#BUT it introduces so many interesting concepts it's worth checking out

[kandicon]

*through gritted teeth* there is no shame in tagging a for fun fic with the fandom tag of multiple continuities. Mixing continuities can't hurt me

[polarolds]

hiii i js wanna know if you have any ellabs fic recommendations?

hi anon! hoo boy i definitely have a few! here are some favourites that come to mind:

Unbroken by thedreadslayer

nobody is surprised, yall know i'm a slut for this fic as i've drawn fanart for it multiple times (and still have doodles and full ass comic pages that i haven't shared to tumblr).

This is THE ellabs fic in my mind. The character moments, the dialogue, the settings, the atmosphere... the slowburn is SO well-written. it is basically tlou 3 for me because reading it really captures the feeling of playing the actual games 😭😭 still ongoing but so many chapters to enjoy. There are SO many great key moments (don't want to spoil, but i'm looking at you chapters 10, 17, 21 and 26), but even the small, quiet interactions stand out to me. have admittedly re-read it more than once,,, maybe more than twice,,,

two hands digging in each other's wounds by michirukaioh

i believe this was the first ellabs fic i've read!! and it is a classic. Love this one for the progression of the ellabs relationship, but also for dear sweet lev and his interactions with ellie. Love the big reveals towards the end of the story with a new character that is introduced - keeping it vague because of spoilers. And the beach scene near the end is chef's kiss iykyk.

i've admittedly not been keeping up well with the sequel because i've been super busy and wanted to marathon the whole thing at some point, but would recommend checking it out too! both parts are complete :)

The Way Sorrow Tastes by painted__black

really interesting premise where abby and lev show up in Jackson at the start of the story and we see how all the survivors of tlou2 deal with the fallout. the continuation of the use of abby's dreams as a manifestation of her trauma/guilt was also interesting to me. starts pretty dark and gets even darker as we move further in the story, but still very good all the same. sadly idk if the story will be continued :( one can hope

oh, and I drew something for this one too! hehe

tail lights by junewax

another goodie and i loved how Cat (a character only mentioned in tlou2) comes into play in this story. i really like the feel and atmosphere of this story idk how else to describe it - it just captures a certain vibe that i really dug yknow? completed fic.

Both Sides Now by Fuckingvideogames

AU where ellie leaves Jackson after finding out the truth about the FireFlies from Joel and stumbles into Seattle. i LOVE this concept so much and this was such an interesting read. we get some nice early ellabs moments, and also get to see ellie interact with the Salt Lake Crew. sadly another fic which i don't think will be finished, but very much still worth checking out!!

and since this post is getting kind of long, here are links to some other fics i really enjoyed!

iron to the core by houndstoothed

bone chill by houndstoothed

Afterlife by maharetr

Assumptions by inspoburst

hope you find something you like fellow ellabs-enjoying anon! :'D and thanks for the ask <3

[elysiansparadise]

Hello~~

I recently was going through your planet masterlist, specifically uranus, and I noticed you didn't have one for the 11th house.

So I was wondering if you could do a post on your thoughts on uranus in the 11th house?

Hello love! Sure, I can share my thoughts about this placement. 💙

Uranus in the 11th house

These natives are constantly thinking about the future, have a wide diversity of aspirations, and are very likely to be the kind of people with many different interests. These natives may find themselves constantly against those ideals rooted in the past, they are against concepts such as gender roles or the idea that if you are younger than someone you automatically have to respect and accept that they are right. From a very young age they work on developing their own criteria and mentality, it’s worth mentioning that they are people who do not easily get carried away by what their peers or people around them do. Ironically, they can even without realizing it be major influences on the lives of others and their lifestyles. They can become prominent and well-known either professionally or socially, so if they aspire to a career that involves contact with the public, it is likely that they will easily gain recognition. Although many of these people need their own space to enjoy their independence, they highly value friendship and give it a very important place in their lives. They are not the kind of people to desperately seek the company of others, but when they meet someone to call their friends, they are quite nice and encouraging towards them.

Since I mention the topic of friendship, here we find natives who will never try to exercise control over their friends, much less check what they do all the time. They are not consuming friends and enjoy watching their friends grow. In their social relationships, they are prudent and understanding. It is very likely that in environments such as school they could feel excluded, but this placement tells us about someone who can make friends both unexpectedly and in places or environments in which they did not imagine. Many of them are creative and inventive, their personality is authentic and they hate pretending to be someone they are not just to fit in. They can stand out for their way of thinking and their courage to speak their minds. They are very rational people while having a curious mind that loves to learn new things and different perspectives. They have a high amount of empathy and a strong sense of altruism, and it is not limited only to people they consider friends, as they like the idea of ​​helping people in need regardless of whether they know them or not. These people may have an interest in inventions, technology or electronic devices. Likewise, it is possible that they can forge very positive friendships on the internet. This placement increases the chances of success when it comes to working on things related to the internet.

Many of these people can easily introduce people to new ideas and concepts on a topic, they like to innovate when it comes to topics that they are passionate about. For many of them success is important, although they may have a different view of success compared to what other people see it as. Independence is a very important concept for them, they like to do things their own way and from a young age they will reject others placing expectations on them and, in turn, they will try to never expect things from people. They are not the type to want to change people, because if they don't want you as a friend they will only distance themselves from you. Once they define that they want you in their lives, they will appreciate you completely. Many of them probably take their time to open up emotionally to people, especially potential friends. This house also speaks of earnings through work; it is very likely that many of these natives aspire to jobs where they are their own bosses, jobs that are unusual or related to science, technology, or the internet. They may have diverse incomes, constantly change jobs or, if Uranus is making tense aspects, have somewhat unstable income.

-> Go back to the masterlist

[inkdemonapologist]

thoughts on sammy being a system w/ either did or osdd?

(I’m not super familiar with the specific delineations of those disorders, so instead of getting distracted by the DSM for an hour, I’m mostly just going to talk about the idea of Sammy being part of a plural system in general!)

…Have you checked out the Cthulhu AU? Haha. I can’t give Cthulhu Sammy a formal diagnosis, especially when so many of his particular circumstances are supernatural (also, he's in the 1930s so he would get misdiagnosed with schizophrenia anyway), but he and Prophet are a plural system slowly trying to be less antagonistic to each other in that one. Here’s a couple asks that talk about that: https://inkdemonapologist.tumblr.com/post/677995806738022400/with-coc-im-confused-about-sammy-and-prophet-is https://inkdemonapologist.tumblr.com/post/717331733724413952/as-someone-with-osdd-i-gotta-ask-do-you

If you mean in canon…. Well, there’s no reason he couldn’t be, if the headcanon appeals, but the question seems really really broad! Adding plurality to an existing character requires like… developing new characters, and thus a LOT depends on what direction you go and what characters you introduce. Like, is the person we know as “Sammy” a specific member of the system who fronts a lot, and there’s others we haven’t met? Or is that version of Sammy the “singletsona” that several people have agreed on, brusque and keeping his thoughts to himself so that nobody notices when wildly different people have to hold front? I personally find it less interesting if Sammy’s huge belief/behaviour shift gets framed as just, those are two different people so there was no shift at all, but there are probably ways to handle it that could make it compelling.

