Episode 4 Story Discussion

[blkbox11]

Opinion wise, I don't really enjoy being stuck with EP4 characters, but then again just playing it to see how exactly the end will be. To be perfectly honest, I like Xiao better than Xiera. I feel like almost all EP4 are obnoxious as hell.

EP4 tried to be dark with character deaths and backstabbing stuff but....tbh...that dark atmosphere they were trying just fell flat with all the vibrant colors and badly written story telling.

Yeah, I actually don't think it's fair that people who didn't like the concept since they found out about it (Earth, etc.) are stuck in it either. EP4 is definitely not for everyone, and I can see how it triggers the hell out of people.

In my case, since I didn't like EP 1~3 and most of its characters that much in the first place, I didn't have any expectations for EP 4 at all when it came out. That might be the reason why I found it better.

[loafhero]

It is a matter of opinion, regardless of how you try to slice it. And it looks like you didn't even consider that example properly, which was meant to demonstrate how bad 'Show, don't Tell' can really end up.

Its really not an opinion. "Show, Don't Tell" is the better story telling method over "Tell, Don't Show". Any decent writer will tell you the same thing. The examples you gave me only enforce that fact that "Tell, Don't Show" is a terrible story telling method. If you're happy with a game that sucks your dick from the start without anything done on your part to deserve it, then that's fine.

I didn't get the impression that Hitsugi was more dumb than any average shonen manga/anime protagonist, but as I mentioned before, her developments are very cliche.

You must not read that much manga, then.

Also, its not that Hitsugi's developments are cliche. Its just non-existent. You have her start off as a girl who wants to do what she wants without putting much thought into how and then after waking up from her coma she's.... still a girl who wants to do what she wants without putting much thought into how. Or how about how she starts off as someone who needs to be told all the time not to depend on herself all the time to.... someone who needs to be told all the time not to depend on herself all the time.

Sure, Echo had that problem too but she was never given the same amount of screen time as Hitsugi so we could actually take a break from her.

Those are definitely your opinions.

This is tiring. I could point out the most obvious facts and you'll just go "Ah, la, la, la, la, OPINIONS!" like an annoying tumblr user. EP4 is objectively worse than anything the old Episodes ever did. Why?

Spoiler!

• Bland characters that are so forgettable, that by the time this Story finally ends, I wouldn't be able to describe any of them by their personality traits (of which they have none). Instead, I'd be describing them as such; Hitsugi as the less hotter and boring version of Azanami, Kohri as the more annoying version of Katori you wished Lisa shot to death by "accident", Enga as a less likable Zeno, and whatever the hell Aru was supposed to be.
  
  
• "Plot twists" most of us saw coming from a mile away.
  
  
• Ineffectual villains who are so incompetent that they do more harm to themselves and their own home turf than any kind of harm to the good guys (of which there is none). Their only kill count so far have been their own group members!
  
  
• The lack of any actual stakes. No matter what happens on Earth, NONE of it bears any consequence on Oracle. The latest chapter even admits that the current problem occurring has NO relation to ARKS at all!
  
  
• Seemingly tension-worthy moments that gets badly underscored by either the characters moronic reactions (i.e. Hitsugi instantly assuming Enga died from Bethor's bombing without bothering to check for a body, or Aru and Hitsugi being WAY too calm and okay about Aru getting stabbed and absorbed) or treating dark scenes like it was a bad prank/joke (i.e. Hitsugi and Kohri shrugging off Kohri's evil phase like it was a funny moment).
  
  
• Ass pulls like Player's darker purifying powers conveniently allowing Hitsugi to cut through someone's Aether without harming them or how Kohri's turn to the good side was just like pressing the reset button on her character to make it seem like the entire evil Kohri phase never even happened (thus, Kohri never really undergoing any kind of meaningful character development)
  
  
• Stupid amount of awkward exposition dumping that don't flow into the main story in a significant way.
  
  
• Pointless perverted scenes.
  
  
• Kohri... just Kohri.
  

Oh, and don't bother replying to this part. I already know your answer's gonna be "That's your opinion". You've already shown yourself to be incapable of critical thought.

[Meteor Weapon]

As much as I agree with you how terrible EP4 is, let people who enjoy EP4 enjoy it. No need to repeatedly tell and shove it down to everyone's throat. I've already given up how EP4 can get better, it's broken beyond repair and there's nothing we can do about it. I'm just seeing it how all this will end, just as Aratron himself described.

[BlueCast Boy]

Ah i kinda like enga than zeno(enga is x10 more better than zeno but thats my opinion), i like the ep4 story especially when it got deeper but i just hate like how our main character is treated like we are "Ash" persona and being arks like...if only there was an alt story event that our char would be different char or being earthling arks...

[blkbox11]

Its really not an opinion. "Show, Don't Tell" is the better story telling method over "Tell, Don't Show". Any decent writer will tell you the same thing. The examples you gave me only enforce that fact that "Tell, Don't Show" is a terrible story telling method. If you're happy with a game that sucks your dick from the start without anything done on your part to deserve it, then that's fine.

