leshy my BELOVED (spoilers)

[bitterbuffy]

oh my god i adore him. the story of this game is so good!! at the end when you play one last round against him, and he just!! he's so friendly with the player man, when you realize he always knew he was in a game and he just wanted to keep you entertained so you'd keep playing with him!! grandpa forest hobo just wanted to play cards man i love him
it's kind of ironic in a way that people prefer the first act (his idealized version of the game) compared to the rest? like it was the best act no question (i did love the full game tho) but like. the other scrybes wanted their ideal version of the game and fought against leshy when he took over, but. leshy's version was by far the most popular fsjksdhsdk
i really love this game and i do think the advertising is a bit off with how it only focuses on act 1, but when every part of the game comes together it's so lovely and i will cry rn

[zepphy]

I saw someone mention another important detail about Leshy is the fact that Leshy never tricked Luke. All of the scyrbes know they are in a game, so even though Leshy have us pull a teeth and stab an eye, Leshy knows for sure that the actual person behind the screen is fine. Unlike P03 where he trick Luke to gain access to his harddrive, internet access, and make screenshots. In fact thinking back to act 1, I don't think Leshy really had a plan, man just wants to play cards with us.

[Voroff]

Oprindeligt skrevet af zepphy:

In fact thinking back to act 1, I don't think Leshy really had a plan, man just wants to play cards with us.

The game starts at act 2. Why ? Because act 1 is the world where Leshy wins at Act 2. You defeat him, everything goes back to the "normal game state".

Leshy-sama has already ruthlessly stomped on the others scyyyybes *-*
Like, the after-stabbing-yourself-repeteadly eye is Magnificu's eye, as his gooed student tells us.




... so, no need to have a plan when you have a deck and eternity to play it. It's a real Chad.

[RequiemsRose]

Part of me questions if Leshy's game in act 1 is meant to protect the player, while enjoying his beloved card game. Magnificus (as the stunted wolf) mentions he has a plan to reset "again" meaning this likely isn't the first time something like act 1 or act 3 has happened. Grimora mentions forgetting things during the flash both as herself in act 2 and as stink bug in act 1 and Magnificus mentions that his eye, not himself, recalls being plucked out by Leshy. So maybe they are aware of their game, but can't recall all the specifics of the various cycles it has gone through. None of them trust PO3 though, so I'm also wondering if it isn't the first time he tried and even succeeded to an extent, but a bit like the player who fails to get the film roll, he can't progress without a few missing pieces...pieces he tricks the player into providing now that he is aware of that brick wall to his progress.

Then again all this theory might just me being hopeful we could get DLC's that let us fight Grimora and/or Magnificus in thier personal styles in a way that fits the story, by simply taking a peek at past cycles where they won instead before a different reset.

[Voroff]

No, he is absolutely NOT protecting the player. He considers every of our incarnations as a separate corpse to handle in the backroom. For the third "existence" he still tries to explain rules, but soon gives up and worry only about the game.
He sacrifices us, then replaces us. But our conscience stays. And the bodycount raises, in the back of the shed.

The nature is wilderness, that doesn't "care" about you. So is he.

[RequiemsRose]

Oprindeligt skrevet af Voroff:

No, he is absolutely NOT protecting the player. He considers every of our incarnations as a separate corpse to handle in the backroom. For the third "existence" he still tries to explain rules, but soon gives up and worry only about the game.
He sacrifices us, then replaces us. But our conscience stays. And the bodycount raises, in the back of the shed.

The nature is wilderness, that doesn't "care" about you. So is he.

He's also aware he's in a game, so these player deaths aren't actual deaths. He doesn't need to keep explaining the rules to a different face if it has the same mind and knowledge behind it. If you continue replaying him he'll even get to a point where he says very little to the player at all other than setting the scene for your travels. He'll even react disappointed after a while when you only get one of his boons instead of both for the final match, where at first he acts surprised you got any boon at all and a bit thrilled if you got both. He does explain his more "survival of the fittest" mindset a bit sure, and in many ways he reacts rather animalistic or instinctually, but he's still clever.

