#// given the mini game for that is ''team based''

[acuteobserv4tion]

Idea for a future Shadow, Amy, and Rouge movie/mini series/ TV special that would take place after the 4th movie.

Spoilers: You know the drill

They combine the Team Dark plotline from Sonic Heroes with the Black Doom stuff from the Shadow the Hedgehog game.

I think we all know an amnesia plotline would be pointless in the movies. So instead, how about they finally introduce Rouge. We can't have her working for GUN in her debut since they just keep leaving a stink on the Sonic cinematic universe.

Amy finds Shadow, and she drags him around, kind of like she did to Silver. We dont know where Shadow landed. She reminds him of Maria, and he takes Sonic's advice about new love and finding family to heart. Just taking the natural route for their dynamic that Sega refused to expand on.

He follows her, mostly quiet, mostly observing. Amy engages with him. Just full of energy, being herself. Not a one to one of Maria, but more casual. Amy is just enjoying the world. A world Shadow never got to experience.

And Amy takes care of Shadow, holding his hand, answering his call. She doesn't even know she's doing it. That's just who she is. Shadow occasionally recoils from the light coming off her. Maria's light. The story would be about that connection and helping Shadow adjust.

Rouge gets introduced as someone drawn to the explosion of chaos energy in space like Knuckles and Tails were. My original thought was that she was searching for the Master Emerald, too. But that might have to change.

There was no Space Colony Ark. So, how would Gerald and Black Doom have communicated without a fuss? Maybe Black Doom had an envoy?

Perhaps Rouge's people could be servants traveling across the Galaxy under orders. Minor scouts. Expendable. Only given minimal information for their tasks. But Rouge is a sneaky creature, lasting this long due to cunning and gathering info.

When Gerald's Eclipse Cannon goes off, the Black Arms recognize the energy as their creation. They send Rouge to check it out. Rouge would be the B plot. Keeping track of her progress with Amy and Shadow in the background.

She arrives at the military base. Finds it empty. She doesn't pay mind to the wreckage like Sonic would. She goes through the tunnels.

Back to Amy and Shadow: Eventually, as they traveled the world together (with Shadows' underlying angst), Shadow tells Amy that he needs to get/do something. Something important. Something he didn't think he would need to before. (After all, the plan was for everyone to die, including him and Gerald)

Amy being Amy says she'll go with him. If he'll let her. She knows he's not telling her everything. But she's willing to wait.

When they get to the base, Amy sticks by his side, looking around, because this was his home. Shadow is still pained. Maybe he tells Amy that he had a friend here.

Rouge's presence is made known. This infuriates Shadow like it did when Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails intruded. Like a tormented ghost haunting a grave site. His energy starts bouncing off him, and Rouge recognizes it from what she saw when receiving her mission.

Rouge is caught. So, of course, Rouge blends in, like she always has. She engages with Shadow and Amy.

She plays herself off as a treasure hunter/explorer. Someone searching for rare artifacts and specimens, but was drawn in by the massive energy beam that came from this planet a while back. Saying she came to learn what it was.

Of course, Shadow is hesitant to say anything about that to either of the girls. Though Rouge already suspects that he's the result of Black Arms DNA.

They explore past the tunnels. I believe they would find a robot friend down there. A seemingly unfinished thing that reminds Amy of the metal hedgehogs she fought before. Only closer in design to the egg bots. Almost like a prototype, but not quite.

Shadow knows what it is. Another Gerald Robotnik discovery. (Opens up a future for Gamma and Omega after the Metal Sonic stuff. Personally, I think Gamma)

Maybe they come across the Biolizard down there. Dead or barely alive. Resting, possibly. Or Shadow simply has a flashback of the Biolizard hanging on to life, that he wasn't the only one confined to this place. Possible Shadow feelings on his predecessors?

Rouge is smoothly digging through old Project Shadow files the whole journey, but still being, well, Rouge.

Amy is unsure about the bat. Maybe even confronts Rouge at one point, saying that if this goes bad for him or Shadow is hurt in any way, she'll have to answer to Amy Rose. Protective of this quiet, overwhelmed boy that she found.

Of course, Rouge isn't nearly as repentant(yet) on the other side of Amy's little confrontation

We keep searching. Shadow learns about and recognizes the horrors of Gerald's experiments. What it may have taken to complete him. He doubts his own purpose. Emotional support hedgehog Amy Rose works to put a stop to that.

We only saw his eyes surrounded by rock, and he said he had no memories beyond earth.

We learn about the Black Arms. Why even the doctors looked at Shadow the way they did. Maybe Shadow wasn't fully formed when he crashed on earth. Why? Where did he come from? What did he come from?

Rouge is suave while she guides them in the direction of Shadow's past. Amy tells him he doesn't need to do this if he's not ready. Shadow has no idea where he came from, how he got here.

Well, now is his chance to know.

So, they go run across the world using Rouge's rings. The current GUN doesn't have the answers. They search through Walter's old stuff.

And that's how Shadow would learn about Black Doom. What deal was it that Gerald made.

Maria didn't seem to be sick in the movie, and there was no indication whatsoever that Shadow was ever going to be used for cures or medicine. The only thing we know is that they were obsessed with his energy.

What is Rouge's Endgame? Is she supposed to bring Shadow back with her? Is she meant to trigger something? Is there a beacon? Are the Black Arms coming here?

So yeah, that's my theory.

Hopefully, Shadow will be with his girls at some point, having an arc.

[mcytblraufest]

MCYTBLR AU Fest: General Rules and FAQ

TIMELINE: 

May 4: Discord opens at 0:00, Artist creation starts. May 30-31: Artists with a finished piece of Art can sign up, submitting their work for claims. May 31: Artist creation period ends at midnight. June 2-4: Writers can claim art and be assigned to Teams. June 6-7: Writers who wish to be assigned a Beta Reader can sign up (this is optional) June 9-10: Beta Writers can claim writers/art and be assigned to Teams June 29-30: Check-in #1 July 13-14: Check-in #2 July 26: Writer creation period ends at midnight. Unless you have an extension, you must be fully ready to post at this point. July 27: Posting period begins at 0:00 August 2: Extension period ends. Unless you are a pinch hitter, you must be fully ready to post at this point. August 9: Posting Period ends. All work must be completely posted by midnight.

ABOUT:

MCYTBLR AU Fest is a mini reverse-big-bang event where artists and writers work together in teams to make stories and art inspired by MCYT and set in an Alternate Universe.

EXPECTATION: 

Artists must make a completed Art piece. Writers must deliver a story of at least 5k words, inspired by the art they signed up for. Dark or triggering topics or themes must be tagged for.

RULES:

You must be a member of the discord, for team matching.

Because of Tumblr, Ao3 and Discord TOS, you must be 13 to participate.

Respect your fellow participants, even when you disagree on fandom matters

You agree to work together with your teammate(s) to make a piece of art and a fic together, and link to each other's works.

All works must be MCYT-centric and set in an AU— no canon-compliance. 

No AI-Generated content.

LINKS:

Discord: Here Ao3 Collection: Here

FAQ:

What is MCYTBLR AU Fest? MCYTBLR AU Fest is a reverse minibang-type event where writers and artists come together to create fanworks centred on MCYT and set in an alternate universe from canon.

How does it work? Artists will have a month to complete an art piece. After a month, once the art is complete, they will submit the art, with information about server, characters, relationships, and any warnings they are opting into, which will be posted anonymously for writers to view and claim, first-come-first-serve. Teams are assigned by mods, and then writers will have two months of creation time to make a pice inspired by the work (minimum 5k words).

What type of MCYT is included? We welcome creations based on any SMP, whether or not they have a canon tag on Ao3. Mianite, DSMP, QSMP, Hermitcraft, 3rd Life, Lifesteal, Witchcraft SMP— it’s all welcome. 

Can I join if my Art is a Game/Web Weave? We welcome all types of art— web weave, game, traditional art, original songs, videos, etc. While the list is not exhaustive, we have outlined some of the baseline expectations for an art piece below.

What are the requirements for art? It is difficult to define precise expectations for art pieces, especially given the broad realm of things that could count as art. We are primarily looking for art that is complete to a level that you would normally post as "finished", ready to inspire a fic piece of 5k or more, containing an audio or visual component beyond the confines of the written word, that does not take more than an hour to consume. While you will have the opportunity to include your understanding of the world in things such as if the relationships depicted are romantic or not, the art piece must stand alone without explanatory text or extra worldbuilding.

The defined requirements for different forms of art are:

Digital or Traditional art: one piece, completed to whatever you would normally post as "finished", ready to inspire a fanfic.

Web Weaves: a web weave of at least ten elements, original or properly credited.

Video/animatic: a video at least 30 seconds long.

Other Art Form: other art forms such as fan games or original songs would fall under this category. If you wanted to sign up with an Other art form, you need to contact the mod team and work out what minimum expectations would be for your art.

Is shipping allowed? Yes. Because there is no broad fandom-wide consensus about how Creator boundaries are to be enforced in specific cases (whether it's okay to write beeduo as /r or /p is an obvious one, or whether it’s permitted to ship Joel Smallishbeans) or between specific fandoms (Lifesteal approach to shipping and boundaries is different from HBG is different from DSMP), the mods will not be policing any specific understanding of boundaries across the event. The event's motivating ethos is Don't Like Don't Read, in that artists will be able to specify for themselves if a given relationship is to be interpreted as romantic or platonic, and writers will choose to opt into that, and NSFW will have to be specifically opted into on both sides.

Is NSFW allowed? Yes. NSFW works are allowed, but must be opted into, both in terms of viewing art and in terms of creating fic. No one under 18 is permitted to opt into NSFW and attempts to do so will be grounds for a ban from this event and anywhere else the mod team touches. For the comfort of the greatest number of participants, and to conform with Tumblr TOS, anything with the tags Underage or Incest will not be permitted to be part of the event. 

Are major archive warnings (noncon/graphic depictions of violence/MCD) allowed? Aside from the content rules governing NSFW (no underage or incest, for the comfort of the greatest number of participants), major archive warnings are allowed. Depictions of real life horrors such as genocide and slavery are not-uncommon motifs in MCYT fics, and the mod team is not interested in legislating which types of horrors, griefs or abuses are inherently worse than others and are therefore off-limits. Because holding writing to a quality standard or saying only survivors can write atrocities is unworkable from a moderation standpoint, the three mentioned major archive warnings (MCD, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Noncon), are permitted to be included.

However, Major Archive Warnings must be explicitly opted into by the artist, and writers are free to not include Major Archive Warnings that their artist has permitted. Delivering un-asked for major archive warnings is grounds for a ban from this event. The mod team reserves the right to warn other mod teams on both the MCYT and Multi-fandom side about your bad behaviour.

What kind of an information will I provide as an Artist? How long or detailed? Artists will be able to specify

the server their art takes place on

the characters in the work

whether the relationships in the work are romantic, platonic, or could be interpreted either way

if they are okay with NSFW work

what age group of people they are okay working with

the type of AU it is

any content warnings present in the work already (i.e. gore, eyestrain, child death)

if the work is nsfw

any major archive warnings they are okay with happening in the story

common fandom themes and/or triggering content that they are okay with happening in the story.

A DNW

What sort of fandom themes will I specify? While this will not be an exhaustive list of every possible triggering concept, the mods want artists to be able to specify if they are okay with dynamics that circulate in the fandom that may be triggering or people simply may have strong opinions on, and for writers to be able to sort by that. Some of the themes include domestic abuse, alcoholism, family dynamics, pregnancy, dubcon, torture, body horror, dehumanization, child death, non-consensual touching, drugging, etc.

