#So the character involvement can stay Similar without ending in death and the fallout of these events will get messy in different ways

[serpentface]

What’s the Janeys/Brakul death scenario?

So like upon review I mostly just was going to kill them off for Couya + Faiza + Hibrides’ character development (#FEMINIST WIN!!!!!!!).

The background situation of their death scenario is something that will happen either way:

Throughout the story, the pilgrimage requests tribute from the towns it passes through (mainly food and other supplies). This is a common practice for pilgrimages and the travels of royalty, and Imperial Wardi civilians are used to the concept (just not so much during a famine). Some people give fully willingly (a lot of people believe in the pilgrimage's goals/and or the necessity to keep its high status participants fed), most are at least partly coerced (usually not via direct threats, but the pilgrimage contains a couple hundred soldiers, the Usoma, and Odonii leadership. The threat is implied), some are Fully coerced via threats.

In the latter third of the story things are not going well. There’s been a lot of internal struggles among the soldiers and dissatisfaction with pilgrimage leadership (mostly Stavis), men are starting to defect and a large body are getting outright mutinous. The group has also lost much of their food supplies and things are getting desperate (they've been starting to eat their own pack khait and oxen)

With this going on, the pilgrimage sends three soldiers to exact tribute from a farming village in the province Lobera. They meet a group of men acting as representatives for the village, who flat out refuse to give tribute. Things escalate into an outright fight, the soldiers are better armed but few in number and are killed.

One of the village elders finds out that this happens and panics, knowing that the men who killed three of the Usoma’s soldiers (one of which is her son) have signed their own death sentences, and possibly that of others. She attempts to persuade the families to preemptively flee, and then takes the village's one remaining skinny old plow ox to carry the bodies of the dead soldiers back to where the pilgrimage is camped. She supplicates herself before Stavis Amanti and begs for mercy, saying they don't even have enough food stored to feed themselves, much less to give, and that the men thus considered the killings righteous self defense. She shows that she’s returned the bodies for rites as an act of goodwill, and offers the ox in tribute, the most valuable thing she can provide. She begs that the Usoma accepts this as tribute and spares the men's lives, and that the pilgrimage moves on without taking anything else.

Stavis bids her safe passage away from the camp (without confirming or denying that he's accepted her plea), and the heads of pilgrimage confer on what to do. The killing of the soldiers is a violation punishable by death, but this would be like, a notably bad PR move. Meanwhile a contingent of soldiers (including some major side characters I haven’t introduced) break off and lead a raid on the village to avenge their fallen brothers and loot supplies. Others get drawn into the fighting, and it devolves into a full on massacre.

A couple families had fled at the elder’s suggestion, but most refused to leave their homes. Some of the villagers believed they would be left unharmed if the killers were given up, others had been preparing for a reprisal and armed themselves with everything available. But they have few actual weapons and none are trained combatants. All of the remaining men and adolescent boys get killed, one woman manages to take out a soldier using a shovel but is killed, most of the other women and girls are spared murder but several are assaulted. The village is looted for supplies and kindling for funeral pyres.

Stavis Amanti has no fucking idea what to do. The soldiers defied orders and killed Imperial Wardi civilians, but the current climate amid the pilgrimage would make it EXTREMELY Bad for him if he demanded their punishment (but also potentially very bad if he didn't- not all the soldiers participated in the massacre and many were horrified). Faiza encourages him to exert authority in a measured response by having the ringleader of the mutineers killed but sparing the rest, and offers to publicly back him in hopes of avoiding full on mutiny.

The raid reveals that the villagers had been hiding more grain than they claimed they had (as in like, enough to feed their people on starvation level rations for a few weeks). Stavis takes this as an opportunity to justify not punishing the mutineers (as the villagers DID technically have something to give, and execution IS technically the punishment for refusing the order of tribute (though not execution of the entire community)), but insists that their Galenii bless the village dead and their men build pyres for the civilians as is honorable conduct. (This attempt to make amends is not particularly appreciated by the survivors.)

The pilgrimage holds a funeral for their own dead soldiers. The village ox that was given in tribute is killed and butchered for the funerary feast.

----

In the Bury Your Gays route, Brakul is one of the three that gets killed during the tribute extraction. Janeys loses his fucking mind when his body is brought back, and tries to slit his own throat on the spot. Couya stops him by wrestling him to the ground while Janeys screams threats at her and the old woman in a very pathetic public spectacle. He is deprived of all sharp objects.

While the pilgrimage leaders are conferring, he hovers miserably around Hibrides (who is also not feeling so great about all this). He's suddenly very interested in her pregnancy for the first time ever, asks to feel the baby (which has been just starting to kick). She's like "fuck off", but he strongly implies he's planning to commit suicide asap and she concedes and then is like Okay I Let You Feel The Goddamn Baby Now Leave Me Alone Holy FUCK.

Janeys turns his attention to fucking murdering anyone tangentially involved in this happening. He’s among the initial raid party, plays a major hand in it turning from its ostensible 'find and execute the ones responsible, subdue the rest, steal their food' directive to a full massacre by directing his men to immediately attack the first man he sees. He and his group capture three young men as prisoners and demand that they be slain at the soldier's funerals as is wartime custom (this isn't wartime). Janeys additionally demands that he should get to do it, as the only kin of any of the dead men. Once that's done he immediately cuts his own throat and bleeds out. They wind up getting cremated at the same time so things work out how Janeys wanted it.

At one point I realized that this is kind of just The Iliad?

----

So like obviously whether they die here or not has little impact on THESE events, but a lot of the endgame revolves around Couya Faiza and Hibrides and these deaths would be very significant to THEM in varying capacities. It affects the trajectory of the final stretch of their arcs and adds a lot of layers to the ultimate Couya/Faiza conflict. I also liked their deaths being kind of random and shitty and meaningless because that in of itself is kinda ~thematically resonant~ with the story. (A lot of tension between the lack of intrinsic meaning to events and the profound levels of meaning ascribed to them).

I'm almost definitely not going with this version of events though. Janeys and Brakul don't have much active involvement in the endgame and don't Really need to be alive for it as it stands, but I think the version where every main character (except Faiza she's doomed) survives to see What Has Been Wrought and living to experience the fallout ultimately works better.

[the-odinson]

Thor 🗲 Intro

“Fortunately, I am mighty...”

OOC PORTION —

NAME: Danny

PRONOUNS: he/him

AGE: 23

TIMEZONE: GMT +1

TRIGGERS: None

IC PORTION; BASICS —

CHARACTER NAME: Thor Odinson

FACECLAIM: Chris Hemsworth

AFFILIATIONS: The Avengers

AGE: 1500s/appears mid 30s

SPECIES: Alien (Asgardian)

IDENTITY: Public

DOES YOUR CHARACTER LIVE IN THE MOUSEHOLE? IF SO, WHAT ARE THEIR DUTIES? Yes, but he doesn’t particularly like it there. He doesn’t feel the effects of the cold, but Thor has never liked being confined so prefers to get outside as much as possible. Thor has decided to take on the role of a hunter/gatherer. The vast forests of Europe aren’t too dissimilar to the Asgardian wilderness and, while the beasts aren’t as ferocious as back home, what’s a king to do if not revel in the hunt? When needed he will also help with aid work: he can cover great distances with ease and carrying heavy loads is hardly a problem for him.

