#MARCUS CORE

[crayonverse]

marcus davenport is so “Am I Supposed To Apologize?” song coded . real

[thatboisus]

me logging onto tumblr after consuming a new piece of media

[wendigo-volturi]

Marcus: Good morning...

Aro: Good morning!

Caius: Good morning

Alec: You all sound like robots, try spicing it up a bit!

Y/N: *busts into the room* MORNING MOTHERFUCKERS!!!!

Demetri: THATS MORE LIKE IT

[dovedewdrop]

The way he would look up at you from between your thighs with the biggest, softest brown puppy dog eyes, mouth agape and a heavy breath warming your skin when he gets to see you for the first time

[markantonys]

they're everything to me

[decemberthe7th]

I’m Letting Go

[polar-equinoxx]

I have some conclusions on this photo:

There is nothing going on behind Goose’s eyes.

Mav is simply ✨done✨

Chipper might be plotting murder.

Sundown is just practicing strengthening his core.

[prncewilhelm]

i think it’s hilarious that the fandom has been up in arms for almost a year about the possibility of a love triangle and as soon as that trailer drops it’s so clear that that is a complete non-issue

[thefirstknife]

Posts like these are really getting to me because they confidently state things without actually knowing what any of this means. This is not helping to parse through criticism and feedback, nor is it helping anyone to understand how writing for video games work.

Specifically for this post, this is a posting for a new position. Bungie is not firing anyone and writers aren't leaving in droves; Bungie is simply in the position to open many new positions (Sony money helped) and they've been hiring new people for months now, in all departments. They are currently hiring more people for the narrative team.

A narrative design document is not a one and done thing. This franchise is 8 years old and story and lore are being developed over time. This is how storytelling works, especially for big live service game franchises. A narrative design document is also being developed over time, it can be added to and it can change with the changing mechanics, gameplay, direction and player population.

This listing specifies that the job requires you to aid in that development. It doesn't mean that the narrative design document doesn't exist. And it certainly doesn't mean that a narrative design document changing or being added to is wrong or strange. It also probably doesn't mean what you think "narrative design" means. I'll get to that later.

This particular listing is also a smaller role, as per the intro:

In this role you will work closely with the various small teams within systems to write strings for rewards and collaborate on narrative context for features. This includes being an advocate for Franchise narrative goals and collaborating with the Expansion and Seasonal teams to help support their creative goals through your content.

This isn't a big writing position. First example of what the job is:

Work with the Systems team to write compelling strings for gear and features

Only occasionally write actual dialogue:

Occasionally create captivating activity dialogue and cinematic content that remain on tone with the established style of the franchise and the product 

Improvements should definitely be made and Bungie at this point needs a much more solid narrative design document due to the incredible amount of accumulated lore and gameplay mechanics over the past 8 years. Which is the point of looking for more people to help in that section. This is a good thing.

All writing will always develop over time, but especially the writing for live service games. A narrative design document is an ongoing project. It is literally impossible to develop something like that once and never touch it again. Perhaps for one-shot singleplayer games, but even then narrative changes throughout development in ways we don't even see.

Also, as I said earlier, "narrative design" is not what people think it is. Especially not for video games. A really in-depth article about narrative design, how it works and how to do it. Incredibly relevant bit:

In an MMO, we see a lot more emergent storytelling, or rather stories that emerge over time from the interaction between players and the world. It’s a call and response where fan theories emerge, and the MMO responds to them.

Narrative design itself is not just "people writing a story." Narrative design can often be done without any writing:

Simply put, narrative design is the use of story to make sense of gameplay in a video game. Like a novelist, the narrative designer focuses on elements such as structure, character, and setting, but the key difference is that the hero in the story is the player and their experience is interactive.

And:

The narrative designer’s role on a team is much more than just being a good writer and storyteller. The narrative designer works with her team to build a world, inventing characters and events, and reconciling mechanics or rules. The job is part writing and part championing the importance of story throughout the process of making a game.

And more:

Narrative design is all about the intentional use of story and the flow of the game, either linear or nonlinear. More than merely story building, narrative design is about world-building. It’s an evolving art form, and with the development of AI and virtual reality, it’s becoming much more immersive.

On top of that, narrative design is still a new concept in video games:

Narrative designers are still quite a new concept in game creation. Hiring professional writers might seem like an obvious thing to do, but for years developers and producers have been writing storyline and dialogue. There are some old attitudes about the role that can make it difficult for a narrative designer to integrate well into a team. But integrate you must.

