Hot takes

[Jeanfranc]

Its only in the last 10ish years where the complete abandonment of CRTs has become an issue and its only for a mostly-dwindling set of hobbyists who both vastly prefer and want to seek out those types of monitors.

I disagree, in the past few years display technology has greatly improved so these days the best lcds are really close to CRTs in terms colors and latency, and that's without even mentioning oled o qled displays.
I have a high refresh monitor with vrr next to a sony pvm and if I compare both running Retroarch with optimal settings, I'm basically getting the same amount of latency on both displays.
I'm happy that that lcd finally caught up in terms of technology, and I say this as the biggest CRT apologist on this site.

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

I think showering blows.

This doesn’t mean I’m a filthy pig of course lol, I always shower. I just hate the feeling of having to stand there all vulnerable and awkward like while getting soaked. It’s not a relaxing experience at all to me!

Remember that bath-tubs used to be a privilege for the more wealthy.


I still think that the many are consuming a lot of water for many things, perhaps too much.

I disagree, in the past few years display technology has greatly improved so these days the best lcds are really close to CRTs in terms colors and latency, and that's without even mentioning oled o qled displays.
I have a high refresh monitor with vrr next to a sony pvm and if I compare both running Retroarch with optimal settings, I'm basically getting the same amount of latency on both displays.
I'm happy that that lcd finally caught up in terms of technology, and I say this as the biggest CRT apologist on this site.

I still think that no modern display could replicate the intent of the creator.

 

[Lena CE]

I disagree, in the past few years display technology has greatly improved so these days the best lcds are really close to CRTs in terms colors and latency, and that's without even mentioning oled o qled displays.
I have a high refresh monitor with vrr next to a sony pvm and if I compare both running Retroarch with optimal settings, I'm basically getting the same amount of latency on both displays.
I'm happy that that lcd finally caught up in terms of technology, and I say this as the biggest CRT apologist on this site.

This is true, but but only for people using emulation. For people who want the best experience on original hardware, your only option is an ever-dwindling supply of CRTs. While I don't mind how certain retro systems look on my modern 1080p/1440p monitors, imo it doesn't beat how they look on a CRT unless I'm using emulation with - as you said - optimal settings.

Latency on modern types of displays has been comparable for quite some time, you just had to pay more to match what even standard CRTs can do. I def agree that I'm glad even average panels are fantastic these days.

 

[Sackboy]

not a hot take just something we all know im the best looking most well spoken person on this website

 

[MasterEn]

i know that this doesn't relate much to non-gaming hot takes, but after chatting with Lee Kanker about steven universe, i made a bit of fan art of two characters that i like: lapis and peridot.

Spoiler: Wholesome BFF Pic (nsfw)

Wholesome BFF Pic

www.newgrounds.com

 

[Sackboy]

deftones so ass. if they had a good lead singer, they'd be great, but the guy literally drowns out the music thats how bad his voice is.

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

i know that this doesn't relate much to non-gaming hot takes, but after chatting with Lee Kanker about steven universe, i made a bit of fan art of two characters that i like: lapis and peridot.

Spoiler: Wholesome BFF Pic (nsfw)

Wholesome BFF Pic

www.newgrounds.com

I wish some series could bring back mustache twirling villains instead of always saying "they had a rough childhood" or "they were the real victim all along".


And I'll add that (especially in the zombie genre)

 

[Tonberry]

I wish some series could bring back mustache twirling villains instead of always saying "they had a rough childhood" or "they were the real victim all along".


And I'll add that (especially in the zombie genre)
View attachment 19318

I'd argue to an extent that this has been the case for the zombie subgenre for almost as long as it's been around in film/TV. It just depends on how hard you lean in to it. Lots of film monsters are celebrated by being interpreted in different ways, so I don't see why zombies can't be either.
They're my favorite film monster by a million miles wide margin though, so I'm biased.

But that's the good part about interepreting media, it can be one way for some and totally different for others. I think they're more than just a cool monster even in things like Resident Evil, but they also work perfectly as simple monsters, so both are fine.

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

I'd argue to an extent that this has been the case for the zombie subgenre for almost as long as it's been around in film/TV. It just depends on how hard you lean in to it. Lots of film monsters are celebrated by being interpreted in different ways, so I don't see why zombies can't be either.
They're my favorite film monster by a million miles wide margin though, so I'm biased.

But that's the good part about interepreting media, it can be one way for some and totally different for others. I think they're more than just a cool monster even in things like Resident Evil, but they also work perfectly as simple monsters, so both are fine.

