No.3678
>>3674>general thoughts on the game itself?It's very fun and a total ride from start to finish but once that's over and you start to analyze it a little more critically, it feels definitely pretty unfinished and that a lot of plot points could've been done better. Still have fun with it though, maybe I've been playing it too much that once I know the twists, the initial sense of wonder doesn't captivate me and I'm left with a "this part could've been better"
>who are you shipping?Louis/More more than anything, everything else I like is a rarepair (even Zorba/Louis despite being very blatant). I like Louis as a bottom exclusively outside of that and I also like Will/More (but Will must top no matter what)
>any good fic recs? art?I like my friend's art, but that would be cheating. I really like @aoi_roji_ on twitter although they haven't posted anymore, @healthyhitoma too but they don't draw often.
>and, most importantly, why is louis so hot?He's a brat that needs to be put in his place, that's why
I had been wondering about making a metaphor thread here in a long while but discussion about Metaphor really died out in most places, which makes me a little sad but simultaneously it's comfy this way.
No.3679
Played the demo and thought it was fine, but patiently waiting for the inevitable complete edition. Kind of worried none of the yaoi is going to hit right.
No.3681
>general thoughts on the game itself?wonderful. what a ride. parts dragged on tbh but the stuff that was good was honestly very good. i cried.
>who are you shipping?louis/anyone. no specific preference for top/bottom, either. i just like him. to me, he is the metaphor fandom bicycle. everyone gets a ride. specifically: louis/more!!!, louis/strohl, louis/zorba, mob/louis (where is this, can someone write it). i'll take a look at louis/will if i'm desperate but it doesn't hit the same as the rest.
i am also vaguely interested in del/bas??? but haven't seen anything very interesting for it yet unfortunately.
>any good fic recs? art?spoilers abound but @letsura1, @Kexiu_, @noct2aa, @omuraice5555, @zipsunz. all on twitter.
>and, most importantly, why is louis so hot?i'm op so i'm still looking for answers.
>>3678>I had been wondering about making a metaphor thread here in a long while but discussion about Metaphor really died out in most places, which makes me a little sad but simultaneously it's comfy this way.i only just finished it-–was it super popular when it came out in october? i had actively avoided discussion because of spoilers so i'm worried i missed all the fun. but also i don't mind it being a little quiet, either, esp after being in persona fandom for so long where it can get overwhelming with so many people butting in with their stupidity.
No.3682
>>3679>Kind of worried none of the yaoi is going to hit right.Depends on your taste honestly. The most popular pairs are Strohl/MC and Louis/MC with everything else not even close to being noticeable. Strohl/MC is very vanilla, incredibly so. Honestly, this whole ship difference is very reminiscent of Yu/Yosuke and Yu/Adachi in P4 to me. You have the 'good friends' somewhat 'safe' ship in one side, with Strohl not having the 'no homo' that Yosuke had. And quite frankly, the only appeal of Louis/MC is hot villian that you'd want to fuck/get fucked by, otherwise it doesn't have much depth to it.
>>3681>i only just finished it-–was it super popular when it came out in october?Kind of? Discussion was definitely more prevalent everywhere, fanartists were popping up here and there and there was a momentary 'hype' for maybe 1~2 months but after that, it started to die down a little bit. Although at the beginning, most people were avoiding spoilers. On /vg/ at least, discussions were definitely fruitful. Elsewhere, I don't know. I'm pretty sure right now a lot of people have finished the game, and some discussion arise within personal circles but you don't see much out there. Both because twitter imploded and people moved on to bsky, or because there's people trying not to spoil others as well.
No.3699
>>3679I realized I don't like Atlus yaoi. The best friend yaoi always feels so bland, and the villain yaoi lacks enough depth from the villain. It's both too vanilla on one end and too dark on the other end and nothing hits just right. It feels lacking most likely because the company really doesn't want fujos.
No.3702
>>3699>It feels lacking most likely because the company really doesn't want fujos.Really? Funny you say this because I was trying to revive this thread saying that despite Metaphor feeling like the most fujofriendly Atlus game as of date (even more than SMTV), the fandom is pretty dead, or very slow.
I agree on what you say on the 2 popular pairs currently but that's definitely not the case with other Persona ships.
Even within metaphor there are other ships worth thinking about, just that nobody wants to do it.
>>3700>even though it feels like they want you to ship him with the Princedoessheknow.jpg
No.3704
>>3700I know the Persona 4 heyday but I didn't like Yosuke's no homo bro character and I also hated Adachi for acting like an incel. Neither of those are archetypes I can stand.
No.3705
>>3703I agree. MC/Prince could still be interesting, even in the context of the spoiler. I actually find a lot of Metaphor fic lacking, and it doesn't feel very creative or touch on canon in any meaningful way–but maybe that's just because 90% of it is tropey friends-to-lovers stuff.
>>3699>It feels lacking most likely because the company really doesn't want fujos.Not to derail but this is laughable. Please play Persona 5.
No.3710
>general thoughts on the game itself?
It's so much fun! Choosing archetypes to go with the situations is so much fun! It's harder than Persona, but in a new and different way. The story so far has been a trip, but a fun trip. It feels like an old SNES JRPG, where the focus is being a fun game with fun adventure, rather than trying to say Important Truths or Be a Movie.
>who are you shipping?
MC/Strohl, because they're very cute together, and MC has that 'Girly-looking Top' energy. Strohl is lovely btw, vanilla flavour, but very high-quality vanilla at that. I want that boy to blush and get bent over things.
Also Morgan/Louis, until someone else comes along to properly top Louie. But the whole 'idolizing the saviour' thing goes so well with Louie's Holy White Prince motif.
>any good fic recs? art?
You tell me. I have not finished this game yet. Please throw recs at me.
>and, most importantly, why is louis so hot?
It's the Berserk inspo, he seems to be a Guts expy.
No.3711
>>3709I'm curious to know what you like about them, because I'm pretty sure the vocal fans are
me and the couple few friends that make and art and fic for it and it does surprise me to see that it's gotten people interested in them. It's never 'too late' to get into them, anon. There's a lot of things to say despite the fact of them not appearing together on-screen but they do have a lingering connection there that we just don't know fully.
>>3710By Morgan do you mean Zorba or someone else? Also I think you got your berserk charas wrong, because he's definitely more Griffith than he's Guts
No.3714
>>3711Well, a big part of it is that
I love sad dads lol. I am especially stricken by how Metaphor handles grief, and I love how that theme ties in with More's character and, in turn, Louis's entire arc. It's fascinating to me that a huge chunk of the game hinges on Louis's backstory which is connected to More. The September horn scene has me in a chokehold. The frustrated tension–and YEARNING??–is unmatched. I also can't help but find it tender that Louis carries the fantasy novel on his person despite his disappointment in More. Ugh.
>but they do have a lingering connection there that we just don't know fully.Also this. That omission makes it fun to imagine all sorts of possibilities. Young Louis… aaah. I do feel More and Louis are the most complex characters in the game, which to me makes them top tier.
But you know. I also just think they're really cute.
Hoping I am using the spoiler tag correctly. (I did, in fact, not use it correctly lmao. I can't keep up with how different imageboards are using spoilers.)
No.3716
>>3715I was wondering if maybe Morgan was an autocorrect for Zorba. My phone is always autocorrecting Zorba to something weird.
I really enjoyed Zorba, esp
in the late game. Louis/Zorba is probably in my top three m:rf ships, but if I'm honest with myself, I can't really see them fucking, at least not consistently. I imagine it as a very intense, one-sided pairing. That being said, I do think Louis has fond feelings for Zorba in some capacity. I'd love to learn more about their relationship pre-canon.
And of course I still want to see art and fic of them doing it raw.
No.3718
>>3714You get it so right anon. Despite never missing an opportunity to mock
the king when he can, yet still does he still fondly remember him. How can you say you truly hate a man when you still try to carry his ideals with all your might, and life? It's just so fascinating.
They really are full of complexities, most of Louis's gang does to be honest which is what makes them so fun.
Plus, a bonus is that Louis and More are also aesthetically pleasing to look at too. Their design contrast could get me talking about it forever.
>>3716I also like zorui too, but I think the same. Zorba worships Louis almost religiously that even if I were to imagine him wanting to bang him, he'd likely quickly chastize himself over the thought.
He does definitely end up being a lot more yandere after his transformation so I wouldn't put it past him being more in touch with his emotions and giving in to wanting to fuck Louis No.3722
>>3718
>ruimoa>Their design contrast could get me talking about it forever.I haven't thought about this much outside of how they're both blond in contrasting clothing colors–would love to hear your thoughts.
