When They Cry

[Eluvianii he/him]

Ok, this is what happened. I wrote entirely too much tonight, and most of it is rather misguided, so I divided it. First spoiler box is an extremely unsuccesful attempt at solving Bern's mystery with no hints. I'm pretty sure I found zero culprits there because I ignored the simple rule that culprits can't die, while my entire reasoning was based on culprits killing each other. Read if you will but that's the summary really.

Second box is a yet to be completed attempt with three hints, being the one about filtering purple text, the one about how culprits can't die, and the one about how I should find a piece of narration confirming a death. I feel like a good chunk of that is on a good track, though I'm not confident about some of the reasoning. I plan to continue that one tomorrow but it's late and, genuinely, my brain is tired. Like when you solve 5 exams back to back. Again, read if you will, but so far I haven't found an answer and my list of suspect is still a bit large so, it's inconclusive. Excuse the novelette, hopefully tomorrow I'll actually read some plot.
 

Spoiler

Imma try a new thing, may be pointless though. I want to dump thoughts here in real time as I try to solve the thing. I'm sure you're used to that but depending on how it goes that might result in a pretty long post so bear with me. At this point I've put it off for too long so, honestly, I just want to know what happens next. My own fault that. But that feels like a bit of an insult so I'll give it a fair try at least for today. If by the end of the session I'm still drawing a blank, I'll check Battler and Beatrice's hints.

A way to approach this might be to get the statements with the biggest consequences first, or is the word implications? Either way, I'm talking about Nanjo. He said any person could tell the first six were dead and it'd be impossible to be wrong. If any of those are alive at the end of the first twilight, that'd make Nanjo a culprit.

Another thing to take into account are the master keys. If the owner dies the key is destroyed, therefore, if the owner is really dead, the person who announces the destruction of their key gains some credibility. That would include Natsuhi and Gohda. Battler's phrasing bothers me. He can't use the keys but it may imply that Kumasawa and/or Gohda might be alive after the sixth twilight.

Also, this may be irrelevant, but Bern mentioning the whole thing about Kanon being treated as dead along with Shannon makes me think they're actually dead.

There's a max of two fake deaths by the second twilight, alright. The seals in the dining hall and Natsuhi's room will never be broken. There is a small loophole there. No culprits joined them as they left Natsuhi's room, but that statement doesn't affect the dining hall. And the statement about the dining hall's seal never being broken was said only after the second twilight. Therefore any possible fake deaths at this point would have to be among the first six. If there are any at all of course.

Ok back up a bit. Nanjo's phrasing was "No one examining a body will reach the wrong conclusion". That's so damn clever, now if someone's alive he's not necessarily a culprit. He doesn't mention personally examining any of the bodies either. For all I know he didn't even leave the doorway. That'd be pretty stupid as a doctor but idk, it's Bern.

This'd be pretty stupid but, they can't make obvious lies right? Like you can't go "We all saw Natsuhi's corpse" in front of everyone, it being a lie, and no one pointing it out. Because come on, we may be relying on narration and purple statements only but that would seriously be a stretch.

Ok, Gohda is looking suspicious. He was the first to arrive at the crime scene on the first and second twilight, he was nowhere to be seen during the fourth one. Not sure about fifth twilight onwards, but I'm preemtively marking him as a possible culprit.

This paragraph and the previous one may be next to each other but there's an entire kitchen break between them. After a bit of thought, I want to graduate my previous guess to "blue truth". Current guess is Gohda, and since his statements contradict that, Nanjo has to be an accomplice (this mystery doesn't allow for anyone to be only an accomplice, but Nanjo had ample opportunity to kill, being the main person examining bodies). Not only can he carry out all first 10 murders with no issue, his is also one of two master keys that were not confirmed to be destroyed. I'll review the last two twilights to confirm this but it's what makes the most sense to me. By association Kumasawa might be in on it but it's not necessary.

I think Kanon and Shannon had to be in on it too, because of their statement about all the servants having an alibi. I swear, if their keys hadn't been destroyed I'd think they are the culprits. It would be so much neater. They're the only ones who drop the statement about the servants keeping an eye on each other in purple. If they were the culprits it could be only them, but if any of the other servants gets involved then you have to get all four. Imagine going with this at the very last mystery. Yes, all four buttlers and maids did it, we're subverting expectations by doing the oldest thing in the book.

