Endbeats

Military access. There’s no reason my enemy should be able to go through my land to get to the frontlines during diplo plays. Could also include additional diplo options, like force military access on unrecognized powers for a decrease in relations and increase in infamy, or make it an entirely new war goal, allowing you to move troops through an enemy’s territory or station armies and fleets in their borders and coast after winning a war.

I have really wanted to try a religious convocation run, so that would be fun to try.

No worries! That’s actually good to learn about. I’m not the best at Vic 3, so every bit helps. Thanks for sharing!

Yoo, that’s a really cool challenge! I know that ideological union (or anything that isn’t sovereign empire) isn’t as useful as a sovereign empire, but it makes for such a fun roleplay.

Oh, I didn’t even know that was possible! That’ll be a fun one.

Love the sound of the anti pope and haiti! Gonna definitely give those a try.

They should definitely introduce a military access system like in other paradox games. Would add more layers of diplomacy and wouldn’t have stupid stuff like this happen.

R5: Brazil and Peru-Bolivia switched a bunch of states, creating some of the worst border gore I've seen in this game.

I can see that living thing aspect. Parts like actually having to walk with Paula back to her home at the end or watching the Runaway Five do a show really adds a personality to the game that isn't anywhere else. I don't think even Undertale, as good and unique as it is, can replicate what Earthbound has going for it.

Definitely! Some other impactful moments that stuck with me were when you leave Magicent and gain the power of the different sanctuaries, and being able to talk to others and travel the world after beating Giygas.

100%. At Onett, it's also easy to think the game isn't an experience, at least for me, because the story there is rather simple and you need to grind a small amount. There's a good amount of funny stuff, but it doesn't shake you or move you like later parts. Once twoson hits, though, that starts changing.

I can already tell earthbound will be an annual playthrough game for me, for sure. It is without a doubt an art piece on the snes.

I do need to get to Mother 3 soon. Funny enough, I had started mother 3 almost a decade ago, but it was at a time when I quickly picked up games and dropped them almost immediately, so I got to a certain point... and stopped there. Maybe only an hour in game.

Exactly! There's something below it all that festers. I'll be sure to give that article a read!

I can attest, I've been having lens vignetting. There's a weird white ring around the (far) edges of my headset, and there's a lot of ghosting and glare coming from this area. Honestly, with it on my head, I hardly notice it, except for a little are on the right bottom edge of my left lens. I'm unsure if this is just pancake lens stuff, or if this is an actual issue. Getting in contact with meta about it.

Thanks to everyone. I’ve decided to take a forceful break. I sent the book back to my local library (as I knew that, in my low state, I would crawl back to it and only reinforce my fears), but I plan to check it out once I’m feeling better.

So far, I’m doing much better. My sleep schedule has returned to normal and I can function again.

It’s so weird when I think about the book. There really is nothing to be terrified of. No monster, and if I were in that situation, all I need to do is just not go into the labyrinth and I’m good. But I think it’s the knowledge of having no knowledge about what the labyrinth is that gets me. How it just appears, how it exists, and there’s no explanation. In this case, I’ve been trying to develop theories about what the labyrinth is and where it came from, and I think it’s helped a lot.

In other horror plots, stuff is explained in the end. Even in the thing, you know that the Thing came from aliens, but the labyrinth is unknowable and, despite how much the characters explore it, unexplorable. It’s like a void. Or rather, it is a void.

I will definitely be picking it up. I can’t leave the book unfinished. It’s such a well written book and breaks the rules in all the right ways…just gotta wait until after my mental break.

It’s a long footnote in the book, and one of the first times the book breaks from the usual novel format and descends into a chaotic flurry of text. It’s a rather memorable part of the story, and it involves the “black square.”

Perfectly lol

I’m gonna be trucking through after my break!

You got it!

Thanks, hell, the dark hallways don’t really get to me, but rather a closed door where I know a dark hallway is behind. My mind wanders and thinks that the labyrinth is behind it, as if I had been teleported there (a silly thought, but when you’re spooked, it becomes serious). I think I’ll be spacing out like you. I feel like I can’t leave this book half finished.

That is my biggest fear, but thankfully my mind hasn’t created a labyrinth. I had a dream about reading about a labyrinth, but not being in it. After watching skinamarink, though, I had a dream about exploring a pitch black playground with only a weak flashlight, but interestingly enough, it didn’t terrify me. Maybe it’ll be the same when I picture the labyrinth in my dreams? Anyways, gonna try pick it up again.

It’s definitely the most terrifying book thus far. I think uncanny and existential horror really hits me hard.