#I do think those game modes come with their own problems though. | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

dxl44 · 2 months ago

Note

hi! I’m getting project arrhythmia today and I was wondering if there’s any levels/series’s that you’d recommend i check out? The only 4 I can think of are Black Heart, Dark Delirium, the pack with Kitcat and the series with Pandex (can’t remember the names 💔). I know there’s more I liked but I can’t remember them for the life of me

MY TIME HAS COME. LEVEL RECOMMENDATIONS. YES.

First off, play the base game's story mode so far. It's come a long way, there's a proper tutorial there and proper easy levels that should get you eased into how the game works. Though I feel like that's obvious, but people do like to jump right to customs since they're the most popular.

So...some stuff I'd recommend. I'll start off with stuff that isn't a story, like creators or "recommendation collections" pooling together a bunch of levels in one place:

Anything by MysteriousShep. They're a really good new creator who's been putting out awesome levels with really fun gameplay. A lot of fun gimmicks going on here, and they have a really good visual style where it's enough to be interesting but virtually never gets in the way of you playing a level.

MotionIII is another one of the newer creators who's insanely underrated for how fun his levels are. He makes awesome stuff, go play it.

The same goes for Mr. Neon. I'd say pretty much anything by him is worth checking out too, though Lights and Limit Break in particular are his best work.

Jolly Jack's levels are absolutely beautiful, and they play well too. Absolutely give them a look.

The No Boss Zone collection is a collection I've organized of every good level without a boss fight that I can find on the workshop. If you ever want a change of pace or want to see the stuff that's unfortunately less popular, go check that out!

Now....storylines! I recommend a lot of these for their story, their gameplay, or both.

The Cracked Masonry is a complete three level "mini-storyline" with three short levels. It's a short romp with fun gameplay that's honestly a great start as far as playing storylines goes.

The Crystal Monarchy has a really interesting story it's building up and has insanely fun levels. It's setup so each set of levels is a "world" in a different location. It also spaces out the boss fights a little bit with "mini boss" levels in between most of them (usually each world has 1 boss and 1 miniboss)

Aetherborne Collection is a bit weird as a "story". This is an ongoing project to make levels with all of the songs in the Aetherborne album by Chime, with its own original story that follows after the album's plot closely. The problem with that is, they're being made out of order so there's a lot of gaps, but I still 100% recommend this as a pack of levels to play. Plus, most of the story relies on the music and visuals rather than dialogue, which is super unique!

Void Untold has the thing going on where its earlier levels are kind of bad because they're the first the creator (dragonw1414) made, but the later ones are REALLY good. Only the first 2 levels here are bad honestly, so you might want to skip them/play in zen mode esp since you're new to the game the rest are freakin' awesome. It also has my favorite antagonist in a level storyline.

The Polygon is super fun and has Enchart's great visual style throughout. It recently got its first level in years, so absolutely give it a play.

Heartstrings. This has INCREDIBLE story and worldbuilding for a PA storyline, but a lot of it is in supplemental material like video cutscenes. I recommend checking those out on noodlekin's youtube channel if you can, but even without those, you can enjoy the story a lot by itself - it's great. Though unfortunately, it's cancelled...but what there is done of it is awesome.

And last but not least, Khed's JSAB Pack has some of the best JSAB-styled levels on the workshop if you ever want something like that game.

Hope all of these recommendations are useful, please do let me know what you think of these as I always want to improve my recommendations to people. I know this is a lot - I definitely recommend just going down these lists, I put the sort of better stuff to start with at the beginning. Thanks for asking me for suggestions :)

#dxl44 ask #answered ask #ask #project arrhythmia

14 notes · View notes

2af-afterdark · 29 days ago

Text

Son of Hell - Chapter 6

Fandom: What in Hell is Bad? Characters: Satan, Minheyok, Ppyong, MC, Original Child Character(s) Content: Post-canon, omegaverse, alcohol consumption Word Count: 1,372 A/N: Long story short - This fic is post-canon (despite the game still only being in chapter 6 atm), so some characters will be slightly different than the game due to off-screen character growth. Sitri using Ra-on's real name is one of those things. So his everyone calling Ra-on 'your majesty'. That may get explained later…

“His majesty Satan has brought back their majesty Ra-on and they brought Minhyeok with them!” One of the citizens of Gehenna raised a large glass of beer as they yelled loud enough for the entire bar to hear them.

Every devil present joined in the celebration, raising their own glasses and shouting.

“No one is allowed to leave sober tonight,” Satan told the barkeep and everyone cheered yet again.

Some devils were already gathering around Minhyeok, patting his back as if he were an old friend. Minhyeok, for his part, was doing his best to be friendly despite not remembering anyone. No one seemed to mind the gaps in his memory though. They saw it as an opportunity to become friends all over again.

A devil tried to approach Ra-on. “Your majesty Ra-on-”

“I'm sorry,” they interrupted, “but I'm not participating tonight. Maybe some other time.”

They had only come because Satan wouldn't allow them to abstain from their own arrival celebration, but they had made it no secret that they were not in the celebrating mode. It would have been better if Seo-jūn could have stayed home, but Ra-on didn't trust anyone in Gehenna to babysit him just yet. They trusted the devils of Gehenna with their life, but they didn't trust them to handle a three-year-old without indulging their every whim. Plus, Seo-jūn didn't know any of them and it would be irresponsible to leave him with someone he didn't yet know or trust.

“It's not much of a welcome celebration if the guests of honor are going to sit out.”

Satan approached Ra-on and Seo-jūn with a displeased frown on his face and two glasses – one large one small – of beer in his hands.

“I tried to warn you.”

“Mama. It loud,” Seo-jūn mumbled in his sleepy voice as he nuzzled his face into Ra-on's chest to block out the light.

“Sorry, baby. Everyone is just excited that you're here.”

“No,” he continued to pout. “Tired.”

“Give him this.” Satan held the smaller glass toward Ra-on. “He'll pass out.”

Ra-on eyed the glass, already suspicious of what was inside. “And what is that?”

Satan grinned wide.

“Beer.” He held out the larger glass. “This one is yours.”

“Satan!” Ra-on sighed. “You cannot give beer to a child.”

Satan's face twisted. “Why not? Children used to drink all the time.” When Hell had children.

“Human children can have serious health problems if they consume alcohol.”

“Isn't he half devil?”

Ra-on glared at Satan with a fury so intense that it made him shudder; notably, not in fear.

“Your rage hasn't changed at all,” Satan said with an ecstatic look on his face.

“I'm married,” Ra-on reminded him, knowing exactly what he was thinking.

Satan didn't lose his expression as he asked, “So?”

“So get your head out of the gutter.”

Ra-on looked down at Seo-jūn, seeing that he had finally passed out during their conversation. They were glad he wasn't hearing any of this.

“You've gotten more angel-like since you left.” When Satan said that, Ra-on knew it wasn't a compliment. “Devils are honest about their desires.”

Ra-on shook their head and they held Seo-jūn close. “I have lots of desires, but my strongest is to stay loyal to the man who waited for me despite knowing nothing and who was there for us both when we needed him. Everything else is secondary.”

What Ra-on hadn't said was that they had no desire at all. However, Satan was not one of the devils that could pick up on subtle, unstated half truths.

“Then how do you plan to stay in Hell?”

“Put it in a cup. I'll drink it like I used to with Minhyeok.”

“And when you go into heat?”

Ra-on pointed to Minhyeok who was being swarmed by a few burly devils who were offering him drinks that he was (tactfully) rejecting. “He's been taking care of me for years. I think I'll manage.”

“And what about when he needs devil energy?”

Satan finally asked the question that was hanging heavy in the air. Even Ra-on – descendant of Solomon, the man whom God gave permission to take anything he so wished – could stay in Hell without having their internal energy rebalanced. It would be impossible for Minhyeok – a normal human – not to need it as well.

“He knows what it costs to be here. I told him everything up front and he agreed to it. We agreed to this.”

Out of respect, they did not ask how he planned to get devil energy. Out of respect, he didn't ask them either. There were some things they didn't need to share. As long as they both knew that their loyalty was to each other and no boundaries were crossed, they both agreed that it would be okay. It wasn't as if they had another choice.

Satan quickly chugged the smaller glass of beer; so quickly that it was downed in what appeared to be a single gulp. “Sounds like you're both making this complicated.”

“Maybe we are.”

“Tsk.” He set the larger, full glass down on one of the tables within Ra-on's reach and walked away.

Ra-on almost felt bad. To Satan, it had only been about a month since they last met, but it had been four years for them. They weren't the exact same person as when they left Hell and they knew it would take time for the devils to get used to that.

“Your majesty Ra-on.”

Another familiar voice called to them.

Ra-on smiled. “Hello, Sitri. Are you here to greet me or meet Seo-jūn? Or are you avoiding Minhyeok?”

“I would never use your majesty in such a way.”

“Of course you wouldn't.” They shifted slightly to expose Seo-jūn's face. “This is my son. Sorry that you couldn't meet him while he was awake. It's past his bedtime.”

“It's important that Lord Seo-jūn see to his needs and take care of himself.”

“Drop the ‘Lord’ title. He’s not the heir to Satan's throne.” They paused. “And stop calling me ‘Your Majesty’ while you're at it.”