DESCRIBE SIX TRAITS (3 positive, 3 negative) YOUR CHARACTER HAS AND HOW THESE AFFECT THEM:

Dependable: A man of his word, Thor is trustworthy and reliable; an asset in any team and to anyone who has a favour to ask. Endearing: Those who truly get to know Thor speak of him with admiration; his warm smile and welcoming personality don’t come to all, but if he lets his guard down you’re guaranteed a friend with whom you feel truly comfortable. Benevolent: Thor (usually) means well and (usually) tries to be kind to anyone he encounters. His exterior may come across as brash but there’s no malice involved, often just a difference in culture and upbringing. Obstinate: While being headstrong may not always be a negative thing, Thor hates to admit he’s wrong and has a tendency to steamroll down a chosen path rarely reassessing whether the choices he made were the right ones or simply the first ones. Distrusting: Thor enjoys being social but mainly around those he’s close to. He can appear a little hostile to strangers: while he wants to believe in the good in people, he’s been around long enough and seen a lot of the universe to know of the potential darkness inside them too. Reckless: Thor often acts on impulse and charges into situations unprepared. This can lead to serious damage caused to both himself and those around him.

POWERS AND/OR ABILITIES: Super strength: Son of Odin and King of Asgard, Thor is physically the strongest of all Asgardians, with feats including being able to go one-on-one with the Hulk and other powerful entities. Flight: Thor’s magical axe Stormbreaker grants him the ability to fly. Electricity Manipulation: Thor is capable of generating electrical energy within his body and can expel it in the form of lightning bolts. Using Stormbreaker makes the energy generation and expulsion much more powerful and efficient. Weather Control: Similarly, either with or without Stormbreaker (although with Stormbreaker is easier), Thor can control the sky and create storms. Durability: His Asgardian physiology grants much more durability than a human one, able to shrug off energy blasts and recover from injury much quicker. Thor can also survive in space and alien atmospheres. Allspeak: Also called the All-Tongue, Asgardians speak a magic-based language, granting the ability to understand and be understood in all the languages of the Nine Realms. Bifrost: Stormbreaker also gifts Thor the power to summon the Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge connecting all realms, allowing intergalactic travel between worlds in a matter of moments.

WEAKNESSES: There aren’t many things on Earth that could pose a threat to Thor, so it’s hard to pinpoint any specific weaknesses. Perhaps for someone like Thor, the word god comes up so often that he sometimes forgets it’s not true: he is mortal and, while far more durable than a human, he can get injured and he can get killed, a fact that he often brushes to the side when charging into battle. However he has become far more self-aware after losing an eye (and almost his life) to Hela.

IC PORTION; DETAILS —

WHAT BROUGHT YOUR CHARACTER TO SOKOVIA?

Sokovia is where the majority of Thor’s allies are, and he needs their help. His world gone, his people stranded on the nearest hospitable realm in need of a home; Thor knew of a place where the Asgardians could blend in and live peaceful lives. The problem is, however, it seems Earth is not quite at peace right now. When he couldn’t track down the Avengers in New York, he followed the trail to Novi Grad. His priorities are conflicting: while he came back to Earth to ask the Avengers’ help in establishing a new Asgard on this planet, he feels he should stay to try and help his friends however he can in aiding the Nomad’s cause.

DID THEY SIGN THE ACCORDS? WHY OR WHY NOT?

No - the whole Accords situation is mostly unbeknownst to Thor due to being offworld at the time of signing. From what he can gather, it isn’t something that would appeal to him. He feels the affairs of humans are mostly petty ones and, despite his growing acclimatisation to Earth and its customs, he doesn’t understand why humans have to be so divided about, well, pretty much everything.

PROVIDE 3-5 HEADCANONS RELATED TO YOUR CHARACTER: 1. Although Thor is an alien, he has spent enough time on this planet (in both modern and ancient times) for the culture shock to lessen so that now Earth to Thor is more comparable to a human travelling to a different country - he acknowledges that the differences are neither better nor worse and he chooses to respect them. He knows he will make mistakes and appear strange, but sees that now as an opportunity for personal growth. 2. One thing he doubts he will ever understand however, is the human version of ‘entertainment’. Thor cannot stand movies. On Asgard, they would entertain themselves by slaying fearsome monsters or engaging in a friendly drunken brawl, the more broken furniture the better! But on Earth they amuse themselves by… sitting down and staring at a screen for hours on end. While both Asgard and Earth had/have magnificent technology, it’s clear they used it very differently.

3. Since returning to Earth, Thor has become intrigued in the Norse tales of himself and his people from over a thousand years ago and their alleged feats. He finds it highly amusing how inaccurate the stories are, but it has led to a fascination of human mythology and the various pantheons across history and the world. He wonders if he will ever meet any other of these so-called gods.

4. While a human brain only has capacity for almost a century’s worth of memories, an Asgardian brain is built for a few millennia’s worth. Therefore Thor has a much more acute long-term memory than his human companions, although occasionally his short-term memory leaves something to be desired, especially after several pints of mead.

WANTED CHARACTER CONNECTIONS: 

Loki: His brother and the person he loves (and hates) most in the cosmos. I know a thing or two about brotherly love (I’ve been experiencing it for 23 years) so would love to write for Thor with his undeniably most personal connection. Wonder Woman: Both ancient, both ‘gods’ and both so very far from home. Despite their different allegiances I think it would be great to have Thor bond with perhaps the one person around here who may truly understand him. Superman: If anything they both have fabulous red capes. They are quite similar power-wise, although I know Superman is stronger but Thor definitely wouldn’t want to admit that. It could lead to some healthy (or unhealthy?) competition between the two, especially seeing as Thor isn’t too fond of the Justice League. Captain America & Iron Man: The two splintered team leaders. Thor respects them both (Tony a little less, perhaps…) and, since he doesn’t really understand the extent of the accords, would like to hear their sides of the story and what has happened since the Ultron incident. Bruce Banner: Thor has fought with the Hulk a couple of times but feels this has brought the two closer, learning more about how Bruce ticks and now he feels there’s a protective bond between the pair. I think the interactions they have could bring out the comedic style of writing which I love!

POTENTIAL CHARACTER ARCS: In the previous paragraph I said I like writing comedic characters (of which Thor fits the bill) but I also want to explore the deeper aspects of his personality such as the emotional pain of losing his parents, his childhood friends and his home. This could manifest in him not wanting to form bonds with others in the Mousehole at first because he’s lost so many people: why would he want to get close with anyone else only to lose them again? Perhaps a dramatic fallout with someone from a different team could lead to serious consequences for him or the team as a whole.

The reason I chose for placing Thor in Sokovia is that he’s seeking a location for New Asgard: maybe with all its emigrating population and empty buildings Sokovia could be the perfect location… I’m not sure how it would work in the group, but maybe Thor could eventually bring the Asgardians here, both to settle and to help with the restoration of the country.

