SmoothOperator

Thanks, Smokey!

You are free to have AC as well, if you think that's a sensible solution. No need to be a billionaire.

I wonder why they have those rigid "sails", do they function like regular sails?

Honestly just pile up containers in a cave and store the waste there. It's highly unlikely you'll run out of storage before winning the game.

Sure, it's just important to recognize when abuse happens in the absence of law, and when abuse is law, as it would be for a law targeting Democrats and unmarried explicitly.

While I'm very against the executive order they describe, the headline is misleading:

Language requiring healthcare professionals to care for veterans regardless of their politics and marital status has been explicitly eliminated.

So they can also refuse to treat e.g. republicans and married veterans.

Is RNG always bullshit?

Do you feel like that's the case in Blue Prince?

To me, the RNG feels fundamental to the puzzling in Blue Prince, not something that could be removed to make a better game. And Blue Prince is undeniably an interesting game.

No, that sounds like a terrible game. How exactly is this relevant?

Well... A puzzle is a challenge. In Blue Prince, part of the challenge is that you need to engage with the clues you have available, not necessarily the clues you hoped for. Removing that challenge is to remove part of the puzzle.

You're fully within your right to say that's not your cup of tea, but I think it does contribute something meaningful to the puzzling.

While there is one main goal in front of you, all the shit they pile in front of you is more mystery, the solution of which will carry you closer to your goal.

It's more like if Obra Dinn randomly had you play an Outer Wilds loop or Chants of Sennaar segment, with all the mysteries tying together.

Thanks for the long reply! To me, there is another element that RNG can add: the challenge of adapting. Think of x-com: you're immediately told the odds that a shot will succeed, and have to decide whether to take that shot based on that chance and the consequences of it failing.

You know that on average things will work out fairly, but you have to be ready to push the successes without letting failure trip you up.

During most of the game, Blue Prince poses many different puzzles and riddles to you in parallel. If you focus on one thing you've had a eureka moment about, you'll be frustrated with the lack of control, but if you approach the situation holistically, and pursue all puzzles at the same time based on what is available, it's a very different experience. Your thought processes and realizations are shaped by the randomness of the day.

Furthermore there's always an interesting strategy element of mitigating the chance by ensuring lots of redraws in different ways, upgrading rooms to serve several purposes, piling up resources between runs etc.

I do think it's novel and interesting, though not necessarily the best idea in the world. To properly do the holistic approach I mention you need a massive infrastructure of photos and notes to keep track of all the clues you're pursuing. I wish it had some kind of overview of found documents and clues, though I can see how that's not so simple to implement for this game in particular.

Do you feel the same about other games that involve random chance, such as roguelikes and RPGs?