What is a DNW?

Artists will have the opportunity to fill out a DNW, which stands for Do Not Want. This is anything that has the potential to ruin a fic for you, and is where you opt out of content that would trigger, squick, or just render the gift unreadable for you. DNWs must be phrased politely, (so no "No foster aus because they suck and you suck if you like them"), and they must be reasonable, (so no "no blood/injury" if the art depicted shows injury, and no attempting to box someone into a specific gift beyond what is depicted in the art, so no "dnw anything that isn't a modern au where scar is a theatre teacher and grian is a biology teacher and they live in a city named hermitopia and grian has a situationship with mumbo and scarian has a rivalry at a coffee shop for the half-price muffins and jellie has psychic powers she's manipulating the muffin market with" if that is not clear from the art), and they must be specific and clear, (so no “no triggering content"), but they can be as petty (disliking 1st person) or as broad-reaching (no modern aus, no specific ships not depicted, no crossovers with specific servers or fics) as you like. Deliberately breaking someone's DNW is grounds for a ban from the exchange. 

Is Dark/Violent content allowed? As long as it is something that the artist has not opted out of, yes. For many of us, the source material that originally drew us to the fandom includes major character death, torture, murder-for-hire, death games, public executions, child death and more. The fanfiction that arose from the source material follows in that trend. We will allow dark content to be part of the event, but it must be tagged for. 

We also ask that participants use best judgement in delivering commonly triggering topics un-asked for. We reserve the right to ban people at mod's discretion for delivering unrequested triggering content, under the "do not be an asshole" rule.

Moreover, if your fic is rated E for any reason, (including violence or gore) your entire team must be 18+.

How can I get involved? You can participate in this event as a:

Author

Artist

Pinch Hitter

Beta Reader

You can even sign up for multiple roles, as long as you’re very sure you can make your deadlines!

What is a Pinch Hitter? A pinch hitter is a person who saves the day and steps in when the original creator is unable to deliver their work for whatever reason, making a new work on an accelerated timeline. You must reach the minimum word count of 5k. . 

When do I have to join the discord? You have the option to join the dicord and hang out as soon as creation starts on May 4, and if you are an artist, you must join before sign-ups close on May 31. If you are a writer, you must join the discord before claims begin on June 1st. If you are a Beta Reader, we'd ask that you join before claims begin on June 9th.

How does team assignment/claims work? We will release a document with all the art pieces linked in it, and 24 hours afterwards we will release a sign-up form. Writers will be expected to list out out a top-five of artists they want to work with, and mods will match writers with art on a first-come-first-served basis.

How does Beta Reader assignment work? Shortly after writer sign-ups end, writers who wish to sign up for Beta Readers will be able to do so. In a similar way to how writers claimed art, beta readers will be given a list of summaries and then, 24 hours later, will be able to submit a short list of fics they want to help work on. Beta readers will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

What happens if there are more artists than authors, or more authors than artists? If there are more writers, some artists will be assigned multiple writers. If there are more artists, we will put in place a question where writers can specify that they’d be willing to make multiple pieces, and a (hopefully small) number of writers would be assigned multiple teams. 

What if all the artists I list have already been assigned? If every artist you wish to opt into has already been assigned, mods will contact you and ask if you wish to be matched to people who have not yet been claimed. You will then be able to choose if you wish to claim other teams, or wait and hope that there will be more writers than artists, and multiple writers on a team will be opened up. If that happens, you can re-submit your list and be assigned as a writer to one of your original artists.

I’m in [insert time zone here]. What if I’m not awake when claims open? There will be a spot to input your time zone in the discord. Mods will try to open the claims at a time that works for as many writers as possible. The art pieces will also be available for 24 hours before claims so that everyone can view them and pick out the ones that are the most interesting to them. We will aim for claims to open between 7 a.m. and 1 a.m. for as many writers as possible across all time zones. If claims fall outside that zone for you, you’ll be able to contact a mod and we’ll work out an alternative method for claims for you. 

I don’t know what time zone I’m in? Go to timeanddate.com and enter the nearest major city, and it will tell you your current time zone.

What’s a check-in and how do they work? Check-ins are there to make sure everyone is on track to finish their piece in time, and to communicate any issues with the mods! If you know that you won’t be able to check in on a specific date (lack of internet, etc), please contact the mods in advance.

How long should my fic be? The minimum word count is 5,000 words! There is no maximum word count, but we ask you to be mindful of how much you can actually create in these two months. 

If I wrote a multi-chapter work, do I have to have it all posted by the end of Posting Period? You must post your work in its entirety by the end of the two-week posting period.

What does AU mean in this context? AU stands for Alternate Universe and in this case means anything that would make the work not able to be tagged as canon compliant. Alternate endings, role reversals, complete setting or plot swaps, and crossovers all count. As this is a fest specifically to celebrate AUs, we ask that the AU be a significant and celebrated part of the work, not something that could be skipped if you aren’t paying attention. 

Can I create two fics for my artist? Absolutely! There is no maximum for number of fics you want to create, but again, be mindful of not biting off more than you can chew two months of creation time.  Can I post just the first chapter of a longer fic/Can I use AI to help me with my piece? All fics must be complete (no missing chapters or truncated scenes) and created specifically for this event, inspired by the art claimed at the beginning of the creation period. Writers and Artists must create their work themself. Works may not be wholly or partially created by generative text or art programs (so-called "AI") such as chatGPT or OpenArt.ai. Works may not be wholly or partially duplicated from other works, and may not contain substantial repeated material included in an effort to boost word count (such as paragraphs or comics panels that are copied with minor variations).

Can I sign up with two pieces of art? You are welcome to sign up as part of the fest with multiple art pieces. However, if you do so, we will ask that you prioritize which art piece you want to be matched on first, and you will only receive a match to your secondary art piece after everyone else has an writer. We’re going to proritize every particpant getting a team before we prioritize every art piece getting a team.

Can I sign up with a multi-piece art piece? If you want to sign up with a web weave that features multiple panels, a long video, a long comic, a series of connected art pieces, a song cycle, or any other more complex/more ornate work, you are welcome to. We just ask that you make sure you can complete your art piece during the month of artist creation time, and keep in mind that if your piece is sufficiently complex, that might restrict the writers who are able to sign up for your piece. But if you think you can pull it off, then go for it.

Can I sign up with a writing buddy— as part of a collab team? You are welcome to sign up as a collaborative team, either an art team or a writing team! We ask that you make sure you work together well, and when you sign up for an team, you must declare that you’re a duo, so people know that they’ll be getting multiple team members and not one. 

Can I submit an art piece that is part of a larger AU? All art pieces must stand alone, so you can't have it that your writer has to consider other art pieces to make a work. The art must also be made specifically for the event. We ask that you not submit an art piece that was made prior to the event, or one that is part of an au you've posted about so often that it will effectively de-anon you. Brainstorming or sketching early is fine.

Once my art piece is done, when can I post it? Art and fic should be posted together, during the Posting Period at the beginning of August. Once you have your art done, you'll have to hold onto it for another two months, while your writer is working.

What if I need to drop out? It is your responsibility to communicate with us if you need to drop out of the event for any reason, and we do need that communication. We know that life is no respecter of fic and art deadlines, so no hard feelings if something happens. However, we would hate for any artist to end up having no fic for their art, so please think about this if you are thinking of dropping out close to reveals. Dropping out after the last check-in without informing the mods will result in not being permitted to take part in further events run by this mod team.

I have a question not answered here? Send us an ask on tumblr, contact @antimony-medusa on tumblr or discord!

[noodlesarecheese]

The last couple seasons of Game Changer, the finales have been versions/parodies/twists of reality game shows/competitions. Now, there's no telling whether that trend will continue or not but that's not going to stop me from predicting/pitching potential finales. Sam, if you're reading this and one of these inspires you, feel free to grab it and run.

Naked and Afraid - Now, you may be wondering how they would do this. Yeah, dropout's a streaming service so they could do nudity or censored/implied nudity, and I'm sure there are dropout cast member who would be down but it's not quite the vibe. So what's the twist - Costumed and Afraid. The contestants are given VIP-style makeovers and have to do some sort of challenges, presumably in character. I'm imagining a zombie apocalypse nerf battle or perhaps a team-based laser tag thing. Is this just survivor with costumes? Maybe.

Cluedonnit? - They've already done a murder mystery and it's an excellent episode but let's be real since then Game Changer has gotten so much bigger. They have so many options now! They rented out part of a hotel for Ratfish surely they could rent a hotel ballroom for a murder mystery masquerade! I'm thinking it would work kinda like a game of werewolf or mafia, perhaps with mini games or challenges to earn clues, and in a perfect world Rekha would be in this episode because the fear of being in a more elaborate truman show would create some incredibly funny moments.

Real Cast Members of Dropout - Wait, Real Housewives isn't a game show, what's the meaning of this? Imagine, if you will, some of Dropout's biggest personalities, where the game is to be as big and dramatic as possible (with like, ground rules and safety measures to make sure nobody actually hurts anyone else). They could be characters, they could be themselves, the sky is the limit. A variation of this could be Big Brother themed.

Dropout Drag Race - I think this one speaks for itself tbh. Hosted/judged by some of the queens Dropout has worked with/is currently working with. A variation on this could be America's Next Top Model themed, but that's not as exciting.

[eurothug4000]

INTERVIEW WITH TOMM HULETT - SENIOR ASSOCIATE PRODUCER ON SILENT HILL DOWNPOUR

As part of my video on Silent Hill Downpour, Tomm kindly agreed to be interviewed! A big thank you to him for providing insight on the making of this title :)

Q1 - What led to deciding that open world aspects would be included in Downpour? Was it the trend of games at the time or was there something else that influenced this?

I had several aspects of the original SH games that I kept championing for the new ones, and one aspect was how much of SH1 was exploring the town itself. It was (relatively) huge! SH2 had a smaller more focused set of “town” areas, and then SH3 reused those. Origins brought it back to a degree but there wasn’t very much to do beyond the main quest.

Another thing I loved was how the notes in the original games would often mention characters or side stories that were not part of the main quest but definitely contributed to the atmosphere and creepiness. Lastly, as you said, open world games like GTA3 were cropping up all over. So these three factors all coalesced to become Downpour’s big explorable town filled with optional side quests that told little mini stories. But to be clear – we were not asked “can you put in something modern like Open World?” It’s more like what we wanted to accomplish with the town and sidequests made sense in an open world context, and then that created an exciting bullet point for marketing organically.

Q2 - Was there ever supposed to be a UFO ending? If yes, was there a rough outline for it?

We were not planning a specific “UFO” ending and I don’t actually recall why. We did plan for a joke ending, which turned into the happy birthday surprise. Or, it’s possible we planned for a UFO ending but someone came up with that instead and we just went with it, due to the nice escaping prison aspect of it.

I do know we wanted a wide variety of ending types, like the original games had, which is how we ended up with cool twists like the Anne/Murphy prison swap, etc.

Q3 - How did you get Korn on board for the theme?

When we got the unfortunate news we could not involve Akira Yamaoka, we knew that finding a worthy replacement for the game’s score was job # 1, and we were fortunate enough to be connected with Daniel Licht who did an amazing job matching the mood of Silent Hill with his own style.

But another big aspect of the SH music is the attract mode video, along with a rock song. Of course Yamaoka-san had always handled this as well, along with Mary Elizabeth McGlynn. Since this was kind of up in the air, our licensing department wanted to find a good licensing partner that might extend the awareness of Silent Hill beyond its core audience, but still sounded brand-appropriate.

