#I say to replay the game because of people know things like what soullessness actually is

[cowboymantis]

Not to be like a hardcore Ubisoft/Assassin's Creed defender (I loathe Ubisoft), but I've loved this series since I was little and have recently been having fun replaying older games,, and noticed something happening more and more in recent years

People's criticism on the new AC games having too much "magic" or whatever in them is really funny because it has been kinda crazy since the very first game??? The ONE thing every game centres around is magical objects to enlsave all of humanity and an ancient civilisation of higher beings that are basically Gods?

If anything, I really love the mythology themed activities the newer games have, especially because most of the times it's kinda optional too, so you're not always forced to engage in it. But even then, as someone who's always loved mythology, I really love this stuff.

And it's been there since the beginning, sure it's more part of the main story now, but people saying ohhh AC used to be realistic and historically accurate!!! Is just kinda. Idk man. It always took liberties to have it's own storyline while shaping the accurate history to be fitting for that storyline, and it still does that. Even anything, with the discovery tours (? Was that the name?) In recent games, it tries to be even more educational and in a way everyone can experience the historic worlds.

Now, I have A LOT of criticism with AC, and I hate Ubisoft as a whole like all gaming companies lol, and I get how AC doesn't feel like AC anymore and more like their own seperate games, but that's a complete other thing.

So if I see people complaining about those "magic" or "mythology" aspects, then, idk, maybe AC just wasn't from you from the beginning on and thats fine, but is it valid criticism for the game if just you don't like it? Like there are popular games/shows/etc I just cannot get into, and that's totally fine, you're not supposed to like everything!

I'm no expert when it comes to this, like I personally couldn't finish Valhalla yet, bc it felt very bland and the world felt so empty and small, it is a huge open world, but while replaying AC2 recently I had so much more fun, even though I've already platinumed the game years back and have spent so much time in this world. But it just feels bigger and has much more atmosphere. In Valhalla, I often just had to laugh at line deliveries, not because they were funny, but because it was just so bad and soulless.

And I'm not sure, is this criticism for the game as a whole, or is it just how I felt about the game personally? Because other people love the game. And I get it, it looks cool, and the character mythology analogies are really neat imo, but just the way it was written and designed feels very like all just a show from the outside. It's like when I have a cool story idea. I'm thinking okay, here are the characters, this is the main plot and woaghh cool plot twist here would be cool! And then I try to bring it down in text and it's just...hm...Okay how the hell do I connect this all. That's how Valhalla feels to me, if that makes sense??? 😭😭

I wouldn't be a good game critic, because I would spend too much time thinking about what type of my criticism is actually valid and what's just my own gaming taste I guess, but it's not like critics have ever differentiated those...

BUT YEAH to get back to my point, of course at the end of the day it's not that deep, it's just one of those random things I thought about again when seeing some posts about it.

But it's just always kinda funny to me when someone either just remembers AC from vague memories 10 years ago or have just seen random gameplay from it and don't remember/know about all the wild things that happened in the story (both past and present storylines of the games) and think it's some super serious historical documentary 😭😭

[prettycutebunny]

Stockholm syndrome

The white kimono hugged your body like a glove. You can hear a frantic scream of your soon to be your mother in law at the people doing your hair and make up. You were marrying a zoldyck. A bride of Someone from such a highly status can be nothing but perfect. The silky white dress filled so much like a Shroud. In a way it was, after today you will forever be dead in the eyes of everyone you’ve ever known. You stopped existing the moment you were taken here. Any objections or attempt of escape were met with a harsh punishment that led you to the blink of insanity. You felt the extreme need to cry, but you’ve lost the right to. Any sign of weakness meant a harsh punishment. You wanted to leave do bad but you simple couldn’t. The mere thought of it made your head hurt and your body paralyzed. You heard his voice in a chant

“Mine”

“You can’t leave”

“You need me”

Who's that shadow holding me hostage?

I've been here for days

Who's this whisper telling me that I'm never gonna get away?

You’ve always been a good person, helping others in need and trying to be as kind as possible. You’ve never regretted your actions, not until it lead you to him. You were helping in a fundraiser. It was for the people who lost their homes to a recent hurricane. You’ve been on your feet since the morning and you couldn’t help but head to the only table with empty seats in it. There’s only one guy sitting in it. The fundraiser was open to anyone who’d donate 100,000 Jenny and more so it had all kinds of people in it , But you didn’t except his type. A strange man with purple batch of hair and needles all over his face. Everyone else was keeping a 5 meter space around him. You never were one to judge so you simply smiled at him and sat in silence. You felt him look at you with the corner of his eyes and you looked and smiled brighter.

“This is one hell of a party ! Thank you for your donation.”

He didn’t respond but stared. You kept talking to at least make the atmosphere less awkward? But you were met with silence.You tried you hardest to stop the shiver and kept talking. He seemed to be watching you intently so he was listening right ? When the host knocked on his glass you looked up. It was time for the toast and you were excited ! Then it happened, he just fell dead to the ground. Everyone was dumbstruck for a moment before the screams echoed through. You turned to the guy next to you to find him simply gone. You felt a splitting headache. Every single corner of your skull ached. Your body gave in as you tried to stand up. What happened to you ?

know they'll be coming to find me soon

But I feel I'm getting used to

Being held by you

The headache continued and so was the sighting of the stranger. He looked nothing like he did in the party but you just knew it was him. He was everywhere you looked. Your mind was screwing with you. His blank stare judging and assessing you as you gone about your date. This creepy unsettling feeling wouldn’t go away. Somehow all your debts were cleared, you’ve been offered a scholarship out of nowhere, and your job decided you should work as an accountant in a desk instead of bartending and dealing with drunken men. You knew it was too good to be true. You just knew it. You’re a semester away from graduation so why not enjoy it ? The only draw back to it all was your unsettling feeling of being watched and the sighting of strange people. It wasn’t like the dead eyed stranger who came as a hallucination, they were real people. The only common thing they all had was their clothes. A nice black pant suit. Most of them looked normal enough and always kept their distance when you actually saw them. It was on the day you graduated it all changed.

Oh, baby, look what you've done to me

Oh, baby, look what you've done now

Oh, baby, I'll never leave if you keep holding me this way, oh o-oh

Oh, baby, look what you've done to me

Oh, baby, you've got me tied down

Oh, baby, I'll never leave if you keep holding me this way, oh o-oh

He was waiting for you in your apartment. Every fiber of your being wanted to scream, yet you couldn’t. He stood looking at you just as intensely as he did when you first met him.

“I’ve been waiting for you until you finish your degree”

He said so blankly like it was the most normal thing in the world.

“You seem confused ? I’ve been waiting for you and now you’re ready. You don’t have any unfinished business right ?”