“Lord Satan has told us that he acknowledges Lord Seo-jūn as his son and, as such, is the only one who may address Lord Seo-jūn without his proper title. And your majesty will always be your majesty.”

Ra-on glared at Sitri. A glare that reminded him of King Satan.

“I see your habit of calling people by the wrong names has expanded to using unwanted titles. Do I have to worry that I will become Solomon again?”

“Of course not, your majesty.”

“He's showing you and Seo-jūn respect,” Satan said as he returned to the scene. This time, he carried the small glass, but it was filled with white. “If he didn't, I would kick his ass.”

Sitri did not respond verbally, but his flushed face declared that he thought it would be an honor to receive such treatment.

Satan didn't wait for Ra-on to chew him out for encouraging Sitri's behavior. Instead, he held the glass out to them. “Your welcome gift.”

“Is that…”

Ra-on's face heated up as images of Satan squirreled away in one of the bathroom stalls, touching himself danced through their head. If it weren't for the noise due to everyone's partying, they were sure his voice would have carried through the entire building.

They looked at Sitri, silently asking him if this really was what they thought it was. Based on how he looked at them, it was and he had heard the entire thing.

They cleared their throat to try and bring themselves back to the situation at home. “Seo-jūn is right here…”

“So?” Satan asked. “He's asleep.”

“Satan,” Ra-on tried not to sound harsh because they knew his intentions were good, “some things are not appropriate to have around children at all.”

He looked at them completely unimpressed. “This is Hell. Do whatever you want. Who cares about human morals.”

“The humans do.” Ra-on motioned between themselves and Minhyeok.

Satan shrugged with a smile as if he wasn't being lectured. “You still need this.” He set the glass down on the table beside the large beer, then he looked at Ra-on with a smile on his face. “Welcome back to Hell.”

#2af writes #fic: son of hell #what in hell is bad #whb satan #whb minhyeok #whb sitri #whb mc #original character #cw omegaverse #cw alcohol

17 notes · View notes

curioussubjects · 3 months ago

Text

After spending the whole weekend grumpy and ruminating about Burning Shores, I think I finally figured out what has me so bothered about Aloy and Seyka's relationship. I wasn't gonna post anything about it beyond the one salty post because nobody needs to hear me go on and on about what's essentially an "I don't wike it" complaint. But the more I thought about the more I started to realize that my problem with Burning Shores is tied to the one big problem I have with Horizon as a whole, which is that Guerilla really seems to struggle with balancing Aloy's position as the protagonist and letting companions shine as characters of their own who can go on quests with Aloy without being useless or getting in the way (or both! too often both!).

I care about the gameplay mechanics less than the writing because the gameplay stuff seems more like level design growing pains than anything else. And we have examples of it being done quite well to (Varl in the tutorial portion of Forbidden West) annoying (here's looking at you Cauldron in Frozen Wilds) or, well, useless as combat support (always, in my experience, with the exception of how it was handled in Zero Dawn's final battle). However, I wouldn't have as much an issue with this gameplay fumble if it wasn't for the impression that the narrative wants me to believe Seyka is somehow immune to it. Or more of an equal to Aloy in terms of ability and responsibility than anyone else, which is just not the case. Everyone plays third fiddle to Aloy because Horizon doesn't actually have a party system! There's nothing special about Aloy and Seyka taking turns with a ballista, or whatever. Seyka was still surplus during combat, or straight up in my way, just like everyone else. That said, I don't know if the experience is different in higher difficulties because I play strictly on story mode, so make of that what you will.

So the writing. It actually pains me a little bit to write this because I love Horizon's story so much (and this should tell y'all something because I detest what if AIs were people plots). I love the characters and I absolutely am bonkers for its worldbuilding. No other game has made me cry as much or be as angry (fuck you, Ted). Yet, sometimes the characters do fall a little flat when they interact with each other. Conversations between Aloy and NPCs often don't flow well from one topic to the next, and they can end abruptly too, in a way that goes beyond the Aloy's conversational skills. The pacing is a bit wonky, too, in how quickly bonds develop or transition. Not that this is always the case since there are some great characters moments, and I also think introducing the Base was a solid step in making everything feel more cozy and believable. I guess what I'm trying to say is that too often I feel I'm being presented relationship concepts, but not being given the time to let those relationships develop organically. Perhaps also a case of growing pains; it just sucks that a game so well put together narratively can struggle with something so central to its interests.

But anyway, this post is actually about Burning Shores and why the whole romance subplot with Seyka and Aloy was so...bland to me. The problem lies primarily with how Seyka was conceptualized as character-- or, well, how it comes off: she really seems to have been created to be Aloy's love interest first, and a character in her own right second. It's like Guerilla just asked themselves what would make a great love interest for Aloy and, though the answer was someone who can keep up with her, they ended up careening straight into Aloyx2 with a Seyka veneer, and not much else.

Seyka is a great hunter and warrior, she bucks tradition to stand for what's right, she's kind of an outcast now, she has sister issues! She got herself a focus she wasn't supposed to have and it made it really hard for her to fall in line with the Quen's social structure! They even rappel the same! But who IS Seyka outside of Aloy and wanting to be with Aloy? How IS she affected by so suddenly stepping outside of her social role? She seemed to have been quite comfortable in it before, so how much is she struggling, really? How is her experience different from Aloy's since Seyka wasn't actually ever an outcast (and I mean the Admiral was in her corner the whole time). Did she have other ties to the tribe beyond her sister?

I don't know, guys, for a character that was meant to be so central to Burning Shores, I came out of the game knowing precious little about her. And as a result, there's a complete lack of tension between her and Aloy, and it'd be so easy for it not to be the case! Even their banter is more like stock competitiveness than anything interesting, which was a missed opportunity because there was an alternative to that was just begging to be leaned into more: Aloy didn't have to be the serious one for once! Their banter as the player explores Pangea Park was such a fun variation of usual commentary. Plus, Aloy's "miss me?" line when she comes back from exploring on her own was super cute. But to make their relationship compelling, Seyka would've needed to be her own person first, rather than a collection of Things She Has In Common With Aloy.

To make matters worse, what the narrative tells me is special about Seyka and Aloy's relationship isn't so special after all when it's echoed across Aloy's relationships with several other characters. How many times to we see characters be more than capable to hold their own in a fight alongside Aloy? How many characters are also shown to be smart enough to keep up with her? And how many characters are trying SO HARD to share Aloy's burden with her? Or who could share common ground with some of the things Aloy struggles with? And all the while, these characters are all very distinct not only from each other, but from Aloy herself and their dynamic with her. If Seyka is more successful than they are, well, why is she? And why aren't they? Because the plot demands it isn't really enough of a reason when you're shooting for character-driven storytelling.

Of course, it just adds insult to injury that the whole relationship develops in the span of what a month? At most? So that scenes like Aloy comforting Seyka halfway through the DLC don't seem like's it's been earned. It might have been a better bet to have swapped Seyka and Alva's introductions to the story. It's worth noting, too, that I only care so much because I'm not convinced Seyka is just a summer fling, so she really did deserve more than a speedrun of finding love during summer camp.

On a much much smaller note: I do feel a certain way about how other potential love interests kind got exited pursued by bear during Forbidden West too with Telanah (bisexual people exist, do not come to me talking about comphet) and Varl getting love interests of their own, and Nil becoming even more of a side character lolsobs Nil HZD you will always be famous to me.

I very much hope H3 does more for Seyka because as it is I'm so not invested it's not even funny. I also live in fear that the line from the Pangea movie about coming back because the love interest is home is gonna feature in some way in their reunion and it's Not Gonna Be Convincing. Incidentally, let nobody tell you writing romance is easy.

Secret good Seyloy that exists in my head save me, etc.

And, frankly, I know people like to rebuke some criticism of Horizon with "this isn't a BioWare game," but Guerilla could do a lot worse than taking point from Dragon Age and Mass Effect in how they handle companions.

#horizon forbidden west #burning shores #horizon #horizon meta #hoping i have now exorcised this sulk from my soul and can go back to vibing #my writing #long post

8 notes · View notes

metaforth · 5 months ago

Text

Fuck Linux.

Everytime I complain about a minor issue with Windows I get like 6000 tech bros falling over themselves to screech "JUST USE LINUX" at me. No. I won't use Linux. I have a full time job, medical issues I'm dealing with, friends I wanna hang out with, a game I'm starting work on slowly but surely, and hobbies that have nothing to do with software, and responsibilities as an adult who lives with other people on top of all of those things. And when you consider that combination of obligations and things I enjoy doing and want to do there's not much time for me spending 8 hours fighting with an operating system to make it run the EXEs for the emulators I like.

I don't have the time, will, nor desire to spend days upon days or possibly even weeks struggling through IT bullshit to make my computer do all the things I want to do. The windows computer I already have already works with at least 85% of those things right out of the box.

Sure, fuck Microsoft (though Valve is an awful company to buy LinuxBros get mad when you acknowledge that), and Windows has tons of issues of its own not including the outdated ones MACbros like Dankpods who's barely touched the operating system since Windows 7 think are still relevant (Yes I said something negative about Australian retro funnyman, cry about it.)

I am perfectly happy dealing with the annoying administrative permission issues, inexplicable performance drops doing something it handled perfectly fine yesterday, or apps not closing sometimes even when I go through task manager. Those and many other issues are all annoying but I'm accustomed to them.

