tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post801209761260354562..comments2024-03-29T02:34:55.592-04:00Comments on The CRPG Addict: Game 271: Knights of Xentar (1991)CRPG Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comBlogger110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-25651991790882321632018-01-04T23:55:08.941-05:002018-01-04T23:55:08.941-05:00Had this game came out in 25 years later, Don Grum...Had this game came out in 25 years later, Don Grump would not just set up guards to block Desmond; he'd build a wall and make Desmond pay for it.Kenny McCormickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01553499727945099493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-15512328879438435112017-12-11T09:47:22.845-05:002017-12-11T09:47:22.845-05:00From how you describe it the game sounds like pret...From how you describe it the game sounds like pretty light fare, and I certainly don't judge anyone who enjoys it. But I do think it points to bigger issues. My point is just that there's nothing wrong with clear-sighted analysis for the sake of understanding the bigger picture, regardless of our personal feelings.Joet88https://www.blogger.com/profile/06298640825880372478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-87517634100024643582017-12-04T16:01:30.642-05:002017-12-04T16:01:30.642-05:00Joet88, the only flaw in, or perhaps asterisk to, ...Joet88, the only flaw in, or perhaps asterisk to, your argument is that so far we haven't heard from any sexual assault victims who say they find the images bothersome. I suppose it's logical to think that they WOULD, but not a foregone conclusion. I've been robbed on the street but I don't particularly mind scenes of robberies in films.<br /><br />The other important thing to remember is that these images aren't being hosted on billboards somewhere. You have to purposefully seek them out by buying, installing, and playing this game.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-78917797659648723162017-12-03T13:19:49.749-05:002017-12-03T13:19:49.749-05:00Late to the party but there's an important poi...Late to the party but there's an important point that hasn't really been addressed. What a few of you are missing is that when it comes to the topic of the depiction of sexual violence in media, your personal experience isn't very important. People don't say "this rape scene is problematic" because they haven't heard Bob from Ohio say "but it didn't turn me on, so what's the problem?!" Because you don't personally feel that sexual assault is okay, and even because the artist doesn't condone it, doesn't mean that the image is innocent. There's a very important concept about the human mind called the unconscious, which is the part of the brain where ideas and feelings live that we don't normally have access to. In other words, the thoughts at the front of your head, that say "rape is bad, this image of a naked woman being assaulted doesn't interest me," may not necessarily coincide with the things going on behind the curtain of the unconscious. And the same goes for the artist. The artist had fun making these images. The artist wasn't in excruciating pain, thinking about the suffering of this poor woman. Whether or not he wants to admit it, or even knows it, a part of him liked the idea of a woman getting assaulted, and that's why he drew it. There is no emotional weight to this game, please do not try to argue that these images were intended to enhance the power of the story. As Helm said, if that was the case, rescuing the women would be its own reward, not sex. And just because the image excites you doesn't make you a bad person. You telling yourself "I'm a bad person because I like this" is just the front of your brain trying to push scary stuff to the back of your brain. The human mind is a whacky thing, all sorts of things are going on, it doesn't mean there's something wrong with you. What might make you a bad person, if you were to really strongly commit to it, is ignoring the many many women who have said "seeing these images is painful to me, because I've been assaulted." It is very likely that a good percentage of the women in your life have been assaulted. What's happening in the news is proof that it's a huge problem. So just because you don't think the image is offensive, it's important to listen when someone else says it is, because there might be more happening under the surface that you can't recognize because you are only experiencing it with the thoughts at the front of your head. If you've never been assaulted, you get to enjoy the privilege of pushing away thoughts that trouble you. Someone who has been assaulted doesn't get to do that, because what is troubling happened to them physically and consciously. So especially when it's a woman saying, "hey, there's something wrong here," you listen. But there are other folks who have thought about this and considered it carefully, and they should be listened to as well.