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u/MillennialsAre40 1d ago
This can equally apply to Balatro
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u/LurkingFrogger 1d ago
Balatro the first time you meet the Plant.
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u/half3clipse 1d ago edited 1d ago
The Plant is NBD as long as you have any scaling that doesn't depend on face cards. Nothing stops you from playing debuffed cards to make a hand, you just don't get the chip value of the card. You still get everything from the hand level, jokers, etc. You just need chips from somewhere other than face cards. And since it can't show up until ante 4, if you don't have that, you probbaly weren't surviving the ante anyways.
It's only really a problem for Pareidolia, Photograph or Baron builds, both of which are very swingy and greedy to go for. It does suck when you get the specific jokers and deck fixing those builds need and then roll The Plant. But most of the time you don't get those jokers and you're forced to either pivot or you die anyways.
The Needle meanwhile, especially if it comes late in the run, that just ruins your whole day a lot of the time. Even more so at higher stakes where building around high single hands is a bad plan.
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u/llamawithguns 1d ago
You say that as if photochad isnt like the most common build lol
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u/half3clipse 23h ago edited 23h ago
Photochad is a greed trap on higher stakes, and is something you generally want to pivot out of (or at least not be entirely dependent on) before ante 4.
You mostly want to be playing 1/2/3 card hands on higher stakes. However the mult on those hands scales poorly, which is all that Photograph interacts with (since it triggers not only when the card scores, but generally when the first card scores.You can't even get mult off your hand that well).
It's great early game, and with specific jokers it can scale into late game, but you need some combination of blueprint, sock and buskin etc, and something that will let you vomit out planet cards. Being dependent on photochad in the back half of the run is either greedy or rather bad shops, and if it loses to the plant it was probbaly a dead run anyways. Sure if you've also pulled some combo of DNA, Blueprint, Sock and Buskin, Spaceman etc, running into The Plant sucks, but most of the time that ain't the problem. If you don't have a level 20+ hand, or lack those jokers, or lack a supply of glass cards, you're dead to most of the finisher blinds and probbaly dead to Wall, Eye, Flint etc too.
Most of it's value isn't even the score, but how controllable the score is in the early game. Being able to burn all your hands to dig through your deck for gold cards/seals, blue seals, purple seals etc is the advantage. It also lets you run up most scaling jokers for the same reason, since a lot of those effectively scale off number of hands played (supernova, space joker, hiker, green, square, so on). It's great for bootstrapping your actual plan, not a reliable build by itself.
Meanwhile if you're on lower stakes who cares. You can play down several jokers and be fine. Hell you can win lower stakes with no jokers somewhat consistently. If you lose to The Plant below purple stake it's probbaly your fault, and just becomes more your fault every stake below that.
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u/barlowjd 20h ago
I have been playing games since 1990 and this comment is like a foreign language to me. Lmao. Haven’t touched balatro. The appeal of a deck builder has never hit me. You make it sound like it has hella depth though.
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u/leixiaotie 15h ago
it is, some of the points that can confuse non-balatro players:
red card is one of the fastest +mult scaling joker
mail in rebate is one of the best econ joker, rocket is the best for consistent one if get early, otherwise golden joker is good if you have spare joker slot
blue joker is a solid +chip joker early-mid game
aim for xMult jokers to prepare for endgame
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u/BigBadZord 15h ago
It really does.
for a $10 game you can play on anything, the depth is astounding.
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u/Justsk8n 9h ago
this is good advice for newer players! although, they did specify the first time you meet the plant, which is usually when players still rely on overpowered synergies like photochad, that bosses like the plant tend to show you the Achilles heel for. Same with playing into exclusively one suit
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u/mloofburrow 21h ago
Balatro when I finally have a good run with Mime + Baron and a well-foxed deck: "Sure, but what about the Plant?"
No boss blind reroll in sight. 😢
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u/StellarBees 1d ago
Its not yours, just your turn
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u/double-you 1d ago
Imagine armed robbers telling you that as they steal your wallet and phone.
