Lia's BK tweets archive - 2020-12-12: Phantom Goldoba

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:04 PM · Dec 12, 2020 Permalink

Well, the friend who wanted to Hunt some Monsters is busy, so I’m done avoiding the Phantom Goldoba I guess.
ONWARDS IT WILL BE FUN (no)

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:07 PM · Dec 12, 2020 Permalink

So, none of our characters have had the greatest time overall, but as mentioned before Lyude gets a solid serving of drama and pathos.
This quest is all of it literally coming back to haunt him, meaning you get a blanket “trauma” content warning because oof.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:36 PM · Dec 12, 2020 Permalink

As mentioned by Catranne, there’s a spooky shadowy version of the Goldoba in the Trail of Souls. If we stick around, we end up trapped in there with no way out and no save point.
It’s the Goldoba map again but with a heavy blue filter on top. SPOOKY.

Dialog options: “Run!” and “Let’s see what’s going on.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:39 PM · Dec 12, 2020 Permalink

As always monster encounters are visible on the map. They’re all another ghost swordsperson variant, nothing tough.
More unusually, every single one of those comes with one of... four or five? dialog bits custom-crafted to make Lyude feel awful.

Ghost: “You should have tried to stop it. You only opposed it...”

Combat encounter, showing the party facing three Master Revenants.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:41 PM · Dec 12, 2020 Permalink

Followed by a reaction - concern from party member - “...” (or obvious lie like here) sequence.

Lyude, sad: “Y-yes... I’m okay. Let’s hurry.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:42 PM · Dec 12, 2020 Permalink

There’s a lot of it

Ghost: “Lyude... You betrayed your own nation... I can’t believe you only saved [cont]”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:44 PM · Dec 12, 2020 Permalink

And I do mean a lot

Ghost: “You know why... You are the only one left alive among us...”

Lyude, in tears: “...How... how can I be forgiven?”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:48 PM · Dec 12, 2020 Permalink

Oh yes, we’re not just getting clumsy handling of trauma, we’re getting clumsy handling of what is basically suicidal ideation.
FUN TIMES ALL AROUND I’M TELLING YOU.
I like that it’s Savyna chiming up on this one, though! She knows a thing or two about processing guilt.

Ghost: “You’re a man with a big heart, always tormented by guilt. Come here... be free...”

Savyna, concerned: “Hey, if you have time to sit around, find a way to get out of here.”

Savyna: “...Try to think hard, why you’re alive...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:59 PM · Dec 12, 2020 Permalink

The two cabbins with bunks have small voices sections, with identifiable ghosts this time.
First off: the commander we saw leading the attack on Diadem.

Imperial Commander, invisible: “So, the traitor finally returns...”

Imperial Commander: “Look at what’s happened. Take a good look at what’s become of the Empire. This is all your fault. You [cont]”

Imperial Commander: “[cont] betrayed us all.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:01 PM · Dec 12, 2020 Permalink

I usually trim most repetitive dialog from these posts but here the sheer VOLUME of it is a large part of the oof factor.
Lyude’s still kiiiiiinda holding it together at this point.

Imperial Commander: “Whether you admit it or not, you played a role in ruining your homeland...”

Imperial Commander: “You will bear this badge of shame for the rest of your life...”

Imperial Commander: “Everyone knows you’re a traitor and a coward!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:05 PM · Dec 12, 2020 Permalink

Oh hey no one else can hear the ghosts? I’m sure that’s fine and not a bad sign in any way.
“Your hopes are irrelevant” is one of those sentences that is stuck in my head for the amazing cruelty it packs in so few words.

Lyude, angry: “I would never hope for the destruction of my homeland. Never!!”

Imperial Commander: “Your hopes are irrelevant. It has already happened...”

Kalas, as the cabin is visible again: “Hey, Lyude... You okay, buddy? What are you mumbling about?”

Lyude, concerned: “Huh? Didn’t you... didn’t you hear the voice?!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:07 PM · Dec 12, 2020 Permalink

It’s nice that no one is in “stop the drama” mode, though. Something is clearly up.
(Gibari and Mizuti’s voice lines here have unusually good delivery too)

Gibari: “The voice? ...I didn’t hear anything. Anyone hear a voice?”

Great Mizuti: “The Great Mizuti feels strange spirits swirling around. This place be spooky.”