His game doesn't actually kill anyone, even if he says the suffering of the creatures is real, nothing stays dead. Even when sacrificed to the bone lord, that card is only gone for that play through (I have given him the stoat out of spite, and the stunted wolf to stop being annoyed about the film roll, they are always back the next game). The same applies to the player, even if they fail that run, they don't truly die, but he loves the struggle. So what is a better way to prevent a far worse fate than an endless struggle between him and an opponent that constantly improves because they never truly die? The main issue I note is that he seems to want to be beaten. He actively gives you a ton of ways to break the game, and the only time he ever really complains about it is when you unlock the third candle or pull a cheap trick on the moon like stinky or venom. Otherwise he might even commend certain tactics that are totally broken or shady (he does enjoy his overkill), and he's constantly disappointed if you lose, especially if you lose to an easier fight.

To me it seems like he's acting as a guardian while serving his own needs. He does want you to succeed, but he wants you to earn it, and to prove you can succeed even when things are stacked against you unfairly. As if he knows what is to come in some way, and is trying to prepare you for it. If he is animalistic, it makes sense. Many predator species wound prey and release their offspring on it to teach them how to hunt properly. That may be exactly what he's doing with you, but in his own way.

[Lil brekky]

Yep, Leshy absolutely wants you to win, while hamming up the anatagonism, making him basically the best DM ever. All the "broken" strategies and mechanics are widely offered for the exact purpose of giving the win to the player, but intentionally and subtly obscured. Why would he let you get up and walk around at all if you didn't want you tinkering with the odds? He hid the stuff because he wants to give the player the satisfaction of "finding it themselves" - this is the illusion of achievement that every good game provides. All the mechanics and convolutions are there to *convince* the player of a well-earned victory, whether or not that's necessarily true.

Leshy only gets mad when you steal the film, ending the fun.

My question is - what the hell is the meat prize? Where did it come from? What would happen if the player ate it? What is the significance of the player getting recycled when they reject the meat?

[Diablery]

leshy is not only a great dm but he just wants to have fun bro
i really just want an extended version of act 1 where we dont listen to the cards and just keep playing

[Hello Toonie]

Leshy calls you an 'ingrate' when you betray him, right? Which implies that he thinks he's been good to you.

[Voroff]

Oprindeligt skrevet af RequiemsRose:

No, he is absolutely NOT protecting the player.>>> He doesn't need to keep explaining the rules to a different face if it has the same mind and knowledge behind it.

No, just no, replay the beginning 'till death 3 and tell me. For reminder, it's something like "learn or die". He does not care, and that's the beauty of it.

In the very end we have shared some memories and lots of games, so the last salute is earned and worth it. But to get to that ... that's what the whople game is about !


What is with that "haaaaaaw it's not a vilain, hes misanderstood ..." in the last years. Not with my Leshy xD You just don't frolic around in the snow with hungry forest spirits in slavic lands, you are dinner for the hungry forest spirit.

It will not play fair either, you learn and pick his tricks on the way, but how did he get to the "act 1 state", against all other 3 scrybes, AND for how many cycles ? Nope, he just care about a good game, meaning a good Antagonist, what we are. But he cheat, ho he cheats ! :D so sorry for him that the moon is soo weak. But ho does he cheat a lot that boy! :D So he cheated the others scrybes with his camera, and he cheated on cards too. But the game was fun ;)

Oprindeligt skrevet af RequiemsRose:

1) His game doesn't actually kill anyone, ... nothing stays dead. ...
2) . He actively gives you a ton of ways to break the game, ...
3) To me it seems like he's acting as a guardian while serving his own needs. He does want you to succeed, but he wants you to earn it, and to prove you can succeed even when things are stacked against you unfairly.

1) .... what ... HOW can you be so blind ? There is a STACK OF CORPSES AT THE BACK OF THE SHED ... ffs. ... maybe you didn't see, but when you pick up the "new game cvard", there is a pile of "evidence". Or you can blindly love the ogre, i'm not you and you do you :p
2) Nope, not actively AT ALL, did we play the same game ? You mean the cabinet, that are locked ? Or the sacrifical altars, which are PART OF THE GAME ? So, nope, YOU break the game, and he is not happy, boy he is not happy to end up like a card or lose, when a act-cycle ends. You can't "break" something that is meant to be broken (altars), but with external thingys (cabinet).
3) Yes, just yes.