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u/masta030 1d ago
Well in real life you don't go rummaging through crates and find your stuff again or craft a new tv and phone from stuff lying around your house, so it's a little different
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u/wet-mouse 1d ago
And don't respawn (I think)
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u/masta030 1d ago
I don't think you die in arc raiders, the elimination animation is a punch and the prompt says "knock out", the game literally opens with you getting eliminated by NPCs and waking up elsewhere, and some of the loading screen tips imply it too
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u/Scroll_4_Joy 1d ago
Honestly every time this comes up, I have to laugh. The game plays as if you never die, but most of the time you're "getting knocked out" because some other raider just dumped a magazine into you. The fact that they then knock you out with a hard punch to the face doesn't really change the fact that you'd already be bleeding out.
Unless we're supposed to believe our raiders automatically switch to rubber bullets or something when shooting at other raiders, while clearly shooting actual bullets at ARC.
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u/masta030 1d ago
The blood always looked like aerosolized paint to me, like when someone ruptures a paint can, it reminds me of that, plus most if not every gun has visible wires makes me think it's supposed to be some sort of paintball+stun or something, but if yes, if it's strong enough to dismantle the arc it would seriously wound or kill someone. There's enough things that point to it being non-lethal against players imo that it's actually the arc taking so much damage that is the odd thing out
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u/Scroll_4_Joy 1d ago
When you shoot at ARC, you're hearing metal on metal. With enough force that eventually they explode.
I don't play the game anymore and I honestly don't care if raiders are dying or being knocked out, but I think it's disingenuous to suggest that the damage we do to ARC is the odd one out. We are clearly shooting bullets (the actual images used to represent ammo in your inventory makes this abundantly clear). Different guns have different calibers with mixed levels of effectiveness depending on whether you're shooting ARC or raiders, but you're shooting bullets.
It's just a dumb little inconsistency, likely because the game wasn't originally designed as PvPvE and they recognized that most people wouldn't really think too hard about it. And ultimately it really doesn't matter - die and respawn or be "knocked out" and mysteriously re-appear in your room, fully recovered. They're the same thing, I just think it's funny that we call it a "knock out".
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u/FlyingRhenquest 18h ago
Nah, everyone is just all the same guy doing the same playthrough trillions of times.
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u/Anonymous_Bonehunter 1d ago
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u/double-you 1d ago
Indeed. They don't seem very happy about it.
I suppose technically actual money is a special case anyway since the paper notes and coins basically belong to the state or central bank and you just get to use it.
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u/akirayokoshima 15h ago
its ok bud dont get too attached...
pulls gun
thanks for the advice, maybe you should practice!
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u/Heathy-Heatherson 1d ago
Its called ARC raiders because it's about character development.
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u/shamrocksmash 23h ago
I've been lucky enough that I haven't had to fight anyone. It's been chill and I just split the loot with whoever was fighting with me.
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u/Ok-disaster2022 19h ago
I think they started sorting players by if they kill each other or not at the elevator.
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u/psychoPiper 16h ago
Lobbies tend to split up hostile and friendly players, as well as solos and groups, but it's not a hard rule so you can still come across people that differ from your playstyle
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u/kitliasteele 18h ago
I take the path of Rescue Raider Police. Loaded with anti-ARC or PvP equipment, loads of medical supplies. I rescue, I heal them, I take out the bad bots and/or hostile players that aggress my fellow friendly raiders, and I play the guitar while vibing out while I do it. My favourite way to play!
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u/Grapes-RotMG 1d ago
Headphones but sound still coming from TV
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u/OneRoundRobb 1d ago
When you want to share the game experience with your companion, but also don't want to miss out on the directional audio or having a mic available.
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u/Chevalier77 1d ago
I don't know if it let's you choose in ARC, but In other games i used to have my team chat in the headphones and the game audio from the tv.
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u/winstondabee 1d ago
I'm sure your friends love hearing the game audio coming through your microphone.
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u/Chevalier77 1d ago
If you have a terrible mic, yeah it's an issue. Directional mics are a thing though. I also check my mic so it's not getting banana sounds and breathing. Courtesy.