>pre vs post-transformation ZorbaI swear there's a fic on ao3 that touches on this. Actually most fics for this pairing I've noticed are lacking in actual sex and instead are more eroguro-y as a metaphor. (lol "most fics" there's like 10 of them aaaaaa.)
I was actually thinking earlier about how I don't even think Louis fucks either. Just in general. I genuinely think he's so one-track minded with his own goals that he has no desire to engage in that type of relationship. The only lingering evidence of sexual interest he has, of course,
ended up as that complicated disdain for the king. No.3723
>>3722It really starts as simplistic with details like louis having wavy hair vs more's straight long hair, black and white, their horns being a similar shape but Louis's being bigger, but also the way their ideologies are similar yet different and
both escaping reality as wellMost people tend to headcanon Louis as very foward and aggresive (usually sexually aggresive) but I really don't think he'd be like this. Considering how hard it is for him to trust let alone not being the type of person to push things onto others (he lets all his followers roam free and do what they want), I don't see how would he end up being intimate with anybody so easily.
Much less the MC which is what everyone doesI can see him being detached from it if he were to do it, but I don't think it'd make him happy or Zorba if they had fucked. I feel like Zorba wants to get close to Louis and tries so hard but simultaneously that crazy devotion is what sets them apart because Louis would rather be seen as a normal person than some semi-god. At least that's what I think.
No.3726
Curious if anyone has a compiled list of all exhibition information re: Louis yet. It seems to be coming from areas where you can't take photos, so much is secondhand. Some information I've found from scrolling through socmed–
>Louis's design is based on tanbi manga. (Originally, I saw this translated as simply shoujo manga, but the complete phrasing on the placard is 少女漫画のような耽美系)>The shine in Destroyer Charadrius's eye was intentional, meant to suggest that Louis is crying.I feel like I saw another one but I can't recall it right now. I'll look again later.
>>3723Aaah, I like the way you think. I really enjoy this reading of Louis.
No.3730
>>3705>Persona 5The gay is so lacking in that game unless you like settling for scraps. Persona homo is trash.
No.3732
>>3731Neither of the ships look appealing. I'm bored with the Atlus formula and both vanilla friendship and doomed villain yaoi do nothing for me anymore.
No.3733
>>3710 over here, having played more of the game now.
I'm at the islandI'm impressed. Even the female characters have non-coomery designs. I love how
one of them is based off of 1960's idols & mangaI'm now
friends with Louie!? Damn. He's so cute up close, too. The charisma!And don't get me started on the tribe leader. That outfit is both stripperiffic and tasteful, sort of like NuCani clothing… I hope he's the next party member.All in all, this game seems to have been made for women. No.3735
>>3732Most of the discussion here has been about ships outside of that. You say "neither," as if there are only two ships in the game. I'm with you, I actively dislike the popular m:rf ships, but I'm sorry you are so closeminded (??) as to only know vanilla friendship and doomed villain yaoi when there are other interesting pairings for this fandom.
Toxic yearning age gap, catboy brocon incest,
schrodinger's dadson incest… That's not even all of it. The other day, I read a compelling fic for Zorba/Glodell, of all pairings.
If you don't have eyes for it, that's fine, but why sit here and complain as if you're forced to follow the formula. There is yaoi for all to see lol.
>>3733You're really in it now! I love the designs of the girl characters, too, and the lack of forced romance.
No.3736
>>3733>That outfit is both stripperiffic and tastefulHeh, same. I love Edeni, he's cute
I wish he had been a follower bond. He was MEANT to be one but got scrapped>>3726I'm trying so hard to find anything more but the only other one is about why his wings omit "4" and that's because the 4 is meant to be "Envy".
Envy and jealousy tend to be interchanged with one another but Envy is a lot more closer to a personal inner emptiness and wanting to have what others do.
Whether this is about himself or what he thinks about the Elda as a whole, I'm not sure but it's definitely easier to relate it with Louis more than anything. Powerlessness also generates feelings of Envy too.
I've heard that apparently the reason why Zorba is infatuated with Louis was written somewhere but nobody dares to say what it was.
>>3735People usually tend to flock to what gets the most content otherwise you'd be left starving and suffering if you happen to like something unpopular. Atlus games tend to have this problem that once at least 1 ship becomes the top dog, every other dynamic or interactions get overshadowed or don't matter to people. This is so weird for Metaphor when you have so many shipping potential with actual basis in canon but it's just straight up not popular.
No.3739
>>3738Me again.
I made it all the way to the boss, used my precious 'restore all MP' potion, and… I'm underleveled and have to take a day to train.
Another thing I noticed, is how well spaced-out the social links are. The quests feel more important, and since the social links aren't plentiful from the start, it feels more special and it's easier to prioritize. That, or I've just played so much Persona that I've developed a method.
That said, the stories in the social links are really, really good…
Heismay's is making me cry. It feels like they're able to tell more varied stories, due to the lack of focus on romance. Didn't expect to like the female characters as much as I do, but the lack of romance makes it feel like they're actual people, and not just props that fall into a specific role.
Back to leveling tomorrow, gotta save a catboy. No.3740
>>3739>That, or I've just played so much Persona that I've developed a method.Honestly you're not wrong, being able to do followers without needing to gather points like in Persona is also far more relaxing too. You can be as nice or mean as you want in dialogue options without repercussions, because in Persona it always feels like you have to tell everyone what they want to hear.
No.3742
>>3739I found that specific area to be difficult. I think I was also underleveled. I ended up rushing through it because I was annoyed and missed my catboys. There is a quest later where
it spits you right back into the temple, so I ran through all of it again to make sure I didn't miss anything. Turns out, I missed some items and chests lol.>>3736Oh yeah, it was the tidbit about the
wings!! God. Not me trying to relate this to ruimoa somehow.I do hope someone posts the Zorba info. I know you aren't supposed to take photos, but it's not like I can take off work and fly to Japan right now.
No.3752
>>3751Me. Again. I
got out of the damn labyrinth and went on a date with StrohlI think I love Strohl. For context, I'm a military nerd and honing weapons with Strohl? Yes. And then he said 'I always look for a weapons shop in a new town' and I'm like, swoon….
Just the fact that this game lets us go on a damn date with whomever in the party we please makes it awesome. And the writing is really well done, too, it treats the characters with respect even when choosing the 'homo' option, aka Strohl.
I am however, a bit annoyed at the lack of beach episode. I hope this game will be re-released with even more stuff, ala Persona.
>>3736Edeni not having a follower bond is a damn shame. and a waste of a cute boy. I hope there's one in aforementioned re-release.
The chanting on the island is a really good 'mirror' to the chanting going on during battle, impressed that the sound designer went there. It makes the island feel more like a different but similar place, culture-wise. No.3764
>>3752>>3752>I am however, a bit annoyed at the lack of beach episode. I hope this game will be re-released with even more stuff, ala Persona.The boys have modelled 'swimwear' sort of for their
hot springs models.
You don't
see the lower region at all in the game so I wonder if they may recycle that someday
No.3765
>>3764THERE IS A
HOT SPRING EPISODE!? I thought this game was nearly over, guess not. Thank you Atlus, thank you so much sdfdfsdsfdfsdfsdfs!!!!
THE CATBOY JOINED MY TEAM. I'm sad that the little catboy didn't survive tho, the incest was real. OTOH, I finally found someone who can top or be in a versatile relationship with my MC. I love the catboy so much :')Also lol at a catboy being named 'Loveless'Noticed also now that 'Closurei' = 'Close-your-eye' and wondering if it's symbolism against the Mustari tribe, since it's followed by an eye-covering bow. I wonder if the JP word, Kujira, contains a similar pun. For context, I'm playing with JP dub, Eng sub.The showdown with
Louie at the opera house was so epic in tone and execution, I can see why people love
Louie, and yaaaaay
Zorba rememerged, the
fucked up zombie love is real :')
The
Dragon was really fucking difficult and aaaaargh it was bad. Real bad.
Until I realized the magic wall fades once you hit it…. that was not my proudest gamer moment.
No.3770
>>3722>I swear there's a fic on ao3 that touches on this.Nona, can you please link it?
>>3723He does give off 'untouchable prince' vibes, and the whole
'keeping a diva around but there's nothing going on' does feel a little bit like a beard, imo, or at least a deterrent to keep people from trying to throw women at him. No.3772
>>3765>THERE IS A HOT SPRING EPISODE!? Not an episode, but more so like the option to go to one. You will see soon.