I just started cross-referencing this theory and it already crumbled. Jessica says Gohda and Kumasawa are dead. If they are she's innocent, but then Gohda can't still be alive. If Gohda is still alive, then Jessica is a culprit. Which I mean, not impossible, but that's starting to feel like too many.

Ok get this. I continued to check this, and only Jessica contradicts this theory, so she could be a culprit without filling the list too much. Hell, it would take a bit of mental gymnastics, but I don't even need Kumasawa to lie, she could be innocent, assuming that when Shannon lied about the servants being together all the time, Kumasawa simply chose not to say anything.

It's getting late, I think this is as far as the session goes. I'm gonna do it, I'll submit Gohda, Shannon, Kanon, and Jessica. If that doesn't work I'll do the same but adding Kumasawa. If that doesn't work I'll admit defeat and ask the two experts to help me. Either way this was a blast. Wish me luck.

Spoiler

Ok, I checked the hints, but since they give you one at a time, I'll try to use the least possible. Professor Layton anyone? So I read the hint about looking for a killing confirmed by the narration. That's Nanjo and Jessica. Would you look at that, two of my culprits. Doomed from the start indeed.

And just like that half the cast is innocent. Huh.

I said I was going to stop after reading the hints but I'm too invested... Storm it, I'm giving another hour or two. I have home office tomorrow, I can afford it.

Cousins are uninvolved in fifth through seventh twilights. It's looking like a parent is the culprit. If you think about it they're the most likely ones because they were, somehow, never confirmed to be dead directly. Only indirectly. It's so confusing because at most we are told by Shannon that each kid confirmed their own parents' death, but then the kids can lie, but then none of the kids made any statements about that. Except Maria saying they all died instantly. So either all the parents are dead or Maria is a culprit. Of course Maria can only be a culprit if George is. I just crossed 9 people out of the list and I'm still going in circles.

It's actually interesting that most of the dead people revealed don't actually confirm other deaths, Nanjo and Jessica did the heavy lifting there.

Ok, I have a conclusion. Not all of the conclusions, just one. Only a parent could have commited twilights 5 through 7. Jessica said so and the narration confirms her to be dead so she tells the truth. I thought maybe Maria was a culprit because of that, but she only says "All of the victims died instantly", so she's inside the loophole. I wonder if she can be an accomplice by hiding the truth about a culprit but not saying any lies in purple. That way Rosa can be alive, since Maria checked her corpse, but since Maria said nothing on the matter, she doesn't necessarily need to be a culprit. Hell, if we go there any or all of the parents could be alive. I should explore that...

Just checked, that doesn't work. I have to make a habit out of re checking the rules from time to time, I keep forgetting them.

Of course, there's the fact that the second twilight couldn't have been commited by a servant, which only leaves the parents as I wanted, but there was no way for the parents to lock the room. Did I mention I was going in circles?

Going back to the first twilight, Genji is super dead, the others could be not. A simplification of that is that for each parent that is alive, two culprits are made, since the child has to lie for that to happen. Imagine if all 8 people remaining on the list were culprits, and at the end they were just acting innocent for an invisible audience. Can't be though, if by the second twilight the culprit of the first had killed at least six people, then yeah, out of those first eight victims at least four of the ones in the hall have to be real. A couple could be alive I guess. Though if I take that statement to mean that a single person killed six people, it kinda has to be one.

Actually, that's a good thing. I have three kids left, if only one of the adults is a culprit, two of the kids are innocent. I can compare statements of Battler vs George vs Maria, mimicking one of the puzzles at the party curiously, and see which of the three contradicts the other two. Brb.

After going through that, I don't have much to go on. The very last scene seems very relevant though. If Maria is a culprit, George automatically becomes one, because if Maria has killed someone, George's statement that Maria can't kill anyone is automatically a lie, which would make two of the cousins culprits when (I think) only one can. I think I can rule out Maria based on that. Two to go.

