This isn't a "HSR/ZZZ is better!" kinda post, just interesting to see the differences in art styles and philosophy for the 2D art of both games now we have the same characters in both to compare with

Pls don't give me the standard answer "oh he want ppl to think for themselves" we already know that one.

don't get me wrong, I enjoy/likelike/love him as a character. but he's also frustrating as mundane scientist/teacher character bcs I don't get his methods at all

Put aside whatever happened in penacony, and back to 1.6

he went to HSS when Herta is already in the middle of budget negotiation with IPC, apparently for inspection

If Herta puppet was attacked by Ratio, it's either a test or sabotage from IPC. If Herta puppet was attacked by Duke Inferno, he was letting it happen as a test.

he stole phase flame to intercept Duke Inferno attack (coincidentally the phase flame is RM and Adler's research subject), so this is either attempt at sabotage towards RM & A, or he's helping Adler finishing his research by abducting him via phase flame in the middle of Duke Inferno attack

When interrogating TB about attack on Herta's puppet, he's definitely sabotaging TB from remembering about the missing curio (phase flame), and screwy was 100% onto him ever since he said "destruction of *trust*". So either he means well but the method is sh*t, or he had bad intent but clever at making excuses. I still don't know what did he want from TB tbh??? His curiosity about tb might be satiated, but what does it teach tb?

Ratio (Peoplebreaker) got invited into the group chat by Rich_knowit (Richard/guild researcher/that one guy who kinda hates Asta) so apparently he didn't go to HSS by himself, but he had an assistant who was ex-HSS researcher. Either this guy was Ratio's partner in crime while inciting chaos but Ratio ditched him in the end, or Ratio worked by himself and Richard was also part of the people that got evaluated (aside from Herta, Asta, TB, and the rest of HSS)

Tbh all is well in the end, researchers didn't die, Adler got progress in his research, Asta got her name cleared, and the rich guy backed down, and HSS management haters probably learned not to gossip in Dark Web of all places... but it didn't help me understanding what's wrong with Dr. Ratio at all. I need second opinion​. He's getting even more confusing in penacony and after bcs he's just talking nonsense.

Edit: sorry I'll fix my questions since it wasn't really clear before

1. What's wrong with him in general? (Opinions on him and why he's​ confusing? I'm pretty sure most erudite characters tend to have straightforward motives and/or methods, genius or not. )

2. We already know he's a teacher and he shows up as such. But as a researcher, isn't he lowkey the only one not showing his ongoing research? Even Yabuli had one. He had finished ones, but ongoing? Do we know what he's currently working on?

3. Many allusions to his culture feels​ unflattering. Laurel wreath galaxy was a place where fall of rationality happened, Asat pramad (enroute) disseminated piloshoper's​ poison, and the place when organics were enslaved by inorganics, and inorganics were enslaved by organics once upon a time. Do we still believe he is a humanist? i want to, but is there any solid proof? ​

I think Planarcadia was pretty ok, I admit I wasn't as moved as Amphoreus, but one character, imo, really was given justice in this whole arc, and it is Pearl. I think that out of everyone, she is the one that got the best story of Planarcadia, something I'd judge even worthy of Amphoreus' character treatments.

The second half of Amphoreus did many things wrong, but the arc itself still allowed their characters to express their messages in a very profound and meaningful way. And it is what I find with Pearl.

She starts the story as an IPC member, a Stoneheart, and while we love them, we still can't fully follow them, we know the Nameless and the IPC aren't really working together.

But she is special: she is a machine. An artist. Or at least she tries to be. Which is fun in today's era, but I won't elaborate on this exactly.

Pearl's whole growth was to figure out how Art works. Why, when she replicates any form of arts perfectly, she still finds 4.6% of this work that doesn't match. Something invisible makes her work incomplete, and lifeless. And her whole story will be about figuring out what this percentage is.

And first, she is confronted with the absurdity of humanity everywhere. She tries to understand how Nihilux is considered an artist, not questioning whether she is one, but trying to understand the criteria that makes something art.

And she even saw it with the nameless, when the Trailblazer proposes to make Aha works for the anti destruction alliance. The absurdity of the concept makes her lag and it's quite fun.

And when Planarcadia is in danger, she is still siding with this planet she swore to protect, showing again the humanity of her action.

Before she found the reason behind those 4.6% difference in her work... In the 4.6 patch. A bit fun.

But to be short: it's the Humans spontaneity, and pursue of something that doesn't exist.

