Aecius' Quest 2 - The Neighsayer 

The writing is so obtuse sometimes, like Me: "a red blanket" Qud: "here before you lay the work of a mind and body stilled with patience, the crystallization of effort and forethought of a thinking thing. The warp ambulates precisely about the weft in a meticulous and insentient dance of crimson bast fibre, as if the sanguine hues would ward against those gelid gales breathed forth from the winter air."

the animations were AMAZING, I know they must've taken an absolute ton of work but that horse combat was absolutely worth it

My favourite loading screen tip: "Who inhabits the colossal desert freehold of Nanru? The Gathered Men. The fiefdoms of Odrum? The Kneeling Men. The jungles of Yyp? The Breathless Men. And the rust-caves of Qud? The Screaming Men." -Dromad travelogue

I love reading Qud descriptions because it's a constant tug of war in my head between "wow that was beautiful, what an awesome use of language" and "this English major bent over backwards and sideways describing a lawn chair"

11:46 "A little nub of cork swells with moisture" = A small, brownish fruit that feels fresh and moist. The most notable thing in a world where money is water is wetness. Like it happens in Dune, people hold wet things in an almost mythical status. Water is extremely precious in both settings. "It was watered over hot weeks by a splayed frond, vested with inhuman patience, who sucked one mote of rain from a hundred-mile wind." = It lives in a very hot climate and hydrates itself through a excruciatingly slow process. The environment is so dry that all the wind in a hundred miles radius only gives you just around a drop of water once it has passed, so the plant must have adapted to drink very, very slowly in order to survive. You could not possibly expect a human to even sit and watch all that happen, since it's so subtle and slow. I am not annoyed by you being mystified. I think's it's extremely cool to have a place to discuss these images and their meaning with other people :)

First rule of Qud: Never fire a gun in the same direction as a horse. 😂

A good hint: Always exchange your fresh water for copper, silver or even gold nuggets They weigh way less than a full waterskin and their value remains everywhere the same Also gems still maintain their value everywhere, but they are rare to find and even rarer to find a merchant with gems in the wild (except in Six Day Stilt, there is always 1 gemcutter in there)

A few general tips: * Don't forget to re-equip your shield after you're done with the torch. (You can eventually find a "floating" light source or gain nightvision and not worry about it ever again.) * Berate is hilarious. Great choice. * In town, backspace will bring up a list of the interesting people and places (trader, oven, Oo-eee OO EE OO, etc) that you know about and let you "go to" them. It's super handy. * Most of the villages and ruins of Qud are not on your map (yet). * Spacebar will usually interact with nearby things (open chests, etc). To force an interaction in a specific direction, use control-spacebar instead. * The food you get from village ovens will give you special benefits beyond putting garbage in a pot and stirring. Live and drink, bastard.

Glad to see more of this series, it's a refreshing change of pace

"Maybe im dumb, but I dont know what that means." "What the hell does that mean?" This is the Caves of Qud experience. You have not even begun to see/find the really weird stuff with even weirder descriptions. Its honestly one of my favourite things about this game. Makes it feel so unreal and alien.

Remember how in Star Wars, Luke’s family are “moisture farmers”? Vinewafer is like that.

that explosion was the arconaut throwing a grenade at an ameoba.

The equimax illustrations are just... chef's kiss right there!

I know its probably been mentioned but I really like the Ren and Stimpy influence on the animations and expressions. You've done a great job learning the game. Qud is one of my favourites

I enjoy this little series very much. May Aecius live and drink for many weeks to come.

When Aecius dies, I recommend making your next character a mutant of some kind - they usually have more interesting things going on right away & are better suited to your sporadic style, whereas truekin require more progression & deliberate action to access their features.

The thoroughly silly take on caves of qud is a perfect contrast to the sort of detail that we get from your dwarf fortress. Doing both AND doing art for both is really quite something on top of that! Thank you again!

The horse fight felt very Adventure Time and I love it!

Don't worry, I find your mystification wonderful. Takes me back to my first run when everything was gibberish. The item descriptions, books and dialog are very unique in this game, even in the endgame, it never loses it's sense of wonder and discovery.

I absolutely loved the animations on this one, I was laughing pretty hard at the Equimax! Congrats on taking one of them out by the way, those are no joke for a lower level character!

some advice on the topic of auto explore. It's a useful tool that can be used to sweep the map before you leave to make sure you didn't miss any loot or miss examining anything that will give you a lore entry.

We do not deserve quality animations like this, and yet you bestow them upon us. What a joy.

Many items [clothes, weapons, pretty much any item] and tiles [like the pillar, including walls, furniture etc] have different colors and/or names, this mean you generally can examine in detail and discover it's unique in some way, or has some writing that contributes to your knowledge

Oh wow, I never noticed the procgen villages have procgen descriptions on the worldmap! Wasn't expecting to learn something new after having played so long lmao. Great to see more Qud from you.

I am NOT annoyed by you being baffled as you experience Qud! I am DELIGHTED! However you play it. If it feels mysterious and alien, then you are playing it correctly!

That one S on the back of his notepad is a cool touch lol.