My only direct experience with Linux in the last few years has been on my steam deck, and every problem I've had with the steam deck has come entirely from trying to download things through Desktop mode and having to deal with Linux. If there isn't a native Linux version of the program I want to run I have to jump through hoops after hoops doing research for hours as I try multiple methods, most of which fail and the rest seem promising then just won't successfully install for some inexplicable reason. Eventually like the 58th thing I try finally works and then I try and get something else working and that somehow BREAKS THE PREVIOUS THING!

All of which is compounded by this software having no native support for any of this so there's no official Linux support line I can reach out to for further assistance. I have to look up guides or forum posts and pray to the god I don't believe in that they're up to date which 9/10 times they aren't.

I'm glad you techbros enjoy spending 40 hours a week getting Linux to work for you, but I don't want every little thing I do on my computer to be a full time job. I have a lot of other shit going on in my life, including things I actually enjoy doing, and I don't have time. I'll stick with the operating system that works out the box.

10 notes · View notes

phasewashere · 10 months ago

Text

dutch van der linde thoughts and feelings and the human condition,,,

like. i think that dutch being a good guy who is capable of compassion and kindness can like. coexist with his skewed view of the world and his place in it. hes just as capable of saving and cradling those less fortunate than him as much as he is at using them for his own gain.

and like. the facade to me. is more in his psyche than anything else

its a mask of strength and intelligence for his own sake

and his relationship with molly is meant to show you how negligent and mean he can get. it also shows you that hes insecure and lashes out whenever somebody tries to help him

he doesnt like being wrong or being ridiculed in any sense because it reflects back on what i think he feels he is at his core. a nobody. a two bit outlaw. and when thats pointed out he gets defensive

i want to be able to explain that yes. he wants to help people and he wants a better world but that wanting has become twisted over the years and now that hes backed into a corner that thought becomes second place (and micah encourages this) and hes willing to throw people under the bus

he thinks everyones out to get him and that he can only trust himself

i also think that stems from the fact that hes so scared of everyone leaving him or everything going wrong that hes come to the conclusion that nobodies really sticking around for him

and i think this can also exist at the same time as his moment of narcissim cus. thats how mood swings and especially bpd (whether or not he has it) is like. part of him being all over the place is because of this

he can be a kind man while also being a hypocrite of all sorts. the human condition allows this

his words and his actions do not always match up for good and for bad

and i think thats like. the core of it all is that hes meant to show a part of the human condition which allows for so many possibilities and shows how these choices can go beyond what you think or what you feel. dutch was going to get backed into a corner no matter what happened. but he jumped the gun and assumed (in actions rather than words) that he was already doomed and acted accordingly. throwing people under th bus and assuming that he had been duped

he was so caught up in looking for the problem he couldnt see it righth in front of him

because by his perception why would someone manipulating him be kind to him?? why would they encourage him and soothe his fears and inflate his ego?

also him and molyy are such like. a good relationship. writing wise. obviously in game they are terrible for one another but

molly and dutch are similiar to me. in a psychological way. they are easily consumed by the idea of love and being wanted but. molly isnt a conman or a killer like dutch is. and i feel like molly doesnt hide behind the mask as much as dutch does. i think its still there for her. but to a lesser extent. mollys kind and caring nature always struck me as being given much more freely than dutch's. and in such a way it feels more genuine. whereas dutch has the intention but must make it flowery and grand even though hes capable of the smaller goods

ansd the tragedy of the both of them is that all molly wanted to do was help him

she loved him. i dont think dutch loved her the same. dutchs love was quick and dependent completely on how he felt at the moment. dutchs mode was survival and her comfort or him caring for her wasnt top of his priority. i dont think he loved her in the way molly loved him

molly thought she had found true love in him. dutch wanted someone to woo. someone to care about him for the brief amount of time. it was fleeting. and conditional

also dutchs whole deal with the wapiti tribe is the real killer for him morally. the whole point of helping them was to prove a point. and not for the tribes benefit but for himself

sure it was a "distraction" but he gave no plan for it afterwards. he wanted the rush of it. he was hurt and scared and therefore angry. he recognized eagle flies righteous anger and eagerly encouraged him into a death trap and when eagle flies dies. he backtracks. says that it was all according to plan. at that point he's grasping at strings. he's chewing off his own leg to escape the trap and that leg is all he is as a person

he's casting off the ideals and the dreams because he has convinced himself they are obsolete. he has nothing left to lose and to him nobody wants him anymore. and he's violently bitter about it. the way hes so shocked that micah was duping him. the vulnerability of his ignorance in that moment. the realization of his failure in that moment was destroying for him. he did all that for nothing. threw away everything he had known and tied himself into a knot trying to escape the trap he was led into. and then he was forced to reckon with the only leg he has left and the fact that he's bleeding out

but even more fascinating is how adamant he is that he was betrayed. admitting to his failure is too much for him. it would make everything they ever said about him true and he can't handle that. but also the way he runs back to micah for revenge. he cannot let go no matter what. he drags the trap along with him in a spiral of bitterness that quite literally lasts until his dying day

he kills micah for himself. to soothe the failure of killing his son

and then he goes on to create a new gang. with the people he admires. people who are full of righteous anger. it feels as if he's attempting to relive his life through all of this. this time he's not going to fail. this time he won't take any chances

dutch's greatest malady is that he cannot let go. but he also cannot look

he cannot obtain his redemption because he can't face down nor let go of what he's done

he's stuck in limbo fighting for the sake of figthing

he says it himself. all he's ever done is fight and he continues to no matter what. in the littlest of ways like snapping at the hand that wants to help him to killing men by the droves to slay the unseen enemy thats in his mind

it all circles back to the vicious cycle that red dead redemption is meant to be

it's meant to be a cautionary tale. and dutch is the prime example. he doesn't want to look at he what he's done but nonetheless cannot let go

even if he never wanted to continue the cycle he continues it anyways through never facing it

and he would rather throw himself from a cliff rather than seeing it. dutch was tired of fighting. but he never stopped running

#phase weeps #dutch van der linde #terrified to post this #this is not molly or eagle flies slander or anything else #this is purely an analystical work #uhm. please be nice or else i will cry. not really. maybe

30 notes · View notes

honeybewrites · 7 months ago

Text

OC Questionnaire Tag

Thank you @the-letterbox-archives for the here and here and @the-golden-comet for the tag and @willtheweaver for the tag!!

Rules: Answer the questions provided with your own OCs perspective. Then create new questions for those tagged to continue the game.

Rage

If you could live anywhere, where would you chose?

I think somewhere tropical. Like by the ocean. Not a big town though, I would want somewhere cozy and close knit. Away from all the hustle bustle and war.

Are you confident in yourself?

For the most part, yes. I think it comes with age. When I'm in healing mode, tending to patients, I don't second guess. You can't afford that, especially if their life is on the line. There's aways days here and there where I'm a little less sure of myself overall, but for the most part, I'm confident in myself and my abilities.

Why do you keep the company you do?

Mostly due to necessity. Being in the Mors means I end up talking and working with... less desirable people. I don't have any problem with then, usually. Though I will say there are a few people I'd still talk with even if I wasn't in the Mors. They're good people and I care about them.

Asset 703

Who are you closest to? How do you feel about them?

It's complicated. Fres... they were my partner for the longest time. We were intertwined. I used to be able to tell you everything about them. But they left. I haven't known anyone like that since. I suppose Rage is the closest and he's... nice. Very nice.

What kind of music do you like most?

I don't listen to much music. The few Mirralian parties I've attended as security, I liked the traditional songs and dances they performed.

What do you think your future will be like?

Bloody. This war isn't going to end anytime soon. I know I'll certainly die, painfully and gruesomely, before it ends.

Fres

Do you know how to dance? If so what kinds?

I guess technically I do know how to dance, but I don't really do it these days. Most of the dances I know I learned in the Mors for specific missions and they're all traditional dances. Waltz, slow dances, that kind of thing.

What's the season you hate the most? What's your favorite season?

I hate winter. It's so cold! Sure the snow can be pretty, but it doesn't make up for the freezing. Summer is defiantly my favorite. I do much better being hot than cold, though that's probably due to my ethnicity. Plus, it's sunny out! Hard to be sad when it's sunny.

Do you have any unusual fears?

Aside from the Mors? I guess the cold, which is pretty weird. What I really mean is like being stuck someplace cold for a long time. Snow storms, freezers, even just outside when it's cold and nowhere to go. It's... I guess you could say it's a trigger for me. I have some bad memories involving that kind of thing.

Rage

What is your favorite kind of music?

I'm partial to older rock music. It's fun to listen to, even though most people would disagree with me on that.

Can you cook? If so, what do you like to make?

I love cooking and I've been told I'm pretty good at it! I think my favorite thing to make has to be pastries. I know that's technically considered baking, but it really is my favorite. Plus you get something delicious out of it!

What is the one thing you would not wish on your greatest adversary?

The wrath of the Mors. It's terrifying, really and honestly no one deserves it.

Once again, leaving this as an open tag because I am desperately trying to catch up on all the tags I have :D

please, send help, I am drowning over here

Your guys questions:

Spiders or snakes?

What three things are you bring with you to an abandoned island?

Do you like to read? What's your favorite genre?

#echoes of war chronicles #eowc #writers tag game #writers on tumblr #writeblr #writerscommunity #my ocs

17 notes · View notes

desultory-novice · 1 year ago

Note

Also. I kinda wanna know what you think Kirby's dynamic with Meta Knight is.