You wanted to laugh and cry. What did he think you were ? A ghost ? He took you to his home. Just like that? You’ve lost your freedoms. He took you to another world. World of every luxury you could ever dream of. You can never forget the way he simply introduced you as his future bride to his family. His mom was the one who showed any signs of emotions while the other treated it like it was like he told them about the weather. No one cares about what you thought or wanted. They were family of a assassins and you now you’re become part of them.

“Your actions are restricted because of my needle. If you behave, I’ll remove it okay ?”

Needle ? Assassins ? Mind control ? What type of fantasy game were you thrown into ? You’re ashamed to admit it but you were getting used to this life. The life of comfort and luxury.

Who's this person that's holding your hand

And talking about your eyes?

Used to sing about being free but now they’ve changed their mind

The wedding ceremony was brief and formal. You’re now a zoldyck. Just like that you’re part of the deadliest family in the world. He escorted you to your shared room and you felt yourself crying on the inside. You weren’t looking foreword your wedding night at all. You were so scared. You’ve barely spent any time with him and now you have to share a bed. Once he opened the door you felt your tears falling as your breathing quickened. You don’t want this. He stopped looking at you confused.

“Why are you leaking crying ?”

“Please , I cant do this. I don’t even know you”

He titled his head.

“This is troublesome.”

“Why me ? You can have anyone else !”

He looked at you with what seemed like fondness in his eyes.

“You were the first person to smile at me.”

You blinked. Wait what ? That can’t be it ! That doesn’t make any sense? First ? Why ? You felt him approaching in light yet dominating steps. He was like a hunter approaching it prey. His hands wrapped around you in possibly the most awkward embrace ever existed.

“Mom said hugs would make up closer”

He said in a matter of a fact voice as he leaned in.

“I saw you and I wanted you. That’s all”

You sniffed and as you felt yourself laughing. That’s it ? His awkwardness and robot like motion were ..... cute ? What is the matter with you ? His hand stroked your hair roughly like a robot trying to mimic the action of humans comforting each other as you started laughing quietly. What is the matter of you seriously? He looked down at you and you swore you saw his lips raise a little

“You’re not crying anymore. Good.”

know they'll be coming to find me soon

But my Stockholm syndrome is in your room

Yeah, I fell for you

The first few days of your marriage was spent in the most awkward touches in the planet. The way he touched your face , hair , back. The way he put you on his lap or hugged you. It was so robotic it always made you laugh. He didn’t mind, he seemed to like your laugh. You couldn’t help feeling some fondness for him. As crazy as it sounds, he wasn’t bad. Compared to other people who would grow up in his environment with parents like his, he wasn’t bad at all. He didn’t force himself at you, yell, or used physical force. He let you leave the room and befriend the butlers. It was unspoken rule. You can do whatever you wanted as long as you didn’t leave or betray him. You didn’t want to anymore. What would you do outside anyway ? Work your ass off to afford decent living as you try your hardest to find a guy who wants to settle down and not waste your time. You’ve got all the money you want and an online ordered husband. Yes he wasn’t like the typical store bought one but it did the trick, and now you’re laughing alone like an idiot. Your husband wanted children, your in laws wanted grandchildren, and you can feel the butlers treating you like glass to protect the imaginary child inside you. Everyone wanted you to have a kid. You never thought of it before but would you ? It would seal your fate forever inside this family. More than you already did anyway.

All my life I've been on my own

I use a light to guide me home

But now together we're alone

And there's no other place I'd ever wanna go

Baby, look what you've done

(Look what you've done to me)

You laid next to your husband who simply hold you as he laid like a statue. He never slept next to you, but for some reason he’d lay next to you everyday as you drifted to sleep. Your mother in law idea no doubt. You felt the blush creeps in as you laid next to him and whispering.

“Illumi?”

“Hmm”

“Let’s have a baby”

You said in the tiniest shyest voice you’d ever master. The way his body shot up meant he heard you. His soulless eyes looking straight into your soul as you blushed harder and pulled the covers over your head. His cold hand stopping you in your track. He leaned down next to your ear with heavy breathing.

“What did you say ?”

“I want us to be a family”

You’ve went through your life alone. No matter how many friends you’ve had or how close to your family you’ve been you’ve felt alone. Inside his arms you’ve felt safe. Was it the needle ? You didn’t care. You were happy. You have everything. What good did your outside friends did to you anyway ?

“I love you”

You whispered satisfied as you’ve both laid down after consummating your marriage. He didnt replay, but you’ve felt him tighten his embrace.

Baby, look what you've done to me

Baby, look what you've done now

Baby, I'll never leave if you keep holding me this way

Baby, look what you've done to me

Baby, you got me tied down

Baby, I'll never leave if you keep holding me this way

[halfusek]

BATIM SPOILERS AHEAD

SECRET MESSAGES FROM CHAPTERS 1 - 5

With a sort of analysis/shitposting on my side? Yea.

Chapter 1

There is like two walls with these, that’s a lot. Is he... aware from the beginning now? I mean someone’s crossing this and Henry is implied to be leaving these messages so...?

Choose your fighter.

Ok wow harsh.  Haven’t you seen all these cool AUs in his house?

Also can I just point out how... Joey... literally... drew... the Studio...

Oh, my bad.

He drew STUDIOS. Because the damn thing keeps happening over and over again.

Oh fuck if that’s the case then that is clever. I made puns about him drawing the studio before, wish I did something with it before Chapter 5 dropped, that would be hilarious to look back at fvdfjkvnfkj

That’s just depressing. But like... yeah...

Wow Henry you must be a proud mom now

Hey remember when DAGames played Chapter 4 and was interrupting Alice Angel’s monologue by telling her to stop watch him poop

It spells “There never was a choice.” (never underlined)

Those messages are either hilarious or straight up depressing.

It’s... kinda sweet how Henry from the past (pasts) helps his future self (selfs). And encourages.

I’m pretty sure she’s got many hearts in her stock.

STOP WATCHING ME POOP

Henry what the fuck

The falling human made out of the two Ls, the Y and the splatters above it-

Fuck.

GASPS NO WAY

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. He is not the creator of the cartoons. He is the creator OF THIS WHOLE FUCKING STUDIO AND EVERYONE IN IT. Like it’s maybe a sort of obvious thought but when you let it sink in... damn

Rest of the chapters under the cut because it’s really long

Chapter 2

ARE THOSE IRL BODIES? YES? NO? SYMBOLS OF THEIR SOULS BEING TRAPPED HERE? WHAT???

Do you remember that? Or only slightly? Oh man. “I should have warned him” thoughts and then you get a pissed off boy in Chapter 5.

COME ON NOW

Ok. How. How did you write anything there. When. The only time he’s aware would be right after Sammy hits him with the dustpan. So is he like fainting and writing it? So he wouldn’t be able to write anything else like SAMMY IS GOING TO KNOCK YOU OUT WITH A FUCKING DUST PAN because yeah he’s passing out so it’s just... OUCH! Also to confirm this he is facing the way he’s facing when he’s on the floor. God that’s both shitposty and depressing. Nice.