That Dromad character design looks like Joe Camel

I am really enjoying watching you go through the new player experience in Qud. Being overwhelmed at first is the norm, and you will learn with experience. Travel on the map screen is nearly mandatory as the game goes on, both to avoid tedium and issues with world generarion making some areas nearly inaccessible otherwise. It also is not without its own risks, as you can Become Lost and find yourself in strange and interesting places.

English is not my first language. I play Qud with a sense of wonder mixed with "What are you trying to say, game?".

Wow, I didn't expect the feeling of instant joy that leapt up in my chest when I saw your little dwarf guy run onto the screen like that at the beginning of the video! It's always so good to see you post :)

More COQ I love COQ! I'm glad Kruggsmash likes COQ too!!

Aecius as Bobby Hill after he just learned Berate is my favorite thing I've seen this week. "That's my purse! I don't know you!"

I absolutely love wacky adventures of this goofy, little, Aecius guy. Keep them up Krugg! :D

I liked all the extra animation but feel free to scale back a bit so you can play and learn and experience more of the game itself. Also, if Aceus heaven forbid does die, try starting up a mutant esper for a big shake up to the gameplay!

One hotkey that would serve you well in your starting village is the one that walks you over to points of interest on the current screen. When you ask for work and someone tells you to talk to someone else, that hotkey will show you a list of people to walk to and you can just wander over for a chat.

"Sun and Moon, Hit and Run, Live and Drink" - Aecius

Caves of Qud make me have Gamma World memberberries. *Thanks for sharing another story with all of us Kruggsmash*

The little cave that Qud.

Mix of joy and pain to watch Krugg play one of my favorite games! Everyone had a heck of a time early on, then you keep playing and look back and think "what was I, blind and brain-damaged?" once you actually get used to it. I look forward to seeing Krugg try a mutant in the future, I'm sure he'd enjoy the dynamic of gaining new mutations as you level.

I LOVE the art style in these, the shift between goofy and serious depending on the situation is fantastic.

CoQ suits your style of video so much. The writing is some of the most unique and evocative I've ever seen in a game. Really takes this world and its characters to a whole other level.

i like the idea that aecius works on a disco elysium type internal monologue where he regularly encounters things that his brain is able to correctly identify but fails to communicate to him

No advice to give. Youll figure it out, if you like the game and keep playing. Watching you completely subvert the usual play patterns is honestly refreshing. And very funny 😁

9:22 lol love that. Now Aecius needs to recruit that horse as a party member

Yes! I'm so psyched to see part 2!

Ooh, caves of krugg

The animations were incredible and totally worth a 3 week wait

I am just happy when I see you upload something, but the animations do make me smile every time.

I vote for more frequent gameplay videos, then just animate the most interesting things that happen later. (Then you could go back and an edit them into a supercut video of the whole series.)

I love the animations and voice overs iy makes it sound like an old Macintosh game Very cool.

Enjoying how your video style blends with the game! Hope to see more in the future

Amazing!! The additional effort really showed through, and I love the slow pace and attention to detail. I smiled so much my face hurt!

😮 it feels like it’s been 3000 years since the last episode🎉🎉🎉

Each 'parasang' square, is made up of 9 zones with the central zone displayed on the map. Use it to navigate and find POIs, the game is absolutely jam packed so definitely narrow the search for useful things (they also happen to be the more scenic and beautiful set-pieces!). Hope that clears the navigation up a bit.

im so glad you ran into a salthopper and got into a fight with an equimax, those are kind of a rite of passage for new qud players. as soon as you fired the gun towards the equimax i knew what was going to happen. the cute little drawings made it even funnier. im loving this series!!

Wonderful video as always. Really love that you're giving this game a chance. A quick small no-spoiler tip. You have a bunch of torches in your inventory- If you equip a torch in one of your hands it will act as a lightsource, allowing you to explore the dark caves of qud or move about on the surface during the night.

- Runs screaming from a robot whose only method of attack is dropping fungicide (is not a mushroom) - Thinks he can just slay Don Dragonfly without summoning the Horse Mafia I adore this game, in all its bizarre beauty, and I am sincerely enjoying your playthrough! You also play how I like to -- nice and slow, smelling the vaguely sapient murder roses.

26:35 never change Krugg never change

This is the second video of yours that I have watched and it has me captivated just as much as the first one! I can't wait to explore the rest of your channel, the story telling and love you pour into the production are admirable.

I was hoping to see another episode, I love the littles arts and interpretations of things

Everything about the art and animations you add to this is just... worthy of everything our cohort stands for.

This is a masterwork video, all craftsdwarfship is of the highest quality. It is adorned with the image of Acius Rudius, the legendary true kin. Acius Rudius Is watching an equinox and a snapjaw. The equinox and snapjaw are fighting. The equinox is striking the snapjaw, the snapjaw is crying, Acius Rudius is afraid.

Something I love to hear actually is how overwhelming some descriptions feel. They're supposed to, as most things are described by an individual who doesn't understand what they're looking at all the time, and is describing it to the best of their ability.

There are random villages and stuff all over the place, especially on the left side of the map, they just don't appear on your map until you discover them.