Ok there's this. Seventh twilight, George says "no one could kill Doctor Nanjo inside the guesthouse" and Battler says "this is proof that Doctor Nanjo didn't leave the guesthouse". Those two are straight up contradictions, I should have seen it before. I can't decide who yet but I can take it as confirmation that one of the two is lying. Outside of that, they seem equally plausible. Nanjo goes to check the doors, the door is either open or Nanjo sees a parent outside and opens it, he is killed either inside or outside, either the parent or the child closes the door, crime is done and either Battler or George are lying.

First twilight. George says no one was hiding in the hall, which is true. Battler however says nothing suspicious was found, which can be false if he found one of his parents alive.

 

[aneonfoxtribute]

Interesting logic, let's see where this is heading.

[Eluvianii he/him]

Yes! Below is my reasoning with 4 hints and gosh I'm so happy I could keep it with only 4. It was right. I didn't do it without help like the game wanted but it's still ridiculously satisfying. This was so. Much. Fun. I'm so looking forward to finally continue the story.

Spoiler

Alright, small detail but important one. Narration says Nanjo was killed in the entrance hall. That's inside. That makes George a liar, therefore a culprit. That leaves me three possibilities. George and Eva, George and Hideyoshi, or all three. It's a small enough number, but I won't brute force it just yet. It's early.

Hell, I'm still stumped about the second twilight. Genuinely have no idea how to lock the room. Narration says servants have alibis.

First blue of the day. What if it's all three? A parent, whichever works, killed the four people in the dining hall, then they killed Natsuhi and Krauss, that's six people. Then they just, stayed in the room. The other parent gets to commit twilights 5 through 8 and it all works. Almost. George in particular has been excused from twilights 4 through 8. That's too much.

Could he have killed Kanon? Is there a defined culprit for Kanon or did he just fade into the wind?

I don't want to trigger another hint, but I might go for it. Just gonna do a quick review to check I haven't missed something.

Ok, I'll go for it. My reasoning on George being involved in a murder is shaky at best, but it's what I have. And hey, I have to finish at some point. Here goes nothing.

Failure. Well, 4 hints from here on I guess. I don't feel too bad about it since I discovered the info from that hint myself, but still. It does mean that the hints from here on are straight up giving you answers. Another failure may spoil something.

I'm drawing a blank here, I can't see this working with less than three people. Battler and co would work just as well, but he didn't contradict the Narration the way George did. Could "He was killed in the entrance hall" be interpreted as that the body was found there? Is there a chance he went out? Battler would work out nicely if we assume he killed Shannon really. Now here's the kicker. If Battler is a culprit, he tells exactly two lies. That's so little, dude's covering all his bases. Not only that but those two lies would be the only ones in the entire story. If it's the case this is indeed like a needle in a haystack. Imma do another sweep with Battler as a culprit in mind...

Once again, a point or two are shaky, but beyond what I already mentioned this actually works really well. This is my last guess. A parent has to be involved in twilights 5 through 6. Maria being a culprit would spawn a contradiction, not to mention I still don't see the second twilight working without two parents. So it's either George or Battler. I'm going Battler, Kyrie, and Rudolf now.

Thank you Maria for mentioning George wouldn't kill Shannon. I realize now that I was trustung the narration a little too much. It wasn't lying but it required some interpretation, and at that point I should have fallen back into what I could trust, that George wouldn't kill Shannon. Bit frustrated that I lost a hint to that.

Speaking of, I can't believe George convinced her with facts and logic. She's so convinced that a witch is involved, but at a couple of George's guesses she steps in and solves the whole thing. Did not see that coming.

Erika.

Like.

That Erika.

Oh fine, she can get redemption if she really earns it. Let's see.

Ok, Eva Beatrice defending Ange was ridiculously sweet actually.

Ange's feelings here mirror how I feel right now. Episodes 1-7 can end in any way because there's another chance later. But this is the last one and I'm kinda terrified that I won't like whatever's at the end.

And yet, I mean it's naive, but Kumasawa did mention at the party that what Ange wanted most was within her grasp. And now I was just told that what she wanted most, the small hope that she was keeping, was that her family would come back. So, story keeps teasing me. Ange has decided to give up on that, I'll hold on to it for a bit.

Bern's guidance sure feels like manipulation huh. Yet some bits of it make sense. Some. Ange is currently convinced that a game is not about communication, which Battler just denied, so yeah, manipulation it is. I wonder where this will lead. Well, I have to stop for the day so I'll see tomorrow. Man, I need a day I can binge. I could finish this in a day or two if I started early. Maybe this weekend if nothing comes up.