BUT... ALL THAT SAID……. Sammy’s fate and general unhinged tendencies would mean this concept REALLY needs to be approached thoughtfully. Like, there’s a good chance he’s being supernaturally manipulated, but this is still the character who just loses his mind and starts murdering people to sacrifice them to a demon he delusionally believes has chosen him as its prophet, which is the sort of thing that gets harmfully associated with DID and other sorts of plurality in real life media a LOT, so pointing at one of the most murderously unstable and delusional characters in the franchise and casually going “what if THAT one is plural�� dOES HAVE SOME, BAGGAGE ATTACHED.

I really like the presentation of this “so you want to write a plural character” essay, which was recommended by a plural friend – the discussions of harmful tropes, what makes them harmful, and how to approach those ideas with more care and humanity, is a really helpful framing to me. Prophet in Cthulhu AU did try to sacrifice people and could easily fall into the Evil Alter trope, but it’s been really exciting to see folks fall in love with him as his own person, someone who’s been manipulated and desperately needs help and connection.

I am just a singlet who has heard about plural experiences from friends, so take with that grain of salt, but for what it’s worth, i feel this would need some extra care. You can’t just write down “maybe DID” for Sammy on your list of “what neurodivergence & mental illnesses do the different BatIM characters have” and call it a day without that feeling VERY iffy, but if it’s something you want to develop and explore, I think it would be possible to do so thoughtfully!

[vixen525noms]

Meeting a Pen Pal

I have no idea if I'll make this an rp or story but I really love the concept and this was a fun drabble to make.

Warning: Lot of talk of monsters that eat folk. But none that actually happens yet.

-----

Juniper had been a bit hesitant to sign up to try the service at first. But the ad had free trials because the company wanted to use them to test things while they worked out everything before marketing it further. Some sort of magic crystal equivalent of pen pals. The crystal let you talk instead of just writing. She was curious about how they differed from normal communication magic. Apparently these were designed to only connect to a specific other crystal. This service they were testing was supposed to take your interests as a way to match you with a potential friend. She really didn’t have friends, so… it seemed worth a try.

So she filled out the form. She wrote about her interest in books, including which types were her favorites, then about how she enjoyed exploring hard to access areas in the deep woods, and even loved flying along the bluffs south of the barrier. She wrote down that she could sing, and someday wanted to learn magic. She wrote down she liked nature and biology, even listed off creatures she found interesting. She even found the monsters outside the border protection fascinating! She had read up on how many had different, unique biology not found among the less dangerous species. Of course she understood they were too dangerous to study, many even seeing folk like her as food, but it was still interesting to read about the dangerous species. She submitted her form and waited.

Juniper saw others on the street talking on their new, distinctive crystals before long, communicating with trial members at areas on the far sides of the haven or in other havens, and she felt a bit sad. It felt too fitting that she would be the only one not to get a match. Lonely as ever. She felt heartbroken that she was too different to talk to anybody. Maybe it had been a mistake to mention she found monsters fascinating. It probably scared others off. 

Then, she finally got one. A match. She hoped beyond hope it would work out. She heard some people turned theirs in to try different matches… maybe that’s why she finally got one? She didn’t care why. She had a chance at a friend. She had been so lonely. So when she had a break, she got it out and used it the first time. No answer, so she left a waiting message introducing herself. 

By the time she was on lunch break, there was a reply. She loved the friendly tone of the voice. When they mentioned a nice spot to chill, talked about the trees and the view, she was so excited! They liked to explore too! They even mentioned a spot just barely past the protection barrier… She thought she was the only one besides official transports who went past the barrier! It was so exciting. So she talked about a particularly difficult to reach area just past the barrier, the stream that ran through and how nice it was that nobody really went there. 

Soon they talked about books, and while she didn’t recognize what they mentioned, nor did they recognize hers, they happily talked about the plots of their favorite books and how they could check nearby stores and their respective libraries for the books. They would talk late into the night sometimes, and Juniper even sang for her new friend sometimes. She hadn’t sung for anyone in ages!

After a few weeks, the idea of meeting in person came up. Juniper was excited. Her new friend must not have been as far away in the sanctuary as she expected! Apparently they recognized one of the areas she described. Yes the woods were very dense and the hillside steep, that’s why both regular folk and monsters had little interest in it. But they seemed confident they could handle it as well. So Juniper packed some water bottles and snacks so she could spend her whole day off there, and left to start the trek. 

Unfortunately this meeting would not go as expected. She flew up the steep slopes, taking careful pause at her usual spots. She loved it up here. She knew there was only one predator hunting this area, and she had reasons to believe it would continue to ignore her occasional treks up here. Mostly because it couldn’t catch a quick winged fairy. She was glad she had taken the time to be sure of that modicum of safety. Couldn’t really take risks with such dangerous monsters. When she finally got to the highest part of the hill, she sat down under a tree to catch her breath, taking a sip. She pulled out her crystal to look at it. No pulse of light, so no waiting messages. Hopefully they would get up here. She really couldn’t wait to finally meet her friend.

[dryemiddi]

Hey, heard you were looking for utau fics! I’ve got a few, but most of them are Error/Ink, so if that’s not your jam then feel free to ignore :)

‘your best pal, ink’ by vicien_non is a pretty heart wrenching story about the end of the multiverse, that’s really short and easy to digest. It’s told over a series of quick letters and has one of those endings that sticks with you for a while after reading.

‘The End’ by ShandyCandy278 is a clever one-shot that looks into what might happen to the au characters (specifically Ink) when the ut fandom eventually dies. No relationships, just sad.

The whole of the ‘His Story’ series uploaded by TGK translations is a really interesting read, coming from many different povs and spanning all sorts of genres, and is mainly about the idea of multiple multiverses! It features a lot of very cool characters that I’d never even heard of before and introduces some pretty wild concepts.

One of my absolute favourites is ‘From Your Point Of View’, also uploaded (but not written) by TGK translations. It’s sadly unfinished but if you like bodyswap AUs then it’s a lot of fun! In exchange for no ending ;-;

‘The Two Cockroaches’ by Mutatedbunnies is a modern au featuring a ton of different relationships and dynamics. Very fluffy, very wholesome. Currently on hiatus but is still considered to be pretty popular on Ao3.

‘The Council Of The Inevitable’ is set 100 years after the x-event and is set primarily in the Omega timeline- features a lot of arguments and various sad moments, and a really interesting take on the cast of Underverse, plus a few others. It’s pretty long (and still updating after four years!) but absolutely worth it in my opinion if you’re a fan of unapologetic angst. Written by OnlyPlatonicIrl.

‘For the Forgotten Ones’ by Im_Sorry_Buddy I’ve only just started but looks amazing so far! A clever story where Nightmare finds Ink before he can destroy his soul and recruits him to his team of bad guys. Very cool concept and I’m loving it.

And finally, if you’re really desperate, I’m writing my own story at the moment called The Origins, which takes place after Dream is sent into a coma by his brother and is no longer able to fight for the multiverse. It’s not much compared to the rest of these but I’ve got some big things planned if you wanna check it out! Username Crunch_On_Toast.

All of these can be found on Ao3 with a quick search! Hope the list is useful, sorry for the self-promo haha

I've read the first one recently and (while very short) I thought it piqued my interest some! I'll have to remind myself to get around to trying these other fics... thank you!