Xelha: “I agree... we should leave as soon as possible.”

Savyna: “I second that, but will they let us leave?”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:34 PM · Dec 12, 2020 Permalink

The next round is Skeed and Vallye, being jerks.

Skeed: “The long and glorious history of our family is no more. All thanks to you, Lyude...”

Vallye: “You must be proud of yourself... Proud to have extracted revenge...”

Vallye: “You always hated us... Our family... You hated us all, deep down in your soul...”

Lyude, shocked: “That’s not true! Why would I hate you?”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:38 PM · Dec 12, 2020 Permalink

[cw: abusive language from siblings]
This isn’t done well by any stretch, but it’s not /uninteresting/, considering the framing of the entire sequence, to suggest that their hate was something Lyude was in denial about.

Skeed: “We hated you... We despised you...”

Skeed: “Of course, you knew that, didn’t you?”

Vallye: “Don’t pretend like you never knew, Lyude...”

Vallye: “We never cared about you... Not in the least...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:41 PM · Dec 12, 2020 Permalink

[cw: more abusive language from siblings, good ol’ DARVO]
(Their voicework is horrendously bad, btw)
Being jerks AND lying, because that “what you did to us” is, er, unclear.

Skeed and Vallye: “You didn’t deserve to be loved.”

Lyude: “I... I tried! I wanted your love! I did my utmost to earn it!”

Vallye: “Yes, what you did to us speaks for itself.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:42 PM · Dec 12, 2020 Permalink

Cf the only other scene with them, t’was that way.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:42 AM · Nov 15, 2020 Go

Enter Almarde, who seems nice. Maybe things will be fi-
Enter the brother and sister, who seem less nice.

Almarde, unnamed: “Oh, it’s my boy! Welcome home, Lyude!”

Lyude, smiling: “Hi, Almarde. Long time no...”

Skeed, unnamed: “Never thought I’d see you back here.”

Lyude, looking worried: “Brother... sister...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:44 PM · Dec 12, 2020 Permalink

Not really holding it together anymore.

Lyude: “No! That’s not true! I really...”

Lyude: “...Oh, why did it ever come to this?!”

Kalas, pissed off: “Hey, Lyude? What’s wrong with you? Take it easy!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:46 PM · Dec 12, 2020 Permalink

It’s trying to do a fair bit more than “spook” but I guess that’s Mizuti using childish language.

Lyude, on his knees and holding his head: “I tried... I tried...”

Gibari, concerned: “This is bad... He’s losing it.”

Savyna: “We have no choice. We have to move forward.”

Great Mizuti: “The Great Mizuti feels something malicious. It be trying to spook Lyude.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:57 PM · Dec 12, 2020 Permalink

Once we clear those two cutscenes and go back to the central area (i.e. you should take all the monsters out before going through the cabins), it’s Almarde’s turn.
Which is when the ghosts start going seriously out of character, from what we saw of her.

The entire party standing on the bridge over the gap in the central area of the Goldoba.

Lyude, on his knees and holding his head: “Stop it... Just stop it, please!!”

Almarde: “Lyude... why didn’t you... why didn’t you help me? Why did you abandon me, and flee?”

Almarde: “I had always been there for you, stayed by your side, watched over you...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:59 PM · Dec 12, 2020 Permalink

[cw: more abusive language]
It. Keeps. Going.

Lyude: “Stop... This is too much! I can’t bear it!!”

Almarde: “You don’t love me... or anyone... Not even the ones that loved you...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:03 AM · Dec 13, 2020 Permalink

[cw: even more abusive language]
Note that the floating textbox isn’t paired to Almarde’s name or portrait. It’s still voiced by her, but with extra viciousness / effects mixed in. HM.
The turn from fighting back to full collapse happens kinda fast, which bugs me?

Voice: “You have no right to be loved by anyone... or to love anyone...”

Lyude: “I have no right to be loved... I have no right to love another...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:06 AM · Dec 13, 2020 Permalink

[cw: moar abusive language, implied suicidal ideation]
Like, the throughline isn’t awful, but it happens at a pace that’s somewhat rushed? Especially since it’s about to get resolved also very fast.
(This is me trying to process why this sequence bugs me on-the-fly)

Voice: “How are you going to live with yourself, Lyude? What hope could you have left in your shameful life?”

Lyude: “I... I no longer know... What should I do?”

