#pl4

one day i'll finally write that ~analysis about how layton treats children esp in pl4 and esp in comparison to emmy that's been in my head for literal y e a r s at this point

i'm going to actually leave some of my scattered thoughts abt it here finally. note that this is all based on the US localization.

for lack of better words, layton treats children with respect and seriously. like of course he's mindful that they're children but he takes what they say and feel with seriousness. vs emmy who's often patronizing, demeaning, or impatient (for lack of better words).

this is prob most apparent with Luke in pl4, though not limited to him.

when first told about the door puzzle, emmy goes 'aw thats so cute let's do it'. like indulging a little kid. which luke is, but i digress. EDIT: briefly checked out the jpn text in the scene and it doesn't seem like Emmy calls it cute, and her tone isn't doing it either. seems like she's just like, 'Professor, let's do it!' which is interestinf

there's a point where Luke is freaking out about the specter and the power it has and how it's corrupted his father. emmy's like 'you cant seriously believe theres actually a specter!' but Layton says to Luke 'I believe the specter has the power you say it has'. Layton doesnt believe there's an actual monster re: the specter, but he believes there is something re: the specter, and that's the important thing. and Layton furthermore immediately goes on to say he's noticed something's up with Clark, himself. Layton is listening to Luke and taking his feelings and fears seriously and is validating him -- and this is so incredibly significant bc of Luke's whole feeling like he's unable to trust anyone during the game which is incredibly related to this but a bit separate so im trying not to digress. THE POINT. is. the difference between Layton and Emmy in this regard.

i dont remember if it's the same part -- i think it might be later but maybe not -- i think it's when Luke reveals how he can tell where the specter will appear next? -- but basically Emmy's kind of upset for lack of a better word that Luke had been withholding that info and is like 'are you hiding anything else, like what the specter has for breakfast?!' or something iirc. luke mind of apologetically defends himself with 'i didnt know if i could trust you' and Layton is totally understanding

EDIT: (i removed an example bc upon further reflection it wasnt necessarily relevant. i might readd it later)

then there's the part with Jakes' son near the end iirc

also the small part nearer the beginning iirc when Luke goes chasing after the cat and Emmy&Layton are chasing after him and Emmy complains to the professor 'he's acting like a child!' and layton's like 'heh well he is a child c; '

there's also how Layton treats/interacts with the Ravens

also when first meeting Luke and Luke's opening up slightly but then Clark comes in and starts scolding him which has Luke withdraw/angry/turn away and Layton's like, "Clark, please"

there's also the cutscene when they first see the specter, where before it appears. Layton asks Luke, 'well, luke, what do you think? do you see anything?', he says no nothing, and Emmy's like 'I still have a hard time believing this. it sounds like a scary bedtime story. is this even possible?'. Layton says, 'Well, we'll soon find out.' and then Emmy goes on to say 'and a poor boy who predicts where the giant specter will appear' and Luke's unhappy about her comment

ALSO when Layton tries to go after the Specter that scene and Luke grabs onto him and tells him not to go, Layton takes the time to talk to him. same for when Luke's freaking out when the police took Arianna away. Layton puts a hand on his shoulder, gets to his level, and talks to him seriously.

this isn't bashing on Emmy btw I actually enjoy this as part of her character and it makes sense to me the difference between her and Layton in this regard. im also not saying that shes like always like this with kids either. or that it's even kid specific. I genuinely think it's neat. I also think it's a super neat part of Layton's character.

also ive really got to either play through pl4 again myself or watch a playthrough to record all the specific instances again.

Hohoho, what’s this? Candid footage of Freyz and Sovy enjoying a dip in a local hot-tub! Complete with romantic night sky and animated bubbles, no less. But wait, you exclaim, isn’t Sovy the main villain of Puppy Love 4? And where did these shirtless sprites come from? 

Yes indeed, Sovy did win the highest ‘monster’ bid, making him the final boss. But he’s obviously not on duty here. Undressed sprites were created by Nai for many of the characters in PL4, and I’ve decided to have some fun with that.

Hey everyone! Long time no post.

School holidays are finally over, and that mean’s I’m back at the keyboard. This year baby is up to 3 days of playgroup a week, so I should be able to work even faster!

But progress is made once again! Here’s Yoshils the ogre, strutting his extra muscly, yellow stuff in the village. He’s the next monster to stand between our heroes and the end of the game.

So uh, here’s what I made today.

Meme courtesy of this guy.

It was nice to play around with something graphical for a change. And as a side note, I figured out how to make character shadows overlap without darkening, which I probably shouldn’t have spent time on, but am super proud of.

Well over a year ago, a good friend of mine asked if I would like to be part of a TTRPG podcast. He had big dreams: a professional editor, high production values, custom art, complex characters and noir vibes.

"It Takes One to Hunt One" is a little bit X-Files and a little bit Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I play Agent Bronwen Bedivere, and if you listen to the short below, you can hear what I sound like when I laugh hysterically.

If you're at all interested in a noir story set in a superhero world, or if you like the idea of tiny round ghosts or an incredibly gossipy ficus, we have two episodes out now.