>>3771I love the explanation the artist posted for this pic
No.3773
>>3771Thank you nona, that was good. This make me think Louis should get sex pollened and have Zorba deal with it, because he's literally the one guy who would not take advantage of Louie for it.
>>3772>explanation the artist posted for this picI want to know, but I also want to avoid spoilers until I finish the final dungeon…
Found out
Louise's true heritage which was a cool twist, and also ROFLd hard at the
collect bath water quest. I wish there was an option to do it with a companion, tho.
And by companion I mean StrohlHaving people call Will
your majesty is very satisfying after all the shit he got over the course of the game.
Am currently in
Volcano dungeon and have accepted that I likely will have to NG+ this thing in order to see all follower bonds… Atlus, please give us 20+ re-releases and 50 nendoroids, thank you.
No.3774
>>3773I would die for sex pollen Louis fic lmao. Someone, please.
Also! You might have time to finish your bonds! I had a few extra days where I didn't have anything to do, and some people had way more than me (like a week). Who are you needing to max out still, and what date are you at?
>>3772I love all ruimoa fans (biased). They seem consistently big-brained.
No.3777
>>3774I've got like 20 days left until the Big Showdown, as of this time of writing. Eupha & Basilio are at 5, Catherina is at 5, Alonzo at 6, Brigitta at 6.
After finishing Neuras' bond, I can definitely see how people can ship him and Will. It's not my first choice, but it's well done, and I wouldn't mind reading fics if people threw them at me. Neuras is really cool, and I'm a sucker for 'sailor' designs done seriously.
Basilio broke my heart and his route is suffering, but I love him. I found
his learn-to-read-book and… He's too cute, he works so hard.
My one silly and unserious complaint is that the game doesn't allow Will to back his friends' genocidal intents sometimes. Some of the stories hit very close to home, and if I were there irl, I'd probably end up causing
an innocent village to be genocided over a stolen dogI do enjoy that it gives the MC a bit of actual character, though.
No.3778
Not sure how many are interested but in yesterday doujinshi event people collected enough cards to get a stroll x mc event for next year
>https://x.com/osuumai0128/status/1901216099167011293 No.3779
>>3778Awwww that's really cute! Congrats, JP fandom!
(How doe this card collecting thing work?)
No.3780
>>3779>https://www.akaboo.jp/guide/item/p0035.html>https://www.akaboo.jp/guide/item/p0049.htmlYou get a ticket by spending 5,000 yen in any service from any printing company affiliated to Akaboo.
The number of ticket needed is 50 so generally people in the same fandom who want a genre/ship-only event gather together the tickets to vote.
For that girl's case, seems like she got all the tickets herself, so you can imagine how much she spent alone.
This is just a method to make people stay active and go to events and release anything.
I saw only events being created by the company because popular demand without any voting.
Generally -only events with method are quite often about ships. There is another company that handle doujinshi events that does a similar thing but also feature character-only events.
No.3781
>>3780On top of that actually, you need to submit things you want to print for doujinshi yourself. So submitting two doujin scripts and spending 5,000 yen gives you two tickets for example. This doujinka has at least 31 doujins total lined up for 3/16 harukomi so that's at least 31 tickets they got, maybe reprints got them towards 50 tickets.
I am almost sure akaboo is the only one that gathers fan interest every so often to make ship-only related events and also the character-only ones but I also can't remember if there was another.
>>3774ruimoa is the only ship I've seen beyond maybe a few strowills where people bother making at least essays about it, which is really nice
>>3773>I want to know, but I also want to avoid spoilers until I finish the final dungeon…It's not very spoilery
https://privatter.net/p/11449121 but it's basically the artist of the pic anon posted explaining that they see Louis and More's relationship like
Judas and Jesus from Ozamu Dazai's Urgent Appeal
No.3784
>>3781Ahh thank you! I'll read that once I finish the game and understand their relationship better.
I am currently in the crypt and am woefully underleveled. Once I finish this boss, I'll likely just go whip up more invincibility food and then go farm in Louis' dungeon.
I have ten days left and I fucking hate skeletons.
No.3785
>>3781>I am almost sure akaboo is the only one that gathers fan interest every so often to make ship-only related events and also the character-only ones but I also can't remember if there was another.genre-only (fandom, like jjk or tkrb) are organized once/twice a year, depends by how big it is.
by my personal experience of what i saw, with some recent fandoms. i saw akaboo holding a GWitch only event after more than a year after fujo pushed for voting while like I said GQux had the first event planned a week after the release of the movie in the theaters. Same thing happened with Bravern that got its first genre event months after the show ending, and organized by tamio (
https://www.akaboo.jp/tamio/index.html)
akaboo is not the only tho, there is Youyou
>https://www.youyou.co.jp/index.html and it's one of the few that also organize character-only event
anyway sorry for detrail the discussion. it's an interesting thing to talk about since there is little knowledge how events works and even i don't know everything
No.3787
>>3785Ahh youyou!! That's the one I've been forgetting,
I have the bookmarks of all their tkrb events stilland don't worry anon, I was interested too! I didn't know about Akaboo's vote system until I saw that tweet either.
>>3786It's actually intentional for them to have 70s inspired clothes! It was mentioned in a developer interview, a lot of old london fashion was the inspo. Apparently design notes say the architecture for the sanctist church is meant to be from the 1930s but I see a bit of Barroco personally
No.3788
>>3786>>3787Funny, I was just chatting with someone about clothing yesterday so this topic has been on my mind. I had previously thought some of the clothing choices stood out as too
"modern," particularly, like, I dunno, Glodell and Zorba, at least when compared to others. Glodell's leopard print I can definitely see as being 70s inspired, though.
Late-game in-world lore discussion:
Also, maybe I'm mistaken, but wasn't literature about the old world censored and/or destroyed by the Sanctists? I don't think anyone would have access to comics books, at least not during the time period of the game. That's why the party finds the old word items in Shinjuku Drakongrace so confusing. I do wonder the timeline for all this, though? Obviously didn't happen overnight. No.3802
>>3795Makes sense!
replying with the second part of that ruimoa hehe>>3799I love the
glamoured nidia design so much. Junah especially reminds me of retro shoujo illustrations, like those by Macoto Takahashi. I don't know if this was on purpose or not. Haven't seen design notes for Junah specifically.
I think there's a decent amount of people who ship Will and Alonzo, btw.
No.3810
>>3802I think Junah is meant to look like that on purpose, it's a legacy of Japan. At least, I choose to believe so.
So, I came to end…. And I have put the damn game aside. This shit is hard. I beat most of Persona's endgame bosses on the first or second try, but this? It's maddening. Fuck.
That said,
The first visage of Louis in the nude is dazzling, and lovely. This game was synthesised in a lab for women who game. The
reveal about More was heartwarming, and I appreciate Atlus for going to such lengths in order to make sure that we have bishie eye candy to look at, and not
ancient dudes who were not drawn to be hot.
I really like Louie now, because the whole
Trusting people is a weakness is something I don't see explored a lot in that way. It also makes him seem deliciously fragile, like this could all have been prevented if
someone got past his defences and lovingly dicked him down. No.3811
>>3810anon you keep forgetting you remove the doujin event thread from your nameWhen I first played the game, I had mildly known about there being a special trophy for defeating "
Destroyer Charadrius" but didn't know what it really meant, just that "don't kill any of the midbosses" so I didn't. Not only did I not know that I would be facing
12+ turns super fucking hard Louis and I was not prepared at all in terms of party comp, but if
you save in Akademia you're doomed and will be going straight to the boss, can't even re-grind unless you have a pre-save for that.
I didn't feel like re-grinding because I was so hooked on the cutscenes and experience and the adrenaline of getting 'close' towards defeating Louis but after like 2-3h struggling, I gave up and changed to easy mode. Despite changing to Easy, I still struggled a considerable lotMasochistically fun experience all things considered.
>It also makes him seem deliciously fragileBecause he is deep down, ultimately.
Yet barely anyone makes him a bottom, sad. He has a lot of issues that make him interesting to explore, specially when it comes to seeing him in a more "disgraced" light.
I'm glad you enjoyed the game anon!
No.3815
>>3810Don't lie,
old man Hytholodeaus is hot. Have you seen his eyelashes. He still had it going on.
Like the other anon, I also changed to easy-–but I did it way before the final fight and instead around
the dragon quests, so the boss wasn't particularly hard, but just kind of…long? Drawn out?
You'll have to come back and let me know how long it ended up taking you, I'm curious.
