u/skingradpatriot

Once again, another somewhat lengthy post during my first replay of Inquisition in a long time.

Redcliffe is an incredibly nostalgic place for DA fans; it's probably one of the most iconic locations in Origins, remaining relevant in some way right from the start to the end of the game for many. You become immersed in it; the people who live there, the problems they deal with, the imposing castle on the horizon...it's all executed terrifically, and the famous flood of undead is still fresh in many people's memories.

Arriving in Redcliffe in Inquisition is very different; asides from the (understandable) rework of what and where we can explore, we arrive in the city as any other traveller would. We are not arriving as part of a secretive band trying to stop a blight, we aren't sneaking in via tunnels; we come in through the main gate and are greeted by a Redcliffe which is still very much healing from the events of Origins.

I know we all wish we could have explored the castle in slightly different circumstances, but there's a value to the sting of realising you can't. Meeting a certain Origins character on the docks and realising just how rapidly things have fallen apart is a stark reminder that there are long-term consequences to cataclysmic events such as the ones Redcliffe once faced. The village is both familiar and strange; we know that's Redcliffe Castle in the distance, we can see the parts of the village (or at least, representations of them) that we explored in Origins, and we here references to the events of the past being discussed among the townsfolk.

I think the fact that Redcliffe village is ultimately just one settlement in a wider world is why it feels so melancholic. In Origins-both narratively and mechanically-it's a major location we will be travelling to and from. In Inquisition, it's one location we visit-and save for side content, there's not much call for us to return as Inquisitor.

Redcliffe is (iirc) among the largest villages (a town by now, surely) in Ferelden...but without the Arl, what is there for us there? Why linger? We got what we needed, we recruit whoever we want...so what is it that keeps us there?

I found myself standing in the clearing in the picture, looking out at the castle. It looks so imposing, so important-yet for our purposes, it isn't much use. We can come across a ruined windmill-not the one from origins, naturally-but it reminds us of our romp through Redcliffe with our Wardens.

For new players I'm sure it's one of many beautiful locations, but for returning Origins players I wonder if anyone else felt the immense melancholy that seems draped over the town. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

I don't know exactly what it is, but Season 2 is by far my favourite season of the show.

I'm relatively new to any "community" around the show (first time posting here) but just wanted to share my love of it; I've rewatched it more times than any other season, and while I can't quite put my finger on it something about the season just appeals to me.

Maybe it's the fact it's the first "fresh start" and all the excitement that brings, maybe it's the twists and turns regarding Love Quinn and the neighbourhood in general, maybe it's because it establishes so much that remains relevant for the rest of the show.

There's just something comforting about it, especially the early episodes-as comforting as a show about a serial killer kind and sensitive young man looking for a relationship can be.

does anyone else feel this way? Maybe it's just the Joe-Love dynamic that I adore, because S3 is probably my next favourite after S2.

In ES6, wherever we're playing it should be an area in which the Aldmeri Dominion are in control-with the Thalmor being the local administration. If we're in a non-Aldmeri area then keep whatever the equivalent of city leaders are, but have a very present and tangible Thalmor presence that affects not only the cities but the landscape itself.

Allow me to justify myself:

1. Why not the Empire?
Decay and an "end" of things was something Skyrim focused heavily on. The Empire has been destroyed or even fallen out of focus before-it can (and should) again. There should be an effort to glorify and promote the Aldmeri Dominion; the Empire has had this treatment, lets mix things up!

2. Morrowind "alien" environments
Oblivion was our generic fantasy, Skyrim our Viking fantasy, whilst Morrowind was something of its own; I think a shift toward the "unfamiliar" would be extremely welcome.

3. We love to hate the Thalmor
Rather than the very human-focused Skyrim Civil War, it'd be good to take the "human races" out of the main plot entirely. Let us have another game where Elves and Beastfolk take centre stage, reminding us of the rich setting we're playing in.

Besides, if you're a Talos loving human patriot wouldn't it be fun to play a game where you can work to undo them in a place with a decent climate?

4. It might make Bethesda make a good magic system
elves love magic. simple as

5. Thalmor Endgame as the world-ending threat
We all recall the theories about the Thalmor's endgame of bringing down the Towers and getting rid of non-elves, but since then I've seen many suggest the Thalmor aren't nearly as unified in their beliefs as some would think (beyond hating Talos).

Why not have the plot gradually uncover a cosmic existential threat posed by one group of extremists within the Dominion? Perhaps they accidentally unleash or engage with something they really shouldn't have? Paths for both pro-Dominion and anti-Dominion players here.

6. Reason number 6 will be released when it's ready, I don't want to rush.

If by some ridiculous series of events the video games industry has the arse fall out of it and we get some sort of "reset" (delusionally optimistic) 8th and 9th gen industry consoles, what are the trends that you believe will be considered the most bonkers?

