Ember Bite Aegle
@emberaegle.bsky.social
18+🔞. Brony fanfic author and dangerous left-wing radical. Mental health and repressed longings. She/her, trans, fuck your constraints.
No, none of your favorite games would be worse if they were more accessible to more people. If you can't stomach that then you need healthier hobbies. Grow up.
Okay I think that's it.
Okay I think that's it.
December 2, 2025 at 7:22 AM
No, none of your favorite games would be worse if they were more accessible to more people. If you can't stomach that then you need healthier hobbies. Grow up.
Okay I think that's it.
Okay I think that's it.
So yeah, the difficulty setting discourse that exploded onto the scene with Dark Souls and remains ever since... baffles me. And it's hard not to see it as just purely toxic gatekeeping because none of the actual arguments make a lick of sense to me.
December 2, 2025 at 7:22 AM
So yeah, the difficulty setting discourse that exploded onto the scene with Dark Souls and remains ever since... baffles me. And it's hard not to see it as just purely toxic gatekeeping because none of the actual arguments make a lick of sense to me.
The first time I played Celeste I had infinite dash on.
Then later I went back and climbed the mountain normally.
Then I did the B-sides.
Then I did the C-sides.
It's one of my all time favorite games. It wouldn't have happened if I'd bounced off the Celestial Resort and quit. So thanks, Maddy.
Then later I went back and climbed the mountain normally.
Then I did the B-sides.
Then I did the C-sides.
It's one of my all time favorite games. It wouldn't have happened if I'd bounced off the Celestial Resort and quit. So thanks, Maddy.
December 2, 2025 at 7:22 AM
The first time I played Celeste I had infinite dash on.
Then later I went back and climbed the mountain normally.
Then I did the B-sides.
Then I did the C-sides.
It's one of my all time favorite games. It wouldn't have happened if I'd bounced off the Celestial Resort and quit. So thanks, Maddy.
Then later I went back and climbed the mountain normally.
Then I did the B-sides.
Then I did the C-sides.
It's one of my all time favorite games. It wouldn't have happened if I'd bounced off the Celestial Resort and quit. So thanks, Maddy.
What actually happens in games that are hard for artistic reasons AND have difficulty settings is that the easy mode helps players experience the game and fall in love with it.
THEN they learn to play it the hard way.
THEN they learn to play it the hard way.
December 2, 2025 at 7:22 AM
What actually happens in games that are hard for artistic reasons AND have difficulty settings is that the easy mode helps players experience the game and fall in love with it.
THEN they learn to play it the hard way.
THEN they learn to play it the hard way.
But yeah. Many of the most beloved series in gaming history are either just pretty easy to start with, or had a wide range of difficulty settings.
Nobody ever said MGS sucked because you could play it on easy mode. And how's that for artistic fucking vision in gaming.
Nobody ever said MGS sucked because you could play it on easy mode. And how's that for artistic fucking vision in gaming.
December 2, 2025 at 7:22 AM
But yeah. Many of the most beloved series in gaming history are either just pretty easy to start with, or had a wide range of difficulty settings.
Nobody ever said MGS sucked because you could play it on easy mode. And how's that for artistic fucking vision in gaming.
Nobody ever said MGS sucked because you could play it on easy mode. And how's that for artistic fucking vision in gaming.
(Note that I'm talking about single-player games here, difficulty in e.g. WoW is a wholly different beast I don't want to touch)
December 2, 2025 at 7:22 AM
(Note that I'm talking about single-player games here, difficulty in e.g. WoW is a wholly different beast I don't want to touch)
If a game is good but too easy then players will fix that with mods and self-imposed challenges.
If a game is good but too hard you get toxic gatekeeping.
If a game is good but too hard you get toxic gatekeeping.
December 2, 2025 at 7:22 AM
If a game is good but too easy then players will fix that with mods and self-imposed challenges.
If a game is good but too hard you get toxic gatekeeping.
If a game is good but too hard you get toxic gatekeeping.
Find me a single game anywhere in gaming history where people said "this would have been a great game were it not for the fact that it has an easy difficulty setting."
I don't believe that's ever happened once, but I would be fascinated to be shown otherwise.
I don't believe that's ever happened once, but I would be fascinated to be shown otherwise.
December 2, 2025 at 7:22 AM
Find me a single game anywhere in gaming history where people said "this would have been a great game were it not for the fact that it has an easy difficulty setting."
I don't believe that's ever happened once, but I would be fascinated to be shown otherwise.
I don't believe that's ever happened once, but I would be fascinated to be shown otherwise.
That is just not a thing. It never happened. And yet The Discourse works from an unshakable belief that this is a huge factor.
It's completely divorced from reality. And it's hard to have a conversation with people who are completely divorced from reality.
It's completely divorced from reality. And it's hard to have a conversation with people who are completely divorced from reality.
December 2, 2025 at 7:22 AM
That is just not a thing. It never happened. And yet The Discourse works from an unshakable belief that this is a huge factor.
It's completely divorced from reality. And it's hard to have a conversation with people who are completely divorced from reality.
It's completely divorced from reality. And it's hard to have a conversation with people who are completely divorced from reality.
Reposted by Ember Bite Aegle
it's unbelievable how consistent the gap in awareness is
a lot of people debating the merits of that dogshit essay meanwhile the girl’s mom is retweeting demands to ban all trans people from teaching at any level. it’s forest for the trees shit
December 1, 2025 at 5:05 AM
it's unbelievable how consistent the gap in awareness is