>>3811Who would you have Louis bottom to, nonna?
No.3820
>>3815>Who would you have Louis bottom to, nonna?Honestly, to everything and everyone. Realistically though, I wouldn't know. If Will actually had the personality for it, that'd be the quick option. I'm one of the few that imagines
Zorba as a top so he can count as well.
Probably the way Louis's soldiers rise in ranks in the Charadrius is measured by how much they're able to please the insatiable Rui-sama. He's experienced with all of Euchronia's sizes and tribes, so it's tough luck getting him to be truly satisfied No.3822
>>3815Thank you so much, nona. ^^;;;;; Really appreciate you catching that oversight.
Thankfully, I did the smart thing and had multiple save slots, I knew this would be needed at some point.
A lot of the boss battles have the problem of being long and drawn out, imo. I think it's largely a leveling problem for me, I'm not experienced with this kind of hardcore gameplay, plus I didn't know about the Finisher Meatballs hack until the very end… So I'll likely end up making a trillion of those next run.
>>3820BASED NONA.
Zorba/Louis is the one I see as 'most canon' imo, the lack of content is a shame. Finally made it past
his endgame battle, and the fact that
He stuck with Louis through everything, despite knowing what would come is really, really cute. Fucked up loyalty galore.
Personally, I'm warming up to the idea of Basilio / Louis, since contrast is cute. Plus, the whole sunshine boy getting past nihilistic gloom boy's defences, the whole bodyguard ship thing is nice, too. Shame it's more or less a crackship…
Finally, is the dub version any good? I notice that they all seem to have fake British accents, judging by the text.
No.3829
>>3822>Personally, I'm warming up to the idea of Basilio / Louis, since contrast is cute.I really like it too actually, I like anyone/Louis but I don't think him and the brothers is so much a crackship so much that it's just a rareship. Louis does express concern over the brothers in his own way…. It's true that he ended up
killing Fidelio but he does seem shaken enough to be silent afterwards.
>Finally, is the dub version any good? I notice that they all seem to have fake British accents, judging by the text.It depends. I played in japanese but the dub isn't too bad. It does make things funnier like the brother's THICK scouse accent and Zorba's absurdly fucking funny voice so I'd say it's worth a try
No.3830
>>3829Do you have a source your pic rel? I can never find any Louis stuff with the brothers, and reverse image search wasn't helpful at all.
No.3831
>>3830Sure! It's
https://x.com/orichan_666/status/1848153418982158422I don't think I've seen Bas/Louis/Bas or anything of the sort which makes me sad. Given that Basilio used to cook for Louis, I'm sure that he'd give him a lot of praise too..
No.3832
>>3831Thank you so much! Fidelio is so cute, hehe. I wonder who else Louis is giving rewards to…
There is a decent amount of Bas/Louis fic floating around on ao3 right now (well, "decent amount" comparatively; it's under 20 works iirc), but sadly I don't think I've seen any art for them either.
No.3833
Well nonas, I went back and grinded. I raised everyone's level from 70-ish to 75. Tomorrow, I'm going in, once I've consulted a guide and made sure all the Archetypes are at the right level.
Wish me luck.
>>3831Fidelio is the most adorable, and I know it's not possible to
save him… But an alternate storyline where
hurting him makes Louis realize that he has the capacity to care for other people would be fun.
>>3829They speak Scouse? That's surprisingly on point for a dubbing studio, given the main inspo for the characters. I'll give it a go.
No.3839
>>3837Wonderful food nona, thank you. The height difference is delicious, I assume Basilio's a Maine Coon.
I FAILED AGAIN ;___; This time, I spent about 20 more hours leveling my characters and giving them a GameFAQS moveset +
Royal Elite archetypes.
I got past the first stage this time tho, it was easier than before.
No.3843
>>3840Believe it or not, I'm playing on normal. I spent 20 more hours leveling my characters by ten fucking levels, they are now the same level as Louis.
This blonde twink had better fall back gracefully and expire in a bold, drawn-out flash of tanbi beauty, 'the second battle is easier' MY ASS, I at least a good hold on what I am doing wrong (MC needs Medicall and I forgot to put it on Junah, but ideally two of them should have it) and what I need to do different for next time but JFC I am still annoyed xD;;
No.3845
I don't mean this in a rude way, but I don't understand fellow Louis enjoyers who ship him with the protagonist, considering Louis's entire character arc is so heavily intertwined with an entirely different character. Like, integrally. To love Louis is to know he is pining for More. And all the complicated mess that comes with it… yeah. That's the plot of Metaphor.
That aside, I'd love to hear from someone into Louis/Will and see what they find so compelling about it as a ship. Maybe there's a fic that can get me into it? Because it's genuinely starting to feel like I'm missing out on a good chunk of fandom simply because I don't vibe with them as a pairing, which makes me sad lol.
I get that it's the standard "default" ship, as previously discussed in the thread, so maybe that's the crux of it and nothing more. The game really does push the idea that Louis is the protag's archnemesis, but it falls flat–to me, at least–due to very surface-level protag/antag interactions (and I say this as someone who lives for protagonist/antagonist OTPS in other franchises).
Other Louis ships (not even just my Preferred Ship) end up feeling more appealing because there's something personal there, whereas Louis/Will stay very… broad in their conflict? It's less about them, on any interpersonal level, and more about "the world." Which is fine. But even pairings with very little canon interaction, like Louis/Strobl, feel more "emotional" in that regard, due to Louis's burning of Halia and how that has affected Strohl.
Maybe I'm too picky, and I'm just rambling at this point.
No.3846
>>3845>(and I say this as someone who lives for protagonist/antagonist OTPS in other franchises).Same, I feel like the biggest problem for Louis/Will for me personally is that there is no reciprocation on Will's part? He doesn't return the obsession or the hate, or even compassion, he's just completely neutral about him. To bring a somewhat similar pair in
Persona, I like
MC/Adachi because of their interactions and their parallels and how genuinely interesting the contrast between both is, and they actually interacted significantly together.
With Louis, he never seems THAT interested in the Protagonist as people make him to be. And neither is Will head over heels over Louis like people make him in fanart and fanfic either.
People try comparing Louis to
Akechi, but it's really not the same and it's not gonna be the same in a re-release either.
I feel like really, a lot of what people like about it is that it's easier to see Louis top somebody if it's through Will, and people's thirst over Louis wins over significant characterization.
Whenever I see Louis/Will even from japanese artists, it's usually "Louis-sama and then Will, his object of affection" but nothing is ever said about Will beyond projection here and there "I felt (this way) about Louis, then Will must have felt the same".
It's disappointing to know that this will be the ship Atlus will be trying to pander to and already is through the Expo artwork but there really is not much going for it. Louis has more significant relationships with other people and it won't even get a quarter of the attention Louis/Will does which is a shame No.3847
>>3846I worry that we'll get a Louis Follower Bond…. I don't want a Louis follower bond. I do however want to hear more about his everyday life with his harem. I do want more stuff with Strohl and Basilio and MC, too.
I BEAT THE FINAL BOSS. And now, there's an epilogue…? We'll see. It's 3 AM here, so I'm going to bed. Also, I now ship Louis with More, although they feel more versatile, in my preferences.
No.3849
>>3848
Louis's motivations stem from having met More in his childhood (he says to Will that a man came to the Elda village which was his father the King, and later on the Player ends up discovering that More was the King and his twink self was the one that went to the Sanctum).
Having met the man gave him "a dream" and despite having killed him, he still speaks of him fondly. His 'dream' shattered after the village burning (according to Louis) but I'm sure that it happened right after the Prince curse accusations fell on him.
He feels resentful of the King for his incompetence towards the Kingdom but most importantly, he's still stuck in the mentality that he "lied" to him by not fulfilling the dream he gave him (and that's why he hates lies, because an unfulfilled dream is the same as a lie and he says those lines word for word).
Despite Louis's resentment, his sole moment of vulnerability in the game when he doesn't put on airs and pretend anything else is when he's alone in the skybound avatar, and says he doesn't blame the King for what happened (becoming the people's scapegoat) and that he will finish his abandoned ideals. Louis has kept going through the game preaching about his ideals, but Louis's ideals themselves are those of the King's novel.
Moreover, he's kept the novel with him all this time despite knowing who wrote it and why, and he never got rid of it.
