Speculation.

[deadlyAdder]

I think it's safe to get a thread up now for focusing on HS^2 speculation now rather than have a whole mess of them later, so here it is.
As of the latest update from last month (Which ends on Dirk, Terezi and Rosebot arriving (crashing?) on a sburbian planet) I've been thinking a lot, and in particular I've been thinking about Pesterquest and how it might tie into Homestuck^2 after Vriska's route came out, showing that Doc Scratch is not the one pulling the strings this time. Could it be the First Guardian of the new world?

[RoseBot]

I saw someone speculating that Rose is actually going to end up being the final villain, which I obviously think would be radical. As interesting as I think Dirk is, I don't think he's actually competent enough to be a real villain. He's going to fuck up and sabotage himself inevitably, the only question is when and how.

[TC]

I'm just anticipating meeting the new aliens and finally getting some new main characters. I know Homestuck's character bloat is a meme and all but as much as I like Villain Dirk I feel like the Homestuck cast has been being stretched thin for a while.

[deadlyAdder]

I saw someone speculating that Rose is actually going to end up being the final villain, which I obviously think would be radical. As interesting as I think Dirk is, I don't think he's actually competent enough to be a real villain. He's going to fuck up and sabotage himself inevitably, the only question is when and how.

Oh my god, Rose as the villian would be incredible.

I'm just anticipating meeting the new aliens and finally getting some new main characters. I know Homestuck's character bloat is a meme and all but as much as I like Villain Dirk I feel like the Homestuck cast has been being stretched thin for a while.

spoiler: they're all just alternate versions of MSPA Reader

[TC]

spoiler: they're all just alternate versions of MSPA Reader

I'd cry from the lack of innovation. I'd actually cry.

[RoseBot]

Honestly, I think Rose could potentially be one of the coolest villains Homestuck has ever had. Between being nearly omniscient with her seer powers, access to powerful offensive dark magic, and significant physical prowess (the fact that she just stabbed an ogre in the eyes and rode it down a waterfall is still fucking awesome to me. The girl's got power.) she has all the makings of someone that could be incredibly difficult to defeat. Her main downfall is that she's a very emotional and impulsive person, which means she can be manipulated if you know what you're doing.

[Generalrabogolfo]

Woah hold on, doc is not the one pulling the strings in PQ? Wasn't he the one who forced MSPA to return to Vriska?

[deadlyAdder]

Woah hold on, doc is not the one pulling the strings in PQ? Wasn't he the one who forced MSPA to return to Vriska?

Maybe..? I don't recall that, though. Pretty sure MSPA reader used their powers to get back. And yes, Doc Scratch says he's not the one pulling the strings and that he actually has no idea who is.

[Generalrabogolfo]

Woah hold on, doc is not the one pulling the strings in PQ? Wasn't he the one who forced MSPA to return to Vriska?

Maybe..? I don't recall that, though. Pretty sure MSPA reader used their powers to get back. And yes, Doc Scratch says he's not the one pulling the strings and that he actually has no idea who is.

Just rewatched it. Turns out it was neither! He was just dreaming apparently. And there´s some implication he might be a fragment of mspar imagination(?) I don´t know what to think anymore...

[Cheshire_Creeper]

Yeah
I think there's going to be a new first guardian and new characters (obviously) and new alien species because the Bonus Updates on Patron specifically state that there will be "Notes on the New World the Story Takes Place in"
so atleast
It ain't gonna be all Earth C Nonsense
New Characters New Romance System(?) New First Guardian New Sprites New Lands New...everything.
Basically, it's gonna be Homestuck 2

[TC]

New Romance System(?)

Please god no not again.

[Cheshire_Creeper]

New Romance System(?)

Please god no not again.

I mean, probably they *will* do that again, because of the reaction that you just had. OR they explain fully the leprechaun romance system, which they *totally* should do.

[Darth_Energon]

I speculate it's going to be annoying meta wankery.

