The fact that the stream thumbnail now includes a cute Eta girl wearing a cute cat hoodie and kneesocks, instead of the least flattering possible baggy black hoodie with Andrea trying to masc code and look human as much as possible. Gets Andrea more random people checking out the stream and lurking.

Truly, the internet runs on thirst.

The right-side path, marked with two skulls is, inconveniently, blocked by a Destructible Wall! Andrea has yet to learn how to get past Destructible Walls!

There's probably a tutorial for them lurking around somewhere, but this isn't a metroidvania; there hasn't been anything like equipment that unlocks new moves or abilities. So it ought to be possible to sequence break by figuring it out on his own...

amoralCompass: side-jump kick off the middle block

LP_Outside_Any%_Glitchless: Come on, no spoilers!

Manager_chan: Yes, no spoilers, chat! Have a time out, @amoralCompass

...or chat could casually spoil the secret after Andrea fumbles around for a minute.

“Compass is the only one I haven’t seen make degenerate comments, so they are my official favourite. At least until someone donates me the monopoly money we all have. Kidddddiiing.”

Haha, jump kicks can be done, and path can be unlocked.

xXxFemboyFan69xXx: new donation goal?

waluigi7: $50 if you kick those feet up and give us a peek?

xXHymenbuster69Xx: don't tempt me, lol

This brings Andrea to The Retrograde!

As usual, the new area starts off easy...ish, without anything more threatening than moving spike walls, which are at least an old and familiar sort of threat. Easy for The End Is Nigh isn't actually all that easy by this point in the game, until it becomes obvious that the Retrograde is the home of gimmick levels. The usual gimmick so far seems to be "it's much easier to get the loot if you skip the level on your first run, then step back and do the level backwards".

As a sidenote, the soundtrack for the game, a generally excellent series of classical music remixes which has as yet gone unmentioned, hits a high note with the remix of Hungarian Dance No. 5 used in the Retrograde.

“No, no feet donation goal, why are you all such perverts. Plus I bet most Eta’s just have the same foot design. I know I didnt customise mine. Just go to google you degens. It’ll be the same thing.” His new Eta feet are actually quite dainty, makes it hard to find mens shoes in the right size. He kind of misses his old giant feet that only New Balance had sizes big enough for. Ehhh not really though. Robot feet don’t get sore, its a clear upgrade.

He has to remember to like, keep tugging down the hoodie to keep it from riding up and showing more thigh. Because Andrea is quite wiggly while he plays, shifting around in his gamer chair as things surprise him.

If the game just lets him skip the loot… if things get too annoying in a level, to the point he has to pull out fake curses, he might just skip the loot altogether on those levels. He doubts the game needs you to have EVERY one. 

waluigi7: boo

xXxFemboyFan69xXx: it's not the same...

SugarIsSweet: Also, I want a better look at those cute cat stockings! 😸

Alex_Eta_2ndGen: You bet that most Etas have the same foot design, do you? I'll bet against you on that! We can probably get someone on who can give us the answer! What kind of stakes are you looking for? Money, services, embarrassing dares?

Manager_chan: Haha, that shouldn't be a problem, no.

The next weird thing that the Retrograde has to offer is... this weird evil-looking mass of flesh? Touching it is death, of course... but being vaguely close to it makes it start growing in your direction, with a nasty squelching sound.

Still, though the levels aren't exactly easy, they aren't that bad; all it takes is a bit of patience, a bit of timing, a bit of careful jumping to dodge random obstacles, and a bit of extra care to preserve destructible platforms that may be helpful later. Nothing so far is anywhere near as hard as what Andrea dealt with in the Wall of Sorrow and the SS Exodus, and he's making excellent time.

"Noooooope, I'm not taking any dare stakes from you Alex, you are the perviest one in the chat! Who knows what you'd make me do! Probably something super degen and niche that I've only heard rumors of. Cake farting tier stuff. and if you dont know what that is DO NOT google it. It is exactly what it sounds like. People have wierd fetishes and once you've seen it you can't scrub it out of your mind ever again."

The internet is a dangerous place, if Andrea didnt care so much about remaining himself hed want to have a LOT of memories deleted. Especially with how wild west the internet has become again now that the Yeone took most of the rules away, you see some WILD and TERRIBLE stuff in public spaces online. The millenials say it's like the 2000s again.

"I do not like the gross cancer goo mass, stuff growing towards you is some really eldritch stuff. Super gross. Being enveloped is like one of my major fears. Like that scene in crystal skull where a bad guy gets envolped by a swarm of ants? Thats my hell."

Alex_Eta_2ndGen: Guilty!

xXHymenbuster69Xx: haha, probably true, lol

waluigi7: 👀

Alex_Eta_2ndGen: It doesn't have to be a kinky dare thing if you don't want, though. You could catch one of my streams sometime, or help out with some product testing I'm doing for the Gammas... or maybe even just buy a few things off my wishlist, if you want to be boring about it.

LP_Outside_Any%_Glitchless: Yeah, Mother gets kinda creepy, but that's par for the course with Edmund; see also Time Fcuk.

SugarIsSweet: Fair warning, Val; if that's a trigger of yours, those elements definitely get worse towards the end of the game.

Alex_Eta_2ndGen: Come on, it's free content! Is there anything you'd want from me for my stakes in the bet?

Retrograde continues to be mildly spooky, but not unbearably difficult; there haven't been any levels that take Andrea more than 10 tries to get the loot on so far. A weird organic variant of the sniper shows up later, but its vomit-projectiles are slower than bullets, making it more of a nuisance than a threat.

