Lia's BK tweets archive - 2022-01-30: Dark Service HQ

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:22 PM · Jan 29, 2022 Permalink

Where the heck was I? (you can blame Returnal and textile stuff this time)
Right, robot uprising. But first, reload and go see if we can talk to Geldoblame.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:26 PM · Jan 29, 2022 Permalink

Nope, nothing to see there, not even a comment on what happened to Sagi. They’re back in this state somehow:

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:58 PM · May 21, 2021 Go

Poking around just in case, we stumble on Verus getting reports from secretaries.
It’s all good news, which... lets us get a Fresh Air magnus, which we... can give to a tantruming NPC who wanted to breathe the same air as Verus.
SURE, WHATEVER, WHY NOT

Officer of Finance: “Yes, sir. We anticipate a 7-8 percent increase in military funding from the last report’s figure.”

Officer of Finance: “By contrast, funding for Baelheit’s forces has plateaued, with only a 1-2 percent change.”

Textbox: “Obtained the magna essence Fresh Air!”

Obnoxiously Whiny Girl, lying on the floor: “I’m not moving an inch, no way. Not until I’ve breathed the same [red text] air [end red text] as my dear Qaestor Verus!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:31 AM · Jan 30, 2022 Permalink

This sidequest is really driving home everything I detest about BKO’s combat system, it’s great

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:58 AM · Jan 30, 2022 Permalink

Combat system rant: compared to EW, BKO makes the move economy a mess because it’s basically impossible to have good turns early in the fight. So the more targets there are the more hellish it gets.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:59 AM · Jan 30, 2022 Permalink

Normal difficulty’s too hectic for my brain, easy mode is manageable but boring since there are no defense turns. Heals claim a whole turn. It’s such a slog.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:01 AM · Jan 30, 2022 Permalink

Late in EW you can generally steamroll anything with a single good combo. Here that’s absolutely not happening.
One shared deck for everyone, so finishers conflict with each other, and if you have too many cards in the deck you’ll never get what you need.
It’s not good?

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:04 AM · Jan 30, 2022 Permalink

I really don’t understand the people who like this better unless they just hate turn-based stuff (that’s okay!).
Anyway! The codes are obviously in random inspectable locations, though as valuables and not stuff we need to write down.

Guillo: “There’s some kind of key card here.”

Sagi: “This... This is one of the cards with emergency override codes inscribed on them.”

Text box: “Obtained the valuable item [blue text] Override Code A [1] [end blue text]!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:06 AM · Jan 30, 2022 Permalink

The robots did a murder, Sagi, that much is pretty clear

Inspection text: “The sheets are still untucked from the last person to sleep here.”

Sagi: “I wonder what this faint red stain is...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:09 AM · Jan 30, 2022 Permalink

Savyna’s on the lower floor for some reason, and moar robots keep coming out of the locker room, which apparently has infinite fabrication materials behind its force field. Or a whole warehouse of robots, who knows.
There’s ALREADY no end to them every fight has 3-4 enemies argl

Sagi: “That girl... I’m sure she was the one with Shanath...”

Milly: “You’re right. Savyna, I think it was.”

Guillo: “It looks like she’s not the only one in danger.”

Sagi: “If we don’t do something about the locker room soon, there will be no end to them!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:12 AM · Jan 30, 2022 Permalink

Savyna is as chatty as ever and OH NO she gets pounced by a murderbot!

Sagi: “What in the world could she be doing down here?”

Sagi: “She’s in danger! We’ve got to—!!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:14 AM · Jan 30, 2022 Permalink

We’re too far, but Guillo does a teleport-instakill, as Guillo does.

Milly: “There’s no time! We’ll never make it!!”

On top of a white screen:
Sagi: “......!!”
Milly: “......!”

Sagi, as Guillo has just rushed and destroyed the paramachina: “Guillo!!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:18 AM · Jan 30, 2022 Permalink

And proceeds to give a tremendously age-inappropriate pep talk for unclear reasons. This is how it starts, there’s no intro at all.
That’s one way to retcon why Savyna is Like This I guess...? Feels very hamfisted.

Guillo: “If you feel you have something you need to carry on, then go. Find your path in that.”

Guillo: “Just never forget. Death will never be far from your side for as long as you walk it.”

