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powerovernothing · 5 years

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The elder boys Hogwarts houses

And it seems that one of the most iconic fandom questions has finally managed to find its way into my askbox in relation to the boys and their story, and honestly, I am both smiling like a complete and utter dweeb, and also feeling quite surprised that such a question has not managed to be asked long before now! Have we, as a collective mindset of angst, and fluff lovers, that spans through many different fandoms, reached an era where we have somehow stopped asking about characters and what Hogwarts Houses they would end up in if they were in the Harry Potter universe?I surely hope that is not at all the case, because even though I’ve only ever read through the first Harry Potter book thus far – although I do own the first three, or four, I can’t really recall the actual number in my collection off the top of my head – I never get tired to seeing the old favorite fan questions being asked now and again! And I get even more excited to have this such question being brought to my attention about my versions of Lucien and Martin and including Korbin in the bunch just as well!

It makes me quite happy, and very eager to answer this in a proper way worthy of those who are interested in knowing, and I think that is the reason I wound up going a bit overboard in terms of details!

Of course, by now, I’m certain there are plenty of you who are not surprised by this in the slightest, but even still… I feel as though I should still warn you guys about the intense amount of information I managed to do for this question.

Not only did I locate the very best quiz for finding the proper houses for Korbin, Martin, and Lucien, and created a chart detailing the points from each result, but I also went out of my way to find out what each of the brother’s wands would be, as well as their Patronus animals, the in depth meaning behind those results, and how they fit for the characters the brothers have become over the years!

But now I’m just rambling on, without actually showing you guys anything exciting! So, without further ado, let’s get into detailing The Knight, The Emperor, and The Assassin’s Hogwarts Houses, wands and what they’re made of, and the animals that would be at their sides, shall we?

(*~*Under The Cut Is Almost 5K Words Describing Korbin And His Brothers in The Harry Potter Universe, As I Went A Bit Overboard…Whoops!*~*)

(*~*Please click for a much better view*~*)

Right, so…

I realize that this looks incredibly intimidating, and that there is a lot of information at the ready from this massive chart, but as I said above… I don’t really do things half way. It’s either all or nothing when it comes to my boys, and when given the choice, I would much rather give my all than the former! In any case, I think it would be best if I explained the reasoning behind two different sets of results in the chart above.

You see, back in August of last year, when I first started becoming serious about Korbin and his brother’s story, there was a Hogwarts House quiz that was being thrown around on the Elder Scrolls Discord server that I frequent for you totake and see which house your characters wound up in.

You can find the quiz that I used behind the clickable link here!

Anyway, this was before I gave proper character development for both Lucien and Martin, and when I was still trying to get inside their head, and figure out what to change, and yet keep the same when it came to Todd’s lore and the rest of the traits that were shown in the actual game.

Because of this, and considering that at some point I chose to all but throw canon out of the window when it came to the vanilla versions of Lucien and Martin’s characters, and create my own spin on them outside of just them surviving their fates in the story, their results from a year ago is remarkably different when you compare it to the results they got when I retook the quiz again to tackle your question properly, my dear Lady La Luna!

Originally, and before character development truly set in, Martin was placed within the Ravenclaw house, and Lucien was placed within Slytherin.

And at a glance, I suppose that it would make sense for them both to be in that house… I mean, when you think about the traits of both Ravenclaw and Slytherin, you would see parts of Martin and Lucien’s character. Intelligence, and self-reliance suits Martin rather well, as cunning and resourcefulness suits Lucien. However, the more you think about them, the more you start seeing that there are parts of those houses that Martin and Lucien are not.

Martin is not arrogant, which is a negative trait for Ravenclaw, and he is not the type of person to be by himself. He is someone who cares dearly of others and does his best to make friends and lasting relationships with anyone that he meets – even in canon alone this is something that is commonplace when you see his relationship with the Hero of Kvatch, and the Blades themselves.

And as for our dear favorite Assassin, the common negative traits of Slytherin are classified as being loose with morals, looking out for themselves instead of anyone else when the need arises, as well as a desire for power as one of the most important things. Now, while Lucien does indeed care little for morals, and may believe that the ends justify the means even in canon… my version of Lucien is not at all hungry for power, nor does he care about himself first andforemost.

He is a very family-based man, cares for the members of the Brotherhood, and his siblings very dearly, and could truly care less whether or not he rose in power.

So, as you can see, whilst both Slytherin and Ravenclaw may have suited the earlier versions of my take on Lucien and Martin, and even their canon selves to a certain degree… it does not suit who they actually are now. Which is why, when I retook the quiz with the boys again, their results were so vastly different!

From the chart, you can see that Martin’s Ravenclaw rating took at least a twelve-number drop compared to his older result, and he gained a thirteen-number increase in his Hufflepuff rating, as well as his Slytherin rating!

Now I’m certain there are those who were surprised about the Slytherin increase, and truly I was as well at first, but when you start seeing that one of the positive traits in Slytherin is actually having a pure lineage, it would make sense for the Heir to the Septim Line to have such a number in that house! But outside of that, when it comes down to Martin as a character in general, and who he became in my own writing as I went on… there is no other house that suits him more than dear ol’ Hufflepuff over all.

With members the golden and black house sporting positive traits such as being kind, friendly, and hard-working, having a benevolence to do what is right, because it is right, as well as negative traits being far too humble, and taking things slow and steady instead of the quick path in learning, or life in general – which are seen in both my version of Martin, as well as in game canon in general throughout the course of the Main Quest – it would only make proper sense for him to be in such a house!

And considering that Hufflepuff members often enjoy food, well… with him being raised by his single father farmer Darius and knowing his way around the kitchen in my Verse, it’s nothing short of perfection.

As for Lucien, one of the things that was most surprising to me in his new results was seeing his Hufflepuff rating go up by thirty-six numbers! I mean, when you think about it, Lucien has very little to do with the house traits that Martin would have, but then I realized that I was answering certain questions with how Lucien normally acts behind closed doors, with his loved ones, or when he drops his hard Assassin like outer shell for the sake of mischievous and playful antics.

He is a different person around his brothers, then he would be when working, so I suppose that is where his Hufflepuff rating goes up by a considerable amount. However, by the end of it, the Hogwarts house that fits Lucien the best when taking into consideration both their positive and negative traits, and the number results from the quiz alone? Ravenclaw.

Even though there are moments in actual canon, and my own, where Lucien often ends up doing something foolish and without thinking – mostly tied to his own emotions – by the end of the day he is indeed a remarkably intelligent man.

Not only that, but when he is on the field and preforming his death craft, he is also incredibly creative, and oftentimes does many different things to help down his target, and never is the type to do the same thing twice unless there is a need for it. He is also quite self-sufficient, which comes from being a prior Speaker of the Black Hand, one of the main heads of the Revised Cheydinhal Sanctuary, and from being the eldest among the siblings.

With a knowledge that could surely rival Martin’s own, he knows how to handle solo contracts, knows how to deal with the Elder Council without his temper getting in the way – for the most part – and knows how to go through the world without getting in over his head.

It’s only when his siblings are involved that he tends to get rather foolish, but I digress.

Continuing onward, the main negative traits that the Ravenclaw house members have I actually listed above when discussing how Martin did not fit within the black and blue ranking. However, when you think about these traits from Lucien’s point of view: being arrogant, and often looking down on others unworthy of their praise or acceptance, and how they often create small groups that stay close to one another… well, that just fits The Dark Brotherhood in a whole, doesn’t it?

So, yes! By the end of the day, Martin wears the golden and black colors of Hufflepuff, and Lucien sports the blue and brown coloring of Ravenclaw!

Now, about Korbin… well, you can most likely tell from both the old and the new results that he was the one that changed the least among the brothers. Which, I honestly didn’t find all that surprising, and I somewhat expected, actually. Because, out of the three of them, Korbin was the one who had the least character development throughout the year, and a few months, difference.

His morals are the same, the way he views the world are the same, and who he is around his siblings are the same.

Meaning that most of his results would change very little, or not at all when taking the quiz, a second time around. Korbin’s Slytherin number actually remained the same as it was from a year ago, which is not surprising considering his morals are often the same as Lucien’s whilst working or in general.

His Gryffindor number went down, because even though he is indeed the Hero of Kvatch, he doesn’t consider himself a hero, would actually deny the title outright when given, and instead looks to both of his siblings as the truly brave, courageous ones with far more strength.