More stuff about what narrative design is and what it does (sorry this one is in French for the most part).

There's always feedback and criticism to give Bungie when it comes to lore. Them hiring more people for narrative design is not it. Like, Bungie being interested in fixing and mitigating these issues to combat things we have problems with is a direct opposite of criticism. They're actively hiring for narrative design. That's a good sign.

A lot of criticism often comes from the fundamental misunderstanding of how video game writing works, and especially how live service writing works. Over 8 years, there will be new information and even contradictory information to what was said previously. This isn't always a retcon. And even if it is, it's not always a bad retcon. Retcons are not inherently negative.

Most importantly, over 8 years, gameplay will change. And narrative design is about merging and making sense of the story and gameplay combined with the player involvement.

A lot of people complain because some aspect of the story is no longer the same as it was described when D1 launched. This is normal. New information being revealed is a good thing. Stories are not static, worlds are not static and characters are not static. Sometimes characters are mistaken or they lie. Sometimes things seem one way but they are another way. This is instrumental in creating a world that feels real. Because that's what happenes in reality. People are sometimes wrong in how they interpret the world around them.

Sometimes this will fall flat on some players or even all players (when it falls flat for the majority, that's usually when the game dies or is struggling; this happened to D1 Y1 and D2 Y1). In live service and ongoing projects, there will always be people who just don't vibe with the new direction or new information. New reveals can be off-putting to some and that's completely normal. It doesn't mean there's an objective fault with the writing though.

This is all a part of the narrative design, including how to tie all of these things into gameplay and player experience. This is a forever ongoing project in MMOs.

[void-botanist]

I know I only said Gren was in love with everybody but I'm beginning to think everybody's also in love with Gren

[killa-trav]

it’s criminal that lewis n marcus are friends yet marcus has never been to a race and lewis has never been to a united match

[wendigo-volturi]

Heyyyyy so I was wondering if you could do the volturi king’s reaction to their mate on their period with really bad cramps?

Of course! Here are some headcanons for each of the kings' reactions to their mate experiencing bad period cramps:

Aro:

- Despite his usual composed demeanor, Aro would be quite concerned and attentive towards his mate when he notices they are in pain.

- He would immediately gather information about how to help relieve their discomfort, whether it be through herbal remedies or comforting gestures.

- Aro would be sure to keep a close eye on their well-being throughout their period, ensuring they have everything they need to feel better.

- He may also use his telepathic abilities to ease their pain by distracting them with pleasant thoughts or memories.

Caius:

- Caius, being more stoic and reserved, may initially struggle to express his concern for his mate's discomfort, but his actions would speak volumes.

- He would quietly and efficiently take care of their needs, providing pain relief medication, warm blankets, and anything else they require.

- Caius would also make sure they rest and do not exert themselves during this time, insisting that they take time to recover.

- While he may not show it overtly, the depth of Caius' care and concern for his mate during this vulnerable time would be evident in his actions.

Marcus:

- Marcus, with his empathic abilities, would immediately sense his mate's pain and would feel it deeply himself, prompting him to be incredibly attentive and supportive.

- He would be a calming presence, offering comfort through gentle touches, soothing words, and a strong shoulder to lean on.

- Marcus would be understanding and patient, giving his mate the space and time they need to rest and recuperate.

- He would also be willing to adjust his plans and schedule to accommodate their needs, showing his unwavering devotion and care for his mate.

[cinemgc]

The Walking Dead (11ª Temp.)

Episodio 14: ''The Rotten Core''

• Dirección: Marcus Stokes

• Guion: Jim Barnes, Erik Mountain

• Cinematografía: Duane Charles Manwiller

• Cast: Christian Serratos

[sinisterness]

🗡 watched crawl (2019) on my first plane for my trip and i had forgotten about the father - daughter dynamic of it. the father coaching and motivating his kid in her sport and hyping her up as the best even when she doesnt win. the drifting apart when she gets older even while she still pursues her sport without him...

the snark at one another, the unflinching resolve of the father and the stubborn daughter when she still tries to get through to him and help him.

katarina blaming herself for taking marcus' time away from soreana.... marcus making a monologue out of kat training herself to learn something she didn't get to motivate her.

all im saying is if we trapped marcus and katarina in a slowly flooding dungeon with a few Wet Beasts i think they could resolve their issues together in a good 90 minute runtime too.

[decemberthe7th]

Will I stay in this post life process?