From More's side of things, the thing that may allude to them having been connected is the vague "friend" More mentions in his Bond Rank 5. He doesn't remember who the person was, but he had been deeply hurt by their betrayal (and this betrayal may possibly be the King's feelings of knowing Louis 'cursed the prince' back then, believeing the false accusations)
It's basically going back to revisit the text once you know all the twists and connect everything together. People don't ship them so much because it's not like it's "More" from Akademeia that interacts with him as you see in the game, but a connection in the past that it's only mentioned but not shown. So it doesn't cross people's minds for them to interact or be related, and most don't like or care for the Old Man King.
Tried to post game screencaps but the size is too big, fuck
No.3850
>>3848I wrote a bit about it here
>>3714, but reading that post back it probably isn't detailed enough since I was speaking to another Louis/More anon. It really is a ship that is kind of backloaded–easy to overlook until it hits you with a ton of bricks in the late game. Then you sort of see everything with new eyes upon ng+.
It's easy to dismiss Louis's feelings towards the king (aka More) as hatred, but we see this isn't true through his actions imo. I'll be using the king and More interchangeably as I explain.More came to the sanctum when Louis was a child, before the sanctum was razed by Forden. (+1 point for age gap yearning btw) We can assume More himself gave Louis the fantasy novel, since More wrote it. Since then, Louis has been enamored with the content in the book to the point of carrying with it him even AFTER everything–after the king erroneously believes Louis's cursed the prince and banishes him to another post, after the king becomes Forden's puppet, giving up his ideals, etc.Louis's attachment to the novel, and therefore More, feels very… romantic to me? You can see his frustration and disappointment in that September scene–"I saw and knew the passion in your heart"–and yet he still carries that damn book with him the. entire. game. It reads to me that he still holds those values close, and even after everything, he won't stop until he sees the world he's dreamed of (though, admittedly, distorted).There are also a lot of fun little lines in the game that make it clear to me that Louis is very… bitter? They just feel kinda shippy to me lmao. Lines such as "youthful years of debauchery" in reference to More's time in the sanctum, where he sleeps with the eldan queen and has the prince. No.3851
>>3849Forgot to mention it in my reply, but you reminded me–from More's side, we also have pic rel.
They have the capacity to understand each other more than we end up seeing. :'((>>3846>I feel like really, a lot of what people like about it is that it's easier to see Louis top somebody if it's through Will, and people's thirst over Louis wins over significant characterization.So self-insertion through fujoism, basically.
>>3847Congrats! The epilogue is cute.
I don't think we'd get a Louis follower bond, as it just doesn't make any sense in the context of the story–the protag is the one who becomes a Louis "supporter," just for a little while, not the other way around. I'd be curious how they'd spin it, I guess, if the writers go that route. I also want more about his everyday life… again, not sure how that would work in-game. Probably better for some sort of spin-off media.
No.3853
>>3851>>3849Thank you, I imagined it might be something like that. Glad to know I didn't have to backtrack.
Started an NG+ in order to enjoy the story with all the pieces in place, and try the dub.
Dubbing is not a thing in my culture, so I'll only go with it if it does a a good job of translating the feeling intended by the script. This game also isn't set in Japan, which makes it feel less fake.
I never thought I would say this, but… It's good. Really good so far. I'm just at the start, and the work put into making these guys sound alive is just breathtaking. They're even consistent with the accents. And the accents don't sound fake? At least not to my ears.
I'm playing Will as a money-hungry lil' shit this time, since the story still advances despite that.
Also, playing it again does make it more fun now that you know the entire puzzle, which is a mark of really good writing. Better than I expected from even a Megaten game.
(Sadly, some of the line seem auto-translated. :()
No.3860
>>3853Update:
Why TF are they calling him Louise. Is he a blond housewife.
No.3861
>>3860>Is he a blond housewife.Yes
But real answer, I don't know. That's definitely the most annoying part of the dub. The name Louis does come from french and the english equivalent is Lewis so they're probably trying to say it as if it were so.
No.3863
>>3862Yes. Exactly. I thought everyone knew this, which makes it a bit worrying to imagine that people don't…
>>3861I will buy this explanation, since the dub really goes hard with the 'Ye Olde English', so it would suit.
Strohl's English voice gives me shivers, it's so good! He sounds noble, yet roughed-up, which suits him. And More sounds older than his years, which makes his age hard to place, which is perfect for him. (I fear meeting Zorba…)
A bad or mediocre dub forced on me will always be resented, but since I'm allowed to choose JP, I'm more inclined to be favourable towards this one. This one really draws me in, the same way the JP probably does to JPs.
No.3866
>>3863What if, anon…
I think there's a lot of things to consider. Particularly that More does transform into his old man self and speak with the queen directly after Louis dies, and I can't say Louis would be very happy walking in on that LOL. Plus, old man More disappears in that scene, presumably moving on for good. (But somehow Plateau is still around… Can anyone make sense of that or am I stupid?)That aside, it's fun to imagine a scenario where More stays in his "More" form, and he and Louis are locked in Akademeia together somehow hehe. I actually like thinking about this in a variety of different ways–like maybe Louis reverts to a child, as he was in the sanctum, but retains his memories (or not!), and he and More partake in fun little hijinks in Akademeia. Maybe they write a new novel together…Or maybe Louis stays the same. He's all bruised and battered from the fight with the protagonist, and More nurses him back to health somehow (hurt/comfort leading to romance). They fuck on every surface. That also works.delusional i'm sorry
No.3868
>>3866>It's fun to imagine a scenario where More stays in his "More" form, and he and Louis are locked in Akademeia together somehow hehe. I actually like thinking about this in a variety of different ways–like maybe Louis reverts to a child, as he was in the sanctum, but retains his memories (or not!), and he and More partake in fun little hijinks in Akademeia. Maybe they write a new novel together…That's hella cute, I always imagined their relationship as being vaugely paternal from More's side. Him being strong enough to overpower child Louis is likely a good thing in this scenario, and growing to love him in Will's place is likely healing for both of them.>Or maybe Louis stays the same. He's all bruised and battered from the fight with the protagonist, and More nurses him back to health somehow (hurt/comfort leading to romance). They fuck on every surface. That also works.This speaks to me on a deep level, especially if More has his memories back still, and just won't let Louis die due to his own ideals. Even better if More is conflicted, due to being aware of the age gap, but still going through with it, after noticing how damn touch-starved Louis is, and Louis actively pushing for it, even if he's bad at understanding what he wants, due to lack of trust in everything.**>Plateau is still around
In the context of my culture, it makes sense, you can't own a cat. They are seen as working animals, and are considered half-wild, even when kept as spoiled pets. The cat chooses it's home and it's master, and this one has decided that More and Will are friends.**
No.3884
>>3877Am I the only Strohl fangirl here? He feels like a more female-oriented version of the 'guy who becomes your friend at the start of an Atlus game' Like the final evolution or something.
Like, we started with Junpei, who is a good bro (And still is when you're female), but doesn't look great. Then we moved to Yosuke who is inexplicably popular, so I assume he has some appeal. Then we got Ryuji, who is really cute, but doesn't feel like he was created specifically for the female players.
And then, Strohl. Good backstory, cute looks, very supportive and the game never makes fun of you for choosing him. Also good relationship with protag, and a character route which is close to his character's theme.
I love that while the game is
about making a world where noble status matters less, and openly showing some corrupt-ass nobles, Strohl is very dedicated in his mission to care for his people, and this is not treated as a fault or something to laugh at.He's very earnest, and I hope we can take him places and give him presents in a potential re-release.
No.3886
>>3884>Then we moved to Yosuke who is inexplicably popular, so I assume he has some appeal.heh
Not the anon you're replying to but I think Strohl is fine. Yeah he really does feel as if Atlus decided to make a proper 'friend' character that feels a little more fujobaity but without losing his own character.
He actually does feel more fleshed out than the Protagonist himself so it's not like he stops being relevant after the first arc, he's just saying/thinking everything which is a mixed bag for most people.
I can see why he's so liked, although I'm not one to get attached much to the 'first friend' character. He's definitely better than Yosuke for sure.
No.3973
>>3970There's only like 2 artists doing Zorba aren't they?
That reminds me, I'm not sure if you were also the same zorbanon from /vg/ but I'm sure the (third) Louis poster is not here. I wish they were here at least if to discuss something even if I may disagree. I was waiting for the manga chapter thinking it was today but that's only until Sunday
No.4001
>>3973There's a few artists, I think. At least enough to have a ruizoru group draw.
No, I'm not the zorbanon from /vg/ (I mostly stick to this thread for posting), but I do hope all the 4chan metanons come here and start discussion!>>3999The manga is a bit of a snoozefest and has gone off in a, hm, interesting direction, but the art is nice at least.
