!Without any energy left, Miyao lost all control and could do nothing but let himself freefall straight down. His energy would recharge soon, but in an extreme close combat situation like this, that pause would be utterly fatal! Jayden was looking down on him from above, in complete control. Their raw, unaugmented gazes crossed! Jayden swung his right arm down, scattering glowing feathers about as he summoned a .50 caliber heavy machine gun!   But too bad poyopoyo!! You're still recharging, so you can't do anything poyopoyo! Oh, but even if you're in freefall, you can still pray poyo! Heheheheheh!Goddammit, this new version of Keropoyo sure is an rear end in a top hat!    "Huh...?!"Even when supplemented by the Reaper's Eye system, which makes it possible to observe the entirety of the surrounding area, people tend to focus on a single point when they get excited. In that instant, all other directions become blind spots for them. So, by the time he saw 'that', it was already right behind him!  He had just summoned it in midair, nothing more. It was merely a floating object, not guided or moving in any way. So, it had entered freefall...and was now right behind Jayden! However, it wasn't as though he hadn't given this missile any orders. It had just one. And that... was to explode after a few seconds delay. A massive explosion engulfed Jayden from behind! An instant later, pure white angel feathers were scattered all over the area in front of the blast.  It was an invincible shield usable only by Gauntlet Knights, who could perform a Dreissig Conversion on Spiritium unaided. A Rejection Shield. They could extend it instantly, blocking any sort of attack. However, depending on the strength of the attack and whether the defender was taken by surprise, doing so could expend a massive amount of energy.  "...You...got me...!!!" "Heh. As if I'd let you win with a little trick like that!"It had been a completely unexpected trap. And, it had resulted in a blast to the back at extreme close range. Jayden had used up almost all of his energy in an instant!  "Triggering it at such close range would've taken you out with the shrapnel too, but you got me to put up my shield and block it...! You really are crazy, awesome, and totally screwed up, Miyaoooooooooooooooo...!!!"Sending glowing feathers scattering with the last of his energy, Jayden rapidly accelerated towards Miyao! And Miyao, who was in freefall, waited for Jayden as he came to settle this!   Surrounded by dancing fragments of glass, glowing wings, and shrapnel from the blast, the two men with raised fists...collided...!!  BGM: None  As the pair descended in freefall, two punches containing all of their strength crossed... It was a cross-counter... So, would they take each other out? ...No. The victor was clear.  Jayden's right straight definitely reached Miyao's cheek, but Miyao's right straight didn't make it. The difference in reach was obvious.  "...D-D-D-Dammiiiiiiittt!!!!"In the end, the showdown between Gauntlet Knight aces was decided not by wit, nor physical strength, nor glucose levels, but by height alone. Their energy was recharged and they regained control, rescuing them from the shackles of freefall.  BGM: Advancing "Wahahah, wahahahahah!! Sweet, let me know when you do. I'll even give you special permission to punch me, wahahahahah!!" "That's a promise, okay? Don't you go forgetting it!!" "...Still, I'd expect no less from you, Miyao."  "Not bad, partner. I may have won by a nose, but the battle's far from-" "I let you win, obviously! I mean, you always get pissed when you don't win in the end! Naturally, I lost on purpose for the sake of your mental health!" "Huh?! A-And I was trying to be a gracious winner too...!" "No matter how you look at it, my trap worked perfectly and I won! In a real battle, it wouldn't end with a punch! And my recharge would've been at least 1 second sooner! Then, if it were a real battle, I would've blown you away with a force field and slammed you against the wall, winning!" "Ah, dammit! We almost closed out that scene so neatly, and now you've ruined it!"Though he said this, Jayden laughed, looking somewhat amused. Miyao wasn't really the sore loser he sounded like. They had both just been scuffling and playing. And look, now he's smiling too. However, his expression transformed utterly a second later.  "I know that... We were playing, so I just had a bit of fun, okay?" "And that's not all! The paths of those first suppression missiles were too simple! You keep getting stuck in a pattern without twisting it up a bit! And you wasted time when intercepting missiles! Your trajectory when dodging was weak too! Just look at the trajectory data, three seconds after you started intercepting missiles! What a pointless maneuver! Get rid of the loss from this part, and you would've had enough energy to finish me off in the final clash! And look at the trajectory data from 23 seconds later, 24.2 seconds later! Make gravity and inertia your friends instead of wasting your Anti-G 8MS! Hey, are you listening to me, Supergenius Jayden?!" "...Great, here comes lecture-mode Miyao..."Miyao sent him bits of battle action data one after another, marked with red annotations. At first, I thought this guy was so annoying, acting like he was my instructor or something. However, when he lectures people, he's definitely not letting his emotions get the better of him. The things he points out are always accurate... and most importantly, he really does watch people. Normally, in a fight, you only think about how you're gonna take down your opponent, about how super strong you'll be when you win, right? Miyao is always watching his opponent when he fights. Always thinking. It might sound weird when I put it this way, but he's always seriously thinking about his opponent's feelings.  "However, the way you demonstrated parallel thinking by searching for a way to strike back while playing tag with missiles wasn't bad. You used evasive maneuvers to gain yourself a moment of time to stockpile your mental resources, which you then employed effectively. Judging by your level of strain, you minimized the amount of unused mental resources throughout the fight." "Well, it's not like I can leave any of my brain unused in a fight against you, Miyao."...See? He really does look closely at his opponent's feelings. He may never miss it when someone gets clumsy or screws up, but he also never misses it when people work hard. I tried, in my own way, to make use of the precious advice he gave me in our previous match, and it looks like he really noticed. "You tried, in your own way, to confront the problems you had the last time we fought. That's what makes you a supergenius, Jayden. Nice work." "Hahah, hahahahah."  Then, my Kizuna's Keropoyo notified me that a bunch of friends had arrived at once. Sheesh, can't you let the two of us flirt alone in peace?!   "We didn't do much. Just a bit of a warm-up. Right?" "That's right. Just a bit of light stretching." "*sigh*... Your blood sugar levels don't agree." Friendly unit "Lilja" has registered as hostile. Friendly unit "Koshka" has registered as hostile.    "I won't forgive you for having fun in a place like this while we were getting bored to tears by that ceremony meow♪ Mew, mew, meoooow♪" "...I was so bored. ...Time to blow off some steam to make up for it..." "Let's see who can take down the others first, meow! There's no way I'd ever lose to a hick like Koshka meow♪" "...Don't make me laugh. I'll take on you and all the others...and crush you..." "Go ahead and do it if you can♪ I'll beat up Miyao and Jayden and plant you upside-down in the Siberian permafrost, meow meow♪" Enemy unit "Lilja" is summoning an anti-air mine dispenser poyo. Enemy unit "Koshka" is summoning an anti-Gauntlet sniper rifle poyo. "Hey, just stop it already!!" "The Instructor's gonna get mad at me＞＜!!" Odds of "Chloe" getting chewed out by the Instructor now at 99% poyo. Heheheh, *kero*kero*kero*. "Waah, I can't take this anymore＞＜!" "Good grief." "...Miyao, Jayden, are you sure such a light warm-up was enough for you?" "No, I was just thinking it was time for a real warm-up. Right, Miyao?!" "Yeah. This time, let's check our ability to work as a team. ...If you take a gamble like last time, I really will punch you, okay?" "Heheh. Sure, I'll just wait for you to get a rocket fist that can actually reach my face." "Then it's decided. Chloe, we should warm up a little too." "Friendly unit 'Gunhild' has registered as hostile?! Wh-Whaaaat?! Nooooooooo＞＜!!"  Enemy unit "Chloe" has begun accessing Super Tokyo Tower's anti-air cannons "Sakura 1" and "Asagao 1" poyo. "She may try to hide it, but Chloe's totally on board with this." "Aaah, just let me take all of you out!! Instructor, none of this is my fault＞＜!!" "I'll happily take first strike meow♪ I'm gonna eat everything up, not gonna leave a scrap for Koshka♪" "...If you and my target line up, I'll skewer you." "Do it if you can, meow meooooow♪" "Here they come! Let's go, Miyao!" "Yeah!! I'm so fired up, I couldn't care less about that Battle Standard Festival of Peace...!!"   Video: Opening LET'S PLAY CICONIA NO NAKU KORO NI, PHASE 1: FOR YOU, THE REPLACEABLE ONES
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Nov 1, 2019 13:41
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e: doublepost.