[rachelbethhines]

60 Years of Doctor Who Anniversary Marathon - T. Baker 3rd Review

The Mind Runners / The Demon Rises - Full Audio

Let’s get one thing out of the way right now. The Mind Runners and The Demon Rises are not two separate stories connected by a story arc. They are the same damn story!

I don’t know why Big Finish tries to sell them separately (other then to gouge more money out of customers), but they are clearly a four part story that’s been split into two for no good reason, and that makes me mad! 

It’s dishonest.

I might have grumbled a bit at shelling out $22 for one story, but it would have been less offensive then selling half a story for $11, under the pretense of it being a single story in a larger story arc, and basically forcing me to pay other $11 if I want to get the conclusion. All in the hopes I’ll buy the entire season at a minimal discount; even though I don’t want extra stories, I just want the one!

It’s a poor business model that turns me right off the entire range, no matter how good the stories therein may be.

But then how good was this story?

Pretty dang good, actually.

One of the reasons why the Fourth Doctor is my least favorite Doctor is because he’s too much of a jackass in the show. An aloof asshole who thinks he’s always right, and tries to pass off his unemphatic air as being ‘alien’. I’m sorry, but his Bugs Bunny in space routine does nothing for me, and his dead eyed stare leaves me cold. Not helped by the fact that he’s one of the few Doctors without a character arc of any sort.

In short, while I think the Fourth Doctor has interesting stories, I personally find the Fourth Doctor himself to be a very uninteresting character the majority of the time.

But not here.

This story fixes that. By basically being written like a New Who episode. This is the Tenth Doctor being played by Tom Baker essentially; not the Fourth Doctor of the original series.

He’s kinder. He’s more considerate. He still has an ego, but can be humbled here. He isn’t just ordering people about, but providing explanations and encouraging people. He asks permission and says ‘I’m sorry’. He actually seems to give a damn about people dying, for once!

No this isn’t the Fourth Doctor at all, and that’s why I love it.

But there’s other things to recommend here as well. Both K-9 and Leela are utilized well. The story has good pacing, with plenty of plot twists that just keep piling on, until the wild climax. And it introduces an interesting new villain in Mr. Shift. A very comic book type character who has the potential to become a reoccurring foe. 

If there’s anything to criticize here, besides how its sold, is the fact that there’s arguably too many sci-fi concepts and not enough breathing room for all of them. We got inception style mind invasions, a cult of cyborgs, a mad scientist with polymorphic superpowers, a dying futuristic city running out of resources, a rocket made from human flesh, and a living planet that consumes people. That’s a lot, and not all of it comes together neatly.

Still, it’s at least interesting. You’ll never get bored of the tropes since nothing outstays its welcome. So if you don’t mind paying twice, this might be something worth checking out if you’re a Who fan.

[spider-self]

@tczier liked this for a starter

In the early years when Derry was little more than an idea of a few weary settlers. IT had mapped out the area IT wished to inhabit, weaving threads of silk across the land until IT’s territory was firmly established. Every few cycles IT refreshed the lines, spinning and working until there wasn’t a single place in Derry IT didn’t have some form of access to. In the quiet of IT’s inner sanctum, IT laid IT’s many legs on each strand and listened to the town, picking IT’s prey from the whispers IT heard. Poor Eddie Corcoran, poor Betty Ripsom, poor poor Veronica Grogan. When the brats forced IT into early slumber, it was the twitching of the threads that woke IT up. Each of them thrumming with a note of violence and pain too tantalising to ignore.

Poor Adrian Mellon, beaten to a pulp and thrown over the side of the bridge for the audacious act of having a boyfriend in public. Such a crime could not exist in a town such as Derry, small minded and stupid, it was almost a matter of civic pride how much the other was abhorred. It was an attitude IT cultivated as IT did the steady outbursts of viciousness and cruelty that popped up within the boundaries. If they hurt and killed each other, half of IT’s work was already done. All IT had to do was sup on the meat, and Adrian Mellon had been a hearty meal. So rich and full of terror, pain and regret salted him well and with each bite, IT learnt more and more. How he’d never thought this would happen here. Not in the town he loved so much, not in this place where everything was going so well. What about Don? Was he okay? Was he still alive? What about the book he was writing? Who would finish it now?

The scent of those fears came to IT now as IT slowly trailed Richie through the town. Fear, shame, a kind of uneasy excitement. Interesting… In the time between IT’s summons and their arrival, IT had made an effort to learn what the losers’ club had been up to for all those years. Each was successful in their own right, rich and famous. None more so than Richie who seemed to have made a career out of what IT found so dreadfully irritating. His voice. For someone who had lived in such a big city and traveled all over, IT would have assumed he would have gotten over such a fear. The rest of the world was not Derry. Surely there would be somewhere he would feel comfortable to simply be?

Evidently not, being back here had only reignited those fears. IT had toyed with him briefly, claiming to know the secret that was only all too obvious to anything with a nose. Human scents were so primitively obvious it was a wonder they could hide anything from each other. Considering Richie’s disposition, IT wasn’t surprised when he slipped into a bar. Perhaps he thought such a place would repel IT. A good guess if not a foolish one. After all, what childhood monsters could stand up to the assured adulthood of a stiff drink?

But IT was a nightmare unlimited in IT’s scope. Children were easier but adults were just as tasty. For the longest time all IT had wanted was a good meal and IT’s long rest. The losers had introduced IT to a new concept entirely, a want for revenge. Perhaps IT would thank them after they were dead. It was a learning experience worth having.

IT followed him.

The bar was full, raucous laughter filled the air along with the stink of stale sweat and low level aggression. IT found within Itself a certain admiration for Richie in choosing such a place to bolt to. Among its many vices, Derry was a drinking town. Depressed by nature and deprived in others, there was little else for many to do but piss away their pay check and seethe at their misfortune. If only they could leave, if only things would change. They never would of course and it was that anger that fuelled the many acts that kept IT’s belly full. IT loved them as only IT could, like pigs IT had carefully and tenderly raised for slaughter. As IT picked IT’s way through the crowd, those who had enough sense to know IT in some small way shivered as IT passed, a hush settling in little pockets between the noise.

As for Richie, he seemed several drinks in. An almost empty glass set in front of him, his posture low so he was almost hunched over the bar. It was nothing for IT to force the bartender away with a simple command, the flexible mind snapping under the force of it. Now IT was directly in front of him and IT took the time to shift IT’s features, mimicking the human it had sent away.

“Don’t you think you should slow down a little, buddy?”

