Death Stranding

[James]

Are you saying that the Death Stranding Artbook is proving to be a problematic delivery?
Huh.

[James]

Sincerely though, I've had similar happen with guide and art books and it's always frustrating.

[Electric Crocosaurus]

For many reasons I find his output absolutely fascinating.

That’s just it; for all of the absolute nonsense I wouldn’t really have it any other way, because big budget weirdness in any media industry is so rare. And it is great; I’ve put around 40 hours in now and finding its flow of delivery, expansion and improved transport hypnotic.

Someone mentioned morality plays, and I get the link but it’s not really what Kojima is doing here (hold tight while I cast my mind back to my English undergrad 12 years ago ). Morality plays were just that, plays with allegorical characters named after human characteristics as a way of encouraging virtuous behaviour. Die-Hardmann is just a way for Kojima to tip his hat to a film he likes and name a character who is literally hard to kill; there’s no subtext. It doesn’t de-rail the game for me, and it’s always fun to debate these things, but it does come across as very, very silly to me in a game where complete irony-free seriousness rubs up against otter hats and underwear deliveries.

[Flabyo]

I think that’s a little bit of what gets to me with his games. He wants to tell these serious stories with what he believes are important things to say, and then he undercuts the verisimilitude with the weird names, fourth wall breaks and sometimes outright misplaced misogyny.

He wants to have his cake and make us all eat it too.

I mean, I still play them. I just don’t buy them at launch any more.

[DomsBeard]

Are you saying that the Death Stranding Artbook is proving to be a problematic delivery?
Huh.

Someone must've restored the Chiral Network as it's now showing in stock and arrives tonight

[DomsBeard]

https://twitter.com/HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN/sta ... 40480?s=19

Kojima with a tribute to the 1917 film. Spoilers if you've not reached Chapter 4.

Art book is good with some stunning pictures in it, however little input from the artists and Kojima on them

[JaySevenZero]

This releases for PC on June 2nd and comes with a photo mode if this means it's gonna get added as a feature to the PS4 version around this time I'm gonna be a very happy bunny indeed.

[Alex79]

I'm about 4 hours in to this and enjoying it. I have a question though. Postboxes.... How do they work? I keep seeing dropped items in the world that need delivering. I pick them up, and the first couple I ran back to Capital Knot City with and got the 'full' amount of likes for.

But, if I deliver them to a postbox (any postbox?) am I not actually delivering them, but leaving them in the postbox for someone else to deliver for me (and you get a fraction of the likes than you'd get if you actually took them to their intended destination)? If so, does that mean I can go to postboxes and there will be stuff other players have left there that I can deliver for them?

Finally, are 'likes' basically just like XP?

Thanks!

[Simonsloth]

I'm about 4 hours in to this and enjoying it. I have a question though. Postboxes.... How do they work? I keep seeing dropped items in the world that need delivering. I pick them up, and the first couple I ran back to Capital Knot City with and got the 'full' amount of likes for.

But, if I deliver them to a postbox (any postbox?) am I not actually delivering them, but leaving them in the postbox for someone else to deliver for me (and you get a fraction of the likes than you'd get if you actually took them to their intended destination)? If so, does that mean I can go to postboxes and there will be stuff other players have left there that I can deliver for them?

Finally, are 'likes' basically just like XP?

Thanks!

Re:postboxes you are right. It’s important to try and deliver items yourself particularly because you get rewarded based on speed and for taking the shortest route but it doesn’t hurt to dump some low value items for others to deliver. Eventually you will start storing them for later and picking up a large amount to deliver all at once to the same place.

Likes are sort of XP in that the more likes you get from a particular delivery destination the more likely you are to get more stars. Stars given you more bandwidth in an area to build more things. Also you might be able to get a nice bonus item and other help from them if they like you more.

To be honest I spent a lot of time initially doing low value deliveries when you aren’t really able to carry much. It was pretty laborious so I would plough on with the story and main deliveries until you are able to carry more or get around a bit easier.

[Alex79]

Cool, thanks for the tips

I have to say, it's genuinely horrible when the BTs turn up. I find myself holding my breath IRL, it's like Alien Isolation a bit in that regard.

[Simonsloth]

Cool, thanks for the tips

I have to say, it's genuinely horrible when the BTs turn up. I find myself holding my breath IRL, it's like Alien Isolation a bit in that regard.