Quinn2win fucked around with this message at 14:01 on Nov 1, 2019 |
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Nov 1, 2019 13:41
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The update 1 link in your OP points to the doublepost, not the update. Looking forward to another When They Cry, Quinn!
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Nov 2, 2019 00:40
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And now we get to the meat of the story. And by meat, I mean those beautiful, beautiful hamhands, on full display just as god intended.
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Nov 2, 2019 01:48
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Totally thought Miyao was a young girl, before this. Though I think it's the art, I initially thought Jayden was a girl as well when I first saw the trailer. Wonder how Koshka's face got messed up. MonsterEnvy fucked around with this message at 06:12 on Nov 2, 2019 |
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Nov 2, 2019 05:59
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MonsterEnvy posted:Totally thought Miyao was a young girl, before this. Though I think it's the art, I initially thought Jayden was a girl as well when I first saw the trailer. In Miyao's case, the combination of long overshirt + bike shorts probably helps the ambiguity, too, especially next to Jayden's steampunk vest and slacks.
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Nov 2, 2019 06:33
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The long overshirt was 90% of why I thought Miyao was a girl at first glance, yeah. It's an outfit I don't often see on male characters. (All hail the mittens, long may they reign)
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Nov 2, 2019 11:13
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Jesus these faces and the poyos and the ><s and the everything
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Nov 2, 2019 16:30
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Holy moly, another Ryukishi work! Nice Oyonogi reference there. So excited to be at ground level for this.
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Nov 2, 2019 22:02
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I'd place bets that Chloe is the most/only psycho of all of them, but no one would take it because it's too obvious.
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Nov 2, 2019 23:56
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thetruegentleman posted:I'd place bets that Chloe is the most/only psycho of all of them, but no one would take it because it's too obvious. Well, Jayden and Miyao already ripped a whole civilian skyscraper to pieces for their fun-battle, so I guess I'll just hope they had some way of knowing for sure that there were no people inside. Very excited to be following this; I did already learn about one key aspect of the story, but apparently that one is revealed pretty early on anyway. Not that knowing the plot should matter much, but it will be nice to experience the writing alongside other people. There's already some strong themes being laid out; the scene of Miyao flying through the streets would already have been great on its own, but it's even better in direct contrast to the military leaders' attitudes.
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Nov 3, 2019 00:16
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For the folks who haven't already gotten this game, I strongly recommend getting it if/when you can. The full experience is excellent (with some animations and such), though as a deaf person I sadly am missing on the sound aspects. I'm not kidding by the way, this has a higher budget than the previous When They Cry games. Kaja Rainbow fucked around with this message at 00:38 on Nov 4, 2019 |
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Nov 4, 2019 00:29
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By the way, Quinn, the LP subforums' thread list still shows your old username under 'author'; seems like that doesn't get updated automatically.
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Nov 4, 2019 08:15
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Carpator Diei posted:By the way, Quinn, the LP subforums' thread list still shows your old username under 'author'; seems like that doesn't get updated automatically. Oh, well.