A lot of different artists were discussed, but in the end, Korn made the most sense due to a variety of factors I can’t really get into. However one key factor was tailoring the lyrics to Silent Hill Downpour, rather than just being given an unreleased B-side as-is.

Q4 - The architecture (more so interior) style in Downpour feels very unique compared to the other SH games. Slightly gothic, almost like fancy buildings in New York - especially those apartments and office buildings! Although once I learned that the development team was based in the Czech Republic, I felt like maybe that was a big influence. What was the thought process behind going for this different style of environment?

I think a lot of this is, as you said, the Czech influence. Western Europe and North America have enough common threads I think it’s probably more similar than we realize if that is our whole sphere of reference. And obviously game players are familiar with Japan through games (Yakuza and Persona of course, among others) but Eastern Europe is far less represented. I think that Vatra “making what they know” had a positive effect on the games visuals and ambiance. It is the most unique and interesting of the Western SH games.

I think it’s generally accepted that as a whole, western gamers prefer the original SH games, made in Japan. And it turns out, there are a lot of Japanese fans who love the Western games most (going so far as to import Homecoming!), which was an interesting thing to discover. It tells me that an important part of Silent Hill’s creepiness is that sense that something is just OFF that you can’t put your finger on, and maybe it’s a result of unconscious cultural influences creeping into the design of the town itself, then being perceived through a different cultural lens.

Q5 - What were some of the most difficult parts of developing Downpour?

A minor challenge was the fact that fear is so subjective. Between two people sure, but let alone 2 teams in different cultures. So at times there was a lot of heated discussion about what the important parts of a scare or intense moment were, and what the audience would respond to.

The biggest difficulty though was external, just knowing the feelings and expectations of the fanbase at the time. The other Western Silent Hills had their fans of course, but nothing had made a huge splash like Silent Hill 2 (which itself wasn’t popular immediately but that’s a different story entirely!) We were very proud of Shattered Memories, but that was an unconventional entry and we just really wanted Downpour to be the “HD Silent Hill” that fans deserved. We all put a lot of pressure on ourselves. However even taking a quick peek at any forum there was so much cynicism it made the work challenging. And then at some point during the final year or so of development, an infamous series of videos released and sucked up a lot of air in the room as it were.

It also ended a lot of the spirited debate that Silent Hill fans enjoyed, as there were a lot of declarations of the “true” canon or “here’s what the game is REALLY about”. Those debates were always what kept the fanbase alive and vibrant, and it was rough seeing that go away. I don’t really feel like Downpour was given its fair shake in the indepth analysis department, which I was really looking forward to seeing, during development!

Q6 - What were some of the reasons behind the enemy designs of the game? Are their appearances all stemming from Murphy’s mind and experiences? Or Anne’s too? The prisoner types felt like they could be both, but the Dolls in particular made me wonder since they feel more related to her backstory!

It is kept purposefully vague. Obviously at first you’re supposed to assume this is Murphy’s Silent Hill, and the enemies need to support that. But then when you realize this is perhaps Anne’s story that Murphy is caught up in, they can’t betray that idea either. Fortunately the two characters have a lot in common. Murphy is a father willing to do anything to avenge his child. Anne is a child willing to do anything to avenge her father. Both have failed marriages because of their trauma, and so on.

Honestly this is one of the things I was hoping to see more debate about among the fanbase!

Q7 - For the Anne’s Story comics, was that originally supposed to be the basis for DLC for the game? I saw a mention of this online but wasn’t sure how true it was! Were there plans for other DLCs too?

In the very beginning, Anne and Murphy were conceived to be a 2-player experience, so each player could see situations from a different perspective, and we could play with that idea a lot. However after a very short time we realized that idea was a bit ahead of its time, and we focused on making a solid single-player horror game, but the overall story themes remained – but obviously you see less of what Anne is actually doing moment to moment.

As we were wrapping up the game for release, there were conversations about DLC and what form that might take, and Devin and I knew instantly it would be Anne’s side of the story. I wrote up a general structure of it for internal discussions. DJ Ricks had also had a more detailed story originally, so I tried to get some of those details back in as well (when this DLC fell through, I added his story in the Book of Memories DLC – if anybody still has a Vita and wants to delve into that!)

Right around the time I was leaving Konami, there were early discussions with IDW to release a companion comic to Downpour, since Tom Waltz was their SH guy (and has gone on to write their TMNT books and many other great things. Congrats Tom!) and had also written Downpour for us. I gave him a breakdown of my ideas for key moments in Anne’s story; things like Murphy and Anne operating in different chronologies (Murphy sees Anne in the clocktower otherworld BEFORE seeing Ricks, but Anne traverses that otherworld AFTERWARD), or a drowning Anne desperately reaching out for Ricks’s hand, only to find it’s a severed hand tied to his boat.

It took a few years for that deal to come together with the right artist, but thankfully it did! It’s a great companion piece to the game – there are some new details in there that weren’t in my treatment, but it was no longer my story to tell – I experienced it as a fan.

Q8 - What is something you’ve seen players rarely notice in the game which you think is a cool detail? Can be found in the world, story, gameplay or anything!

A tangible detail might be the road signs. I spent a long time figuring out where the other districts of Silent Hill would be, as well as Ashfield, and made sure they were properly charted on the large road signs. I made a map and measured distance and everything.

Story wise, I think Murphy’s role in the story is a bit misunderstood. Many players see it as a standard tale of the town punishing our protagonist but it’s a lot more nuanced than that. Anne, I feel, is being punished, because she is out for revenge right now. Murphy already got his revenge, and dealt with the consequences, and “did his time” as it were. Yes, he has to deal with the consequences of his actions – but those are consequences caused by Sewell, and they were already in motion outside of Silent Hill.

Murphy’s journey is more akin to “Born from a Wish”, or even Eileen’s role in SH4. While most of Walter’s victims did something wrong, Eileen was marked because she was kind to him. It’s basically circumstantial. The Orphanage level is meant to be something different from a standard Silent Hill construct. The town is almost rewarding Murphy for passing a test. It gives him a key that says “Freedom" and everything we weren’t being subtle. And if you watch during the boat scene, there are clear skies ahead of Murphy (and dark storm behind Anne).

And then of course the Silent Hill ambiguity – we all know the only thing on the other side of Toluca Lake is more Silent Hill, so that’s up for debate. Again I was really excited to see how the fans dissected our story and there was never a big discourse about it.

Q9 - There’s a big stretched face with a monocle at the end of the rollercoaster section in Devil’s Pit, I couldn’t wrap my head around it (ha) but who is that/what’s their backstory? I saw somewhere mention it was supposed to be a boss which appeared in a trailer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSSoIWJPL-4) but wanted to confirm what the deal was!

Originally there was a boss encounter with JP Sater which took the form of this hideous train man creature. The goal was to have characters such as Howard and Sater, who have both accepted their places in Silent Hill, but with drastically different results.  This would be something for players to ponder and explore.

For various reasons we needed to cut this encounter, and it isn’t exactly key to the story, but we didn’t want to waste the creepy model. So we extended the mine train sequence so it could end with the reveal and taunting by Sater. I guess Murphy can be thankful that he wasn’t part of Sater’s story, so he didn’t have to overcome an enormous steamengine behemoth.

Q10 - Always love hearing about any strong memories you have working on the game, feel free to share anything that comes to mind!

Devin and I both spent a lot of time in the Czech Republic during development, both together and alone. I think a lot "clicked" for both of us early on, when Andy Pang (Producer) took us on a trip to some of the sights around Brno, which included the Punkva Caverns – the inspiration behind the Devil’s Pit.

At the bottom of the caves is a river, and your group of maybe 20 tourists board a small boat and a guide navigates you through these dimly-lit caverns. The guide was discussing that this journey changes based on rainfall, as the water level in the caves may be too high to be safe, and as he said this, we noticed the ceiling was coming AWFULLY low. Especially on the left side of the boat, where we were. In fact, we had to lean over on our neighbors to avoid it. In fact, we scraped our shoulders a bit on the rock.

Afterward we both noted that in America, they would NEVER have sailed at that water level. In fact, there would be signs and barriers preventing you from touching the rock, and the boat might even be on a track or guide of some kind, to ensure maximum safety.

We understood a lot more about Downpour’s Silent Hill after that excursion.

[benis-chillin]

IDW's Fang the Hunter and the failure of Neo-Classic Sonic

(In case you're stupid, this is an opinion piece made for discussion)

Greetings, boys and goyles. I'm Benis, otherwise known as Benis Chillin, Sonic lore enthusiast and fanfic writer. I say the latter part because I want people to know that I'm well aware that many of my criticisms are based in the fact that I'm a writer, and unlike most people, I try to run more by objective canon than my whims. I explain it more here.

And per those standards…The current state of Classic Sonic SUCKS.

Now, I am a Modern Sonic fan through and through. I LIKED the 4 main Classic games when I played through them, but Sonic Adventure was the one that truly hooked me in. The world established by that game, and the ones that followed, just have my interest more, and I would prefer things be made in service to THAT.

However, to the greater detriment of society, Sonic Generations happened, and Classic Sonic was reestablished as part of the brand after years of Modern Sonic being THE face of everything, with even collections of Classic games using Modern Sonic artwork. And with the environment of the internet in the 2010's, it's no surprise that they decided to let Classic be its own sort of "brand" with Sonic Mania(bleh)and Forces(less bleh).

But they had a fun spin on it: A split timeline.

As explained above, Classic Sonic was given his own little mini-continuity to run around in, which is actually a brilliant idea, from a brand perspective. Original Classic Sonic had the creative freedom to do whatever the heck he wanted to, since he was the main Sonic. However, new Classic material, or Neo-Classic material, as I shall now refer to it, if left in the main timeline, inherently has the “prequel” problem where things HAVE to have some kind of hook for it to really be worth having another branch of the brand available. I wouldn’t say EVERY brand has this problem, but even the most masterful uses of that format have to deal with the fact that the future is predetermined, and Neo-Classic Sonic material just does not have the leg room to work around that problem.

So, split the timeline, and just do whatever with it. It’s an AU, go nuts! Let a part of the brand reset and grow in a different way for that audience who isn’t into that Modern stuff!

And we had a promising enough start with the 30th anniversary comics! Full of interesting returns that you didn’t really see in the mainline books. Heck, we got an actual look at the design of Metal Knuckles, that was pretty rad!

Bark, Bean, and Fang also had an appearance that made their old Archie team somewhat canon, after they only appeared as illusions in Mania.  Sure, these characters were neat in the Archie comics, but getting a proper form of that in a continuity free of that Satam Stank was nice. This particular comic being a separate thing from my main love, while not diving into the weird stuff that would turn me off from it, inherently made the comic more interesting, even though I’m not much of a Classic Sonic fan.

And so this sentiment continued through the next specials, but something else began to shift on Sega’s side. The dumbassery of single timeline was stated to be the new status quo, and they started acting as such with new Sonic material.

Sonic Superstars came out, too, and my feelings on that are known. Now, after his appearance in the comics had been a bit of a treat, even if you didn't like him, Fang was in an official Sonic game again, with 3D renders to boot!

...But he was still the same jackass with barely any personality that he was before. Because Superstars was TRYING to be like 3&K with its storytelling, while lacking basically every element that made 3&K's storytelling work. Combine the lackluster story and music, both of which were caused by the idea of it being a Neo-Classic game, with the fact that the graphics were 3D, and now the question is being raised of, "Why wasn't this just a Modern Sonic game?" 

Cause from an outsider's perspective, it being a Neo-Classic game only served to hold it back in a ton of ways!