[aneonfoxtribute]

Best girl Erika swooping in, being the best like she always is.

[Eluvianii he/him]

Well, weekend didn't happen, I've already been notified this one won't happen either, and I'm certainly not waiting two weeks. Whatever, this will end when it ends.

So far, this is cool. This is so cool. I thought we wouldn't have this this time around but here it is, a big final segment where everyone gets to be awesome. I hope the humans get their chance too but so far it's great.

It was so funny when Lambda, during a tense scene and with utter seriousness, called Featherine "Auaurora". She's such a vibe.

Now, for the scene that kickstarts the whole ordeal, I get that it's supposed to be a low point, but Ange revealing her (absolutely amazing) witch dress with Golden Nocturne playing in the background goes so damn hard, I could just get up from my chair and walk around to get some of the excitement out. I loved that scene so much.

I can't believe he really made the theorists the final boss. The players are the final boss. Every time the game pulls something like this I think it can't get any more meta and yet, here we are. Good choice too.

Also, I'm just finding out there's more than one staircase to the second floor, I need a map.

Will's speech about who does and who doesn't have the right to call themselves a mystery fan feels like it goes a little beyond a cool scene to mark a climax. Some feelings were seeping out of the pen there. Makes me question why Ryukishi decided to allegedly change his design philosophy with Ciconia to "It's fine if you don't want to solve it".

Aaand that scene goes on for a while so that's where I'm standing so far. Showdown with Erika and Ange next time. I'm really excited about that, even just the beginning was great.

 

Oh yeah, had some company today. She wasn't making this any easier let me tell you.

Spoiler

 

[Eluvianii he/him]

Tohya would think me a brainless idiot and I love her. 

Also what's this about a servant notifying Tohya that Tohya just woke up? Curious. 

Bern's tone of voice in Tohya's study was, different. Milder than when she's acting as a witch, but deeper than as Rika. Is this how she is when she's a cat? She was way kinder too. 

Ok, if Ange's time hasn't moved at all since she jumped off, I guess everything makes sense. She never came back to her own time. So all those storylines we've been seeing where she continues her spy business were just several different fragments of things that might happen if she survives the jump. But none of them have actually happened, and she has to come back to that skyscraper eventually. How Battler hopes to make her survive it is beyond me. 

Hell, Episode 6 (or was it 7?) left me hanging there too. With a whole plot of Okonogi wanting to kill Ange and Double-pants-kun being a traitor. Though knowing what I know now I'm not sure if it's even relevant anymore. 

Speaking of Battler, his battle with Erika was so silly. I liked it. 

So the truth is simultaneously more boring and worse than the fragments so far. Well, I do get it, the fragments bring hope in being fictional, while there's no coming back from the Single Truth. However I doubt it'll be as simple as picking a fragment and sticking to it, I expect there'll be a reason to be surprised about whatever it is. 

I want a happy ending so bad... Let's see what Lion's definition of one is. 

[aneonfoxtribute]

On 9/4/2024 at 7:58 PM, Eluvianii said:

Auaurora

That's actually a reference to Higurashi, since Featherine is Hanyuu

 

On 9/4/2024 at 7:58 PM, Eluvianii said:

I can't believe he really made the theorists the final boss. The players are the final boss. Every time the game pulls something like this I think it can't get any more meta and yet, here we are. Good choice too.

 

Not just theorists. The dudes who Didn't Get It:tm:

 

On 9/4/2024 at 7:58 PM, Eluvianii said:

Makes me question why Ryukishi decided to allegedly change his design philosophy with Ciconia to "It's fine if you don't want to solve it".

Well. Ciconia is different. It's not a mystery really. Not nearly as much.

[Eluvianii he/him]

Alright, I'm gonna do the bit. No plans for tomorrow, it should work out. I'm spending October 4th and 5th in Rokkenjima. It's the best possible way to close this I believe.

Honestly, there seems to be a lot less left than I imagined. I mean, content-wise I was about right, but length-wise, it's going lightning fast. I only read a little under 3 hours today, but so much happened it could be half an episode. I was prepared to spend the whole afternoon here, but I do want to finish on the 5th, so the plan was to stop right before the climax, which I think I accomplished. Stopped at the beginning of a chapter with Siege in the name.