No.4046
>>4006The woes of being in a small fandom.
Has anyone read any good fic lately? Planning on writing anything?
>>4006>it's interesting for being more Metaphor media (because there isn't much)Personally I'd rather see something like gag manga that focuses on silly interactions between characters than whatever this adaption is lmao. I know I can't be too picky, though. My biggest wish is for the manga writers to take some time and craft the inter-party relationships in a little more detail outside of what was shown in-game. I'm not holding my breath.
And yes, needs more More. No.4051
>>3884>Junpei, who is a good bro (And still is when you're female), but doesn't look great.junpei slander
No.4176
>>4006>>4046i think it's too early to say whether the manga adaptation is good or not.
i like some of the paneling and expressiveness of the characters.
the small changes at least give me something to guess about in regards to what will happen next but i also hope they make bigger changes.
i don't want to just see the game repeated but in manga form.
part of me also thinks they won't end up doing anything interesting with any of the changes though and there won't be much point to the manga outside of the art.
but i do still look forward to the monthly chapters.
No.4180
there is some questioning from basilio if louis even **transformed zorba but zorba mentions something like how louis took a wretch like him and turned him into a man of power.
but he also could also be referring to the general idea of louis giving zorba power/status for joining him and acting as his right hand man.**
i question things like:
the "authenticity" of zorba overcoming the melancholia and keeping his sanity after his transformation. if louis really did transform zorba, it would mean zorba wasn't alone during it. and louis wanted people to overcome their anxieties on their own. but with zorba being a crazy zealot, i think just having the person he worships with him would be enough to save him from the madness of melancholia. it's shown that having a "god" to worship can ease people's burdens.
and there's also the question of if zorba's transformation even counts as the same one everyone else would be going through if louis really did get to turn everyone into "new humans". was the melancholia the same intensity? did louis do a different kind of experiment on zorba? etc.
No.4181
what if the manga adds something for louis and more after louis is killed?
No.4183
>>4176Most of the people I know hate the manga but to be honest
I don't mind it. I am a bit annoyed at some of the changes but since everything's so different I'll just tag along the ride and see what the fuck is going on.
>>4180Maybe Zorba is half transformed because while he's likely very single-minded (eg. following Louis) we're shown a little beforehand that he does have that 'complex' about Louis not taking him seriously enough, so having even a small doubt in yourself is likely enough to create a botched melancholization, maybe? Or maybe you are supposed to have some monster-like traits alongside the human appearance, who knows.
>>4181I wish but I'm not holding my hopes up…I keep convincing myself that their connection is intentional and that at the very least More owes an apology to Louis or getting a punch in the face
No.4186
i wasn't sure if i should use spoiler tags here but i think it's probably fine to just not bother.
>>4183what do people you know hate about the manga?
interesting points about zorba.
i personally believe you are supposed to have monster like traits going off how louis didn't see will's normal appearance after getting through melancholization as his true form.
but you could also be right about zorba's transformation just being botched.
he also says something about just unleashing anxiety since it's magla/power.
i find that interesting since you aren't supposed to unleash your anxieties onto others, according to louis.
maybe that has something to do with it being botched?
but zorba's whole transformation is just questionable.
i'm holding out hope for any more and louis content.
atlus wrote louis' whole story around "more" so it just makes sense to add more onto it if louis comes back in any way.
No.4188
if more does get to interact with louis, i think louis should have the realization that he gave up on the world just like more did.
he should see that he became similar to more in some ways even though he was trying to avoid that.
No.4189
some humans like those tentas who give you advice aren't even hostile.
and some humans aren't even people who lost themselves to anxiety.
some have mated and had babies.
and i'm not sure will and his partisans would be satsified with just killing any humans that cause trouble/complaints from people.
since many of them were just weak people who succumbed to melancholia.
and not all of them are even hostile.
some are even outright helpful.
so they could do something with trying to negotiate with humans (like demons in smt) or something.
and iirc will's human transformation didn't get to complete.
his mom helped him out of it before it could finish.
(could also explain why will looked normal while zorba was partially a monster after melancholization) but mainly, what if humans can never truly go back to their original selves after melancholization?
will's a weird exception because his transformation didn't finish.
and if louis does come back, even in novel form, what if he retains monster characteristics?
that's what he wanted for everyone, for them all to become "new humans" so maybe he would have to have monster characteristics too as part of his ideal form.
and if they go that route, and they start seeing the monster humans as their own entities and not just monsters to be killed, it opens the door for a human party member.
will would've had a member from each tribe as part of his team.
all tribes came from humans and can turn into humans but if humans get to just live on and breed more humans they may as well be their own "tribe."
they might do something with all the people having to come to terms with having it in them to become a human too and that might also allow for there to be acceptance for humans (as long as they aren't harmful).
and this will somehow have something to do with will getting a Monster human party member.
No.4190
>>4186spoiler tags maybe fail but I think it's fine to use them imo, though I think if/any other people post itt they'll use some spoilers too
>what do people you know hate about the manga?Mostly that it's not following the story 1:1. I've seen some complaints about the 'shonen-y' aspects like making Strohl a comedy relief character when he isn't or Will being too 'hotheaded' (complaints about Will are stupid when he doesn't even have a personality in the first place)
This isn't a person so I doubt it counts but Hektor was also a dog that Glodel could control his Melancholization at will on and off afaik. But it may be different on an actual person, Zorba's permanently disfigured and it's not like he can 'turn it off' (though it's weird how his fuckhuge hand is not visible beforehand already but that's likely just for impact)
No.4191
>>4189>and if they go that route, and they start seeing the monster humans as their own entities and not just monsters to be killed, it opens the door for a human party member.I honestly thought this was going to be the twist of the game at some point because Atlus loves doing that thing with Shadows in Persona so I'm surprised they didn't do it for Metaphor
sort ofBut all eldans are humans and so are all the tribes inherently "human", so the only way to do this is really only just through an Elda or Elda-turned-Human
but I don't want Louis party member and I don't think it'd work No.4192
>>4190i personally thought it would've been cooler to have will lean more into his innocent, soft-spoken personality.
he's generic in the manga but also more expressive.
i think it will still be fun to see what they do with him and the manga in general.
i hope they do crazy stuff with it.
good point about glodell's dog.
i didn't realize he was messing with hektor's melancholization.
but that power also seemed to be unique to glodell.
>>4191it doesn't have to be louis (i think that could work though).
it could be anyone transformed to be human or any natural born human (monster).
but idk.
maybe that would be really weird.
sometimes i just theorize really weird stuff.
No.4193
zorba's design makes me think of an oni.
a demon like creature that has 1-3 horns.
sometimes having 3 eyes.
but they're usually red/blue skinned or something.
there is some association with oni being people who passed on too.
originally the Chinese character 鬼 / oni meant "soul of the deceased"
and zorba's specialty is necromancy.
No.4194
>>4192>he's generic in the manga but also more expressive.Really? I guess he's generic in the sense he feels like an average shonen protag but in the game he just feels like 'generic good boy' template like Atlus does with their MCs
>>4193Oni are usually depicted with a horn in the middle afaik, but I more or less can see what you mean. Also, that does make me think, that it's likely that not all traits of half-bloodness gets represented with just having half of something, Zorba has 1 horn but
Will has none.
No.4195
>>4194>average shonen protagyeah, that's what i mean.
i know what you mean too about will not having much personality ingame but that's mainly because he's forced to be a self insert.
i think it would be interesting to see will be his own character with the template already provided.
>oni horn in the middleyeah, true.
but idk.
just reminded me of an oni.
>mixed races not always having half of their respective tribe's traitstrue.
but what does that mean?
No.4197
>>4196>spoileri know.
it's weird but tbf he lacks clemar characteristics.
i wonder what a half eugief would look like if they can even mate with the other tribes.
or even a half paripus.
would they have 1 animal ear?
No.4201
>>4197Probably no ears in such case, or be an ungodly abomination that needs to be put down
>>4198I think they were people on the brink of humanization or being consumed by anxiety. They never explained it fully, yeah. I have a feeling the King was going to a similar path since he also had those floating dark magla things.
No.4204
>>4201>the King was going to a similar path since he also had those floating dark magla things.Ah, good catch. I rewatched the opening scene again and there are a few of the black magla shards floating around the king as he's in bed. I'm not seeing any floating around him anywhere else, though (ghost Hyth or otherwise).