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Nov 4, 2019 14:34
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 BGM: Genius Children Suddenly, all five of the audience's senses were struck by an earsplitting roar that rumbled down to the pit of their stomachs, as well as other sensations like the smell of iron and oil mixed together. Narrator: "Just now, five shiny silver fighter planes passed right over us, dancing through the sky above the International Battle Standard Festival of Peace at Gifu Stadium! Flying at their head was this year's host: Japan of the Arctic Ocean Union! On either side were fighters from the Europe-Middle East Alliance, the Central Ocean Union, the Africa Commonwealth Realm and the Latin American Treaty Organization!"  Narrator: "These warriors of peace have honed their skills day and night to defend peace on this planet, and the crowd can't get enough of them! Let there be eternal peace in this world! And thank you, warriors of peace, for supporting the Walls of Peace from both sides yet again today!!"  BGM: Welcome to A3W  After saying this, the instructor wrote "Kennedy's Powder Keg" on the electronic blackboard behind him, and an illustration that resembled a keg appeared. Both the letters and the illustration were drawn very poorly, and the students all giggled. The instructor was teaching while walking amongst the students' seats, his hands clasped behind him. Though the blackboard was far away from him, he was directly drawing and writing on it. He was using a brainwave input device, also called a mental tablet.  However, no matter the device, only the young can use it to full capacity when it's brand new. So, the aged instructor still wasn't used to it, leading to these rough letters and drawings that didn't suit his high upbringing and education at all.  If you can have a tablet in your brain, then of course you can have a display there too. Some of the more serious students did a serious search for the word "keg", which was displayed as an image inside their brains. Those less serious were using their mental displays to watch TV, play games, or else chat with their friends in virtual rooms. Nearby people had no way of telling what someone was looking at in their mental display. Also, if you wanted to chat with your friends, there was no need to move your mouth. You could use mental transmissions to talk without speaking. And so, both the serious and non-serious students gave birth to an ideal environment for themselves. Instructor: "Kennedy's Powder Keg represents the gunpowder of conflict, sealed in a container where the military efforts of each individual country form the boards." Then, a red line was drawn on the picture of the keg on the blackboard, and one of the boards was removed, leaving a gap. Instructor: "However, what if just one board was short and left a gap? Naturally, everything inside the keg would pour out. Kennedy's Powder Keg tells us that if even a single country fails in its military efforts for the sake of peace, the gunpowder of conflict will pour out from there and explode."  However, after massive losses caused by two world wars and a Cold War brought about by nuclear weapons, and particularly after the advancement of data storage techniques that allowed the inhumanities of war to be seen far and wide, over and over again, some of humanity had developed what might be called a war allergy. Then, when the Great Depression at the end of the 21st century kicked off a fierce economic downturn, people in countries around the world started talking seriously about reducing military spending. Taking advantage of that, pacifists began a major global campaign. That movement received an international tailwind, gaining heavy support from people across the world, made poor by a social security system that had been crushed by the depression. Certain politicians played to the masses and rode this tailwind, building up bases of support all over the planet. They spoke pleasant-sounding words of world peace and love for all humanity, leading the charge for unilateral disarmament in certain countries and earning wide acclaim.  The whole world praised this as a beautiful story, one that would encourage all who suffered under the Great Depression. Every day, the news told stories of countless soldiers leaving armies as an act of self-criticism against the military, to the applause of the people. And, it delighted in showing stories of tanks and fighter jets being scrapped, giving the numbers for how much that had saved in construction and maintenance costs, and comparing that to how many babies could be fed with the same funds.  This resulted in an extremely tilted military balance across several national borders around the world. At the time, national leaders who disarmed unilaterally were lauded as pioneers of world peace and given several international awards. However, in the current A3W era, their reputation had done a 180. They were condemned for abandoning their support of the Walls of Peace that separated countries... and accused of the sin of negligence in their duties towards world peace...  World War III had several causes, but some likened it to a human body, where a nutrient imbalance had triggered a great illness. That led to the concept of "world peace preserved by a healthy military balance". For example, Japan once polished rice because it tasted better that way, which led to vitamin deficiency and a disease called beriberi. They removed the bad-tasting "bran", but they didn't realize that it contained vital nutrients. That "bran" was like military might. True, military might does have a violent and inhumane side to it. Any humanitarian would claim that it "tasted bad". However, when they polished it off and threw it away, it resulted in a fatal nutrient deficiency for certain nations. When military might only exists on some sides and not on others, it's easy to enter an irreversible situation. It was like trying to climb a mountain without a safety line. You'll be fine as long as nothing happens, but if something unexpected occurs, there won't be anything left to support you.  