His Hufflepuff number goes slightly up, as even though he is indeed an Assassin and Lucien’s Silencer, he is still a very kind, and friend person to those he cares for, and loves, and is an incredibly hardworking individual when it comes to a certain goal, or he sets his mind on something that he wants more than anything, especially during the course of the Oblivion Crisis and him wishing to reverse time to save his brother’s from their fate.

And finally, his Ravenclaw number goes slightly down, which makes a fair amount of sense as he has a slightly underdeveloped intelligence for the most part, and yet by the end of all of the results, it is in fact Ravenclaw that he finds himself being placed within most!

And as I said, from the traits I listed above whilst discussing Martin and Lucien’s houses, it truly comes to no surprise that this is the house that Korbin finds himself in.

From being creative, in both his Assassin skill, and in general with his mischief making and childish antics, self-sufficient when he is determined and set upon a certain goal and all but refusing others help when offered, and the negative traits of being arrogant, which he is and it is one of his biggest faults, and staying within one collective group that relates perfectly with The Dark Brotherhood, and how he prefers to remain with his siblings…

Well, I honestly see it as a perfect selection just as I did with Martin and Hufflepuff! And considering the fact that Ravenclaw is the same house as Lucien, and the two Assassins would very rarely be seen without the other at their side – not to mention what Korbin’s name translates to, and the ‘affectionate’ nickname given to him by Sheogorath – it simply just makes the most sense!

So, in the end of this very long ramble about traits, and houses… Martin would wear the Golden and Black colors of Hufflepuff, and both Lucien and Korbin would wear the Blue and Browns of Ravenclaw!

But even though I have managed to tackle your original question, that is not exactly where the Harry Potter related information comes to an end, my dear friend! After all, what good is being sorted within a Hogwarts House if you are not going to end up with a proper wand, and a Patronus? It would be quite theboring life without those two, so I thought to go one step beyond and do my best to research whatever was needed to figure out what these would be in relation to the boys!

Now, I don’t exactly have a Pottermore account, and I don’t truly wish to spend my time creating three different accounts, with three separate emails just for the sake of doing this for Korbin, Martin, and Lucien… but, thankfully, this is where the internet and its vast resources come in handy! After a little bit of searching around, I found tons of information and photos of how the Pottermore tests actually work, broken down in a way that I could use that as a means of tackling the questions with the boys!

It was rather fascinating to say the least, and if anyone is curious to tackle this themselves, you can just follow these links here for what you need!

Wand Creating Quiz Breakdown, and Patronus Granting Quiz Breakdown~

But in any case, after a bit of thinking, and answering the questions in the way that the boys would, and the reasoning behind each answer – I’ll go into that shortly – the Knight, the Emperor, and the Assassin wound up with these wands as their means of magic!

Korbin was given a slightly dark brown wand made of Rowan wood and imbued with a Dragon Heartstring type core. It was 13¼" inches long in length, had a ball shaped handle with ridges – to mess with when anxious – and an unbending type of flexibility.

Martin was given a light golden wand made of Hawthorn wood and imbued with a Unicorn Hair type core. It was 14½" inches long in length, had a curved shaped handle with carved symbols – a hint to his royal lineage – and a quite flexible type of flexibility.

And Lucien was given a light brown wand made of – unsurprisingly, all things considered – Applewood, and imbued with a Phoenix Feather type core. It was 12½" inches long in length, had a rope wrapped around it’s curved handle – much like a dagger – and a supple type of flexibility.

Quite an interesting sort of turnout, wouldn’t you say?

How the boys ended up with such results, which you can see broken down in the link provided above, is that when given a choice of items to take they chose, a glittering jewel for Korbin as he enjoys shiny things and giving his siblings special gifts when he finds them, a bounded scroll for Martin as he is always searching for new means of knowledge wherever he can, and a silver dagger for Lucien that should surely go without saying considering who he is, and their very worst fears?

Both Lucien and Korbin feared isolation, which plays into their nightmares of either being abandoned(Korbin), or losing those they loved because of their own mistakes(Lucien), and Martin had an ironic fear of fire, which played into his fear of Akatosh and the power he has over him that he hardly understands.

Both Korbin and Martin are the tallest among the brothers, thus they wound up with the tallest wands – although Martin has the longest, which is from his more control of magic and the power he has over it – and unfortunately, just like in my actual Verse, Lucien is the shortest of the trio – despite being the eldest – and thus wound up with the shortest wand.

As for flexibility, that is determined by their day of birth, and the trait that they are most proud of when it comes to themselves.

Lucien and Martin were born on an even day – Lucien was born on May 7th, and Martin was born on July 21st – and Korbin was born on an odd day – December 14th – and the traits that they chose for themselves was Determination for Korbin – as he never gives up without a fight, and always continues to seek out a result even if it seems impossible which works with Unbending – Kindness for Martin – which should go without saying, consideringhe is indeed the friendliest, and most loving out of the three which works withQuite Flexible – and Lucien chose Resilience – as it takes a lot to break him, he, too, hardly ever gives up, and his brothers can always turn to him whenever they need him which works with Supple.

Amazing how the Pottermore quizzes actually work, and what actually determines what you receive in the end, huh? I went into a bit more detail about the reasoning behind those choices, and how I thought they suited the boys most, but here’s a bit more information based around their given Woods, and the Cores they have, taken from the official Pottermore website.

Rowan wood has always been much-favoured for wands, because it is reputed to be more protective than any other, and in my experience renders all manner of defensive charms especially strong and difficult to break. […] Rowan is most happily placed with the clear-headed and the pure-hearted, but this reputation for virtue ought not to fool anyone – these wands are the equal of any, often the better, and frequently out-perform others in duels.

Hawthorn wands may be particularly suited to healing magic, but theyare also adept at curses, and I have generally observed that the hawthorn wand seems most at home with a conflicted nature, or with a witch or wizard passing through a period of turmoil. Hawthorn is not easy to master, however, and I would only ever consider placing a hawthorn wand in the hands of a witch or wizard of proven talent, or the consequences might be dangerous.

Applewood wands are not made in great numbers. They are powerful andbest suited to an owner of high aims and ideals, as this wood mixes poorly with Dark magic. It is said that the possessor of an apple wand will be well-loved and long-lived, and I have often noticed that customers of great personal charm find their perfect match in an applewood wand.

Rowan wood is meant to be more protective than most? It is oftentimes difficult to break, happiest with the pure-hearted, and yet has a secret strength? That seems to fit Korbin quite perfectly, wouldn’t you agree?

Hawthorn wands are best suited for healing magic, but also curses – in other words, destruction – just as well? Hawthorn wands are most at home with those of a conflicted nature, and not easy to master such power? Why, that sounds exactly like our dear Heir to the Septim line Martin to me!

And the fact that Lucien got applewood at all is hilarious enough, but applewood wands mixes poorly with dark magic? As in, someone with a cold heart wouldn’t be able to handle this, and they would have to contain a hidden light, and softer side? And those who carry them are often long lived, and well loved?

Such as how his siblings love and care for their eldest brother, and how he indeed lives longer in my Verse because of Korbin’s deal with Sheogorath, but also because of being of Imperial race?

It’s almost as though Pottermore is too spot on.

As for the Cores themselves, it states those with the Dragon Heartstring cores, which Korbin has, are often easiest to turn to the Dark Arts, although not of their own accord. Somewhat like how Sheogorath influences and torments his dear Little Raven because of how he offered himself up as a future vessel for the Mad God so that he would turn back time to save his brothers?

Unicorn Hair, which is a part of Martin’s wand, is actually the hardest to turn to the Dark Arts, and the most consistent with magical uses, with hardly any error. Which makes perfect sense for Martin’s Holy Light, and his powerful Akatosh blessed magic that he wields!

And as for Phoenix Feathers, which belongs to Lucien’s wand, it is said that they are the pickiest, and their allegiance is usually hard won without a fight.

Such as Lucien who is stubborn, and cares very little for the opinions and thoughts of others outside of his own Dark or Chosen family? Like I said, it’s almost too uncanny, and I’m starting to wonder about the true magic behind these little quizzes!

As a side note for the brother’s and their cores, I like to see it as though they each got a piece of each other. Korbin got a Dragon, possessive, and protective - Lucien - whilst strong with unknown powers - Martin. Lucien got a Phoenix, fire based - Martin - and rose from the ashes of its destruction and found freedom in its wings - Korbin.