[generative-adversarial-nitwit]

what are you using/studying to learn japanese? I've always wanted to learn but duolingo is famously bad for learning.

if you want sort of a firehose of knowledge, this doc from reddit was super helpful to me for sorting through strategies and resources and picking a few ways to start. it’s definitely worth checking out to see what sticks for you. most of what i’m using now actually came from there!

my main goal for right now is to be able to read decently. the “tangible” (sort of a joke, but somewhat genuine) goal is that if i look at a japan travelogue video on youtube, i want to be able to read the restaurant menus/signs haha

i’m currently using a combo of: wani kani (for kanji/vocab), duolingo (mostly for drilling kana), and Genki textbooks (grammar).

honestly duolingo is perfectly fine for kana, if a little slow. i’ve also found that i don’t need to be hardcore fast on the draw with kana just to be able to proceed with stuff like wani kani, and doing those things in tandem with kana practice helps to strengthen my memory of the kana.

wani kani is like a much more approachable, curated version of SRS utilities like Anki. it has a built-in curriculum that focuses on teaching kanji radicals (the building blocks of various kanji), then teaching kanji that build off those radicals, then vocabulary that use the kanji. since it has a built-in schedule, this is the main thing i’m structuring my learning around. typically i’ll do a review, then set an alarm on my device for the next review that’s at a reasonable hour, and then repeat, so i remember to do them. i do kana and grammar learning to pass time in-between.

i really like wani kani; it has a very friendly interface and will programmatically determine how strong i am on a given “card” (this is one of my hangups with anki, which depends on self-evaluation). the built-in mnemonics can seem silly at first but are genuinely helpful. more than anything i think the focus on radicals REALLY helps with efficiency and retention in the long run rather than rote memorization of JLPT vocab. the drawback is that some of the kanji/vocab might end up being a little esoteric in practice. it’s also slow to start — you have to keep at it to get a fuller review schedule. wani kani is also completely free until level 4, which is legitimately very chill of them because 3 levels is a crazy amount of knowledge to get for free and many people will quit well before that point. they also have an active community and a public API which means extensions and apps galore if you want to customize the experience

genki is good to read through at your own pace for at least the grammar. it can be found at a variety of booksellers or maybe other ways if you don’t have the budget. it has practice activities you can try if you like! i personally like to read through a lesson and then practice typing out my own sentences using the vocab and concepts that it introduces, but i’m not stressing too much about doing each chapter top to bottom. i really like having it as a reference text. the illustrations are cute also

listening/immersion can be anything you find interesting. in particular i like dogen’s channel because the dude writes/speaks very eloquently and is also just very funny (the thumbnails might seem a little bit annoying. the content is good i promise). he’s a foreigner who’s lived in japan for a long time and he has pretty insightful commentary from that perspective, which he delivers as like… comedic rakugō shitposts. he’s also a good introduction to the idea of pitch accent. my personal favorite of his is Uncle Magnet

OH also jisho.org is a very good dictionary resource. ok i think that’s all! がんばって!

[technicallylovingcomputer]

The Rise of Clone Gaming: Why These Titles Are Dominating the Charts

In the ever-changing world of gaming, one trend has been gaining significant popularity: clone gaming. These games often take successful mechanics from well-known titles and add their own unique twists to keep players interested. With millions of gamers on the lookout for these experiences, it's evident that the clone gaming industry is thriving. But which games are at the forefront? And what makes them so appealing?

What Is Clone Gaming?

Clone gaming refers to titles that replicate the core mechanics of successful games while introducing their own variations, graphics, or narratives. While some may view this as simple imitation, many of these games innovate and enhance the original concepts, making them feel fresh and engaging. Players are drawn to clone games because they provide a familiar yet new experience, often featuring improved elements or greater accessibility.

Most Searched Clone Games in Recent Times

1. Clone Armies: Battle Game

This action-packed side-scrolling shooter has become a favorite among gamers. "Clone Armies" distinguishes itself with its unique cloning mechanic, allowing players to respawn as their previous character while retaining past actions. This leads to intense strategic gameplay where teamwork (even with oneself) is essential.

Why It's Popular:

Unique cloning mechanics

Strategic gameplay with tactical depth

Easy-to-learn controls but challenging missions

High engagement levels in countries like Mexico, the UK, Russia, Brazil, and India

2. Clone Evolution: Cyber War RPG

For RPG enthusiasts, "Clone Evolution" has been making waves in the gaming community. This cyberpunk-inspired role-playing game allows players to build an army of genetically enhanced clones to battle enemies in a futuristic world.

What Makes It a Hit?

 Engaging storyline and futuristic setting

 Deep character progression system

 Online multiplayer battles for endless competition

 Trending in Ireland, the United States, and India

Why Are Clone Games So Popular?

Several factors contribute to the rising popularity of clone games.

1. A Familiar Concept with a Unique Spin

Many clone games draw inspiration from popular titles, ensuring that players quickly recognize the gameplay mechanics. However, they introduce their own unique elements, making the experience feel both fresh and familiar.

2. Accessible to All

In contrast to high-budget AAA games, clone games typically have lower system requirements, making them more accessible to a broader audience, particularly mobile gamers.

3. Ongoing Updates & Community Involvement

Developers keep these games vibrant with regular updates, new challenges, and engaging events, which help maintain player interest.

4. Freemium Approach with Monetization Options

Many clone games adopt a free-to-play model, allowing players to enjoy the game without any cost while offering in-app purchases for upgrades, skins, and power-ups.

The Future of Clone Gaming

As the gaming landscape continues to change, we can anticipate even more inventive clone games making their way into the market. Developers are likely to find a better balance between drawing inspiration and maintaining originality, ensuring that games stay engaging and innovative.

With clone games trending in searches, it’s evident that gamers enjoy fresh interpretations of familiar ideas. Whether you’re into strategy, action, or RPGs, clone games are here to stay, delivering exciting gameplay without the steep entry barriers.

Final Thoughts

If you’re a gamer who loves thrilling mechanics, strategic combat, and immersive worlds, clone games are definitely worth checking out. Whether it’s Clone Armies, Clone Evolution, or the next anticipated title, these games offer captivating experiences that keep players returning for more.

What’s your favorite clone game? Share your thoughts in the comments!

[daveg65]

261 - Brydge Lives and Emergency SOS Saves - With Jeff Gamet and Guests Guy Serle, Mike Potter

The latest In Touch With iOS with Dave he is joined by guest, Guy Serle, Mike Potter, and Jeff Gamet. The revival of iPad keyboard maker Brydge with new owner, the iPhone's life-saving SOS feature saves another person, a case involving stolen Apple products, iCloud storage price increase in UK and other countries.  Some nostalgia for the first iPhone which went on sale June 29, 2007 16th anniversary., A new Motorola Defi pocket satellite link gadget lets you text messages immediately. The Apple Trade-in plan worked well for Dave with good pricing and a review of experience. Plus tips on what to do before you send in your trade-in out and more.

The show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com


Direct Link to Audio 

Links to our Show

Click this link Buy me a Coffee to support the show we would really appreciate it. intouchwithios.com/coffee 

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News

iPad keyboard maker Brydge revived under new ownership; details on unpaid salaries and unfulfilled orders unknown

iPhone 14's Emergency SOS via Satellite Feature Saves California Hiker

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Apple Hikes iCloud+ Subscription Prices in Many Countries Around the World

Apple No Longer Offers Interest-Free Financing in Canada

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Apple Store employees get their iPhone X upgraded to iPhone 14 

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Beta this week. 1OS 16.6 Beta 4 was released this week. iOS 17 Beta 2 continues.