CHARACTER BIO —

You know the story. An Asgardian prince, lacking in humility and exiled to Earth in order to learn what it means to be worthy. A classic tale, but at its heart, a tale of loss, and a tale of what it means to truly be human: even if you’re not. Thor has lived for well over a millenia, but only in the last decade has his life really begun. From landing on Earth a long time after people stopped worshipping him, he slowly began to understand the importance of relationships; from forming close bonds with the Avengers (and wary acquaintances with the Justice League and X-Men), to experiencing true love for the very first time. All his life Thor had assumed that humans were lesser beings, so why then did he feel he was learning so much more from them than he had ever learned from his own kind? 

After experiencing the death of his mother, then later on his father and three close childhood friends, Thor was at breaking point when his home realm of Asgard was obliterated during Ragnarök by the fire demon Surtur. With the title of King thrust upon him, Thor decided his duty to his people had to consume him before his emotions did. Pursuing the quest of a new home, he led them to Nidavellir, the homeworld of the dwarfs; unsurpassable smiths and mechanics with the power to forge almost anything the mind can dream of, ruled over by their King, Eitri. Eons ago, Eitri had forged the legendary hammer Mjölnir (destroyed by Hela) at Odin’s request, now he oversaw the creation of the glorious axe Stormbreaker when asked by Thor, capable of summoning the rainbow bridge despite its apparent destruction on Asgard. Armed with his new tool and a promise to the Asgardians of a brighter future, Thor set out alone across the stars, heading to Midgard to find his old allies the Avengers. He’d helped the humans many times before, hopefully they’ll be able to help him and his race this time. 

It took Thor losing everything to appreciate what he has. As he enters the next phase of his life in Sokovia, without family or a home, he is truly the definition of a nomad.

[littlemisssquiggles]

Oscar loses control of his hidden powers because of Ironwood testing on him or something. Oscar ends up just like Agatha from Paranorman? Agatha was mistreated because of her powers and ended up being very vengeful , so imagine Oscar being pushed to the edge and just,, snapping. Ruby has to talk Oscar down from this state. idk im not good at writing but i do think it would be an interesting idea

Ironically enough anon-chan,I’ve pondered a similar concept once upon a time. Considering that Oscar’svoice actor: Aaron Dismuke was formerly the voice of Alphonse Elric from theoriginal Fullmetal Alchemist (before Brotherhood) one thing I’ve been curiousabout is whether or not the CRWBYWriters might introduce elements of Oscar’s story inspired by FullmetalAlchemist.

One idea I’ve talked aboutbefore is one where Oscargoes on a journey inside of his mind in an effort to find Ozpin and bring himback. However upon discovering Oz, Oscar is saddenedto see that the old soul has no desire to leave his isolation from the team. InsteadOz forces Oscar out of his own mind. My rationale for the possibility of amoment like this is for the obvious homage to the moment in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood where Ed finds Alphonse’s human body--- hair long fromyears without grooming and skeletally thin from lack of nutrients - sittingalive before the second Gate.

However before Ed couldmove further and make a run for his brother, he is restrained and dragged backto his own gate by shadowy black hands. In that moment, Ed begs Al to returnwith him, however the soulless body only responds that he cannot leave withanyone who isn’t his own soul. This later prompts Ed to make a firm vow that hewill return someday to retrieve Al.

This was a moment I was hoping to seemimicked in RWBY for Oscar and Ozpin’s relationship, especially now that Oz haslocked himself deep within Oscar’s mind. I was hoping for a Journey to Oz subplot for Oscar’s story where he enters a deep sleep, divinginto his own mind on a quest to find the reluctant Oz.

It is on this journey where the audiencegets a visual insight into Oscar’s mind; accompanying the young farm boy as herelives not just the memories of the remaining Wizard’s lifetimes who weren’tpresent in Jinn’s recollection of Ozma’s story (such as the Hermit, the King ofVale and Professor Ozpin) but also Oscar’s memories too.

If not the other Wizards then I would at least likefor a Journey of Oz subplot to reveal more about Oscar---such as his past with hisunknown family (like his aunt from V4). My concept for this Pinehead headcanon of mine was that Oscar is forced to relive his pastthrough his own repressed memories in order to reunite with Ozpin again. Sofans get to learn more about who Oscar was growing up through the cherished memoirsdocumented in his mind.

I like the idea of Oscar actually attempting twice to get Ozpinto return. The first time he relives most of hismemories from birth to present day, inclusive of two memoriy that reveals twoevents unseen from the audience--- the moment that finally convinced Oscar toleave home back in V4 and happened to him after he suddenly went missing in V6.

Back during V6, there was theorycirculating around the Pinehead community that premised Oscar making a desperate attempt to reconnectwith Ozpin after running away from the Cotta-Arc residence. I actually think this is a pretty neat idea. It would be cool ifOscar tried to get in touch with Oz for some kind of consolation and guidancefollowing his fallout with Jaune.

Of course he’s met with silence; to which Oscareventually gives up and decides to find his own way of dealing with the issueon his own. I like the idea of Oscar trying to reconnect with Oz during hismissing development back in V6 and this actually being what prompted Oz to comeback in a way.

Like perhaps Oz had locked himself pretty far inside Oscar’s mindat first. But upon realizing that Oscar was trying to reach him after goingthrough his own heartache with the team, this is what kind of makes him stepoutside. He of course doesn’t communicate with Oscar or make his presence knownto him. But it’s enough to make Oz concerned for Oscar. 

So he basically comesslightly out of isolation but stays close enough so that he ensure that Oscaris okay, in a way. I’d like to think that even in wallowing in his own anguishand self-resentment, Oz still can’t shake that side of him that’s paternal and nurturing in nature---having lived lives as both a parent andmentor---both caretakers of young minds.

I’d like to think that Oscar’s missingdevelopment from V6 sparked Oz to step outside of his solitude for the firsttime since he locked himself away. Again, he remains isolated enough that Oscarcan’t detect that he’s there but still close enough that he can keep a watchfuleye on Oscar. Y’know just in case the boy might need him while simultaneouslythinking he might be better off without him. Like it’s almost like a reflex ina way with Oz behaving like an emotionally exhausted parent who wants nothingmore than to be alone yet they still can’t help but instinctively stay closeenough to protect their kin if needed; if that makes sense.

Anyways, returning to my headcanon,Oscar finds Ozpin in this memory however when Oscar pleads for Oz to come backwith him, Oz refuses. He even forces Oscar out of his own mind, but not beforeOscar makes a solemn promise to bring Oz back.

Despite a saddened Oz stubbornly tellingOscar that he won’t return and there’s nothing he could do or say to change theold soul’s mind, Oscar, determinedly tells him that he will bring him back nomatter what it takes. This is the kind of moment I wanted to see done for theBoy with Two Souls as a nice call back to Fullmetal Alchemist.