And Martin got Unicorn, soft a glance, but with a hidden edge in its horn - Korbin - and the direct opposite for Lucien. A hardened edge but with a softer side.

In any case, as for the boys and their Patronuses, the actual quiz that you’re meant to take on Pottermore is based on a random number of different sets of words, and you’re meant to choose the one you like the most… and at first, it seemed as though I wouldn’t be able to figure out their animal guardians – but thankfully, once again! – I was able to find a proper breakdown of the quiz, as I linked above, and was able to sort through the questions, and found out whichanimal would spring forth from which brother’s wand!

Korbin ended up with a St. Bernard, which is something that I found incredibly adorable, and ironic, as there are times those who are familiar with his character – and even myself – refer to him as an overly affectionate, and oversized puppy!

And on Pottermore itself, the St. Bernard Patronus is described as follows:

Despite its large and intimidating size, the St. Bernard is known to be kind, loving, and gentle. Great with families and very loyal, the St. Bernard will always be by your side. They are quick to protect family members who may be in danger and often act as a guardian for those around them. Strong and powerful due to their size, the St. Bernard will fight off Dementors and stand by you, come what may.

Despite its large and intimidating size, it is kind, loving, and gentle? Great with families and very loyal? Quick to protect family members who may be in danger, and act as a guardian to them?

Well, now, isn’t that just the perfect description for Korbin?

Martin ended up with an Osprey – which I’ll readily admit that I had never even heard of until I started doing this research – and its description on Pottermore is stated as being:

The Osprey is a fish-eating bird found across the world. These birds have incredible vision and can spot underwater prey from the air. They brave the depths of water, diving completely beneath the surface, unlike any other bird, and this courageousness makes them a powerful Patronus indeed.

At first, you would think that such a Patronus would be quite strange for Martin to have, considering it doesn’t really seem all that similar to Martin’s own character in either my Verse or actual canon.

But then you stop and consider the fact that it is a winged bird of prey – I once considered Martin an owl when speaking of his animal counterpart – and that Martin is blessed by the Dragon Divine Akatosh, and it goes on to speak about its bravery, courageousness, and the power it holds… then it suddenly all starts to click into place, makes it quite perfect in the end, after all!

And as for Lucien, he ended up with an Ocicat. Another small bout of irony, just as Korbin, as there are times where myself, and others, consider Lucien to have many traits similar to a cat, or see him as a cat loving person. And this adorable little guy is described on Pottermore as:

While the Ocicat is a house cat, it looks like a small wild cat due to its crazy coat of spots and stripes. It has the athletic personality to boot! This cat loves to be active. It moves through its environment confidently and energetically. This cat will chase that Dementor and run it to the ground!

A cat that may seem wild at first, but is actually quite the homebody? That works perfectly considering that whilst Lucien is most certainly an Assassin and devoted to the art of life taking, when you strip away the dagger, the robe, and the stern expression – he is dedicated to his family and their wellbeing first and foremost. And when you mix that with the Ocicat’s love for being active and athletic, and how it wishes to hunt and chase things… well, doesn’t that work as an alternate description for an Assassin?

Just as I said above, these little Pottermore quizzes, and the one I took to sort the boys Hogwarts Houses were almost too on point, almost too uncanny, and honestly, I’m starting to wonder if there aren’t some magical link to my brain being seeped through onto the website! I wouldn’t put it past Harry Potter considering all of the other magical stuff that the universe has!

But in all seriousness, I have to say that I really had fun with this sort of question! I know that I went above and beyond in terms of details and discussion, as well as length, but I was having too much fun actually learning more about the universe and how it works – as I said, I’ve only read the first Harry Potter book thus far – that I couldn’t force myself to stop while I was ahead, and I just continued on and on until I was able to consume as much as I could!

Which is what led to the Wand and Patronuses, and everything else that is in this massive monster of a post! Regardless of such, I hope you have a very fun time reading this over, and hopefully learning something as well! I know a lot of my friends and followers, if they’re not into Harry Potter, will probably pass this reply over… but that’s quite all right! I had a really fun time making the charts, going into detail, and figuring out what it would be like if the boys was in that world!

So, I hope that you, my dear sweet Lady La Luna, and those who enjoy in depth talks about Harry Potter ideas, will enjoy reading this post and all the details I posted within! Thank you so very much for sending this message my way, and for reminding me of the early days of fandom, and how many times I saw this question pop up innocently back then, as well as all the other messages that I will tackle soon!

You are awesome, your ideas are awesome, your characters are awesome, and I just want to hug you and give you as much appreciation for your amazing concepts that you so rightfully deserve!

Thanks again, with tons of hugs and kisses from me and the boys on top! ♥

#lady-la-luna-of-the-omniverse #The Knight The Emperor And The Assassin~#Long Post~#Very Long Post~#Ponnie Rambles~#This wound up turning into a massive monster of a post but as I said I'm honestly incapable of doing things part way.#It's either tons of content details or otherwise or little to nothing in a very simplistic post and that's just not how I go about things!#One thousand percent or nothing I say!#Especially when related to the boys and different scenarios revolving around them!#I mean the brothers in the world of Hogwarts? How on earth could I say no!#In any case I hope you enjoy reading this over Luna!#I had a very fun time creating this reply for you and doing all of the detail and informational work so I hope you enjoy the outcome of this #Thank you so very much once again for sending me these amazing messages scenarios and prompts and I look forward to the next one #that I will tackle in your honor!#Hugs and kisses and thanks again my sweet! ♥

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littlegalerion · 5 years

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Shipathon Meme!

