#Explainer Video Ads

[uzairmansoor1]

Boost Engagement with Video Ad Variations

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[lizzybeeee]

DATV is overly reliant on Supplemental Media - especially if you are a returning player

TL;DR: Supplemental material should not be required reading in order to understand what's going on in the main game -> it's additional material that enhances what we were given. If what we were given is lacking and unable to coherently tell us a story, then the writers and those in charge did not prioritize what was important.

Not a take that's unique to Dragon Age, but one that is very relevant when talking about DATV. I've made a few posts about plot/story points that either make no sense or have been dropped entirely in the lead up from DAI to DATV. Every now and then I get a few comments or messages about how certain points I made were addressed in supplemental material released in the lead up to this games release.

This isn't a call out post, by the way! But it's frustrating, to me, that this games writing is so lacking that my understanding is being inhibited because I can't remember details from a book I read two years ago - not to mention various podcasts, comics, and short stories. My understanding of a video game in a video game series should not be reliant on additional/optional content.

DATV is a weird game in that it is absolutely a 'soft/scorched earth' reboot while also marketing itself as a continuation to what was set up in Inquisition and Trespasser. Personally, I think that if you are up to number 4 in a game series, one with a continuous story-line, it should be expected that new players won't be able to catch up to everything -> it's the game developers job to make the world and story intriguing enough that the new players will go back to previous games in the series and fill in the blanks themselves.

Veilguard, as a sequel, is overly reliant on content that comes from outside the games themselves (including DLC's) if you want to make sense of the world and story. Trespasser left us with an epilogue that set up some plot points for the next game: Solas & the Veil, the Elven Rebellion, and War with the Qun - plot points that have been built up since the time of Origins. But when we get into DATV two of these points have been dropped and resolved, off-screen.

There are more questions, but these are the ones that bothered me the most while playing the game:

What happened to the Agents of Fen'harel/ Elven Rebellion? -> answered in a cursed reddit AMA.

What happened to the Qunari following Trespasser -> addressed in Tevinter Nights, and a codex entry you can pick up (optional).

Why is Skyhold infested with demons? -> mentioned in Tevinter Nights.

How did the Dalish go from worshiping their own pantheon to knowing they are false gods? (specifically those we meet in the Veil Jumpers) -> mentioned in the Missing comic series.

What's up with Nevarra's Royals? -> Tevinter Nights addresses that there is a power struggle in the Pentaghast family and the role of the Mortalitasi in making it worse - though it does not address the whole 'mage puppeting a corpse' issue and all the implications it has.

This is a video game series -> the bulk of the information required for me to understand the story and its relation to previous entries needs to be included in the final game version. I am playing a video game and not attending a uni class - I should not need to have a required reading list in order to understand what the fuck is going on. I should definitely not need to go onto a reddit AMA to understand what happened in-game, either.

What makes this stand out the most is that DAI was very successful in tying in previous games, DLC's, movies, and books! Inquisition did a great job in getting you up to speed on the events of the previous games early on, providing personalization if you played those games, and giving the player the opportunity to inquire into these events.

Hiding away the answers in additional material or a codex entry that may be missed is not good game design or good writing. DAI didn't assume that you had bought and played the Legacy DLC -> it made certain you experienced the conversation with Varric and Hawke if you wanted to proceed in the game. It didn't hide away imperative information in codex entries - it had characters talk about it in scripted scenes and encourage the player to ask more. You would actively need to avoid interacting with characters for you to not experience this information in DAI.

Leliana talks about her role during the Blight, her calling by the Maker, and her relationship with Dorothea/Justinia -> DAO and Leliana's Song DLC.

Cullen talks about his time as a templar at Kinloch & Kirkwall -> DAO and DA2.

Cassandra speaks about her history, investigation into Hawke, and the Seekers -> Dawn of the Seeker movie, DA2, & Asunder novel.

Varric talks about Hawke, Kirkwall, and Corypheous -> DA2 and Legacy DLC.

Cole talks about how he discovered he was a 'demon' - it leads to further conversations about Rhys, Evangeline, and Lord-Seeker Lambert -> Asunder novel.

Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts -> the game literally continues what the Masked Empire novel sets up, the Orlesian Civil War. The game does a decent job of telling us about the players (Celene, Gaspard, Briala etc...) and the reasoning behind the conflict through dialogue, the ability to explore the battlefields, quests, ambient dialogue, etc... The book is not required reading - though it greatly adds to the complexity of the characters, motivations, and political intrigue!

I never once, playing DA2 or DAI, felt penalized or like my experience was lacking because I had not engaged with supplemental material or DLC's. I got into Dragon Age when I was in high school, it wasn't until I graduated and began working after that I had the disposable income available for experiencing the extra material. I cannot say that for DATV - If you have played Inquisition and go into DATV straight from that you will, absolutely, be confused about how we got from A to B.

Which is especially strange to me!? Why is it that new players will be less confused than those that are returning players? It's like the game is actively punishing you for playing and caring about previous games in the series.

Supplemental media is bought because the main product has earned your investment, love, or interest. Not everyone has the income available to buy it with their own money - especially if you live outside the US and have to pay additional shipping costs. Not everyone has the ability to buy or 'obtain' the digital versions either. My understanding of the main story of a video game in a video game series should not require additional monetary investment into other mediums.

The game itself should be enough and DATV is not enough.

[thisiswhereikeepdcthings]

[simplydnp]

feel like we talked about the editing turn-around time for this video but not about the sponsor? like yes boo chromium based opera but usually sponsors need to approve the video before it goes up, so them doing the insta stories today, editing it, sending it to the sponsor, and getting it back approved all in one day? make it make sense to me

[ideas-on-paper]

Chris L’Etoile’s original dialogue about the Reaper embryo & the person who was (probably) behind the decision with Legion’s N7 armor

(EDIT: Okay, so Idk why Tumblr displays the headline twice on my end, but if it does for you, please ignore it.)

[Mass Effect 2 spoilers!]

FRIENDS! MASS EFFECT FANS! PEOPLE!

You wouldn't believe it, but I think I've found the lines Chris L'Etoile originally wrote for EDI about the human Reaper!

Chris L’Etoile’s original concept for the Reapers

For those who don't know (or need a refresher), Chris L'Etoile - who was something like the “loremaster” of the ME series, having written the entire Codex in ME1 by himself - originally had a concept for the Reapers that was slightly different from ME2's canon. In the finished game, when you find the human Reaper in the Collector Base, you'll get the following dialogue by investigating:

Shepard: Reapers are machines -- why do they need humans at all? EDI: Incorrect. Reapers are sapient constructs. A hybrid of organic and inorganic material. The exact construction methods are unclear, but it seems probable that the Reapers absorb the essence of a species; utilizing it in their reproduction process.

Meanwhile, Chris L'Etoile had this to say about EDI's dialogue (sourced from here):

I had written harder science into EDI's dialogue there. The Reapers were using nanotech disassemblers to perform "destructive analysis" on humans, with the intent of learning how to build a Reaper body that could upload their minds intact. Once this was complete, humans throughout the galaxy would be rounded up to have their personalities and memories forcibly uploaded into the Reaper's memory banks. (You can still hear some suggestions of this in the background chatter during Legion's acquisition mission, which I wrote.) There was nothing about Reapers being techno-organic or partly built out of human corpses -- they were pure tech. It seems all that was cut out or rewritten after I left. What can ya do. /shrug

Well, guess what: These deleted lines are actually in the game files!

Credit goes to Emily for uploading them to YouTube; the discussion about the human Reaper starts at 1:02:

Shepard: EDI, did you get that? EDI: Yes, Shepard. This explains why the captive humans were rendered into their base components -- destructive analysis. They were dissected down to the atomic level. That data could be stored on an AIs neural network. The knowledge and essence of billions of individuals, compiled into a single synthetic identity. Shepard: This isn’t gonna stop with the colonies, is it? EDI: The colonists were probably a test sample. The ultimate goal would be to upload all humans into this Reaper mind. The Collectors would harvest every human settlement across the galaxy. The obvious final goal would be Earth.

In all honesty, I think L’Etoile’s original concept is a lot cooler and makes a lot more sense than what ME2 canon went with. The only direct reference to it left in the final game is an insanely obscure comment by Legion, which you can only get if you picked the Renegade option upon the conclusion of their final Normandy conversation and completed the Suicide Mission afterwards (read: you have to get your entire crew killed if you want to see it).

