[Video]

[save_load]

[Even though the video first opens up with what is obviously a young woman, probably in her late teens or early twenties, the voice that comes through is obviously a man of distinguished speaking skill. Well, at least it doesn't seem to be coming from the young woman, as her mouth isn't moving]

"-the screen flickers, obviously doing something. You think it might be broadcasting."

[The young woman sighs, and when she speaks, yeah, it's obviously not the male voice that spoke moments earlier]

Broadcasting to who? I'm probably just going to get some NPC...

... jeez, what the hell is this, anyway? My status screen is different now... did I grind all those skills for nothing? At least I figured out how to sneak past all those winged freaks after the first few game-overs...

Maybe if I'm lucky, some tutorial character is going to pop up... yeah, right.

Comments

[dependently_independent]

... What?

I mean, game mechanics are the norm around here, but we're not literally in a game. I don't think.

[save_load]

I don't know. My narrator is still with me, so I'm guessing I'm in some kind of game, even if it's completely different and I can't see my skills anymore.

[dependently_independent]

Mechanics tend to follow you when you're in the Netherworld, at least a little.

My spellcasting still uses Vancian logic even though that makes no sense, for example.

[save_load]

Guess that's convenient. I probably still have my spells, then.

[dependently_independent]

Probably.

What kinds of magic, if I might ask?

[save_load]

Maybe later. No offense, but I don't know if you're gonna try to give me a game over or something.

[dependently_independent]

... Wait. What?

[save_load]

What? Come on, you were talking about game mechanics. You can't tell me you don't know what a game over is.

[dependently_independent]

Well, yeah, of course they happen. But you'd have to get into a fight and lose for that to occur.

Right?

[save_load]

Well, yeah, that's one way.

The world I was in earlier is a lot harsher than being limited to just that, though.

[dependently_independent]

.. Where I'm from, stupid choices just lead to Bad Ends.

[save_load]

It's not just stupid choices. I could climb over the wrong wall and get automatically mauled by some angry carnivex without a proper fight.

[dependently_independent]

... Yeah, my world isn't that mean.

[save_load]

Well, I don't know... the whole bad end thing? At least if I do something wrong, I'll know right away.

You'd have to start over, unless you happen to know what point you need to load from.

[dependently_independent]

... So wait you have to keep multiple save files?

That... That honestly confuses me. How do you even wrap your head around saving past yous?

[save_load]

I just do?

[She clearly has no idea what is the cause of confusion]

[dependently_independent]

... But then you lose stats and progress and...

How?!

[save_load]

I pretty much grind my skills to the set max at the start of each new game.

Progress is pretty easy to get back when you remember everything you have to do.

[dependently_independent]

... That kind of grind would have taken thousands of hours where I'm from. Most demons just don't bother getting to max level...

[save_load]

It's skill based rather than level where I come from. I just need to keep using an ability to raise it.

[dependently_independent]

That still sounds like a very large amount of grinding...

[save_load]

It's not that bad. It's easy to reach the cap in the first game, and it only raises by a hundred each game.

I should get started for this one, I guess.

[... Doomkitty pulls out a lockpick-]

"You delicately insert your lockpick into your left nostril."

[Yes, Doomkitty just did that... and there's an audible click]

"Success! You now have an open nose."

... oh wait, I can't even see my stats anymore.

[dependently_independent]

... What.

[save_load]

It's the fastest way to raise that one.

[dependently_independent]

... Doesn't that have a nontrivial chance of killing you by sticking an object into your brain?