Henry don’t be a dick

So you do sing 👀

I wonder how Henry figured out walking backwards to not trigger the Demon here and write this specific message. Also is Joey behind those closed doors because there’s the whistling.

Is he cooking

Chapter 3

Oh, hi.

Excuse me what

Henry is a Jacksepticeye fan confirmed

Joey is a man of ideas... and only ideas.

Which is why he created a studio, an OC based on a person he has a one sided crush on (me) from who he stole and claimed their OC as his, also made that stolen OC a thing and then made both of the OCs fight in an infinite loop in the massive studio which is behind his kitchen.

This both has a literal meaning but is also like a deeper general thought Henry do you want Joey to create a therapist OC you seem to have some problems

Why do these coffins hurt so much

Who are you asking Henry because Alice sure won’t fucking read that And why won’t you just write it with regular ink why you gotta do it like this

Why does he keep this thing secret? Did he make it? Probably since he’s the one leaving the messages Hmm

I fucking wheezed.

But also imagine Alice just giving her speech and Henry writing something on the wall with his finger Unless he doesn’t write that in a literal sense but like... spiritually Huh

THEY HAD DRINKS TOGETHER AND JOEY WAS PAYING FOR THEM AWW

He’s so fucking gay I swear to fucking gods.

Let’s hop on the existential crisis train, choo, choo.

How can you be kind to people who try to murder you

But this. This. Is such a good fucking work/life thought like damn. I love this game for those.

But are those just some thoughts Henry wanted to get out of his head or does it have something to do with the game because I’m kinda getting pacifist/neutral/genocide route vibes from this. But it it’s not the case it’s still pretty neat, we do meet them, we just don’t have the choice to treat them in some way most of the times.

It’s on level 14 and damn you game damn you yet again. I guess it can also be applied to that moment when The Projectionist is reaching out for Henry who is hidden in the Miracle Station? Like we don’t know what to expect of him because he had that small moment of realisation of... something. And he is also one of Henry’s “old friends”.

Is Is Ink Demon killing The Projectionist a symbol of Joey’s jealousness like Norman: *reaching out in curiosity, maybe to help* Joey: >:( my fren

Chapter 4

Thanks. Roll credits. So Chapter 4 is intentionally pointless in the terms of Henry trying to save Boris. THAT’S FUCKING SAD STOP IT

NOT. MY. DOG. YOU. BITCH.

So Henry is catching up. Joey does regret all that shit he did. I wonder how exactly does it tie here, with Bertie. Maybe that theory I had about Bendy Land being Hell for Bendy? :0c I don’t really think so but that’s a thought.

I’m losing my shit.

Okay that seems like another woke thought.

Henry can’t change not being able to save Boris.

Joey can’t change all of his mistakes. But Joey is the one making it happen over and over again so it might be slightly pointed at him?

Like, pal. Stop dwelling on your mistakes. Move on. Let me the fuck out.

This game is really heavy with this problem:

Move towards your goal, hope, believe, dream, don’t give up. Well actually do if it’s like super hard.

????? This is such a deep uuhhh analysis of this like one of most basics functions of how we people fucking work and live, what keeps us going. Holy shit I am IN LOVE with that.

But oof yeah Henry was and IS the one good at pushing Joey to do the right thing. Man...

Instead of trying to cheer you up lemme just write this message you can’t read real quick.

THAT WHOLE FUCKING THING WAS POINTLESS AND I’M LOWKEY MAD

;_; holy lord sweet baby jesus

Can Henry like be fine fun concept Meatly please

I suggest giving this a read if you as I weren’t familiar with that expression https://quoteinvestigator.com/2014/09/23/heels/

Of course it’s a pun on “Time heals all wounds” expression. The word “heels” there refers to contemptible people. Earliest citation: 1934 and it got more popular around that time till something around the 50s-60s according to that website at least. Neat.

That is interesting. I guess we can associate the door with Joey as well since Henry warns himself not to go through them? And the Demon drags Projectionist’s corpse through them. Sorta against his will, heeeeeeh.

They look like they could be interactive but I dunno :0c

Oh, yeah. That two-faced motherfucker. That’s my bitch.

HE GAVE THEM FUCKING NAMES

Chapter 5

I feel like it was kinda exaggerated. Henry they like saved your life twice or so, how salty can you be

OKAY LET ME TELL YOU ONE FUCKING THING

AT FIRST WHILE PLAYING I THOUGHT JOEY WROTE THOSE BECAUSE

I mean why the fuck would they drop this star outta nowhere AND HE IS EXTRA LIKE THIS

But then again there’s this “Don’t go through the door”

Unless Joey did contact him through this as well? But I’m assuming it only because of the stars vfnjksd Idk I like when symbols actualy uhhh symbolise something

ALSO YOU KNOW WHAT’S INTERESTING

This is pointing at ANOTHER way. Without the boat. Possibly the Valued Employee (take the long walk) achievement?

I would check it right fucking now but my saves are fucked and I would have to replay everything again and I’m just too tired hhhh

Also Valued Employee does sound like someone who listens to their boss right?

And I’m getting the impression it’s not all Henry’s writing because it seems as if there is a different personality present? Idk

That sounds like sort of both of them. Joey is cheering for Henry, even if he’s planning to make him go through all of this again. Does he... have to make him go through it? That’s a bit odd. Joey nani the fuck.

I like the idea of Joey saying this ok lemme dream vskjvnskjvs

But it could be Henry (past/present/whatever) trying to cheer himself up like he did with the “Don’t be scared” message (if that was also him)

Oh, Henry...

Once people That implies that real people got somehow affected, right?

I love the halo and the bone, also you can see the bone only if you give it to Boris in Chapter 3

Wait It is The whole fucking Ink Machine Is inside Holy

A cooking gay.

Ink Demon/Joey parallel implication. I don’t think he is Bendy in a straight up sense though. He is/was a soulless boss, just how soulless Bendy was/is. I wonder if there is a studio version of him or HHHHHH complicated stuff

Is it like When people create something good but they just don't know when to stop it eventually ends up really bad And the Demon took The End so his cartoon couldn't be finished and it all had to keep going, Joey had to keep going Hm?