Instructor: "Military might is an element that tastes bitter to humanity. We have chosen to view it as a mineral, a micronutrient necessary for the body to function." Everyone knows that if you pile up zinc and iron and manganese on a table and eat it, it'll be harmful to your health. However, these are essential nutrients that you can't afford to be deprived of, and you need to continue ingesting them in suitable quantities. In the same way, a nation's military might needs to be maintained to a suitable degree to bring about healthy relationships between countries. Or so they say... As a result, military might was viewed in a different light in the A3W Era, as a micronutrient for nations. The tendency to think of soldiers as murderers and enemies of peace was done away with. After all, soldiers of your country were fundamentally war buddies, even to soldiers in neighboring countries, as they all worked together to support the Walls of Peace. The social rank of soldiers rose, and the world became one in which children didn't hesitate to say they wanted to become soldiers when they grew up. Soldiers no longer existed for the purpose of defeating their opponents. They were redefined as servants of international peace, who protected not only their own country, but also their country's neighbors. They supported the walls between countries, preparing for unexpected situations in nearby nations that even those nations wouldn't have wanted, and preventing them from developing into something irreversible. Even the closest spouses and friends fight sometimes. Soldiers who supported the Walls of Peace were like cushions wedged in the middle of fights like that, preventing a fatal situation from developing so that everyone could laugh it off and forgive each other in the end...  BGM: Manshon no kabe o hashiru tokage  Two people who looked very different from those students watched this lecture through their mental display. They seemed to be amusing themselves with it, rather than attending it...  "I mean, whenever organisms gather together, it's to increase their chances at survival, right? In other words, they gain enough military might to protect themselves against outward foes. Isn't rejecting something like that basically sacrilege against the miracle of life on this planet?" "No, no, no. I wasn't trying to criticize people for praising strong militaries." "Oh, you weren't? Then what are you trying to say?" "I don't care if you criticize or praise militaries. As you said, Grand Master, military power is a natural right you have as a lifeform to increase the odds of your survival, and it's also a natural obligation you have for the sake of protecting your descendents who cannot protect themselves. But at the same time, it's also a double-edged sword that can hurt both you and your neighbors. So, whether you criticize it or worship it, you should always continue debating and searching for a better way to exist." "So, what's most important is having people debate all the time...? Ahahah, isn't debate just a means you use to reach an end? I doubt you can guide the common man if your means become your ends." "True, debate can easily lead to wasting time. It's not a great idea to gradually work out a solution when you've got an urgent and pressing issue to deal with. I'm just trying to explain how unpleasant these extreme changes are, and how it's just as unpleasant when nothing changes at all." It was a world where even whispering about the need for military power on social media would be enough to get someone accused of blasphemy against peace and socially murdered. However, even though humanity disliked military might, that didn't mean they'd abandoned their dislike for other races. As a result, the door to World War III was opened not by militaries maintained by nations, but by selfish "military actions" by individual people with self-righteous ideals...   "Ahahahah. Yeah, that is pretty extreme. Hilarious, in fact." "And now, if you imply that militaries are immoral in any way, the whole world will call it blasphemy against peace and ostracize you. At first, it seems to be the exact opposite of what they did before, but they're basically doing the same thing. Differing opinions are aggressively silenced, and no one has the guts to actually discuss the issue." "The mind of the masses is like a single bit of data." "You mean it can only ever be 0 or 1?" "Yeah, that's it. Are you on the far right side, or the far left? They can't see anything besides that. And because that's all their mind can hold, they aren't capable of debate, and they aren't receptive or clever enough to accept a position that's different from theirs." "If you want to strengthen that 1-bit person, then there's no choice but to train them, right?" "I'll bet that training would be pretty harsh for those 1-bits." Whether it's religions, ideologies, or how you like your eggs cooked, the world is full of people incapable of accepting diversity. After all, even people who claim to be for diversity...are unable to accept the existence of people who dispute that belief. ...It's not at all an easy thing to do. People crowd together with those who share their own views, exterminating all opposing views. That's what "debate" means to humanity now, as it approaches the 10 billion person mark once again.  "...Still, in my opinion, if you stop thinking and debating, you aren't even human anymore." "You really are a worrier, aren't you? Very well, I shall grant you the title of 8-bit. Heheheh." "You honor me, Grand Master." "The people can't do anything but advance in a direction that's been decided for them. Showing people where to go is what a king does. If you're waiting for the common man to gain enough intelligence to take part in debate, I'm afraid the sun will probably burn out first, right...?" "Even so, I want to have faith in people." And what if then, you looked around and saw that everyone accepted everyone else, and that everyone was moving in the same direction...? I hope a miracle like that will occur someday. It might not happen until the day before the sun burns out and the globe is covered with ice, but I believe we will make it in time.  "Last year, a power harassment scandal threw the association into chaos. Guess this means I win."Several numbers appeared in their virtual space, and the numbers on Seshat's side decreased and were added to Toujirou's side. This time, they were watching a broadcast of the International Battle Standard Festival of Peace. It was a celebration of peace, where countless young people displayed the techniques and hard work they had built up for the sake of this day. However, to the middle-aged people casually gazing at it, it was merely something to complement a drink or to bet on. 