Of course Romero's Dawn of the Dead could be a social commentary and sadly in any apocalypse some people would feel like they can do illegal things without worrying (which is inherent to humans in any crisis) but I hate that pseudo-moralising message from the authors telling how the audience should be ashamed to be (when these authors are having a good life).

An accusatory message will never go as well as an actually well written sub-text which is why some ecological fables are better than other.

 

[Lee__Kanker]

I wish some series could bring back mustache twirling villains instead of always saying "they had a rough childhood" or "they were the real victim all along".


And I'll add that (especially in the zombie genre)
View attachment 19318

Maybe now that the american animation industry in cali is collapsing, and more people are realizing indipendent is the future, there will be more variety in villains
Bro I'm sick of twist villains and SuBvERsiVe villains, these writers dont even like having demons cause they dont like the concept of an evil race, it's so asinine
Give me a good ol villain song

To the owl house's credit it Did have an actual evil villain, amphibia kinda had one, so there's that. Maybe cause they were copying shonen and they tend to have bad guys


As for apocalyptic stories, I'll make an exception for Crossed! It's an old comic sure but it's still going so it counts; all the stories often have humans that end up being super effed up, but the crossed themselves are pure evil so I never feel like they play second fiddle to the arc's antagonist. And the series is never lacking in grotesque 2 page illustrations of the inflexted's depraved acts

i know that this doesn't relate much to non-gaming hot takes, but after chatting with Lee Kanker about steven universe, i made a bit of fan art of two characters that i like: lapis and peridot.

Spoiler: Wholesome BFF Pic (nsfw)

Wholesome BFF Pic

www.newgrounds.com

Oh you..
Dang lapis can like bounce around on those

Post automatically merged: Jan 30, 2025

I'd argue to an extent that this has been the case for the zombie subgenre for almost as long as it's been around in film/TV. It just depends on how hard you lean in to it. Lots of film monsters are celebrated by being interpreted in different ways, so I don't see why zombies can't be either.
They're my favorite film monster by a million miles wide margin though, so I'm biased.

But that's the good part about interepreting media, it can be one way for some and totally different for others. I think they're more than just a cool monster even in things like Resident Evil, but they also work perfectly as simple monsters, so both are fine.

Yeah it's inherent to zombie stories, but I think what Ikagura was trying to say is that modern zombie stories just do the same thing over and over, after a while if you're gonna just do a worst version of the romero movies why not just rewatch those?

A movie that did social commentary well without feeling samey imo is shaun of the dead

 

[Tonberry]

Yeah it's inherent to zombie stories, but I think what Ikagura was trying to say is that modern zombie stories just do the same thing over and over, after a while if you're gonna just do a worst version of the romero movies why not just rewatch those?

A movie that did social commentary well without feeling samey imo is shaun of the dead

Yeah, that's fair, I suppose. I guess I got caught up in what zombies can represent more than the stories themselves in my explanation.

 

[MasterEn]

I wish some series could bring back mustache twirling villains instead of always saying "they had a rough childhood" or "they were the real victim all along".


And I'll add that (especially in the zombie genre)
View attachment 19318

don't worry. i'm slowly working on some stories that have characters that do shit because they want to, no tragic backstory, no "for the greater good" shit. just, "i can, i want to, and what the fuck are you going to do about?"
you don't have to make a character sympathetic to like them, you need to understand why they do things. being an asshole is a perfectly acceptable reason to do evil stuff.
and i hate the "human are the real monsters" shit. i just think of that bit from egoraptor's sequelitis video of mega man. "THEY'RE FALLING! THEY ARE FUCKING FALLING!! I CAN SEE THAT!! I'M GOING CRAZY HERE!!"

 

[miguk miguk]

I wish some series could bring back mustache twirling villains instead of always saying "they had a rough childhood" or "they were the real victim all along".

I'm fine with this so long as they actually develop the character realistically. People like that exist, but they get them wrong so often. They often fail to properly show what Cluster B disorders look like, or what an ideologue actually thinks, or how opportunists "justify" their behavior. Instead, they're a cackling cartoon who just doesn't sell that there's something off about them.

On that note, I think they need to retire the "genius psychopath." Look, I like Joker❉ stories as much as the next DC Comics fan, and Anthony Hopkins has great acting skills, but 99% of all stories that try to hype up psychopaths as brainlords ignore the fact that near 0% of them IRL are even average. These writers are using half-understood myths about Zodiac, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Ted Bundy (all bumbling idiots who had advantages not related to intelligence if you've read up on them in depth) as reference for characters that are 100 times smarter than anyone who behaves like them ever could be. In reality, Cluster B PDs correlate with low intelligence. You have to be pretty dumb to not only think random killings is a great hobby for a smart person, but also that you can get away with random killings again and again even after the police are after you.

