Wow !

If only they were mine

Touchstarved Origins

Okay, so there's been a lot of divisive opinions over the replacement of 'The Hound' background with 'The Exile' background. I have my own thoughts that I wanted to express on the situation, as well as the origin system as a whole.

TLDR: I'm not against 'The Exile' existing, but I do think it's the least interesting and the weakest of the four backgrounds. I'm also firmly against the replacement of 'The Hound'. I also want to talk about how I would add/fix the current backgrounds. Also these are just my opinions - I'm not speaking objectively.

Spoilers ahead!

What's the point of the Origin system?

There's two main reasons for the current origin system.

First of all, each background has a 'perk', which each background can gather different types of information about the world and the love interests. This info may effect player decision-making.

Secondly, the backgrounds allow for roleplay and MC creating. This aspect is a huge part of the fandom, and RSS encourages people to make OCs with the backgrounds as a 'guide'.

How well is Origin system implemented?

I think it's important to keep in mind that it's only a demo out right now. That being said, as of these demos, I do not think the origin system has been implemented very well.

The 'perks' the backgrounds give and the story/dialogue differences are pretty minimal. This means that the way the Origin system currently works, the don't really meet the intentions behind the backgrounds.

The Exile & The Hound

Welp, onto the issue that inspired this post. First of all, I believe that 'The Hound' shouldn't have been replaced at all. IMO it was the weakest in terms of implementation, but that doesn't mean it should have been removed, just made better.

People have been building their MCs/OCs for years at this point, and it's straight up not fair for people to have their backgrounds taken away for seemingly no reason. There was no communication from RSS or even a survey from RSS asking about changing up the backgrounds.

I've also seen people say the backgrounds are 'similar enough', which I can't fully agree with. They're both survivalists, but the contexts are just too different - One is survival in in a socal world, and the other is survival in 'the wild'. Also, I think the biggest appeal to a lot of people about 'The Hound' was the criminal edge and the social intuition, which in a game about character interaction, is a big loss.

There's also the 'balance' of the original three backgrounds. While I don't think the OG backgrounds were the epitome of character building, they were different in the 'right' ways. For example: 'The Hound' is street-smart and familiar with lowtown's entertainment district, 'The Alchemist' is book-smart and somewhat familiar with lowtown's entertainment district, and 'The Unnamed' most likley has some education and isn't familiar with lowtown's entertainment district. They've also all been betrayed, which adds on to their desperation. This also means they learn different information that is relevent to the LIs (eg, 'The Unnamed senses familiar about Kuras, but 'The Alchemist' notices no magic from the reattached limb).

So, what about 'The Exile'? Backstory-wise, there's the isolation of 'The Unnamed' and a parental figure of 'The Alchemist', but no 'betrayal'. It does take some the the social intuition stuff from 'The Hound' (eg. "I've learned to recognise a leader when I see one" about Ais) but for a character that's described to live away from other people (apart from the hermit), it doesn't really fit or make sense. The 'perk' of an 'uncanny intuition' is very similar in flavour to 'The Unnamed' - I can't see why 'The Unnamed' wouldn't also have the red choice to 'move immediately'. 'The Exile' is also fluent in multiple languages, but that seems like something 'The Alchemist' would know.

In short, 'The Exile' feels like a mish-mash of the original backgrounds, lacking a strong identity - both storywise and gameplay-wise. It has qualities that already belong to a background or qualities that should belong to another background. If the goal was to have more 'cohesive' backgrounds, we ended up with a redundant background.

That being said, I do think there's a place for 'The Exile', but as it is right now, it needs a major rework.

Sidenote, blind/new players of Touchstarved aren't going to know what soulless are when selecting the backgrounds, so making it a 'selling point' of the background isn't a great move.

Things I Would Add to the Backgrounds

These are just some moments I could see happening with events that happen in the demo + feel in-tune with the background.

'The Unnamed':

I'll note it's hard to think of moments for 'The Unnamed', since we lack information on how their religion and temple function.

I think 'The Unnamed' should be the weakest fighter out of the backgrounds. Should probably never feel comfortable in altercations.

Should be the most 'aware' on what their curse does to people. Could come with different dialogue during Mr. Chocky's scene or Leander's 'hold back' scene.

Just more references to 'The Unnamed's' old faith. It was such a big part of their life, that it feels wrong to know so little.

Less knowledgeable of 'normal' society. They say the entertainment district in unfamiliar to them, but we don't actually see them go about the place much differently. For example, they shouldn't assume Vere is a sex worker because of the 'parted pink curtains'.

'The Hound':

I actually don't think 'The Hound' needs to be some super proficient combatant, but they should be the most compatent when caught off guard and general 'physical' situations. For example, they don't get knocked to the floor by the 'lowlife' in the bar, and/or their escape from the soulless is more skilful (not just trying to open a door and failing). Mhin would still show up of course.

Let. Them. Steal. The best moment I can think of is after they left Kuras's clinic, they pickpocket someone and use the money to buy food. I think it would make sense because they're already thinking about money in that scene.

Related to the last point, but 'The Hound' should be the most 'comfortable' finanally. Unlike the other backgroudns who have likely not been finanally responsible for themselves, 'The Hound' is used to poverty and low spending power (since most of the money they did have was for a cure). And of course, they have the means to steal. Maybe alter MC's lines about being worried about money.

'The Alchemist':

Not a great physical fighter, but as they get more settled in Eridia, having 'The Alchemist' preparing things such as protection enchantments. If taken off guard, they'll be weak, but if they can prepare for an encounter and such, they'll be in a better condition. That's to say, I don't mind them being 'weak' in the demo.

Some more general history stuff. For example, 'The Alchemist' thinking about how old Eridia is.