Apple Seeds Fourth Betas of iOS 16.6 and iPadOS 16.6 to Developers

Apple Seeds Fourth Beta of watchOS 9.6 to Developers

Apple Seeds Fourth Beta of tvOS 16.6 to Developers

iOS 17: Eight Privacy and Security Improvements Coming in Apple's Next Update 

iOS 17 Photos App Can Tell You What Those Confusing Laundry Symbols Mean

How to turn photos into iMessage stickers with iOS 17

What iOS 17 features you aren't going to get at launch

The first iPhone went on sale on June 29, 2007. We discuss this anniversary and what  the future holds for iPhone. 

Lets see what ChatGPT says about this anniversary.  This highly anticipated device, developed by Apple Inc., revolutionized the mobile phone industry and set a new standard for smartphones. The release of the original iPhone marked the beginning of a new era in mobile technology, combining a sleek design with a multi-touch interface and introducing the concept of mobile applications. With its groundbreaking features, such as web browsing, email functionality, and a built-in iPod, the iPhone quickly captured the imagination of consumers worldwide. The launch of the first iPhone paved the way for subsequent generations of smartphones, fundamentally changing the way people communicate, access information, and interact with technology.

Is this a new way to use satellite SOS? The Motorola Defy Satellite Link is a keychain sized device that provides Satellite connectivity plus SOS. SOS in the iPhone is only available in emergencies; this can give you connections for text and check-ins. 

 This small gadget gives you the iPhone 14's best feature for $149 

Apple Trade in guide. Dave bought a new iPhone 14 for a family member and gives his experience.

How to trade in your MacBook, macOS desktop, iPhone, or iPad

Macstock 7 is here! Tickets are Sold Out but Virtual Tickets are available.Dave is speaking again at the event along with Jeff Gamet, Brittany Smith, Chuck Joiner, and many others. Please join in all the fun July 22-23, 2023! Speakers Link.

Our Host

Dave Ginsburg is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users and shares his wealth of knowledge of iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and related technologies. Visit the YouTube channel https://youtube.com/intouchwithios follow him on Mastadon @daveg65, 

Twitter @daveg65.and the show @intouchwithios

  Our Regular Contributors

Jeff Gamet is a podcaster, technology blogger, artist, and author. Previously, he was The Mac Observer’s managing editor, and Smile’s TextExpander Evangelist. You can find him on Mastadon @jgamet as well as Twitter and Instagram as @jgamet  His YouTube channel https://youtube.com/jgamet

Ben Roethig Former Associate Editor of GeekBeat.TV and host of the Tech Hangout and Deconstruct with Patrice  Mac user since the mid 90s. Tech support specialist. Twitter @benroethig  Website: https://roethigtech.blogspot.com

About our Guest

Guy Serle Is the host of the MyMac Podcast email Guy@mymac.com @MacParrot and @VertShark on Twitter Vertshark.com,  Vertshark on YouTube, Skype +1 Area code  703-436-9501

  Mike Potter is the organizer of Macstock Conference: and the host of the For Mac Eyes Only Podcast. You can reach him on Mastodon: https://tooting.ninja/@formaceyesonly https://tooting.ninja/@macstockexpo

Here is our latest Episode!

[braintapes]

HOTELPOD ANY% RUN GOOD LUCK TO ANON!!!

GREAT guide, agree 100% with these recs!! I hope it's okay to add my cordyceps to the mix by giving a summary of each season for any prospective listeners:

Season 1: Settling into the 'Hotel that murders people' concept. Episodes are very short and digestible, running between 7-13 minutes. Follows the formula of one of the staff talking about that night's guest and what their role is in said guest's death. Some growing pains as you'd expect, most of it's flavor yeah. Use this to quickly and easily find out if you like these characters and want more of them.

Season 2: Aaah shit all the staff have been turned into monsters that are hunting down and killing the guests! Also, instead of the standard hotel setting, episodes take place in rental homes. Only 7 eps compared to S1's 16. Agree completely with Kwiyatsi though, Burger Baby and Cracker Man are so good and worth the listen but you won't miss too much if you skip them.

Season 3: The closest thing to backstory we'll probably ever get? More of a plot here than S1 or 2, but less than 4 and 5 imo. No guests at all, but the staff suffer a lot. And die. A Lot. Weird, winding, and experimental, but formula gets traded in for more in-depth and interesting character work (though i'm biased since S3 is my favorite). Many fun sound effects including a gibbering, snorting, hurgling creature and the Hotel Herself's sexy SHODAN vocal layering.

Season 4: A return to S1's formula: A guest checks in and dies in the standard hotel setting. Episodes run longer due to featuring two narrations in one episode (anywhere between 20-40 min). The Hotel Herself debuts as a narrating character like the others rather than as a Special Event like in the earlier seasons. Plus the staff start rotting to death every episode! I personally recommend 4.16 Alex Potenski (Carl Larpe is also very good, these eps aren't necessary for your speedrun but they are fan favorites from what i've seen, like Cracker Man and Burger Baby for s2.)

Season 5: The MOST linear plot-heavy season, for sure, coming off the back of the ending events of S4. Begins with some S2 like episodes, featuring the staff as creatures. Then the focus shifts to introducing a new cast of characters, the New Crew, and how they interact with the old crew we've come to know.

The great thing about the Hotel Podcast is that you don't have to jump in right from the beginning and go in order. It's nonlinear and tbh the most continuity we've had is from S4 going into S5. The other seasons aren't straightforwardly connected. So if one of these sounds more your style than the others, imo you wouldn't miss much by just jumping into what sounds coolest to you!

Ive been meaning to get into the Hotel.. whats the speedrun guide? If you dont mind sharing

Anon I am kissing you on the forehead I am SO glad you asked, bestie! Please also feel free to come into my DMs and go "WHEN THE LOBBY BOY!!! AND THE MANAGER!!! AND THE OWNER!!!" so I can be like "Oh bestie I KNOW!!!"

THE HOTELPOD SPEEDRUN GUIDE FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE BUSY LIVES

(written by Kwiyatsi, who has some form of Hotelpod Cordyceps)

SEASON 1:

really you just need the first two episodes and then owner i-iv. the rest is flavor text. jenny range HIGHLY encouraged but not needed. also noreen highly recommended but not needed for trespasses.

SEASON 2:

burger baby and cracker man are the only episodes that matter, emotionally. we love burger baby and cracker man. but they are flavor text. really just skip to echo box and then return.

SEASON 3:

look man i'm gonna be straight with you this whole season is the most "plot" it gets. if you really want to run it you should do "a guest checks in" and then jump to avoid and finish the season from there.

SEASON 4:

the only "plot" is the owner v, x-x, and judy blashy. the rest you can skip. i rec carl larpe because madam is there and so is the manager. GIRL'S NIGHT [explodes into gore]

SEASON 5:

again, this is plot-heavy but you can skip down to we are watching and listen through to The Auditor and then skip until you get to the NYE double whammy of it's new year's eve + reaper's envy.

And then you should be current! Feel free to roam through the episodes. As I understand it the Bonus episodes like "The Pets" are more soft-canon goofs than Plot Required Episodes. Also Trespasses is soft-canon? I think? But it's tasty.

[copperbadge]

You know, thinking about it, I imagine the Leverage crew are pretty philanthropic. Parker might have had to be introduced to the concept (”You just give them money and they go away with it? How does that work?”) but probably once she got her head around it she’d be into it. 