Alright fine, I'll accept it. Everyone's dead dammit. I kept hoping for the happy fragment but no such luck. Not saying I don't like how things are going, but just imagine what could have been.

At this point I have to wonder why Erika continues to worship Bern, but I should probably give up on that. Maybe it's the kind of person she aspires to be or something.

Dude I swear, Lambda should stop being nice. I'm starting to like her and I don't want to. Heard she really lets loose in Higurashi Gou, I don't need to carry the expectations of her being a decent being into that.

Well, don't know what was in that book. My guess is either Ange was right and it was a simple accident, or the culprit was everyone, in a desperate move not to end up in poverty. No one was going to reach the answer if they expect a real life crime to follow the rules of fiction I suppose.

And if that was the case, it'd be a problem for Ange to find out not only because it shatters her hope of someone coming back, but because it probably paints every single member of her family in a terrible light. Battler's point being that a single day of desperation doesn't erase all the years that came before. Which I agree with.

I feel like I like this cast a lot more now that I know all the worse things they're capable of, than in the beginning when they really wanted you to think it's all a front. Same thing happened in Higurashi, at first all the SoL came off as generic and maybe a bit forced, but once you get to know the worst side of everyone it's hard to imagine a more sincere and tight-knit group of friends. Probably the best part of both stories for me.

Which actually makes them hard to recommend because the best part is, thematically at least, a spoiler.

Now, it's amazing that this is happening so close to the end but the bit in the future is... confusing. I like it really, Ange makes the wrong choice and jumps off. A miracle happens and she survives. She gets to live happily for a while and medetashi medetashi. Whatever happens when she regains her memories becomes a new choice. Thing is I'd find it a bit baffling if she just chooses to become the most prolific Forger around. Maybe this is a Fate kind scenario where she meets herself from a fragment where she messed up as a cue not to do the same.

Ideally in a perfect future she'd be in a similar position but instead of writing unflattering stories about her own family, she does what she just promised to do and spreads the magic. Not the perfect future I wanted but the one I can still get.

Now, if we can just continue those dangling threads with Amakusa, Okonogi, and Kyrie's family that'd be cool.

Looking forward to tomorrow. I'm prepared to read for as long as necessary. Historically I'm terrible at guessing how long a game has left (finished CS4 in a 15-hour session thanks to that kind of miscalculation, plus a whole lot of stubbornness), but really, I can't see this lasting that much longer. I mean, we do have a final battle in two realities happening, plus presumably a last chance to shine for like 30 characters, but I still think that a full day of reading should be enough.

[aneonfoxtribute]

1 hour ago, Eluvianii said:

Dude I swear, Lambda should stop being nice. I'm starting to like her and I don't want to. Heard she really lets loose in Higurashi Gou, I don't need to carry the expectations of her being a decent being into that.

Well, Gou is also the start of Lambda. So that's like going into Saikokoroshi expecting Bernkastel to be as evil as she is in Umineko. 

 

2 hours ago, Eluvianii said:

Well, don't know what was in that book. My guess is either Ange was right and it was a simple accident, or the culprit was everyone, in a desperate move not to end up in poverty. No one was going to reach the answer if they expect a real life crime to follow the rules of fiction I suppose.

Well, the book shows the truth. At this point, the true events of that day should be fairly evident. 

[Eluvianii he/him]

54 minutes ago, aneonfoxtribute said:

Well, the book shows the truth. At this point, the true events of that day should be fairly evident. 

The book was a series of pictures that led me to believe Beatrice's plan proceeded as scheduled, but there wasn't a whole lot to go by. By the looks of it it was fairly similar to Episode 7's tea party. Whether or not Kyrie and Rudolph are actually the culprits, well, I wouldn't be too surprised. It was implied at some point that their company was the most in trouble, I actually think it's the only one we get to see a meeting of? And Kyrie is the most end justifies the means person around.

Bern did say she just made that fragment up and that it was Ange's fault for believing but I fully believe she could be lying there, so.