Tagged by @sheirukitriesfandom Thanks for tagging me and giving me an excuse to rant about ships~ Tagging: @foxyhearts @diamond-loki @greennightingale 1.) First Ship you Ever Wrote Fic For? It was for Vanus and Caafire, and it actually got featured front page on an animo! It was old Caafire though, before I had developed her to her current status of unable-to-use-magic-because-if-she-does-she’ll-explode sword swinger master. Back then she was just a free lance battlemage with a bad family life. 2.) Ship you Write Most Now? Well... tech I write for Trechire x Eliindil (Sheogorath) most now because that’s my timeline’s canon, so every time I write using characters in that universe I’m tech writing that ship, as Sunnabela and Kirr are their kids (Sunnabela his step-son, but Eliindil raised him). Just it’s a post-ship writing I guess? In terms of who I formulate for the most, that would probably be Laloriaran X Trechire in the AU, which I really should write more of. 3.)Ship you Read the Most Now? Sotha Sil x S/O, and it’s more just headcanon fluff stuff really. I wish there was more Sotha Sil x S/O, but that’s “not lore friendly” so I think a lot of would be writers get intimidated and scared away by lorebeards to write any solid series with it. I HAVE seen some, and for that I’m grateful. The headcanons at least seem to be multiplying beautifully. 4.) Newest Ship? Some questions are best left unanswered. 5.) Rare Ship you Wanna Read More of? Bring on the Sotha Sil x S/O or the Vanus x S/O. Please, spoil me. 6.) Your Taboo Ship? Okay, I can already feel the heat of sheer rage from people reading what I’m gonna write under this. But Vanus x Mannimarco is the most toxic ship I have ever seen, in ANY fandom. Firstly, heavily cliche. “They hate each other so at one time they must have liked or loved each other” No, that is not what that means. Sometimes it could be the case, but if it was romantic, then it wasn’t a “little falling out”. Vanus and Mannimarco are legends in their war against each other. In ESO Mannimarco loudly insults and kills mages of the guild, while Vanus openly spits against necromancy. Both very passionately doing so. If something romantic did happen, it’s a romance with no good memories in it. Secondly, it’s abusive. In Summerset, we get to see the two of them in their youth interacting. During this quest, it’s very obvious Mannimarco is manipulating Vanus, who is very optimistic and wants to believe the best in his friend. Mannimarco, however, doesn’t care. He never saw Vanus as an equal, BUT as a potentially USEFUL mage. He probably did feel a sting when Vanus rejected necromancy, but it wasn’t because “oh dear, my lover has rejected me!” It was most likely because Mannimarco realized he had lost a very useful future second in command, and gained an enemy which would prove a pain for years to come. I like to also point out, Mannimarco wasn’t this lonely little necromancer in the Order. We see a note concerning him in the dungeon that proves he had other friends and, while perhaps not well received overall, he had their respect as a senior member. What I’m getting at is, if there was ANY romantic or sexual relationship between Mannimarco and Vanus, it was NOT healthy. Mannimarco knew what he was doing, and was most likely an emotionally abusive partner. The type that gets uncomfortably moody or guilt trips their partner to get his way. He is SEEN doing this in the quest, actually, when Vanus catches him raising a skeleton guar, Mannimarco replies, “I thought you’d understand” and “You sound like the Ritemaster.” A chord he knew would hit Vanus hard, which it did, as Vanus stumbles to reply and drops the argument. Listen, if your s/o does something that makes you feel very uncomfortable and unsafe, then you go to them about it and they pull that crap on you, YOU LEAVE. Lastly, a lot of the time it seems I see this ship under “cute gay mages owo”. Gay couples deserve healthy relationships. Gay relationships do not need to be soaked in pure drama and dark tones to exist. Especially in Elder Scrolls, where gay couples live happily and were never considered out of place. Do not hide under the gay tag to get away with an abusive ship. Being gay doesn’t excuse a person for being an asshole, or for someone to be a pushover. But that’s enough of my ravings against that ship. For the record, I adore Mannimarco as a villain; he’s one the best I’ve ever seen, honestly. So this isn’t just an unfair rage fest against him. 7.) They never met in Canon Ship? I feel like I have a ship on the tip of my tongue, but it just isn’t coming out. I’m drawing a blank. Nerevar with literally anyone else other than Ayem? 8.)Your unexpected Ship? Lyris and her Redguard husband were a surprise. I usually don’t relate to the warrior types in these games, but these two are just sweethearts. 9.) The Ship you Always Forget to give Love to? Verandis x Trechire. GEEZE, I forget about them so much and it’s probably the most logical ship. Verandis is a vampire lord who wants to convince the world vampires aren’t always evil, and to convince other vampires they shouldn’t live at war with the world. Trechire is a werewolf alpha who hides her wolf self from virtually everyone she knows, save for her pack, who she strives to teach to be true hunters with a code of honor. Not just some hounds who bark crazily at passersby who have a bow in their hands. Both mages, both Altmer, both famous for their family names, so there’s lots of pressure on them. They’d have so much to talk about, and would be such a stress reliever to each other. 10.) Ship your OC with a canon character? I already do, that’s like half the ships already in this post. My biggest one is Laloriaran x Trechire. Although Trechire x Sheogorath is my canon, as Eliindil becomes Sheogorath, so that counts as a canon character? 11.) Ship you’re embarrassed to Ship? She recently acquired his staff motif in this big event on ESO. He recently traded his old staff design in for the new Chapter, but in the main quest line his character model still has it. That’s all I’m saying, because I don’t take the ship seriously, but it still exists and fuels my nightmares. 12.)Your most Romantic Ship? Trechire and Eliindil, because Trechire was made by me, Eliindil is an OC made by both me and my fiance who helps flesh out his personality, design, and background. Then of course Laloriaran and Trechire.... 13.)Your Sexiest Ship? If I don’t say Sheogorath and Trechire, pretty sure I’m getting teleported 50 feet above the stone surface of where I shall die. 14.) Your most Tragic Ship? Laloriaran and Trechire, who ARE in my canon but of course, Laloriaran dies. In her canon, Trechire completed the events of Morrowind, Clockwork City, and Summerset before the main questline of ESO. She had seen so many friends or just good people die. Leythen being ripped from reality right before her, Darien being forced to sacrifice himself and Trechire reading his last words before him fading away forever. Tanval Indoril dying from his own mistake, Verandis making a stupid decision out of desperation and guilt. Not to mention all the numerous little quests where this innocent and complicated person dies or suffers in the end. ESO is vicious. She had witnessed so much death, and in Laloriaran’s eyes she saw someone who understood that pain. More than anything in the world, she wanted the last Ayleid to return to Tamriel, where he’d be among friends that wouldn’t count on him for survival, but live and thrive together. She made a promise in her heart, if ANYONE would survive, even at the cost of her own life, Trechire would see to it that Laloriaran did, be it as a lover or as a friend. And in the end, he died in her arms, Trechire a healer who could offer nothing to save him. 15.) A Ship You want more Content For? Again, BRING ON THE VANUS WITH S/O AND SOTHA SIL WITH S/O, PLEASE.

#boy this was fun #vanus #vanus galerion #sotha sil #verandis #tanval #Laloriaran #laloriaran dynar #elder scrolls #elder scrolls online

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ashmerra · 6 years

Note

may i kindly ask you all the oc questions?

Yes, yes you may.

Quick note: A few OCsI won’t mention by name and a few answers will be vague just as to not spoilanything. I have an entire fanversegoing on here.

-50 OC Asks-

Quick reference: Meri is the Hero of Kvatch. Arrais a Breton mage in Skyrim. Dreyns is a Dunmer assassin. Vitiais the Dragonborn. Sannit is an old, former Ashlander. Veabris is an Ayleid who’saround back before the First Era. Jaka is the Nerevarine. Estor isNot a Thalmor ™. Stigr is a proud Nord boi. La’Mihr is a smart kitty. One-Who-Knowsis yearning for the suburban Skyrim dream.

1. “Your first OCever?”

That would be proto Meri. She was really the first that grew into an actual character. She was also supposed to star in an Oblivionrewrite/webcomic/fanfic thing I drew like one page of years ago.

2. “Do you have a personal favouriteamong your OCs?”

I like different ones for different reasons! Arra’s dialogue and one-liners, Dreyns’swhole ark of getting old, Vitia’s philosophy, etc. etc.

3. Have you ever adopted a character or gotten a character from someone else?

Nope. And I’d neverconsider them mine. I handcraft them andbake them one-of-a-kind each time. Butmore seriously, the most I could take is an idea for a character, because Ialways like to twist things on their head and really make it my own. I don’t enjoy writing NPCs for thisreason. I can’t get in their head and myheadcanons get a bit much, so I’d rather just write for those I know.

4. “A character you rarely talk about?”

Tactus Gavros Sigilis! An inspector/investigator for the Empirein Skyrim.

5. “If you could make only one of your OCs popular/known, who would it be?”

I think that’s not really up to me. I can’t decide who fans will latch onto. I know who’s the most well-liked at thistime, but that’s no indicator of who would be well-loved by a much wideraudience. I’ll leave this one to my fans!

6. “Two OCs of yours that look alike despite not being related?”

I do my best to give everyone unique looks andclothing/color schemes, but! There’sthree that got based on each other and aren’t the same but even I’m confusednow. I’ll make a separate post to breakit down.

7. “Are your OCs part of any story or stories?”

None of them exist outside of the Elder Scrolls universe,and I have yet to write fanfiction.

8. “Do you RP as any of your OCs? If you do, introduce one of your RP OCs here!”

Currently Arra, Sannit, and Veabris. Though I think I’m game to RPing any of them,I already have a few more that I want to add to my RPing blog! (btw, if you like the idea of RPing with me,all you have to do is ask.)

9. “Would you ever be willing to give any of your OCs to someone else?”

No. Not give, nevergive. But that doesn’t mean they can’tappear in your writing/meta/art, just that it’s a crossover, you don’t own themjust like I don’t own yours when I allude to them in RPs. (Did I ever post that here?)

10. “Introduce an OC with a complicated design?”

All the ones I don’t draw, lol

Okay, more seriously…no, that’s pretty much why.

11. “Is there any OC of yours you could describe as a ‘sunshine’?”

100% Arra

12. “Name an OC that isn’t yours but who you like a lot”

Can I say all of them? My favorites are the ones who are woven into the lore and pre-existingcharacters, and ones that feel like real people and not just “ArgonainDragonborn #76”. I like the ones whotake it as seriously as me, and as I see people do, I feel more confident totalk about and expand them.

13. “Do you have any troublemaker OCs?”

Actually, not really. Dreyns, Jaka and Stigr can all be at times, though.

14. “Introduce an OC with a tragic backstory”

I want to legit change that to one without tragedy in theirbackstory because they’re all tragic…

15. “Do you like to talk about your OCs with other people?”

Sometimes! But I trynot to go overboard because I’m not sure if people like it.

16. “Which one of your OCs would be the best at biology (school subject)?”

My Daedric biologist, I would imagine.

17. “Any OC OTPs?”

I’m not much of a shipper, honestly. And I really can’t think of any at themoment.

18. “Any OC crackships?”

19. “Introduce an OC that means a lot to you (and explain why)”

I’ll pass on this one only because my answer would start gettingtoo personal for this ask.