So like there is no message on Henry’s second desk

But it does trigger the same dialogue AND IT HURTS

Actually a lot of people missed the arrows so just so you know

But I thought we don’t like doors

Also it’s the last hidden message so I do believe it has a special meaning

CONCLUSION get Henry outta here and give him loads of therapy

Is his fucking last name Stein because he made monsters via the Ink Machine by powering it goddamnit Joey don’t trick people into creating that shit

[hanzi83]

Next Level of Instilling Paranoia

I think the harassment has been taken to a new level with me. First I could just be dismissed as being crazy, which surely I will be labeled again. The cold and callous will post this on a sub reddit dedicated to me to further ensure I will be instilled with more paranoia, and even with something I have seen with my own eyes right now is making it a lot clearer than people in powerful positions are hacking my stuff. Maybe I am not as alarmed because I always have suspected that every tablet, every phone, every computer is tapped and I am always being monitored. Before people accuse me of being this deluded to think I am this important like the usual diatribe I am met with, I know everyone else is also monitored but some people willingly help the system because they are being blackmailed or paid. I was checking my facebook public page where trolls are attacking me, and normally seems these trolls are on meth and that is what is used to bribe them into harassing me because the comments are so random and so non imaginative. If someone is being mean to me and I know these people are paid to do this, I will stoop to their level in name calling because I know this particular people are sent to fuck with my head. I noticed comments left from me, and it was not on my actual public page but rather my personal page sending those messages. I did not post those messages, and even with me changing my password, these people will still have access and they will not stop.

It feels like I did not give in to their plan, that I suspected these soulless assholes to have, of killing myself from the constant reminder they are watching me, and even if that is a lie, it is at most cohesion to make an effort to instill paranoia and payback for even daring to attract some kind of audience, and talking about the people in position of power and since they dismiss me for being a mentally ill momma’s boy in the basement who is spewing conspiracies, but when I use my mental illness, it becomes me using it as a crutch when I am using it to my advantage since it is true. No one in their right mind could fake being this mentally ill, and while I am never proud of going off in a fit of rage and saying whatever is disrespectful because I am longing for the day I never have to be here anymore, but now that I have not killed myself or attempted to, even though there have been days the last few months where I have been going off and been more transparent about not wanting to endure all of this mental torture, that most people will not see from their view, or people who have purposely blocked the view because I am not a priority in this planet, so now they hacked my phone and make it transparent about it because it dawns on me that this is 100 percent and there is nothing I can do to change it.

I could contact facebook but they are probably run by the alt right types and they allow some of the most fucked up people on these platforms. It could be numerous people and I can throw shade at a lot of people in my life who I think would do this because a lot of them have ties to government types, some of them are part of IT and probably get paid to troll me, it could be Stern Show related since I had Wendy the Slow Adult on, and ask her questions about how Howard is not helping her, because it would be insane for someone who just offered help to Kathy Lee Gifford could help someone he exploited for entertainment and replay it nonstop for several years and then when he decides he wants all the money he could give a fuck about them, so when I bring light to that a little more, it could piss off the wrong people.

There are the usual people who have dedicated a sub reddit to me and create rumors about me nonstop, like me transitioning into a woman and wanting to darken my skin, me and some other Stern Show associate are gay together etc  or that I beat up a gay couple or that I have weapons, which I don’t and don’t plan on having access to, and try to make me out to be more extreme than I am, and fail to mention how people are dedicated to watching me and instilling paranoia and fear and if I dare snap back and get mean with them, because these people are designed to be non caring and unsympathetic individuals then they make it out to be like I am the one being an asshole like I am not being provoked. One guy I suspect is that youtuber who did the Stern imitation and since he has lost his crew and got banned as his regular name, then went the basketball route, which failed because he was copying others work without any credit, and now he became a reddit story guy who does youtube videos, and since he has been exposed by that community and doing his usual tricks of doing live streams where he sets up how he is the victim in all of this, even though he is not a victim by any stretch. He always takes from Stern in that, because people who have been the biggest bullies on the planet make it seem like they are the ones being bullied. “Don’t you do that Hanzi?” Yeah and I still think I am a victim, but what does it matter, no one believes me anyways? How many tweets, blogs, videos etc have I done ad nauseam where I say the same shit, and stuttering like a fucking jerk off and nothing has been investigated. This person who I suspect has been behind it has really tried to get me to kill myself and because I did not know who he truly was, which conveniently got put out there after months of me not wanting to be part of his show, and cosigning it, he has had a vendetta and in the process of him getting exposed by his new community and still being able to convince people he is the victim, he and others associated with him are still torturing me.

I have also been vocal about the WWE and their supposed gangster ways which I theorize because I have no facts to back me up on that matter, but it could be their trolls who also have decided to fuck with me and have held a grudge for me calling them out for shilling for the company. I have made a plethora of enemies and every one of them will continue to hate my guts. I bet if I post this on facebook, there is a good chance this might be deleted and maybe by bringing light to it they might back off but why would they back off, if no one is ever going to call out Howard Stern because it is not convenient enough. I sure as hell can’t expect any leftist to have my back, or maybe they do in spirit, but maybe because I think their voice is limited with what can be said even though it is much more than what is being said mainstream, but maybe because I call that out, why would they want to help me or expose this. They might have hints on their podcast about how people can be framed by a crime or made to look like they are crazy but nothing will ever be done.

I frankly don’t like to be here because I really feel like I am living in an episode of twilight zone but it is a never ending story of the main character bitching and no one even caring because he has burned every bridge and the people in charge no letting me die is too easy for me because it is what I want the most, and to never be seen since I am never going to be respected. I have not earned respect and the people in the system, as a collective, even though presented as individual opinion, will carry the narrative of me being entitled and a cry baby for knowing my value, even though the system tries their best to devalue you to everyone else in the world and never fill you in on the hidden rules that people will never know exist and continually have a limited view on what is transpiring. People are going to keep fucking with me. I know people in my life hate my guts and I will never trust a soul on this planet. I am in so much mental pain and I realize bitching about incessantly is not the answer, but it is better than drugging myself and boozing myself like the predecessors in the game who took what their masters served them and then continued an age of ignorance and propaganda and then further continue this propaganda by making it seem any type of leftist mentality is the problem and conflate it with the centrist mentality where systemically they support racism, homophobia and misogyny that they ingrained into most of us by making it seem fighting the system is the right to say those things and carry those attitudes. So if I have to write down my thoughts, and as boring as it gets because it is the same fucking episode over and over, it lacks substance and I have been so bombarded with nonstop thoughts and not being able to retain everything or comprehend everything I have become inept and just am counting down the clock of when I am allowed to just die because I will never belong here.

I have to continue living for some reason but these people are so dangerous and so full of vengeance towards me they will stop at nothing to be the cause of a failed attempt at suicide because they never let me succeed to begin with, and they surely would not let me succeed in suicide, they would make sure to keep me alive but under their custody because they can then abuse me even more and no one will say anything. It will be too late before any independent media outlet will ever call out Stern, barely anyone does and if they do, they do it for old material in his show which does not age well in today’s more politically correct times, but not the actual propaganda he was paid to spread and the evil things he has done to protect his spot, and it hurts so much because even I feel like my friends and loved ones have been recruited and it hurts me every time I wake up to realize people who I thought were strong willed would compromise their soul just to be included with the elite type and get advanced screenings, free tickets, access to industry sold pussy, that we cannot expose because we are creating a fake woman empowerment in the mainstream so implying that the world is run by sex etc, it would be a mansplaining type of moment from an “incel” in his mother’s basement. Even more reason to just be left for dead. I don’t belong here.