The second time Oscar goes in search ofOzpin, he is surprise to uncover that Oz had returned to his tower ofisolation---making things more difficult for Oscar by hiding himself deeperinside Oscar’s mind in a place where Oz believed Oscar would never dare comelook for him.

Not because the journey would be toughbut because it would be too painful for the young boy. One of my long-standingtheories for Oscar’s backstory is thathe suffered a very traumatic event which resulted in the loss of a close familymember who Oscar loved dearly---possiblyhis mother or father or perhaps both parents. I’m still clinging to the idea that Oscarwas originally raised by a single parent prior to living with his aunt with hisdear ole dad now being my number one choice.

Rather than dealing with the heartache and grief thatcame with losing a close loved one and the life he had previously, Oscar suppressed both the memory and his true feelingsdeep inside his mind

, refusing to face it. In asimilar fashion to Ozpin, Oscar supressed the truth and pain that came with hisown past. I like the idea of the two sharing in the loss of loved ones; blamingthemselves for their untimely deaths and feeling as if they had both failed anddisappointed them in some way. 

I like this idea just as much as I like the ideaof Oz making himself at home behind this particular memory of Oscar’s. It’s theone he related to the most with him. Not to mention that it’s the one he knewOscar wouldn’t dare enter past cause he knew, ever since the two first bonded,just how much the young boy did not wish to face this pain.

But unfortunately forOscar, this was where he needed to go to find Oz and unbeknownst to Ozpin, hehad completely underestimated Oscar’s resolve to bring him home.

So pretty much the thought is that Oscar must face his most painful repressed memoryin order to find Oz. Just as how our heroes forced Oz toface the truth of his past---in a way, Oscar has to do the same. Face a memoryand truth to his past that he forced himself to lock away since he didn’t wantto face it.

But Oscar goes through with it anyways for Oz. Andfrom going through this ordeal, not only is Oscar able to finally find closurewith the forgotten misgivings and feeling of anguish, grief and guilt from hispast mistake, but it also helps him to better understand Oz leading to the twosouls finds acceptance with one another for the first time since they werepaired. That was my idea for Oscar and Ozpin subplot. Will we actually get thatfor V7? Probably not.

But regardless, I am curious to see howthe Writers resolve the tension between Oscar and Ozpin. I’m not sure if theCRWBY Writers plan on having Oscar andOz merge for V7 or if their intent is to drag this outfor several more seasons.

I mean, I actually believe narratively that V7 would be the perfect chance to have the two souls mergewith Oscar accepting Ozpin as a part of him.

Since V5, it has been foreshadowed that Oscar isn’tthe one to change with the Merge. It’s Ozpin. Ozpin is destined to become a part ofOscar. As a matter of fact, my belief is what will visually happen during theMerge is that Ozpin---the current version of Ozma’s soul---will ultimatelycease to look like his former self and instead, Ozpinwill change to look like Oscar.

After that, he will become a part of Oscar with him inheriting all of hismemories and at long last, Oscar will be whole. The two souls will become onemind. And that one mind will be oneperson and his name will be OscarPine.

That’s pretty much my idea with that.I’m starting to wonder if Oscar’s story for V7 would involve him and Oz withthe Merge at all. I mean, I’d like for Oz to still be around in the story longenough for him to reconcile things with everyone else. 

However at the same timeI don’t want things to return to what it was like before with Ozpin constantlyeclipsing Oscar’s screen time and development. If these two are meant to mergeand be one person, do it already so Oscar can be one complete character who canthen begin the next chapter of his character development as Ozpin’s successorin Ozma’s Cycle.

Because as much as I like Ozpin as a character, Ihonestly feel like his presence has been a hindrance to Oscar’s progress than acomplement and that’s mostly due in part to how poorly the CRWBY Writers havehandled these two together. 

Rather than striking a perfectbalance between both souls, their individual stories and theirshared storyline together, it feels as if Oz had been riding coattail with theWriters often using Oscar’s face to push his development while Oscar’s owngrowth gets subdued and ignored most of the time. 

It’s part of the reason whyI’m in denial of the Writers’ promise for Oscar development for V7 given histreatment in V5 and V6, especially after Oz was taken out of the story.

But anyways, enough about that. That’snot really what I’m supposed to be answering anyway. Going back to what I wassaying before about the CRWBY drawing inspiration from Fullmetal Alchemist, Ihave another idea Pineheadheadcanon I pondered about before which sort ofties into your idea about Oscarsnapping from his mistreatment by Ironwood.

Here me out with this one. For the Fullmetal Alchemist fans in the FNDM, do you rememberthe Mannequin Soldiers or the ‘ImmortalLegion’ from Brotherhood?

The ImmortalLegion were an army of mannequins that onceinjected with liquid Philosopher’s Stone, will attack without fear of death orharm. And to add another layer of tragedy to these beasts, they wereadditionally fuelled by victimizedsouls.

You can kind of guess where I’m goingwith this, right? We know the series had mentioned that Atlas has been conductingexperiments in order to learn about aura scientifically. If this is somethingthat Atlas does then what’s stopping someone from abusing this type oftechnology and research?

As far as we know, Penny Polendina was the first artificial lifeformto produce an aura so one can easily deduce that Pennywas a by-product of those same aura experiments. The only successful one, that is. So, that being said, I repeat the question again. What’sstopping someone corrupted from using this same research to build themselves anarmy of artificial beings powered by aura?

Why am Ibringing this up, you might ask? Wellin the V7 trailer, Ironwood mentioned something about ‘needinga new approach to stopping Salem’. We alsoknow that Penny was originally the first of her kind created to protecthumanity as she told Ruby back during the events of V2 if I’m rememberingcorrectly.

I’d also like to believe that followingwhat occurred during the Vytal Festival, Ironwood probably discontinued hisresearch on aura after what happened to Penny, his first and only successfultest subject from the experiment. 

My hunch is that Penny was a robotic replicacreated from one soul---the harnessed soul of Professor Polendina’s deceaseddaughter. I’d like to think that Dr. Polendina once had a young daughter whowas terminally ill and one her death bed as a result of incurable disease.

My theory is that Penny was born as ameans for Dr. Polendina trying to salvage and preserve what was left of hislittle girl. Penny, by my theories, was possibly Dr. P’s daughter’s secondchance at life for it was her aura that brought this lifeless robotic puppet tolife (I’d also like to think that the Relic of Creation also had a hand in thisas well).  

My hunch is that after successfullyreviving Dr. P’s daughter in the form of Penny, the doctor probably wished todiscontinue his research on aura but it was actually Ironwood who insisted onhaving Penny train to become a huntress for the military. Given how protectivePenny described her father to be, it wouldn’t surprise me if that was the case.

While Ironwood probably wished to expand theexperiment, Dr. P simply wanted his daughter back. A daughter he was forced tosee die twice.

I’d like to think that after whathappened to Penny, out of respect for Dr. P and his loss, the scientist madeIronwood promise that he would never resume his experiments. At least, not withPenelope’s soul. My theory is that, although Penny’s robotic body gotdestroyed, her aura---her soul was still salvaged.