I used to believe the pertaining dialogue he had written for EDI was lost forever, and I was all the more stoked when I discovered it on YouTube (or at least, I strongly believe this is L’Etoile’s original dialogue).

Interestingly, the deleted lines also feature an investigate option on why they’re targeting humans in particular:

Shepard: The galaxy has so many other species… Why are they using humans? EDI: Given the Collectors’ history, it is likely they tested other species, and discarded them as unsuitable. Human genetics are uniquely diverse.

The diversity of human genetics is remarked on quite a few times during the course of ME2 (something which my friend, @dragonflight203, once called “ME2’s patented “humanity is special” moments”), so this most likely what all this build-up was supposed to be for.

Tbh, I’m still not the biggest fan of the concept myself (if simply because I’m adverse to humans being the “supreme species”); while it would make sense for some species that had to go through a genetic bottleneck during their history (Krogan, Quarians, Drell), what exactly is it that makes Asari, Salarians*, and Turians less genetically diverse than humans? Also, how much are genetics even going to factor in if it’s their knowledge/experiences that they want to upload? (Now that I think about it, it would’ve been interesting if the Reapers targeted humanity because they have the most diverse opinions; that would’ve lined up nicely with the Geth desiring to have as many perspectives in their Consensus as possible.)

*EDIT: I just remembered that Salarian males - who compose about 90% of the species - hatch from unfertilized eggs, so they're presumably (half) clones of their mother. That would be a valid explanation why Salarians are less genetically diverse, at least.

Nevertheless, it would’ve been nice if all this “humanity is special” stuff actually led somewhere, since it’s more or less left in empty space as it is.

Anyway, most of the squadmates also have an additional remark about how the Reapers might be targeting humanity because Shepard defeated one of them, wanting to utilize this prowess for themselves. (Compare this to Legion’s comment “Your code is superior.”) I gotta agree with the commentator here who said that it would’ve been interesting if they kept these lines, since it would’ve added a layer of guilt to Shepard’s character.

Regardless of which theory is true, I do think it would’ve done them good to go a little more in-depth with the explanation why the Reapers chose humanity, of all races.

The identity of “Higher Paid” who insisted on Legion’s obsession with Shepard

Coincidentally, I may have solved yet another long-term mystery of ME2: In the same thread I linked above, you can find another comment by Chris L’Etoile, who also was the writer of Legion, on the decision to include a piece of Shepard’s N7 armor in their design:

The truth is that the armor was a decision imposed on me. The concept artists decided to put a hole in the geth. Then, in a moment of whimsy, they spackled a bit Shep's armor over it. Someone who got paid a lot more money than me decided that was really cool and insisted on the hole and the N7 armor. So I said, okay, Legion gets taken down when you meet it, so it can get the hole then, and weld on a piece of Shep's armor when it reactivates to represent its integration with Normandy's crew (when integrating aboard a new geth ship, it would swap memories and runtimes, not physical hardware). But Higher Paid decided that it would be cooler if Legion were obsessed with Shepard, and stalking him. That didn't make any sense to me -- to be obsessed, you have to have emotions. The geth's whole schtick is -- to paraphrase Legion -- "We do not experience (emotions), but we understand how (they) affect you." All I could do was downplay the required "obsession" as much as I could.

That paraphrased quote by Legion is actually a nice cue: I suppose the sentence L’Etoile is paraphrasing here is “We do not experience fear, but we understand how it affects you.”, which I’ve seen quoted by various people. However, the weird thing was that while it sounds like something Legion would say, I couldn’t remember them saying it on any occasion in-game - and I’ve practically seen every single Legion line there is.

So I googled the quote and stumbled upon an old thread from before ME2 came out. In the discussion, a trailer for ME2 - called the “Enemies” trailer - is referenced, and since it has led some users to conclusions that clearly aren’t canon (most notably, that Legion belongs to a rogue faction of Geth that do not share the same beliefs as the “core group”, when it’s actually the other way around with Legion belonging to the core group and the Heretics being the rogue faction), I was naturally curious about the contents of this trailer.