>>4196The game keeps treating Will as an Elda even though he's more of a half-blood by definitionCurious what you mean by "more of a
half-blood by definition." Imo there's really no more or less about it, he IS a mix of both
elda and and clemar, but I suppose More's genes just lost out here, lol. No.4206
>>4201>ungodly abomination that needs to be put downi really want to see it now
>the king, black maglathat makes sense.
the ghoulish people all just run away at the end though.
where do they go and will they be back?
No.4212
>>4211I think this is a carryover from Persona, having bonds = good, having no bonds = evil
But yeah that's one of the reasons why the bad ending doesn't make a lot of sense to me, imo. It's more like a Will "giving up" ending rather than actually believeing in Louis's views.
Louis did had followers and people he could have called friends but his vision was far more important, and while I don't think he didn't care, he didn't bother to 'bond' properly
No.4214
>>4212>persona bonds being good, carryoveryeah, probably.
>will giving upi like that pov of the ending but it also still doesn't make sense for will to give up after making it that far and actively being shown that it's possible to work with others through their anxieties and being rewarded for it.
if there was any place they should've had the will giving up ending, it should've been after he lost all support after
his human transformation No.4218
you should've been able to find louis' gloves on the ground somewhere or around the charadrius' wreckage after his defeat
or they should've let you find other stuff around the charadrius after his defeat
No.4219
aren't the ghoulish people basically the same as p3's apathy syndrome victims?
No.4220
>>4219Kind of? Just that the anxiety-driven NPCs (they don't even have a name) are a lot more silent if I recall? They just submit to a slow death while Apathy Syndrome victims would drive themselves to suicide by walking aimlessly like zombies.
No.4225
>>4218I truly believe it was a huge miss that Atlus does not let you pick up or find the
discarded horns in the skybound avatar.
No.4226
>>4225yeah, kinda weird.
but what would you/the party have done with his horns?throw them off the cliff to show all his supporters he's not clemar?there's an npc you can talk to at the beginning who questions his clemar heritage because he goes so far for his goals. No.4227
maybe if there was reason to believe louis' plan for his new world would've actually worked there would've been reason to pick it, but as is, there's no reason to pick it.
and then at the end there's even dialogue from rudolf about "oh, are you sure your world is better than louis' would've been?"
and it just seems dumb since the game gives the player no reason to think it would've worked and every reason to think will's world is the best choice even if still not perfect.
idk.
do any of you think louis' world would've worked? what are the upsides to his world?
No.4228
>>4223He uses "watashi" when speaking about himself here, but uses "warera" when he says "what did the world do to us?"
I think he pretty much means his kin, what has the world done to us
elda.
I delusionally sometimes think he's speaking about him and the King though but yeah warera is only used in a plural sense, so he's speaking about himself + something other
No.4229
>>4226>but what would you/the party have done with his horns?I think keeping them as a special item would've been funny
>>4227The game makes Louis's world a bit too exaggeratedly evil towards the end so it wouldn't work no matter what, but if you remove the
'turn everyone into humans' part (which I imagine rudolf definitely wouldn't have known) I think it would've played as a standard kingdom of beasts scenario, everyone fighting for dominance constantly that even Louis is not safe. Anyone could come kill him and they're welcome to try. I guess it's a world that exists whether there's people who deserve to live or not.
No.4230
>>4228yeah, i get the feeling
it's about himself and other eldabut your theory about the king could work too. i think it'd be interesting to explore more>>4229should've let will equip them kek
i just can't see anyone surviving on their own based on how louis couldn't even overcome his own anxiety. but louis wanted everyone to overcome their anxiety on their own.i also wonder if louis deep down knows no one would be able to survive his metrics. No.4231
if zorba was still left to die even after his humanification, does that mean louis didn't see it as zorba overcoming his anxiety how louis wanted?
louis says those who are strong and overcome melancholization would be protected, or maybe louis didn't even know what zorba did
No.4233
>>4231I have a feeling that Louis simply left Zorba to do as he wanted and whether he fought Will or not would be up to him. If he lived, good. If not, too bad.
Him fighting the party would prove his own strength, Louis can't be held responsible if somebody simply dies because somebody else was stronger than them.
>>4232Fuck I was about to tell you "We'll see tomorrow" but there's 2 days left for the next manga chapter which will probably still simply be focusing on Martira's introduction, so a nothingburger.
I think Will reacting so strongly over Grius in the Manga is so weird though because he genuinely only met him for a day
No.4234
>>4233>louis can't be held responsible if someone was strongeryeah, true
>will, griusi get where you're coming from but the
prince did know grius.maybe some kind of remnant of the prince's feelings even if will doesn't remember he's the prince technically. No.4237
>>4235I always thought it was mostly for aesthetic purposes,
a bit disappointed that Louis's skin is unblemished because I always had imagined him with scars beforehandI think it might be something about balance, since everything in
archdemon design has opposing elements, sun and moon, swords and daggers, "black" and "white" (represented through his skin at least). Good and Evil, just like Lucifer.
I've looked at the pattern on his model textures before and honestly no clue what it means either, it's likely just to look cool given that you can't fully see it normally most likely
No.4238
>>4237>balancethat's an interesting point.
but it makes me wonder what's important about balance in the context of louis' character.
>unblemishedis it?
we only see his skin in archdemon form or am i forgetting/missing something? No.4239
>>4238>we only see his skin in archdemon form or am i forgetting/missing something?No, it's only my thoughts. Because we do see him half naked in archdemon form it kind of killed off my thoughts of imagining him with scars on his body
No.4243
Nothing much happened this chapter again…but at least the next one should have Louis
No.4245
i honestly think louis would be aversed to sex/getting someone pregnant in general for the primary reason of not wanting to bring any more elda or mixed race people into the world.
he'd be the type to think it's an act of cruelty to bring more kids into the world because it's "broken."
No.4246
>>4245I really think that he would be the type to not have sex at all (it's irrelevant to his plans and he can't be bothered to care) plus I think he'd actually want to be responsible (if) he ever were to have children because they'd be subjected to discrimination and he doesn't have time for that.
People usually portray him as sex-crazed but he gives either completely uninterested vibes or
got molested vibes
No.4247
>>4246i don't get where people get the idea of him being obsessed with sex comes from.
but:
>spoilerwhat gives you this impression?
or is it a joke about
more? No.4248
>>4247More is
not entirely pure but he wouldn't do that to Louis. Count Guiabern, on the other hand….
what's a noble planning to do with an orphaned elda boy? No.4252
>>4248but louis
always presented himself as clemar outside the sanctumi don't think mr. guiabern would do anything to a "clemar" kidif louis never hid his elda race, i might agree with you though No.4253
>>4252I always wondered though, when exactly did he start doing it and how? Did he decide to get the horns as soon as he got out of the Sanctum? Did he kill someone for the horns? Did someone give them to him?
I can imagine that it's possible that maybe he had been seen as an elda at some point so he had to start wearing the horns to not arise suspicion, but while we know he's always been known as a clemar we don't know when did that happen exactly
No.4254
>>4247It's because Louis is hot and they want to see him fuck. It's really not much more complicated than that lol.
I also hc him as being
molested by Count Guiabern. I refuse to believe some random clemar noble brought him in out of the kindness of his heart, little Louis being "clemar" or not. We're given basically zero info on the circumstances surrounding it–but we DO know that more often than not, the nobility in this world aren't the best of people.Anyway, I can see Louis viewing sex as transactional as a result. I guess I'm of two minds here. I can see him being a virgin,
outside of whatever interaction he's had with Guiabern (Louis saving himself for More since childhood… RIP) OR he's been sleeping with others in a very sort of detached, non-pleasurable manner. His military genius speaks for itself but I could see others needing swaying in different ways.
>>4253This is one thing I've always wondered about as well. They look so much like a headband that I've never even considered them being "real" clemar horns, just an enchantment of some sort. But I REALLY like the idea of him killing someone for them immediately upon leaving the sanctum.
No.4255
>>4254Thank you for more water on my train concerning ZoRui.
I can see Zorba noticing how detached his idol is from physical affection, and as a result, turning him down and making him tea or something instead, if Louis attempted to 'sway' him, thus increasing his esteem in Louis' eyes.
Both HCs are very moe… The image of him
saving himself for More is sweet and heartbreaking, would he admit it to More, if the two got together? Or would he keep it to himself, and angst about it?Although Louis the emotionless slut is really, really hot, and suits his doll-like, pristine image very well. Imagine him being used like a toy for most guys, and the genuine confusion once he gets treated well.