It makes me curious if for V7 we’ll be seeing what anaura looks like when harnessed. Like picture Penny’s soul being kept in somekind of containment jar. Like Dr. P holds Penny’s soul in some kind of jar ashis way of still holding onto his daughter’s life. He doesn’t want or trust Ironwood and his military to use Penny like they did ever again, but at the same time he’snot quite ready to let her go yet. As a grieving father, Dr. P is still dealingwith accepting that Penny is gone and may never come back. And I’d like tothink that this can tie into Ruby’s reservations over Penny’s death andPyrhha’s.

Not sure if the CRWBY Writers are going to have Penny rebuilt and return for V7and the Atlas Arc. But regardless, I think it would be interesting to see Ruby,as the closest thing to Penny’s best friend in the series, deal with her ownmisgivings over losing Penny by bonding with her father. It may even lend to her further development as a Silver Eyed Warrior. But who knows, y’know?

Keeping all that in mind here, what if…Ironwood,in his desperation and paranoia, gets the brilliant idea to use the researchgathered from the creation of Penny to create a full-fledge army of advancedrobotic soldiers who, similar to Penny, possess the abilityto produce an aura.

Since Salem is an immortal, the notionwould be to create an army that matches her invulnerability. By creating anarmy powered by aura, Ironwood would be able to command his own army ofsoldiers who can’t die in combat. Because they are machines, they can easily berepaired in the face of damage and since these soldiers will be powered byaura, even if the soldier’s mechanical body is destroyed, the aura used to fuelit will remain in tact and could potentially be salvaged and implanted intoanother body for reuse. That’s the idea. Ironwood even goes as part as to this hypotheticalarm of his as the, quote unquote, ‘ImmortalLegion’.

Again, see where I’m going with this,folks? I like the idea of Ironwood making the decision to resume development onAtlas Aura Experimentation as his solution to ultimately figuring out a way tostop Salem. In another version of this headcanon, I painted the impression ofIronwood believing Oscar’s soul to holding the key to stopping Salem once andfor all and was willing to subject the young boy to painful experiments inorder to prove it, even if said experiments could potentially kill Oscar.

In this alternative to that sametheory, I’m going to paint another picture. Imagineif…Oscar is Ironwood’s golden ticket toachieving his Immortal Legion. While Penny provided James with the buildingblocks to construct his army from, at the end of day Penny was only one soulcapable of powering only one robotic body.

I’d like to believe that one limit to auraexperimentation is that while the soul can be harnessed and placed into anotherbody, replicating it is impossible even by scientific means. Even if Ironwooddesired to forge an entire army from Penny Polendina’s single soul, he wouldn’thave been able to achieve this goal for two reasons. One because Dr. P wouldn’thave consented to him using his daughter’s soul in such a manner and secondly,it’s impossible for one’s aura to be surplused as a power supply since auracan’t be copied and no single soul is powerful enough to achieve such a feat. …Orso…Ironwood believed.

My theory is that in the event of Ironwooddesiring to manufacture an army of immortal robotic soldiers powered by aura,it would be Oscar’s soul he uses to fuel his Immortal Legion. Let’s not forgetthat Oscar may be his own person but he isn’t just one soul either. He is aculmination of his own soul and the souls of all the past Wizards that camebefore him in Ozma’s cycle. Technically by my understanding, Oscar is aura gold mine---the perfect source to fuel Ironwood’s Immortal Legion as hewill come to soon see.

So by my headcanons, Ironwood basically tricks Oscar into becomingsome kind of battery for his army designed to combat Salem. Oscar is kidnapped and forced into undergoing a painfulexperiment that practically rips his soul apart and used it to power awaken anarmy of robotic soldiers powered by Oscar’s soul but all programmed to obeyIronwood.And one of Ironwood’s first orders of business is to use his Legion toattack the JNR_QRWMBY when they become a threat to his schemes. Our heroesstage a full on assault against Ironwood and his military in the hopes rescuingthe captured Oscar. However what the huntsmen discover waiting for them is fardeadly than what they imagined.

The Legion prove themselves to be anexceptionally resilient and formidable foe. Since Atlas is known for its mightand technological advancement, I like the idea of Ironwood creating his Legionto be self-repairing. Like imagine something along the lines of the Legionbeing made from nearly indestructible metal combined with some form ofnanotechnology that results in the machine being able to instantly repair anydamage to its body on the spot in real time as its taking damage.

So even if an opponent aims for the machine’s limbs,the technology infused in its body enables it to easily regenerate and repairparts on the fly as quick as it takes damage. Like something straight out ofclassic Terminator.

Another justification as to why theLegion prove difficult for our heroes to fight is the idea of RWBY and JNRbeing very reluctant to attack the army since, at the core, the Legion is Oscar.

Since the Legion are powered by Oscar’saura, this makes them connected to him in some shape or form so essentially anymajor harm dealt to the robotic army could potentially cause a chain reactionthat can mortally harm Oscar and none of the heroes were willing to take thatrisk.

So our heroes have no choice but todisarm the machines without destroying them. Fighting their way as a means ofsurviving long enough for, let’s say someone smart like Dr. P to figure out away to dispel the entire army and free Oscar.

At some point during the rescue mission, everyone getssplit up somehow. Let’ssay Ruby, by some means, winds up on her own separated fromthe others while huffing it, trying to outrun a pack of Legion hot on her tail.To add another coat of inspiration from Fullmetal Alchemist, y’know the part ofthe story with Nina, that’s pretty much a meme right now? Y’know how Nina wasturned into a talking chimera by her father and the way in which Ed and Alfigured this out was when the Chimera Nina spoke to Ed and called him ‘Big Brother Edward’.

Well…picturethis. Ironwood manages to corner Ruby on abridge suspended over a deep canyon. On one side stood Ironwood leading a packof Legion and on the other side a dead end. Not even Ruby’s semblance would bestrong enough to save her since she was too exhausted from fending off theother Legion in her wake.

Ironwood then orders the Legionaccompanying him to kill Ruby. At first Ruby does well enough against theoncoming Legion by managing to dodge their attacks by knocking them off thebridge. However Ruby on her own is no match for both the Legion and Ironwoodwho immediately blindsides her.

With only one Legion remaining, let’s say…Ironwood orders it to killRuby for her insubordination (because atthis point he’s gone off the deep end). However instead of obeying his commandlike before, the lone Legion prepares its weapon to fire at Ruby only tosuddenly freeze.

It’s mechanical red eye starts to shifterratically; flashing between red and a familiar shade of green; as if therobotic beast was warring with itself.

Ironwood screams his orders to killRuby again at the machine and for a second time, his demands are ignored. 

Then ina static robotic voice, the Legion speaks. It says “…Ru…Ru…by…”

Even though it’s clearly a machine imitating a humanvoice, the manner in which it says it immediately lets Ruby know that it’sOscar in there---Oscar’s soul speaking to her through the machine. I mean itwouldn’t be the first time we’ve heard Aaron Dismuke voice a human voice comingfrom an artificial body, now would it?