Personally, I'm of the Camp that while Meta Knight isn't really Kirby's father figure, Meta Knight is Kirby's for lack of a better word, anime sensei. Their relationship is mostly Meta Knight teaching Kirby things that Kirby didn't learn in their travels. Their relationship is mostly friends outside of this though. They don't REALLY see each other as family, because... Their species doesn't DO family. However, as time passes on planet Popstar, as Kirby considers different types of relationship they didn't think of before,,they do at least start seeing Meta Knight as an older brother figure, even if Meta Knight doesn't see Kirby as a little brother (quite yet).

Gah, I asked people to send me dynamics in November and then failed to answer any of them in good time... ; _ ;

Ahem! Let's answer them now!

"Anime sensei!" Yes! That's probably pretty close to how I see them too!

Dess confession - I haven't finished the Star Allies novel where Kirby supposedly has that huge crisis seeing how similar Void looks to him. (Although there are definitely issues with taking those novels at face value, sometimes there is the suggestion that they may be written with an eye/ear to lore that the games can't express.) All this is to say, I don't think of Kirby as being one to hung up on encountering someone who looks like him for that to be the crux of their relationship. ("I finally found another of my species" thing.)

Maybe in their first (?) encounter in Kirby's Adventure. But I can easily see Kirby combining the information of "looks like me" and "gave me candy" with "friend!" Such that from Kirby's point of view, Meta Knight instantly became someone who was, like, ma~ybe at risk of causing problems, like that troublesome King Dedede (Meta DID attack Kirby after all) but otherwise wasn't someone Kirby had t go out of his way to stop. Then comes Meta Knight's Revenge and, okay, I WILL go back to the novels for this to pull in Kirby's explanation to Magolor that, yeah they're friends. If Magolor did something bad, Kirby would beat him but otherwise!

And I think that's what was going on in RoMK. Kirby saw that Meta Knight was causing trouble in his newly adopted home of Dream Land and said "Nope. We're not doing this." (He does seem to be kinda on the warpath in that mode XD )

But Meta Knight's ambition is sunk and Kirby drives off (Perhaps he stayed to make sure everyone got away safely?) and the next day, things are back to normal. For Kirby, at least.

I do think that was definitely the moment Meta Knight's view of Kirby changed. That in Adventure, he was very wary/worried about Kirby. If Meta IS of the same species and has some... let's say knowledge of their or maybe just Kirby's potential, he very well could have been guiding/testing him. "Can he stop Nightmare?" Maybe he even...underestimated him in their first duel? Not completely - not that he would have gone easy on him, not with Dream Land at stake - but say he was surprised by what the puff pulled out!

He doesn't make that mistake in Revenge and I think he's EXCITED to face Kirby at something closer to his full power! And Kirby matches and exceeds his expectations! Meta Knight is still not ready to see Kirby as an equal until after the events of the Amazing Mirror, where after besting MK twice in the past, Kirby now rescues Meta Knight from something MK thought he had to handle on his own.

From that point on, I think the "sensei" begins to realize there's things HE can learn from Kirby! Perhaps he'd been too confident? Too content in being the strongest force on Popstar. But now that he's willing to see Kirby as an equal and learn from him, we see him join the adventuring party and even perform the victory dance with the others! (Despite the fact that it can't look THAT cool to do.)

Past that point, I imagine Meta sees Kirby as a reason to continue to grow and challenge himself. But not just with training. Because Kirby teaches that life doesn't all have to be about getting stronger through trials. You need naps and food and fun time as well. And I think Kirby's softer side is slowly rubbing off on Meta Knight as well. (Maybe that's why he stayed to protect Waddle Dee Town?)

Back to Kirby's side of things, I think Kirby trusts Meta Knight a lot. He doesn't come running to him whenever there's a problem or seek him out for advice all that often, but I think if Meta makes his presence known TO Kirby, that's a sort of signal MK has something worth listening to and Kirby will listen.

I imagine that just like Kirby has begun to rub off on Meta, Meta has begun to rub off on Kirby a little too. I imagine early on, Kirby saw those fights with Meta Knight as an annoyance or a hassle or as MK "getting in the way." But in the modern games, I think Kirby kinda looks forward to them? FL is the first game with a "canon" arena and in order to get the True Ending, Kirby has to go there to fight. A lot! So I think it's not a stretch that Kirby is enjoying testing his growth and control over his powers against Meta Knight's experience!

In summary, I think Meta Knight "thinks" about Kirby more than Kirby thinks of Meta Knight. But their bond has grown closer over time: from wary overseer to interested challenger to sometimes ally to something more like...a friend? Albeit, an ever-mysterious one!

#Kirby #Meta Knight #Dess Rambling #Kirby being a fan of Meta Knight is cool/cute too #He surely idolizes him enough by this point to...#...make a habit of dressing up in his mask.#Again Dess is an old school Kirby fan and will admit...#...Kirby seems to be getting 'younger' as time goes on #I'll always have a preference for my own personal Kirby #Which is where my takes will inevitably come from.

27 notes · View notes

gothyanki · 7 months ago

Text

@ardentkurashk tagged me in this meme forever ago (thank you!! <3) Now it is time. Lots of yelling about Vin'ath inbound.

Name: Vin'ath

Age: 31

Race: Githyanki

Class: Paladin (Oath of Vengeance).

Alignment: Trying their hardest to be a Lawful Good True Storybook Knight while also following vengeance oath tenets to the letter. This… does not always work out well.

Deity: Having been raised in a cult, Vin is deeply and understandably suspicious of all gods. They’ve dedicated their life to their oath instead, which is totally different.

Favourite spells: Shield of Faith for practicality; Colour Spray for aesthetics. They also love smiting. Divine Smite is their fave, although they couldn’t tell you why it’s the most satisfying.

Armour (Act 1): Scale Mail of Vengeance.

Armour (Act 2): Adamantine Splint Armour.

Armour (Act 3): Still Adamantine Splint Armour! High paladin fashion.

Favourite dye: Baby blue and gold. They flat-out refused to dye their gear at all until they got to Rivington, where they grudgingly agreed to try it out. The description points to a much more militaristic meaning, but to Vin those colours have come to symbolise the sun and sky over the world they love.

(I have a LOT of feelings about the default vengeance paladin colour scheme in light of “I see only blood-red and death-black”. Vin hasn’t drifted as far from their upbringing as they’d like to think.)

Weapon (Act 1): Monster Slayer Glaive (+ anything else they could grab that looked useful).

Weapon (Act 2): Soulbreaker Greatsword.

Weapon (Act 3): Silver Sword of the Astral Plane. Sorry, Lae'zel - it's just too perfect for a githyanki paladin. (In my headcanon, Lae does end up getting it after some token face-saving resistance from Vin. They’re not comfortable with the idea of wielding a silver sword and don't really want to give up the Soulbreaker - they've still got a lot of complicated feelings about the way they won it and they feel responsible for all those whispering souls.)

Buffs: Ooh, it’s been a while - I’d have to load up the game to see what they’ve got on. Githborn Psionic Weapon? Wielding the Soulbreaker Greatsword feels so right to them (ditto for Voss' silver sword, in the very brief space of time they had it); they’ve thoroughly compartmentalised that feeling so they don’t have to think about Why.

Main love interest: Karlach. It was a bit of a rough road to get there (the touch issue might have been the least of their problems), but now they’re an unstoppable team. To hell first, then onward to the stars!

Favourite NPC(s): Vin’s got a huge soft spot for the tiefling kids, especially Mol. (They’re very protective of children in general, for reasons they won’t admit have anything to do with their own upbringing.) Meeting Varrl and Varsh Ko’kuu gave them some hope in a difficult time, even though the circumstances were painful. They also greatly admire Dame Aylin and Isobel… and kind of see them as #relationshipgoals.

…and then there’s Kith'rak Voss. Yeah, that’s a complicated one.

Favourite enemy: Kith'rak Therezzyn and Inquisitor W'wargasm W'wargaz. There was a LOT of emotional fallout after the adrenaline crash, but for a while there they were riding the high of having faced down two terrifying childhood authority figures and lived (not to mention the staring contest with Vlaakith herself…)

Favourite battle: Gortash. That one was very personal - vengeance paladin mode on full display. (The conversation after it was… significantly harder for them to deal with.) Rescuing Halsin from Orin & co. was a close second - they were just so relieved they’d got there in time.

Favourite dialogue: Is “every single dialogue involving Karlach” cheating? Not just the overtly flirty/romantic ones - Vin would happily listen to her read the Faerûnian phonebook.

Aside from that, they got so much vicarious joy out of hearing Lae'zel reject Vlaakith - they don’t tend to show much emotion, but they may have done a little fist pump at “she has sinned against me!” Also, the conversation where Wyll opened up about the circumstances of his exile - Vin felt very honoured that he trusted them enough to let them see beyond the Blade of Frontiers persona, and it led them to drop their Perfect Paladin walls a little in return.

Decision about the Absolute: Red laser destroy destroy destroy + the Crown returns to Mystra. Unlike Lykos, Vin'ath isn’t tentacle-curious.

I tag anyone who hasn’t already done this (see: forever ago) and wants to!