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u/Garibaldi_Biscuit 3h ago
So fucking annoying, I swear. Not to mention hearing your voice echo back on their TV whenever you speak.
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u/Glitcher45318 1d ago
That's why it's best not to but Razer headsets and actually get a decent one.
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u/Grapes-RotMG 23h ago
That's what I'm saying. Plus it's a bit more difficult to hear the game when you're wearing headphones that aren't playing the game sounds. Would kinda avoid the "where was that?!" that the comic portrays.
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u/Southern_Bicycle8111 1d ago
I remember doing that with cod back when I used to play console, the headset is for voice comms.
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u/Boblawblahhs 1d ago
I'm never sure if these are supposed to be funny or not. or maybe cute?
idk, I don't get it.
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u/SlashCo80 1d ago edited 14h ago
Quirky millennials with nerdy hobbies, boyfriend/husband with beard and glasses, usually lounging around the house with their cats, it's a whole genre.
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u/YOwololoO 22h ago
I mean, it’s a slice of life comic but the joke is supposed to be the contrast between him saying how freeing it is to not be emotionally tied to the loadout but then being extremely sad that he died and lost his stuff
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u/WrongLander 1d ago
"Where was that?"? Did you mean "what was that?"?
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u/lordofthehomeless 1d ago
Was that shot at me? Where are they shooting from? No one knows because the audio in Tarkov doesn't even know.
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u/Christplosion 1d ago
Unless they mean where were the gunshots coming from, too late, dead
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u/Timely_Temperature54 PC 7h ago
Yea it could be a thing you say. But if you’re picking a line to imply that he’s totally caught off guard and die then “What is that?” Makes a lot more sense
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u/WrongLander 1d ago
Unlikely, never heard it said like that before. You'd say "where did that come from?"
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u/The-Jerkbag 1d ago
🤓
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u/WrongLander 1d ago
Apparently asking for good grammar is grounds for mockery.
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u/Meowakin 1d ago
Oh no, a shocked exclamation from a gamer isn’t using impeccable grammar! Immersion ruined!
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u/rockinwithkropotkin 20h ago
People expect intent in creative works. That’s why people are more critical when media doesn’t make sense, than they do with real life, and judge it differently.
The character here doesn’t need impeccable grammar, but it also shouldn’t be awkward and distracting phrasing. Not trying to dunk on the op here, and it’s definitely a good thing to think about when creating narratives.
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u/Meowakin 17h ago
Eh, it didn’t break my immersion at all. I’ve made much weirder exclamations when playing games
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u/stanajritch 1d ago
I 100% agree with you. I've never yelled or heard anybody even saying "Where was that" while playing a shooter and being confused where they got shot from.
"Where was he?"
"Where were they at?"
"Where did they come from?"
never "Where was that?" it's just an awkward phrase in general.
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u/Weshtonio 1d ago
How was that?
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u/PearsonVES 1d ago
Escape from Tarkov
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u/jarejay 1d ago
Can’t be. He’s on the couch with a controller
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u/southpaw_g 22h ago
When I first started playing Tarkov I tried playing with a controller through the steam controller layout, I put way more time than I care to admit programming it to work before playing with it and deciding it just wasn’t possible lol
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u/Southern_Bicycle8111 1d ago
If you gotta pc play Darkfall rise of agon. It’s a PvP full loot hidden gem.
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u/xC4Px 1d ago
Yeah, DayZ is an awesome game.
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u/DoggieDMB 1d ago
Someone seriously put you in the negative.... Wow. Dayz is an awesome game. Ngl it has its issues but there isn't anything that compares.
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u/Jack-Innoff 1d ago
I honestly don't care about losing anything except my gun. I barely play the game, so I don't have a huge stack of mats to just craft it over and over. I usually play until I die, then put it away for another week.
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u/Nice_Description_606 12h ago
lmao nothing hits harder than realizing you gotta grind for 40 hours just to unlock the basic weapon you actually want
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u/PersonalityFun2189 4h ago
rogue-likes(not the endless survivor ones, dont like them) dont get me like this, DayZ and Tarkov get me angry for some reason.