Anyways the deviant Legion---that Ishall hereby dub Oscar-Bot---speaks again. 

He says “…Ru…by.Must…not…hurt…Ru…by…” Oscar-bot then looks directly at Ironwood and says “…You…will…NOT…useme…for THIS!”

So basically, Oscar-bot ends upprotecting Ruby from Ironwood. Like after it hesitates to kill her, an infuriatedIronwood forces Oscar-bot out of the way by putting a bullet in the machine’shead. Ruby screams Oscar’s name as the lifeless machine falls to the floor.Ruby cries over this while Ironwood sort of mocks her for it. As Ironwoodprepares to give Ruby her own shot of death, something incredibly unexpectedhappens.

Despite being shot, the Oscar Bot comesback online. The Oscar Bot then tries to stop Ironwood from harming Ruby.Y’know how in Terminator, we have that badass moment where Sarah Conner puts severalshots in the evil Terminator. Well picture something like that where Ironwooddares to harm Ruby but Oscar Bot is determined to protect her.

Ironwood naturally busts a couple ofcaps in Oscar-bot but no matter how many times he shoots at the robot, it justkeeps coming. I like the satire in a moment like this since Ironwood equippedhis Immortal Legion with all the tools to combat Salem and keep coming back asmuch as she could. And now his own creation turns on him and it’s theenhancement that he built into them that’s keeping him from destroying it,basically.

Ironwood eventually shoots at Oscar-bot until he runsout of bullets. By this time, Oscar-bot is already in front of him, toweringover the General. Ruby watches on in amazement as Ironwood tries to fight therelentless Oscar-bot, throwing punches and kicks at him. But the machinedoesn’t go down. The stubbornsoul fuelling its body wouldn’t let up as he was determinedto prevent Ironwood from harming his beloved red rose.

Eventually Ruby uses the distractionprovided by Oscar-bot to assist him. Let’s say, while Ironwood is about to pummel Oscar-bot when Ruby grabs herweapon and fires a shot that…I dunno…blasts Ironwood’s robot hand clean off itshinge. As Ironwood turns to glare at a cheeky Ruby, smirking as she lowersCrescent Rose, Oscar-bot suddenly strong arms Ironwood, suspending him off theground.

Now picture an unintentionally comical moment where Oscar-bot takes Ironwoodand literally tosses him off the bridge. Ironwood survives, of course, masterfullygrabbing onto a ledge with his human arm. However up on the bridge, this providesa chance for Ruby and Oscar-bot to have a small bonding moment. Oscar-botkneels before Ruby while she in turn slowly touches its face, sort of caressingits metallic cheek.

You know how in the Lost Fable,Jinn described Salem as being able to immediately recognize Ozma’s soul, even when in the body of another, based on their unbridledlove and devotion to one another? 

 “…Call itmagic or call it something stronger, but in that moment, the two knew exactlywho it was that stood before them…”

I think it would be touchinglysweet for the RosegardeningRosebuds to have this similar parallel to Fairytale in which Rubyis able to automatically recognize Oscar’s soul even when inside another body that isn’t his own. Not even science can mask the true strength of an unbreakable bond,especially when the love shared between is powerful enough to transcend it.

So in the event that Ironwood does infact use Oscar’s soul to power an army of aura-infused machines, I’d like tobelieve that regardless, the growing connection Oscar shares with Ruby as partof their close friendship (and potential romance) will be what thwarts thisscheme. Ironwood would underestimate the bond these two smaller, more honestsouls share because when it comes to Ruby Rose, Oscar can’t be tamed. Orsomething like that.

I also really like the idea of Ruby notneeding Oscar-bot to confirm that he is Oscar. She already knew since shealready sensed that it’s him in there powering the machine. As the machinerests its head against her chest, Ruby gently whispers Oscar’s name, promptingit to look up for the two to lock eyes.

And in the same robotic voice frombefore, Oscar-bot replies, “…Ru…by.Ruby. Ru…by…protect Os…car. Oscar protect Ruby. Safe.”

Ruby then smiles through tears ofrelief as she hugs Oscar-bot. 

My RosegardeningPinehead headcanon is that Oscar will admit to Ruby thatpart of the reason he enjoys her company is becauseshe makes him feel safe. I also like the additional detail of Rubyreminding Oscar a lot of the beloved relative he was very close to in his past. Before, this person was the one person in the world capable ofmaking Oscar feel most at ease since he trusted them the most. He also lovedthem more than anything in the world.

Oscar strikes me as the type where love and trust go hand in hand for him. I’d like to think Oscar isn’t the type totrust very easily but when he does, it paves the yellow brick road to straightinto his heart that leads the way to him learning to accept and love youunconditionally.

I also like to believe that Oscar isthe type where if you manage to successfully earn his trust and tame his heart, the adoration and devotion that comes with it is unyielding andeternal. Not to mention surprisingly playful and affectionate cause I’d like tothink Oscar becomes more relaxed, easy-going and open once you’ve fully gainedhis trust. Like this side of him is not for everyone. It’s only reserved forthe people he loves the most since he trusts them the most.  

And this is how I believe Oscar will soon come to seeRuby. She is more than just his friend. She will be his closest confidant. Theone he trusts more than anyone else and the only one able to calm him down.Make him feel secure and at peace. The one he loves. That’s my hunch.

I know you talked about this going badand Oscar snapping anon-chan. Does this headcanon kind of feed into that? I mean it kind ofdoes in a way---yes, no, kind of. At least, it could potentially lead into away where Oscar snaps on everyone through my Ironwood’s Immortal Legionconcept. It can also go a different route where Oscar doesn’t really snap butinside shows more strength and morality as a human being.

I’d love to go more into that further.However…I think I’m going to end things here and reserve that for its ownPinehead headcanon post. This response is already too long so I’ll reserve it’scontinuation for a new theory post since I really like this Oscar-bot and Immortal Legion idea going on here. 

In the meantime, I hope I at leastanswered you as always anon-chan. To you and anyone who read through all of this, please let meknow what you guys think of the ideas I shared here. You folks always pick mybrain for my thoughts so I wouldn’t mind hearing your thoughts on my thoughts.So let me know, cool?

~LittleMissSquiggles(2019)

[melonbreadreviews-blog]

Playing ‘The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’ Three Years Later

I’ll admit, I’m often late to the party on major title releases in gaming. I’d like to tell you that it’s an intentional choice of mine, that it’s in my best interest to let the best and worst parts of these landscape altering pieces of art simmer in a pot together. I picked up Bloodborne on a whim three years after its release, and after about a two hour play session, I decided it wasn’t for me; three months later I was glued to my TV every night after work searching every nook and cranny that the hunter’s dream had to offer me.

My point is that buying a game upon its initial release is a commitment to either loving or hating that game. I often feel compelled to shower praise on the solid parts of games that I love, and pressure to explain with hyperbole the games I just couldn’t vibe with. Playing Bloodborne years after its release at a much lower price allowed me to put it down when I didn’t enjoy it, and pick it back up when I needed it. The parts of it that I didn’t like weren’t exacerbated by a pressure to validate my own experiences relative to the gaming community. Likewise, when i picked the game up again, I loved it not because I thought I should, but because the experience itself was legitimately breathtaking.