For example, the character of Trip. She seems well liked in the Sonic fanbase, but Sega's kinda funky with how they handle characters being both Classic and Modern. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Eggman, and Metal Sonic seem to be allowed to exist in both parts of the brand, but that's it. 

Knuckles Chaotix is said to be canon, but the Classic Chaotix are unlikely to appear anytime soon since Sonic Heroes soft-rebooted them. Mecha Sonic was allowed to appear in the Modern "Scrapnik Island" mini-series, but I suspect it's seen by Sega as a "modern reboot" rather than a character being allowed to co-exist between the two brands again. Heck, they didn't even have the guts to show the Classic versions of the characters during the flashbacks, even though logically, they were still referencing 3&K.

 So will Trip be allowed to appear in any meaningful way in the future? Probably not, the way things have been going.

So, if all Classic characters can only appear in Neo-Classic material, then the Neo-Classic material has to be as good as it can be, right?

Well, that's where the Fang mini comes in.

Written by Ian Flynn, who has very much been showing how utterly stretched he is across so many Sonic projects lately(even if I would still regard him as a fairly decent writer, just...Has his limits), the Fang mini is the epitome of BORING! 

The basic story is that Fang and his gang are seeking out, "The eighth Chaos Emerald," visit a few people who tell him it doesn't exist, and then Eggman sends him to deal with the Hardboiled Heavies going rogue.

Along the way, Fang is just randomly a dick to his friends, and they end up abandoning his ass at the end because this comic is, for some reason, a direct prequel to Sonic Superstars, and we apparently needed an explanation of why they weren't there?

If my summary didn't sound that bad to you, it's because you don't have to go through the grueling wait that being an IDW Sonic fan entails.

Seriously, the wait between issues of IDW Sonic has become a real problem the past few years. Ever since the Metal Virus ended, the main book has had a massive problem with pacing. 

And sure, there are arcs and ideas I like there, I AM a fan, but not a lot HAPPENS in each issue compared to earlier in the book's run. Even re-reading them, the pace is oddly slow for a book about a fast character, and the issue especially persists here...On top of the main book being paused for a bit so THIS shit could come out.

(Current arc is doing better, though, so hope they keep that up)

Issues 1&2 are wasted with Fang harassing Sonic and Knuckles for a bit that, guess what? Goes nowhere! And then we briefly divert to Fang and co. in a watery old Eggbase so Eggman can capture them and actually get the plot going…3 issues into a 4-issue mini! Then, we finally get to the main event, where all will be revealed! And…

It's the Warp Topaz from the main book. The Hardboiled Heavies found it in a cave, where nobody ELSE knew it was, so it can't be the source of the 8th Chaos Emerald rumors.

Like I told ya, that went NOWHERE!

So they fight the bland-as-shit Heavies, Fang adds the Warp Topaz to his hover bike thing, and the airship is wrecked, leaving Sonic and Tails to have no idea what just happened, their involvement being a complete wash.

And our story ends with Bark and Bean rocketing off in little hovercars that just raise the question of why they didn't use those when Fang threatened to kick them off in Issue 2, since he has no say in whether or not they launch.

I actually managed to ask Ian Flynn about this on the Bumblekast, and this was his response:

Worth noting that the final issue has an additional editor that didn't work on the previous issues. Not saying EVERYONE'S blameless in this, but if I had to choose a weak point…

This mini-series encapsulates every little issue the Neo-Classic line has had since they officially eschewed split timeline.

 It feels the need to go out of its way to explain shit that doesn’t matter, like where Bark and Bean were during Superstars, Fang having the Warp Topaz, but not using it during Superstars creates a gaping plot hole that will not wash away, and it not going away at the end brings up a lot of timeline issues that I can only hope that Knuckles special resolves! 

In fact, why didn’t HE get the mini!?

Even in his Classic state, Knuckles has a LOT more to carry a story with! From the secrets of his island, to the mysteries of his people(which Adventure and the Frontiers promo animation hinted at), to even just doing his own treasure hunts! Heck, you could even pin him against both Fang’s crew and the HBH, and you’ve got enough of a banger to hold 4 action-packed issues right there! 

But no! Instead, we get a book that seems written to depend on the personalities of the protagonists…When said protagonists barely have any personality.

Like, let’s consider Team Chaotix from Sonic Heroes ALONE. Vector is the loud, bombastic leader with a love of music, and true detective skills, as showcased by him figuring out that their employer was Eggman on his own by Rail Canyon. Espio is the disciplined, if a bit full of himself, ninja, taking down the bad guys with stealth and precision, while also being somewhat melodramatic. And Charmy is the excitable ADHD kid of the group who may occasionally want to go off-track and play around in the giant casino area.

These characters are simple, yet so full of personality that you immediately like them(unless you’re a 2010’s YouTuber). THESE guys can hold a narrative.

By comparison, what do Fang’s gang have after 3 comic appearances and Sonic Superstars?

Fang is a hired goon who has goons, Bean is “funny” bomb man, and Bark is the silent strong guy with a soft spot.

That is really it.

And this was FINE back when they were still in “Sega forgot us” territory. Being obscure oddities that we would rarely get in stories actually did a lot of heavy lifting for their more limited personalities. Despite what the current writers seem to feel about such limits, judging by Silver and Blaze's current "vacations" in the main book, characters being rarer can actually endear you to them.

But now, these guys aren't really that rare. In fact, I’d say they’re about equal to Team Chaotix in terms of mass media exposure within the past 5 years, and they’re considerably lacking in comparison. 

Hell, even compared to the characters created RECENTLY in IDW and the Modern games, they're pretty lackluster. Yet I'm supposed to care about these assholes just as much as those guys?

Which, really, is how ALL of the Neo-Classic media feels these days.

Look, I get that Neo-Classic Sonic media doesn’t want to step on the toes of Modern Sonic. I do. But I really think it needs a good shake-up.

Quit treating it like it’s this special thing, because it isn’t anymore. Find a more solid identity for this branch of Sonic if you want it to survive, cause THIS doesn’t cut it anymore.

AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT TIMELINE SPLIT ESTABLISHED IN A MAINLINE GAME, DAMNIT! THERE’S A STORY IN UNDOING THAT! TELL IT, OR I WILL!

[lastchancestardomm]

The Guard Dog.

Created by Pyanodon, the Guard Dog is an unofficial fanmade 10th player class. It was mentioned by Valve in a blog post, written as if it were a letter from Saxton Hale, on September 21st, 2009.

The Guard Dog resembles a German Shepherd in appearance, with a dark muzzle and ears, white underbelly, and fluffy tail. The Guard Dog has hazel-colored eyes. It wore an either red or blue shirt, with its class icon of a dog's head on the left side of its chest.

Personally, on the topic of its design, I would have given the Guard Dog a black collar, and have its class icon dangle from the collar like a dog tag.

The Guard Dog has 100HP, and 185HP when overhealed. The Guard Dog had three main weapons in its original concept.

The Hanger, resembling the mini-sentry turrets, is mounted on the back of the Guard Dog, consisting of twin turrets either red or blue in color. These turrets extended out to either side of the Guard Dog. It has a fast fire rate and middling range. The Hanger has around 100 rounds of ammo before needing to be restocked. It has a similar model view as D.Va's mech (Overwatch) while playing.

The Helper is a light-colored wooden crate mounted on the back of the Guard Dog. While the Helper is equipped, the Guard Dog cannot attack or deal damage. The Helper allows the Guard Dog to pick up Medkits and ammo restocks, and pass them to its teammates. The Helper can also grab metal and pass it to teammate Engineers.

The Hater is a melee weapon, consisting of two red or blue boosters mounted on the back of the Guard Dog, boosting its running speed for a short burst. The Hater enables a melee attack known as Bite, where the Guard Dog lunges for an enemy and bites them, with a 90% chance to bleed.

Paired with the Hanger, Helper, and Hater, was the Guard Dog's ability "Track 'N' Down", wherein it could track down an enemy's ragdoll or weapon and highlight them when they respawn, even if they change class or are disguised. Only two enemies can be highlighted at a time, and the highlight ceases after fifteen seconds.

There was also a partner taunt created for the Guard Dog in which it would dispense a jarate to a teammate Sniper.

Meet the Team video — Meet the Guard Dog

From This Point On Are Some Headcanons:

——————————————————————————

~ I am not related to or have connections with anyone associated with the Guard Dog. I will private this post if anyone from the Guard Dog team asks.

~ Some weeks after the team was assembled, still trying to get used to each other's presence, the dynamic was shuffled after a particularly jittery crate was rolled in by Miss Pauling.

~ Contained within the excitable crate was a bright, energetic, and yippie German Shepherd giddily jumping onto each Merc trying to get a good sniff of their scent and a slobbery lick on their face. The poor dog was running itself in circles trying to meet everyone!

~ Scout was ecstatic to have a dog, immediately jumping onto it and wrestling the furball to the ground with bellyrubs and particularly squeaky-voiced praise. That didn't mean he was going to take part in any of the responsibilities, though, besides the occasional game of tug-of-war and fetch.

~ Soldier was completely opposed to the Guard Dog's presence, drilling into Miss Pauling for inviting a mutt into the base... for twelve seconds, until the mutt in question licked his face. From then on, it was a common sight to see Soldier and the Guard Dog together; training, fighting, playing, you name it. He's also the pooch's provider of table scraps.

~ Pyro acts much like a child around the Guard Dog. He tends to pull on and fold its ears, as well as chase the poor thing around the base as it whines begging the masked blob behind it to stop chasing it. He would've also made a habit of feeding the doggo his candy if it weren't for Engineer.

~ Demoman, in a similar vein to Scout, was quite excited for the addition of a dog. He and Soldier spoil it rotten, and not a day goes by in the Guard Dog's life where it doesn't get at least two treats from Demoman. He also insisted the dog sleep in Sniper's dorm, since he doesn't use it, instead of just a bed in Engineer's workshop. That dog was treated better by Demoman than most of the other Mercs.

~ Heavy doesn't have any particularly strong feelings about the Guard Dog. On the other hand, when its not being showered in kisses, love, and praise by Soldier; it often is following Heavy, and weaving through his legs. This is most likely the Guard Dog hoping for Heavy to sit down, because the big Russian makes a pretty good bed. Oh, and also probably begging for a chunk of his sandwich.

~ To everyone's mild shock, Engineer doesn't really treat the dog like a friend or teammate; he treats it like a dog. He's the canine's caregiver; taking it outside, giving it baths, regulating its diet according to the file Miss Pauling gave them, all the fun at the fair. He admits that its a good dog, but its still a dog.

~ Medic was incredibly offended by the addition of a mutt to the base, shrugging off the pooch's attempts at affection and hurrying off to secure his doves. He doesn't need a slobbery, mud-playing, stinky cretin jumping up and snapping at his precious doves. So, to keep it brief, Medic hates the dog.

~ Sniper, like Heavy, was pretty neutral in regards to the Guard Dog. He was overwhelmed by its excitable nature and insistence to cover his face in slobber, but the initial shock wore off and he's found himself playing fetch with the dog on the regular. He appreciates the dog's role and skills, and when no one is looking, he'll give it some bellyrubs.

~ Spy shrieked like a small girl, giving Scout a run for his money, when the Guard Dog tried to jump onto him and give him love. He is weary around the pooch, and constantly gets caught off guard when it comes barreling around the corner with Pyro in tow. He wants to like it, but why does it have such sharp teeth? Does it have to bark so loud? Why is it so slobbery??

~ Miss Pauling, as usual, was pretty neutral towards the Guard Dog. It is a pain when she visits and gets pounced on by its dirty paws and slobbery kisses, but that's just what she has to expect. It is kind of cute, though, she has to admit.