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Nov 4, 2019 14:38
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I've never met a solider who wanted to protect the peace. Blow poo poo up, yes. Get paid, yes. Drift aimlessly through life because they can't hit a higher rank but don't want to leave the military, yes. Go somewhere without a bar and media entertainment and get shot at? Not so much. Might be considered a wash if you can get cheap poo poo there, though.
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Nov 4, 2019 19:14
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oh hell yeah i just found out you started this already! ive completed the game (up until the credits roll, at least), but i expect to have many thoughts about this game jn every update, since it explores so many interesting themes. i'll do a full post of (spoiler free, obviously) thoughts on the first 3 updates soon, but for now... this is black mirror no naku koro ni
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Nov 4, 2019 19:17
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I'm not sure what I expected from this story in terms of weirdness, but magical meta-centrists were not on the list.
Carpator Diei fucked around with this message at 22:04 on Nov 4, 2019 |
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Nov 4, 2019 21:28
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Yeah so far I'm not thrilled with this "all opinions should be heard and debated" kind of rhetoric. There are definitely objectively bad opinions out there we don't and shouldn't have to debate with the same weight/merit as any other opinion. It's possible that's not at all the position Ryukishi actually believes, or I'm being preemptive in my assumption, so I'm looking forward to more of the story being revealed. I can deal with the ham/mitten hands. Hands are hard to draw! But please, Ryukishi, please make sure the legs look equal in size.
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Nov 5, 2019 02:30
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DentD posted:Yeah so far I'm not thrilled with this "all opinions should be heard and debated" kind of rhetoric. There are definitely objectively bad opinions out there we don't and shouldn't have to debate with the same weight/merit as any other opinion. It's possible that's not at all the position Ryukishi actually believes, or I'm being preemptive in my assumption, so I'm looking forward to more of the story being revealed. the last line of this will be very important to remember. though i agree in principle, i actually love how he's throwing all these controversial ideas out there. it gives me hope (well, granted ive now finished the game), but these scenes *gave* me hope that the series will be comfortable exploring really complex issues
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Nov 5, 2019 02:37
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The third-person narration in this game has a tendency to continue onwards from the train of thought from whoever was most recently talking. It doesn't necessarily indicate an objective or "correct" reasoning.
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Nov 5, 2019 03:03
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Next update will be tomorrow morning, let's try and get it onto a new page.
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Nov 6, 2019 04:09
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Sounds like a plan
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Nov 6, 2019 04:12
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Ciconia's good and this is totally not just a post to get us closer to the next page. totally not that.
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Nov 6, 2019 04:35
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| # ? May 9, 2024 15:04 |
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i feel like the first hour or so of this game (the first 2 updates) is ryukishi just showing off that he can do everything perfectly. He starts with one of the smoothest and most efficient expository introduction sequences ever, along with a crazy amount of darkness right out of the gate. And then with the whole opening scene with miyao and jayden, ryukishi is showing off his fantasy, comedy, and action writing. It only works because he's such a drat good writer. Okay that might be enough words to push past page 1
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Nov 6, 2019 04:51
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