Oprindeligt skrevet af Lil brekky:

My question is - what the hell is the meat prize? Where did it come from? What would happen if the player ate it? What is the significance of the player getting recycled when they reject the meat?

If the very first time you are able to stand, you open the safe (273), there will be the meat. As in Act2, same safe same meat.
The meat could be from past explorers piled back, but the character hints more to hunting.
The signification ? Just a big big feast of entrails for wolves. Just not for players. Not enought animal instinct to savour it, you see.
'T'was the player's last mealbefore being axed, if the player don't feel like dipping into it, don't worry, Leshy will gobble it. Or his peons, the fish-man looks like the sort to enjoy a pile of intestines.

[RequiemsRose]

Oprindeligt skrevet af Voroff:

Oprindeligt skrevet af RequiemsRose:

No, he is absolutely NOT protecting the player.>>> He's also aware he's in a game, so these player deaths aren't actual deaths. He doesn't need to keep explaining the rules to a different face if it has the same mind and knowledge behind it.

No, just no, replay the beginning 'till death 3 and tell me. For reminder, it's something like "learn or die". He does not care, and that's the beauty of it.

In the very end we have shared some memories and lots of games, so the last salute is earned and worth it. But to get to that ... that's what the whople game is about !


What is with that "haaaaaaw it's not a vilain, hes misanderstood ..." in the last years. Not with my Leshy xD You just don't frolic around in the snow with hungry forest spirits in slavic lands, you are dinner for the hungry forest spirit.

(the quote setup is a little off)
As for replaying it, that's the main thing I have been doing since I beat the game. It's part of why I see him in a different light now. The first time I played I thought he was just cruel and selfish and I wasn't a big fan of him.It was after I got through the whole story that i actually had some understanding and respect for him. I think I'm on like my 30th run of act 1 at this point (trying to figure out what happens when you run out of room on the victory door at this point).

[dusty]

man im sad there was no part for Magnificus. the duel disk and the 3d enemies fighting was super cool.

the game is amazing overall and im gonna aim to get all achievements

[Lumen Cervos]

Oprindeligt skrevet af Lil brekky:

Yep, Leshy absolutely wants you to win, while hamming up the anatagonism, making him basically the best DM ever. All the "broken" strategies and mechanics are widely offered for the exact purpose of giving the win to the player, but intentionally and subtly obscured. Why would he let you get up and walk around at all if you didn't want you tinkering with the odds? He hid the stuff because he wants to give the player the satisfaction of "finding it themselves" - this is the illusion of achievement that every good game provides. All the mechanics and convolutions are there to *convince* the player of a well-earned victory, whether or not that's necessarily true.

Leshy only gets mad when you steal the film, ending the fun.

My question is - what the hell is the meat prize? Where did it come from? What would happen if the player ate it? What is the significance of the player getting recycled when they reject the meat?

The meat prize is The Prospector's hound's meal. In Act 2, you can see the safe code once again written on the ground near the hound's food bowl. Funnily enough if you crack the safe open BEFORE you die for the first time in Act 1, you can even see the meat in the safe instead of the Stinkbug and wardrobe key.
Best guess is Leshy wanted to give you a prize for winning, but quite literally had very little to give, except for the meat.
He likely also knows the player character isn't able to eat the meat, but wanted to give you something nontheless before restarting the card game by turning your current character(what he even refers to as Challengers) into a victory card to immortalize your victory. The whole rejecting the reward bit is probably just Leshy adding in his usual menacing flavor that he does throughout the entire act.

[zepphy]

Oprindeligt skrevet af Voroff:

Leshy-sama has already ruthlessly stomped on the others scyyyybes *-*

hmm that's probably why the game starts with 'continue' when you first open it. A lot already happened before the game starts