u/TobyVonToby

Been thinking about this as I've been replaying DMC5. It seems like the game's lore has reached a point where a game with Dante, Nero, and Vergil would make a natural trinity of playable protagonists in the next game. Wouldn't mind seeing Lady and Trish as well, but I'm less experienced with them, so I have fewer opinions how how they'd be tweaked (and what would Trish have instead of Sparda)? But one thing I would LOVE to see is for all characters to make use of every button. Currently, this would mean giving all of them something to do with every direction on the d-pad. So here are my own thoughts on what I think would be cool.

Dante: No major changes except different devil arms and guns. We'd obviously see DSD, a fist weapons (can we just keep Balrog next time) Ebony and Ivory, and Coyote. I wouldn't mind seeing Cerberus and DKA become mainstays at this point. Then maybe 1 or 2 new devil arms and 1 or 2 new guns. Only other tweak I might make is reversing the direction of Iregular Full Custom, so that on the initial playthrough Dante can equip any two DAs and any two guns, unlocking the ability to equip as many as you like of each after clearing the game.

Nero: Maybe make devil bringers work like styles? You chose 4 to equip, mapped to the d-pad and can swap freely, but they otherwise work the same, breaking when you get hit while using them. And then perhaps you spend DT gauge to repair your active bringers like Dante and Vergil to do fill their SDT meter?

Vergil. Dude probably needs a little reigning in if he becomes a default character - I don't think he ahs any moves that are straight up more powerful than what Dante or Nero have, but his access to fast, high damage moves is a bit too easy, so maybe scale back the power on a couple of his staples. Apart from that, I think it would be very appropriate to lean into him embracing his demonic side more than Dante does by giving Vergil "trigger styles." He still has SDT and it's still a bit different from Dante's, but make the d-pad change the function of your normal DT gauge. We already have doppelganger, so maybe bring quicksilver back as another one (if Dante can learn to do it, Virgil should be capable as well). He could could have one that brings out his old Nelo Angelo form for something weaker but more accessible than SDT, and then maybe a new one that either allows him to do more with summoned swords or rapidly spend DT to enter a "stance" where he automatically dodges and counters everything? I think he could also stand to have two new Devil Arms introduced, maybe just two additional weapons he learns to create out of blue energy? A spear and a pair of daggers feel appropriate, I think. Then, like Dante above, he equips three of them, unlocking the option to carry four or five at once after clearing the game.

What kind of tweaks would you want to see to the system we have now? What would you want to see out of Lady and Trish if they make a comeback?

Edit: Some non gameplay changes I'd love to see. First, give us back alternate costumes that are more than just revolors. And second, give each character a more clearly defined (and suitable) leitmotiff. I know some people like it, but Subhuman just didn't feel like a good for Dante. I think something in the style of NWBHM would fit him well. Look to hardcore for Nero, and symphonic metal for Vergil. Maybe goth rock for Trish and either classic punk rock or neo outlaw country for Lady if they make the cut?

Not the most advanced tech out there, but good lord do I love the swords you can create with DSD in swordmaster style. Anytime I'm in a long animation now, I'm trying to swap to DSD and swordmaster to add some oomph to it. With Cerberus you can do it during Ice Age, Hot Stuff, and a forward+(hold) style move I can't recall the name of. Balrog has Pyromania. Worried about the vulnerable opening of Hysteric Twins? Just swap yo sword master as you keep spamming the style button and stinger or high time anything that approaches you.

Anyone else have any favorite animations to add the DSD swords to?

So I made a new friend from a gaming server I'm on a couple months ago, and over the last couple weeks, I've realized I've got a bit of a crush on her, and I want to get over it, but she has also become my best friend and crush feelings aside, I have a lot of fun hanging out with her, and really want to be able to just see her as a friend again.

I haven't said anything to her (I came close once when we had been drinking and she was talking about liking older men, but stopped myself), because I really value our friendship and I don't want to make things awkward. We have both told each other that we are best friends now, and she has vented once or twice about another friend of hers who admitted to having feelings for her and said they needed some space from her to get over that, and how much it sucks, so I also don't want to do that to her after she has told me I'm her best friend. We talk a lot. Like I think since we met there has been maybe one day where we haven't played together or at least just hung out on mic, so I'm worried that if I try to suddenly walk that back she will know something is up.

And even the idea of it is absurd (which honestly helps me temper it a bit), because there is a big gulf in our ages (I'm 40 and she's 24. I know, kind of creepy, which is another reason I want to be over it) and there are 4 states between us. But we have a lot of similar interests, she has an amazing sense of humor, I love her silly laugh, and she is able to get me to talk comfortably about things that I never open up to other people about. Topics of conversation often turn to sexual or semi-sexual matters, but I think that's a combination of her just being very open woth these things, and her sense of humor. She says similar stuff to her other close friends when we all play together so I don't think I should be reading into that at all.

But I also know it's just a crush, that she probably doesn't feel the same way, and that if you are able to ignore a crush long enough, those feelings tend to fade, but I also feel like we have enough chemistry that if there wasn't such an age gap between us and we lived closer, I probably would have said something at this point. I'm just wondering if anyone has any advice on how to make those feelings fade faster while still being friends and continuing to hang out? Because I do still have a good time when we hang out, whether it's gaming together, being on mic while we watch the same show, or just chatting while we do our own single player stuff. I just wish I could stop pining.