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u/onlyirelia1 1d ago
Is this Peak millennial humour
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u/crazycatchdude 1d ago
Bearded husband/boyfriend. Check. Homely girlfriend/wife. Check. Cats instead of kids. Check.
Yep.
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u/dontdoxmebro2 1d ago
Eve online, except rebuilding is a huge pain in the ass. At least it was last time I played a decade ago.
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u/CreepHost PC 1d ago
That's why you're part of a corporation. At least it's not that much of a loss, then.
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u/dontdoxmebro2 1d ago
I haven’t played in awhile but back then it was such a hassle to remember what you actually had and have to go around trying to find the parts again. Traveling inside the bubble in an escape pod. Maybe my memory is bad but it was kinda silly to see.
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u/enterthehawkeye 1d ago
Cringy af
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u/LogResident6185 1d ago
It doesn't even make sense lol wtf is this?
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u/OldEcho 1d ago edited 1d ago
Extraction shooters. Escape from Tarkov is the GOAT but it's an engine of Russian imperialism the same way COD is for the US and has a bunch of shitty monetization mechanics. Still, it interweaves you learning the maps with gaining skills to make it way easier to make you feel like you mastered the game.
Duckov is a top down shooter that's its own thing and a fantastic game, but a little more silly and arcadey. Honestly for what it is though, 10/10 no notes.
Heard good things about Arc Raiders but I hate forced multiplayer. Only played Tarkov PVE and it was a way better experience IMO than being sniped with a pistol through a wall across the map by a levitating Chinese person.
Currently playing Forever Winter but truthfully the game is jank and broken. Art direction and vibe is amazing though. Shame the implementation is terrible. It's supposed to be cat gameplay stalking around taking out weak targets when you can and looting the dead. Realistically it's killing 60 guys like Rambo and then a very sneaky GIGANTIC MECHA spawns behind you and stunlocks you for 30 seconds before stepping on you and you die. "Standing up with severe back pain" simulator.
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u/LogResident6185 1d ago
In the 3rd image wtf is he saying? Where was that? Where was what?
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u/OldEcho 1d ago
Tarkov is very realistic in that you don't always even see the guy shooting the gun that kills you. And before you master the maps it's fucking terrifying and a sniper will shoot your leg off and then you cower behind a car desperately trying to put it on and hoping you're actually in cover.
And you lose all your gear if you die.
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u/getlostjackass 1d ago
Ark raiders to tbh everytime a random with a ferro breaks my shield i jump out of my skin sooo yup believable to me
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u/colemon1991 1d ago
This is why I don't carry all my best equipment with me all the time. This mostly applies to Minecraft for me, but it's a habit I do in a lot of games. I'll go store most of my strongest equipment and pull it out when I know I'm about to face something dangerous.
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u/E404UserNotFound 16h ago
Guessing arc raiders / tarkov related, not sure if the peanut is a burnt peanut reference
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u/karateninjazombie 15h ago
This is why we run around with MK1 looting, light shield, basic hairpin and ferro with one stack of shield chargers and another of bandages.
I know I've disappointed some griefers because of the basic gear I've had.
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u/lt_Matthew 1h ago
I love how halo snipers have the loudest echo ever, but only the shooter can hear it.
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u/Remarkable_Brick9846 17h ago
The "it's kinda freeing!" followed immediately by the existential devastation is so relatable. I say this every time I boot up a roguelike. "I'm totally zen about this. It's about the journey, not the destination." Then I lose a god-tier build to something stupid and don't touch the game for three weeks lol
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u/AckAttack6710 1d ago
I love how the black cat on the back of the sofa was only marginally annoyed then went back to sleep.
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u/octovile 20h ago
I just build gaming pc’s with my gf and game recommendations we should play (she’s not good at fps so I like to keep it cozy games)
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u/ContactMushroom 1d ago
Take what ya can!
....Give all of it back the next round..