#aaahhh that was a really fun bunch of questions #thank you for giving me the opportunity to vinchatter!#oc: vin'ath

12 notes · View notes

inhuman-obey-me · 2 years ago

Note

What are your thoughts on OG obey me not getting anymore lessons after 80? It worries me because it kinda feels like they are trying to kill it slowly.... This is making me not enjoy nightbringer because i thought i would be a spin off new game with a new story that we could play while waiting for OG obey me to come with season 5, but now it seams like nightbringer will be their only foucus and season 5 will never happen. Sorry this kinda turned into a rant just not liking what's happening now.

Yeah, we weren't too happy when we first heard about it, which was the AMA the devs did on Reddit. It was a shitty way to release that information, and it sucks that they really only said so when people ASKED if OG was going to get season 5/more lessons. It did create backlash right away, which we guess they were...attempting to avoid in the first place lol. But they definitely should have handled that announcement a lot better than they did.

In terms of what it means for the future of OG, we don't think they are trying to kill it per se so much as they just sort of...wrote themselves into a corner, and this was their way of hitting reset, on that and other things.

(no need to apologize for ranting, ours is even longer LOL -- rest under the cut!)

We definitely have some criticisms of the writing in Season 4, particularly how they squandered much of what was narratively set up in Season 3, and they didn't really set anything up on where it goes from there. It's also unfortunate that the original game is just going to be doing the same events as Nightbringer, rather than separate ones, which just means there's really nothing to motivate people to stay. And in that way, it does also sort of feel like a waste of all the effort people have put in to strengthen up our cards and grind affection and stuff, because we can't transfer ANY of that. They probably hope to continue that both sides will make money for them, but realistically speaking, it does feel like they are effectively just pushing everyone to migrate to the new game, and that the original is being sort of abandoned to just a maintenance mode kind of thing.

One thing they did note about the decision was that Ruri Tunes was originally supposed to just be an additional mode, but they decided to split it off as part of a separate Nightbringer game/story in order to not make the original "unplayable" with all they wanted to add and change "under the hood". Part of that, at least at a guess, may be due to the difficulty curve of the original -- despite them adjusting the difficulty in a patch, plus their zero-AP lesson battle promo campaigns, they probably were seeing a lot of drop-off just for people who gave up because they couldn't make it through those earlier lessons to even finish Seasons 2, 3, and 4. In that sense, it's good and bad to shift the continuation of the story to this new game even though they don't seem to have actually learned their lesson with the difficulty curve problem... But that's another thing they get to hit reset on by making a new game.

As for a Season 5, we do know from the same AMA that the story from the original is supposed to "continue" in Nightbringer, which suggests that it might pick back up from the end of Season 4 as effectively a Season 5, like maybe MC will make it back to their own time and continue from there, just in this other game instead of the original. Which, um, is certainly a choice on their part, especially since not everyone has the time or interest in a rhythm game. It kinda feels also a bit like this sudden time travel thing in Nightbringer may almost be a way of buying them some time while they figure out what to do as a continuation to the OG plot.

All of that said, however, considering the lack of direction for the original, we've actually been really enjoying Nightbringer's story! It dives into a lot of super interesting questions and content that fans have been begging for and brings back some of the darker themes from Season 1 that we've really missed, so even though it's not quite the Season 5 we've been waiting for, we're really hyped for the new content to keep coming!

#strongly believe that this was their way of fixing what they did to the OG story #it was an easier way to bring back darker themes after they went too far the gag/comical route in most of season 4 #but yes here's our rant about it lol #obey me nightbringer #obey me nb #omnb #obey me #ask and ye shall be answered #ask and ye shall receive (essays)#nightbringer discussion

58 notes · View notes

medico-meo · 10 months ago

Text

Sane and normal behavior is wanting to pursue Harper as an LI but I was contemplating the plausibility of which in terms of DoL as a game as well as the role of the PC and Harper to the best of my knowledge. If anyone happens to be interested in this utter insanity, disclaimers are everything below the cut is from my POV as a player; that I do, in fact, have biases due to personal preferences; and while I tried my best to get my hands on most Harper stuff there is, I play DoL Very Safely (< focusing on being a functional member of society despite everything's going on while grinding stats And avoiding pregnancy) so there surely would be things I missed.

Additional warning for being too Long for someone with thoughts on an NPC with next to no disclosed lore. TL;DR at the end if anyone just wants to know the conclusion I reached :) Also! Open to any discussions or questions that may arise! I'd be happy to talk to anyone about anything DoL here lol.

So, Harper LI. There are two possible ways I can come up with this, either a Stockholm route or uh, half-way functional ig??? The former is clearly more likely than the latter (laughs) but I find the hypothetical gameplay to be less interesting. The problem with either of these is requiring the player to be able to spend time with Harper—like, plenty of it—which the current game doesn't even remotely allow the same way they do for us with the named NPCs we can work for. Letting the PC see Harper whenever would either destroy the elusive nature of Harper's character and/or undermine their established workaholicism, both of which I happen to be very fond of. Of course, the PC can become Harper's assistant etc which I categorize into the second way this can happen, but I'll expand on it as the secret third thing between the two.

Another point about Harper's character I wanna bring up is that, despite 90% of Who They Are exactly being complete whiteboard theory and personal tastes, one thing I can be Pretty Sure about is that they love their work more than they'll love the PC (the canon scenes proving this ranges from So Normal people probably don't think twice about it Or dearly hilarious, namely the encounter at the park if you're jogging naked there). A lot of Vrel's Q&A answers also point to this, which is something we can fall victim to or, you know, thoroughly exploit :)

Stockholm Route: Rather plausible, relatively speaking, but if no major changes can be made re:non-asylum Harper content this would most likely be locked behind the asylum with the addition of the Stockholm stat. Considering current Stockholm LIs sans Kylar, I don't consider it completely impossible ig?

Unlike (what I've seen) with Eden, BW, and GH however, I feel like this would be a one-way street into a different game mode altogether—yielding to Harper consistently locks you in as their "patient" brainwashed little toy for good and maintaining the power difference that, considering Harper's overall position and status in town, would largely influence the gameplay altogether both for the better and worse. Story-wise though it's surely consistent with (gestures) DoL is about so it's more about the technicalities of stuff.

I'm not exactly partial to this (personal tastes) (dislikes being almost entirely passive) but plenty of power to those who do.

Half-way Functional or I'd also like to call the Kylar-like Route: Possibly applies to Eden and a bunch of other non-LI NPCs too but I'm not exactly well-read on them due to the tunnel vision. This can be asylum-locked but I can see it with more frequent Harper visits available. The tldr of this is resisting their dodgy treatments to establish dominance (exploiting their workaholism and emotional repression) while aggressively coming onto them on your own terms.

"How would that even work?" Yeah, about that.

As much as I would love it in terms of the story I severely doubt that can ever happen because that is Not the point of DoL. It is Not written to primarily be a dating sim and neither is the PC supposed to be the protag of a romance in the truest sense. The school LIs are written to be otome game-like since you're more or less equals with them but that doesn't extend to the others, highlighting the PC's position relative to those higher than them in the hypothetical hierarchy—you can't very actively flirt with Avery or Eden before you can take them as an LI, ie to start with it's mostly Them seeking You out than the other way around, which is, unfortunately, the case with Harper here.

I can go on a bit more about how this undermines DoL and compromises the PC's role/function in general but I might have to start actually citing texts which... yeah no I'm not insane enough to do that yet. But! You can read about it in this interview. This is not to mention the numerous new gameplay mechanics that will have to be added and how they consequently influence existing content, but it's fun for me to think about. Pissing Harper off Then working the fact that they can't just Drop you because you're their patient and they're so committed to their job to your advantage. Charming.

The mentor-mentee/assistant route potentially falls into either umbrella plotline I mentioned, maybe even as a possible aftermath to Stockholm. The second one would slightly diverge since I think if you actively match their energy without straight up trying to straight up bully them it Might end up as actual criminal romance but, again, the PC's nature and the gameplay withstanding).

I can't remember if I have anything else I'd like to add so here's a thank you to anyone who actually read any of these LMAO and if you're a fellow Harper—or any other character, really—liker in a "I want to claw them apart and see what's inside" way (like me) there's this neat site that compilates the Q&As with Vrel (godspeed OP where would I be without them).

TLDR: Not very, Very plausible but if it does happen they'll likely be a Stockholm-inducing LI locked behind the asylum. If it's LI (conventional sense) then that's more likely than not never happening since it compromises quite a bit of what DoL is as its core. Wanna be their little underling? To me it falls into one of the aforementioned generally speaking, so it's a (wave hands) thing there.

#dol harper #harper the doctor #degrees of lewdity #dolwa txt #dol meta??? maybe???#more like insanity and delusions i guess #i've come to terms with how harper lore would never be fully revealed #i think they're such a fun chara tho #would Love to flirt with them more #just for the sake of it

19 notes · View notes

squarebracket-trickster · 1 year ago

Text

Writer Q&A Tag Game

Thank you @sunset-a-story for ALSO tagging me way back in August. I AM SO SORRY

1. What motivates you to write?

It itchy, itchy urge to create something. I NEED it OUT. I MUST make sense of it ALL. The thoughts need ordering and putting together to maximize the happy chemicals. I see something I like that someone else made and I get jealous so I must do something like that, but MY way, and BETTER. It all makes me very itchy (restless).