Three months later, set against the familiar hum and drum of my slowly dying Playstation 4, my experience with CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt begins. I tried to begin this same journey a few months earlier, but that run died on the starting line in a messy tutorial and a post-Bloodborne haze. One enormous Dragon Quest XI run later, and I’m finally ready to give this journey three years in the making a chance. My expectations are a mixed bag; I carry with me the influences of a thousand burning reddit threads and the weight of an inescapable question: Has this game aged well?

For those of you who aren’t familiar with The Witcher franchise (I’ve never read the series or played a mainline game before touching The Witcher 3, so you’re not alone!), the main plot of the game follows the journey of a Witcher named Geralt as he searches for his protege and ward Ciri while also fending off the primary antagonistic force of the game, the Wild Hunt. Witchers serve as bounty hunters of the region, often dealing with the monsters and villains ordinary folk are incapable of handling themselves. Throughout the game, players can feel the tension in the air between Geralt and the people around him, often including the ones he saves. Witchers exist outside the realm of normalcy in this universe, and to some extent the amount of agency the franchise gives you over the lives of the people who exist around you is a direct cause of the aforementioned tension. Though the social world Geralt inhabits mirrors the dangers of the physical world around him, there are romantic options in the game that allow for a deeper understanding of his character and The Witcher universe. The lore aspect of this game really separates it from similar titles in the same genre.

My first memories of the game still hold true, though my feelings about them have changed. I love the comic style art that flashes across the screen as the game loads, not because it matches the aesthetic of the game, but precisely because it does not. If I compare The Witcher 3 to other iterations of the same genre like Skyrim or Fallout, I find myself enjoying that not every moment of The Witcher is something that I need to take seriously. Sometimes, it’s okay to be reminded of the fact that I am actually playing a game and not living and dying by the decisions I make in this world.

That isn’t to say that decisions in this game don’t matter, though; I find that The Witcher 3 places weight on its decisions in a similar fashion to Mass Effect, rather than Skyrim or Fallout. There are several moments in the game that require a timed quick response in conversations or during action, and those quick responses sometimes dictate both the flow of ongoing dialogue and possible relationships with the characters around Geralt. There are even dialogue options that seem quite diplomatic on the surface, but end in brawls or even death for characters that the player did not expect. These moments are meant to teach the player just how much agency they have over the lives around them; sometimes Geralt feels like a god, and sometimes he feels just as vulnerable to the whims of the world as the people around him.

Normally, worlds that freely give that sort of agency to the player overwhelm me. I feel paralyzed by just how much my choices matter, and my love for the friends I’ve made throughout the story keeps me from playing the game as intended. Through the use of guides and reddit threads, I orchestrate my game in order to keep those characters alive, and that leaves me with less of an experience in the end. The Witcher 3, however, doesn’t leave me paralyzed in the same way. Because much of the main narrative is decidedly linear, Geralt is free to explore the world around him, which includes contracts to kill creatures and free spirits and occasional games of a fairly fun but not too complex card game called Gwent. Not every decision has a role to play in the main story, and the ones that do feel natural in the game’s flow. Geralt is both insanely powerful and incredibly vulnerable, but I never fear for the outcome of his story while enjoying the fun of making decisions.  

The skippable tutorial of the game remains not so skippable considering the amount of experience I have with The Witcher 3’s combat, but I appreciate that I have the option of ignoring it if I decide to run through new game plus. It’s here that the meat of the game comes to the forefront. The reason I initially put down The Witcher 3 was because I didn’t enjoy the flow of combat, which includes the two primary slashing attacks with two variants of weapons, a myriad of magical powers called Signs, and the use of items like bombs, crossbows and oils which can be applied to Geralt’s main weapons. If you’re just judging the combat of the game on the first few hours, The Witcher 3 may not meet your expectations of a major title release. When disjointed in the name of learning, the combat feels clunky, and the first few contracts in the region, especially on higher difficulties, are a major challenge for the uninitiated.

But in the same way I came to love Bloodborne, I’ve come to adore The Witcher 3 because of my journey with it. Sitting through the first few hours of the game, especially in 2018, can be sort of a grind. The story has yet to materialize, the combat is underdeveloped, and Geralt himself can seem unrelatable, but as the hours move on, the game opens up in parallel fashion to the world it encompasses. The combat itself feels incredibly fluid, each piece of it tied together in a way that challenges the player to learn how to be a Witcher, while also rewarding enough to encourage growth and not detract from the side-questing and story that make this game fun. The Witcher 3’s systems include a hearty dodging mechanic that feels clunky outside of battle, but seamless in it, and a parry system that is absolutely necessary on higher difficulties. Geralt’s magic, Signs, interact with objects in the world, but they can also be morphed and shaped into crowd control devices. The ability tree is extensive, but in a way that represents a mixing of action and role-playing. Each playthrough can be different, but Geralt remains much of the same, just upgraded.

Though not combat in a traditional sense, I think The Witcher 3’s in-game card system, Gwent, represents an entirely different method of fighting for players. Though not required, there are various quests given to Geralt in different regions of the game which involved beating skilled Gwent players at cards. While the game involves a little bit of strategy, it’s never overwhelming, and because Gwent isn’t a major factor in the story, it’s skippable for fans who don’t enjoy it. I found myself going from inn to inn, challenging keeps to games for their best cards, and I really came to love a part of the game I didn’t enjoy all that much at first. It’s a missable portion of the game, but it definitely adds dimension to the gameplay without requiring too much effort on the part of the player.

Much of the game’s story is very compelling, and it isn’t saddled with an extensive lore that the player is forced to grapple with. There is lore, yes, but that lore is discoverable all over the world, and it’s the player’s choice to explore it, or not. There is a distinct moment in the first 20 hours or so of the game that allows the player to learn about about Geralt’s relationship with Ciri through dialogue options with another character. The player can listen to all of the heavy lore in the dialogue, or simply skip it. The Witcher 3 is chalk full of story, but it never asks the player to share the burden of that story. In much the way you can flow in and out of the narrative of the story through side-questing and contracts, you can simply choose not to pay attention to certain parts of the main quest line.

That isn’t to say that the story is lacking or is unfocused. There are reasons to want to stay on track, including a wide array of characters who are, though not as interesting as Geralt, incredibly complex. The Witcher 3 does a fantastic job of presenting its best qualities though, and those qualities encourage players to explore the world around them and creative a narrative journey that varies significantly from player to player. Whether or not a player values that storytelling approach, though, depends on their own taste. Personally, I found that I could have my fill of Gwent and monster hunting, and then pick right back up where I left the main story.

