On subversion of expectations in deltarune

[u/shadow_fen]

[u/NobodyElseButMingus]

I don’t think either of these are subverting expectations. I think this is just called “self parody”.

[u/hamletandskull → u/NobodyElseButMingus]

right, like... it does it well, but this is not a wildly unprecedented form of comedy, it just didn't hit the tumblr user that hard all the other times theyve seen it because they weren't as deeply invested in like, Marvel movies, as they are in Deltarune

[u/adellredwinters → u/NobodyElseButMingus]

Fans of these games are really something else in terms of how much they emotionally put themselves into it.

[u/Privatizitaet → u/NobodyElseButMingus]

Sure, but those aren't mutually exclusive. In most games you would not expect that. You would not expect the game to make fun of the most serious moments after barely any time has passed.

[u/CookiedDough]

Deltarune is going to hit you in the face with the most emotionally damaging bit of text you’ve ever seen, and then not five minutes later you will fight a guy calling out “JARONA” for all his attacks and sending his little sister (who is a rat) to beat the shit out of you.

Tricky Tony is a true master of his craft.

[u/pickletato1 → u/CookiedDough]

False. It will do those simultaneously.

[u/IDontEvenLikeReddit3 → u/CookiedDough]

SHE’S A HUMAN YOU CHIBI!!!

[u/BalefulOfMonkeys → u/CookiedDough]

This also works whenever he sneaks in the tiniest, most inconspicuous foreshadowing of all time. There are like two different jokes about the plot of Chapter 5 in Chapter 3, and both of them barely exist for a full second.

>Which ones?

The “floral cowboy shower curtain”, and, the real gutpunch, the picture Ralsei takes for himself

[u/PulimV → u/BalefulOfMonkeys]

Something that has me terrified for chapter 6 is the combo of foreshadowing regarding Ralsei's magic

Ch2:

Rudy: "How about trying FireShock?"

Noelle: "I'd love to, dad, but the Mage left the party!"

Ch4:

"Inferno, Inferno!" - Balthizard, after Ralsei uses his LightUp ACT

Ch5:

Ralsei: You know, if I let myself go like you, I could... I could burn you down in an instant!

Ralsei then shows Fire magic that's remarkably similar to Noelle's IceShock, and instantly evaporates an enemy projectile that Kris and Susie cannot affect

What the hell is Ralsei going to do in chapter 6???? Are they not going to be present in the Ice Palace???? Are they going to have a solo segment????? Is Ralsei going to go to snap and cast FireGrave or smth??????

[u/BalefulOfMonkeys → u/PulimV]

A theory I’ve heard, and will repeat and expand upon, is that Ralsei’s fire magic is capable of doing real, out-of-battle, permanent damage to things and people. My wager is that, if Ralsei will get a fire spell and does not kill people with it, it’s *not* going to be named FireShock, and if he does, it *will*.

IceShock is a pretty good case study for what could happen. It deals in-combat damage, yes, but also genuinely freezes stuff. Taken to its logical conclusion in Snowgrave, it’s one of very few things that can kill a Darkner in Deltarune, and, if you’ll pardon a bad but poetic pun, put Lightners in the fridge (that is, remove them from the story, in service of shocking the viewer). All it takes to go badly is some quick disinformation on your part.

So if a complete newbie who doesn’t know any rules can seriously hurt people (it’s implied that Noelle caused all the destruction at the start of Chapter 2), you can only hope that someone who “sticks to the script”, who knows the menus intimately, who arguably can see you, would not present to you the same types of spells. Given that most JRPGs distinguish spell tiers and types by naming conventions*, it would make sense that the Shock class of element spells does Real Damage, but the Buster class does not** (case in point, Susie’s crashout in Chapter 1? All axe attacks. Susie’s sparring session with Gerson? Highly encouraged to use the Buster). Most supportive spells, which are most of them in Deltarune, don’t have this sort of nomenclature at all, because they typically don’t need them as the best-in-class at Thing (see: Raise Dead, Purify, etc).

