games

SWANA? what's this term from

predatory skinner box gatcha thing

It’s a gacha game.

Single player RPG/Gacha game. I think it's fun, but it's not for everyone. The microtransactions are super scammy so stay away if you are prone to gambling addiction, but it's otherwise fairly f2p friendly.

They looked at Breath of the Wild and thought ”what if we made this, except with Ys combat?”, which sounds a lot better than it actually is.

The game itself is actualy very good. It is basicaly a AAA anime RPG at a consistent 6 week update schedule for years now with no sign of stopping. Always polished, almost no bugs, lots of free PvE content. Its the anime MMORPG without being an MMO thank god. It is not an pure RPG like Persona series, but it also got a lot more to it. The combat system is quite in depth and it is fun when you know all the intricacies.

The problem is monetization it is a gacha game, they earn money from you directly buying currency to roll for the new high limited time characters with a 50/50 chance of getting them. They do give you enough currency to get one such 50/50 roll per patch which is not much.

If you have a tendency to enjoy sudden dopamine bursts then gacha is not for you as you may become addicted and should stay away.

If you are responsible and have enough self control you can spend very little like $5 a month for some extra currency. Most spenders just buy a battlepass for $15 every patch.

The majority of their profits are from whales and that is a the biggest issue, whales are not always wealthy people but also impulse buyers spending above their limit.

It's fun just keep your wallet away from the phone/console/PC when you play. Also the lore goes deep and a lot of foreshadowing is clearly intentional. It's free to download so you can try it and see how you like it

It is a slightly less good breath of the wild with anime thighs. It is free and you can play what amounts to a colossal AAA game for no money so that is cool.

"The wait is over, my comrades!" - Revolutionary Leader Kokomi

tbf he did print all the money in the world before retiring and becoming a neet, kinda sus

...Hong Kong independence??? 😭😭

I really enjoyed Fontaine - not as much as Sumeru, but it was really innovative compared to the other regions - but in some aspects it fell flat. Things like: the slums just did not feel like slums and the Corsican mafia was too collaborative with the authorities and did not give me the impression of a mafia at all. I get that it's a kids game and all, so they can't portray it too bleakly, but when they play with the themes they do in the deeper lore, I think it's also expected that they up the ante on the face-value stuff as well (like you can't just portray the mafia so one dimensionally).

Seriously, show me its appliance. I'm confused as fuck...

Well, you see, the world of Genshin Impact is not only a beautiful and immersive one, but also a complex and nuanced one, that can be analyzed from various perspectives. One of these perspectives is the Marxist one, which views the history of humanity as the struggle between two socioeconomic classes: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The bourgeoisie are the owners of the means of production, such as land, factories, and capital, while the proletariat are the workers who sell their labor for a wage. The bourgeoisie exploit the proletariat by extracting surplus value from their labor, creating a system of inequality, oppression, and alienation. The proletariat, however, have the potential to overthrow the bourgeoisie and create a classless society, where the means of production are owned and controlled by the workers themselves. This is the ultimate goal of communism, a political and economic system that aims to abolish class divisions and create a free and equal society. I will attempt to apply the Marxist perspective to the world of Genshin Impact, and show how the various groups and characters in the game can be seen as metaphors for the real-world class struggle, has far reaching consequences that inform our application of the theory in real life. The game reflects and critiques the current state of the world, especially China, where the game was developed. I hope this can give you the closure that you seek on this topic.

Celestia

The gods of Celestia are perhaps the most mysterious and powerful group in Genshin Impact. Little is known about them, except that they were part of a war 500 years ago that destroyed the landscape, they appoint archons, and they give visions to those with great ambition. The gods are an obvious parallel to the bourgeoisie: a powerful, untouchable class that is able to do basically anything with impunity. They live separated from the rest of their world, on a floating island, which could be seen as a parallel to the mansions and private jets of the richest bourgeois. Additionally, they appoint archons, who are allowed to rule their nation in whichever way they please. They also give visions to those that they deem worthy, including those with the greatest ambitions among humanity.

The gods of Celestia are the ultimate exploiters of the world of Teyvat. They use their power to manipulate and control the archons and the people, and to maintain their own supremacy. They are also the ultimate oppressors, as they have waged war against any nation that dared to challenge their authority, such as Khaenri’ah, a civilization that was destroyed by the gods for attempting to create a godless utopia. The gods of Celestia are also the ultimate alienators, as they have created a system where humans are dependent on their whims and favors, and where humans are divided by their visions and elements. The gods of Celestia are the enemy of the proletariat, and the obstacle to the communist revolution.

The Archons

The archons are lesser gods, and rule over the seven nations in whichever way they please. The gods of Celestia must have a motivation for appointing each of these archons. I believe that this motivation is to make sure the proletariat does not rise up against Celestia, like Khaenri’ah did 500 years ago. I am uncertain if this is confirmed in official lore, but it seems very likely nevertheless. In return, the archons get almost unlimited power over their territory. Despite this, the archons never appear to be happy. Barbatos faked his disappearance because he was disillusioned with his power as an archon, Morax started losing his memory and decided that it was time for the people to rule themselves, Baal suffered the loss of her sister during the Cataclysm, surely causing some ire against the gods that instructed her to do so, Nahida had to come to grips with her life being stolen from her by her own people as they distrusted her incarnation in this current samsara, and finally, and most directly, Focalors suffered at hand of Celestia due to their curse laid upon her for daring to overstep her divine authority against the Heavenly Principles.

The archons are a complex group, and can be seen as both allies and enemies of the proletariat. On one hand, they are allies, as they have shown sympathy and compassion for the people, and have sometimes rebelled against the gods of Celestia. For example, Barbatos freed Mondstadt from the tyranny of the previous Anemo Archon, Decarabian, and gave the people the freedom to choose their own destiny. Morax established Liyue as a prosperous and independent nation, and entrusted the people with the responsibility of governing themselves. Baal, despite her authoritarian and oppressive rule, is also trying to protect Inazuma from the wrath of the gods, by collecting all the visions and creating a barrier around the nation. The archons are also seen as the arbiters who grant visions to the people, which can be seen as a way of empowering them and giving them hope.

On the other hand, the archons are also enemies, as they are still part of the system that exploits and oppresses the people. They are still subordinate to the gods of Celestia, and have to follow their orders and rules. They are also still the rulers of their nations, and have the power to impose their will and ideology on the people. For example, Barbatos, despite his benevolence, has also created a chaotic and anarchic society, where the people have no security or stability, and where the Knights of Favonius and the Church of Favonius have to maintain order and faith. Morax, despite his wisdom, has also created a capitalist and materialistic society, where the people are obsessed with wealth and commerce, and where the Qixing and the Adepti have to balance the interests of the mortal and the divine. Baal, despite her courage, has also created a totalitarian and isolationist society, where the people are deprived of their freedom and individuality, and where the Shogunate and the Resistance have to fight for the future of the nation. The archons are also the ones who take away visions from the people, which can be seen as a way of controlling them and crushing their dreams.

The archons are therefore a contradictory group, and can be seen as both the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. They are the bourgeoisie, as they are the owners of the means of production, such as the gnosis, the visions, and the land. They are also the proletariat, as they are the workers who sell their labor for the gods of Celestia. The archons are the potential leaders of the communist revolution, but also the potential traitors of the communist revolution.