vkalsen
@vkal.bsky.social
Another soul weighed down by gravity. I love to think about RPGs and manga.
I have a background in political sociology, but I try to keep that off the tl. Here’s to hoping for a better world.
(He/him) 🇩🇰
I have a background in political sociology, but I try to keep that off the tl. Here’s to hoping for a better world.
(He/him) 🇩🇰
>Watching a movie with cool themes and motifs
>It's a fucking jesus allegory
>It's a fucking jesus allegory
November 21, 2025 at 2:08 PM
>Watching a movie with cool themes and motifs
>It's a fucking jesus allegory
>It's a fucking jesus allegory
Lots of “well duh” responses here, but I found this to be pretty interesting:
Even if the quality of the information given is the same, just the process of receiving it from a prompt makes you less likely to internalise it.
Even if the quality of the information given is the same, just the process of receiving it from a prompt makes you less likely to internalise it.
November 21, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Lots of “well duh” responses here, but I found this to be pretty interesting:
Even if the quality of the information given is the same, just the process of receiving it from a prompt makes you less likely to internalise it.
Even if the quality of the information given is the same, just the process of receiving it from a prompt makes you less likely to internalise it.
hilarious looking up these titles and confirming that they are indeed real movies
November 20, 2025 at 4:43 PM
hilarious looking up these titles and confirming that they are indeed real movies
just hanging in the back alley with my local VHS slinger
November 20, 2025 at 4:40 PM
just hanging in the back alley with my local VHS slinger
This combat is system is pretty fun. Curious to see how it'll expand.
November 20, 2025 at 4:34 PM
This combat is system is pretty fun. Curious to see how it'll expand.
Kira Yoshikage designing a final boss
November 20, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Kira Yoshikage designing a final boss
Man, these battle transitions rock
November 19, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Man, these battle transitions rock
It’s kinda the same as seeing numbers go up.
Watching it out of context, it seems stupid. It’s jus a number, the value is arbitrary. But knowing all stuff you did you make it pop up activates your neurons
Watching it out of context, it seems stupid. It’s jus a number, the value is arbitrary. But knowing all stuff you did you make it pop up activates your neurons
November 19, 2025 at 3:05 PM
It’s kinda the same as seeing numbers go up.
Watching it out of context, it seems stupid. It’s jus a number, the value is arbitrary. But knowing all stuff you did you make it pop up activates your neurons
Watching it out of context, it seems stupid. It’s jus a number, the value is arbitrary. But knowing all stuff you did you make it pop up activates your neurons
Okay, maybe this needed a bit more context (I just don't really want to put names on the two categories yet)
November 19, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Okay, maybe this needed a bit more context (I just don't really want to put names on the two categories yet)
okay added some more context
November 19, 2025 at 1:22 PM
okay added some more context
Been working on a thesis that rpgs are really two different genres trapped in a trenchcoat together.
Does this make sense for anyone besides me? In my mind there's a clear distinction between chrunchy, stat heavy games and more immersive "you're inhabiting more than a player avatar" sort of games.
Does this make sense for anyone besides me? In my mind there's a clear distinction between chrunchy, stat heavy games and more immersive "you're inhabiting more than a player avatar" sort of games.
November 19, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Been working on a thesis that rpgs are really two different genres trapped in a trenchcoat together.
Does this make sense for anyone besides me? In my mind there's a clear distinction between chrunchy, stat heavy games and more immersive "you're inhabiting more than a player avatar" sort of games.
Does this make sense for anyone besides me? In my mind there's a clear distinction between chrunchy, stat heavy games and more immersive "you're inhabiting more than a player avatar" sort of games.
I always thought that was meant to be hand wrapping
November 18, 2025 at 10:28 AM
I always thought that was meant to be hand wrapping
how did we go from that to this
November 18, 2025 at 10:24 AM
how did we go from that to this
Personally, I think one of the core differences between W & JRPGs is whether attributes are considered fixed "scores" or as a stat array that dynamically increases.
In traditional CPRGs like Baldur's Gate and Fallout, attributes (mostly) stay the same, where in DQ and FF they increase all the time
In traditional CPRGs like Baldur's Gate and Fallout, attributes (mostly) stay the same, where in DQ and FF they increase all the time
November 18, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Personally, I think one of the core differences between W & JRPGs is whether attributes are considered fixed "scores" or as a stat array that dynamically increases.