20. “Do any of your OCs sing? If they sing, care to share more details(headcanon voice, what kind of songs they like etc)?”

Veabris has a beautiful singing voice that would sound agood deal like Annie Lennox. Actually,just listen to “Into the West” and you’re good to good. But you’ll never hear it because Vea is superself-conscious and private about singing.

21. “Your most artistic OC?”

You know, I think I overlook making them artistic justbecause I am. It would be too obvious. But let’s say Stigr and La’Mihr are.

22. “Is there any OC of yours people tend to mischaracterize? If yes, how?”

In world or OOC? That’s a really important distinction! But Veabris’s intentions are usually misinterpreted.

23. “Introduce an OC that has changed from your first idea concerning what thecharacter would be like?”

Most of them! I workon them for a while until I feel they’re ready to be revealed. 24. “If you could meet one OC of yours, who would it be and why?”

Don’t do this to me!!!! Ahhhh I don’t know I love them all! But Jaka would probably be the most fun to hang out with? Then again, a day out with Sannit would begreat.

25. “The OC that resembles you the most (same hobby, height, sharedlike/dislike for something etc?)”

Meri.

26. “Have you ever had to change your OC’s design or something else about themagainst your will?”

Arra and yes, I’m still bitter about it. I won’t get into it because I’d rather notmake posts like that, but if anyone would like to know feel free to message me.

27. “Any OCs that were inspired by a certain song?”

Nah, they come about and the songs fit them after.

28. “Your most dangerous OC?”

Okay! So we haveMankar Camoran’s kid, Molag Bal’s Undying Champion, a lesser Daedric Prince anda double-memoried Godkiller. Have funwith that battle royal!

29. “Which one of your OCs would go investigate an abandoned house at nightwithout telling anyone they’re going?”

Tactus Gavros Sigilis, it’s his literal job. Wait it’s Estor’s too. …And kinda Veabris’s. Well!

30. “Which one of your OCs would most likely have a secret stuffed animalcollection?”

It’s Dreyns. It’s soDreyns.

31. “Pick one OC of yours and explain what their tumblr blog would be like(what they reblog, layout, anything really)”

Sannit treats it like a regular website blog and only postsstories from his life or answers to asks. No reblogs and he doesn’t follow anyone.

Meri posts advanced DYI stuff and martial technique.

32. “Which one of your OCs would be the most suitable horror game protagonistand why?”

I don’t play horror games but I’m thinking Estor in creepy,culty fan theory version of Rorikstead. (Should I write this?)

33. “Your shyest OC?”

She’s so shy she won’t let me talk about her.

34. “Do you have any twin characters?”

Not yet!

35. “Any sibling characters?”

Yes but I won’t say just now. Spoilers!

36. “Do you have OC pairs where the other part belongs to someone else(siblings, lovers, friends etc)?”

Not currently, but I’m not against doing it.

37. “Introduce an OC who is not quite human”

The Argonian, One-Who-Knows! He’s saving up money to buy a new fancy hat right now. Rock on, scaly bro!

38. “Which one of your OCs would be the best dancer?”

I feel like it would be Vitia for some reason.

39. “Introduce any character you want!”

THESE QUESTIONS ARE TOO VAGUE AGHHHH!!

40. “Any fond memories linked to your characters? Feel free to share!”

Writing “Arra’s Story” (An RP post). The power and emotion of it and the approvingly,emotionally shocked reactions of my fellow players made me realize I couldactually write good.

41. “Has anyone drawn fanart of your OCs? If yes, maybe show a picture or twohere (remember sources & permissions!)”

Here and here 😊

42. “Which one of your OCs would be the most interested in Greek gods?”

Daedric biologist person would be!

43. “Do you have any certain type when you create your OCs? Do you tend tofavour some certain traits or looks? It’s time to confess!”

We already found out I like investigators, is that my type?

44. “Something you like about your OCs in general”

I like how they all have gotten their own personality andidentity. It’s taken a lot of work, but Idon’t feel like personalities repeat anymore.

45. “A character you no longer use?”

I have a few in limbo. I’m not sure if they’re coming back or they’re

46. “Has anyone ever told you that you treat your OCs badly?”

No. Only because Ihaven’t told them about all the bad things I’ve done to them in the first place.

47. “Has anyone ever (friendly) claimed any of your OCs as their child?”

Not yet, there’s still time.

48. “OC who is a perfect cinnamon roll, too good for this world, too pure?”

I think they call this a “hot take”, but in my opinion everyperson has flaws and depicting them otherwise is bad character writing. Like sure, they can be nice and all, but theystill topple the board over when they’re losing Risk (or Axis & Allies). Showing only one side of a character seriously,(not if it’s just for laughs) is boring to me. Where’s the growth? They don’teven need to have “flaws” per se. Whatif the “One True Hero to Save the World” is balled up on the floor crying tothemselves because they don’t think they’re strong enough? Hot take over and it’s probably little kidDreyns. (Which breaks hearts because hegrows up into something not pure.)

49. “Which one of your OCs would most likely enjoy memes”

Arra would love meme songs like “SEAGULLS! (Stop ItNow)“He-man singing “What’s up?”, and “mmm whatcha say”. And Jaka would love reaction gifs and objectlabeling memes.

50. “Give me the good ol’ OC talk here. Talk about anything you want”

I wanna talk about how long it took to fill this out and howmany characters I resurrected from the darkest depths of my mind to completeit. You’re welcome. ♥

#answering asks #henantier #ily laurel thank you for supporting whatever it is I do here #sorry bout the wait #I didn't realize just how long 50 of something is #Arra #Meri Rendil #Dreyns Nelvayn #Stigr and Estor #sannit #tactus gs #Jaka Rul

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mutantenfisch · 6 years

Note

For the ask thingy: 3, 9 and 19 please? :)

Hello there dear anon!Since you didn’t specify an OC, I just try to answer this as generally as possible, since the progress doesn’t differ much from OC to OC. :D

3 - How did you choose their name?

Usually, I just come up with a name as I go. While doing so, I still keep in mind the world the character is being made for. So for my real world stuff, I try to find a name that is realistic for the origin and time period the character is from. Sacramorian names are also given with the regions the characters are from in mind. For example, females from Abra usually have a name ending on -is, such as Helenis or Martis.For fandom OCs I usually try to give them a more or less lore-friendly name, even though I’m sometimes stretching this a little, especially in Dragon Age. For example I try to give my Nord characters in Elder Scrolls a Nordic/Scandinavian name instead of… let’s say a Japanese one. Sometimes I try to give them names with meanings. Eguzkia, for example, literally means Sun or Sunshine in Euskara/Basque (which is a language I am trying to learn and am fascinated with) and this suits her personality.

9 - Are they based off of you, in some way?

In one way or the other, yes. One might argue that giving a character curly hair while being a real-life hobbit themselves is not the Right Way ™ of character building but considering curls exist in real life (and are fun to draw), no one can stop me. Most of my characters also enjoy doing things I enjoy doing, most prominently arts, reading, science and cooking. And in my opinion that is perfectly fine.

19 - What is your favorite fact about your OC?

There are so many OCs……… :DI think I’m very proud of the diversity I have created and still am creating with my OCs. :3

#mutantenfisch answers #on my characters #general

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eslore · 8 years

Text

Elder Scrolls Names: Redguard Last Names

This is part of my Elder Scrolls Lore: Names series, which is almost complete. Essentially, I take all the names I can find of the race in question, and list the common denominators within these names that could be useful in creating an entirely new, lore-friendly name. To cover Reguards, I’ll first go over their last names. Later, I’ll post an analysis of Redguard first names.

The majority of Redguards do not carry last names. However, a last name is not entirely unusual; there are a lot more Redguard last names than, for example, that of the Altmer. Here’s a list of all the Redguard last names I know of/can find that are most likely Redguard and not an inherited name through marriage or mixed birth:

Hawker*, Mirel, Ruuz, Stacey (Morrowind)

Rackham (Oblivion)

Al-Skaven, Sendu (Skyrim)

af-Ashora, af-Dometri, af-Ozalan, al-Bergama, at-Gamati, al-Satakalaam, at-Areshu, at-Rusa, at-Aswala (ESO)

at-Hamisham, Ababneh, Hunding*, Leki, at-Tanul, at-Turna, at-Traeh, al-Gilane, al-Ash'abah, al-Rihad, af-Lahreq (Lore)

*Jon Hawker was actually the deity Zenithar - thus, the name is an alias and may not represent Redguard tradition. It’s a great legacy to be named after, though.