I managed to find said trailer on YouTube, which features commentary by game director Casey Hudson, lead designer Preston Watamaniuk, and lead writer Mac Walters.

The part where they talk about Legion starts at 2:57; it’s interesting that Walters describes Legion as a “natural evolution of the Geth” and says that they have broken beyond the constraints of their group consciousness by themselves, when Legion was actually a specifically designed platform.

The most notable thing, however, is what Hudson says afterwards (at 3:17):

Legion is stalking you, he’s obsessed with you, he’s incorporated a part of your armor into his own. You need to track him down and find out why he’s hunting you.

Given that the wording is almost identical to L’Etoile’s comment and with how much confidence and enthusiasm Hudson talks about it, I’m 99% sure the thing with the armor was his idea.

Also, just what the fuck do you mean by “you need to track Legion down and find out why they’re hunting you”? You never actively go after Legion; Shepard just sort of stumbles upon them during the Derelict Reaper mission (footage from which is actually featured in the trailer) - if anything, the energy of that meeting is more like “oh, why, hello there”.

Legion doesn’t actively hunt Shepard during the course of the game, either; they had abandoned their original mission of locating Shepard after failing to find them at the Normandy wreck site. Furthermore, the significance of Legion’s reason for tracking Shepard is vastly overstated - it only gets mentioned briefly in one single conversation on the Normandy (which, btw, is totally optional).

I seriously have no idea if this is just exaggerated advertising or if they actually wanted to do something completely different with Legion’s character - then again, that trailer is from November 5th 2009, and Mass Effect 2 was released on January 26th 2010, so it’s unlikely they were doing anything other than polishing at this point. (By the looks of it, the story/missions were largely finished.) If you didn't know any better, you'd almost get the impression that neither Walters nor Hudson even read any of the dialogue L’Etoile had written for Legion.

That being said, I don’t think the idea with Legion already having the N7 armor before meeting Shepard is all that bad by itself. If I was the one who suggested it, I probably would’ve asked the counter question: “Yeah, alright, but how would Shepard be convinced that this Geth - of all Geth - is non-hostile towards them? What reason would Shepard have to trust a Geth after ME1?” (Shepard actually points out the piece of N7 armor as an argument to reactivate Legion.)

Granted, I don’t know what the context of Legion’s recruitment mission would’ve been (how they were deactivated, if it was from enemy fire or one of Shepard’s squadmates shooting them in a panic; what Legion did before, if they helped Shepard out in some way, etc.) - the point is, I think it would’ve done the parties good if they listened to each others’ opinions and had an open discussion about how/if they can make this work instead of everyone becoming set on their own vision (though L’Etoile, to his credit, did try to accommodate for the concept).

I know a lot of people like to read Legion taking Shepard’s armor as “oh, Legion is in love with Shepard” or “oh, Legion is developing emotions”, but personally, I feel that’s a very oversimplified interpretation. Humans tend to judge everything based on their own perspective - there is nothing wrong with that by itself, because, well, as a human, you naturally judge everything based on your own perspective. It doesn’t give you a very accurate representation of another species’ life experience though, much less a synthetic one’s.

I’ve mentioned my own interpretation here and there in other posts, but personally, I believe Legion took Shepard’s armor because they wished for Shepard (or at least their skill and knowledge) to become part of their Consensus. (I’m sort of leaning on L’Etoile’s idea of “symbolic exchange” here.) Naturally, that’s impossible, but I like to think when Legion couldn’t find Shepard, they took their armor as a symbol of wanting to emulate their skill.

The Geth’s entire existence is centered around their Consensus, so if the Geth wish for you to join their Consensus, that’s the highest compliment they can possibly give, akin to a sign of very deep respect and admiration. Alternatively, since linking minds is the closest thing to intimacy for the Geth, you can also read it like that, if you are so inclined - that still wouldn’t make it romantic or sexual love, though. (You have to keep in mind that Geth don’t really have different “levels” of relationships; the only categories that they have are “part of Consensus” and “not part of Consensus”.)

Either way, I appreciate that L’Etoile wrote it in a way that leaves it open to interpretation by fans. I think he really did the best with what he had to work with, and personally, the thing with Legion’s N7 armor doesn’t bother me.