In traditional CPRGs like Baldur's Gate and Fallout, attributes (mostly) stay the same, where in DQ and FF they increase all the time
In traditional CPRGs like Baldur's Gate and Fallout, attributes (mostly) stay the same, where in DQ and FF they increase all the time
But then there's the broader japanese style of rpgs with stuff like Vagrant Story or Star Ocean which plays nothing like a typical Final Fantasy, but is clearly not a western rpg either.
If these are also jrpgs then what do you *specificall* call the first category? That's the main issue imo.
If these are also jrpgs then what do you *specificall* call the first category? That's the main issue imo.
November 18, 2025 at 9:14 AM
But then there's the broader japanese style of rpgs with stuff like Vagrant Story or Star Ocean which plays nothing like a typical Final Fantasy, but is clearly not a western rpg either.
If these are also jrpgs then what do you *specificall* call the first category? That's the main issue imo.
If these are also jrpgs then what do you *specificall* call the first category? That's the main issue imo.
The core issue with the term "JRPG" will always be that people use it to refer to two different things.
There's the DQ-style "3-4 dudes in a line taking turns" kinda game (like FF, DQ and SMT).
This is what most people who don't play them refer to when they say "jrpg".
There's the DQ-style "3-4 dudes in a line taking turns" kinda game (like FF, DQ and SMT).
This is what most people who don't play them refer to when they say "jrpg".
November 18, 2025 at 9:14 AM
The core issue with the term "JRPG" will always be that people use it to refer to two different things.
There's the DQ-style "3-4 dudes in a line taking turns" kinda game (like FF, DQ and SMT).
This is what most people who don't play them refer to when they say "jrpg".
There's the DQ-style "3-4 dudes in a line taking turns" kinda game (like FF, DQ and SMT).
This is what most people who don't play them refer to when they say "jrpg".
Wait is THAT the Steam controller people are referring to?? I thought everyone was gassing up this thing:
November 13, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Wait is THAT the Steam controller people are referring to?? I thought everyone was gassing up this thing:
This is my Elden Ring combat review:
November 12, 2025 at 11:29 PM
This is my Elden Ring combat review:
The other part of gameplay is tactical mech combat. It's a bit RTS'y (but you can pause at any time).
It's not the biggest selling point imo (albeit I enjoyed it immensely).
It's not the biggest selling point imo (albeit I enjoyed it immensely).
November 11, 2025 at 9:59 AM
The other part of gameplay is tactical mech combat. It's a bit RTS'y (but you can pause at any time).
It's not the biggest selling point imo (albeit I enjoyed it immensely).
It's not the biggest selling point imo (albeit I enjoyed it immensely).
Gameplay wise it's mostly a narrative game that plays like an adventure game (a bit like a point & click imo).
The unique design is that the story is told from 11 different perspectives told out of order. That might sound confusing, but it's really well done here.
The unique design is that the story is told from 11 different perspectives told out of order. That might sound confusing, but it's really well done here.
November 11, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Gameplay wise it's mostly a narrative game that plays like an adventure game (a bit like a point & click imo).
The unique design is that the story is told from 11 different perspectives told out of order. That might sound confusing, but it's really well done here.
The unique design is that the story is told from 11 different perspectives told out of order. That might sound confusing, but it's really well done here.
If I could make everyone play one game of my choice it would be 13 Sentinels.
It's such a hard sell, but I think it's genuinely one of the best games that have come out in the past decade. I'm confident that a lot of people who wouldn't usually be into this style of game, would enjoy it immensely.
It's such a hard sell, but I think it's genuinely one of the best games that have come out in the past decade. I'm confident that a lot of people who wouldn't usually be into this style of game, would enjoy it immensely.
November 11, 2025 at 9:45 AM
If I could make everyone play one game of my choice it would be 13 Sentinels.
It's such a hard sell, but I think it's genuinely one of the best games that have come out in the past decade. I'm confident that a lot of people who wouldn't usually be into this style of game, would enjoy it immensely.
It's such a hard sell, but I think it's genuinely one of the best games that have come out in the past decade. I'm confident that a lot of people who wouldn't usually be into this style of game, would enjoy it immensely.