The Witcher 3 is not without its faults, despite my glowing praise up to this point. While the world itself is rendered beautifully, I found the interactions with other characters to pose the biggest problems for the game’s graphics. There were times where Geralt’s face would simply teleport all over the screen until the game was able to settle into the set animations for the dialogue, and I distinctly remember an interaction between Geralt and Triss Merigold which involved Triss pressing a hand to her face that was stuck in the Igni battle animation for fire. While these graphical glitches don’t detract from the overall product, they are wrinkles on the surface of the game that begin to show its age. I was surprised that the world remained incredibly stable, save for a few times I found my horse could fit between a clustered group of trees better than I could, while the dialogue options proved incredibly difficult for the animations in the game. It reminded me a lot of my time with Mass Effect, in both good and bad ways. There was a certain novelty, but maybe that novelty is a bit too dated for a Playstation 4 title.

I’d like to end this review where I started, and that is on the subject of playing games years after they’ve already debuted. I wish I was a strong enough person to not feel the pressure that comes with making a commitment to a new title, but I often let reviews and recommendations, either positive or negative, affect the way I experience games. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a near perfect example of my current status as a consumer, because I’ve been able to enjoy all the good that the game has to offer without taking the bad bits too seriously. I did expect the game to be great, of course, but I didn’t expect it to be perfect, and that’s partly because I don’t have a need to be justified in having purchased it. I haven’t tasked myself with deciding The Witcher’s place in history; that’s already been decided. So, for now, I feel quite content to stroll along cobblestone city roads and swampy marshes, living life as a Witcher.

[a-shakespearean-in-paris]

Honest Opinions about Mass Effect Andromeda

This was on my now deleted old blog, and when I deleted the blog this post also went gone with the wind. Found it on my computer and decided to re-upload because why not. Kind of a review of the game. Keep in mind this was written before the patches and before they made Jaal a romance for both Ryders. SPOILERS

While I love the Dragon Age series, and would even consider it my favorite video game series, I never played Bioware’s other major franchise until this game came out. I gravitate towards fantasy epics, but have personally never cared for science fiction or stories set in outer space. Despite the lukewarm reception the game got, I went ahead and parted with my sixty dollars to buy the game and decide for myself. While I have to say I enjoyed the game as a whole, I have a few opinions that I thought I would share. Warning, there will be spoilers.

Character Creation: This didn’t bother me as much as it bothered others. At first it was hard to get the character how I wanted her, then I realized the trick was picking the right face shape off the list, and going off of that. That being said though, there are things that severely annoyed me about the creation process. If you liked the eye shape on one face but the nose shape on the other, you basically had to pick one and settle. This is different from the Dragon Age Inquisition character creator, were you can change anything on the face. It’s amazing to me how many steps they took backward, while also taking one step forward. In Dragon Age, your hair kind of awkwardly stays still, but at least now my ponytail realistically moves in the wind.

Character Facial Animations: It’s been said to death, but oh my god…it was kind of sad. Now, I will say that even though I was led to believe that the game had nonstop bad animation, that’s not actually what occurred during my playthrough. Addison was animated shoddily, as were a few other minor characters. The worst I saw wasn’t even on my playthrough however. It was Scott’s expression during his romance scene with Cora. Instead of looking aroused, he honestly looked terrified. I understand the complaints, because I have them too. This is the age were The Last of Us has come out, and I can look at the screen without my glasses and for a minute think Joel is a real person. Truthfully, bioware was never the best at character animations, and no one has complained in the past. That being said though, there have been some moments of brilliance in the past. For example, there’s a gifset floating around of the way Cullen looks at the Inquisitor after you’ve locked in the romance in Inquisiton. It’s perfectly animated, and when I look at that scene, compared to the subpar-ness of some of these people in Andromeda, I know they can do a better job. This isn’t the same team that did past games, and that had something to do with it, but I still think when you have that many assets, you can do a better job. I will say however, that bullying certain animators on twitter is no way to express dissatisfaction. All it does is make you look like an asshole.  

At the end of the day though, what sells Bioware characters is not necessarily how their animated, but how their unique personality meshes with the performance of the voice actors to bring them to life. And as a whole, I don’t have too many complaints about the characters and squadmates, though I have my own preferences in terms of whose storylines I found the most appealing. Obviously I loved Jaal and the whole angara culture, and I loved him so much he became my romance. Beyond him I actually really liked Cora, and the friendship she and my pathfinder developed, as well as Vetra.

Romance: I’ll be honest, what first drew me to Dragon Age way back when was the fact that you could pick a character to romance. And now, with Mass Effect, I had the unique opportunity to romance an alien. So obviously I picked the alien Jaal to have a relationship with. Even though I liked the romance, it made me realize how similar some of these bioware romances are written. In Inquisition, at some point both Cullen and Solas take you to a body of water. Guess what…so does Jaal. Bonus points for Cullen, because he takes you to a place near his home, just like Jaal. Not to mention, out of all the relationships, Jaal’s seemed to be the one that pandered to the female demographic the most. (“Wherever you go, take me with you.”) That probably says more about me than it does Bioware, as I always seem to chose the romance that panders to haplessly romantic women the most. Now, even though I said the romance with Jaal was nice, I feel like the content was lacking, especially when I thought Inquisition was generous when it came to romance scenes. With Jaal, we flirted, he took me to meet his family, we bang, and poof, over. Can I have at least had a repeatable kissing cutscene on the tempest like Inquisition had while you were at Skyhold? Is that too much to ask?

Family Dynamics: My biggest beef with the game was how the family dynamic was handled. When I heard your brother (or sister, if you play a male) as well as your papa would be there with you, I thought that was damn cool. Too bad papa is only in the game for the prologue before dying. And then to top it off, your bro/sis is in a coma for most of the game, and when he/she wakes up…they stay on the nexus and don’t tag along! I was looking forward to the father/child dynamic, but alas, that never came. Imagine how cool it would be to clash with your dad? Or go against his advice and deal with the fallout? But nope. He needed to die. I understand why this happened in terms of story, but it was still a disappointment.

Along the same vein, it would have been awesome to have that brother/sister dynamic as you pathfound. Would your sibling be jealous that you were the pathfinder? What would they say about your romance? Would they get busy with someone else? Alas, we’ll never know, and I think this was a missed opportunity. Though it was cool to see how they were involved in the ending. I’m hoping your sibling becomes a squadmate in the next game, though now that I think about it, I understand that it may not be feasible, as the voice actors would have to record different sets of dialogue that may be too taxing.

Conclusion: I have a few more hangups, like how hard the nomad was to control, at least on PS4, and how annoying traveling to other planets was. I really liked the combat in this game, which is odd because usually combat isn’t my favorite part of a bioware game. Now, I realize that a lot of my complaints are supposedly going to be patched, which is great…but I think there is a larger issue here. Game developers shouldn’t release games that aren’t ready to be released yet, and as it is, I think Mass Effect could have been in the oven at least a week before release to fix some of the issues. I kind of wish I would have waited to buy the game, so my first experience with it would have been a better one, but it is what it is. I enjoyed the game, and if I had the opportunity, I might play the original mass effect games. Will I play Andromeda again? As of right now I don’t have the desire to. But in the future, who knows.

Final note: As someone who never played the original, the game was good. Not great, but good, and I thought it was worth the money.