*Hunding is the person’s location of birth.

Redguard family names are pretty complicated and full of unanswered questions. It seems that last names are connected to distinctive families, and/or locations. Below is an analysis of these names, preceded by a quick summary.

Last Names TL;DR: Redguard last names have very little background information, so it’s hard to be exactly lore-friendly. The easiest way to be lore-friendly is to use a previously-used last name (as shown above). I’ve found two trends that are well-supported: The prefix “al-” designates a place, while the prefix “at-” designates a family lineage. For instance, if your character was born in Elinhir, his/her last name could be al-Elinhir. If your character is from a family known for a hero named Cirroc, his/her last name could be at-Cirroc. Keep in mind, though, that these prefixes’ meanings have not been announced. There’s also the prefix “af-," but I haven’t found any trend to decipher its meaning. Lastly, you can give your Redguard a title, but only if the Redguard is already a well-known Hammerfell hero or given a title by another race.

Last Names Analysis

By going through the history of Redguard names, it’s pretty clear that there was a change between Morrowind and Oblivion. This can be explained through means of lore and through means of development. Through means of lore, one can say that the Redguards encountered in Vvardenfell were native to Morrowind and not Hammerfell, and therefore did not have native Redguard names. As for development, it’s probable that a thorough naming scheme for Redguards was made after Morrowind.

At least one family name has been confirmed to be passed down, in the physical book Kyne’s Challenge: A Hunter’s Companion. A main character, Namasur at-Hamisam is the great-nephew of an Ayh-al-Fifrah at-Hamisam. This is evidence that “At-” is used for family relation. It’s clear that Hamisam cannot be Namasur’s father, because at-Hamisam is also his great-uncle’s last name. It could be that their lineage is known for an ancestor named Hamisam. A second example is that of Merric at-Aswala. There’s a location in the Alik’r Desert named Aswala’s Remembrance. There, you’ll find a dog mourning a gravestone that lies next to another gravestone. There’s no journal or note nearby to explain (much to my annoyance), so it could be a number of things. It must be recent, so it could be Merric’s remembrance of his parents, or the dog’s name is Aswala. The most likely would be the first. I believe this grave-site is that of Aswala, father of Merric who took on the name to honor him. Still, it’s a stretch. It can’t be confirmed that “at-” designates family lineage with just this evidence, but I’m sure there’s more evidence to come.

The usage of prefixes like “at-” is common, but there are also the prefixes “al-” and “af-.”These prefixes aren’t used like Orcs use theirs - In Redguard names, the prefixes are used for any gender. For instance, Doletta at-Gamati is female, while Namasur at-Hamisam is male.

“Al-” is more clearly defined. It seems to signify where the person comes from. Some examples: al-Bergama (F), al-Satakalaam (F), Al-Skaven (F), al-Rihad (M), al-Gilane, al-Ash’abah (F). Bergama, Satakalaam, Skaven, Rihad, and Gilane are confirmed cities. Ash’abah is a Redguard tribe in the Alik’r Desert - thus, not a location, but a significant group of people. There is definitely a trend of using “al-” for denoting a location. However, it’s important to note Frandar do Hunding Hel Ansei No Shira of lore, whose only given birth name is Frandar. “Hunding” designates his place of birth. The same goes for Divad Hunding, his brother. Perhaps there is a different meaning to “do” than to “al-.” “Do” could mean “born in,” while “al-” could mean “from.” “Do” could also just be a more honorable term. One thing is for sure: place-of-birth last names are lore-friendly for Redguards. The unanswered question is in what situations can you have a place-of-birth name. It can’t designate an orphan, as apparent with Yasra al-Ash'abah, who has a father. Besides that, there could be any reason.

Only well-known Redguards of Hammerfell, commonly heroes, carry Redguard-given titles. Zakhin’s Many Heroes by the Unveiled Azadiyeh (another Redguard with a title) names a few. Other Redguards with titles acquired them through other races, particularly the Great Harbinger Cirroc the Lofty and the Cyrodiil villain Azani Blackheart.

That’s my analysis of Redguard last names. I’ve made sure to link any obscure last names that’d be hard to look up. It took me hours to find a lot of them, so I hope I’ve made it easier for the next lore-nerd.

Thanks for reading! Keep an eye out for the next installment, Elder Scrolls Names: Redguard First Names.

#elder scrolls #tes #redguard #elder scrolls online #skyrim #morrowind #oblivion #eslorenames

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its-a-lark-blog · 6 years

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An MMORPG Post-Mortem

This is a difficult topic to talk about as I know that a lot of people will want to deny it. There is a simple truth, though: If the genre was healthy, there would be more big name MMOs on the horizon rather than just small independent efforts. Okay. Where are they? Where are these MMOS to show the health of the genre? The Internet used to be abuzz about the latest MMO to grace our screens, that's no longer happening.

What went wrong?

A lot of things, honestly, though the biggest one was MMO developers being archaic dinosaurs who're unable to understand what a contemporary MMO demographic looks like.

I feel like The Elder Scrolls Online is the last, great MMO. I recently cancelled my subscription to it as they're making all the same mistakes that these companies always do, retreading the same grounds, it's like groundhog day for anyone observant enough to understand what, precisely, is wrong.

As a part of this, then, I'll be looking at The Elder Scrolls Online and Guild Wars 2 as my primary examples of why the genre is long gone, what killed it, and why it's unlikely to ever return.

Chaos, thy Name is Balance

That might be a strange thing to say on the surface, but it's ultimately true. Another truth? The contemporary MMO player doesn't care about balance -- what they care about is having a powerful enough character whom they have a personal connection to. They want to experience stories as that character, explore the world as them, take in all the lore, and build a personal narrative about that character's adventures.

Why do I say this? Well, look at what people want from a contemporary single player RPG. This is why they put so many hours into their character in those games, and this is a point I will come back to later on as it's one of utmost importance to understand why the MMO failed. So, players want some kind of connection to their character, they want to be able to engage with them.

That's impossible when each new patch is pulling the rug out from under them in the name of balance with every major patch an MMO has. It's the most disheartening thing when some balance patch to cope with min-maxers results in your favourite character no longer having a viable play-style. So you then have to completely rebuild your character, you're forced to grind out new gear, or maybe even just start over.

That's disheartening the first few times. Eventually it's crushing. I look at the upcoming patch notes for The Elder Scrolls Online and I see that sustain for casual templars (a class) is neutered becuase they were trying to cope with something min-maxers were doing. The same thing has happene to the werewolf skill line, leaving players who enjoyed being a werewolf out in the cold. Why not ignore the min-maxers?

This ultimately comes down to a complete misunderstanding that the dinosaurs developing MMOs have about the people who play them, they believe that balance is important and that we care about who's strongest. That's <1 per cent of any MMO community. The >99 per cent cares more about how the next patch is going to destroy their character and they'll have to start over again.

This is why people can leave MMOs in droves. You can't settle down into a character and enjoy it. You can't feel comfortable with what you'll be able to play. You're looking at more grinding, more 'balance,' and the unease builds into this tumultuous crescendo of rage until finally you just quit. You can only take so many characters ruined before you give up.

All you want to do is have fun with your character.

The thing is is that even if it means cutting PvP and hardcore end-game out of an MMO? That's fine. I'll point out that these demographics never account for more than around 1 per cent of the MMO community. Is it truly worth alienating the rest to appeal to that 1 per cent? The issue, naturally, is that MMO developers don't realise this. They're stuck in the past, where everything is still Everquest, and they're too cowardly to embrace the present day, let alone the future.

If you cut that toxic element away from your game, you'll have a better, more welcoming game anyway. All people ever do when talking about an MMOs end-game content is complain about the prevalance of sociopaths and toxicity. Well, that makes sense. It's all about being manipulative, controlling people who play in groups, and puppeteering them in order to get what you want. I mean, they might get what they want, too, but it's ultimately about the sociopath being first and serving their own needs.

Many of them will have enough foresight to realise that there'll be more raids in the future with loot drops that they want, so they won't cut ties and be completely hostile. They'll be just friendly enough to keep their group together and under their control so they can continue achieving their own goals. That's what happens with end-game content due to forced grouping. If you're forced to group in a big group, and you can't tailor that in any way, you're going to end up being forced to group with sociopaths and people who have other undesirable traits.