~ The Guard Dog is extremely melodramatic. If you were to pull out finger-guns on the dog, it will play along and flop over "dead". During baths, it will howl its canine lungs out, whining and woofing loudly until the bath is over. Following the bath is a 15-minute period of pure chaos, a "furnado", where the pooch will run around frantically; and shake off everywhere whenever it stops to take a breath.

~ It is cartoonishly smart, similarly to the titular Tom and Jerry. Spy has first-hand knowledge of this intelligence, after witnessing the animal seemingly pick up on how to play a simple game of checkers. While some chips got lost in its gullet, it somehow managed to play fairly well. Still doesn't change Spy's preconceived notion of the pooch, though.

~ Medic has regularly found Eudoxes, his blind dove, snuggled up to the Guard Dog. Eudoxes often hangs out with Demoman, and with Demoman hanging out with the Guard Dog, the two animals have crossed paths. Due to the dove's blindness, it can't tell that the warm fuzzy body it has cozied up to is a big dog. Medic finds the sight cute, but refuses to admit it, and always takes Eudoxes back to his office.

~ Much like how Demo and Engi have name shorthands, Guardie also has a name shorthand, because saying "the Guard Dog" is a mouthful.

~ Scout had once shaved the Guard Dog's fur to resemble a poodle, thinking it would make Spy warm up to the pooch easier. Instead, it made Guardie look quite ridiculous, earn Scout a near-death experience at the hands of Soldier, and make any Merc laugh at the sight of the Guard Dog.

~ While most of the Mercs have had their hearts replaced with an ambiguous large ape "über-heart"; the Guard Dog was provided a dire wolf's heart for the procedure. While Medic does hold a disdain for the dog, it is fascinating to see what an animal does with invincibility.

~ Scout has gotten bitten by the Guard Dog more times than he would like to admit. Mainly by being provocative of the dog and pissing it off.

~ All in all, Guardie is a people-loving temperamental dog, with a dramatic nature and sassy disposition. It has a big personality, and tends to be clingy and nosy, but is an all-around Good Boy™ nonetheless. It loves its teammates more than itself, and is the best dog anyone could ask for.

[indigozeal]

Evidently, Victor Ireland just gave an interview on the Lunar Remastered Collection in which…some claims were made, apparently. I haven’t listened to it personally, so I’m going to post this summary from Robert Boyd of Zeboyd Games (Cosmic Star Heroine etc.). Boyd is trustworthy, but reminder, given past history: please take everything Ireland claims with a grain of salt.

Summary of what I’ve heard so far: Vic Ireland has been trying to get the rights to rerelease the Lunar games for years. Vic has offered to license the original English translations/voices/recordings for cheap for the new collection, but radio silence. Hasn’t heard back from them. The Sega CD mini - Vic was contacted in advance for Lunar licensing. Vic offered to not only license it but also include a free patch that changed the font so it wasn’t all caps. Vic wanted a royalty (a few dimes per unit). They wanted to pay Vic a small one-time fee that he felt was insulting. He thinks they were expecting more demand in Japan and that they budgeted more money for the Japanese side of things and that other regions were more of an afterthought. Would love to include more extras - he’s got audition tapes, he’s got outtakes that haven’t been heard, etc. Complaining about LRG and how if they do a special edition, it wouldn’t be done as well as something he could do. Doesn’t feel like they have a great track record. Doesn’t want to make a bad situation for Gungho. Don’t want to pressure them. Just letting people know that he’s willing to help and willing to license the stuff he has if they contact him. Mentions Cosmic Fantasy and how the new release is inferior to the Working Designs version. Later versions of Lunar didn’t sell as well as the Working Designs versions. The latest version of Vay was done on their own and didn’t use the WD localization or improvements. Doesn’t think there will ever be a proper Lunar sequel, because Studio Alex was sued out of existence. Some of the people involved are still around, but the team is broken. Saw a document with some basic Lunar 3 ideas, but it never got produced. [Note from indigozeal, not Boyd: I don’t know whether this is the Lunar 0 treatment that Kei Shigema currently wants to produce or not.] Vic says that Phantasy Star 4 coming out on cartridge in US is because of him. Sega of America rejected it, Working Designs tried to license it, and then Sega of Japan said that if WD wants it, why isn’t SoA doing it? And then SoA was mad about being forced to release it so they overpriced it. And Vic made some enemies at SoA then. Ubisoft was doing a version of Lunar, they were just using the WD script because they thought GA owned the rights. At the last minute, they realized they didn’t so GA purchased script rights from Vic, which have been used as a base in future Lunar releases. Vic retained rights to voice performances.

ETA: There's an expanded edition of the notes in this thread, though Tumblr freaks out if I try to post it, plus some folks already poking holes in various claims (such as that it makes no sense to hold out for royalties vs. a lump sum payment on a limited-edition product that has a built-in sales ceiling).

[loreseekergaia]

Warhammer 2024 - My list of favourites this year

My yearly tradition of favourite minis is once again back, and this time, I decided to post it on my lore-based side blog. Fits better to archive.

10. - Knights of The Realm on Foot

We started out this year with the return of the Old World, together with the first minis released for Bretonnia and the Tomb Kings.

Bretonnia is a nation of nobles and champions, and their armies consist of mighty regiments of mounted knights charging into battle. Starting out as young Knights Errant, when they eventually prove their worth in combat, they become Knights of the Realm. These Noblemen and women form the bulk of a Bretonnian army.

Foot Knights are those knights who fight unmounted (duh...), and most nobles kind of dislike being relegated to infantry duty. However, Foot Knights are some of the strongest infantry Bretonnia can muster, and in some situations necessary to field. The Dukedom of Montfort for example lies within the Grey Mountains, and its steep terrain heavily limits the use of mounted warriors.

While probably not the most interesting release out of the new Old World minis, I still like these a lot. They show such overt detail and personality, and you can see the love put into their sculpts.

The Old World released with quite a light amount of new kits, which was quite disappointing for me. However, I do believe that the foot knights are a glimpse of things to come. That they are a peek at a future that includes updated kits for all of the Old World factions.

9. - The Zharr Nagrund Ziggurats

After more than a decade, we finally see the return of the Chaos Dwarfs in Warhammer. And what a lovely return to form it is.

Within the setting of Blood Bowl, the Chaos Dwarfs were originally forbidden by the NAF to partake in the official tournaments. Instead, the the Chaos Dwarfs played Blood Bowl within their infernal homeland; The Darklands. Eventually though, the NAF collapsed and the many teams of the Dawi Zharr quickly wrestled their way into the leagues and Blood Bowl seasons.

Chaos Dwarfs themselves care more for the martial aspect of the game than the actual sport itself, but this is balanced by the inclusion of Hobgoblin Lineman. While the Hobgoblins carry around the ball, the Chaos Dwarfs do all the tackling.

Blood Bowl saw the inclusion of the Gnome Team and the Chaos Dwarfs this year, and while the Gnomes are probably the better sculpts out of the two, I have been waiting for this team since the release of the new Blood Bowl edition. Even so, they still deliverd with the new team. Both the Chaos Dwarf and Hobgoblins were given a splendid new design, that updates their retro aesthetics, while keeping it distinct and true to the classic look. I do hope that this is a sneak peek at what is to come for the followers of Hashut in the future.

8. - Astorath the Grim

My pick for Space Marine of the year goes to a Blood Angel this team; Astorath the Grim

Astorath is the headsman of the Blood Angels chapter. Known as the Redeemer of the Lost; he is tasked with the discovery and eventual execution of those affliced by the Black Rage. This psychic condition turns a Blood Angel Space Marine into a traumatized raging monster, who loses their grasp on reality and is cursed to see their Primarchs final moments through a first-person lense.

Astorath has a keen sense on spotting the Black Rage and oftentimes is the first to arrive before the affliction is even visible on a marine. He is eventually the one who will give these Astartes their final rights before executing them out of mercy. Not only does he perform this duty within the Blood Angels Chapter, but any Succession Chapter that bears their lineage.

While the new Blood Angels revamp came with a lot of stinkers, I must say that a few did gain a favourable upgrade. Astorath came out way better than expected. His pose is way more dynamic and his armour is lovingly designed. I especially like what seems to be a personal white death-mask he wears. He truly looks like a Blood Angels worst nightmare come to life.

7. - Adsecularis Tech Thralls

The Horus Heresy also had a strong year, with the revamped release of the Mechanicum. This includes a revamped sculpt of the Tech-thralls.

When a citizen of a Mechanicum Forge World is accused of criminal activity or sub-standard work, one potential punishment they get is to be forcefully turned into a "Tech-Thrall" or Adsecularis. These cyborg slaves have lost any form of free-will and have been relegated to a position with less rights than a servitor.

Tech-thralls keep their consciousness and memories, yet are under the complete control of a tech-priest’s or Magos’ will. When the need arises for a cheap labour force or a meat shield to protect, they are press ganged into service, and their actions controlled through a cranial implant. They are the most expendable troops that a Mechanicum force can send, and those killed are repurposed for spare parts.

The Adsecularis are a fun depiction of the utter horror that is the Imperium, and I'm glad that they return in plastic as a proper kit. The design of this new iteration is overall great; making them look like shambling undead. I do regret that the kit only seemingly comes with las-locks, and that it is missing the other options that they originally got. I see great conversion potential with them, and I would instantly paint them First-Edition bronze if I got my hands on them.

6. - Ungrim Ironfist

Dwarfs surprisingly were given a few new sculpts this year as they gained some stellar new Dwarf Lord miniatures. One of which was the Slayer King himself.

Ungrim Ironfist is the Slayer King of Karak Kadrin. As the name would hint, he is a slayer; someone bound in oath to seek death in combat to attone for their own misdeeds or shortcomings. Ungrim has inherited his Oath as a slayer from his ancestors, and has to balance his duties as a king together with his oath to die in battle. A difficult task.

Ungrim would eventually fulfill both of his oaths during the End Times. After his defeat during the final siege of Karak Kadrin, he became an incarnate of the Magical Wind of Fire. He would come to the aid of Averheim, the last standing city of the Empire, and perish in fiery glory as a last ditch effort to prevent it from falling.

What makes this miniature stand out to me as opposed to the new Dwarf Lord is the design philosophy behind it. it showcases that the developers and artists really want to differentiate the minis of the Old World from their Fantasy Battle counterpart. This is a young King Ungrim, not his older self 200 years later. I hope this will be a trend to continue in the Old World. I would love to see fan favourites return to the setting in their younger form (if alive at that point).

5. - Skaven Stormvermin

2024 saw the dawn of a new edition for AoS. One that sounded its crescendo with the Vermindoom. The Stormvermin were my favourites to descend from Blight City this year.

Lent as mercenary troops by the Clans Verminus, Stormvermin form the elite soldiers of a Skaven warhost. From the moment of their birth, these Skaven are marked as vicious and cruel warriors; usually having killed their brethren in their childhood dens as whelps.

Stormvermin actually pose a significant threat to a combatant. They are bigger and stronger than the average Clanrat, and clad in thick spikey armour that covers them head to toe. They are often deployed as garrison forces or as bodyguards to high ranking Skaven, which includes the magical Grey Seers.

While I miss the Sword & Shield option on this unit, the overall redesign of the Stormvermin has been my favourite in this edition. They indeed look way more threatening and beefier than their older counterparts. The Skaven update included some major overhauls in quality and awesome new kits. The sheer attention to detail on the Clanrats alone is testament to that. The Stormvermin however take the cake for me this year.