Also 100% yes, permadeath is the way to do the game

DV is Dodge Value and AV is Armor Value DV decreases the chance of being hit AV decreases the damage you take after being hit Light Armor decreases AV, but in creases DV Heavy Armor decreases DV, but increases AV You need to focus on which you feel is best or balance both stats

Loving this playthrough! Don't worry about being mystified by everything- That's the quintessential Caves of Qud first playthrough experience

I think the little drawings and pictures bring it to life in its own way. I feel that the longer production time is fine to bring the world of qud to life in your own unique art style.

This game is so incredible. What did you think of the molting update? I was taken aback. What a major glow up!

I seriously enjoyed this episode, I understand taking longer and I get excited after a while when I finally see an episode.

I neeeeed more of this. I love your narrative style and when i am watching other's narrative lets plays - i miss the little pictures. They really are very special. Love the content!!

I also didn't use auto explore to begin with. Felt more meaningful. Definitely recommend using the overworld map. You will get lost randomly when using it, forcing you to explore to find your way, so you get plenty of exploring in anyway. But I'd never tell someone that the way they play a game is wrong. Especially role playing games. Whatever feels fun and immersive! Watching you run away from the fungicide mine layer was a beautiful moment that reminds me of my early playthroughs. The pictures and animations are what make your videos really special to me so I personally wouldn't mind waiting. It's like I get to see the game through your minds eye. Completely different than my own.

lets go! I loved the first video on the series so much and was hoping you'd post more on it! thanks mister Krugg, im loving the video so far!

I don't mind waiting another week if the drawings and animations are so good and funny. Love all the weird faces Aecius does. I hope he will live for many more episodes!

i thought that horse was going to demolish aecius. you're definitely right that rifles aren't your strong point xD kind of a necessary evil though for survival's sake

i personally dont mind the longer wait bc the animations and extra art are all Very charming

I’m really enjoying this series and don’t mind if it’s less frequent, it’s more enjoyable to watch when you’ve clearly been enjoying it and taking your time with it 😊

started playing this game after seeing your first video, and i've gone way down the rabbit hole. there is SO much in this world

I'm definitly willing to wait for longer. That preatorian class was definitly a lucky pick, since it has that rare hood and also a gun.

With the bouncing back and forth between a long running Dwarf Fortress series and what I assume will be many short CoQ series (it's very easy to die) I feel we are entering into a fantastic new era of Krugg! I love both of these series!

Books are really valuable Both in water value and in experience In Six Day Stilt there's a librarian that, if you bring books to him, gives you free exp I got around 4-5 levels thanks to it

I was so worried when you killed that dragon fly - if another had seen you do it, you'd have had angry dragon flies AND equimax after you! (I'm loving the drawings and animations, and I expect that you'll naturally need fewer new ones as things start becoming more familiar - like you're already set for drawings of many common critters)

Amazing storytelling! The drawn animations and the voice acting for certain characters always add richness to these videos. The section at 27:30 and onwards was really well made.

Those adorable pictures animations make my hart melt

Its incredible how you draw every single snapjaw with accurate equipment and weaponry. Hope you keep playing Caves of Qud for a long time

Loving the addition of animations?! You improve constantly even though you already by such a wide and far margin the king of this kind of content. Forever may he reign.

I love the exaggerated art style for this series! I'm excited for it to continue!

The lesson here is: never piss off a horse

i love the different kind of art for this series.

You are right about auto explore it would make bad video. BUT you are entirely wrong about map travel being fast travel. It is integral to the game and you will get lost often and getting unlost will be more fun than just trudging along. There's even artifacts that you find that modify how that works.

the glaring equimax drawing was an instant laugh out loud, powerful mr. horse vibes

Absolutely wonderful level of effort on this episode. Thank you!

Loving the drawings and animations in this. I hope this becomes a full series!

Absolutely loving the animations. Really adds a lot with it's unique qualities. 👌

I absolutely adore Caves of Qud, and I'm so glad to see you picking it up and running with it. The general recommendation seems to be "prepare with a guide" but honestly, just screwing up and dying a few times is a fun way to discover Qud's secrets. Try a mutant next time!

I tend to listen to your videos moreso than watch them. The pictures were always more than necessary to me, but it is very nice to glance over and see some interesting art or animation to go with the story. I'm probably not your typical viewer though.

love caves of krugg

Highly enjoying the series, can't wait for the next one! I recommend giving the starting village quests a look, as the main questline contains a lot of the strangest and most interesting stuff the game has to offer

biggest general tip I can give for a new player is tips about artifacts. They are "lost to time" or bizarre contraptions that will be displayed as something like "wierd artifact" or "strange tubes". Most of these are items that your character can hold and use, some are furniture that is stationary in the world. To try and figure out what strange furniture is, go to look menu or hover over it, hit enter, then go to examine. Works pretty much the same for things in your inventory. Tonics are especially useful for tough encounters, the Salve Injector your character has rapidly restores health over a few rounds and they are somewhat common to come by.

I really really love this series and subbed just for it. I know as little as you do about this game and I get mystified along with you so it's a joy.