Trans Megathread for the Week of 2024-10-07 to 2024-10-13 - ETR 600

The ETR 600 is a class of trains built by Alstom, and are used on the routes between Roma-Bolzano and Roma-Trieste. The train tilts, using Pendolino technology, allowing higher speeds to be maintained through corners without causing discomfort to passengers. The trains are operated by Trenitalia, originally under the Frecciargento (Silver Arrow) branding used for trains capable of travelling between 250 km/h and 285 km/h, In 2022 they were rebranded under Frecciarossa (Red Arrow) after the Frecciargento branding was retired.

The ETR 600 has also been adapted for use in China as the China Railway CRH5 Hexie. Initially 60 sets were ordered, of which nine were manufactured by Alstom and 51 by CNR Changchun Railway Vehicles. Since, another 80 sets have been created for a total of 140, operating across China's north from Beijing to Ürümqi.

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I have started playing Slay the Princess, a indie horror visual novel with hand drawn art. Its fully voice acted and has weird time stuff. Its a good game, its even on gog, if you like that kind of thing. Some spoilers ahead, although I haven't finished the game yet. Oh and a CW/spoiler for the game:

spoiler

In one of the endings you commit suicide in a very violent way. Its obvious its coming, I'm not sure if its avoidable or if sensitive players should just cut that story loop short. I don't remember if there's any gore in that particular ending, but there is gore in other endings.

spoiler

The game immediately feels eerie. The atmosphere is full of dread. You can try to turn around, but are unable to actually do so. If you test the barriers of the game, you are pushed to the cabin. The cabin starts bare, with only a knife on a table. You grab it, or don't, and enter the basement. The narrator reminds you repeatedly through this whole process how dangerous the princess is and how important slaying her is, and how it must be done immediately.

There's a lot of dialog options in the basement. None of them work out for you, the player. She is a demon. A trickster, who can't be believed. Once in the basement, unless you stick exactly to the script you die. Sometimes you can kill her first. If you try to leave the basement, another (unknown) character locks you inside. Its too late to be saved at this point.

Assuming you don't get the "good" ending, after you (and possibly her) die you get brought to the beginning. Things change, depending on how you died and what dialog options you chose previously. The cabin changes, the state you find her in is different, you get different dialog. You start to splinter, there are more voices in your head. The voice of the broken, of cold. Your internal monologue becomes chaotic. But in a way, nothing changes. You are still supposed to kill the princess, and it becomes much harder. I'm not sure if there are any "good" endings past day one. If you don't defeat her perfectly and live in the void the narrator gives you, you become trapped in a cycle of violence. You die more, you get more voices, she becomes more powerful. It feels completely hopeless.

One of the endings (I don't completely remember how to get back here but I believe you have to kill her enough times?) she, this creature, possesses you. You hear her voice within your own head. Telling you to bring her to the rest of the world. That can't happen. She has proven herself to kill you if given any opportunity. You can't befriend her. I threw myself into a void, killing both of us. She is twisted and sick. Vengeful. She needs you to let her out. Once you start engaging with her, you are already doomed. She can't be entertained at all. If you do kill her at the very beginning and live, your life is empty. Floating in a void, told you are happy.

Maybe I'm a bit, but this is the most hopeless a game has made me feel. This game reminds me a lot of depression.

I haven't finished the game yet, there are more paths I need to explore. There's an overarching plot line I haven't seen through yet. And I'm hoping to watch a video essay or two about the game, just to make sure I haven't missed anything and to hear other's thoughts on the experience. Anyway, that's my thoughts on the game at this point, its quite the experience for me.
- I played it about a year ago! They've been updating it since I played it and added paths. There are a couple endings I thought were quite hopeful, I'll spoiler it for you
  
  spoiler
  
  You have to go through these cycles 5 times, and ultimately decide if you want to continue endlessly doing this thing or if you think Death should be reunited with Possibility (what the Princess really is), or a couple other endings.
  
  The princess always takes the form you think she should, she's essentially a mirror. If you think she should be cynical or villainous, she will be. If you think she's a trapped helpless princess, she'll be one. She gets more complicated as you repeat cycles by adding more context. You can also get a version of her by rejecting to enter the house, it's very fractured. I also really liked the version where she degrades by asking what she wants if you rescue her first lol.
  
  The raven/narrator really does think the world will end if you don't kill her, because he's obviously quite uncomfortable with Death/Change.
  
  I'm gonna encourage you to keep trying until you get to somewhere much different. You will know when the game actually ends, it doesn't end after one or two or three passes through.
  
  spoiler
  
  There's an ending with her where you've both betrayed each other a couple times, but you show real tenderness to her and real love. I thought it was quite touching. I can give you the sequence if you wanna experience it, first time try to rescue her until the narrator takes control and then let him kill her (using you), second time give the knife to the witch, third time reconcile with Thorn and you get to smooch her! It's actually really nice, I liked it.
  
  Oh that's really nice!
  
  spoiler
  
  I was wondering if the only resolution I'd get was after doing the cycle enough times, but I wasn't sure what that would even look like with how horrible everything I've seen has been.
  
  I'm surprised. I tried to let her out, maybe twice? One time I definitely remember her deciding to kill us both. I did notice how complicated some of her states are, the ghost form sticks out at me as being really hard to navigate. I'll try to avoid the house again too, I tried that once and the game forced me to enter.
  
  Thank you, I definitely will. I knew there would be endings I didn't see, I didn't know how varied they would be. I tried trusting her a few times, it seemed to end badly for me. Very interested to see all the other paths.
  
  This is a very light spoiler, don't read it if you still wanna be blind
  
  spoiler
  
  She reacts based on how you anticipate she should, don't bring the knife down and you can trust her! She'll just be a lonely lost scared princess.

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