[deadlyAdder]

I speculate it's going to be annoying meta wankery.

why is there no upvote feature?? *shakes fist at ClasspectAnon*

[TC]

I speculate it's going to be annoying meta wankery.

why is there no upvote feature?? *shakes fist at ClasspectAnon*

This isn't Reddit, this is America!

[ThePungeonMaster]

Ultimate Dirk isn't going to end up being the BBEG:
Let me explain.
I've seen a lot of people in the Dirkourse thread saying that Dirk post epilogues ruined his arc, and I'm inclined to agree with that. Dirk's entire struggle was him separating himself from his splinters like Bro, and AR, who he saw as obnoxious, abusive, manipulative, and even evil. And yes, him wanting to attain ultimate self, fully reuniting with all his shitty splinters is a complete 180 from his goal in Homestuck. But it's more interesting to ask why that happened than to simply state that Dirk's arc got thrown out the window. We already know that the change to Dirk's personality wasn't done just to make Dirk a villain, as brain ghost Dirk in candy isn't the massive puppeteering asshole we see in meat, so it's evident the writers have special plans for the particular iteration we see in meat besides just turning him into a villain. It has some storytelling significance for Dirk to embrace his role as a villain.
In fact, I'd say his turn towards villainy is a result of him achieving ultimate self, not that him achieving ultimate self is a result of him suddenly turning into a villain. The fact that Bro, AR, and all other Dirk variations and splinters have been melded into his consciousness is likely what made him think that assuming the role of a hero is impossible: That he's too far gone, and that villainy is the only path, the only way out.
So I believe that Dirk is being manipulated by someone who has stake in keeping the story going, a villain unbeknownst to us but obsessed with relevance nonetheless. We already know that Dirk achieving ultimate self was done under special, unknown, conditions, as he was the only one to keep his human form, the first one to do it, and the only character we don't get to see do it. This paired with the fact that, as discussed earlier, I don't think Dirk would even want to achieve ultimate self willingly.

[PilotBlackSmith]

I'm scared shitless of the new aliens because with optimisticDuelist on the team, we might be getting alien furries

[rubs juice]

I'm scared shitless of the new aliens because with optimisticDuelist on the team, we might be getting alien furries

>implying that's a bad thing

four alien races are already based off insects/amphibians/reptiles. Mammals are just the next logical step.

[VASKA]

I'm scared shitless of the new aliens because with optimisticDuelist on the team, we might be getting alien furries

I do think you're correct, but that's not a bad thing. Look, we all know Homestuck has a long, mutually reciprocated relationship with furries. Dave has a fursona, Jade and Davepeta are fursonas, and the consorts are basically scalies. I would be so disappointed if we don't get a furry species.

Besides, the only fanspecies, to my knowledge, that ever really took off was the adlets from synodic reboot. The furry formula works.

[rookie1978]

Dirk ends up not being the primary antagonist, and a new antagonist is revealed ingame. Dirk eventually relinquishes his 'villain' title once he sees the chance, but most characters won't accept him as a hero again.
The new sburb session will introduce a new jack noir but he won't be an overarching 'bad guy' like Bec Noir did, and he probably won't be as relevant as Slick either.
Jack's agents will end up swept under the rug like usual.
We may or may not end up seeing prospit's archagent.
There may not be a new alien race, but there probably will be more cherubs.
There's a sly off-hand reference to MSPA reader eventually, but he won't be a main character.
John's dead body is either getting revived or prototyped into a sprite. Otherwise there's no reason to have it.
Brain Ghost Dirk is still influenced by the 'main' narrative Dirk.
Inevitably, we're given more Sburb knowledge and game functions. Dirk's new session will introduce new features. Probably some kind of new game plus mode.
We're especially given more information on Cherubs and Cherub artifacts. Dirk ultimately plays a role in their mythology, explaining his unbreakable katana apparently being a cherub weapon.
We're still never told what 'created' sburb.

If dirk's session is the one that made the trolls and it all its in a troll->human->dirk->troll paradox i'm going to cry and murder Hussie with my own two hands.