I really will never have any help and it is okay. These people will continue to do evil shit over and over and as much as writing the same shit in more mediocre ways for each blog I continue to write, I will choose that instead of doing anything to anyone or myself but please anyone in the system who claims to be good, if you read this don’t pimp out my name for your podcast or website if something happens to me and I know you won’t listen, because you won’t listen now, so when push comes to shove and something does inevitably happens to me, you will have no shame and fucking cover it and pretend to act shocked that this could have happened. These people will eventually have to kill me, they already have me on many government lists so they can justify keeping an eye on me because they can say my conspiracies are a danger to the population and I will end up doing something to someone and the only way that could happen was if they made me MK Ultra and do something. One day Howard Stern will be exposed for the piece of shit he is, and same with Vince McMahon and whoever else they recruited to fuck with other people when they speak out too much. I know people I know personally will be absolved from any wrongdoing because they were probably blackmailed or bribed and then when it becomes convenient they can pretend they were on my side the entire time.

I will never be free mentally and every single day I regret waking up to any of this and I wish I was seriously aborted. I really never did belong on this planet and I will beat that shitty drum forever. You take pleasure in my misery and taking bets in your discord serve about my self destruction and they do this with everyone else they monitor in the system, Again it is all my opinion and my mental illness that you will never take seriously because even some of these supposed independent types have sold out and have become more corporate and are actual Stern fans so they will never expose a Zionist because then you will be labeled an anti Semite. Fuck this planet forever. I will continue to wish my misery will be put to an end, I better stop writing this blog because I am just repeating myself even more than usual, and this is what happens when your head has been consumed with the possibilities of the secrecy and then having to worry about memorizing names, and retaining more valuable information that I have to just analyze this world like it is a wrestling storyline and even that has been taken from me from other people.

I can’t wait until someone in the wrestling world steals more of my thoughts from my blogs but will never have the balls to admit they were in any way influenced by anything I write but the point is I am being hacked and there is nothing I can do to stop it because it could be literally anyone helping them. Is this just a way to get me off of facebook completely since it is turning to shit? I wonder what they will fucking do next but it is going to get worse and it is probably going to really hammer home my mental illness and because I am not forgiving to those who partook in making me feel like shit they will then show how vindictive they are and the best part is they will never have to answer to any of this shit until they see it convenient to make it known but then these same people want to make some kind of peace and since I am holding a grudge against people who I think have made my days worse and really made me regret waking up and just to be hurtful toward me, where I have to be hurtful back, these people will continue to hold a grudge against me and will keep putting their steel boots to my neck until I give in and accept them for doing what they have done because I am sure it is just business but to me when you try to it known that I am being profited off of and being pimped out for others to make money and then instill fear into me about knowing my every move and posting my blogs before I even post them on tumblr. I don’t take kindly to that. I am getting bored with even writing this shitty blog because I have said all of this before and these people know I am limited with my vernacular so there is only so much I can express and nothing happens so then I will have no choice but to attempt suicide.

[team-skull-admin]

My favorite 40 games of all-time

Made an arbitrary list of my favorite games of all-time cause I wanted to figure out where Breath of the Wild is on it. It’s, uh, pretty high. Assload of text below the break.

40: Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow I'm not the world's biggest Symphony of the Night fan (outside of the incredible soundtrack) and I think this is where Iga's seamless platformers found their footing.

39: Call of Juarez: Gunslinger I love goofy, experimental games like this and Far Cry: Blood Dragon, but I think the schtick in this (an unreliable narrator bragging about their heroic exploits) works better than Blood Dragon's dorky 80s nostalgia.

38: Rayman Origins A beautiful platformer with incredible level design. The music for the diabolical secret level is seared into my memory.

37: Cibele A short, story-centric indie game that captures the essence of playing MMOs in the mid-2000s and long-distance relationships. The awkward conversations in this game made me think about my WoW years for an entire weekend.

36: Mario Kart Wii It's not technically the "best" Mario Kart, but I actually enjoyed the motorcycles and I have fond memories of crushing my brother while we downed beers and talked shit.

35: Guild of Dungeoneering I'm usually not super into "We made X game, but added CARDS!" even though I love card games, but they nailed the loop here. I vaguely remember one of the decks being super busted, though.

34: Tropico 4 Adding a political slant to Sim City by making you the leader of a banana republic was just the slant to that formula I was looking for, and I lost a weekend circa New Year's '13 just delving into this hard.

33: Gran Turismo 2 My brother bought a PS1 off a friend when they upgraded to a PS2, and I grabbed a copy of this cheaply at the local EB Games. Once I wrapped my mind around the simulation, upgrading cars and havin fun with them here might have more to do with me being somewhat of a car person than anything else.

32: Metal Gear Solid 4 I should really put the whole series on here, but MGS4 deserves special note for making the core stealth actually fun and somehow tying all the loose ends of the insane plot together while dialing up the insanity even further.

31: Sim City 2000 I figured out how to make a 50,000 person city when I was like, 8. I still have no fucking idea how I did this. It took me till my 20s to crack 100k.

30: Pokemon Black/White People are torn on this game, but the contentious design decision to hide the old Pokemon in the postgame made every new encounter incredibly exciting in a way the series hadn't been since the orignals. The writing also shows signs of the maturity that Sun/Moon would follow through with.

29: Dragon Warrior Monsters 2 I think most would deride this series as a soulless Pokemon cash-grab on the surface, but they're actually roguelikes with a crazy monster breeding system and the most rote of stories to get you into the core loop of exploring new keys to breed ever crazier monsters.

28: Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls Diablo 3 vanilla's reliance on the auction house created design issues that were hard to look past, but Blizzard abandoning it for the expansion made the game into an incredible dungeon crawler. I never laddered, but had fun for hundreds of hours chasing loot with friends.

27: Fallout 3 I'll never forget the feeling of walking out of the vault for the first time, and feeling like I could go anywhere. I also think this is the only Bethesda game that regularly pays off when exploring - weird shit like the Republic of Dave or the man stuck in the tree are fantastic rewards for poking at the less inhabited edges of the map.

26: Bassin's Black Bass featuring Hank Parker I'm honestly wondering if the rest of the world has picked up on this game's low-key genius since I saw it for 15 bucks at a retro game store recently, but this game's arcadey fishing is incredibly satisfying and snappy. It has some major, obvious, irritating mechanical issues, but the core gameplay loop is so good I don't care.