Almarde, holding out her hand: “Come... Come with me...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:09 AM · Dec 13, 2020 Permalink

Unfortunately for the hungry ghost, it happens to use phrasing that rattles a few braincells back in place and gets us a memory in Almarde’s actual voice.

Almarde: “I will ease your burden... You will be happy... Come... come with us...”

Almarde: “That is the only answer to your question...”

Lyude: “The only answer... to my... question...”

Lyude holding up his hand, as Almarde’s voice is now rendered in white text: “Lyude, answers are not to be given... You must find them yourself...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:12 AM · Dec 13, 2020 Permalink

The phrasing on the whole thing is a bit weird.
I interpret this as a memory of a past conversation between Almarde and a much younger Lyude.

Almarde, rendered in white text: “To find the right answer, you first have to find the right question.”

Almarde, rendered in white text: “Wisdom comes from having an answer ready...”

Lyude, eyes closed: “Yes, wisdom comes from having an answer ready, when you ask yourself the question...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:15 AM · Dec 13, 2020 Permalink

We briefly cut to the Green Landscape Of Happy Flashbacks that we’ve seen a couple times before, indicating a (darn fast) return to some peace of mind.
I’m reading that cut sentence as implying “my mother”, and Almarde’s dotdotdot as “That’s correct.”

Lyude: “One must find the right question... The right question...”

Lyude, smiling: “Almarde... I never told you, but I always thought of you as...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:17 AM · Dec 13, 2020 Permalink

This might actually be the crux of my annoyance. The reversal happens with that suggested reveal, which completely drops resolving the very real piles of trauma, guilt and complicated feelings that have been built up.
It feels... not facile, but like a missed opportunity.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:19 AM · Dec 13, 2020 Permalink

With that, Lyude pulls it back together, and does NOT join the ghost or jump off the bannister.
Said ghost is furious, and distorts into... this thing.

Lyude, eyes closed: “Yes... The answer was there, all along...”

Lyude, hand no longer held up: “I won’t join you.”

Yet another worm-like monster poking out of a dimensional vortex.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:23 AM · Dec 13, 2020 Permalink

We get a camera pan over the entire party, and a great list of EVERYTHING THIS SEQUENCE FAILED TO HANDLE. So yeah that’s why I dislike this part, hurray.
(Also *squints at Mizuti’s nametag* Why is there a “The” now? Did they store a separate nametag for every text bit?)

Kalas, shocked: “Huh? What’s going on?! What the hell is this thing?!”

The Great Mizuti: “It be feeding on the pain of others!”

Lyude: “The feeling of guilt, deep inside me... All the regrets, all the sorrow...”

Lyude: “That is what feeds this abomination!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:25 AM · Dec 13, 2020 Permalink

Might be one of my favorite lines from Gibari.

Xelha: “A Mind Parasite?! It must have come here from another dimension when Cor Hydrae Castle appeared.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:27 AM · Dec 13, 2020 Permalink

We indeed can take it. Lyude thanks... the ghosts? The memory of Almarde? Unclear.
And we bugger off as the thing starts shaking and disappears into the Technicolor clouds of the Trail of Souls.

The worm down on its side, the ghosts of the Imperial Commander, Vallye, Skeed and Almarde hovering over it in a halo of light.

Kalas: “Let’s get outta this creepy joint.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:30 AM · Dec 13, 2020 Permalink

In the meantime, I’ve noticed that Catranne has extra dialog when you “turn in” a sidequest.
Understatement dot txt

Catranne: “Ummm. I haven’t heard about the Phantom Goldoba lately. I wonder what happened...”

Lyude: “The Phantom Goldoba? I was on that ship. It was a horrible experience.”

Catranne: “What?! I’ll record that in my diary.”

Catranne: “Catranne’s diary says: The Phantom Goldoba was adrift, but was cast away by Lyude.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:31 AM · Dec 13, 2020 Permalink

And that’s going to be it for today because OOF.
Next is... Savyna’s catchup with the Mad Wolves, which will definitely be more lighthearted fun, right?
*sob*

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:54 AM · Dec 13, 2020 Permalink

Also a random note: I’ve finally figured out why “Capella garden of death” was resonating weirdly in my brain.
That’s because there’s a crafts school called Capellagården here in Sweden. No clue why it’s called that, but in BK it’s because it’s yet another star name.