What does bother me, on the other hand, is how the trailer - very intentionally - puts Legion’s lines in a context that is quite misleading, to say the least. The way Legion says “We do not experience fear, but we understand how it affects you” right before shooting in Shepard’s direction makes it appear as if they were trying to intimidate and/or threaten Shepard, and the trailer’s title “Enemies” doesn’t really do anything to help that.

However, I suppose that explains why I’ve seen the above line used in the context of Legion trying to psychologically intimidate their adversaries (which, IMO, doesn’t feel like a thing Legion would do). Generally, I get the feeling a considerable part of the BioWare staff was really sold on the idea of the Geth being the “creepy robots” (this comes from reading through some of the design documents on the Geth from ME1).

Also, since “Organics do not choose to fear us. It is a function of our hardware.” was used in a completely different context in-game (in the follow-up convo with Legion if you pick Tali during the loyalty confrontation; check this video at 5:04), we can assume that the same would’ve been true for the “We do not experience fear” line if it actually made it into the game. Many people have remarked on the line being “badass”, but really, it only sounds badass because it was staged that way in the trailer.

Suppose it was used in the final game and suppose Legion actually would’ve gotten their own recruitment mission - perhaps with one of Shepard’s squadmates shooting them in fear - it might also have been used in a context like this:

Shepard: Also�� Sorry for one of my crew putting a hole through you earlier. Legion: It was a pre-programmed reaction. We frightened them. We do not experience fear, but we understand how it affects you.

Proof that context really is everything.

[birdmenmanga]

Thank you @dipndops for the tag!! the original post was getting pretty long so I'm remaking it here...

Reblog with the song currently stuck in your head and tag a few people!!

@kitsoa @prettydykeboy @blazinfox555 @wickedcitrus and of course. anybody who would like to play <3

[littleapocalypsekitten]

*Rolls eyes.* Just holy freakin' poo! I just came across on my Facebook-roll an advertisement, using an image from the Fallout TV series - the characters standing together - advertising a service to filter out from Netflix shows all of the "profanity, nudity and objectionable content" for people who do not want it / to make things family friendly... Well, putting aside that Fallout isn't on Netflix, it's an Amazon show... I looked in on the comments to see if it was a joke and I saw people saying "I'm a Pastor and this is a godsend!" and "what a great service!" - Probably bots. But anyway... WHY Fallout used as an example for censorship? WHY. JUST WHY??? It's like, excuse me. That show starts off with a nuclear explosion and an entire children's birthday party getting thrown through plate-glass windows and then cuts to a young woman living in a Vault putting in her qualifications to be a breeder and talking to a friend about not wanting to do "cousin stuff" anymore!!! And there's a (clothed) but very rauncy sex-scene right on (you do see man-butt, but he didn't wait for his bride to get out of her dress). And shortly afterward, the bloody violence starts... And there's people losing limbs and heads and a man having every player's reaction to their first meeting with a Yao Guai (mutant bear for those non-Fallout heads reading this): "FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!!!" "Family friendly Fallout" is NOT Fallout! They're games / a series designed for us to lore-dive into an objectively horrible world, to explore the limits of ethical-questions in such a world and for those of us who are sick of Humanity in the real world to harmlessly let off stress by blowing fictional NPCs apart with rocket launchers, k? And if there's anyone out there who's like "But my kid plays the games and wants to see the show!!!" Um... do you pay attention to what your kids play? Mature rated games are rated mature for a reason! Children and the easily-offended are NOT the audience for Fallout! This ad had to not be for real. Probably links to a damn virus or something. False advertising at the least. I mean. Nope. Just no.

[poly-smosh-vibes]

Tommy vibing to SOPHIE in his Instagram stories

(and also a 2021 Tommy pic)

[kissingarthurclaus]

I like consuming horror content/media, I don't like anything after that point

[sodacowboy]

I hate the beetlejuice sequel. The fact that it exists. The fact that I see people who are excited for it. Deplorable.

[15lehna]

I just bought Stray and told my friends I was playing a cat and this was all I could think about. Sam Riegel what have you done to me

[to-draw-time]

There has gotta be a way for us to healthily engage in social media. I'm losing my mind. I think one of the very important factors to the solution is to kill capitalism.