25: Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor I still remember my nemesis. This motherfucker was right at the beginning of the game, inside the first quest area, and was like level 5 or 6, but had a defensive ability that made it harder for me to gank him easily. So he killed me. Twice. And leveled up each time, becoming a level 12 badass who could literally sniff me out when I hid. But he was weak to fire, and I lured him to a campfire and set him ablaze, getting my revenge.

24: Super Metroid I feel like most people would have this game higher on the list, but I think the controls are floaty and Meridia is overly confusing. The rest of the game is incredible and I can't believe they pulled it off on a Super Nintendo.

23: Pokemon Sun/Moon After XY and ORAS were disapointments I was cool on Pokemon, but Sun/Moon challenged a ton of series conventions and got a lot right in the process. I can't believe how deftly this game handles dysfunctional families.

22: A Link Between Worlds This was Nintendo's hit at what was to come with Zelda - a smart, experimental take on the franchise that's easily its best 2d outing.

21: Muramasa: The Demon Blade Vanillaware's magnum opus, a gorgeous Metroidvania where everything is hand-painted. The combat's loop of mixing launchers with sword management is also incredibly fun, if not particularly deep. But fuck I loved looking at it so much and it felt good.

20: The Walking Dead Only time a video game made me cry.

19: Banjo-Kazooie The only 3d collect-a-thon platformer from that era that still holds up, it combines cheeky humor and an incredible soundtrack to craft a world that's always surprising.

18: Borderlands 2 is better crafted, but I enjoyed the dry wit and more grounded guns of the first. I've replayed this like 4 times and I'm not entirely sure why, but I have a blast each time.

17: Doom (2016) Apparently the secret to making this license work in a modern context is to give Halo combat arenas a healthy dose of cocaine and play Meshuggah riffs over it. It so fucking works.

16: Saints Row: The Third I think the writing in GTA is usually sophomoric at best and its attempts at commentary are eye-roll worthy, but having a game say "FUCK IT" and just Mel Brooks that experience is such a wonderful idea. It's also hard to pull off, and SR3 totally sticks the landing (unlike the sequel).

15: Super Mario World The best traditional Mario game. I replayed it recently, and it struck me how much secret exits add to the level design versus 3, and how freed Koji Kondo is by the new hardware. The castle music's classical overture sticks out.

14: Monster Hunter 4 I liked Monster Hunter 3's various iterations but I hated swimming. Taking out swimming and replacing it  with mounting was enough for me to sink hundreds of hours. I actively avoided getting Generations because I knew it would interfere with school.

13: Mario Golf (GBC) The perfect portable game. Golf works well on the platform, and adding basic RPG hooks was enough to make a rote story totally engaging.

12: Super Mario Maker I think the real triumph of Mario Maker isn't the levels (which are usually terrible), it's how Nintendo imparted the feeling of being creative in such an easily digestible and satisfying way. It's an achievement that ascends past Mario design (which still works here) into something greater and more profound.

11: Hearthstone I fucking hate this game and I keep playing it because the Arena is like literal fucking crack and every time I have an opponent at 1 life and they beat me they can eat fucking dicks.

10: Super Mario RPG Clever writing and a strange world grabbed me way harder than Intelligent System's later Paper Mario games. It's too easy and doesn't look as slick now, but the writing still holds up.

09: Mass Effect Trilogy You can't really separate these, as the experience that makes Mass Effect great was carrying your Shepard and their decisions from one game to the next. Everyone will remember Garrus, Wrex, and co. Shame about the ending.

08: Tetris I am weirdly good at Tetris. I know what a T-Spin is. I sank hundreds of hours into it on Facebook. I don't regret it.

07: Persona 4 Describe a game to me as a mix of a J-RPG and a slice-of-life anime and I'll run to the hills, so the fact this game's sharp, mature writing and "just one more day" calendar mechanic combined into one of my favorite games of all-time is a shock. They also put in Pokemon with fucking demons, how cool is that shit?

06: Ocarina of Time I can't believe this game came out in 1998. The world is still fun to traverse, and the dungeon design (especially as an adult) still holds up at the top of action-adventure puzzle design.

05: Magic: the Gathering I wish it was less expensive otherwise it'd be higher.

04: Breath of the Wild I can't believe Nintendo reinvented the wheel so well that I'm putting the game so high on the list. Every design decision in this game is carefully considered to make exploring this iteration of Hyrule that much more satisfying. And its incredibly clever chemistry engine, where every object in the game has chemical properties that can be manipulated as well as physics, creates a ton of emergent gameplay scenarios where you're constantly asking "Can I do that?" and the game almost never lets you down.

03: World of Warcraft Sometimes I regret the 4000 hours I spent in Azeroth, but I'd have a hard time giving up the friends I made there. I could probably shred and like, speak another language though.

02: Pokemon Red I was the perfect age for Pokemon mania, and the fact that the core game was literally designed to appeal to me didn't help. I still love collecting the things and min/maxing ways to beat the Elite 4 with minimal grinding.

01: Mega Man X I think this is literally the perfect platformer. Moving X feels incredible. There's nothing in any of the levels I think is out of place. The soundtrack is a masterpiece. And the game's hidden secret is so insane you'd probably call bullshit on any kid who told it to you at recess. I'm really glad the rest of the world picked up on it after Arin Hanson did a Sequelitis about it, because I've been beating this drum for decades.

[evajellion]

Replaying Assault, part 5 (final thoughts)

See you, evil space hag. And good riddance, so I don’t have to play those levels again.

Mission 9, the Aparoid City, is a boring drag. It looks beautiful, I won’t deny that. But the problem is we’ve seen everything this game has to offer on-foot at this point, so it feels like a longer, drawn out version of Sauria.

What could have helped it? Well, you start by hunting down four… what is it? Hatchers? Why not change the pace for the semi-final, and allow you to take control of the other pilots? Krystal could have taken one on-foot, Slippy could take one in the tank, Falco takes one in the Arwing, and then finally Fox takes the last one.

I dunno, it just felt… really boring. And that’s Assault’s big problem, the “hunt down X amount of enemies” can get boring for people if they’re playing it in one sitting. I played this in separate sittings, but I still found this level to be tiresome.

Oh, and yes, I might as well discuss… the Peppy sacrifice scene.

It’s really kind of moot, since he already risked his ass in Corneria, which could have killed him. I think instead, if he went “man there’s no way to break that barrier, I’m sorry Fox, I’m ruining your dad’s hard work” then forced the Great Fox to set course with the barrier, while Peppy and ROB64 escape, maybe it’d be less, uh, controversial?

… Or maybe, just not have Peppy do any of that, and have the level proceed as normal.

