Lia's BK tweets archive - 2021-04-24: Nusakan Thornwood, Sheratan, too many sexist jokes

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:43 PM · Apr 23, 2021 Permalink

Today we’re in Hassaleh, which is a new place everybody’s forgotten about twenty years later, so I’m sure nothing bad will happen to it.
Let’s go cross the forest I guess?

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:04 PM · Apr 23, 2021 Permalink

Apparently this actually means “make things somewhat turn-based”. That’s not how words work but SURE, I’ll give that a try later and see.

Menu screen, looking utterly overwhelming. The cursor on the left is focused on “System, Battle Mode, Easy”, described as “Adjust the battle difficulty for beginners”.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:19 PM · Apr 23, 2021 Permalink

I’m not going to screencap every piece of wonderful Guillo snark but DAMN

Guillo: “You can say that again. Sheltered girl... Was it a bomb shelter?”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:21 PM · Apr 23, 2021 Permalink

SHEEP WITH WINGS SHEEP WITH WINGS SHEEP WITH-

A section of thorn forest. In the middle is a shepherd with three caplins.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:23 PM · Apr 23, 2021 Permalink

The bit of light puzzling here is that the promised balloon-gator has eaten a magic bean that we need to lift a rock, so we push a random spiky boulder in its path and it pops.
CALLED IT

Sagi, horrified: “Oh! It popped when it hit the thorns! What a way to go...”
At the bottom of the screen is a deflated balloon-gator that has hit a spiky boulder.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:24 PM · Apr 23, 2021 Permalink

Guillo hates the place ‘cause that is where they were found buried and they have zero memories before that, apparently. Traumaaaaaaa

Sagi, standing in a large depression in the ground: “When I was just a little kid, I found Guillo buried here.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:26 PM · Apr 23, 2021 Permalink

I also hope that people stops belaboring the “Guillo looks just a paramachina” point because it’s making them all look like very silly people.
Paramachina: grey, obedient, simple.
Guillo: garish colors, high heels, complex design.
COME ON

Sagi: “For whatever reason, they look almost identical, though.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:29 PM · Apr 23, 2021 Permalink

Did we really need jiggle physics on the Sheratan shopkeep in addition to the village elder ogling her from behind a vine, videogame

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:45 PM · Apr 23, 2021 Permalink

Gross men aside, this is obviously the best village because there’s a whole bunch of sheep and even a kid riding around on one.

An ancient-looking village covered in thorny plants. Title card: “Sheratan, the Ageless Village”.

A whole bunch of winged sheep, and a kid running past riding one.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:47 PM · Apr 23, 2021 Permalink

Good combo of foreshadowing plus player guidance plus story bit here. Since Sagi’s said to look about 15, er, that’s really early to go adventure around the world.

Kid: “There’s a traveler from the Empire living in the village now. He arrived right after you left.”

Kid: “He’s been here a while... I guess if he got here when you left, that makes it about three years already.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:48 PM · Apr 23, 2021 Permalink

Well I don’t know who Gena is yet but that’s some toxic masculinity nonsense right there

Gena: “But you know, Tik, big boys aren’t supposed to cry over little things like that.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:49 PM · Apr 23, 2021 Permalink

Since her extremely fancy wings get a lengthy (and very clunky) cutscene all to themselves, I’m assuming it’ll turn out to be a big deal.
Put it on the pile of questions I guess

A woman floating off the ground, six-fold wings glowing at her back.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:51 PM · Apr 23, 2021 Permalink

“Sheltered girl who just wants to see the world for the first time” yeah right.
This is kind of my grudge here, it front-loads fifteen different mysteries with no subtlety whatsoever and that’s a bit... meh.

Milly: “You just don’t see people with wings like that! Not anywhere I know of.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:51 PM · Apr 23, 2021 Permalink

Sixteen mysteries I GUESS

Kid: “A creepy monster started showing up at the lake we all used to play at.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:54 PM · Apr 23, 2021 Permalink

Seriously between this stuff (which recurs with the next NPC), the elder ogling the shop maid, the jiggle physics, and Milly’s battle animations being Textbook Female Characters to the point of embarrassment...
This is seriously cliché and not great?

Villager: “My, what a pretty girlfriend! You make a great couple.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:55 PM · Apr 23, 2021 Permalink

EW had its share of casual sexism, what doesn’t, but it was mostly limited to NPC chatter and strongly focused on mediocre husbands / boyfriends. This is a lot more in-your-face, I don’t like it. And I’d be less than 3h in if I wasn’t so slow!

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:57 PM · Apr 23, 2021 Permalink

This is great though. It’s yet another side-quest but also it’s a useful, much welcome mechanic.
Same with having an actual quest log.

Doc: “Thus I would like to ask your help in making a new field guide.”

Field Guide page, showing details about the monster Shawra.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:05 AM · Apr 24, 2021 Permalink

Er.................
(Actually I have yet to see one so that’s extra-weird but also CAN WE NOT HAVE SEX JOKES ABOUT GREYTHORNES)

Old Man: “Sagi, m’boy, I know that look. Your face is brimming with curiosity about greythornes!”

Old Man: “It’s perfectly normal for a lad your age to experience strange new feelings toward greythornes.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:27 AM · Apr 24, 2021 Permalink

Aw, they’re sweet- GAME, SERIOUSLY

Gena, hugging Sagi: “Welcome home, Sagi.”

Gena: “Don’t be silly, it’s no trouble. I’m delighted Sagi’s brought such a lovely girl home with him. Hee hee!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:29 AM · Apr 24, 2021 Permalink

See, one reason this makes me cranky is that when you pile on enough non-ironic misogyny, Guillo stops being funny because it’s just the pattern, and that’s tragic

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:33 AM · Apr 24, 2021 Permalink

So far so good: Sagi left to make money, hands every bit of a stipend he got in Alfard to Gena, because she’s running an orphanage with good safety standards and always needs funds. At least THAT makes sense.

Inspection text: “Who sleeps where is determined by rotation, so that no one fights. (Orphanage rules)”

Inspection text: “These building blocks were made by an old man in the village, using nontoxic paint that’s safe to lick.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:34 AM · Apr 24, 2021 Permalink

Someone reminds me what age rating this thing had again

Inca Rose: “Hello, boy. You look like the type with a nice magnus package. Show me yours, and I’ll show you mine.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:35 AM · Apr 24, 2021 Permalink

Guillo will you CHILL or I swear we’re putting you back in the hole

Guillo: “You should try it, wench. A good climb might being out your demure side. If you have one.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:37 AM · Apr 24, 2021 Permalink

Anyhow, we go ‘round the village to find a kid’s hat, which requires finding an apple to bribe the kids’ treasure guard, which means seeing not one but TWO men ogling the shopkeep this time, great, wonderful.
Gonna continue next time and hope it doesn’t carry on like this 😬

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:48 AM · Apr 24, 2021 Permalink

Oh, also, usual disclaimer: criticizing something doesn’t mean it should be Banned, this is an old game and I dare hope this stuff wouldn’t fly today, criticism is even more vital when it’s something you like, yada yada, hopefully you lot know that.