Wagstaff's new quotes critique

[-Variant]

This might be a subjective topic, but I personally find Wagstaff's new quotes out of character.

I'll post a few to compare.

OLD:

Quote

    WAGSTAFF_WAGPUNK_ARENA_ROBOTLOSTCONTROL = {
        "Blast! It's taken over W.A.R.B.O.T.!",
        "Egad! We've lost control of the entity!",
        "The entity is too powerful!",

NEW:

Quote

        "The entity has taken control of W.A.R.B.O.T..",
        "Seems I underestimated its strength, a shame.",
        "Ah well. Deal with it, would you?",

My thoughts on this one are that we lose out on all of Wagstaff's excitement. He feels oddly cold in the delivery, kind of monotone.
This is it, this is literally his greatest creation! We caught Celestial Champion a SECOND time, he should be thrilled and shocked!

OLD:

Quote

    WAGSTAFF_WAGPUNK_ARENA_CONSTRUCT = {
        "Now you need to construct a Phasmo-Encapsulator!",
        "Excellent! I need a suitable power source for my creation!",
        "Good. Use a Phasmo-Encapsulator to capture an entity to power my creation!",
    },

    WAGSTAFF_WAGPUNK_ARENA_GIVE_GESTALT_CAGE = {
        "Yes! Use this and capture that entity before it escapes!",--todo
        "That's the entity I want! Use this. Quickly!",--todo
    },

    -- Desire for the filled3 cage. -- why this still here?
    WAGSTAFF_WAGPUNK_ARENA_CONSTRUCT_BIGONE = {
        "Finally! Hand over the entity at once!",
        "This is the one I've been waiting for! Give it to me now!",
    },

NEW:

Spoiler

    WAGSTAFF_WAGPUNK_ARENA_CONSTRUCT = {
        "You'll need to construct a Phasmo-Encapsulator to capture an energy being.",
        "Excellent! I need a suitable power source for my creation!",
        "Good. Use a Phasmo-Encapsulator to capture an entity to power my creation!",
    },

    WAGSTAFF_WAGPUNK_ARENA_GIVE_GESTALT_CAGE = {
        "Yes! Use this and capture that entity before it escapes!",
        "That's the entity I want! Use this to capture it. Quickly!",
        "There it is! Take this and capture that entity now!",
    },

    -- Desire for the filled3 cage. -- why this still here?
    WAGSTAFF_WAGPUNK_ARENA_CONSTRUCT_BIGONE = {
        "Finally! Hand over the entity at once!",
        "This is the one I've been waiting for! Give it to me now!",
    },

These ones aren't that different. Though, and this is very subjective, some of the new ones feel a bit too direct.

OLD:

Quote

    WAGSTAFF_GOT_GESTALTCAGE_NOLONGERNEEDED = {--he wants something different.
        "Hm, see if you can capture me another variety.",
    },
    WAGSTAFF_GOT_GESTALTCAGE_GOOD = {-- wants the big one.  not these.
        "Hm, not quite powerful enough, but I can use it.",
    },

NEW:

Quote

    WAGSTAFF_GOT_GESTALTCAGE_NOLONGERNEEDED = {--he wants something different.
        "Hm, see if you can capture me another variety.",
        "I have enough of these. I need something special, something more... powerful.",
    },
    WAGSTAFF_GOT_GESTALTCAGE_GOOD = {-- wants the big one.  not these.
        "Hm, not quite powerful enough, but I can use it.",
        "I'll take it, but there's a special one I'm looking for.",
    },

Nothing wrong with these, actually. Although, when playing with some friends, some of us found it odd that he keeps constantly asking for a stronger variety, despite the type of Gestalt you provide. It's revealed he's looking for CC once you get all of them, but until then some of us were confused thinking we were messing something up with him constantly saying "Not good enough".

NEW:

Quote

    WAGSTAFF_WAGPUNK_ARENA_SCIONREVEAL = {
        "What a waste of my W.A.R.B.O.T.,",
        "but the entity has taken on a fascinating new hybrid form.",
        "You may need to modify your approach.",
        "Carry on.",
    },

This has no older version to my memory. It has that feeling of coldness I mentioned earlier. I could see him being upset about losing Warbot, and excited to see the new form, but I feel it reads off as "Ah, oh well." Not enough curiosity or excitement as I feel it could have!
He also has a currently unused Monologue I'm expecting to see tomorrow, but if it doesn't change, it seems fine as is? I think that's all for my feedback, I'll post the monologue in a spoiler.

Spoiler

    WAGSTAFF_WAGPUNK_ARENA_SCIONUNSTABLE = {
        "Hmm, uncontained exposure is accelerating entropy.",
        "It is not ideal.",
        "Maintain pressure and subdue the entity immediately before it...",
        "Nevermind, I'll think of something...",
    },

    WAGSTAFF_WAGPUNK_ARENA_SCIONDOWN = {
        "Very good! Now you just need to...",
    },

    WAGSTAFF_WAGPUNK_ARENA_SCIONATTACKSWAGSTAFF = {
        "...Gaaah!",
        "What's happening to me?",
        "Impossible!",
        "I don't under...",
    },

 

[Left 4 Sharkb8]

I find it odd that's he's so dismissive of WARBOT being completely ruined and he kind of just brushes it onto you like some bug crawling on him. Girl you just spent so much on building it and your response is "Ah well."????

[viblym]

They've stripped all of his whimsy... I was very surprised by Wagstaff's whole "finale" here not only because it's already insane, but because it never really felt like we had any meaningful interactions with him prior to all of this. He's very cold and a bit too serious compared to how goofy he is in DS. It feels like something that narrative wise should be very intense, but all the survivor's reactions to it are just as impersonal as his reactions to the survivors as any given moment. It makes me sad

[WhackE]

I would say it seems like quotes are an afterthought again, but this seems to not be the case if they changed them during the beta. Although, I definitely like the old ones for WAGSTAFF_WAGPUNK_ARENA_ROBOTLOSTCONTROL, seems weird they would change it.

[JustAPineapple]

Yeah Wagstaff just never really gripped me as a character, and honestly I think making him sillier and more curious and passionate about his research would have gone a long way in making his shadier aspects like kicking pearl off the island more impactful due to him otherwise being a charming old man engineer. Making him more charming and likeable on the surface would also have, I think, gone a long way in giving intrinsic motivation to help him with his experiments besides just the gameplay ramifications.

But as it is, him vanishing comes off completely flat because he just wasn't ever particularly interesting in dst. Don't get me wrong, a character can be extremely interesting while also being a jerk, just look at maxwell, but wagstaff's indifference doesn't make him fun to hate, it just kinda leaves me feeling nothing strongly about him at all.

I find it weird for keli to lean even further into this detached direction with the new quotes, hes a very prominent character and should have a big personality to match.

Admittedly this is all completely personal opinion, and hey maybe a lot more people like Wagstaff then I think. I'd genuinely love to hear those peoples thoughts on him and this arc, as it might change my mind about it, and that'd be pretty nice.

 

Edited June 12, 2025 by JustAPineapple
Woops, fixing profanity