"Fine, even if a lot of Eta's are lewd, I really doubt most of them will even care about feet enough to customize it, its NOT THAT COMMON A KINK, despite what twitch chats would leave you to beleive. I bet most of them went with whatever was default shape like I did. I'll get something from your wishlist if you are right, and I'll uhhh... make a Wishlist and then you can buy something from it If I'm right." What to even put on a wishlist... food? amazon does food. Yeah snacks is a good idea. Andrea upgraded their taste receptors for a reason.

"The game is stylized enough It'll just be creepy and icky rather than like... needing to quit the game. but it if it was realistic graphics It might actually freak me out! So if anyone is in chat in a future stream that knows a certain game has that, do warn me please! I think part of it is I'm terrified of suffocating or drowning. Good thing I don't technically need to breathe anymore! I only need air to speak now."

Alex_Eta_2ndGen: Woo! I've sent the request.

Big_Daddy: You probably want to avoid anything in the Alien franchise. Especially the newer VR releases, which might be extra-unfun with Yeone VR tech?

SugarIsSweet: Yeah; I wouldn't even want to watch a stream featuring a world designed by HR Giger, let alone visit one 'in-person'.

There's a couple more minutes before a reply comes back, during which Andrea clears out a couple more levels; a tight cluster of knockoff-snipers isn't much more of a nuisance than a single one was, although the extra wasted time dodging can make the creepy tumours more troublesome to avoid.

Then, more than a dozen messages are posted to chat in a fraction of a second.

D286-89575-0608550-R188E122D604P406: We have been advised that a question of part prevalence in Eta models was raised.
D286-89575-0608550-R188E122D604P406: Such a question is best addressed comprehensively, though additional supporting data can be made available on request.
D286-89575-0608550-R188E122D604P406: A brief summary was composed to clarify the issue, and is presented here.
D286-89575-0608550-R188E122D604P406: Begin by noticing that not all Eta models are identical.
D286-89575-0608550-R188E122D604P406: There are currently four primary Eta models (Analog, Handheld, Laptop, and Personal) as well as four specialty Eta models (Binary, Hybrid, Super, and Work).
D286-89575-0608550-R188E122D604P406: Although three of the primary models share many similarities, notice that the distinction between the Handheld, Laptop, and Personal models extends beyond simple scale.
D286-89575-0608550-R188E122D604P406: The lower limb assemblies of a Personal model are on average designed to bear more than twice the weight of those of a Handheld model.
D286-89575-0608550-R188E122D604P406: Such joints necessarily include additional reinforcement to reliably bear that weight in expected gravitational conditions, as well as some degree of improved articulation to reliably balance the larger body design.
D286-89575-0608550-R188E122D604P406: Additionally, the Analog, Binary, Hybrid, Super, and Work models each were designed to fit different aesthetic criteria, requiring minor design differences to express a mode 'masculine' size ratio, to bear additional weight, or to appropriately compensate for a different centre of gravity.
D286-89575-0608550-R188E122D604P406: Also, a variety of optional Animal, Cosplay, and Wardrobe upgrades include structural changes to the limbs themselves, including imitation paws, built-in high heels, or 'anime-style' limbs, each of which substantially diverge from the standard design.
D286-89575-0608550-R188E122D604P406: Alternatively, certain requested utility upgrades have been produced which require more advanced modifications to the lower limbs, including most transformation modules, as well as certain nonstandard features such as propulsion jets.
D286-89575-0608550-R188E122D604P406: On a parts-produced basis, the single most common design is the template standard for Laptop models, with a prevalence of approximately 17.2793%.
D286-89575-0608550-R188E122D604P406: This falls short of the 50% standard, therefore "most" Eta models do not use the same foot design.
D286-89575-0608550-R188E122D604P406: Was this a sufficient answer to the question at hand?

"Oh come on! Template standard proves my point though. they didn't customize it! They just went with the default! obviously the different sizes have different parts, but most people obviously went with the default part! it'd be way lower than 17% if most people customized their feet. Laptop models can't be more than 30% of the Eta population. There's not THAT many lolicons." Whatever, it's only losing some money, he's mostly complaining for the sake of content and something to say.

"Unless your wishlist is full of pokemon merch and snacks, I doubt I'll get any ideas." The newer viewers were even worse than the ones who joined early!

D286-89575-0608550-R188E122D604P406: Incorrect.
D286-89575-0608550-R188E122D604P406: As observed, not all Etas engage in personal customization.
D286-89575-0608550-R188E122D604P406: In fact, 6.0888% of Etas decline to make any personal customization decisions.
D286-89575-0608550-R188E122D604P406: These Etas instead accept all default options.
D286-89575-0608550-R188E122D604P406: Laptop is the default Eta model.
D286-89575-0608550-R188E122D604P406: As a result, approximately 32.0814% of Etas are currently Laptop models.

SugarIsSweet: Wait, 6% of people who become Etas don't make any decisions? Why not?

LP_Outside_Any%_Glitchless: That is kind of weird, yeah; I could see people keeping the default settings on a Windows install or something, but not with my own body?

Alex_Eta_2ndGen: Haha, no; my wishlist has way more interesting things in it than that!

Big_Daddy: Hang on, I also want to know about why people would just accept all the default settings?

Manager_chan: Sorry, I think that's all the time our Delta guest has for us today!