And these undesirables are the ones who clamour for balance, because tehy want to be the best at everything. The best at the end-game, the best at PvP, et cetera. They want it to be a closed off club so they're able to lord their winnings over other people. As such, balance serves them, but it doesn't serve the community as a whole. It only hurts. MMO developers, being Everquest-era fossils, fail to understand this.

A lot of players will choose not to raid -- we'll come back to this, too -- which means that balance patches will drop on them which will randomly destroy their characters. A bunch of casual build types are being ruthlessly oblitterated in an upcoming patch to The Elder Scrolls Online and it tells me that here we have another MMO developer who simply doesn't understand the people playing their game. Just watch for all the casual templar players leaving ESO when the Wolfhunter DLC hits.

MMO developers believe they need to chase the sociopaths because the sociopaths keep people in-line with the grind mill, they keep them addicted. They think that's the only way it can be.

What happens then is that players can't play the content they want to. They can't play the characters they want to because 'balance' keeps screwing them up. This results in anxiety, stress, and an absence of any conceivable kind of fun. You're just not allowed to have fun with your character, appealing to sociopaths is more important.

Like I said, they think this keeps people playing their game. That might work for World of Warcraft, but nothing else. I remember recently I saw this thread where a WoW hardcore player described his kind of player as being like a plague of locusts. They descend upon other games to devour their content, then leave. They always return to WoW, because that's the game that appeals the most to their sensibilities. Just as PvP players will always return to EvE Online as it's the most cut-throat experience.

What MMO developers don't realise is that not even the sociopaths will stick around. This approach of keeping people addicted to grind is so heinously and embarrassingly antiquated that anyone building a game around it in 2018 should hide their face in shame. That's what I mean though when I say that MMOs have too many fossils in on board and in powr, they believe that this is the way it must be.

They believe that the grind mill is the only way. For the grind mill to work, you need 'balance.'

What actually happens then is, as I said, people leave because they feel like they're not allowed to have fun. Different players have different levels of tolerance and they leave at different points but they all leave for the same reason, and they'll rarely ever return. This is what kills an MMO. It's the lack of fun. It's putting 'balance' over fun.

Nothing should ever come before fun in a video game.

The thing is is that fun can be expresssed in a lot of ways. Exploring a good mystery, being scared by a horror game, puzzling out a particularly tricky conundrum, or what have you. Being forced to relearn or (more likely) abandon one's character every couple of game patches is no one's idea of fun. This absence of fun is what hurts MMOs the most.

And what do you do if you've made your game no fun?

Carrot on an Infinitely Long Stick

The MMO developer thus believes that it's necessary to incentivise with gambling mechanics, grind, and other systems to keep their players in line. That's strange, don't you think? If the game was fun and enjoyable in the first place, they wouldn't need to do that.

I think that's a fair claim.

An MMO like The Elder Scrolls Online has more content than a game like Skyrim, it also has the carrot-on-a-stick system to keep people addicted, so people should be dropping out of Skyrim almost instantly to waste away their life in ESO, right? Well, not really.

A Skyrim player can easily sink 6-800 hours into that game.

Why?

It's fun.

I know that's an obvious thing to say, but I don't believe we think about teh nature of fun enough. It's fun, you see. It's enjoyable. It's all about the wonder and delight of it all. We play to learn, to explore, to understand; And we're thrilled by whatever narrative or gameplay curve balls a single player RPG developer throws in to catch us off guard. We have this connection to our characters, we're loving this adventure.

That's why we play!

In a single-player RPG, a good developer gives us new toys to play with whenever we encounter something new. This then spurs us to use those new toys in further adventures. If you give someone a toy, of course they're going to want to play with it! That's human nature, and that's the reason why some games are successful where others aren't.

However, if you were to withhold that toy and tease players with it until much later, by which point they'd be sick of playing the game to just try and 'earn' that toy? That's bad design.

Let's look at two examples. The motorbike from Breath of the Wild and the Delphinus spaceship from Skies of Arcadia. The former is a sordid case of bad design as Nintendo chose to dangle it over the nose of the player until very late in the game. The problem with this is that by the time you get the bike, there's nothing left to explore. So there's no joy of discovery to be shared with your new bike.

It's now just a new means of traversing environement you already know like the back of your hand. This takes the joy out of it. Sure, it might work, but the thing is is that it would've worked just as well if you'd given it to the players halfway through the game. I'd say that doing so is actually beneficial, it'd keep the contemporary game player playing for longer. I think too many gamers have become savvy to the carrot-on-a-stick.

They know by now that it only results in exhaution, the prize never feels worth it.

Now take the case of the Delphinus in Skies of Arcadia. Up until that point the player had only known airships, so the dramatic reveal of a high-tech, fully armoured airship with all of the science-fantasy trimmings was a marvel to behold. How was this handled? Did SEGA tease and dangle it over the head of the player to keep them going until some later point in the game, by which time the Delphinus would just be a pointless trophy? No, no they did not!

SEGA dropped the Delphinus on players mid way through the game as a curve ball to vary things up. Suddenly all kinds of new possibilities had been introduced! You could go to new players! You were given a customisable island HQ! It was truly incredible and it made us feel as though we were staring the game fresh again, as though the adventure itself had been reborn and we were ready to see it with new eyes. That's the value of diversity of gameplay, and giving the player wonderful new toys to play with at various points throughout it.

Never tease the player with it, just give it to them when the time is right and when they're least expecting it. The sheer happiness and triumph with such a reward will spur them on to enjoy the game even more.

A lot of contemporary game developers understand this, and they understand the pacing of handing out toys in their games and why they should never be a carrot-on-a-stick. The notion here is that you provide the player with something that grants them a new way to play that they would want, and this brings them jubilation. Hooray! Not that you ruthlessly taunt and tease them, and never provide.

That's what the Skinner Box of an MMO is, though. The developer promises you that this time will be the last time your character will be totally oblitterated. You'll just have to grind out one new set of gear, then you'll be able to play the character you enjoy, as you want. It's just over the next hill! Keep reaching for that carrot! Keep going! Sadly, people aren't horses. And they aren't idiots.

The average gamer is becoming wise and savvy to these techniques and it's just leaving people feel tired.

"This fun thing you want? Oh, it's only a long grind away! You can do it! No, don't quit the game! Wait, come back! Where are you going? Why aren't you grinding for the shiny???"

This is what lands MMOs on life support. What does that mean? It's an industry term where the MMO developer no longer has the funds, resources, or will to develop new content. So the servers are left on so that the game can continue to generate some money from curious newcomers and loyalists, but generally the game is considered a lost cause by both the developer and the community alike.

This is where every MMO heads, this is the future that Guild Wars 2 and The Elder Scrolls Online are careening towards.

Guild Wars 2 is especially notable, here. When they launched their Heart of Thorns expansion, it was entirely focused around that carrot on a stick to appease the <1 per cent of the MMO community that still lacks self-awareness enough to find that desirable. It almost killed ArenaNet, cash shop sales dried up. Why? Casuals and roleplayers buy cash shop items, hardcore players and PvPers never do as ArenaNet found out.

ArenaNet had to issue a public apology and dial it back. They're still trying to deal with their mistake, now. They keep doing it, too. After ArenaNet promised that they wouldn't add a new tier of armour to grind through, they did, to appease that <1 per cent. A whole bunch of the community left the game behind at that point (yours truly included). It felt like such a callous insult to our collective intelligence.

Why does a contemporary MMO player stick with a game? If it's fun, if it isn't manipulative, if it doesn't try to suck up all of their time and screw with them via manipulative systems of gambling and carrots on sticks? They'll play it. They'll reward the MMO developer with cash untold on their shop. I'm a whale, myself. I can spend hundreds of pounds, easily, per month on a cash shop if I find the game desirable. The problem here, of course, is that there are so few games worthy of that.

If an MMO developer designed a game like Skyrim, but with co-op where the content scales to the number of people playing it? Then that'd be fun for everyone. No more carrots on sticks or other manipulative tactics, no more slaughtering characters on the shrine of balance, just a fun game for everyone to enjoy.

We don't want to be tricked into grinding because you've ruined our characters yet again. We don't want to be tricked into grinding because you've put some toy we want in a raid, and you're dangling it over our noses. We don't want that. I mean, look at The Elder Scrolls Online's Wolfhunter DLC. Werewolf roleplayers wanted a new model for the werewolf skill line, yes? The currnet one looks like a poorly paid intern effort that belongs in 2005 (there are many werewolf models I can emphatically and eagerly point to since then which are better).