Guillo: “The risk of your own death, and the death of all those you come into contact with is always there.”

Milly: “Guillo! I can’t believe you’d say something like that to a child!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:21 AM · Jan 30, 2022 Permalink

As does this.
There’s an interesting thread here but it needed a few more edit passes IMO.

Guillo: “I wouldn’t, if she really were a child.”

Guillo: “This girl came here of her own volition. She’s responsible for her own fate — that’s why I said what I [...]”

Milly, poking her tongue out: “Ugh! I don’t understand you at all, you crazy dingbat!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:24 AM · Jan 30, 2022 Permalink

Then WHY CAN’T GUILLO DO THAT IN THE BATTLES, they took so long, I call ludonarrative dissonance on these shenanigans

Inspection text: “A paramachina lies upon the ground here, incapacitated by a single blow from Guillo.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:25 AM · Jan 30, 2022 Permalink

Also we have a winner for the “NOPE” category in BKO Bed Facts

Inspection text: “A sticky mattress rests on this bed frame.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:29 AM · Jan 30, 2022 Permalink

The code, alas, needs to be entered by checking the Valuables screen - which you can’t do after opening the menu, have to fail on purpose then restart.
Love the flavor text of the Empire HAVING a standard typeface, tho!

Sagi: “It looks like we’ll have to input an [blue text] override code [end blue text] before we can use it. Well, Lia?”
Dialog choice: “Enter the code” or “Leave it alone”.

Textbox: “Override Code A:” plus a digit selector going from 1 to 0 (via 9) vertically.

Valuables screen, showing Override Codes A to D and focused on A. “A small tablet inscribed with part of the password needed to lift the system lockdown on Dark Service Headquarters. Bears the numeral “1” in the standard imperial typeface.”

Textbox: “-ACCESS GRANTED- Override code accepted.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:32 AM · Jan 30, 2022 Permalink

That turns off the force field, so off to see the puppetmaster we go. This one talks!

Paramachina: “——RECENT UPGRADES HAVE GRANTED ME TREMENDOUS POWER——“

Paramachina: “——FROM NOW ON, I WILL CONTROL YOU LOW-PERFORMANCE HUMANS——“

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:34 AM · Jan 30, 2022 Permalink

It sounds a bit like a Dalek.
We go through two rounds of fights with three machines each despite the scene showing four...

Paramachina: “——HUMANS WHO DO NOT OBEY WILL BE EXTERMINATED——“

The party being pounced by four paramachina.

Guillo: “Stay sharp! Here it comes again!!”

The party facing another four paramachina.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:37 AM · Jan 30, 2022 Permalink

At which point we get more Daleking and are offered a choice to walk away. That just results in leaving the room, nothing interesting.

Guillo: “What do you think? Do we charge in and take it out?”
Dialog choice: “Let’s go!” vs “Let’s pull back”.

Sagi: “No, we should pull back and regain our footing first. We’ll have to be ready.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:40 AM · Jan 30, 2022 Permalink

Milly, the people were Baelheit’s shadowy army to ruin the world, I’m not gonna spare tears for them. I know he’s your dad but come on.
Anyway, another identical round, then the final rush to... a fourth identical round. Booooooooooring

Sagi: “Yeah. We have to end this before there are any more casualties. We’re going in!”

Milly: “You’re right. Too many people have suffered already.”

The party moving forward to face another four paramachina.

Guillo: “All right! We’re within striking distance now. Get ready, Sagi, Milliarde!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:46 AM · Jan 30, 2022 Permalink

We get a summary of the Big Mystery (if you ask me, Baelheit is cleaning up after himself and got malicious chips sent) and a pointer to the next step, otherwise busy watching Verus yell at secretaries.

Guillo: “I’d say there’s little chance now that the rampaging paramachina will multiply and attack the city.”

Guillo: “That soldier said something about them going haywire after being upgraded with some new chip.”

Guillo: “It isn’t our problem. Someone from the Empire will clean this mess up. We have nothing more to do here.”

Sagi: “You’re right. Let’s go report to Geldoblame about this.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:47 AM · Jan 30, 2022 Permalink

And Savyna’s still there, playing with her ball. Okay.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:48 AM · Jan 30, 2022 Permalink

Well, that was pretty miserable.
Next time: check in with Geldoblame then more Greythornes I guess?