2. A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them)

I skimmed my entire 3rd draft (so far) to pick a line. There are a lot of good ones but none I liked more than the rest - I couldn't choose. So... I know I've already shared this one but dammit. It is a kickass line. It's also the first line of WIPVII - and you do not know what devils I sold my soul to to escape THAT writer's block.

I will live, I tell myself through the salt water in my eyes and the sting of the south wind on my face. This will make for a good story one day.

5. What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

Banter and wit. Which is funny because I always thought that was the thing I would struggle most with - I was the academic overachiever who took herself too seriously in school. But when I reread my drafts there is something that makes me laugh in nearly every scene. Most of my highlighted lines are banter or retorts.

6. What do you enjoy most about the Writeblr community?

I love seeing writeblr content on my dash and I looooove getting interactions when I liveblog my writing. It is so nice to be able to share this with people who love it too (rather than inflicting it on my poor irl friends who are not writers). I just love all you Writeblr friends so much!

7. A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

A 2x3.5' and a 3x5.5' whiteboard with a rainbow's worth of whiteboard markers in different thicknesses for brainstorming, family trees, timelines. My sketchbook, a mechanical pencil, and YouTube drawing tutorials for my maps and concept art. MS Word, dark mode, Times New Roman pt 11, with comments enabled for my manuscripts, outlines (bullet points), and worldbuilding notes. Subfolders within subfolders stored on my PC to organize all my Word docs. Two separate USBs which my completed manuscripts are saved to (in case something happens to my computer AND one of the USBs).

I have yet to find any worldbuilding or map making software (and it hasn't been for lack of looking) that gives me enough flexibility. I have yet to find any writing software that has features Word doesn't but that would actually help my process rather than overwhelm me.

I do want to write out a draft of WIPVII by hand at some point (though with my penchant for writing hand cramps this might be doomed). I also want to try an electric typewriter.

8. A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

WIPVII doesn't have very complex worldbuilding (there is no magic and most of it is ripped from real world history) but I do always love it when authors tell us what way the wind is coming, what smells it carries, what the view is in the distance, whose lands those are... that kind of stuff. Really creates a sense of place. I spent a lot of time mapping all this out in my own novel and I am very happy with it! The description feels so rich!

9. What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

Learn more about the craft. Writing is problem solving. If you aren't happy with something figure out why - the mechanics and technique behind writing. If you're still stuck learn even more. There are so many great, free resources on tumblr, youtube, blogs, pinterest (though it is most stolen from tumblr) even twitter and tiktok.

Also, learn how to filter out what advice is helpful now versus what should wait for later so you don't get overwhelmed. If you haven't even written a first draft yet don't bother with pacing, exposition, line editing, or let alone how to query. Just focus on the macro-stuff like plot and character arcs.

Tagging with the lightest brush on the shoulder these nine alleged humans: @cheeto-flavoured-pasta, @alnaperera, @bluberimufim, @daisywords, @boundedsea, @full-on-sam, @writernopal, @ashen-crest, @surroundedbypearls

#wipvii #tag game

10 notes · View notes

twilightknight17 · 1 year ago

Text

All right, I said I was going to do the DLC, but I realized I should probably like, learn to play the game first.

Goro would be very disappointed in me if I didn't do well.

So, we're starting off with the proper story mode. Let's see how they've justified both this madness, and the inevitable lack of Satanael. XD

I will say, it's neat that Goro and Sumi get their own title screen, with cool music.

Also, shoutout to Atlus for actually having enough space for the canon name this time! They’re learning from past mistakes~ “Akira Kurusu” fits no problem, but “Amamiya” fits with like, 2 spaces to spare.

Anyway, we start off with two mysterious figures in a government office, listening to a report about a politician who has disappeared and talking about how “he” would have to defy them in order to stop them, and “he” won’t do that. Good thing that “he” is probably going to meet my gaggle of children, who defy people as a job. XDDDD

Speaking of my gaggle of children, they’re hanging out and watching the same news report. Apparently this missing dude is a solid candidate for Prime Minister, and an election is coming up. Is this an emergency election because of what happened to Shido? Futaba mentions that it’s cold, and no one has graduated yet, so I’d put this somewhere at the end of February. I guess we won’t know for sure, because goodness, we couldn’t possibly discuss Shido or any prior events with any specifics. No, instead, we just get Futaba being mildly self-aware, after Makoto says that she hopes nothing weird is going on.

Yes, Futaba, we do, because that’s where they’re hiding Goro.

The TV goes weird and they get yoinked into the Kingdom, which is some kind of distortion in meta-space. Literally as soon as they go exploring, they immediately run into soldiers and the “ruler” of the Kingdom, and everything goes to hell.

This is Lady Marie (which they pronounce "Mar-ee-ay"), and she's very Ojou-sama. And she’s kind of terrible. But I like the style. And the spike-tread tank.

Anyway, this lady has the strongest brainwash spells I've ever seen?? Like, Yaldabaoth hit people with that brainwashing Lust attack and I don't even think it ever did anything while I was fighting him?? But she gets hold of every single Phantom Thief except Joker and Mona, and it's bad.

And then, because she can’t get those two, she just… attempts to torture them into submission. To be honest, like, I know they’re in the metaverse and can take more damage, but this is pretty close to the interrogation in terms of brutality. I think the cartoony artstyle (which I do love), is the only reason it doesn’t seem as bad. Because she catches them by their necks and drags them behind her tank. And that’s savage.

Yeah. Violence!

Fortunately Erina comes to save them, and I like Erina so far. She’s pretty cool, and she lives in cogntive Leblanc, much to Akira and Morgana’s surprise.

Erina makes a deal that she'll help them save the brainwashed Thieves if Akira and Morgana join the rebels and help her get rid of Marie. Which, yeah, I want to beat this bitch senseless now, so... Let's do it. Leblanc is the rebels' hideout, so all the menus are there. We have skill trees for each person now that let you upgrade your personas and passive skills (and Erina's... magic? She can do light magic, but it's not kouha). Lavenza is there, and appears to be having a good time in the new Velvet Armory, though she does mention that she made some kind of "mistake" that caused her to get dragged in with you. So that's a little concerning.

I'm glad Morgana gets to come with you, because that's just proof that the third semester actually happened.

Yes, sweetheart, you're doing great. <3

She also offers to make you weapons with the forge, with one caveat:

I love her so much. XDDDD

So, we get some intel from the other rebels that there are new prisoners being held at the prison on the edge of the city. So we head over to rescue our friends! We do not find our friends. Instead, we find up-and-coming young Diet member Toshiro Kasukabe, who has been missing from the real world and was clearly tossed in here by… someone. He’s taking this rather well, though. Hasn’t screamed at us like a certain other adult. :3

...sir, I’m the only one here who’s NOT a magician.

We end up having to fight brainwashed Panther and Oracle to escape, which was a hell of a fight. I learned that Joker getting womped doesn’t end the battle, which is good, but also, people who get KO’d get removed from the field, and there doesn’t seem to be revival skills in the skill tree, so I’m assuming once they’re out, they’re out.

Marie tried to bait me into attacking my own damn sister, which is not helping my desire to kick her face in. Did I mention she’s doing all of this to obtain the “perfect wedding”? Like, ma’am, calm the fuck down. Fortunately, Erina learns a new skill and we’re going to take this bitch out and undo her brainwashing with extreme capture-the-flag.

Or… replace-the-flag. Whatever.

We make it back to Leblanc with the unbrainwashed Panther and Oracle in tow, and Toshiro is taking things really well! And by taking things really well, I mean complaining about us breaking the laws of physics, admitting that he doesn’t remember much of anything other than his name and being a Diet member, and being disapproving of the Phantom Thieves directly to their faces. Which goes over great!

He still wants us to help him get out, tho. But doesn't want to actually fight, so like... eh. Right now he's a bit of a wet blanket. But I do have my suspicions already, because he kind of almost recognized Erina. So depending on how old she is (since I can't really tell), I'm guessing either daughter or wife. Especially because, completely independently of each other:

That’s where I stopped, so, some final few random thoughts:

You can re-bind some of the control buttons, but you cannot invert the camera controls, so I am constantly spinning the camera the wrong way. Thanks, Atlus.

I find it interesting that the first boss is once again some kind of Lust/Love-obsessed person.

There’s a memo function that keeps track of people, concepts, and locations, and apparently it’s okay to mention Yaldabaoth in the notes, but we cannot acknowledge anything out loud in the actual story. X’D I bet we’re never going to allude to Maruki at all even though this is after Royal.

It’s a little annoying that we’re once again knocked down to initial personas. Like, for Scramble, you could have left the ultimates alone and just made the flimsy excuse that it’s been six months and they forgot all their spells. But they didn’t lose all of their character development, and this time around, it’s just silly. This kid killed a god two months ago. He punched another god three weeks ago. He should not have just Arsene who knows only eiha.

(Eiha inflicts despair now, which would be cool if I knew what despair did in this battle system. At least it makes sense for that to be a side effect of the curse element.)

The game tries to justify it with there being some sort of “force of negation” on both the Velvet Room and the Kingdom as a whole, making it so they aren’t at full strength, but that feels even flimsier an excuse than mine for Scramble. X’D Time to break into Atlus HQ and follow the sage advice of Lavenza’s sister:

…...I just finished Mario Odyssey why are there MORE hats???