Whether it's live service/always online stuff, gamepass, lack of exclusives, whatever - what do you think is commonplace now that would be seen as an unsellable and unworkable concept were it not already in place?

I don't want to make an account. I don't want to put in my email. I don't want to download your launcher. I don't want updates about great deals and offers. I don't want to use your premium currency. I don't want to pre-order. I don't want a season pass. I don't want to link my account to another account to unlock a hat. I don't want to pay for cosmetics. I don't want to watch some randomer on Twitch to unlock stuff in game. I don't want to pay to use my own internet. I don't want to rent a console. I don't want to rent a PC. I don't want all my games to be tied to a monthly subscription. I don't want to join your discord. I don't want to scan your QR code. I don't want to buy box with a code inside. I don't want to buy a new console when the current generation has less than 10 actual exclusives. I don't want to buy 30 year old games at full price on your digital marketplace. I don't want another remake. I don't want another remaster. I don't want a mature and gritty reboot. I don't want live service. I don't want a service to consume, or a fandom to post in, I want a game to play.

I want to buy games and play them.

THIS IS A LONG READ, THANKS TO ANYONE WHO BOTHERS <3

I have seen many criticisms of Spark, the most succinct being that it's the "fanservice" path; they feed you these interactions with old characters and old themes against the new big meanies in the Ward, and you end up dragged along a nostalgia-bait campaign.

But having played through STALKER 2 a few times now, I found myself thinking:

"Who would Skif actually side with?"
Naturally the answer to this is wholly subjective; some believe obviously Ward, others believe obviously not-Ward, but few come out and say "yeah, it'd make sense for Skif to side with Spark."

I believe every ending can make sense, if you allow yourself to really dive into potential mindsets for Skif. For better or worse; this is my view of what may motivate Skif to side with SPARK.

1. Abandoned by Order/No Safety with Authority
Skif did everything right.

We know in Skif's youth he was curious and drawn by risk or danger-a path which likely would have lead him to ruin had he not joined the military. He was evidently a very effective soldier; he fought and worked hard, only to find himself out of the army and doing dodgy work with artifacts. He was alone, and bored; he had done everything right and yet ended up alone, stressed, and without direction or purpose.

Then, his home was destroyed. Skif played by the most rigid set of rules (military) and ended up out on his arse, he tried to build a new life with the skills he gained and wound up alone anyway. Order gave him no stability, Authority gave him no purpose.

He has always had a penchant for risk. The Ward is Authority, the Ward is Order-but blind obedience to those things resulted in a life of stress and solitude.

2. Tragedy brings him in, Fury pushes him through...kinship settles him in.
Skif doesn't go to the Zone looking for something magical; he goes for quite mundane reasons.

His life has been destroyed, and he wants answers and revenge. However, on arrival to the zone, he comes to understand that it isn't that simple. As he is tossed from place to place, group to group, there are two constants:
-He is angry and suspicious that the people in the Zone are using him
-He meets with Richter, and is perplexed by the peace he's found in the Zone

Skif's arrival to the Zone may well have been fuelled by tragedy, and his journey through it fuelled by anger and need for revenge. But the moments of respite in which he seems most at peace or carefree are when he's pondering the Zone with Richter, and what his place in it may be.

Give Skif a friend, and suddenly we start forgetting that there's a world outside the Zone.

3. Is anyone truly with Spark, or simply against the Ward?
We see at various points of the campaign that the ideological cohesion amongst the broad church of Spark is not at all consistent.

Scar is questioned (both in his sanity and his objectives), people range from blind devotees to grumbling allies, the relationship with the Noontiders seems to shift and warp over time. Does Skif truly side with Spark? Even in the late-game missions, he is absolutely not a devotee of Scar's ideas. He meets his Spark objectives with suspicion and hesitation, mostly going along to get at Faust and then because he simply has no other path to take.

By the late game, he can't go back to the Ward. He can't leave the Zone. So he's with the Sparkers...wherever it takes him. Skif has rejected the Ward, refusing to believe that they can offer him what he needs-whatever that happens to be.

Skif marches deeper and deeper into the darkest and most mysterious pits of the Zone...is he doing it for Spark? Is he doing it for Scar? Or is he doing it because, like it or lump it, he is drawn by curiosity to see what the hell is at the bottom of all this?

4. Conclusion, aka "I'm not reading all that, Skingradpatriot."

Most assume that Skif's military past means the Ward is a clear choice. I believe there's an interpretation that suggests the opposite; a career in the military didn't leave Skif rich, it didn't fulfil him, it didn't give him a good life. He gained a wealth of skills and experience, and began simply rotting away with them.

His arrival to the Zone is transformative in a very literal sense; the Skif that is saved by a stranger in the Zone is a different man to the Skif who was rotting in his apartment when it was destroyed. The Skif who finds community in the strangest and most dangerous place in the world is a different Skif to the man who argued with Hermann about the alpha artifact and the scanner.

