Foxing Peculiar

In Sea of Stars I’m crossing the island with the big head toward the Clockwork Castle. Just past the point where you get the flashback that explains the betrayal. I now have 5 characters, which was unexpected, still am not totally sure who the fourth actually is, and I don’t really know where it’s going but it does feel like more interesting things are happening now. There’s definitely a “fate and freedom” theme emerging, which… yeah, that tracks for the genre. The battles are also getting noticeably more challenging and I’m having to think a little more about swapping people around and changing turn orders and shit, which feels like an already complicated battle system really blossoming. Still having fun.

99.5% of what I’m seeing is like “yes, you seem lovely, but you are not for me.” But when I run into the like 1/200 person where I’m like… “okay, I could maybe see this being a thing,” I freeze up a little. I have to think for a second, how to say hello. But if I close the app, or even leave it idle too long (long enough to write this post, for example)— poof! They’re gone. And there’s no way to find them again except to cycle through EVERYBODY and hope.

This did not used to be the case! The last time I did online dating (2009), you could save a link to a profile! Think about it for a minute before sending an introduction. I probably wouldn’t have messaged the person who turned out to be my partner for 14 years and is still a very dear friend, if I’d had to do it on the spot.

Then, as an adult, I got into the whole… Tim Leary, Ram Dass, Terrence McKenna, Robert Anton Wilson scene and came across John C. Lilly and was like “oooooohhhhh, okay.”

But I can’t go back and play it, because in a fit of pique (read: mental episode) about… 10-15 years ago, I told my mom she could get rid of my old video game shit. I had a Dreamcast! An N64! A fully functional Genesis/CD/32X setup!

Right now, though, I’m playing Sea of Stars, and really having some fun with it. I’m about 10 hours in—I have a 4-character party at this point (although I’m still not clear on who the fourth is, exactly) and have gotten through the… major plot point that happens during the eclipse.

The combat is good—turn-based but keeps you on your toes. There’s a lot of systems happening: timed inputs, the combo setup, elemental locks on enemy spell casting, positioning, balancing MP use/regeneration… it’s lively.

The pacing is good, too. Dungeons are pretty linear, but in a way that takes a minute to figure out sometimes. Save points are generous. No particular segment has felt overlong or worn out its welcome. I have multiple traversal tools now and I’m curious if there will be more. And the Wheels minigame is pretty fun, now that I have a handle on it.

The story… okay. The presentation is amazing. Like it NAILS the feel of what playing fourth generation-era RPGs when I was like 11 or 12 felt like. And in a certain way, I kind of like the childlike simplicity of it. And as far as villain names go, “The Fleshmancer” fucking rules. It’s just… I’m not expecting like, Xenogears or FF Tactics or anything on that level, but I want a little more than I’m getting, you know? The characters are interesting, but they don’t exactly have a lot of dimension. I’m loving the kind of kitchen-sink lore—ghost ships! mole people keeping a space dragon asleep! whatever the fuck was going on with that necromancer lady!—I’m just not sure… what it’s all about, I suppose. This most recent development (the eclipse bit with the Dweller) feels like we’re really getting into it now, though, so I’m curious how that’s gonna play out.