<br /><br />In terms of the question, "So, what, we just never show rape anymore? Liberals live in the clouds!" My response is to ask if we should just ignore the problem. There are all sorts of solutions, generally to be dealt with on a case by case basis, let's not choose to simply ignore the problem because coming up with a real solution is too hard. As people who aren't producing these stories, it's not our job to come up with solutions. Our job, as human beings, is to respect the pain others have felt, and try to reflect that in paying close attention to the things we consume as entertainment, and acknowledge, not ignore, problems as we find them.Joet88https://www.blogger.com/profile/06298640825880372478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-9995449914713281462017-12-01T22:51:31.456-05:002017-12-01T22:51:31.456-05:00Thank you tetrapod for cutting through the convolu...Thank you tetrapod for cutting through the convoluted rhetoric with your responses. I never encounter people like this, and am really happy I almost never have to see similar commenters on this blog. The mental gymnastics necessary to turn everything into the victimization of straight white guys is so astounding I wouldn't know where to begin. Good work!Joet88https://www.blogger.com/profile/06298640825880372478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-56519980789194607172017-11-30T10:21:31.519-05:002017-11-30T10:21:31.519-05:00You can be sure I would have similar comment, if h...You can be sure I would have similar comment, if here would appear such discussion about dragon´s wing, food and torches in long forgotten dungeons or anything else. Maybe except of books :-)<br />I think I made this comment also little under influence of that "MeToo" campaign (which I am glad was not mentioned here in discussion).<br />It just seemed to me that today almost everybody tries to "analyze" this to go with "fashion".<br />I apologize for my not so good English, but I hope everybody will understand, what I wanted to say.Tygrnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-64249135364035070342017-11-29T11:02:08.171-05:002017-11-29T11:02:08.171-05:00It wasn't your words in particular but every t...It wasn't your words in particular but every time the topic of sex and nudity comes up, a host of commenters use terms like "overthinking" or "over-analyzing." As if analyzing every pixel of a dragon's wing is okay but a few comments on a visible pudendum are worthy of ridicule.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-10165490013942550802017-11-29T10:59:08.995-05:002017-11-29T10:59:08.995-05:00I didn't really understand it in time for the ...I didn't really understand it in time for the first entry. I talk about it in the next one.<br /><br /><i>Might and Magic X</i> is the only one I know for sure has something like that.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-20876920130777203682017-11-29T04:17:21.675-05:002017-11-29T04:17:21.675-05:00Maybe one more thing - I completely understand you...Maybe one more thing - I completely understand your point of view. I think my code of ethics probably also came from these ages, in my case from the books, mostly probably of the books from Karel May and books about knights from legends - Roland, Arthur (and his guys), Cid, Richard the Lionheart, Robin Hood (ok, he was not a knight, I know).Tygrnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-61590453508166875852017-11-29T04:10:49.965-05:002017-11-29T04:10:49.965-05:00Ah, sorry, CHester, if you took my words personal....Ah, sorry, CHester, if you took my words personal. My last sentence was not about you, but about all of us here, who are talking so deeply about sexual content, how it was meant, how to take it, if it is good or not... somehow it seemed to me that we are making "too much fuss" about it.Tygrnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-34118049234911353162017-11-28T21:18:30.014-05:002017-11-28T21:18:30.014-05:00There are also precisely zero enemies in the game ...There are also precisely zero enemies in the game that can be killed by mere contact. <br /><br /><br />That said, I don't think any of this conversation was meant as criticism. The main thrust was that your own gaming focuses can provide some blind spots, and you seem to be making too broad a generalization from your limited experience. <br /><br />One important final point. According to Nintendo, the original Legend of Zelda was created from ideas "rejected" from the original Super Mario Brothers, and it was not knowingly inspired by Hydlide, Ys, or Druaga - games which everybody in the design team claims to have had no knowledge of at the time.Gnomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13920812227941556716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-3119465680207981572017-11-28T19:34:23.640-05:002017-11-28T19:34:23.640-05:00http://www.zeldainformer.com/images/articles/sword...http://www.zeldainformer.com/images/articles/sword.jpg - Here's an image of the sword when swung<br /><br />I should also clarify how the sword works: you don't just hold a button to hold your sword out. You push the sword button to swing it. During that swing, the sword will hit/hurt/push back any enemies it comes into contact with (and shoot a single laser blaster if at full health). The swing will quickly end, however, and the sword will no longer be outstretched. Every swing requires a new button press, not unlike Ninja Gaiden for the NES or other sword-based melee action games from the time.killias2https://www.blogger.com/profile/00398131197947456691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-59861756242435868242017-11-28T19:20:12.718-05:002017-11-28T19:20:12.718-05:00This conversation has completely gotten out of han...This conversation has completely gotten out of hand, haha, but just to be clear, here's a video:<br />https://youtu.be/6ADhznw1zhc?t=32m43s<br /><br />I've timestamped right before a big combat scene. Notice that the sword has its own sprite, and it actually has a pretty significant range. It may not seem it if you haven't played it much, but it does. It allows you to attack just over a full square away from an enemy, keeping you save from touching the enemy. Also, while he's at full health, his sword also gives ranged attacks. He uses bombs to help take out enemies as well, in addition to finding a clock that temporarily freezes time.killias2https://www.blogger.com/profile/00398131197947456691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-86459562789030886222017-11-28T19:15:05.678-05:002017-11-28T19:15:05.678-05:00Well, there are several ways to attack. If you hav...Well, there are several ways to attack. If you have full health, your sword shoots a ranged attack. You can also attack at range with a bow, a wand, and a boomerang. You can drop bombs and start nearby fires with candles as well.<br /><br />The normal sword attack is a melee attack, but the distinction between Zelda-style combat and Hydlide/Ys-style combat is significant. The former puts most of its emphasis on your ability to dodge enemy attacks while sneaking your own attacks in. The sword isn't a "part" of Link that allows you to run into enemies (a la Druaga). It is its own sprite with its own collision detection, neither of which are true with the other games.<br /><br />Link does run into a few things: blocks to solve Sokoban-style block puzzles; treasure/hearts/items to pick them up; a -few- invisible doors. But combat is significantly different than Hydlide or Ys or even Druaga.<br /><br />Another thing to consider.. you can beat most of Zelda without even picking up a sword, and you can beat all of Zelda without getting any extra hearts or other upgrades other than the last sword (which is mandatory) and the last arrow. Does it.. even make sense to talk about beating Hydlide or Ys or Druaga without a sword? Like.. that concept doesn't even slot into those games. And beating Ys or Hydlide without leveling or grinding is completely impossible. Again, Zelda is much more of an action/twitch-focused game that gives flexibility to solve problems; Ys and Hydlide are pretty straightforward, streamlined RPGs that lean much more heavily on stats than "skill".killias2https://www.blogger.com/profile/00398131197947456691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-76307164966212331672017-11-28T16:44:34.722-05:002017-11-28T16:44:34.722-05:00Combat in THIS game is much more complex than Hydl...Combat in THIS game is much more complex than <i>Hydlide</i>. I wasn't trying to claim that every element in my list is present in every JRPG of the era, and I think you're all reading criticisms in my description where I didn't intend any. I was simply describing the overall look and feel of the interface, noting that it traces its lineage to <i>Druaga</i>, mentioning other RPGs of a similar lineage (even if they don't adopt all elements), and noting that western RPGs by and large did not adopt the same style.<br /><br />Having not played <i>Zelda</i> in decades, I will refrain from using it an an example of anything anymore. But since killias presses me on the point, I now want to know: in the video, it looks like if you don't attack at range and instead run up and press against an enemy, this counts as an attack. Am I right or wrong about that?CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-83203227486040831452017-11-28T16:37:25.321-05:002017-11-28T16:37:25.321-05:00I like to think that in our adult years, we become...I like to think that in our adult years, we become more interested in how different forms of media shape our opinions, attitudes, and behavior. My code of ethics from ages 12-18, roughly, came directly from <i>Ultima IV</i>. I can't acknowledge such an effect and not wonder about similar, negative effects our entertainment choices might have. I'm not going to apologize for analyzing game content on a blog specifically created to analyze game content.