#knower rambles

[the-fourth-knower]

"Villains should have an understandable/sympathetic motive" is well and good, but here's the most important part of that.

The villain should have an understandable motive from the villain's perspective. Whether it can be understandable by a reader is irrelevant - a villain's role in the story is to be a driving force. Whether they want revenge for something in the past no matter the costs, or they think they are the greatest and want to bulldoze orphanages to slap statues of themselves up in their place. If the motive makes sense for the villain and gels with their actions then that's a good villan motive.

This applies for other characters as well, not just villains.

[the-fourth-knower]

I have bewildered @aquillis-main with this revelation

rito don't wear pants

[the-fourth-knower]

said this on twitter but I'll say it here too

Between what happened to astral-wingz on twitter and egg-emperor hereI'm convinced the sonic fandom has a real problem with people putting up a facade of niceness while also being shitheeels. Plus a REALLY bad tendency to dogpile without bothering to learn any other details or hearing from another side, and taking information at face value.

I mean, I already had that sense. But it's been strengthened.

[the-fourth-knower]

Probing of Kevin versus Tortured Wrestling Match

You know. there's a lot of differences between how Big D handles an interrogation and how Marckus, Dorn, and Kitten handled theirs.

In Tortured Wrestling Match, other than the obvious mistake of letting the vampires fight to the death and eat each other, none of Big D's sons (and son in law) try and connect with the vampires. To be fair, the chances of successfully doing so with them in a group is low, but there is never any intent to do so on their part to begin with.

Compare with Big D, who immediately latches onto Kevin revealing that he owns a pet cat. Ad Big D would know the significance of that, after all.

Now, if Kevin didn't do that, then I'm not sure how their interactions would go. I doubt Big D would be nearly as empathetic if Kevin was less 'human'.

But also his weapon of interrogation is mostly a pan. And omelette. But mostly the pan - compare that with Door stabbing the vampires with a spear.

Also just the general ways they see the vampires and all. Door is contemptuous of them, while Marckus and Kitten are curious about them to varying degrees. With Marckus eager to torture them as well.

Big D seems more...nuanced in his views. He definitely has elements of Door's, Marckus's, and Kitten's views. But as we saw he is able to emathize with at least some vampires - those willing to engage with him at least. And even converse with.

Though, to be honest, the only vamp of the basement trio that I can see D reaching is Shitbeard. Maybe Apeboy? But whether they would have responded on the same level as Kevin I'm not sure.

[the-fourth-knower]

One of the biggest mysteries of SatAM and later Archie

Why is Antoine, a Coyote (famously an American animal) French.

unless he is meant to be like. French-American (Cajun?) or French-Canadian. But i'm pretty sure he isn't.

[the-fourth-knower]

After playing both Forces and Frontiers

I find myself preferring Forces's story (in the Japanese voices lol).

Boss wise and parts of gameplay, Frontiers gets my thumbs up. But the story does not really do it for me.

Also, Frontiers drops the ball on the boss difficulty. Forces's Death Egg robot fight makes use of stuff you've been doing all game. When I finally beat it I felt like it was because I did it on my own merit.

I understand that there's issues with a LOT of cut content, and from my understanding that could definitely be SEGA's bad. But from what we got in the final product - a reused minigame with a boss that just does not shut up?

oh, and it's just straight up a QTE if you're not on Hard?

It's a pretty big let down. ESPECIALY after the other three big bosses of the game.

I would honestly love a game where you have Forces's plot with Frontiers gameplay. That'd be sick.

[the-fourth-knower]

Sonic 1 - the theme is pretty much Egman's. It's slow militaristic - you feel like you're the one who is the underdog here. Eggman perhaps does not take Sonic as seriously as he will later. What, this little hedgehog boy thinks that he can take him on?

Final boss for Sonic 1 - it's a moment of truth for Sonic - he's gotten Eggman backed into a corner in the heart of his own base. And the Doctor is trying to either crush him to death or fry him alive. Eggman has the advantage - you have no rings after all.

Sonic 2 - the music now is faster - it still has that militaristic beat of course, but Eggman is more wary of Sonic. Oh and now there's also a fox? No matter - he will just get rid of them both.

Sonic 2 Death Egg - Sonic's been more on equal footing with Eggman in this game - that goes out the window here. The slow military parade returns, bigger and better than before, as Eggman turns the table and corners Sonic in a clash aboard the maniacal doctor's masterpiece. He is done playing games with you, Sonic!

Sonic 3 - the militaristic vibe is almost gone, in favor of a frantic, groovy piece. Eggman is fed up with your shit - first you break his base, then you crashed his death egg, and you are still coming after him? Be gone, pest!

Sonic 3 Big Arms - Remember how I said Eggman's fed up with Sonic? Well, this just drives it in more - if him piledriving Sonic out of his Super form wasn't enough! (apparently that was unintended but I'm glad it was left in)

Sonic 3&K Doomsday Zone - Eggman has the Master Emerald, and he sure as hell doesn't plan to let you take it from him. Sonic's super/hyper form only lasts so long - and if it runs out he'll fall to the planet below. You can't even touch Eggman even as Hyper Sonic at first - you have to trick the missiles into hitting his ship. And even that doesn't stop him. He just breaks out another Death Egg Robot and keeps running as you race both him and the ring counter.

there's also whatever CD has going on - i think it's Japan boss theme is good for the good futures, while US fits the bad futures.

[the-fourth-knower]

Imagine how hillarious it'd be if everyone else had memory issues but Shadow was completely fine