What gets me is how god damned frustrating it would be to work somewhere that one of the Leverage crew supports. Nate would be okay, he’d just make small monthly gifts to ten million different organizations so that nobody thinks he’s worth very much (he doesn’t own his home and he gives such small amounts monthly that Development writes him off as an earnest but low-capacity donor who should get a thank-you card around the holidays). It’s probably a bigger inconvenience to him because he’s on every nonprofit mailing list known to man. He has so many address labels, guys. (I don’t want to be Nate but I am Nate. I have so many address labels.)

Sophie I imagine has an extravagant alias for every charity she supports; she gives outrageous amounts and in return demands only attention and adulation, tickets to all the galas, and to be in at least one photo in every annual report. We have a donor like this -- she’s genuinely invested in our work, gives generously of her time and money, is never rude or demanding, but if she’s in the room all eyes must be on her at all times. I actually really like her but constant exposure could get...tiring. 

Eliot just sends enormous, anonymous checks once a year through a shell company or DAF, which while not unusual would be irritating in that they can’t ever reach out to thank him and/or steward him into a larger gift appealing to his interests. They can’t even send him dumb swag! He deserves a charity-branded bottle opener and keychain flashlight! (He has stolen all of Nate’s, but they don’t know that.) Still, they’ve probably got a fun nickname for him; I have a few people in my research files who are simply named after characters from Greek mythology because that’s all the data I have or am allowed to store. 

For a long time Hardison just dumped money into the bank accounts of his charities of choice, seamlessly, invisibly -- it just APPEARED in the account, and he was cool with that until he checked back after a few years and found none of his money was being used because they couldn’t figure out where it was coming from and were worried it was a clerical error despite the bank assuring them otherwise. Now he still dumps money into the accounts but he entertains himself building an elaborate digital paper trail so that the accounting all works. Have you ever watched a Gift Processing office try to balance a nonprofit’s books? Sometimes they cry! Don’t be mean to them, Hardison. 

Parker, bless her heart, just leaves bags of money on the doorsteps of random employees with notes directing how, in general terms, it should be spent. If she’s particularly pleased with the climbability of their home, she leaves a donut for them, too. Generally if she mentions she’s done this to the crew, Eliot calls up the charity to assure them that the large bag of cash was a legitimate donation and is not some kind of money-laundering scam. (That was ONE TIME Eliot, and the IRS didn’t even NOTICE.) This happened to me once. A tiny old lady in a Cubs jacket showed up to our office with a backpack full of money and it was a very intense morning. 

Anyway, what I’m saying is that every year, across the span of roughly two weeks, Hardison’s Nana’s church gets their regular $25 check from that nice Mr. Ford, a visit from the very devout but slightly weird Madam Sofia who wants a private choir recital, an enormous check from a bank in the Bahamas with no name attached, a large direct deposit from a heretofore-undiscovered bond the church invested in a decade ago, and a large bag of cash with a dozen donuts on it and a note reading THANK YOU FOR THE NEW ROOF IT WAS VERY SLIPPERY AND FUN. PLEASE BUY STUFFED ANIMALS FOR CHILDREN WHO NEED STUFFED ANIMALS. 

[laurasimonsdaughter]

Gender Swapped Fairy Tales

by Karrie Fransman & Jonathan Plackett (2020)

My mother-in-law got this book and for obvious reasons she lent it to me. I have far more thoughts about it than I expected, so I thought I'd do a little ramble review for those of you that are interested in looking at fairy tales from a gender perspective:

Firstly: I think this is a very interesting, well introduced project

Fransman and Plackett, who are married, explain in the introduction that they didn't want to retell fairy tales but specifically chose to simply swap out all relevant gendered words (with a computer program created by Plackett) in an attempt to "illuminate and disrupt the gender stereotypes woven into the stories we've been told since childhood". This is also the reason, they explain, why they've stuck to a very binary approach to gender, not just changing "princess" to "prince" etc, but also changing "dress" to "suit" and so on. They used the text from the Langs' Fairy Books and tried to change as little as possible, to show how different it would be to have Cinderella's actions attributed to a man and Hansel's to a girl. It's a solid concept and I appreciate the effort they put into it.

Second: It's a beautiful book with gorgeous illustrations

Just look at these takes on Rapunzel and Beauty and the Beast, delightful!

So, if this looks like something that's your thing, I encourage you to check it out!

But of course I also have many nitpicky folklore feelings about this, so for anyone who is interested I will put those under the cut~

So, folklore feelings and ruffled fairy tale feathers:

This is a project with a very specific concept (complete binary gender swap, but edit as little as possible besides) and it's unfair to fault it for sticking to it, but I do think that not every fairy tale is equally well suited for such a treatment. I also think that the authors cheat a little here and there and if you start cheating then why not do it to make things a little more elegant?

Here are my thoughts on the gender swapped fairy tales this book contains:

Handsome and the Beast (Beauty and the Beast)

This one works very well, I think. Having a female merchant be the protagonist of the first half of the story and a male romatic hero the willing captive of a female beast changes the feel of the story completely while leaving all its main elements intact. It's interesting to see a female character lose her monstrous characteristics through the dutiful devotion of a man and it also highlights the uncomfortable parts of the story by recontextualizing them. I like it!

Cinder, or the Little Glass Slipper (Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper)

From a story perspective this one is as good as the previous one. It's fun to have an evil stepfather and stepbrothers obsessed with beauty, a fairy godfather, and a beautiful boy who longs for a ball. However, I really don't think "Cinder" has the same feel as "Cinderella" as a name. In the Langs' translation the protagonist is called both Cinderella and Cinderwench, which they swapped for Cinder and Cinderboy. This isn't quite right. "Wench" is a much nastier word than "boy" and "Cinder" is just the full noun not made into a name. If more editing was allowed, I would have taken inspiration from Norwegian fairy tales about Askeladden and called the protagonist "Ashlad".

How to Tell a True Prince (How to Tell a True Princess / The Princess on the Pea)

This one is silly, but so is the original. You can really tell that this is a literary fairy tale. But honestly the nonsense of it call is kind of the point and a princess looking for a dainty prince who bruises like a peach is a story worth telling.

Jacqueline and the Beanstalk (Jack and the Beanstalk)

There is nothing wrong with this one at all, but I don't like it much because there are plenty of trickster tales with women as the protagonists. Changing Jack into a girl doesn't really have much bearing on the story for me and it doesn't create a sort of story that's all that new. If I wanted to a girl defeating a giant I could also read Molly Whuppie. But I do see that Jack's characterisation of being silly and thoughtless, brave and brazen is unusual to see for a heroine, so there is that.

Gretel and Hansel (Hansel and Gretel)

Similar to the previous one I don't think this particularly benefits from a gender swap. Hansel and Gretel are both clever in their own way. There is a clear difference in Gretel being the one who cries more and has to do chores for the witch, but still. It does make me think though, because the male witch/wizard wanting to eat Gretel makes me more uncomfortable. One thing I find very funny in this one is that they didn't just change the duck they meet along the way into a drake (as in male duck, but now seems like a dragon), they also have the wizard call Hansel a "silly gander" instead of a "silly goose".