'The Exile':

I think if you're going to add a choice to fight the soulless, and a new backgound that's 'familiar' with soulless, I think it's fair to say the MC should have lived in the encounter. It's not like Mhin wouldn't have swooped in to kill the soulless anyways.

Final Thoughts

I do hope RSS come out and explain why 'The Hound' was removed, since I doubt they can add it back in without adding a lot more work the finished game. This also isn't made as a dig at anyone who likes 'The Exile', I just have a Thoughts™.

Also, please tell me if I've missed anything I should have mentioned or if I've said something incorrect!

instagram.com/p/DIrQe0XtBoN/?igsh=a2UxdmdicnY2em4y

Guess My Type: Otome Husbando Edition.

The art of violence

What’s with MC‘s Curse ??

I don’t think I have seen anyone talk and theorize about MC‘s Curse/Powers (whatever you‘d like to call it), and wanted to share my thoughts on it with the limited knowledge that we have.

If you have your own theories please share them, I‘d love to hear what everyone else thinks!

(Disclaimer: English isn’t my first language and I have a hard time translating my thoughts, so I hope you can understand what I‘m getting at anyways 😭)

All we really know from the Demo is that our Curse "changes" the people that we touch. The only time we really saw the effects of our abilities is when we meet the traveler and he grabs our wrist.

The game only says it affects people when we touch them, but we didn’t really put our hands on the Traveler at all. They were touching our wrist. Does that mean our curse does not only activate when our hands are touched, but also our wrist? What area of our hands/arms is affected by this?

From what part of our hand does the curse activate and where would it be safe to touch us?

What I also find interesting is that our touch isn’t a direct death sentence. It’s not a lethal touch. The way MC describes it, it only "changes" people. But change how? Their faces contort into a wide grin and they attempt to kill us. So it’s not like we have a Shigaraki type ability (look up My Hero Academia for context). I‘m really curious in what way the MCs powers alter people‘s minds.

I also believe the choice of language regarding MC and their curse is very much intentional. (As in "curse" instead of "powers" or "abilities" and "changing people" instead of a "cursing them back" or anything along the lines of "hurting them")

I also find interesting that the people affected by our curse attempt to strangle us, wich apparently seems to have happened before from what MC describes. They’re driven to madness sure, but I just wonder by what. Does our curse perhaps cause hallucinations?

I‘m also reminded of a scene in the hunger games mockingjay part 1, after rescuing Peeta. While being tortured by the capitol, he was injected with a venom from a hallucination inducing animal (Tracker jacker) to initially manipulate his thoughts on Katniss. Because of this, he starts to associate her with terrible things like the bombing of district 12 and sees her as an actual threat to himself and others. After he’s rescued and meets Katniss again for the first time, he immediately tries to strangle her. Perhaps our abilities work similar to the tracker jacker venom, causing the "victim" to see us as a threat and trigger their fight or flight response, causing them to to defend themselves.

When we meet Vere, who is a Monster, he pulls us closer and says "Looks like we’re both…" wich also confused me. Perhaps MC isn’t as human as we might assume. But if we were, Mhin would obviously dislike us right? Maybe we’re just a rare case, a supernatural being that somehow goes undetected by the main cast. Or maybe they know and just don’t let it be known. Maybe we’re not quite monster but also not quite human (a secret third thing). It seems like there’s something he knows that we don’t, or perhaps that we’re actively trying to conceal.

In the unnamed MC origin, it is stated that initially MC‘s curse used to be celebrated as a touch of enlightenment. I just wonder how they came to that conclusion, judging by what happens when someone gets touched by MC. Why did the priests believe that turning mad to the point of trying to strangle their precious oracle was any sort of divine epiphany? I‘m just so curious about this specific origin. Additionally to this, the game states that we experience "unnatural premonitions" that rattle your body and soul". While we‘re able to cast spells in the Alchemist origin and can detect magic, these premonitions seem to be something different entirely. Is it part of the curse? Is that just something that happens when you grow up around priests? I don’t know, seems like some hidden ability.

I also wonder if the effects of the curse are just the result of MC not being able to control it. Maybe it’s not really a curse, but rather some sort of power that can be controlled if you practice? They never learned how to keep their powers at bay, so naturally they turn everyone they touch insane. I mean, after getting attacked everytime you touch someone who would come to the conclusion that their powers aren’t actually harmful?

We also don’t know if the state of madness can be reverted somehow. All we know is that the people MC touch go insane and immediately attempt to murder them. But what would happen if they were taken away from MC? Would they attempt to kill everyone else as well or is it just us? Are they still capable of acting "normal" once the trigger (MC) is removed?

Lastly… those edgy ass bandages…

Also MC is so goddamn edgy for using bandages, like come on man, you can’t tell me that that’s more comfortable than just wearing gloves. But to cut them some slack, gloves are a bit impractical and not as easy to find, so who am I to judge. And as I said before, we don’t know the specific area our curse is activated on. Maybe normal gloves don’t cover ourselves enough. With bandages, you can kind of pick how much of your skin you want to cover. Of course long gloves exist, but I think they’re a bit harder to find than regular ones. So maybe the bandages aren’t actually such a bad idea.

I think there‘s a lot of potential and I‘m really looking forward to the release of the game to find out!

I can’t wait any longer guys I‘m going insane

Let me know what you think

Fall with me, Darling

(A Black Moray Eel and her Meteor)

obviously this smell is ais ("cloaked in the scent of smoke and blood") which many people have already noticed

but do you guys think. ais was there when mc was there. do you think ais already saw mc's hands. that's why he didn't actually care to see them later at the seaspring but brought them up anyway as a means to intimidate mc?? because he already knows??

First ape to go to the watering hole with a container and put some of the water in it so that they could drink more later without returning to the watering hole must have been lauded as a fucking genius.