Every sprite of Morgana is adorable.

And finally, I can’t stop laughing at VROOM. :D

I like it so far! I’m excited to see where things are going. ^_^

#Li plays P5T #posting this late like a champ b/c I got distracted halfway through

8 notes · View notes

lostplay · 11 months ago

Text

Game 14: Samurai Shodown V Perfect (2023) Judging Samurai Shodown V is a hassle because they are effectively 3 games that are exactly the same with minor differences that make 2 of them better than the first one, and largely it just comes down to game feel. V Perfect has everything that Special had as well as a story mode, kinda, and some more tweaks and balances of the cast. While I do think that V Perfect is a better version of V Special and V Special is a better version of V; I don't think V Perfect is (ironically) that special.

I think the major problem V Perfect has is that it can only improve so much on itself. Literally a game that feels like it cooked itself for too long that just feels like it should have been it's own game. Perhaps V Perfect's saving grace is simply that it's not packaged as a standalone game as it's paired with the Neo Geo Collection of Samurai Shodown rather than being sold separately. Like don't get me wrong here, I'm not saying V Perfect is a bad game, it's just how much can you really improve V Special before you just have a new game on your hands? V Perfect does have some nice text story to character endings, and some slightly better presentation tho. The problem is that, that's about it. V Perfect was made after Samurai Shodown VI, and thus has to work with the constrictions that come with that. While I do think you can replace V Special with V Perfect; really it just comes down to how much time you have had with either game. If V Special feels like it's version 1.5 of Samurai Shodown V then I'd say V Perfect is a 1.6 version.

Largely your enjoyment of V Perfect is the novelty of it. For those newer to the series, V Perfect is perhaps the best version to play Samurai Shodown V, and literally the latest version of said game. For those that had more time with V Special, I'm sure V Perfect just feels like a glorified patch that does some nice things for lore, but ultimately doesn't really make it worth the same amount of time you put in with V Special. Don't want it to seem like I'm not grateful for this game's existence though as going from the cancelled final game for Neo Geo to being a neat little bonus in the Neo Geo Collection is pretty great. Just don't expect a big jump in quality compared to it's previous versions.

#lost reviews #Samurai Shodown V #Samurai Showdown #Samurai Shodown V Perfect #snk fighters #snk playmore #Fr why is there so many of these games???#They ALSO MADE A 6 #AND ANOTHER ONE #THEY HAD A REBOOT #WHY IS THIS FRANCHISE CONFUSING???#WHY ISNT THE DOG IN THIS ONE #I MISS MY LITTLE BOW OW

3 notes · View notes

sapphire-mage · 2 years ago

Text

So You Want to Get Into Middle Era Final Fantasy? (A Guide to Final Fantasy I-VI for Those Who Want To Check Them Out)

Some months ago, I posted a bit of an excerpt about Final Fantasy 1-6 (Oh look, here it is!), as they were coming out in Spring 2023. I kind of hinted towards the end that I’d be down to discuss the later games as well, and I suppose now would be a great chance. As someone who as played all the numbers except 11 (which is not listed), I feel it would help to go to bat on this conversation.

This is a dialogue about ‘which of these games should be you’re first FF’ and/or ‘whether or not you should give the game a go’. I won’t be bashing any of them, but instead, making a case for each of them as a way to draw points as to whether or not you would be interested in them. I may state my opinion on some of them, but overall, I have love for each of them. Let’s begin, shall we?

GENERAL TIPS AND INFO:

-Take note that MOST of these games are turn based combat RPGS, in varying degrees. With certain games, the genre does shift in a certain direction, but they still fit the RPG niche.

-FF7-9 have more ‘active mode’ style turn based RPGs, while FF10 has a more ‘wait’ style, giving you A LOT more time to breathe. FF12 functions more as a single players MMORPG with two AI bots helping you, and FF13 is more of a fast paced turn based style with two AI partners. There’s also.... you’ll see.

-If by some chance, Final Fantasy isn't vibing with you: By all means quit. Maybe pick up one with a story that interests you more. Maybe turn based combat isn't your thing. Maybe you want a better leveling system. Maybe you would rather do more modern adaptations. It varies, but don't be afraid to step away. If it's not your thing, it is not your thing. That's okay.

-When it comes to any of these games: Wait until they are on sale. Square tends to put their games on sale pretty often, and pretty often, those sales are a steal. So keep that in mind!

OKAY! Let’s begin!

Final Fantasy VII

To be clear, I am not talking about the remake. This is OG VII.

Gameplay-wise, VII takes a lot of notes from VI. Individually, characters have unique weapons and limit breaks, but you can equip materia that grant magic, skills, and stat boosts. THAT is where the strategy lies. Using what materia slots your character has, you can strengthen your materia while also making the right load out for upcoming battles.

The story is excellent on it's own. Without going into sequels or prequels, FFVII is actually one of the easiest to understand storylines of the bunch. Everything is pretty straightforward, and anything that isn't explained is left in mystery for mystery's sake (unless you go to prequels and sequels). Best of all: The character development is spread out neatly. Each character gets a lot of time to evolve as a character and improve, which is nice.

The music's fame precedes itself, though it has some that I'm not a fan of (namely 'Under the Rotten Pizza'). But if there is any real problem with FFVII, it's the graphics. Those polygons... have not aged well. I can look past it, but it may be a struggle for some. Especially in certain areas where it gets hard to SEE where to go.

But... It was my first Final Fantasy, and I think it's a superb 'first Final Fantasy' for ANYONE!

General Tip: VII isn't too difficult, as far as the series goes, so I don't have many tips. ...Save for two. First off, KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN EVERYWHERE FOR ITEMS! Especially materia! You can sometimes find materia just lying around, and that one chance to get it might to your only chance for a LONG TIME! So, keep your eyes open for green, blue, red, or purple orbs lying around!

And the second tip... At some point in the game, you'll end up going into some place called the 'Temple of the Ancients'.

When you think you're getting close to the end of that area, you should remove Aerith's/Aeris' accessory, give her a weak armor, and a somewhat weak weapon. It'll help you in a later battle.

You don't have to worry about materia, though. She can keep using whatever materia you want.

Final Fantasy Tactics

WAIT A MINUTE! Tactics?!? T doesn't come after 7!

You see, Final Fantasy Tactics holds such a big place in people's hearts, that many consider it as part of the numerical series despite being a spin-off. I AM ONE SUCH PEOPLE! TACTICS RULES!

First off, the gameplay is completely different. If you've ever played or seen Tactics Ogre, Triangle Strategy, or any '_____ Tactics' game, you should know that THAT is the gameplay styling. It can also be compared to Fire Emblem, but it's a much more different beast in a certain regard. Imagine chess, but with RPG numbers and equipment.

But to make it even better: It has a job system like Final Fantasy V. You can change the class of your characters and keep some of the things they learned from those classes. You can have a Ninja that steals like a thief, a Chemist that can dance, a Black Mage with any other magic, etc. THERE'S EVEN A CLASS THAT LET'S YOU USE MATHEMATICS TO FIGHT! AND IT'S OP IN THE RIGHT HANDS!

Storywise, this is one of the richest, yet most tragic stories in the series. It's not a story that will make your cry, per se, but it is a story that will speak of the struggles of the world. While many characters are lovable (especially the main character, Ramza), the story is very heavy and deals with heavy political themes and questions of morality. How the corruption of greed and power ruins innocent lives. That said, it does all of this quite well, and it makes for an excellent story.

This isn't a good 'first Final Fantasy' as it is a spin off that plays completely different from the rest of the series, but it is an AWESOME game that you should play if the sound of this game tickles your fancy. No requirement to play any other number in the series, either.

THAT SAID, I WOULD RECOMMEND WAITING A BIT, BECAUSE THE LIKELY HOOD OF A TACTICS REMASTER IS QUITE POSSIBLE AT THIS POINT! Especially after the success of Triangle Strategy and Tactics Ogre's remaster. But if you can't wait, be sure to play the 'War of the Lions' port, and not the OG PS1 version. The original had some bugs and poor translation.

General Tips: This game DOES have permadeath for all characters, so don't let that timer go past zero when your party members are KO'd. However, if you win the battle before their timers end, they'll be alive again after the fight.

Also: Ramza's 'Squire' class functions differently than the 'Squire' class does for most non-major playable characters. Keep an eye on it, as the class has some secrets that can benefit you later on. But of course, you can do as you please with Ramza's class and fighting style.

I'm so sorry, VIII fans, but from this bundle, this is my least favorite. But I'm still coming from a place of love and understanding.

VIII is quite different in gameplay compared to most of the previous ones. It works somewhat like 7 in that characters have unique weapons and limit breaks, but then the magic system makes things... interesting. You can equip summons still, but now, you have to 'draw magic' out from enemies and random locations. You can't equip and cast 'Fire' unless you draw individual 'Fire' spells out from your enemies to cast it for yourself. It makes a lot more sense in context.

One of the unique things you can do with your magic is augment your magic to your stats to boost them. You can also equip magic to your weapons to change them. Equipping 'Fire' to your weapons or armor could grant you Fire Elemental Attack or Immunity respectively. Same goes for Status Effects like Poison or Sleep. That aspect is really neat and creative for boss strats.

Since the gameplay is so different, it's hard to recommend as a 'first Final Fantasy', but it is not a bad follow up one.