[Eluvianii he/him]

Alright, for once, my calculations were flawless. Kinda, sorta, almost. I finished right around the time I wanted to. The main story that is. Apparently even Episode 8 has a tea party. Well, bring it on. But it'll have to be tomorrow. Today, I'm happy with my session. Plus, my head is killing me. Whatever may be left can hold the title of the fabled October 6th that finally came. 

Well, the ending came. And it was the same ending that was announced at the beginning of the episode. However, the episode itself did a pretty amazing job of warming me up to it. I'm not quite ready to feel safe of course, anything could happen in a tea party and a secret tea party. 

To be perfectly honest. The ending was so final I'm genuinely surprised there is one. Only loose threads that come to mind are Okonogi's plot to kill Ange, but that should have been resolved when she literally left everything to him. It could also be some kind of post-game foreshadowing the way Higurashi had (still completely clueless about what that was all about btw).

Or I guess it could be an actual tea party. Easy to forget those are a thing.

Well the battle in the Golden Land was good. Kinzo's "sacrifice" was cool as hell. Rudolf and Kyrie having synchronized aim is an interesting couple achievement. Rosa was cool, I liked Rosa, hope that reflects her actual feelings. Krauss punching Erika was good. And seeing Dlanor genuinely angry was chilling. 

You know, there is something about the way witches and voyagers and creators are described that really makes me feel the scale of it. We see next to nothing about the world these characters live in and it still felt bigger than anything I could imagine for a moment. It's, strange. He convinced me of it with a few paragraphs of narration.

Ok, Erika got to stay. I genuinely don't know how. They even announced earlier that she was just a piece in this specific board and she would disappear. Yet here she is. 

Ah, to be around back in like 2011, and help Lambda reach top 5 in the popularity poll. Hope she made it, she earned it. 

Oh yeah, did both choices get the same ending? I chose magic. 

Man, I think Battler has become my favorite protagonist at this point. Gonna miss the dude. Well, he'll always be around. In the fighting spin-off. 

Oh, right, Auau. First time I see her fighting actively. It was ridiculously cool. Whatever fight scene she may come up with later won't be a fraction as cool as her pulling out a pen and writing "She dies." 

Her horns got busted in the past too. Did we see that? Higurashi? Or an as of yet unspecified moment in time?

Oh, I think it's fun that Lambda calls Featherine a monster. It's like a reflection of that time Miyo called Hanyuu a monster. 

Dude, that final scene between Beatrice and Battler. It hurts. It's like a more sincere version of what happened with Kinzo. Wherever they are I hope they're happy.

What a journey seriously. It's strange but it has made me appreciate stories as a concept even more, somehow. It's so bold, the way it prioritizes its themes over making sense as a story, and even then the way it manages to actually make sense at the very end. The fun the author clearly had while writing this. The way it took abstract concepts and turned them into characters and places and events. At times it feels more like an essay about its own genre than a story itself. And its concept of magic which changed so many times until reaching a final form that seems so simple and obvious by itself, but has such a big significance once you've gone through the story. It has seriously revised, replaced even, my concept of what a story can be.

I really don't know what I'm gonna do once I'm done with the tea party. I spent so long on this it became something of a status quo, a place to return to. I didn't have to worry about these characters, I could just boot up the game and see them again. Well, as of tomorrow, not anymore. And after two years that's a scary thought. I'm both looking forward to it, and wishing I could postpone it. But I've postponed it enough. 

[aneonfoxtribute]

43 minutes ago, Eluvianii said:

And seeing Dlanor genuinely angry was chilling. 

Peak fiction

 

44 minutes ago, Eluvianii said:

Oh yeah, did both choices get the same ending? I chose magic. 

There is a bad ending if you choose Trick. It's unique.

 

45 minutes ago, Eluvianii said:

Her horns got busted in the past too. Did we see that? Higurashi? Or an as of yet unspecified moment in time?

Something unseen I think.

[Eluvianii he/him]

Oh. God, they've done it. I was, you know, contented. I expected Battler to come back but I thought it'd be left as something for the player to believe in you know. When he actually appeared it was like the last weight the story had left was finally lifted. And it all clicked together, of course, Battler was also 18 years old, this way the statement that he died remains true, and this way it makes sense that he would write about the Ushiromiya tragedy. He didn't feel it was his family after all, it's perfect. I was content.