4. - Ork Wrecka Crew

The Orks coming in clutch at the end of the year, and boy howdy is it a good kit.

A wrecka Crew is a mishmash of two different types of Ork Mobs; Tankbustaz and Breaka Boyz. Both of these mobs share a certain niche within Ork kultur, namely that of a "Tank Hunter". Usually, these two groups butt heads against each other, as they see each other as rivals. However, a good Boss can refrain them from slitting each other’s throats; redirecting their wanton destruction towards enemy fortifications and armoured vehicles.

Tankbustaz are Orks who love the thrill of hunting armoured vehicles and other warmachines, and are equipped with higly volatile rocket launchers to do so. Breaka Boyz are the close-combat-focused side of the "Tank Hunter coin". These Orks wield crude smash hammers or explosive tank hammers to break through opponents' armour.

I originally wasn't really impressed by the Wrecka Crew. I liked the idea of an updated Tankbusta kit, but this unit lost some of the charm that kit had. This kit feel too “naked”.

However, now being able to look at the full ki and sprue made me fall in love with them again. The Wrecka Crew comes with a great deal of costumization options, similar to the kommando Kill Team. The Tankbustaz look cool and would probably proxy well as Burna Boyz, but the Breaka Boyz have some fun options that basically allow them to be a light-armoured version of a Meganob. I'm glad to be wrong about a redesign this time, especially after some of the duds we saw coming from GW this year.

3. - Hermiatus, the Second Son

This year, the Genestealer Cults finally gained some love within the game of Necromunda as they arose from Hive Secundus in the form of the Malstrain.

Hermiatus was a Magos of the Adeptus Mechanicus who wanted to find a cure for the Genestealer infection. To do this, he experimented on a Genestealer Patriarch, and after trying to connect his mind with the creatures brain, he got possessed and released the genestealer infection on the planet of Necromunda.

The model we see here is not Hermiatus himself. The Magos eventually fled Necromunda and was hunted down by a Space Marine strike team (which you can play in the old Space Crusade board game). This is the Hermaphage Magos, a genetic copy of Hermiatus created by the Genestealer Patriarch so that it can continue the Magos' Work.

I believe this might be the best Tech Priest that the design team has ever made, and it looks utterly creepy and demented. It once again showcases that Necromunda has some of the best ideas that the setting has to offer.

2. - Grand Justice Gormayne

I swear; if the Flesh Eater Courts had come out in december last year, I would've instantly put this man on the list.

Gormayne is the highest form of authority that the Flesh Eater Courts have within their "judicial" system. Answering only to Ushoran himself, he is the one that judges those who transgress the laws of New Summercourt in the Realm of Ghyran.

Unlike the rest of the Flesh Eater Courts, Gormayne can break from the delusion that plagues his people, and this of course has caused him great distress and anxiety. He tries to hide this from the other Abhorrents, but Ushoran secretly is aware of his predicament, and has taken an interest into its potential implications.

The Flesh Eater Courts released right at the start of 2024, and while there were so many good new models released (including Ushoran), this one was the one that caught my eye. Gormayne is in my opinion one of the best representations of the entire faction. The intestines on his head being tangled up into a judge's wig is pure brilliance. It is such a simple idea, but it works so well.

1. - Zikkit's Tunnelpack

Warhammer Underworlds saw the reveal of a new edition. Four Warbands that each proved that the smaller games of the setting gain much more creative love than the mainline game. Zikkit and his pack stood out to me and I consider them the best miniature kit of this year.

Zikkit Rockgnaw and his underlings are one of a myriad Skaven groups trying to take control over the vast Realmstone deposits of the city of Embergard. He however realised something sly; if he can collapse the mines while his rivals are scuttling for Realmstone, he could come out on top and get away with the spoils.

The Tunnelpack is a varied group of Skaven from the Clans Skryre. Zikkit is a Warlock Engineer; a technomancer who mixes arcane sorceries with warp-fueled science. He is accompanied by his right-hand-man and potential rival Rittak, who goes into battle inside of his self-crafted "Kill-Wheel". Two other Skaven make up this Tunnelpack. Krittatok has strong senses that help him find Realmstone much more easily. Finally, Nitch is a timid creature, yet enthousiastic when it comes to explosives, which he lovingly straps to his "Blast-Vermin" companions.

I love the aesthetic of the Warlock Engineers and the gas-masked globadiers. It is such an awesome design and one that differentiates the Skaven from the other armies so well. I hope that we might get a generic infantry unit from the Clans Skryre, with nothing but gun-toting gas-masked Skaven running like maniacs.

______

I must say, while it was a strong year for Games Workshop, it also felt quite light in releases opposed to previous. It might just be that 40k had a slow release schedule, while I also believe that the light releases for the Old World might have given that impression.

Still, a lot of stuff for Necromunda and AoS made this year great for those games, and we still have a lot to go next year; Eldar, Krieg, and Goblins are getting some much deserved love. And more interestingly than that, I'm hearing from the grapevine that we might see more for Corsairs and maybe even Eldar Exodites.

So let's toast to next year and remember to stay kind to eachother within the hobby and to keep each other safe and content while we overthink miniatures and cool lore.

Happy Holidays everyone!

[felassan]

EA website update:

"Incoming Transmission N7 DAY 2023 Happy N7 Day to our wonderful community!"

"Hey, everyone, Every November 7th, we’ve all come together—developers, superfans, regular fans, kinda-fans—to celebrate (and speculate about!) the games, stories, and community that make Mass Effect so special. It’s a testament to the long-lasting appeal of this universe and the characters who call it home. Eleven years of N7 Days and sixteen years of Mass Effect later, the franchise continues to inspire our development team, and with each day, gives us the opportunity to create more adventures for you to have. Whether it’s one of the many who have been here since the original game’s launch or those recently joining us at BioWare, we are all incredibly lucky to be envisioning this future. That process is equal parts rewarding and challenging. We’ve asked ourselves many of the same questions you’ve asked us over the years! What happened to everyone you know and love in the games? Who really died? Who had kids with whom? What does a baby volus sound like? What about all the galaxies? The endings! What the heck is going on with our asari scientist-turned-Shadowbroker? What about S— nevermind...you get the idea. And of course, to those questions, there are answers, but you’ll have to wait to hear them. And anything we do say won’t be easy to find, just like you’ve come to expect from our #N7Day teases. But for real… thank you. Thank you for everything, and allowing us to do what we do. We approach the future of this universe with gratitude and deep respect. Respect for you—the community. Respect for the love and dedication you’ve given to us. Respect for the history and the stories you’ve created, and the characters you’ve fallen in love with. And, respect for the future, and the opportunity to do something big—something amazing—for you. Until next time…and Happy N7 Day! —Mike Gamble, Mass Effect Franchise Director & Executive Producer"

"Through o0ur partnership with Humble Bundle and friends at Dark Horse Comics, we’re making all Dark Horse Mass Effect and Dragon Age comics available in a convenient package! Pr1oceeds from this will go to Child’s Play, a charity that seeks to make the lives of children in hospitals more comfortable. We all know how powerful and uplifting games can be, so we’re glad to be able to help bring joy t0o kids in need through this effort. If you’d like to help, too, please check it o0ut! We also have some exciting new merch from our partners for those who want to stock their shelves or add to their wardro0bes. The BioWare Gear Store is releasing multiple new i1tems today! From a brand-new mini replica Claymore Shotgun to Omni-Blade LED Wall Art, we’ve got tons of Mass Effect items for your collection, all go0ing live with a site-wide sale. Be sure to check out items new and old, and follow them on social media to see their latest relea1ses."

"Our frie0nds over at Dark Horse have also been working on something special. For over a year now, we’ve been working closely with them on a few new statues based on popular requests. First and foremost, we’re excited to share that Commander Shepard (female) is ge1tting an iconic battle-worn statue! This has been one of the top requests from the community and we’ve been super excited to see it come to life."

"And, of course, if you w1ant to put a squad together for her, Dark Horse is also releasing new statues of Wrex and Tali. These statues are brought to life with the level of care and quality we’ve all come to expect from Dark Horse over the years. These two iconic characters are ready to take the fi1ght to the Reapers!"

"F0or those who live in colder climates (Canada being a prime example), our friends over at Volante Design have returned this year with s0omething just for you. Following the success of the N7 line of apparel they released, the team at Volante has created a Garrus Vak0arian-style parka, complete with a “head cone” to protect your 0face."

"A0nd of course, Sanshee always has something for our b1iggest fans. For lovers of Grunt, Lia1ra, and adorable va1rren, the team has created a new set of plu0shees and pins for your colle0ctions! Be sure to chec1k out their site for all that and m1ore."

"Your joy, creativity, and passion help drive us towards the future of Mass Effect and all that it may be0come. The team is ta1king their time to cr1aft a whole new adventu0re for you to enj1oy, with new stories, chara0cters, and experiences to fill it. At the end of t0he day, that’s w1hat N7 Day is about. Cel0ebr1ati1ng yo0u an1d th1is speci0al fr0anchise that br0ings us all to1get1her. W0e hope you’1ve enjoyed the glimpse1s int1o the fut1ure of the fra0nchis1e so f1ar. An0d don’t wor1ry, ther1e’s mo1re to come, but fa0rther away! Ever your biggest fans, —The Mass Effect Team"

[source and link to all images in post]

Associated Twitter post:

[source]

[canitalkaboutsomething]

F1 in America is and always will be cringy and thats just part of the experience.

Many of us were sitting down or standing up on an exciting Sunday afternoon when we F1 fans collectively saw the cringe-fest that was Will. I. Am and LL Cool J's star-studded introductions of twenty of the best drivers in the world.

And as we were watching and cringing and closing our eyes and opening them because we were getting some serious secondhand embarrassment (at least I was,) we collectively all asked ourselves why this was happening and was the Fanfare necessary. 

Among with backlash from Twitter, and even some drivers speaking up about how unnecessary and distracting it was to do these introductions, many people wondered why the promoters and event organizers would choose to do something like that, especially on race day. 

So, why did that happen, and why was it so cringy?

The simple answer is money. I think to those who know and may not already know that any sport in America is highly commercialized and starts not with the teams or the sport itself but the idolization of those who operate in it. It has always been this way, even with sports outside the united states.

For instance, I bet most people could care less about the stats for the Kansas City Chiefs or The Cleveland Browns. Still, they know who Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Joe Burrow are, or they could tell you that Lebron James plays for the Lakers and Stephen Curry plays for the Golden state warriors. Still, they don't know their positions or stats, but they could tell you their jersey number, what kind of shoes they prefer, their latest Instagram post, and who they are currently seeing. It happens often.

So why does this happen?

In sports, especially in American sports, it is not enough to be good at the sport. You have to be the best, and you have to be likable. That starts with your online presence, how the fan base perceives you, and how others perceive the sport. It is simply not enough to attend a sporting event and be entertained. It is a performance from the time you, the paying attendee, walk into that sporting event until you leave.

That's why they have halftime shows at basketball and football games; they have professional cheerleaders, crowd participation events, and mini-games on the sidelines of Major and Minor league baseball Innings. These entertainment tactics ensure that people have a good time and want to return.

So why does this happen in F1 when it comes to America?

Fanfare and Fanservice. Events in America, as I've stated before, are highly commercialized. That's how it is. And, because America is so big and the interest is so varied, organizations and promoters are left with having to find a way to appeal to bigger audiences. But, in addition to that, interest in things peaks and then declines drastically. And because of this, one of their highly effective tactics is to induce this feeling of FOMO.

" If you're not in Miami this weekend, where are you? Oh, you weren't in Austin this weekend, then where were you? Oh, you're not going to the race in Vegas? I'm sad for you."