The story is a bit strange and all-over-the-place at times, but the central focus is on a cute romance between a grumpy teenage boy and a hopeful teenage girl. She drives him a bit crazy, which gets cute and fun. There's also a neat flashback story involving a super awesome character named Laguna, but that's for you to figure out.

If this game has one massive selling point, it's the music. One of the best OSTs in the series. Battle themes, overworld themes, town themes, dungeons themes. STELLAR all around.

General Tips: Some might suggest drawing as much magic as you can until you hit max at the start. ...That is insanely boring and kind of torture. Go at your own pace. Draw when you can and have fun with it. There will be other methods to draw magic later in the game, too.

Also: Be careful over-leveling yourself. This game has a leveling system that levels boss battles along with you, so if you decide to max level, be ready for a difficult final boss.

Talking about this game is going to be difficult, because... this game kind of means so much to me, that speaking ill of it kind of hurts. But I have to speak the truth about certain things. I need to emphasize that this game has my favorite story in the entire series. Ever. Just... My god... It's so good. Maybe not perfect, but it's everything to me.

First, let's talk gameplay. Characters function like FFIV, where characters have predetermined classes and roles, but with IX, they learn new magic, abilities, and skills by equipping specific weapons, armor, or accessories. Even if the weapon or gear sucks, you need to master the spell/skill before moving on to better gear.

Also, worth mentioning: Recent ports have some 'aspect ratio' issues that mess with certain scenes. And sometimes, the game can crash after you beat the final boss. ...Yeah. I don't know why Square did a 'bleh' job with the port. Consider a PS1 version if possible, or be ready to watch the ending on YouTube when you get there.

But... This game's story... Holy moly... There has not been a video game, let alone a Final Fantasy, that has made me cry THIS MUCH! Endwalker came close!

Mind you: This is also, easily, the funniest Final Fantasy. The characters are very cartoonish, and this leads to many antics and running gags.

But the moral of this story... Without spoiling much, Final Fantasy IX talks about the value of life. AND MY GOD, DOES IT RIP YOUR HEART OUT BUT THEN ALSO MEND YOUR HEART WITH LOVE AND KISSES! And as sad as it sounds, it's a sadness that gives you hope, and sometimes, changes you as a person.

If it weren't for technical issues, this would be my favorite FF. There have been rumors of either a remake or a TV adaptation. Keep an eye out for that, and hopefully, they won't pull their punches on some of the heart wrenching moments of the game.

But if you want to experience the story now... It's ready for you to take on. Be ready to laugh, but be ready with some tissues.

General Tips: Make use of what each character can offer! If a certain character isn't living up to their potential, but you HAVE to use them, don't be afraid to have them be an item healer.

Garnet has more powerful attack summons, while Eiko has more support driven summons. Zidane and Freya are secretly two of the most busted characters, but they require a lot of grinding to get them there. Vivi is low tier, but if I can beat final bosses and super bosses with Vivi on my team, you can do anything. And again, don't underestimate Blue Magic. EVER!

(EDIT: I made the fatal error to go watch a certain scene reaction to FFIX after proof reading this, and my nose is clogged from how much I was crying. Again.)

I've heard many people point out that Final Fantasy X is the best 'First Final Fantasy'. It has voice acting. It has solid graphics. It's on every console. The story is easy to grasp (at least, the main two characters are). I'd agree, but I'd also say that that is still up to the eye of the beholder. Someone DYING to meet Sephiroth or having a preference for 2D games will point elsewhere in the end. But yes, FFX is a very safe bet.

From a gameplay standpoint, X SEEMS very forgiving, as it has a built in 'Wait Mode'. It could be one of your character's turn to attack, and you can take AS LONG AS YOU WANT! But it has some rough boss fights. Only bad part is leveling. It involves what is basically a 'giant board game where all characters start on different places, each space being a stat/ability'. IT'S HUGE! It leads to a lot of freedom, which is good, but it is extremely time consuming.

Story is... complicated. The lore and pace of the plot gets a little wonky and hand wavey. Like, "Oh! We need to move the plot to _____, so... RANDOM BULLSHIT!" But... that's not to say the story has no appeal!

The appeal of the story is the relationship between it's main characters, Tidus and Yuna. And not just in a romantic way. Yuna is quite honestly one of the most nuanced characters in Final Fantasy. She's absolutely fascinating, especially for people who have complicated religious history or family. And how Tidus and Yuna connect and lead each other to change is done so well.

And the music! Some of it has a strange bounce to it, but many other tracks are so incredibly beautiful.

General Tip: As mentioned above, the Endgame side quests can be really annoying. Be ready to brace yourself for some tedious or difficult tasks. ...Unless you have no interest in doing them, in which case, carry on with your playthrough.

Oh, and there is a segment where you get the chance to teach Tidus the 'Jecht Shot'. Try your best to get it right the first time. It'll take place after you meet Yuna and get on a boat.

Final Fantasy XII

XII is one of the biggest oddmans out. From this point on, 'turn based combat' is technically over. We're now dealing with more complicated gameplay styles.

Gameplay functions in what I can best describe as an 'auto battle programmer'. On one hand, you can tell your characters what to do, but on the other, you can 'program' them to attack using 'gambits'. For example, 'If Ally HP < 30, use Cure' or 'If Enemy has lowest Health, Attack'. Characters will function and respond to these set ups instantly, and even follow priorities depending on how important you consider each gambit to be for each character.

It's very different from the rest of the series, and it was controversial at the time. That said, I really enjoyed it. Definitely fed the former computer programmer in me.

Story is VERY different from most Final Fantasys. While character arcs and development exists, they do not take the forefront. XII, much like Tactics (which takes place in the same world), focuses more on political drama and revolution. That said, the characters are still fairly fun and interesting, so you're not entering a world of lifeless characters.

Music would probably be my biggest issue. I don't dislike Hitoshi's work. Obviously, I liked Tactic's OST, but XII doesn't have many tracks that stick with me. Still, it sounds better than the Tactics Advance games.

Should go without saying, but this one isn't a great 'First Final Fantasy'. I would recommend it to people who really enjoy computer programming or logic statements, though.

General Tips: This game does not have 'dropped gil/money' like most Final Fantasy games do. Unless your opponent is human, they don't drop money. Instead, monsters will drop spoils such as fur, bones, teeth, etc. THOSE can be sold for money.

Unfortunately, there is also an issue where there are certain items that you shouldn't sell, or else you will cheat yourself out of certain future prizes. You may want to look into that online.

The most controversial game on this line up. I lived through quite a fandom war over this game. Where I lie on that debate can be summarized in three statements. 1. I'm not going to deep into that, as I'm here to speak hope into the ether for this game. 2. The 'Hallway Simulator' criticism is a bit absurd, when MANY games do that. 3. Final Fantasy XIII needs friends and deserves friends, and that's what I want to fight for here.

XIII's gameplay is a step back to being somewhat turn based, but it is a lot more automated. You can only control one character, but you can change the 'classes' of your entire party mid-battle. You'll alternate to deal damage, heal, buff, debuff, and set up the right combo to break your enemy's defenses.

Biggest drawback is that if that character your controlling dies, it's Game Over. BUT the game works in a 'Would you like to retry the battle?' way, so retrying is no big deal.

The story... I'm not gonna lie, I am still SO CONFUSED by the general lore and explanation of what certain things are, but... I GET THE CHARACTERS! While some may say that it's a bit 'anime', the characters go through some great character arcs.

Lightning is controversial for... dumb reasons. Sorry, I like my 'big sister' protagonists, and she's no exception. Lightning is cool as hell. And Vanille is a very off-character whose voice acting and behavior will have you scratching your head... until you figure out what's going on with her.

And finally, the music. I don't know many games Masashi has led on his own, but OH MY GOD, I love the music of this game. Absolutely gorgeous! And the fact that the above song is the BASIC BATTLE THEME is crazy!

General Tips: A large portion of the game is pretty straight forward, though chest are scattered around. You may get the creeping feeling of "Oh god, am I missing side quests as I go through here?"

NOPE! The game will open up at a certain point, and it will be EXTREMELY obvious when it does. Then, and only then, do side quests show up. But it won't be for a while.

Alright, that about wraps it up. I'm not really planning to cover XI, XIV, or XV. Still haven't played XI, XIV is an entirely different beast, and XV is something I'm still processing. If I did anything beyond here, it would probably be spin-offs? I didn't mention X-2 or XIII's sequels (I haven't played the latter, maybe I should get on that), but maybe there I will.

Ranking the games from 'best Final Fantasy to start with'. Mind you, this isn't a ranking of 'Which games are best'.

Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy X

Final Fantasy IX

Final Fantasy VIII

Final Fantasy XIII

Final Fantasy XII

I'm a bit biased. VII was MY first! And I didn't rank Tactics because I feel like people searching for Tactics games will gravitate to Tactics on their own. Or at least, everyone should play/try FFT regardless of FF relationship.

Honestly, I feel like these six (or seven) are very much up to factor of 'Which one interests you the most?' And that drive will guide you more than anything. If you're just DYING to meet Cloud and Sephiroth, then you know the answer. If anything I mentioned got you interested, maybe that's the one to go for.

Even if I recommended AGAINST playing one of them first, do it if you want to. Honestly, everyone has something to gain from each of these. I truly don't believe any of these are 'bad'.

19 notes · View notes