[gothteddiesdotcom]

I know this is a porn blog and all but it's so hard to like. explain to people what Dave Mirra meant to the BMX community

[unmeisenshi]

"There's something wrong with them..."

Morello sat along with Florence as the two watched Solaris roam about the town. The Umbreon looked over. "How do you figure?"

Morello sighed. "Solaris just doesn't... Feel the same. When we were on missions way back when, even after Zane had passed, they had a smile... A pep in their step. But now... I just don't see it anymore. Solaris is much more cold... More serious."

"Hmmm... You do have a point..." Florence looked down in thought for a moment. She then popped back up and snapped her fingers. "I have an idea... What if Sol is still in fight or flight?"

Morello blinked a few times, staring at her. "Uh... W-What?"

"What I mean is... What if Solaris still is under the belief that the universe will end if they lose? What if they believe the stakes are still dire? If we can show Sol that things are going to be okay regardless of what happens... I think we can break them out of this funk."

Morello looked down. "I think you're on to something... What did you have in mind...?"

-

Later that evening, Solaris flew around Flora, making sure everyone was safe and sound. Off in the distance, the Charizard saw a bright light. Thinking the worst of it, they flew towards the source of the light.

The Charizard landed in a field with large rolling grass hills. A strong breeze blew through, and the full moon illuminated everything around them. Solaris looked all around for the source of the light, unable to locate its source.

"Hey... Over here, big guy..."

A voice from behind them spoke, and Solaris turned around, only to see,

"... Zane...?"

"In the flesh." The Marowak said, giving Solaris a wave, and clearly hiding something behind them in the dark.

"Wh-What are you doing here...? Is everything okay...?"

"Things are fine back home." Zane said, holding a hand up. "It's you I'm worried about."

"M-Me...? What do you-"

"I was told that you seem to have lost joy in doing rescue work... That you are colder and more distant. That you feel like, should you lose a fight, the world will end... Am I wrong...?"

Solaris turned their head away from Zane. "Who told you that...?"

"Florence and Morello. Seems like they nailed it on the head." The Marowak paused briefly. "They're worried about you, Sol. I'm worried about you. Worried that your senses are still dialed up to 11, and that you've lost the part of yourself that enjoyed rescue work. And I want to help fix that."

Solaris held onto one arm nervously. "What did you have in mind...?"

Zane chuckled. "A friendly spar. You game?"

Solaris seemed to pause, rocking steadily back and forth on their feet. "B-But... What about-"

"Don't worry about the world. You've made things beautiful here. And the worst of your dangers here are petty criminals... Not almighty beings hellbent on the destruction of everything." Zane drew their blade, holding it out. "Win or lose, things are going to be alright."

"I... I don't know. The people need a strong leader. A strong protector. Wouldn't this only hurt my image...?"

Zane nodded. "I know that feeling well. But what I learned... From rebuilding my own world? The people would rather see someone who cares... And who shows genuine concern. Being stone faced all the time might give the wrong idea."

Solaris looked down. "Hmm... Okay... I don't know if it'll work, but... I'll entertain your idea."

Zane smiled, and lightly swung their sword back and forth. "Good. But before we start, there's something over there. I want you to take it. Had it made for you."

Solaris raised an eyebrow, and went into the dark. There waiting for them was a dull blade. One that was large, and meant to be held upside down. The blade had a gradient paint scheme, going from red to blue. Solaris hefted the blade with ease, and stared at it with wonder. "The Junkyard Dog..."

"It's better than that. It has parts of the Thunderseal, the Fireseal, and a weapon known as Zessen. Now that you have access to all Pokemon types, it should serve you well." Zane said, then holding their own blade above their head. "Now... Come at me with everything you have!"

Solaris appeared to hesitate, then charged at Zane. The Charizard wound their blade back, and swung it hard. The attack was blocked by Zane, who quickly pushed the Charizard off.

They would then go on the offensive, firing a Stun Edge directly at Solaris. They would respond in kind, their blade dragging across the ground. A wave of fire slowly traveled along the ground, making contact with the Stun Edge. "Gunflame!"

The two attacks clashed, and seemed to cancel each other out. Solaris then ran towards Zane again, but this time decided to try something new. They would begin to spin slightly, and a small wave of wind formed in front of them. Solaris then used their shoulder and checked Zane. "Fūjin!"