Also, I felt it made the entirety of the Aparoid City mission kind of pointless. You destroyed all the hatchers, but it’s not enough, so we gotta have a big sacrifice scene. It’s not a bad moment, in fact, it’s kind of emotional for the team, but I do think that someone should have proofread this story.

So after that, we have a mission takes place entirely in the Arwing… and like the “easy” Venom route in 64, it fucking throws everything at you. It’s more entertaining than the last level, but everything is so fast-paced, which is the same problem I found in Meteo actually. Slow it down, Assault, the GameCube may run things at a faster rate than the N64, but I’d like to see the enemies I’m shooting!

Star Wolf is also here to help, but really, the most they do is just keep enemy Aparoids away from you at the final stretch, so you can tail the Queen.

So, we finally have the Aparoid Queen, who tries to trick Fox with visions of all who have fallen (though General Pepper lived, and Peppy’s fate is uncertain at this point) which includes James McCloud.

Everyone knows James is dead, and wouldn’t say to give up, so the ruse falls apart instantly when the Aparoid Queen tries to use his voice. I’m guessing the memories of all of those characters came from Pigma…? Or The Aparoid Queen is reading Fox’s mind? I really have no clue.

The boss fight with her is cool, although really easy because you can pick up Hyper Lasers by shooting down enemies that are flying around. Obviously though, she’s not finished, and has a second phase (just like Andross and the Anglar Emperor).

The second phase, after having the self-destruct sequence thrown in her, is… also really easy. I’m really not sure if it’s just the difficulty I’m playing on (god forbid I go through this clusterfuck of a level on Gold), but I’m pretty certain you can one-cycle the first half of her second phase if you’re fast enough with Hyper Lasers.

The next half of the phase, just avoid everything she flings at you, and fire at her. That’s it. That was the final boss. I only died a handful of times because of how fast everything moves, and if you keep Falco safe, he’ll give you health, so it shouldn’t be an issue if you do this and keep the Hyper Lasers.

Like, Andross wasn’t too hard either in 64 either, if you have Hyper Lasers. The robot form in the “easy” route is pathetic, while the brain one, as long as you avoid the tendrils and have well-timed U-turns, isn’t too hard.

But this is years after 64, and considering the hell you went through before, I’d expect a bit more of a challenge, rather than just “avoid things and shoot to win”.

… Would it be fair to say that, considering what a friend of mine said, that the Anglar Emperor buts up a better fight than both 64!Andross and the Aparoid Queen? Haven’t played Command, but people say the Emperor is a bitch to fight compared to those two.

I still like the Aparoid Queen very much as a villain. She came closer to victory than anyone else, like I said before. I love her design too, as well as her voice. I just wish it was a bit more.

And… that’s the end. The Queen was trying to take souls, but you have to be born with one, is what Fox says. What, are you saying you’re soulless? C’mon Fox, don’t be hard on yourself.

They did it, yaaaay, let’s all go out for some frosty, chocolate milkshakes. Roll the credits. 

The entire cast is shown off as well, minus Andrew, Pigma, Tricky, and the Aparoid Queen. I guess they aren’t important enough, or because they didn’t actually help Star Fox in any important way? Hell if I know.

It also shows the damage done to each planet, the ones taking the most were Corneria, Sauria, and the Aparoid Homeworld I believe. It’s a nice touch, one I wish was done more often!

Theeeen after all of that, it turns out Peppy and ROB 64 escaped in a pod, making the “big sacrifice moment” pointless.

“GEE FOX, IS THAT WHY YOU WERE SO CALM”

Bruh, he wasn’t calm at all when Peppy tried to kill himself. He also didn’t once say “Peppy will be fine, I know him, he’ll make it out of there”, Fox was just silent. No mention of what happened to Star Wolf, General Pepper, or Andrew Oikonny. Power of friendship, the end, for real now. 

Okay, so… what do I really think of this game, my nitpicks aside? Do I think it’s actually a good Star Fox game? Or do I still have the opinion on it I always did, where I just find it boring?

Well… I don’t know what my opinion is, really. I find it hard to form one, and the one I predicted I would have is “in the middle”.

I guess, that ends up being my verdict after all. It’s not terrible, it’s not perfect, it’s just… in the middle. It’s got great qualities, and bad ones. Though, I think my opinion is slightly better now. I definitely put this next to Adventures (which back then, I would have said I liked more than Assault), and probably place it above Zero, just for it being creative with the storyline along with some of the gameplay.

I’m not a professional game designer or some shit, so the only complaints I have are the enemy clutters, and on-rails sections been too fast.

Honestly, this reminds me of another game, where it changed things up a little bit, had a story that shifted between silly and rather dark, had a handful of plot holes, and was probably made for multiplayer more than single player…

I guess, the most fair comparison is Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. Both games have good moments, really irritating moments, not an awful story, but one that definitely had plot holes, multiple gameplay styles… and a final boss that had a very easy “second phase”.

I also disliked both games when I first played them, because I preferred their predecessors, and neither games went uphill from here.

What came after Sonic Adventure 2? Heroes, which isn’t too bad, some people really liked it… but then, Shadow the Hedgehog happened.

In Star Fox’s case? Command happened, and I think that was one of the big blows against Assault, and the whole series. Star Fox could have gone uphill from Assault. Heck, fish villains as antagonists had a lot of potential, as well as bringing back the branched paths, and multiple starfighters.

Buuuut between making it an early DS game, writing that mess of a storyline, and having even more repetitive gameplay, Command ended up putting the series in a coma. Years ago, I would have blamed Assault for this too, but that wasn’t the case-- it was all just shitty decision making at Nintendo. (things that they still do)

I definitely think Assault’s multiplayer leaked too much into single player, which was the big thing for everyone. It’s a shame that Nintendo decided against online, because this game would have been a hit otherwise, and they would try to experiment more with that.

Overall, I had fun with about… parts of the game? I liked Fortuna, Sargasso, Fichina, and Corneria. But I didn’t like the Star Wolf fight, Sauria, and the Aparoid Homeworld.

That’s it. It’s an alright game. Some people will love it, some will be bored by it. I can’t really say yes or no when recommending it, because this is a mixed bag here. It’s not the worst, but it ain’t the best.

… I am gonna try stuff on Silver difficulty though, maybe. Just to unlock stuff maybe, and see the differences.

[the-telegraph-sport-yahoopa-blog]

'3pm Saturday is rugby time, don't mess with it' - your responses to The Rugby Debate 

Champions Cup 2016 Getty Images

This week, Mick Cleary complained that Champions Cup kick-off times are ruining the experience for rugby fans.

European kick-off times, spread out across the entire weekend - morning, noon and night. It's a dog's dinner and a disservice to rugby followers, be they in the ground (some chance at certain times) or at home...

We invited you to have your say, too. Here's what you had to say:

  Derek McBride

Commercial management by the major teams and the Six Nations RFU's has been crass and very short term.