❉ Note: I think Joker stories that try to explain his mind as a massively messed up metahuman power do better than the ones that try to argue he has a real mental problem. He's already canonically metahuman in the comics (immune to all chemicals), anyways.

 

[MasterEn]

Oh you..
Dang lapis can like bounce around on those
View attachment 19324

thanks. that's usually how i draw my female characters, extra thicc. i have a follow up pic for this one, but i still need to sketch it out first.

 

[Tonberry]

I'm fine with this so long as they actually develop the character realistically.

Yeah I agree. The important part is to build a well-made character. Hell, even Sauron has clear reasons for how he does stuff, and he's always paraded as the posterchild for "absolute evil villain".

Edit: Changed the quote to clearly show what part I replied to.

Post automatically merged: Jan 30, 2025

Zodiac, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Ted Bundy (all bumbling idiots who had advantages not related to intelligence if you've read up on them in depth)

I was gonna post this several days ago but chickened out, but since you brought them up I might as well.

I think the mythologization of serial killers in all these elaborately made drama-documentaries and whatnot is a pretty weird/creepy thing to do.
I get that people are curious about them, but I don't think those sort of documentaries work well, because they almost always end up romanticizing the killers in some way, even if it's not on purpose. "He was such a misunderstood intellectual!" etc

 

[Lee__Kanker]

I'm fine with this so long as they actually develop the character realistically. People like that exist, but they get them wrong so often. They often fail to properly show what Cluster B disorders look like, or what an ideologue actually thinks, or how opportunists "justify" their behavior. Instead, they're a cackling cartoon who just doesn't sell that there's something off about them.

On that note, I think they need to retire the "genius psychopath." Look, I like Joker❉ stories as much as the next DC Comics fan, and Anthony Hopkins has great acting skills, but 99% of all stories that try to hype up psychopaths are brainlords ignore the fact that near 0% of them IRL are even average. These writers are using half-understood myths about Zodiac, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Ted Bundy (all bumbling idiots who had advantages not related to intelligence if you've read up on them in depth) as reference for characters that are 100 times smarter than anyone who behaves like them ever could be. In reality, Cluster B PDs correlate with low intelligence. You have to be pretty dumb to not only think random killings is a great hobby for a smart person, but also that you can get away with random killings again and again even after the police are after you.

❉ Note: I think Joker stories that try to explain his mind as a massively messed up metahuman power do better than the ones that try to argue he has a real mental problem. He's already canonically metahuman in the comics (immune to all chemicals), anyways.

Yeah it's fantasy, the joker wouldnt exist in realt life

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

don't worry. i'm slowly working on some stories that have characters that do shit because they want to, no tragic backstory, no "for the greater good" shit. just, "i can, i want to, and what the fuck are you going to do about?"
you don't have to make a character sympathetic to like them, you need to understand why they do things. being an asshole is a perfectly acceptable reason to do evil stuff.
and i hate the "human are the real monsters" shit. i just think of that bit from egoraptor's sequelitis video of mega man. "THEY'RE FALLING! THEY ARE FUCKING FALLING!! I CAN SEE THAT!! I'M GOING CRAZY HERE!!"

I feel that the "for the greater good" were at least one villain archetype that would be somewhat realistic in a non "black and white morality" franchise but sadly got misused.

But I dislike the whole "hard childhood" because it implies that kids having abusive parents will end up being abuser themselves systematically (and making jokes about the "quiet kid").

Also people should stop feeling bad for liking a villain. On the net it's easy to say "if your favourite character is the Joker then it's a red flag about you" when we are smart enough to know that liking isn't condoning.


Edit: Also I find it weird how they also correlate evil with geniuses. Like the most cliche villain name is "Doctor something" while good doctors are mostly for medicine (or they're being called Professor).

Yeah it's fantasy, the joker wouldn't exist in real life.

After reading The Killing Joke again, while I think The Joker does not need a backstory to exist, I can tell that even before he turned into what he is there was something uncanny about that person (as if he always had that madness going around before the incident finally unleashed it).

 

[Deleted member 7989]

I feel that the "for the greater good" were at least one villain archetype that would be somewhat realistic in a non "black and white morality" franchise but sadly got misused.

