This post contains content not supported on old Reddit. Click here to view the full post
For one the stakes aren't as high compared to other games SoC is about solving the mystery of Strelok and through that destroying the C Consciousness which was responsible for much of the horrors of the zone, Clear Sky was about well Clear Sky and Also stopping Strelok from reaching the center of the zone because of the destructive results from it, HoC is about solving the mystery of Skif's home and later about the fate of the zone itself, CoP on the other hand is about finding what happened to some crashed helicopters from an emission and later getting out no major big bad this time with a lot on the line just solving a mystery and getting out.
I think another thing is how more character driven and less lonely the game feels the Zone of CoP is the still the same dangerous, anomaly infested zone of the other games but the game never felt as desolate as the others and that was because of how more character driven it is and how less alone you were especially by the end. Of course there are still desolate moments in the game but overall it being more character driven makes it feel less so.
And finally there is the ending I know the game has multiple endings but you can literally end things off where everyone is genuinely better off and doing well for themselves and honestly feeling good at the end. At the true end of SoC you get a feeling of barely making it and being glad to survive, CS ending is dark with it ending with most of Clear Sky being killed or brainwashed and the endings of HoC significantly affect the fate of the zone with half of the endings having both very negative and positive implications and the rest being very grim. All of these being much more grandiose than CoP
None of this makes CoP bad but it does it stand it out for a series talked about as being grim and desolate. It actually is a strength of CoP and I hope the new DLC puts it in that direction which for me personally is especially needed as I had issues with the writing of HoC I don't think its a bad game but is it major flaw for me but CoH does look more promising and I do hope it's as character driven as CoP.
The narratives surrounding the "Protestant work ethic" is to essentially push that Protestants work more than Catholic/orthodox christians are more against leisure than catholics/orthodox christians partake in hustle culture more than catholics and orthodox Christians and overall paint protestant Christianity as faith based corporatism and protestants as corporate bootlickers.
Now if you compare the US to say Spain then the narrative seems true but how about protestant Netherlands? Is this really as universal?
Whether it be predatory micro transactions, Locking content that should've been part of the base game behind paid DLC, other scummy monetization practices, or and most commonly seen in AAA titles increased prices it is incredibly rare at this point possibly non existent to find a AAA that is $60 most are $70 and possibly gonna be $80 real soon and most of it's costumers do not care. Changing my view through apologia of these practices will not CMV don't even bother commenting if that's what you're gonna do.
This well explains the state of AAA it has found a gold mine of the most apathetic of consumers so apathetic that you will either get made fun of for caring, have your opinion downplayed as a fringe belief, get apologia of such practices or they may not know what you're even talking about because the apathy runs so deep greedy practices don't even stand out and while content wise there are still great titles $70+ is a lot but also content wise I have had plenty of fun playing Indie, AA or just more overall niche titles that being said a good game is a good game it's a shame to miss out on fun experiences but paying $70 - $80 is just not worth it for me.
But maybe it's not as universal as I claim maybe there still are AAA titles launching at $60 maybe there have been recent cases of costumers revolting forcing developers to cut back on anti consumer practices maybe it's just a fandom thing and there are fandoms of AAA titles who's fans aren't as apathetic if AAA isn't as defined by the titles and practices of the most known titles and biggest offenders then show it if people are wrong for supposedly "generalizing" AAA then prove it but until then if most of it's customers don't care why should I? That question isn't towards the normies it's towards those doomposting about how the business practices of the major players will affect the gaming industry and believe they have a shot of changing things in AAA if enough people cared or boycotted.
I made my fair share of posts about it and I feel like I said all I can say about it execpt this holy shit GTA fans are the most ignorant, delusional, self centered proud bootlickers I have ever seen it may be a pipe dream to think the game will flop but they act like barely anyone if at all has any issues with GTA 6 there is no reasoning with these people to them only terminally online people could ever have issues with GTA 6.
But I'm not just tapping out because of a bunch of fanboys who think the world revolves around GTA I'm also tapping out because of the doomers. Let's make something clear the game will succeed commercially you are going to see a lot of doomposting about that in regards to gaming but I think this is counterproductive it feeds into the fan dillusion that gaming revolves around GTA 6 and while no doubt it will be popular it doesn't mean gaming revolves around GTA.