In pursuit of the money, the greedy Blazers have given away TV rights to  the best rugby in Europe to niche companies.  The enthusiasts are ignored and, slowly, they will give up paying large sums of money just to watch several big games crammed into weekend slots. At the same time the greedy Unions are fixing International Test games  all over the place.

Good players need a seasonal rest, but the money talks and the headaches continue to haunt overpaid players with no consequences for the game's management

I've lost all respect for the Blazers that control rugby union at all levels. Not that I had much to begin with.

  Mark Austen

The same is true of the 6 Nations when England v France is due to start at 16.50. How is this good for the game or the broadcasters?

  Alasdair Fergusson

Racing 92 play at 20:45 on Saturday, we're an hour ahead - we get messed about just the same for Top14 matches but that late for a 'dead' match will make for a dead atmosphere. As the ground is a bit remote from most of the fans this means back home at midnight. For those of us who buy season tickets and go to games this is just being taken for granted.

  Gaius King 

Just because you stagger games doesn't mean you/we are more likely to watch when played live.  I would be happily watch the replay on TV whenever at my own convenience (or when the kids are in bed or watching it too).  Thats what fans do!

3pm, Saturday... is Rugby time!  Don't mess with it.

  E TO

TV broadcasting rights, led by SKY are poisoning sport and killing the fan base - football has soulless crowds as they are the only ones who can afford it - rugby will go the same way if it's not careful.

  Douglas White

Agree the times are not good but for many of us 2 subscription services is a bigger issue. Same tore cause Rugby no longer looks after the fan. 

  Ed Stacey 

It's called life and it sucks. And frequently it [life] gets in the way of the truly important stuff like watching sport. My own predicament, for example, means missing Munster v Glasgow because of a long-planned family get together! Now should I complain to the tournament organisers for putting their corporate interests before my social calendar or simply accept my cruel fate, set sky+ to record and be a man about it?

There is way too much negativity in the English media right now about rugby when we should be celebrating a golden era for this great sport. There are undoubtedly issues to be dealt with; concussions, consistency of refereeing etc. certainly all need addressing, but the media is obsessed with trivializing the game in the way it has with football by focusing purely on negative off-field stuff. You can't please everyone all the time. Journalists should know this better than anyone! Give it a rest now please.

  Robert Reynolds 

Sky extra room is great service to help marital bliss.So long as clubs & Unions chase the TV £££s this will happen. Can't see bums on seats paying even the current high ticket prices compensating for loss of TV broadcasting rights.Now if northern hemisphere rugby season moved to more spring/summer fixtures who would complain about trips to France ,Italy,or even Belfast & Galway?

  Roger Cheesman

For us in Bordeaux, not a bad time this weekend.  However the point needs to be made that here, as in the UK, there is a core of fairly solid support who'd prefer to watch a match rather than catch it on TV and this will cost us more.  Please don't mess us around.

I suggest all matches k/o early afternoon Sat or Sun (depending on home side) and the TV boys chose which game to screen with highlights of others to follow so we can watch in the bar. Clubs can divvy up TV rights equally whatever is broadcast.

  P Saunders

They say that live performances are judged b Bums on seats. So the powers that are looking at progressing the game have got to take that into consideration. At present it is just going for the money like some other game.  You will kill what Rugby is all about.

  Paul Brannigan

How bad is 5-30 pm on a Sunday for Ulster travelling fans who have to get back to Belfast on Sunday night for work on Monday morning?

In addition the actual times for all of the games this weekend was only settled after the tickets were bought.  So, Ulster fans travelling to Exeter had to plan ahead not knowing which day or time they needed to get to Sandy Park and then home again.  Flights just got more expensive as they were booked last minute.

Fair play to Flybe for removing the additional cost of transferring to different flights for those who had tickets and guessed the wrong match time.

The fans, especially those hard core travellers are the losers!

  Peter Martin

It would seem to me that as previous correspondents have said,it is all about money.I think that the biggest issue is that the game has sold itself to sport subscription TV channels thereby taking it out of reach of a vast number of fans.Moving the start times all over the place has just compounded things.

The professional game is a niche sport. Look what has happened to cricket when the game was sold to Sky?

  Roger Hale

As an armchair viewer I have little to complain about - all the aforementioned progs can be recorded but not live sport. All I have to juggle is watching televised horse racing as well and of course my home clubs fixtures (Hornets RFC).

  Simon Grant

If you're watching it on screen, Mick, either tell the wife she can't watch strictly, or watch it on another screen and another feed... For travelling fans, it's really not great.

  Peter Godfrey

Perhaps the only benefit of the late start times is that a lot of top rugby is now shown live on tv in the USA.   I have watched several games here in Minnesota and they are popular with a very limited audience .  Someone is getting paid for this .... who and how much?

  Haydalis Whitehead

Nail on head. Money talks. And you have smelt the same global sized rat correctly. You hear people complain about the evil Imperialist Britain; well the world has a bigger digital version of the monster an nobody says anything. The USA runs the show the world over. I live in Latin America now and it's the world over - what American corporations want, they get. Money talks. Reminds me of the airheaded bully who although not smart, could knock out any smaller kid out with one punch, as that was the only weapon of respect he had. Uncle Sam he's called now he's grown up.

Sport media has been ruined. I wish for the pre-sport-on-television days some days, when I could head down the The Wreck of a Saturday afternoon, to see 'amateur' rugby Union at its best.

You know, the greatest problems we humans have is believe everything we are told by politicians and the media - if they say something is as it is, we simply believe them. The truth is, our lives haven't really been improved. Something is missing  - including our sport!

  Paul Strong

I was a season ticket holder for 17 years at Northampton Saints and gave it up this season because of the crazy match times. Completely agree that TV rules and the game is going corporate.

  Ian Frizzell

I'm off to Exeter this weekend to support Ulster against Chiefs.

This is the second game in a row that Ulster have played on a Sunday afternoon meaning travelling home on Monday and losing a day at work. 

  Alastair Brown 

Last year I took a punt and went to Paris in Jan for the stade game. Friday and Saturday night. Announced ko time late December, Sunday afternoon. I was coming home then. Still got the tickets.

This year wrote to EPCRugby, who said. We wait for the last round to be played so we can maximise TV exposure. Sod the fans in a nutshell

I cannot afford to wait, price for trains in advance half the price. Same for hotels. You can get away with one night if you know when the match is, gamble on two (as above), or guarantee by booking three nights.

EPCRugby should be ashamed for the disservice they show to away fans.

  Hurricane Jack

Just another step along the way of professionalism becoming corporate takeover. It has ruined the football experience for football fans; matches on a Friday evening getting in the way of a game of darts in the pub.

  Christopher Toole

Yes, 5.30pm ko on a Sunday for the Exeter Chiefs vs Ulster Rugby is shocking for the away fans.