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-91538393978115083922017-11-28T16:31:01.938-05:002017-11-28T16:31:01.938-05:00I'm not even sure what you mean by "follo...I'm not even sure what you mean by "following the storyline." I don't see any storyline that takes me from place to place. I've only been finding things by exploring in a counter-clockwise pattern around the perimeter of the map. I'll definitely look for side areas.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-88436630992998767182017-11-28T16:28:34.856-05:002017-11-28T16:28:34.856-05:00To be fair, asking voice actors to read some of th...To be fair, asking voice actors to read some of those lines is a bit cruel.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-58138179053212744652017-11-28T12:53:35.444-05:002017-11-28T12:53:35.444-05:00If any of you guys (and it is, invariably, guys) w...If any of you guys (and it is, invariably, guys) want to stick up for games like Knights of Xentar because you stop rape from happening by beating the bad guys (let's forget that you also get sex as a reward for a moment), then the game would be best designed in such a way where if you stop the assault successfully, you do not get to look at titillating pictures of the beginning of the assault. And if you don't, you get to see terrifying images of what rape would be like, and then get a game over.<br /><br /> Helmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00584102280299430293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-81593702764421971932017-11-28T12:46:13.288-05:002017-11-28T12:46:13.288-05:00Rance or this both fall under what we'd call &...Rance or this both fall under what we'd call 'sexploitation' if we were talking in film terms. One is more celebratory of sexual violence and the other keeps a moral escape clause, but both exploit the material.<br /><br />And the player playing the game is the active agent presumably enjoying the exploitation, so we all have to make our own choices in the matter.Helmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00584102280299430293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-86972294724427911662017-11-28T07:09:24.113-05:002017-11-28T07:09:24.113-05:00It's just for collection purposes. I beat the ...It's just for collection purposes. I beat the game without some of these and I noticed gaps in the sections so I decided to go around and fill them up.KZnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-79860068306727271562017-11-28T01:05:16.266-05:002017-11-28T01:05:16.266-05:00Remember, it's not whether or not you hate. H...Remember, it's not whether or not you hate. Hating is perfectly okay provided you hate the right people, for the right reasons. There is no such thing as tolerance. Tolerance is a pretense used to disarm your enemy so that you can more effectively change who gets hated and why.ThirtyNinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07720392687278454430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-77825217207909090562017-11-28T00:54:46.558-05:002017-11-28T00:54:46.558-05:00Is there? I'm actually super interested, since...Is there? I'm actually super interested, since that game supposedly has a great, moving plot that my Japanese is too bleh to understand right now.<br /><br />Although I wonder if the people who saying that are the same guys who read Playboy "for the articles" back when it was relevant. :PPaphvulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17793765634686489221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-22872042396047976302017-11-28T00:47:32.148-05:002017-11-28T00:47:32.148-05:00Tristan makes a good point; here's another.
I...Tristan makes a good point; here's another.<br /><br />I think the reason we find rape so much more horrible than violence is because sex is an inherently pleasurable, intimate activity, and frequently an expression of love. It's what we all come from.<br /><br />Thus, when we see it turned into a form of violence, it's jarring in a way that normal violence isn't.<br /> <br />Normal violence is done with weapons clearly meant to hurt, so while it's terrible, it makes sense to us.<br /><br />Sexual violence is using something inherently good as a means to take away someone else's control for your own pleasure, which is one of the most profane things we as a species are capable of.<br /><br />That's why rape is so shocking to us.Paphvulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17793765634686489221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-31158396345513617262017-11-27T19:22:47.344-05:002017-11-27T19:22:47.344-05:00While you are quite correct here, at least from a ...While you are quite correct here, at least from a modern viewpoint, the "Hero's Reward" was subjected to much less analysis 20 years ago, especially in Japan.Gnomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13920812227941556716noreply@blogger.com