This discourse is just exhausting especially since I don't really much play much AAA games anymore I mainly play AA and Indie titles and let me tell you gaming is not just GTA affordability, creativity and passion will always be in gaming no how this game will affect the industry GTA 6 and AAA isn't really in my gaming sphere what I mainly play isn't going to follow any anti consumer trends set by GTA because the creators value passion over profit.
I'm gonna keep any post I make about it for a bit longer because I want to stand my ground against these fanboys but I will eventually delete most if not all posts about it execpt this one.
This is not asking about the commercial success of GTA 6 because that is out of question only way it could possibly flop is if it launches like cyberpunk 2077 which while I think is unlikely is also at a non zero chance of happening.
But something I hear from GTA fans is that it will be a major cultural phenomenon and I actually don't disagree with this but I don't think it will be in the way they think it will be. The GTA games have always been controversial but the controversies this time has less to do with the content and more to do with Rockstar and Take Two's controversies which have gotten so bad that there are lots of people hoping the game flops. Such sentiments are downplayed by GTA fans.
I think anti Rockstar and Take Two sentiment is going to affect the game's image more than GTA fans anticipate regardless of it's commercial success and critical reception and I don't think it will go away by and after launch either especially if anti consumer practices increase from AAA games after GTA 6 and especially with how GTA 6 online will be monetized and... oooooh boy is all I'm gonna say to that. All of this course will continue to be downplayed by GTA fans. I'm personally not buying for reasons beyond the greed especially since I haven't been playing much AAA so I'll watching all this from the sidelines.
I personally got sick of GTA's pop satire not necessarily because it's bad or because I agree or disagree with it but because I just don't really like American culture and GTA is a satire of American culture that to me just amplifies all I dislike about Americana through amplified stereotypes and caricatures. This is a personal preferential issue based out of a dislike from a culture(s) and for the record I live in the US I know what I'm talking about. I don't hate satirical works but I am no rush to be part of the GTA world again.
But I think another issue is whether or not any satire and commentary from GTA 6 would come across as Tone Deaf and even fall flat because of Rockstar and Take Two. To many GTA alongside Rockstar and Take Two has not only become an embodiment of everything wrong with gaming but also with consumerism and as a symptom as society ills all the controversies whether it be the anti consumer practices, worker exploiation, union busting etc what could GTA possibly say that wouldn't have it's meaning and impact tainted by Rockstar and Take Two.
EDIT: To address a good point and something I was already aware of and should've acknowledged in this post is that GTA is not unique to this issue but when you consider who rockstar used to be especially in relation to their satire many are going to rightfully argue that they have become what they made fun of years ago.
A common talking point I've seen among some liberals, centrists and center right people is that in order to win you need to go all in the center and ignore the left as leftists are unelectable and fringe only winning in deep blue areas and are only popular online. Progressive canidates have been talked down as unelectable and the alternatives suggested have little progressive appeal. Maybe this isn't exactly what's believed but it's something along the lines of that However I think there are some issues.
Indepedendent voters are not a monolith that are universally looking for a "centrist" candidate as if that isn't the mainstream faction of the democratic party. It also ignores how we are are in polarizing times and more and more people are disaffected and feel politically homeless some will go left on this others will go right and also how much populism has risen on both sides.
Then there is the Michigan democratic senate primary which has really put this into question. I'm gonna give a hot take but even if AES loses the election it does not vindicate Stevens supporters because in the end she still lost if progressives are so insignificant you can afford to ignore them not even give any concessions to those more left She would've won. What happens from here on out is only a litmus test on how well AES can reach out to other factions especially with such a bruising primary something Stevens would've had to deal if she had won some would say she only lost because McMorrow spoiled the vote but that assumes all those would've gone to Stevens which we can't definitively say. But coalescing goes both ways does it not? Which means the progressives need to be won over as well but I think this primary makes it clear that progressives aren't as insignificant as people thought and they are a side you want to court over.