Werewolf roleplayers were also asking for the werewolf skill line to become a toggle (like the werewolf mods for Skyrim that everyone loves). Every werewolf player wanted this, it was a chorus on teh forums. And the developer knew, too. What did they choose to do with this information? More carrots on sticks, of course.

First they added a trinket to a raid, which you have to grind for, that allows you to temporarily change your form into that of the new werewolf behemoth model they added. Temporarily. After a long grind.

Then they added a house that you'd either have to grind for months to get the gold for or give them $70 for. In this house you'd be able to use your werewolf form permanently.

Both of these factors were salt in the wound. I'm not sure why they thought that either option was a good idea. I know for a fact that a lot of werewolf players left ESO after that (including yours truly). It was just insult on top of injury.

Oh, and they completely fucked up the werewolf skill line in the name of balance, too.

If they had common sense they would've just given werewolf players a new werewolf form, they would've made werewolf a toggle, and they wouldn't have nerfed werewolf. Why? This would've made werewolf a new 'toy' for MMO players. It would've resulted in an incredibly strong bond of loyalty between werewolf players and ESO, which would've brought in more cash shop sales.

They might actually have been able to sell that $70 house to us, then. Just as a werewolf themed house. No, though, it has to be more carrots on sticks. We can't just have fun toys to play with.

Which, ultimately, means we can't just have fun.

See, the carrots could become toys which allow people to have more fun in the long run. What's happened though is that MMO developers who've focused on 'balance' instead of fun have robbed their game of its more enjoyable qualities. So they turn the toys into carrots to place on sticks to try to addict people. This just leads to more stress, more anxiety, and negative word of mouth about the game.

If an MMO developer were ever to base the grounding tenets of their MMO around fun, they'd have the most popular MMO ever. That leads into another point I need to make, but first...

Locked Out

You know what's not fun? To have a carrot dangled over your nose, and to know you'll never be able to actually catch it.

MMOs have raids, trials, whatever you want to call them. A lot of players will never engage in this content. Why? They don't want to have to interact with sociopaths. The MMO experience is stressful and annoying enough already without having to deal with manipulative nutjobs on top of everything else. So the majority of players avoid that. Casuals and roleplayers especially, who make up the largest number.

So what does an MMO developer do? They try the carrot on a stick thing again. They add roleplayer rewards to a raid. The Elder Scrolls Online has done this with the Wolfhunter DLC. They have a memento for transforming into a large werewolf behemoth, and a werewolf skin that makes one's character look more werewolfy. These are clearly rewards for werewolf roleplayers, to entice them into trials.

That's not going to happen. All that means is that they feel denied. They feel as though they can't get those carrots, they'll never be able to play with those toys. Instead, sociopaths will enjoy lording that over them. Which is why the appeal to sociopaths in MMOs is, quite frankly, insane. Why do you want to appeal to a group of people who're only going to serve to alienate the vast majority of your players? Why?

It's because the dinosaurs who develop MMOs can't get their heads out of the past. Like I said, they think that the sociopaths are necessary. When all that's actually necessary (as is proved by games like Skyrim) is to make a genuinely fun game. That's all you need to do. That's it!

Also, raids and the like mean that there's story content that lore nerds and roleplayers will never get to experience. Even if they do do a trial, the sociopaths they're with are over-achievers so they have to rush through the dialogue and rob people of being able to enjoy that. Why even put dialogue in such content to begin with? It's only going to get skipped over by the people trying to win rewards to lord over other people.

As such, there's content now that they can never play. If these raids had difficulty settings and scaled to the number of people playing them, they'd be fun! If you had the rewards on all difficult settings, rather than just putting the best rewards on teh hardmode difficulty to add to the lording over factor (I'm looking at you, ESO) then it'd be even more fun! Fun!

Fun!

Oh... Well... We can't have that, can we? Fun. In an MMO? Psh.

Could you imagine playing a dungeon with however many people you wanted, without being forced by the MMO developer to group with the most toxic, awful people you can find online? I'd fucking love that! Why is that not a thing? I've suggested it on The Elder Scrolls Online forums and it's a popular idea, but the developers don't want to listen.

Why? Fossils. Fossils believe that sociopaths are more important than fun. Which is what this keeps coming down to.

Why have fun when you can have sociopaths and carrots on sticks? Wheeee.........

The Future

The reason the MMORPG genre has already passed is because of this love affair that fossils in the MMO developer industry have with sociopaths. As I've explained, these dinosaurs believe that in order to make profit they have to appeal to the sociopaths with rewards to lord over people, along with 'balance' to make the content to get those rewards an exclusive club.

They believe that when they get the sociopaths addicted this way, the sociopaths will maniulate other people into becoming addicted and so the profits will flow. That worked for WoW, yes, but it's important to realise that people can see patterns and they aren't idiots.

What the contemporary MMO player wants (and what would make the MMO developer money enough to be rolling in profit) and what the MMO developer thinks would make them money are two different things. This disconnect is what's killed the genre.

MMO players are surprisingly loyal people. They tend to stick with the characters they've formed a connection with, they play alts, and they'll enjoy making new stories for themselves. How do you appeal to these people? Just give them a fun game where they feel they have an important place in the narrative. Like, you know, Skyrim. There's a good reason why people are more excited right now about Skyrim Together (multiplayer mod) than The Elder Scrolls Online.

In Skyrim Together there are no carrots, just toys. Huzzah! In Skyrim Together people can play together in whatever group size without ever having to deal with toxic sociopaths. Huzzah! In Skyrim Together they can control their game with mods so that they can play their own way and have fun. Huzzah!

The thing is? Non-MMO developers are starting to catch on.

I'm going to throw a shout-out to Larian Studios, here. Divinity: Original Sin 2 and its ilk are the new MMO. They're the next stage. The only issue that D:OS2 has is that due to its combat, it's not very mainstream. Once you take the formula of D:OS2 and make it mainstream, though? Et voila, that's the face of the new MMO. Except it won't be an MMO, will it? No, it'll be a co-op, modifiable RPG we can play with our friends.

Larian and developers like them could make a LOT of money by selling DLC for games like this. We're going to get attached to these characters as we roleplay them with friends. We're going to form a connection with them as part of the narrative. And we'll happily pay companies like Larian for the chance to enjoy those fun experiences even more.

And so it goes.

The MMO is dead, long live the MMO (co-op RPGs, basically).

Footnote

It turns out that I was banned from The Elder Scrolls Online community for airing much the same concerns. And that’s okay. In a way, it’s a relief, it gives me a sense of closure for myself and my characters. I’m not a sociopath, nor am I the kind of person who’s played by them, so I’m not welcome there. Nor are my characters. That’s okay, my characters will find homes elsewhere.

They have to protect their sociopaths, I suppose, and... frankly? I deserve better than how MMO developers treat me, we all do. That’s why I’m done with ESO. I genuinely believe that a lot of MMO players deserve better than how MMO developers actually treat them (like dirt, most of the time). I don’t know why we put up with it, no other part of the games industry is like this. It’s like being stuck in an abusive relationship due to our characters being imprisoned there.

I sometimes think to myself ‘I don’t understand how these companies are still in business,’ but then I remember all of the MMOs which have died or are limited to life support with death on the horizon. Oh, right, I guess they don’t. At least, not for long. That’s the way of it.

I can’t say it’s not heartbreaking as I did find some enjoyment in my characters and their stories there. It’s just that I do deserve better. I’m glad I’m out, and now that I am? Well... I’m looking forward to Stardew Valley, I’m looking forward to Skyrim Together, I’m looking forward to Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition, I’m looking forward to being able to just play and enjoy my characters with friends.

That’s all I ever wanted, and there’s a market for that out there for those who’re smart enough to meet it. A lot of burned out, poorly treated MMO players who’re looking for a new home.

I’m actually going to do something a little selfish here, for me. Say, Larian... Can has werewolf class DLC for Original Sin 2? As a player who’s looking forward to bringing their characters to your co-op title, that’d make it all the better. I’m still going to love it without (so much) but if you could do that? It’d make one ESO werewolf refugee happy.

#gamedev #guild wars 2 #elder scrolls online #larian studios #divinity original sin 2 #dos2 #gw2 #eso #mmorpg #post mortem

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