It is. I wasn't saying anything about 'Tell, Don't Show' either. If you read my previous posts, I'm saying that going full 'Show, Don't Tell' is bad, and that 'Telling' is a powerful tool when used properly, which I believe EP4 has done.

Gameplay alone with little or no acknowledgement in-game is a terrible idea, unless the game has no story in the first place.

You must not read that much manga, then.

Also, its not that Hitsugi's developments are cliche. Its just non-existent. You have her start off as a girl who wants to do what she wants without putting much thought into how and then after waking up from her coma she's.... still a girl who wants to do what she wants without putting much thought into how. Or how about how she starts off as someone who needs to be told all the time not to depend on herself all the time to.... someone who needs to be told all the time not to depend on herself all the time.

Sure, Echo had that problem too but she was never given the same amount of screen time as Hitsugi so we could actually take a break from her.

I dunno, she seemed to think more after that coma. She was actually willing to do what was needed instead of being doubtful of whether she could cut down Kohri (and other enemies) or not. That sounds like average shonen protagonist development to me, and sounded like any other 'will to kill' growth.

Heck, she was even confident enough to console her older brother recently. I don't see the early Hitsugi as being able to do that.

This is tiring. I could point out the most obvious facts and you'll just go "Ah, la, la, la, la, OPINIONS!" like an annoying tumblr user. EP4 is objectively worse than anything the old Episodes ever did. Why?

Spoiler!

• Bland characters that are so forgettable, that by the time this Story finally ends, I wouldn't be able to describe any of them by their personality traits (of which they have none). Instead, I'd be describing them as such; Hitsugi as the less hotter and boring version of Azanami, Kohri as the more annoying version of Katori you wished Lisa shot to death by "accident", Enga as a less likable Zeno, and whatever the hell Aru was supposed to be.
  
  
• "Plot twists" most of us saw coming from a mile away.
  
  
• Ineffectual villains who are so incompetent that they do more harm to themselves and their own home turf than any kind of harm to the good guys (of which there is none). Their only kill count so far have been their own group members!
  
  
• The lack of any actual stakes. No matter what happens on Earth, NONE of it bears any consequence on Oracle. The latest chapter even admits that the current problem occurring has NO relation to ARKS at all!
  
  
• Seemingly tension-worthy moments that gets badly underscored by either the characters moronic reactions (i.e. Hitsugi instantly assuming Enga died from Bethor's bombing without bothering to check for a body, or Aru and Hitsugi being WAY too calm and okay about Aru getting stabbed and absorbed) or treating dark scenes like it was a bad prank/joke (i.e. Hitsugi and Kohri shrugging off Kohri's evil phase like it was a funny moment).
  
  
• Ass pulls like Player's darker purifying powers conveniently allowing Hitsugi to cut through someone's Aether without harming them or how Kohri's turn to the good side was just like pressing the reset button on her character to make it seem like the entire evil Kohri phase never even happened (thus, Kohri never really undergoing any kind of meaningful character development)
  
  
• Stupid amount of awkward exposition dumping that don't flow into the main story in a significant way.
  
  
• Pointless perverted scenes.
  
  
• Kohri... just Kohri.
  

Oh, and don't bother replying to this part. I already know your answer's gonna be "That's your opinion". You've already shown yourself to be incapable of critical thought.

Sorry, still gonna do it - those are literally your opinions (I mean, pointless perverted scenes NOT an opinion?). Except the plot twists thing: everyone saw that coming, and I could say the same thing for EP 1~3's developments. Nothing about the earlier Episodes was actually 'surprising' in any way. Ether and Photons are also mentioned to be similar many times throughout the story, so why would it be so hard to believe that the player's powers, when combined with Hitsugi's, would work?

What I'll admit is that I've been trying to see just how deep your hate goes, because you sure make a lot of noise about it here. When it gets to the point of trying to invalidate and shut down what others think, that's pretty bad.

[Zanverse]

Guys, it's not even that deep. As mentioned before, let others enjoy EP4, don't need to shove how bad the plot is down their throats.

[Altiea]

As much as I respect free speech, it's getting incredibly toxic in here.

[Zysets]

Oh, and don't bother replying to this part. I already know your answer's gonna be "That's your opinion". You've already shown yourself to be incapable of critical thought.

Reading the last few replies, let's end it here. There's nothing wrong with either of your opinions on Ep4, it's just a story in a game.

To go back to something less likely to be argued, I bought the PSO2 the Animation Character Song CD, it probably has no plot relevance, but I wonder if anyone has any of the translated Lyrics, my japanese isn't good enough to fully understand myself, and I feel like Aika's song in particular is at least character relevant.

[silo1991]

can we all agree that most of us just want ep 4 end already U_U

[Altiea]

Reading the last few replies, let's end it here. There's nothing wrong with either of your opinions on Ep4, it's just a story in a game.

To go back to something less likely to be argued, I bought the PSO2 the Animation Character Song CD, it probably has no plot relevance, but I wonder if anyone has any of the translated Lyrics, my japanese isn't good enough to fully understand myself, and I feel like Aika's song in particular is at least character relevant.

I don't think any of the character songs have ever been translated, except for Bullet Showtime. If there are translations, they're not on YouTube, that's for sure. If there are, send them to me.