Mr Rapunzel (Rapunzel)

Now here I get very picky. I think "Mr Rapunzel" is a ridiculous way to solve for the fact that leaving it unchanged would make it seem like the same fairy tale. In fairy tales people are hardly ever addressed with titles like Mr or Mrs and it completely breaks the tone. I would have just kept it Rapunzel, as they do in the actual text of the story. What I do appreciate is the complete ambiguity in this version as to whether it is the husband or the wife who gives birth to the baby. But here is also the first moment of cheating: they have Rapunzel grow a long beard. That is a decided change. A boy could grow long hair just as well as a girl, it did not need to be altered. But it is an amazing image. I'm all for it. But if you make this change because it's cool, you can change more things. The dynamic between the Evil Wizard, Rapunzel and the Princess is very interesting with swapped genders though.

Snowdrop (Snow White)

I wanted to yell about unnecessarily changing the name again, but Andrew Lang was the one that changed the name from Snow White to Snowdrop, so my yelling is directed at him. In this story the gender language program comes up with some changes I just don't like the sound of. "My Lady Queen" turns into "My Gentleman King", while I think "My Lord King" would work a bit better, and "My noble King" a lot better. It also changes the Princess' bodice being laced up so tight it nearly kills her to the Prince's shirt. That's one hell of a shirt. The preoccupation with beauty is interesting with a king and prince though, and the female dwarves are fun.

Little Red Riding Hood (Little Red Riding Hood)

This certainly is interesting, because it's one of the versions where both Grandmama (so Grandpapa in this version) and Little Red Riding Hood get eaten and never rescued. I would have liked to see a brave female woodcutter, but having this story of straying off the path and getting preyed upon for it be centered around a boy is definitely impactful. The wolf is introduced as "Mistress Wolf", which I don't love but since the Langs' originally chose "Gaffer Wolf", I can't really argue with that. I do argue with the way the wolf is illustrated though. Because they gave her a head of blonde hair on top of her fur and a red lipstick mouth.

The Sleeping Handsome in the Wood (The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood)

This is very interesting with the genders swapped. (Again could be read as the King giving birth, fun.) I'm all for armoured princesses climbing towers and falling to their knees at the sight of slumbering princes. This is also the Perrault version with the second plot where the in-laws want to eat the new spouse and the royal children, which adds the dynamic of the young Queen going to war while the beautiful King stays home and is endangered. The title irks me though. While I fully supported the use of "Handsome" as a name in the Beauty and the Beast story, I do not like it here. I'm sure there is something patriarchal about the way "beauty" can be used as a noun describing a person, while "handsome" cannot, but "the handsome in the woods" just sounds very jumbled to me.

Frau Rumpelstiltzkin (Rumpelstiltzkin)

Again with the unnecessary name change. "Frau" is an interesting pick, perhaps they were inspired by Frau Holle, but it's really not needed and it looks very forced. I don't like this story as much as most of the others, but mostly because it's not a very nice fairy tale to begin with. The romance isn't romantic, the kindness isn't kind, and changing the genders doesn't change that. The young king fighting to save his baby daughter is very charming though.

Mistress Puss in Boots (Puss in Boots)

Listen. If you insist on having a different title for it, go all the way with the old-fashioned language for animals and make it Pussy in Boots. Or go with the "Madame Puss" that is used in the story since the Langs' decided to use "Monsieur Puss" (hilarious). But the gender changes are fun in this. The Prince falling head over heels for the freshly-fished-from-a-ditch miller's daughter is very good.

Thumbelin (Thumbelina)

Another one by H.C. Andersen and very clearly a literary fairy tale. I really like the name change to Thumbelin and having a single (?) man wishing for a child and finding one in a flower is very lovely. I've always liked Thumbelina's aesthetic but rather disliked the story, everyone is forever trying to marry her against her will. I don't like the story more with a boy in the same position, but the change does hit hard because it.

If I had to pick a favourite from this book, I think it's Handsome and the Beast, but Cinder is also very fun with the genders reversed. I like this book very much as an experiment, but while I agree with the choice not to make it actual retellings, I wish a few more tweaks were allowed to make some parts flow more smoothly.

[bonesbuckleup]

So I’m new to reading comics. I’m not someone who grew up with access to them, and no one in my immediate or extended family really were into them, and, to the best of my knowledge, most of my friends were in a similar boat. Basically, I’m an adult, and I’m new to comics, and I’m really enjoying exploring them.

I’m bringing this up because I found my way into DC comics via tumblr, which is arguably still the most centralized hub of fandom life, which means I entered through the recent issues. Because I’m me, I also immediately started making shitposts. Inevitably these shitposts have broken out of my dumb curated little enclosure to interact with bits of the fandom I’m generally unfamiliar with. Namely, gatekeepers.

Throwing this under a cut so it’s easily bypassable 👍

It has happened with literally all of my Batman posts that break ~500 notes. People show up in the tags to rant about how sick they are of people on tumblr getting characters wrong, or not understanding canon, or getting mad because of something getting ignored that happened in canon 20+ years ago. They start off by attacking immediately, and getting angry, and ranting about how new fans are so awful/annoying/stupid/etc.

I’ve been in fandom spaces for Far Too Long, so I’m used to dealing with input like this. But if 14/15/16 year old me was met with the kind of vitriol that shows up in my notifications sometimes? She would’ve disengaged with the material entirely and never interacted with the fandom again. She would’ve actively told people to stay out of those spaces because of how mean and unwelcoming many of the people were to her.

Listen: I do get it. It’s frustrating when someone misunderstands a thing you love. I really truly do understand. At the same time, though, we’re talking about characters who have been appearing for 20, 30, 50, 80 years. Characters who have had hard resets and retcons done 3+ times. Characters who have been written by tens or hundreds of different writers and drawn by just as wide a range of artists. It is next to impossible to pick one version of any of them that is The Definitive Version.

And to use myself as an example? Like I said, I’ve been reading these comics since March-ish. I work full time. I hang out with friends. I am querying an original book. I’m reading other books. I need to cook and clean and grocery shop and take walks and get writing done. Most weeks, I spend 1-2 hours reading comics, if that. I had to start somewhere, so I went with some Tim-centric runs (Lonely Place of Dying, the Contagion arc, Battle for the Cowl, Red Robin and related issues, and am now right around where Steph has the baby in his Robin run) and am now wading into Nightwing (1996). So the versions of the characters in my head are related to these moments in time, the early/mid nineties and 2009/2010ish eras. Those versions of the characters may also directly contradict your version, and that’s okay!

What’s not okay is how people immediately see a post and assume the worst instead of taking the opportunity to introduce a new fan to your version of these comics. Taking 2 seconds to be kind is the same amount of time it takes to rip someone’s head off. Like, instead of “jfc, I can’t believe this is framed as a joke when it’s canon, I’m so sick of this, try opening a comic,” try, “Hey guys! This is actually in canon! If you like this concept, check out these runs/issues for how it plays out.”

You all have a really great opportunity to expand your fandom in a dynamic and interesting way. It just makes me sad and a little frustrated to see people moaning about how comics aren’t appreciated enough, and then actively chasing away people who are new to them. No one is going to be able to absorb nearly a century’s worth of content overnight, and expecting them to stay out of fandom spaces until they have a sufficient knowledge base (whatever that means to you) literally defeats the point of fandom.