With every step deeper into the Zone, Skif's objectives appear to be less about getting back to his old life and more about finding something new.

As Skif approaches a point where he (correctly or not) believes he's about to uncover the secrets of the Zone, he is as close to his childhood self as he's ever been; drawn to risk, and driven by curiosity.

Whether he stays with Spark to the end or takes a different path, I think there's plentiful room for the Spark path with Skif. Before the zone he was struggling, directionless, alone.

When he arrives in the Zone, he finds purpose, comrades, and strength.

Whatever fate awaits him, and whether he knows it or not, the life of a curious and capable STALKER is a perfect fit for a man like Skif.

So we know that Napoleon III is seen as a farce in comparison to Napoleon I; whether loved or reviled, Napoleon I is seen as one of the most incredibly talented rulers (albeit primarily on the battlefield rather than domestically in many ways, never having a true chance to run France without the constant threat of war) in history.

Napoleon III is the subject of much mockery for many poor decisions-but was he really all that bad? I know many in this subreddit may sympathise with him on account of his surname, but I genuinely get a feeling that he wasn't half as "bad" (in terms of ambitious dictators, anyway) as people think.

Whether sincerely or due to external pressure, his clumsy attempt to create an enlightened empire seems to have almost worked and I'm extremely curious as to whether he'd be remembered as a beloved and cherished ruler were it not for his larger military blunders.

What do you guys think? More than happy to be proven utterly and totally wrong on this, genuinely just curious as to whether he really was that bad or if there were merits to his rule.

A huge pull for the spyro series was always the aesthetic (imo); that colourful fantasy world that drew us in with visuals and kept us there with character and music.

What, in your view, is the "cosiest" Spyro level?
Obviously "cosy" has a different meaning for many, but I'd love to bask in memories of the places that were simply bliss to explore.

bonus points for non dark hollow answers

We know that Degtyarev, Skif, Strelok and Scar are all extremely capable people; each of them has accomplished some seriously impressive feats and stood their own against very strong mutants/groups/situations.

But I guess I wonder who is truly the most capable among them? Not just through raw strength or military experience, but more a combination of all their skills.

My initial thought is that Scar is obviously extremely strong, in a very literal sense on account of the Zone "enhancing" him in many ways that make him extremely resiliant. However Degtyarev's military experience AND zone experience makes him basically a supersoldier in comparison to the average Stalker, who can absolutely hold his own.

Strelok is the most famous of all four on account of being supposedly the greatest (or at least, most accomplished) Stalker in history, so maybe he wins out?

While Skif may be toward the bottom of the list, he's still very capable-and personally I feel like he may have more determination than the other 3 put together. Degtyarev and Scar were assigned tasks by a larger group, Strelok was motivated by curiosity (bordering obsession), while Skif's motivation is simply personal willpower to get back at whoever (or whatever) ruined his life, and then make ends meet.

Like other Stalkers Skif can be drawn into Zone politics or various faction stuff, but as he battles his way through a mutant hellscape there's no big ominous organisation at his back nor any sort of big payoff at the end; he's just furiously battling his way across the Zone, which makes him very formidable.

What do you guys think?

I guess I'll give an initial ranking for people to pick apart and fight over, so...

1. Strelok
2. Scar
3. Degtyarev/Skif (?)

Spoilers flair in case people's arguments use events that could ruin surprises <3

Make a wish for the Xbox Showcase tonight.
The Monkey's Paw will grant it...with a catch.

1. TES VI showcase
Advertised as an evolution of Skyrim's "infinite" quests, TES VI is the first live service mainline TES game which allows players to subscribe to "TES+" to unlock monthly creation club points and extra content.

Citing the "endless drama" and "lack of quality control" on external modding services, the CC is the only real means of modding the game. Argonians are a pre-order bonus.

2. Steam on Xbox!
Play your favourite Steam games on Xbox! Requires a Steam account and a high tier Gamepass subscription.

3. BANJO-KAZOOIE SEQUEL
Nuts and Bolts 2

You are John Ubisoft.

You have been given complete creative control over a full-fledged "Rayman 4" title, intended to act as a direct sequel to Rayman 3.

What sort of game do you make?
What's the story?
What sort of levels will we have Rayman explore, and what sort of new powers do you think you'd give him?

I'm extremely curious to hear how long time fans might envision a return to a 3D Platformer Rayman.

Will you stick to tradition and create a tight and polished linear experience, or get wacky with it and try make "Rayman Adventure"?

most importantly, what does Globox mess up this time?

Presume you have to pick one.

Which of these do we think is the best outcome for the world of LOTF? Does it perhaps depend on which civilisation, even among humans?

My instinct is that Umbral is naturally the worst, given the finality of it, but is there much to be said as to whether Adyr or Orius will best serve their faithful?