Fanfare and the Fear of Missing out is an effective way to sell tickets, and because the United States only experiences three races as of this year, and the continent of North America in total experiences five races, if you're willing and have money to travel to Mexico and Canada, there are not a lot of opportunities to see these races in person, granted if they even have a passport (which is a conversation for another day.)

In addition, you have Drive to Survive on Netflix, which has gotten more people into the sport, especially in America, and in my opinion, has helped pave the way to getting Miami and Las Vegas on the schedule. In addition, the show has given newer fans a glimpse into the fast-moving world of F1, even on an overly dramatic scale. And to some extent, they expect that type of drama and scale when they go to these races. So, therefore, the Fanfare has to be bigger and better than the last to ensure that the sport can continue to become popular in America. 

So the organizers use big names like LLCoolJ and Will.I.Am, and they invite celebrities like Tom Cruise, Vin Diesel, and the cast of Fast and Furious; they have had companies that invite influencers who have nothing to do with the sport, trying to get as much publicity on the event so that the rest of America has this feeling of wanting to be where the action is taking place.

For comparison, This is the same reason why Beyonce or Taylor Swift can sell their concert tickets at astronomically high prices because you are not paying to go to a concert, but rather the experience of seeing them in the flesh in real-time, even if your tickets are not great, and you were in the nose bleeds the entire time, you were there and got to see it. Which is the same logic promoters are operating off of for these races.

Now back to the obvious,

Was the Fanfare with the introductions, at that moment, necessary? No. Honestly, it was just poor planning. The time to do something like that would have been at the drivers' parade or any other time other than race day, but it is interesting because so many people want the Fanfare to be around the race, big Sunday race day, which in America is more on par with NASCAR. Not saying that the race isn't one to have Fanfare over, but the race weekend technically starts on Thursday with the press, so there were potentially other opportunities to engage in Fanfare all weekend. 

Now, will this backlash affect how other American races will go this year? Probably not. But I hope that in any event that it's just a lesson in what not to do on a race day, and hopefully, next year, we will get a different format.

[z-cerulean]

Soirée, the Paldean Hatterene That Did.

Gonna do a write up about something I've been doing for the past few weeks.

So this story begins with VGC. Watching enough Wolfey videos got me interested in giving it a shot again for the first time since Ultra Moon.

Following some testing, I arrived at a start point: Hatterene. She was more than slow enough to dominate in Trick Room, packs a lot of power, and had reasonable bulk on top. A great pick both as a relative novice and for what appealed to me.

After going through a few iterations of a team, I eventually arrive at this:

This was based on a team by Gerty2Dirty on Twitter. The primary two cores are the same, those being Hatterene and Indeedee for Psyspam, with Torkoal and Hisuian Lilligant as a secondary trick room sweeper and fast option respectively. I made a few moveset adjustments to my liking, as well as altering the last two Pokemon of the lineup (Porygon2 is both a favourite Pokemon of mine and a very solid Trick Room pick, and Kingambit felt like a good fill for the defensive gaps in the rest of the team). While I'm sure there's better iterations of hard Trick Room teams out there, these 6 managed to push through into Master Ball tier, and all managed a Master Rank Ribbon for their troubles, reaching the top 6000 for the October 2024 VGC ladder season.

The entire team might have their own stories one day, but for now, we're going to focus on Hatterene. More specifically, my now Master Rank Hatterene, Soirée.

I had caught many wild Hatenna, Hattrem and Hatterene in a hunt for one with a 0 Speed IV, even finding three with a perfect Speed IV before eventually coming across her. Despite as many good changes for modifying stats as the newer Pokemon games have made, getting low stats is still pretty obnoxious and has to be done the hard way. As some sort of final joke, she also came in with a Jolly nature at base as well (+Spd -Sp.Atk), perhaps the worst possible nature for any Hatterene. Ultimately not a problem due to mints, but something about it stung after how long I'd been looking.

Besides being as slow as genetically possible and possessing a Master Rank level capability to click Expanding Force, however, there's... not much ostensibly special about her. Having to catch so many Hatenna meant I'd stuck to using fairly standard catching methods, landing her in the pretty ubiquitous Ultra Ball. She's not shiny, much like every other Hatenna I saw, and she has no personality marks despite the significant odds increases stacked with the Mark Charm and title power. Her modestly "slightly smaller than average" stature further barely distinguishes her, leaving her ineligible for both the Mini and Jumbo Marks.

It's at this point Ribbon Mastering comes into my attention again. I've been carrying Pokemon through games for many years now, I still have my story playthrough team that beat the White Treehollow in White 2 from 11 years ago. But despite this, I never paid much conscious attention to Ribbons. Most of my Pokemon had at least one, usually a given region's Champion ribbon, but collecting them on a Pokemon was something I'd never particularly gone out of my way for. And, now, with both adult responsibilities and many other games coming out I wanted to play, it felt difficult to justify committing to something like a Ribbon Master project, despite admiration towards those that did it.

Since one successful run, I'd wanted to handle the November ladder with a new team. This proved less than fruitful. Most things I tried didn't feel like they fully clicked, despite my best efforts, and I ended up burning out of teambuilding.

Not quite feeling a break from Pokemon entirely though, a thought occurred to me. As far as ribbons go, Soirée had already done the most difficult one in achieving the Master Rank Ribbon. The Effort Ribbon was a given, and another run of the Academy Ace Tournament for the Paldea Champion Ribbon wasn't a problem either with a reasonably levelled story team, let alone one that was Master Rank capable. The Best Friends Ribbon simply asked for some picnic activities including and besides making sandwiches, and the three achievable Marks in S/V weren't hard more so than tedious (particularly the Partner Mark, why is it like this). Besides all those, the only two remaining ribbons available to her would be in Sword and Shield, plus it would be a reason to push through the Battle Tower finally, having mostly left Sword after the end of my original run.

Though despite all that, some reservations lingered. As mentioned, Soirée is pretty non-descript as far as not just most Hatterenes, but most Pokemon go. On top of that, she could knock out all her Ribbons in just two regions. Would that really make much of a compelling story? Most well-known Ribbon Masters had come from places like a Japanese GameCube eReader. Would there be all that much to tell at the end of it all?

But... then I recalled NeverHappy. A Budew abandoned in a second-hand copy of Platinum, only to be one day found, have value placed within it, and go the full distance with only sheer love and pettiness for fuel. Soirée had already captivated me simply by doing this:

All that mattered was what Soirée meant to me, not how notable she was for anything she wasn't. She could - and would - go as far as she could.

The Paldean portion made sense to finish up first. Ultimately, this was mostly just the three obtainable Marks, two of which (Itemfinder and Gourmet) weren't a huge deal. The Partner Mark was by far the most obnoxious, forcing me to opt for using a hair tie to pull my controller's sticks together after half the rest of my active party got it by coincidence. Fortunately, though, this took not too much longer after driving Miraidon in circles for a while, noticing she had the Mark after accidentally knocking the controller.

A visit to Galar's Battle Tower in my copy of Sword was next up, and was by far the most individually time consuming aspect of the journey. I picked up Sword quite late after passing it up at launch and only going back after playing Violet. The game had been left off after the final Leon fight, with only a brief return later to catch Zacian and do the final Hop battle, so the entire run to Master Ball was ahead of me.

Courtesy of a friend with the DLC I didn't have (will get it eventually but... not right now), Soirée was able to get a serving of Max Soup, and took full advantage of one of the likely few windows she'll get to assume a G-Max form, and presented a more than suitable compensation for her temporary loss of Expanding Force.

I opted for Doubles, both because of VGC and out of personal preference. Additionally, this time Soirée would get a different cohort. Since the Galar Battle Tower doesn't prohibit any Pokemon as long as their learnsets match Gen 8 legality, a not insubstantial part of the run was handled by a few Pokemon I had used a bit less than I'd have liked.

Specifically, her three accompanying teammates were Morning Star, (a Necrozma assuming Dawn Wings form from my years old Ultra Moon run, in consideration for a team on the return of Reg G), Arboria (a Suicune from the Ultra Space Wilds I had reset on to have a decent nature and stats) and my unfortunately unable to be renamed Genesect, which I'd had in the background since an event distribution in 2016. Genesect did, unfortunately, suffer from a limited moveset on account of TR availability, so I wound up opting for a funnier strategy than simply using Iron Head instead.

Ultimately, the Battle Tower posed little issue, taking only one loss to Leon from a poor string of luck. All four pulled their weight, and I'm overall very pleased with the Pipe Bomb Genesect strategy's performance considering the circumstances of its implementation.

Being pretty short, the Galar Champion Ribbon following it was anticlimactic for the final one. The run's last opponent was Piers, so it was more or less a clean sweep.

And that was the end of the journey. A short one, considering most Ribbon Master journeys, but at the end of the day, expressing admiration for the best Expanding Force clicker I'll probably ever have is more than enough.

If you've made it this far, then thank you for following Soirée's short but, I hope, meaningful journey. I'd certainly like to do more Ribbon Master runs after this, and perhaps you'd like to bring your favourite as far as they can go as well.

[lunarsilkscreen]

Mobile Game design overview

A personal Journal Entry and pre-development path.

R&D Still Required based on style of game; touch screen and gyro controls. --preliminary research complete.

Design Overview;

Other Mobile games, no matter how well designed, have extremely cluttered interfaces. Some of this is because there are multiple games, mini-games, and events packaged into the game at any one time.

Some games have an coin based (energy use) version of their main game, and a sub-game that does not require energy.

Consider using this style for offline and online modes. It seems popular to use energy for the online. Portion, this way the player can enjoy the game as they wish without overloading the servers offline.

Other games have several Quest, Achievement, and Event menus that can be consolidated into a single main menu.

The reason they don't do this is still unclear to me; but is probably similar to the big flashy tags and sales sign at in-person retailers, and in the Sears magazine.

If so, they don't serve the purpose they're intended to.

However; it's probably more that the development team is inexperienced and using a framework or game template that they then reuse for added areas. Creating a package which is a copy of the template over and over again.

I had previously considered implementing an old-style arcade "life" system like Mario, but perhaps a more simplified energy system, perhaps one that tracks step through the accelerometer (or other apps) to refresh would be good.

Energy refreshments shouldn't be purchaseables except for in specific circumstances; Similar to Hearthstone's Arena Tavern Brawls that happen periodically.

Players seem to enjoy "Season Packs" to purchase, and dislike an RMT (Real-money Trade) currency.

It also reduces clutter and increases understandability by reducing the options that a player has for a single game.

"Gacha Summons" shouldn't be purchaseables. meaning Gacha, or loot boxes, if used should be separated from the RMT purchase portion.

Rewards for skill shown in the online portion should be considered and given to players that perform well in whatever the online portion might be

Minor connectivity for offline achievements should be included for verification, but more or less separated from the online game entirely.

Some specific achievements may reward Skins and other abilities for the online portion.

A small game studio shouldn't really go whale fishing like happens in many games today. (Packs valued by studios worth $100+ are common and give little. Seems more like a wishful thinking menu item)

Entry into a crypto-based achievement system, whichever company is able to make a stable one; is key in future development. Releasing of items and achievements into a startup ecosystem will help the game to grow.

Without going into depth on any specific game mechanics; this covers everything about the interface design research.

The question still remains how to address monetization and store based items. Aside from releasing things into a gaming ecosystem where they can be displayed and reused in other places; I'm not sure what to sell.

Gacha games are a dime a dozen and have seemingly all the same pricing scheme. Without a reason to have seasons, theres no reason a player might want to purchase one.