Absolutely is horrible! Especially when you’ve lugged something on your back for miles only for them to catch you and destroy it. Losing cargo is worse than losing your life in this game!

[Simonsloth]

Keep the posts coming. I was especially fond of the game and (I think) was pretty thorough. I’m pretty sure most of the places I ended up with the maximum bond/stars so might be able to lend a hand:)

We are friends on PSN so would be interested to see if you find any of my structures later on!

[Alex79]

We are friends on PSN so would be interested to see if you find any of my structures later on!

I'll keep an eye out!

Man, I'm absolutely loving this game. The story is pure Kojima nonsense (which I always enjoy), but the real star of the show is the moment to moment gameplay. Packing up carefully and heading out, slightly overloaded, taking care and picking my route through the rocks, hammering a climbing anchor in for a quick descent down a rock face, steady as we go... It appeals to me on so many levels. It's so mundane, and so enjoyable. Sorry I don't remember who and am too lazy to search, but I remember someone describing it as 'Spintines on foot' or similar, and that's spot on.

I had an incident last night delivering something to a wind farm, deep in the heart of a BT zone. I couldn't avoid them all and ended up getting dragged in to some sort of quicksand tar-pit. It was horrific. I only just managed to escape, grabbed my dropped stuff and pegged it to the wind farm. Awful stuff.

Before that I successfully snuck in to a mule camp to steal back a printer part. It was the most MGS the game has been so far, and highly enjoyable, if not particularly tense.

All in all, I'm currently sat counting down the hours till tonight when I can play it again!

[Simonsloth]

Absolutely how I felt. Imagine trying to describe the game to someone else and making it sound appealing?!! It is almost impossible.

I suspect that’s why all the trailers were deliberately vague because until you’ve given it a proper go it’s difficult to appreciate its appeal. Without Kojima’s name on the box I doubt any of us would have given it a second look. I’m glad I did!

All the talk is making me want to play it again!

[Alex79]

I fell foul of the MULE tracking system last night. I was aware they have a circled area, within which they will scan you for cargo, so I parked my bike which was loaded up with all my delivery cargo outside their orange zone, and proceeded by foot to sneak in to their camp. I was only carrying a ladder, some grenades and a climbing anchor, but when they scanned me it set the sensors off and three of them came charging towards me. Fortunately they were fairly easy to fight off, but I must have misunderstood their scanning system. I thought it was only delivery cargo they were interested in, but is it literally anything you're carrying then? Unless they also happened to pick up my bike parked just outside their zone..?

[Simonsloth]

I fell foul of the MULE tracking system last night. I was aware they have a circled area, within which they will scan you for cargo, so I parked my bike which was loaded up with all my delivery cargo outside their orange zone, and proceeded by foot to sneak in to their camp. I was only carrying a ladder, some grenades and a climbing anchor, but when they scanned me it set the sensors off and three of them came charging towards me. Fortunately they were fairly easy to fight off, but I must have misunderstood their scanning system. I thought it was only delivery cargo they were interested in, but is it literally anything you're carrying then? Unless they also happened to pick up my bike parked just outside their zone..?

I think they probably picked up on the grenades unless you had a stray piece of cargo hanging from your arm and not on your back.

You can get most of (if not all) of the items they stole from you back. It’s also quite satisfying rescuing someone else’s cargo stealthily from them then getting their likes. Feels almost charitable.

[Alex79]

Reached chapter 5 last night. Oh boy, chapter 4 really reaches for that batshit Kojima madness, doesn't it?

[Simonsloth]

Absolutely. I’ve missed your updates Alex!

I did the same as you by focusing on small deliveries without progressing the story so got a bit of fatigue. The late game story beats come thick and fast and I think I appreciated them more because of my hard work. So I think that’s the way to do it!

[Alex79]

I've spent quite a while building a robust road network. Got loads of highways in my world now, and although I don't use them to travel to new places, they make doing quick menial deliveries so easy, and a fast way to earn a few likes. I'm often tottering down the road with my backpack piled up to the sky, whizzing between the engineer and the craftsman and the distro depots.

[DomsBeard]

Reached chapter 5 last night. Oh boy, chapter 4 really reaches for that batshit Kojima madness, doesn't it?

Glad to hear you're still plodding away Alex yeah Chapter 4 was the point I was fully in.