u/Lishtenbird

But that would be silly, of course I got everything already.

If only we also had an optional Hard Mode for story and events, so all those dramatic things could narratively feel like a challenge and not an automatic win.

I was catching up on map collectibles in Aburrey Quarry the other day, and noticed that the helmet on the signs looked odd. Turns out, it had ear slots. It didn't have to, but it did, and it was fun to see and gave me a chuckle.

Now, about those chairs...

As much as I like outpost defense existing in Endfield in theory, in practice it's really clunky and annoying to deal with. Outpost defenses being done only in 3D is a major part of it, but also it's dealing with power shared by the rest of the factory and the world, and its real-time nature that makes experimentation slow and following guides way more time-efficient.

I'd love it if we actually had a more refined tower defense game mode in Endfield, especially since like 90% of it is already in the game. Factory could be tied into it with unique structures that have to be produced (like area power banks that power these stages separately from the rest of the world, or some "protocol space turret stabilizers", or blocking structures, or even unique towers or traps), and maybe even operators could be used with on-demand skills as a way to make your character progression matter too.

(And yes, I understand that the original game exists, and that this suggestion is not novel either, but after procrastinating with the new outpost defense until today just because it's annoying to do without a guide, I felt like making a mockup and talking about it again - this really seems like a good way to create more meaningful, different content for the game that would still get its own spin on the idea because of the whole factory aspect of it.)

I feel like this Trial Arena dialogue is a recent example of Endmin's identity being so undefined that their character and experience changes on a case-by-case basis. The explanation isn't even technobabble, it's verbose academese but it's readable words that make sense. I get when Chen has to excitedly give out solutions to puzzles for people who aren't paying attention, but Endmin is cool and knowledgeable in everything so this is plain weird.

As is, weapon, operator, and medal displays are tucked away in the big and empty display room, and there's realistically no reason to go there. And decorations are in the central ring, but far enough even from the operator phone. And you can't place the map ornamentals that you earned (even smaller ones) in the ship.

As a result, there is nothing to customize in the most visitable room outside of the character art, which means that in practice everyone's ship looks almost exactly the same, and at that point visiting friends to sell goods becomes pointless and could've been a way faster popup menu.

I wish we could move those displays, add a few decorations at least in designated places (if clutter is a concern), and maybe even unlock color/material/pattern accents (possibly by processing some materials in our factory). This would make this place a lot more personal and worth visiting, and maybe actually give the blank-slate self-insert Endministrator some of our character.

When I saw that view from that spot, it immediately reminded me of the painting. It likely is just a coincidence and I'm imagining things, but I want to believe it wasn't.

The painting in question is Wanderer above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich. It actually is vertical and 4x3, but 16x9 horizontal edits exist out there. I picked the wide version which felt as expansive as the in-game view.

The spot itself is in Sword Vault Dale, bottom-middle "island", bottom-right outcropping next to the brown spot with the monkeys.

I love how Endfield looks. It's anime but still grounded, world aesthetics are top-notch, characters are vibrant, cutscenes are cool, UI is pure eye-candy. And it's well-optimized and can run well on desktop and mobile.

I love how Endfield sounds. It's electronic sci-fi but with cultural flavor, and with none of those Hollywood-esque pseudo-orchestral scores. Accent-filled English dub made this the first anime-style game for me where I actually picked English voices.

The lore of the world is rich (granted, most of it comes from Arknights). Originium being the basis of civilization is a curious premise with many implications and many mysteries, and that makes me want to dig up the original lore.

...and then we have the actual writing. I get that it's a 3D gacha game and not a VN (and I actually do prefer the hopeful tone instead of grimdark), but the problem doesn't even lie there. It's in who the target audience of this game is.

In Endfield, we are the CEO of a technomagical corporation. Most of the characters are working young adults, with no high schools on the radar. A big part of the game is building a factory and managing your resources and your cool and cute operators. A fairly adult power fantasy.

So, then: what in the teen web novel was Mi Fu's quest? Why is Endmin >!in the trials!<? Why is Endmin >!a goofy kung fu fighter!<? And most importantly: >!why was the whole idea of giving Mi Fu her worst nightmares, as an elaborate joke, okay!<?!

Among the new generation of stories, this sort of writing feels like a relic from the past. But that would still be good for young teens who grew up on prank TikToks, harem shows adapted from web novels, and waifu gachas. A "twist" that's "cool" even if it's nonsense, an "excuse" to rob a character of their agency just to add the self-insert... So is this the real target audience?

I can suspend my disbelief in things like Rossi's quest, it's silly but it tells a fairytale that works for the character. I'll even take Ardashir's vagueposting over Scar's storybooks, a morally gray friend-or-foe character needs time to develop. But Mi Fu's quest legitimately made me angry - just like those old shows with cheap twists and worst tropes played straight. And yes, it made me stop and reconsider if I want to spend money on this game.

This concludes my rant about the writing part of Endfield, thanks to everyone who made it through. I see that there's been lots of similar feedback, but this one is mine. I hope that writing eventually improves once we get to newer content, and that Endfield finally figures out who their target audience actually is. And hopefully for this otherwise modern and high-budget game, that would include story readers and factory builders...

You likely know all of them anyway, but: Truthear Zero Red; Zero (original version); Hexa; Hola.

These are stills from my video about their mascot brick toy "stand holder" (thus the prominent box art), so it's not exactly how I use them (original Zero got repurposed onto a TWS adapter after Red were released). But they do look nicer that way.

Cables are from XINHS (got them for the QoL of being less tangly and more visible, wouldn't recommend the red one because it's microphonic).