But that final scene. I just couldn't keep it together, 200 hours of emotions just came out with a crash. That was perfect. Come this point I couldn't possibly ask for anything else from this story. The circle was closed, these characters can finally rest. And I will miss them so much.

I'm also confused as to how Lion left the board but I won't question it. The ship is true in my heart.

Well, this story accomplished something that I think even Higurashi didn't quite do. It interested me in mysteries. Tbh I always dismissed mystery as a genre. I may have thought it synonimous with cop thriller and little else. It never crossed my mind that they were an interactive thing, a series of well placed clues for the reader to find and solve. Well, I'm, interested now. I want to find more of these and try to solve them. This story just pulls you into the genre whether you want it or not.

Guess I'm not exactly done with the series but I believe the thread fulfilled its purpose. I might come back to post my thoughts on something or other from time to time, but it won't be this post per session thing anymore. Looking forward to the Higurashi console arcs, which I heard were just recently fully translated, and I don't think I'll start Ciconia until there are news of the second episode. Heard Ryukishi is pretty tied up with Konami atm.

Thank you for keeping me company through this journey. It's like Beato said, mysteries are more fun with two people. I'll have to do my part if I manage to convince someone to play. I expect it will be fun to see their theories. Hell, I'm not out of there myself, at some point I have to solve the individual crimes. That should be fun.

Now, I have to hunt down the CGs to fill my wallpaper folder.

[aneonfoxtribute]

The ending is so peak. God I love Umineko so much, it's so good.

19 minutes ago, Eluvianii said:

Tbh I always dismissed mystery as a genre. I may have thought it synonimous with cop thriller and little else. It never crossed my mind that they were an interactive thing, a series of well placed clues for the reader to find and solve. Well, I'm, interested now. I want to find more of these and try to solve them. This story just pulls you into the genre whether you want it or not.

I am surprised at this considering you have Herlock Sholmes in your signature (I don't know if that's Lupin or Ace Attorney, though)

21 minutes ago, Eluvianii said:

and I don't think I'll start Ciconia until there are news of the second episode. Heard Ryukishi is pretty tied up with Konami atm.

The situation with Ciconia is................ complex. It's unclear how much of Silent Hill is actually preventing Ciconia from continuing. The big problem comes from Ryukishi writing a story about war and disease ravaging the world..... right before the year 2020. And four years on, he's still not writing it for war related reasons. He's even said that he may just. Move on to the next WTC project. The future of Ciconia is up in the air, we don't know what's gonna happen

24 minutes ago, Eluvianii said:

Now, I have to hunt down the CGs to fill my wallpaper folder.

Oh by the way, there's a folder that just has all the CGs already. It's just in the Steam files. Not that hard to find. You can find every sprite, CG, everything else really easily.

[Eluvianii he/him]

40 minutes ago, aneonfoxtribute said:

I am surprised at this considering you have Herlock Sholmes in your signature (I don't know if that's Lupin or Ace Attorney, though)

It's Ace Attorney. I have liked mysteries in video games before, but I went in expecting those to be interactive. Books on the other hand were a bit of a surprise so it's those I'd really like to know more about.

42 minutes ago, aneonfoxtribute said:

The situation with Ciconia is................ complex. It's unclear how much of Silent Hill is actually preventing Ciconia from continuing. The big problem comes from Ryukishi writing a story about war and disease ravaging the world..... right before the year 2020. And four years on, he's still not writing it for war related reasons. He's even said that he may just. Move on to the next WTC project. The future of Ciconia is up in the air, we don't know what's gonna happen

I see. Well, if he does announce a cancellation I guess I'll just read it regardless. Hope it doesn't happen though. Just knowing there are still plans for the series even after that is a relief in itself.

44 minutes ago, aneonfoxtribute said:

Oh by the way, there's a folder that just has all the CGs already. It's just in the Steam files. Not that hard to find. You can find every sprite, CG, everything else really easily.

Ah nice, thanks. This'll really bloat the folder, might have to start using two different ones (it's clogged with Trails already).

[Eluvianii he/him]

I've had Maria's voice in my head saying "Ha-ppy Haroween!" the whole day. So uh yeah, happy Halloween. 

[aneonfoxtribute]

Uu-uu-uu!