The Marowak recoiled back slightly, and gave the Charizard a grin. "Good, good!" They shouted, then used their blade and hit Solaris with a lightning charged uppercut. "Vapor Thrust!"

Solaris was sent sailing backwards, flipping multiple times in the air. They landed on their feet, only to see Zane flying in, intending to swing down with their sword. Solaris blocked it, and pushed Zane back, then created a large fireball and punched it. "Tyrant... Rave!" The attack sent an even bigger wave of fire at Zane. But they simply swung their sword down, which cut the wave in half.

The two then charged at the same time, their swords clashing with each other. After the exchange, both Solaris and Zane stopped to breathe, then began to laugh with each other. The laughing continued for a few moments, before dying down.

"There's the Sol I remember!" Zane said. "You enjoying yourself?"

Solaris nodded. "I am... And I thank you for this. It's really helped to clear my mind... To appreciate fighting for something."

"Good..." Zane said, their eye turning red and blue wings forming behind them. "But I'm not going to go down so easily!"

"I'm not, either!" The Charizard gripped onto their blade. "I have a feeling... This is the last round!"

"I agree." Zane then positioned themselves, and smiled at Solaris. "I heard you used my technique... Show it to me..." Zane said, placing their blade in front of them as blue lightning crackled around them.

Solaris then positioned themselves in much the same way that Zane was, but when they began to charge electricity it was silver instead. In front of both, a shield-like energy formed, and the two charged at each other, shouting the same phrase.

"RIDE THE LIGHTNING!"

-

Several hours later, Solaris would be flying back home, sailing through the sky with the biggest smile on their face. They looked off to the east, seeing the sun beginning to rise. "Zane... Thank you. You've helped me heal... To appreciate this world... To appreciate this life I've made... There is no way to go but forward. I'll always remember you, forever... But it's time to stop living in the past, and look forward to the future."

[krysmcscience]

Researching different plants and animals for stuff to use in a game concept's environments, and now The Algorithm is convinced that I am either a farmer, a zookeeper, or both.

I tell ya, the pratfalls of creative work are unique and neverending...

[racke7]

Me vs FF14 part... 2?

It's taken me pretty much three full days of running from cutscene to cutscene. But I've finally reached Heavensward.

And like... on some level? I'm kind of offended?

Like, a part of me genuinely wants to replay the entire game from the start "as something else" (different main-class, different race, different starting-area, whichever), because the dungeon-queuing system is actually really fun when you start to Understand it.

As in, FF14 has somehow made an MMO that has almost eliminated the feeling that it is a level-grind? Partially? It's turned the whole thing into a surprisingly comfortable level of (limited, but genuine) social interaction.

To the point where even someone who isn't obsessively grind-focused like me, can genuinely enjoy themselves. Just queuing up for dungeons, Hunting some bounties, and-...

And then FF14 has so many fucking quests that it literally chokes the life out of the gameplay.

As an example, one of their biggest dungeon-draws (bcs high rewards) is a quest that almost everyone hates playing. Because doing that dungeon means watching literally eighteen minutes of unskippable cutscenes.

And that's with them having reduced the amount of cutscenes in that dungeon, because the players complained so much about them.

Like... I'd be perfectly happy replaying the game from the start with a different character, even knowing that leveling isn't some kind of pain-free thing. But the thought of having to restart the fucking Main-Quest? Of having to spend literal days just running back-and-forth to cutscenes?

I'm currently feeling a bit burned-out as a result of the binge I went on to get here, but I'm pretty damn sure that I wouldn't replay this fucking thing even if you paid me for it.

(And, of course, Heavensward also has a Main-Quest continuation that you have to follow. And now I'm not even allowed to fly everywhere to cut down on the "running back-and-forth"-part of my complaints. Not until they arbitrarily allow me to discover flight for the new areas, by going through even more of the Main-Quest.)

(Not to mention that now I have to go back and do even more Class-quests, with their own cutscenes, in order to unlock a bunch of skills.)

(I'm very fond of the "the church is evil because it doesn't let you fuck dragons"-meme, and I'm very much seeing it. But like... come the fuck on. Why is this MMO a feature-length movie-series? Why can't I just play the game and have fun?)