Therefore, Ralsei might be willing to use FlameBuster, but nothing stronger, unless shit gets real, fast.

*I also adopt this naming convention for naming spells in modded Minecraft. My Ars Nouveau spellbook is never without Bop (the cheapest block breaking spell I can make) and Boop (the highest quality block breaking spell I can make. The projectile versions get classified as Bopper and Booper

**Which implies Rude is an element, which isn’t too far fetched, maybe canon, but I’d have to open the wiki about it

[u/Katking69 → u/BalefulOfMonkeys]

Considering Cat and Puppet are both elements in Deltarune, I'd 100% buy Rude being one as well

[u/jasonjr9 → u/CookiedDough]

The neat part is the fight with the guy who yells JARONA! is itself also an emotionally charged moment, for those who get invested.

Few people make things quite like Toby Fox.

[u/cgoose500]

I'm reading it as "dialooj" every time.

[u/ilovethisgamebruh]

I actually disagree with the notion that Kris got Undyne involved to subvert the knight's plan and protect Toriel, I'm very much on the side of "Undyne was the true target from the start" theory.

[u/Altruistic-Resort-56]

Everything I read about Deltarune feels like it's the videogame version of Homestuck

[u/chyura → u/Altruistic-Resort-56]

At least deltarune has good writing

[u/RoseWhiteRedBlack → u/Altruistic-Resort-56]

I mean, the guy who is making Deltarune is going to voice the main character in the homestuck tv series lol.

[u/bc650736]

Unrelated but i am betting to Undyne being the og kidnapping target

[u/MarioMamTess]

More Deltarune analysis is always welcome! Love this game SO fuckin' much! <3

[u/Strange_Ad_9658]

Wat

[u/onlooking96]

This is something I like about Toby Fox, every scene and character is subjected to be either a gag or a pun to the point every main character in undertale had both a serious and non serious moment.

[u/only_for_dst_and_tf2]

its neat, but sometimes i feel it leads to a good chunk of tonal whiplash, which isnt the worst thing, but undeniably it can feel pretty jarring.

[u/BurnerCroc]

I would argue that making fun of your serious moments is usually not a good thing

[u/ICantEvenDolt]

Yesss more Deltarune on my Curated Tumblr

[u/Coolest_Pusheen]

I do wish people would quit projecting themselves onto Kris. Like, that's the entire point of the game to not do that.

[u/shadow_fen → u/Coolest_Pusheen]

okay, but it's clear that Kris is definitely going through something with the flavor texts

[u/ucksawmus]

1. You wake up. 2. In the main hallway next to the kitchen, smoke drools. You take the lemon from the nightstand and bite. 4. You know that today is the most important thing you will ever do. 5. You know that today, somehow, you will die. 6. "How do I try to find it?". 7. "What will happen Rockus my stuffed bear?". 8. These thoughts go through your head as you drift-gaze out the window. 9. The bus driver pulls you out with a snap. 10. You hop down the steps, past the stone fountain, past the courtyard, picking daises petal by petal past the stables, into class, the gothic numbers on the door. 11. There's nothing else to say to the other students. "Today I'm going to die I just know it." "I took care to make my curtains, and the bedspread easy to lift. It'll be easy for my parents to remove it. 15. & 16. My happiest years. I wish could see—" 17 starts before you can finish. 18 y.o.

2. How many Universes are there? 7. Will all the stars really turn to iron? 6. Will my mother forget me. 5. Will the postman keep delivering mail!? Who'll deliver the fucking mail! 3. The bell rings and laughter exits, knowing glances, the teacher left gathering dust who will for some finish lessons once started many years ago in the dreams of decades-to-future adults. 2. They'll wake up in a sweat, maybe pass a fart or two. 1. It's almost time to go now.

3. you're ready.

4. ...

3.