But I dislike the whole "hard childhood" because it implies that kids having abusive parents will end up being abuser themselves systematically (and making jokes about the "quiet kid").

Also people should stop feeling bad for liking a villain. On the net it's easy to say "if your favourite character is the Joker then it's a red flag about you" when we are smart enough to know that liking isn't condoning.

I understand what you mean on the Abuse Trope. I went through a lot of childhood abuse. And I know what it feels like to in your mind know that help won't come. Obviously I lucked out and I was rescued by my grandparents. But I do think it's irritating when some of these shows and such try to make it out as if everyone who goes through that will be shitty eventually. Not trying to get all depressive and such but it's for me a complex I developed where I'm a bit afraid to have children because I don't want them to grow up the way I did. For me it's a scary thing from my past that I never want to unleash on someone myself. I know there are some who never let go and let it control them but for most I feel it isn't like that and a lot of the abuse survivors I've personally talked to are all pretty nice people.

 

[Tonberry]

liking a villain

I've been staring at this and wracking my brain trying to think what kind of villain I prefer.
I think my favorites are "villains of conviction" if that term makes sense, the ones that are so ride-or-die to their cause that they simply have to be stopped.
Such an unoriginal answer but I think Sephiroth might be my favorite villain. I can't even put my finger on why, but I like his entire arc, and he's cool and scary as hell.

My hot take is that I've always preferred heroes over villains

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

I understand what you mean on the Abuse Trope. I went through a lot of childhood abuse. And I know what it feels like to in your mind know that help won't come. Obviously I lucked out and I was rescued by my grandparents. But I do think it's irritating when some of these shows and such try to make it out as if everyone who goes through that will be shitty eventually. Not trying to get all depressive and such but it's for me a complex I developed where I'm a bit afraid to have children because I don't want them to grow up the way I did. For me it's a scary thing from my past that I never want to unleash on someone myself. I know there are some who never let go and let it control them but for most I feel it isn't like that and a lot of the abuse survivors I've personally talked to are all pretty nice people.

I heard someone telling how the Halloween remake completely missed the point by making the antagonist a kid from a poor family with a toxic environment when the original was actually a kid from a wealthy one which makes that even scarier.

Sometimes I think that media should stop telling that if someone is from a poor environment they could never evolve out of it which goes against the very idea of freedom in a way.

This reminds me of that poster from BioShock Infinite

I've been staring at this and wracking my brain trying to think what kind of villain I prefer.
I think my favorites are "villains of conviction" if that term makes sense, the ones that are so ride-or-die to their cause that they simply have to be stopped.
Such an unoriginal answer but I think Sephiroth might be my favorite villain. I can't even put my finger on why, but I like his entire arc, and he's cool and scary as hell.

Sephiroth is a special case because he's the result of Shinra's unethical experiments. I firmly believe that, ultimately, Shinra is the overarching antagonist of FFVII as a whole.

But personally I'm a more classic guy and Exdeath is my fav FF antagonist.

My hot take is that I've always preferred heroes over villains

I kinda like antiheroes (when they're done good enough).

 

[Tonberry]

Shinra is the overarching antagonist of FFVII as a whole

Oh, absolutely. Hojo could very well be pegged as the mastermind antagonist, but Sephiroth is the biggest threat, so we fight him last.

Exdeath is godtier. "MWUHUHUH" as he said.

I kinda like antiheroes (when they're done good enough).

Yeah they're fine too. Ultimately, all protagonists and antagonists are good if they carry their weight in a story and are engaging. I played Persona 3 last year and that game was a roller coaster of dogshit villains (aside from one in particular but I don't wanna spoil for anyone), but the heroes were all so engaging that it made up for it.
I'm a sucker for boyscout heroes like Superman though. I just think it's comfy :)

 

[MasterEn]

I feel that the "for the greater good" were at least one villain archetype that would be somewhat realistic in a non "black and white morality" franchise but sadly got misused.

But I dislike the whole "hard childhood" because it implies that kids having abusive parents will end up being abuser themselves systematically (and making jokes about the "quiet kid").

Also people should stop feeling bad for liking a villain. On the net it's easy to say "if your favourite character is the Joker then it's a red flag about you" when we are smart enough to know that liking isn't condoning.


Edit: Also I find it weird how they also correlate evil with geniuses. Like the most cliche villain name is "Doctor something" while good doctors are mostly for medicine (or they're being called Professor).