Because in a world where your dreams and desires are secondary to boosting GDP and shareholder revenue sacrifice is going to be required in order to live on your own terms. There are billions of people all over the world who wanted be game devs, animators, ecologists, travelers, doctors, archeologists etc who ended up working a soul crushing dead end job with nothing but broken dreams and 40 years of being a wagie. I do not know what I want to do but I do fear I will end up like this I know that I whatever I want to do sacrifices will have to be made.
If someone wants say be a creative how many of those are living like Van Gogh or Dostoyevsky? I don't ask as a dealbreaker I just want to know what it has taken for people to ensure they lived on their own terms. What it takes to escape the wage cage for something they genuinely wanted to do.
Sure work will always be necessary to some degree but I think many people want to live of their dreams not survive off of a miserable existence. Many were sold the idea that if you studied went to college for 4+ years you could make a career off of your degree but the truth is the free market does not care about your dreams and desires and who you are as person you're individuality, sense of self and will to be something is secondary to upping shareholder profits and GDP. I personally do not l know what I want to do yet which I think explains my situation I don't loathe my job but it's not something I want to do for 40 years and I don't really think I want to be anchored by one thing I think I want to be a Renaissance man someone good at many things.
But I cannot imagine how soul crushing it feels to say wanting to be an artist or an indie game developer studying your ass off for 4+ years with dreams being as loved as remembered as someone like Toby Fox. Only to end up working at McDonald's with no prospects of being able to make a career off of what you actually enjoy that's your life now you had dreams and desires but now that's now gone. Let's make something clear being a wagie sucks especially in this economy no telling people that people have/had it worse does not make being a wagie any less soul crushing nor does appealing to tradition about it also since people have less reasons to do so with people of all orientations struggling to find love meaning less families to support and also unaffordable housing. You are a soulless cog in the machine wallowing away until you die. And nobody really knows how to answer for this and a lot of the responses especially from economic right wingers are just very cold and heartless about it or get told to do trades which are often just as soul crushing only more back breaking and you end up often working longer hours. Another issue is the 40 hours a week 8 hours day is a huge chunk of your time and the work week is arguably longer than than that when you consider time for transport and how little energy you have after work perhaps the tedium would be more tolerable for many if not only the pay was better but also if there was given more time for people's hobbies where people worked to live not live to work.
And to give a hot take the fact that this is a meaningless wallowing away of life of being nothing but a cog in the machine that makes me take those who live like it but complain about the "leeches" less seriously. These people get their superiority and self worth from working at dead end retail jobs or at an Amazon warehouse thinking they are important that they're status warrants denying the basic necessities to those who don't want to be wagies as if their job isn't easily replaceable or could easily be automated or so insignificant that barely anyone would care that you left in fact many jobs could easily be automated and many have argued people often work way more than they need to. And to give one more hot take yes I believe EVERYONE is entitled to the basic necessities even if they aren't a wagie. I'd rather my tax dollars fund people's Healthcare and basic necessities than funding private billionaire stadiums.
I think technology has the potential liberate us from work but we need the proper social safety net to back that up and also to do away with the live to work mentality I believe life should be first and foremost about the pursuit of happiness not being servants to corporations.
Berdly and Kris have history they were gamer buddies I wondered if what happened with Dess affected their friendship. I was hoping he would develop from his insecurities and get character development especially since chapter 5 was hinted as an inferno of jealousy but he just remained a joke character with no character development. This isn't some nobody this is someone who is close friends with Kris I wanted to know what their relationship was like and even see the story go in crazy directions such as Berdly being the first one to find out about the soul and how that would affect the story does he even find out about the knight’s identity as result or Kris’s relation with the knight and how would all that affect Kris and Berdly's relationship. Also Berdly has the Halberd a weapon designed to slay knights it would be a massive waste if nothing is followed up on that.
Could it still happen? Yes but there only 2 chapters left unless there is a secret 8th chapter which I don't think is out of the realm of possibility.