Here's what I think;

Hosting Price and monthly expenses need to be taken into account, but $1-10 depending on what % the hosting service might take, for a "Premium Account" badge, either a one-time, yearly or monthly seems key.

Re-curring costs may be implemented for "seasonal" reasons based on when the majority of players tend to be actively interacting with the game.

Lastly; Data needs to be reduced to a minimum. Part of these sizes are voiced lines, raster graphics for the dozens of different menus, CGI cutscenes, and music.

All of this will help to make a game that will be able to make it into anybody's pocket.

[emeraldthelynx]

Prompts Anyone?

So, I used to jot down random ideas I had in a notebook. I still try to do that, but now they exist moreso in my 'Writer's Junk' folder in the form of 'prompts.' Sometimes they are an actual prompt for an idea that I don't have a plot for, or sometimes it's just a reminder for me to remember what on Earth this idea was supposed to be. I've kept some of the prompts that have actually spiraled into full ideas, ones that are too confusing, and ones that I'm a little embarrased to share, but otherwise, here's a list of 'prompts' for anybody to use for any idea. (Mostly Megaman prompts, some Sonic, some FMA, and just a sprinkle of Zelda and Pokemon.) (They're also completely unedited, so there's some random typos here and there.)

-What if Link and Zelda had a kid and named him Zero?

-Lan is a Zorua

-Ad-liberation- In which Tomahawkman is the only one out of the loop concerning Dark Megaman and Liberation Missions

-In which Omega-Xis is turned into a human and has amnesia

-A world where Navis are the masters, and while humans are not mistreated, they have to do whatever the Navis tell them to

-Sonic story based off 'Be Somewhere'

-Lan and Chaud accidentally get the wrong Navis

-Reality altering device that looks like a butterfly and Lan (at first) is the only one who realizes the 'butterfly effect.'

-Hyrule Needs a Hero, and Sonic Just So Happens To Be One (amnesia included.)

-'Bad Ending' thing where Giro has 'died' but Model O saves him, but at the cost of Giro becoming completely dependant on the deranged Biometal

-Cross Fusion requires a bond, right? Chaud doesn't have the right kind with Protoman, so he's going to work on becoming the best friend he can be. Protoman is worried for his NetOp's health and safety.

-Copy X gets blasted to the BN with a disability, gets adopted by Tadashi, and Lan is unsure if Copy is his uncle or his brother.

-Copy X turns out sweet and innocent. Harpuia is yeeted to the throne, and the others have to deal with 'Mini X'

-Legend of Zelda/ Star Force crossover

-Geo and Lan are in the wrong time periods. Have the opposite partner

-X is holding Megaman's PET (I really don't know where this would go) (Let's try it anyways)

-Cyber Elf X except he's Hub

-Linked Universe but it's Mega Man

-Duo restores earth (animeverse) but at the cost of the CF members having to go with him throughout the galaxy, to 'find the light' on other planets. (So in other words, the captian has a crew that has to convince him not to blow up every planet he comes across.)

-Legends Arcues Zorua twins

-Pokemon except it's in the world of Mega Man Legends. Ash is a purifier unit, but of course has no clue and wants to go on a journey. Misty's got a boat, Brock's doing his Breeder thing, and it's basically Pokemon except in the year 80XX

-Sonic Prime but it's the characters' actual personalities

-Trill shows up in the anime dimension about 6 years too early, and it takes the entirety of EXE, Axess, and Stream before anybody really figures things out. (Trill is also human, sorta)

-If Sonic was a 'teen' anime that worked like an anime/manga and not a game or comic (bits of inspiration from those really cool 'sonic anime openings' plot wise)

-In a world where viruses materialize in reality, and humans with illnessness and disibility are given NetNavi powers to fight back, there is one duo is just a bit stranger than most. Hub Hikari is the youngest human to have ever been given Navi powers,

-Megaman suddenly got the feeling that Lt. Hawkeye was just as good a shot as Searchman was. And that was honestly terrifying. (Now that's a prompt.)

-FMA modern AU and Al's a cell phone. (And Team Mustang is a police precinct)

-BotW/FMA

-In which some humans ended up on the Net, but not all of them

[wolfgabe]

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope Rayman in the Phantom Show Quick Review

Here it is the Sparks of Hope DLC everyone has been waiting for Rayman in the Phantom Show. So how exactly does the expansion starring Ubisoft's Limbless Wonder hold up? The answer is pretty damn great.

The plot itself is pretty basic with Rayman, Rabbid Mario, Rabbid Peach, and Beep-O getting invited to the Space Opera Network by the Phantom from the Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle who claims to need their help to juice his networks struggling ratings. Of course most of you will likely be able to quickly figure out his true intentions before long.

Rayman himself is clearly the star of the show here (no pun intended) and he brings with him a relatively interesting toolkit. Rayman is classified as Superstar with his abilities revolving around controlling the battlefield and being able to launch attacks on multiple fronts simultaneously coupled with decent mobility, which is augmented by Purple Lum hooks only, he can use. His special skill is the Plunger Guard which allows him to spawn two turrets that can be picked up and moved around freely which can prove useful for setting traps or providing area denial depending on the situation. Instead of Sparks Rayman has the ability to change to two alternate costumes which have their own ability as well as alter the properties of Rayman's Blaster and allow him to summon Plunger Guards with different properties. Vortex Rayman allows him to draw in enemies close by and gives his attacks the bounce effect while the Shock Rocket costume turns Rayman's blaster and turrets into rocket launchers and lets him perform Rocket Ride which summons a rocket that can be controlled freely around the field and ignores terrain to attack enemies before it explodes. With so many attack options and the ability to fill different roles at once it not surprising they kept Rayman exclusive to the DLC areas given his moveset could easily become highly game breaking in the base game maps.

The DLC is pretty short and can be done in a few hours. You basically have three show sets which can be done in any order and each one basically has you completing a short series of battles or puzzles before fighting a mini boss. After which the final boss fight opens up. Although there are a number of hidden collectibles and side quests for additional EXP and items. You also get two new Sparks, one is another elemental AOE attack while the other is more interesting essentially letting spawn a disposable clone of yourself that acts like a temporary extra party member.

It's arguably the Rayman fans that will be in for the biggest treat here. With easter eggs and references to Rayman's history and past games being everywhere. The opening area of the Repository is a veritable easter egg hunt in itself. The developers of the DLC were clearly fans of Rayman and it shows especially in the expressiveness of his animations which at points border on full-fledged film quality. And of course considering there is the Phantom you can bet there will be an elaborate musical number which I will mostly leave unspoiled here. The ending itself proved surprisingly sweet and wholesome especially if you decide to stick around all the way through the credits.

Rayman in the Phantom Show proves to be a short but sweet sendoff to Sparks of Hope and a well crafted love letter to Rayman that perhaps gives hope there might still be some hope in the future for the limbless one. Also keep an eye out for the message from the dev team that is rewarded for achieving 100% completetion

[neonscandal]

"JJK really went from a loved manga to a mid-to-bad story with insufferable fans 🙏 may more of us hate it in the future. It snatches the spotlight from genuinely good shows and its another case of "general shonen fan will call any trash 'goat' if the fight is well animated".

I used to be a fan, until the start of the culling game. And after this controversial, inconsistent and inhumane adaptation of shibuya, im glad that I have no interest in both manga and show anymore"

Do you think Culling Game really that hard to understand? Cause I saw quite a llt got turned off to JJK since that arc....

⚠️ Content Warning (no real spoilers) for the Culling Games arc. Nothing in depth to warrant burying beneath a "Keep Reading" but fair to mention just in case.

I don't know how to say this without generalizing negatively but the sentiments very much sound like they came from a cishet dudebro. I've noticed that shonen series' that have a fanbase made up of vocal queer people and/or womxn fans are widely renowned for their "insufferable fans" and this specifically is applied to JJK and MHA across social media. I wonder why.

From the lack of sexualization of female characters/students, the immediate shutdown that Nobara was going to fall for Yuji or Megumi in typical shonen fashion, the cast of men being curated for the female gaze across the manga and anime adaptation (Gojo, Geto, Nanami, Toji, etc.), the overt queer coding and presence of canonically queer/trans characters... also, the simple fact that the canonically attractive and OP characters aren't insufferable assholes? Maybe that's just a me thing but it seems like these factors have been rubbing certain people the wrong way.

Re: the animation of Shibuya and the practices that delivered the work with such an insane timeline and not to the quality of the team of animators' liking... that's valid. But that is a Mappa shortcoming in an effort to snatch up all the prolific and iconic adaptations they can, not a JJK shortcoming. As such, throwing the baby out with the bathwater there doesn't seem like a particularly sound argument but just a means to pile on.

A/N: As it stands, Mappa held the reigns on AOT's final season (taking over from Wit Studio due to production schedule), S2 of Vinland Saga (taking over from Wit Studio due to production schedule), JJK S1, JJK 0 movie, CSM adaptation of S1, Hell's Paradise adaptation of S1, JJK S2, CSM movie adaptation for Reze Arc, Zom 100... all since 2020 and does not encompass other, smaller series'.

I'll concede, it makes sense that the culling games left a lot of readers lost in the forest, myself included. Not the point of the games since we know, to what end, Kenjaku!Geto hopes to achieve at this point.

I think readers were stymied by how much time was spent on developing unique characters who were offed like.. a chapter later. A necessary evil to maintain the living core cast of characters who would later have to take on the Big BadsTM while also moving along the point system for the Culling Games. It seems like Gege Akutami took their time to cultivate these mini-fights though it wasn't clear to what end from a plot standpoint... yet. Empirically, we've seen small details woven back into the story which didn't seem apparent at the time given the exposition style of the mangaka.

As a reader, I love guessing at the end of stories. You can see the crackpot theories that pepper the Manga With Me tag. But the Culling Game arc spans long enough to lose the plot and make it so much harder to forecast where the story is going. Especially when Gege Akutami generally seems like a troll of a person anyway.

I think the Culling Games happening immediately after the Shibuya arc was a choice. Based on anime only fan reactions to Shibuya, what's to come is not for the faint of heart fans. Especially when you consider the losses suffered in Shibuya are immediately eclipsed by the regular losses and disappointments within the Culling Games. However, as a fan, I'mma let Gege cook even if they're using my tears and angst as seasoning because we haven't seen enough of the story to determine the Culling Game's true place/meaning within it.

I think, story wise, they started off too strong with emphasizing Gojo's overpoweredness. Subsequently, they had to write in caveats and build ways to close the gaps between him and other characters to allow for the story to press forward with or without him. I still don't know how this story is going to end though I think I have a new hypothesis from the last time I guessed at who would survive.

At the end of the day, it's definitely that person's opinion to jump back in once more of the story has been fleshed out should they choose to do so because a lot of people don't like dealing in uncertainties. Whatever they decide, don't let it sway your enjoyment one way or another, anon. ❤️

[jayfrost-designs]

Hey there! I’m Answered Riddle on Twitter and YouTube, but I just wanted to ask: did you design Moonpaw for the writing team? I’d noticed a while back that many of the mini designs were based on your character designs and the medicine cat game featured your art, and with how unique Moonpaw’s design is compared to Warriors standard gray cats, I started wondering. If so, it’s SUPER cool! I’m so glad an actual fan artist was consulted for design because it makes everything so much more interesting.

I’m @answeredriddle on Discord if you’d like to talk more there, I just really wanted to get your thoughts! :)

Hi! I drew the art of Moonpaw for the article, but I did not come up with the design myself, I just drew it based on the written description that I was given. Thank you for asking and for noticing my art elsewhere! :D