After reading The Killing Joke again, while I think The Joker does not need a backstory to exist, I can tell that even before he turned into what he is there was something uncanny about that person (as if he always had that madness going around before the incident finally unleashed it).

it is. real life isn't clear cut and stories don't have to be either. most stories start off black ad white and blend the two as the story goes on and finds its footing.
some kids do end up mimicking the bad behaviors that their parents show off. usually hero-type characters can ignore that and remain good people. some people and characters crack under the pressure if exposed to it for too long.
a good villain is one that ends up being liked by most fans of a series. kefka, sephiroth and kuja from the final fantasy series are liked by fans, and they are all assholes who either ruin a planet, killed the flower princess or straight up blew a planet up. lots of people like the joker because of his no shits given personality and charisma. and he is pretty stylish to boot.
there are strange things in this world. if i remember correctly, the smartest man on the planet lives in complete isolation in the middle of the woods in the middle of the US. he could solve several major crises but he doesn't. he was asked once why he didn't. he does not like humanity. he will not help at all.
the professor and doctor thing might be related to dr. Frankenstein, since he was considered to be a "mad scientist". professors are usually seen as providers of knowledge and well respected by most people. doctors also have a reputation of basically be snake oil salesman throughout most of human history, so there's that as well.
the joker seems more like he slowly absorbs things he hears from other people and cobbled all of that together to come up with what is thought to be his backstory. if i remember correctly, he himself doesn't know or remember his life before he became the clown prince of crime.

 

[Deleted member 7989]

I heard someone telling how the Halloween remake completely missed the point by making the antagonist a kid from a poor family with a toxic environment when the original was actually a kid from a wealthy one which makes that even scarier.

Sometimes I think that media should stop telling that if someone is from a poor environment they could never evolve out of it which goes against the very idea of freedom in a way.

This reminds me of that poster from BioShock InfiniteView attachment 19342


Sephiroth is a special case because he's the result of Shinra's unethical experiments. I firmly believe that, ultimately, Shinra is the overarching antagonist of FFVII as a whole.

But personally I'm a more classic guy and Exdeath is my fav FF antagonist.


I kinda like antiheroes (when they're done good enough).

Oh man, Rob Zombie Halloween. I hate those movies, it's brutal in the way of just doing it to be edgy more so than trying to say something. Which would be fine, if half of the things that happen in the movie were handled with more etiquette. And anyone who watched it can tell exactly the thing I'm talking about here. I do agree with the idea that Michael's adult actor was a really good fit though, man is built.
Also the tragedy of Bioshock Infinite is still felt to this day. I loved the Civil War story that was happening and I wish it would've came out the way it was originally intended to instead of that part taking a backseat to time travel.

 

[Deleted member 7989]

it is. real life isn't clear cut and stories don't have to be either. most stories start off black ad white and blend the two as the story goes on and finds its footing.
some kids do end up mimicking the bad behaviors that their parents show off. usually hero-type characters can ignore that and remain good people. some people and characters crack under the pressure if exposed to it for too long.
a good villain is one that ends up being liked by most fans of a series. kefka, sephiroth and kuja from the final fantasy series are liked by fans, and they are all assholes who either ruin a planet, killed the flower princess or straight up blew a planet up. lots of people like the joker because of his no shits given personality and charisma. and he is pretty stylish to boot.
there are strange things in this world. if i remember correctly, the smartest man on the planet lives in complete isolation in the middle of the woods in the middle of the US. he could solve several major crises but he doesn't. he was asked once why he didn't. he does not like humanity. he will not help at all.
the professor and doctor thing might be related to dr. Frankenstein, since he was considered to be a "mad scientist". professors are usually seen as providers of knowledge and well respected by most people. doctors also have a reputation of basically be snake oil salesman throughout most of human history, so there's that as well.
the joker seems more like he slowly absorbs things he hears from other people and cobbled all of that together to come up with what is thought to be his backstory. if i remember correctly, he himself doesn't know or remember his life before he became the clown prince of crime.

I don't fully remember the context but that scene from Batman TAS I think it was where Harley is in denial about her true status with Joker and Batman hits her with "What story did he tell you this time" is peak Joker writing. The Joaquin Phoenix Joker really hit us with an era that doesn't really understand the character even though the Joker in that film is a copycat.

 

[MasterEn]

Oh, absolutely. Hojo could very well be pegged as the mastermind antagonist, but Sephiroth is the biggest threat, so we fight him last.

i never beat 7, but i did defeat dr. hojo; so as far as i am concerned, he is the final boss and the rest of the game is the epilogue, like in ffx; you beat braska's final aeon, and then the rest is the ending of the story.