No.4257
>>4256>can't have the One, sluts aroundI also really enjoy this trope, but somehow that makes me feel a bit bad for Zorba lol (being both a ruimoa and zorui is suffering). Though I suppose Zorba might not mind being used in that way, if it's for Louis.
(Speaking of, I am suddenly reminded of a popular western fic where Louis ends up with Strohl, but Zorba gets treated really poorly as a result… I did not vibe with it personally.)In any case, I don't feel Zorba and More are alike at all, unless those fans mean Louis does this based on physical attributes alone–both More and Zorba have long hair, a slender body type, and clemar horn(s). When sleeping with someone, it's really only the physical traits that matter anyway if you're just trying to pretend…
No.4258
>>4256>>4257agree on louis viewing bonds as give and take but i personally can't get behind all the sex stuff.
louis never mentions anything about sex ingame nor alludes to having had sex in any way.
i honestly think he's never had sex.
but it would be fitting if mr. or mrs. guiabern did something to louis (not necessarily sexual) but only for the angle of louis getting messed with by several people at that time for no real reason.
just pure random injustice.
No.4260
>>4253true we don't know when he started
presenting as clemari just assumed he got the horns in the sanctum though. could've been an elda artifact or maybe eldas had several headbands that make fake horns incase they ever wanted to travel outside the sanctum.but if he killed someone for the headband, wouldn't he have also had to know that person's horns were fake? or are you saying he killed an actual clemar and cut the horns off their body and embued them with magic and attached them to a headband to create his own set of fake horns? No.4261
i don't even think it's farfetched for there to be more "clemar" like louis who wear fake horns. elda could be all around, just wearing fake horns.
it's a point ingame that most people have never seen an elda, but what if they have and just don't know it? (besides the mc and louis).
No.4263
>>4258I get your point, but it isn't a game about romance or sex so it makes sense that it doesn't get brought up in any real way. Nearly all characters in-game avoid mentioning sex specifically, and no one would assume every single character is disinterested or nonsexual on that basis alone. We get some mentions of Strohl being expected marry and to have children, I guess, but I can't think of any other instances off the top of my head.
I will also counter this point–
>louis never mentions anything about sex ingameand say that Louis does mention More's "youthful years of debauchery" which to me has always just been him slut-shaming More for having sex with his own wife lol. Though of course he isn't talking about having sex himself.
>>4260After reading the other nonna's post, I was thinking he made them out of real clemar horns and infused them with magic. I really like the idea of little Louis going to such extremes…
No.4264
>>4263>louis slut shaminglol
but idk.
i still don't think louis would want to have sex with anyone
without first seeing if they survive the natural selection process
>hornsit really is up in the air.
maybe we'll get more info in the inevitable new content.
maybe
he killed one of the clemars who attacked his village for thembut idk.
it just kinda seemed like they
were made out of magla or something No.4269
>>4257Oh yeah, I remember this. I was actually enjoying that fic but I thought Louis
just simply killing Zorba out of nowhere because he was being 'annoying' was extremely ooc and I couldn't muster to finish the fic afterwards, even if I like Louistrohl conceptuallyI don't think they're similar either, I think most of the japanese posts regarding that are really for nsfw purposes since they want to have both ships but only really care for Zorba's side while More is forgotten….
>>4259I don't know if simply crashing a funeral counts as a crime
beyond the murder. But he already paid for it by
dying, so I guess that's how it is
No.4270
>>4269a guard said it was treason.
but yeah, he died anyway so that's his punishment.
louis killing zorba for being annoying sounds terrible.honestly i don't enjoy most fanfiction because everyone's usually really ooc. No.4272
>>4270I had also read another where Louis was happy that Zorba was gone because "he was sullying his memories of the Prince in the Sanctum with his presence" which was even worse.
All fanwork/fanfic is ooc by nature, it just depends how ooc some people are willing to go
No.4274
>>4272Not to make this a thread about Louis only, but since that's the direction we're going anyway, speaking of–
>memories of the prince in the sanctumI'd love to understand where people are coming from with this. Are they just being a bit more loose with the canon timeline (which, admittedly, does feel a bit murky)?
Still–before the sanctum burned, the prince had to have been a literal infant. Louis himself was described as only a child. Really, how many memorable interactions can you truly have with a baby less than one years old?
No.4275
>>4274All things inevitably lead to Louis, so it's only fair.
>Are they just being a bit more loose with the canon timelineIt's just straight up headcanon and wishful thinking. Shuouji childhood friends wasn't real
and people are cowards to not embrace selfcest so they force it on to Louis to make them have a connection from the get-go (as opposed to simply being enemies).
It's really not possible for Louis to have meaningfully had any connection towards the Prince not only because the Prince would've been a newborn at the time, but because the Queen doesn't really care about Louis either (she would've known if a blonde elda boy was near her infant after all).
Even if they could've met when the Prince was roaming in the palace, Louis never really mentions him nor does Will/Prince mention him either.
Also, Louis just like everyone else in the Kingdom, never saw the grown-up Prince, because everyone assumed he was dead. So people thinking that Louis somehow knows the Prince was alive all along (and draw him with the 18-year old Prince) are also all wrong too.
It's really just a headcanon that's straying too far into people believeing it to be canon, or wanting it to be canon because they can't imagine a Louis that hasn't cared about Will from the moment he was born. And I guess it adds that "romance" to it in the 'I fell in love with you ever since you were a toddler' but that's just creepy to me imo
No.4276
>>4275Also adding to this, we do have a way to gauge the timeline with Will's age alone and Rella's, and there are several places in the story where Louis doing (something) at a specific timeframe gets mentioned. Like joining the army "15 years ago" (so the Prince would be 3 years old then), Rella cursed the Prince at 12 and Louis got mistaken for Rella, said to "have his same build and stature" so he wouldn't have been any older than 12 himself at the time of the curse either.
No.4279
only reason i could see louis having an attachment to baby will is if he saw will as a symbol of the new world the king wanted to make.
>maybe since the king had a kid with an elda, the kingdom of euchronia will have to accept eldas!
No.4280
zorba listened in on the party at the sanctum and knew will fused with the prince.
he only leaves after gruidae is done explaining everything.
he could've heard what she said about louis likely being elda.
that could be how zorba knows that if he even does know.
No.4289
>>4280I feel like Zorba knew all along that Louis was an Elda. I also wondered if his horns somehow fell off when he "died" lol that also could've shown him that he's an Elda too
No.4291
>>4289>>4280I think Zorba knew the entire time as well. The phrasing in pic rel's scene, when they discuss the prince in the sanctum, always implied it to me–"against all odds, it seems that this place is… [the same place you came from, which we thought had been destroyed]." I dunno. I asked someone about the jp translation here for "against all odds," and it's just "surprisingly." Which also works, I guess.
I had also considered maybe Zorba's necromancy required knowing what tribe the person he's performing it on is from, if that makes sense. So, to successfully revive "dead" Louis, he'd need to know he was elda. That's just conjecture though.
I think I got this from fic lmao??? Cannot remember.I swear to god clicking spoiler image does not work for me half the time reee No.4292
>>4291i thought zorba's phrasing when they were discussing
the prince had to do with the prince/sanctum surviving.not necessarily louis.but
i do like the idea of zorba knowing louis is elda.zorba
also says a clemar couldn't understand his plight to strohl but tells will that since he's elda he must understand what being a lowly race is like. No.4329
>>4320what do you want to discuss?
i don't really have anything else to discuss.
No.4336
>>4333Peak design imo. His design in general feels very old school JRPG and this form
is obviously a nod to Lucifer/Helel… with the final form being clearly inspired by Dante's Satan. Louis is so beautiful in every way, I'm sorry ugh.
>i wonder who threw out the request to have him get naked.I've been wondering about stuff like this as well. Metaphor really has so many character designs and dynamics that feel geared towards women, some of which aren't really present in Persona. I just don't remember ever shipping so many different things before. I suppose with fantasy you can also do a bit more with unique designs… Anyway, I hope they keep up the fanservice in newer games.
No.4341
we can discuss more if you want but i'm not into shumoa.
what about more do you want to discuss?
No.4356
fandom are sleeping on more
i need to see him fuck and be fucked
No.4454
Gonna check out this game, anything I should be aware of before going in?
No.4457
>>4454In what regards, gameplay? I'd say having a good archetype lineup is good imho, always level your archetypes no matter how useless you think they may be. Also, personally, I'd advice against converting MAG to Money as a newbie (I did this a lot) because MAG is quite scarce.
For fujo stuff? It all depends on your tastes really, a lot of people tend to like Strohl initially and not move from him. He cute though.