Elections are won by trying to appeal to as many factions as possible and having as broad of an outreach. Both the democrats and republicans have their own factions that needs to be traversed and appealed to. Progressive democrats are often talked down when it comes discussion of them being the 2028 nominee because of “electability” but the alternatives that are suggested are people like Jon Ossoff a darling by the liberals but has little progressive appeal and has opposed Medicare for all.
Now what I’m about say could be applied to both sides but it’s just a fact that regardless of what you say is at stake no one is entitled to any votes they have to be earned fearmongering no matter how justified it may be or choosing between the lesser of two evils can only go so far when either people don’t believe the fears or they don’t think candidate is different enough those who are truly concerned about the republicans would work around this fact. All this to say votes have to be earned even if you think the other opponent is that bad not about I want just how a bunch of people operate.
Now it’s debatable to what extent progressives policies are popular but I do think the progressives are underestimated by the liberals and the progressives are worth being courted in. Granted yes the Liberals and centrists are still a big part of part of the Democratic Party and independents do need to be won over so pragmatism is required by the side of the progressives as well.
This is why I think Ro Khanna is an underrated bridge Candidate between the progressives and liberals IDK if he’s the best but he seems the closest idk by how much to be able bridge the factions.
The Liberals are no doubt still a big core of the party but I don’t think the progressives can be ignored anymore and I think they’re votes are something that are going to be something that is going to have to be earned rather than be forced to settle with. While I doubt no canidate can make both sides 100% happy surely there is someone who could serve as a bridge especially for the 2028 nomination.
This post contains content not supported on old Reddit. Click here to view the full post
After some thought and using IOS for 5 years I decided that I am going to switch back to android due to how restrictive IOS is. I made the switch when I was younger and I had a cheap crappy android phone and I only just started to get into the customization. I mainly settled for so long because of how much better optimized the iPhone was and discovered sideloading. But I think want make use of the customizability.
The pixel has relatively poor performance less storage unless it’s the Pro XL than the S26 and worse battery life and camera however the I’ve seen people complain that Samsung has bloatware. Now here is one thing that may make me consider the Pixel not only do you have access to the latest version of android first but Pixel phones are the only ones supported by GrapheneOS. I hear it greatly degoogles your phone and makes your phone more private but it may come at the cost of some of the features android phones have and connivence and functionality of those features. Plus S26 pro has a stylus and I may want to draw for fun on the phone.
I plan to do a lot more with this next phone than my current one I will be definitely be using a lot of custom APKs especially for YouTube and also want to customize my UI I will be modifying my phone a lot more beyond what the baseOS has to offer I will be using custom user mods and emulate games on it. So which is better for me is GrapheneOS that good and will I still be able to do what I’m planning to do and/or is Samsung that bloated that’s worth going to the pixel instead. GrapheneOS needs to be that good as I don’t want to deal with google’s intrusive AI and prefer to degoogle on my browser I’ve been using DuckDuckGo on my phone.
After some thought and using IOS for 5 years I decided that I am going to switch back to android due to how restrictive IOS is. I made the switch when I was younger and I had a cheap crappy android phone and I only just started to get into the customization. I mainly settled for so long because of how much better optimized the iPhone was and discovered sideloading. But I think want make use of the customizability.
The pixel has relatively poor performance less storage unless it’s the Pro XL than the S26 and worse battery life and camera however the I’ve seen people complain that Samsung has bloatware. Now here is one thing that may make me consider the Pixel not only do you have access to the latest version of android first but Pixel phones are the only ones supported by GrapheneOS. I hear it greatly degoogles your phone and makes your phone more private but it may come at the cost of some of the features android phones have and connivence and functionality of those features.
I plan to do a lot more with this next phone than my current one I will be definitely be using a lot of custom APKs especially for YouTube and also want to customize my UI I will be modding my phone a lot more beyond what the baseOS has to offer I will be using custom user mods and emulate games on it. So which is better for me is GrapheneOS that good and will I still be able to do what I’m planning to do and/or is Samsung that bloated that’s worth going to the pixel instead. GrapheneOS needs to be that good as I don’t want to deal with google’s intrusive AI and prefer to degoogle on my browser I’ve been using DuckDuckGo on my phone.