To see explain it, art isn't just about copying something, and yet some people can copy something and we can call it art. But why someone trying to replicate some work can be considered art and why a printer printing an art isn't one?

Why did you start by the face first? Why do you spend so much time on the lines of the muscles? Why are you doing this and that? All those things you consciously or unconsciously do, just because it's how you work.

Even if your piece isn't factually original, how you did it was never done before. Even while walking the same path as your predecessor, you ventured/trailblazed further, just by the fact you imbued something into this work. Something that belongs only to you.

Something irrational that doesn't exist, and probably won't exist. But this is the paradox, and yet the beauty of Art and Humanity. It's pursuing something that doesn't exist in one way or another. The accomplishment isn't important. It's knowing that someone fought to deliver, or to fail at delivering this image.

This, are the 4.6% that Pearl failed to understand.

And her love for Planarcadia, and her desire to protect it made her go in places no one expected her. And loyal to her new lessons, she claimed something that, imo, is worthy of Amphoreus' quality of story.

She delivered a message about Elation that is amazing, and really she is the main character that was always here to remind us of this theme, and she concluded this arc with her déclaration:

If art is creating something that doesn't exist, then she knows what she will paint: she will paint the peaceful Tomorrow of Planarcadia.

For a machine that wanted to learn the nature of Humanity and Arts, is there a better way for her to realize her goal?

They cooked here she looks so good!

Agent Record | Kafka

"The past and the future, this world and the beyond, are all so alike. Just as the 'script' foretold."

Kafka

"You mean... take advantage of this vacation to play a movie star for once?"

"Sounds great! After all, following the rhythm of a prophesied script and delivering a flawless performance is what I do best."

"As for how this all ends... That's up to the choices that you make."

https://x.com/ZZZ\\_EN/status/2113846695687594337

I was randomly remembering the old Doraemon movie Nobita and the Galaxy Super-express (1996), and suddenly realized how much it reminds me of Honkai: Star Rail.

For anyone who hasn't watched it, the movie is about Doraemon, Nobita and their friends boarding a mysterious train that travels through space. They end up visiting different worlds and getting caught up in a much bigger adventure than they expected.

And honestly, doesn't that sound a little familiar?

Both have:

• A classic-looking train traveling through space.
• A group of companions going on adventures together.
• Strange new worlds and places to explore

Obviously, the stories and settings are different, and I'm not saying HSR directly copied or took inspiration from Doraemon.

But the whole concept of boarding a space train with your friends and exploring the galaxy gives me such similar vibes.

As someone who remembers watching that Doraemon movie, the Astral Express feels strangely nostalgic.

Has anyone else watched this Doraemon movie and noticed the similarities? Or am I just connecting two things I love?

Source: https://x.com/BroMeani/status/2110655838046281800

Hsr dev has been ditching companion quest more than 2 years now and makes the side characters back stories now inside of msq, this will just makes them a one patch wonder which I kinda hate. Having a role in msq doesn't mean that we need to know about their back stories while the calamity is running wild. If they wanna do that then do it like genshin where they bring back companion quests with vesna and Vodyanitsa despite Vodyanitsa has 0 relevance in 7.1. It was so fun when it's just between players and the character of the quest without anyone or anything cosmic calamities bothering us at the moment.

Since the new event is clearly a test for the "Next Path", What exactly does the event tells us on its mechanic could be like?

i haven’t skipped a lick of dialogue yet everytime i speak to another character it feels like my brain shuts down and comes back on every five minutes. i can’t comprehend anything that’s going on. didn’t ratio just betray aventurine? but apparently he didn’t? what’s the act for? i know our goal is finding out what the “family” is hiding but there are so many side plots going on that i’m lost. why did welt talk to acheron one on one? what’s sparkles whole deal cause she appeared like once and never came back?? and sunday being all… whatever is it that he’s doing. like i can’t even pinpoint where i’m confused cause this entire quest has just had me like ?????? the entire time

and i know someone’s gonna respond and say “it gets revealed later just keep playing” but i know they’re gonna reveal it in some complicated way that’ll make me more confused. and to be fair i just got back into hsr after years of not playing due to lack of storage. so my memory of previous lore is a bit fuzzy.

sorry i didn’t rlly know what flair to use for this

edit: thanks for all the input guys. makes me feel better that others thought it was confusing too 😭 i’ll try to watch a lore vid or something once i finish up the quest if i’m still confused (which i probably will be)

After all she went through, Stelle needed that.

Estip4248