EDIT: also, just a quick note, for every interaction I’ve had with a gatekeeper in some way, I’ve had 3 interactions with wonderful and helpful people who have directed me to runs/issues that I may enjoy. This is definitely not an “all fans” complaint. There are just some very loud voices that sure are yelling a lot.

Anyway.

Those are my Monday thoughts.

Do with them what you will.

[soranis-sunshadow]

Entrapta deserved better

My posts are usually either detailed analysis or memes and shitposts.

I’ve re-watched the show and this will be an angry rant…  

With every viewing of the show, Entrapta’s arc makes me progressively angrier because I empathize with her so much.

She is introduced to the show as being a reclusive scientist, known throughout the Maker’s guild for her genius. Even her staff is weary of her. She spends all her time alone with her robot friends in her lab within her isolated castle.

The alliance interacts with her with the explicit purpose of recruiting her into their war effort. They want her for her ability to build weapons for them. That’s as deep as the relationship goes this far.

Entrapta has no stakes in the war, the Horde hadn’t attacked Dryl. She joins them because she wants to be their friend; she wants to help them in the only way she knows how, using her technological prowess to their benefit. Due to her isolation (and her being autistic), Entratpa struggles to understand interpersonal dynamics. Human interaction is a skill she has had little practical experience with. She understands the concepts, the rules of the game, so to speak, but she has seen it in play only as a third party rarely ever practicing it herself.

She’s invited to the Princess prom due to her princes status but she’s an outsider there too. No “friendly” princess seeks her out to hang out with her as a friend would. The only person who does so is Catra, and she does it for her own reasons…

With Glimmer abducted, the alliance mounts a half-baked rescue operation. Everything Entrapta did in this episode had a purpose, it looked like she kept getting distracted when in actuality, she was studying horde tech, rescuing Seahawk and furthering their mission and she had no time to explain herself (it also occurs to me that Entrapta might not explain herself because no one asked and no one ever understands her reasoning anyway) The princesses try to control her because she’s being “difficult”. They don’t care why she’s being difficult, they want her to conform.

Once they rescued Glimmer, they don’t even come back to check if Entrapta’s actually dead, or to get her remains and put them to rest respectfully. They allready have the princess they came for.  

Entrapta is all alone with her new robot friend Emily in the Frightzone vents, expecting that she’d get rescued because “no princess left behind” but rescue never actually comes.

Catra uses this new abandonment to convince her to switch sides. Entrapta didn’t jump ship because of her tech hyperfixation, she switched sides because Catra used her skill at pinpointing someone’s weak-spot and poking at it. 

Catra may not have been Shadow Weaver’s favorite ward (she was her scapegoat and punching bag, the poor girl) but she did learn from her and repeatedly put those skills to “good” use.

Once they find out she’s alive, the alliance wants to rescue her but she’s made new friends in the Horde and she think that they understand her fascination with science, friends that actually interact with her directly. She actually feels included here and as such, she’s not eager to return to the alliance’s side.

Entrapta befriends Catra and Scorpia but even in this trio, she is the third wheel. Catra is focused on herself, her ascension in The Horde and on her missing Adora. Scorpia is focused on Catra and on pinning for her.

Once Entrapta and Hordak start growing closer together, Catra stops talking to her. Perhaps she was hurt because Entrapta “broke her promise” to not go in Hordak’s sanctum, perhaps she was envious of her closeness to the Horde leader, or perhaps both, either way, the friendship is broken from Catra’s side. Entrapta still sees her as a friend and fights Hordak over the decision to send her to Beast Island. Despite his grouchiness, he considers her request and grants it.

As recompense for saving her life, Catra backstabs Entrapta when she tried to stop Catra from triggering a potentially world ending event and then sends her to the fate Entrapta saved her from: exile on Beast Island.

When faced with the choice between Catra and Entrapta, Scorpia choses Catra. Hordak is lied to so he doesn’t know to look for her, he believed she used him and is heartbroken about it.

You can actually pinpoint the moment his little heart breaks in this scene:

 Even so, he spends most of season 4 wanting to face her; he’d rather see her as an enemy than not see her at all.

After Catra proves herself a bad friend, (after months) Scorpia finally decides to rescue Entrapta and goes looking for help, deserting to the alliance. She has this little realization:

Adora is the only person that actually wants to go right away and rescue her. Bow wants to rescue her because they need her tech savvy and Glimmer says that they can rescue her after the war or something… (the Island she’s on is a death trap, she might not live that long for all they know)

she said this 

then this

She knows that this is a time sensitive issue but she wants to put it off  despite the urgency, if that doesn’t sound like friendship to you, then what does?  *sarcasm intensifies*

Contrast this with how the villain of the show reacted to the news of her being sent to Beast Island:

On Beast Island Bow gives her a longwinded speech about how she’s supposed to work harder at friendship. I know he’s projecting his own issues here but it still makes me so damn angry. Entrapta’s trying; she’s trying so hard, no one ever tries back! No one makes the effort to understand her (except that one clone but we’re not talking about him), she has to conform to their expectations, the reverse is never applicable.

Anyway, stuff happens and Glimmer is abducted again, by Horde Prime this time.

Then that whole “Lauch” episode happened. Entrapta is distrusted by the alliance more than Scorpia is. She is seen and cold and interested only in tech, she has to explain and redeem herself in their eyes after they treat her like rubbish. They don’t connect the fact that helping them with tech is how she shows her friendship. 

It’s the only thing she thinks she’s worth to them. She wants to be accepted by them so badly.

 Entrapta gets emotional over rescuing Glimmer! 

The person who when faced with the same prospect, said she’d do it later…

Even Catra’s apology to Entrapta for trying to kill her is a blank “I’m sorry”. Pls say what exactly you are sorry for Catra. Entrapta deserves that much. Bow received a better apology for far less of an offense.

All she ever does in the show is work towards furthering someone else’s goals, her own are always a second thought. As @cruelfeline​ pointed out, even a small scene with her discussing what happened with Hordak, her reaction to it and the gang focusing on Entrapta’s troubles for ONCE , even if it’s just offering her emotional support, would have meant so much.

Why is the show trying to tell me that Entrapta should work on being a better friend?

That's a terrible message!

She doesn't need to work harder on her friends, she NEEDS BETTER FRIENDS.

So many of us ND people end up being third wheels at best and we blame that on ourselves, we internalize the reasoning that our friendship fail because we’re weird and we’re not doing it right. That we’re the ones that have to try harder to be understood and that our concerns should come second.  That is a terrible thing to internalize, we are blaming ourselves constantly because we try to understand others and they never try to understand us back. 

With age, I’ve grown out of trying and being different so that other people would like me. They’d end up liking the mask I project, not me anyway. I’ve found people that understand me and that like me for who I am, but only after I’ve stopped trying to be “better” for others to accept me. With being honestly “weird” with those around me, I’ve been accepted far more than for trying to fit in. And I’ve realized that people that shun my otherness are not worth the effort to try and befriend in the first pace .

 That is what young autistics need to hear, not “git gud” at friendship.  You are not wrong, you are not defective or broken, you are you and you’re beautiful just the way you are. If other people don’t see that, then the failing is theirs. Don’t change, just look for people that see you.