#Stock Market Fantasy Game

[vijay01]

Fantasy Stock Gaming App popularity as they blend the excitement of fantasy sports with the real-time dynamics of the stock market Like StockBattle, TradePlayz, MarketWatch Fantasy Portfolio, Fantasy Stock Exchange , StockGro

[a-tinys-dreams]

Some men get in relationships with women, love them, but intimacy wise they prefer a man or to get pummeled by dildo/cock.

They do this so society will leave them alone bc they are extremely abusive to anyone not straight.

They do this because they want their own blood children.

They love their baby mommas but not in the sexual manner, which is why those women tend to go find someone that truly loves them and will be open minded for the situation.

"Opposites attract"

Reference idea comes from @shit-the-vampyr-cast-never-said

[tradingleagues]

How Do Fantasy Games Help To Earn Real Money? 

Would you like to earn money while also having fun? A good way to do this is to play fantasy stock market games. These games are designed to help you earn money and have fun while also learning about the stock market. Check it out: How Do Fantasy Games Help To Earn Real Money?

[wanderingtycho]

By far one of my favorite things about the way Disco Elysium handles politics is that Libertarianism is treated as an absolute joke. Like the game is obviously sympathetic towards communists, but there are elements of sympathy towards the moralists and fascists as well. Not sympathy in the sense of “oh can’t we all just get along, we’re all human” BS, but sympathy in the sense that you are able to understand a persons thought process that would lead them to embrace moralism or fascism. Even if that thought process is deeply flawed, and leads to horribly off kilter conclusions, going through the centrist and fash quests gives you meaningful insight into the appeal of those ideologies.

But Ultraliberalism? The game just laughs at you, repeatedly and mercilessly. As it should, you’re a cop so poor a guy you’ve known for one day has to pawn some fancy hubcaps so you can afford rent, yet all you talk about is your grindset. Your hustle, how you’re gonna disrupt the market and groove your way into the lap of luxury. It’s delusion, utter stark raving madness, and characters treat you as such.

Kim is at a loss for words whenever you crank on your libertarian spiel, Evrart calls you a retard, you have to *trick* the mega-rich light bending guy into giving you mercury mining stocks because he’s simply too perplexed by you. Joyce, last of the self identified Ultras, doesn’t take you seriously. Sileng just goes along with it the same way he goes along with any of the other nonsense you can spout, because he’s on his own hustle, and there is no loyalty among charlatans. The only character who is wholeheartedly onboard with the money engineering and the visionary wave making lifestyle is literally named IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL.

But you see, all these things are just incidental, where the game makes it most potent jab at libertarians is when the vision quest stops. Notice I said *stop* not *end*. The communist quest line ends with a Rhetoric check in order to ask The Most Important Question about Communism. The fascist quest has you look yourself in the eye with an Endurance check to see if you can stomach the truth about yourself and your Vöws. The moralist quest ends with a heart wrenching Empathy check as you beg the iron grey and soulless enforcers of the status quo to please god help this district before war breaks out in the streets. There’s real personal stakes for Harry in all these disparate paths he can walk, what does Ultraliberalism get?

You and Kim look at a statue covered in tinsel and disco balls, Kim asks you why you went through with all this, and no matter what response you pick he’s like “Right, yeah, okay. Anyway, let’s finish the case.”

That’s it, no grand moment of pathos, no red Savoir Faire skill check to see if you really are the baddest hustler in the neoliberal hood after all. It’s completely limp, flaccid, lackluster. The game treats all the effort you put into this as exactly what it is: sad, cringe fantasies of a poor old man who’s huffing copium over the embarrassed millionaire mythos.

Disco Elysium doesn’t give libertarianism a poignant, profound conclusion because it’s an ideology undeserving of such treatment. It’s a hyper-capitalist cult mentality of toxic positivity and confirmation bias, a way for desperate people to trick themselves and other chumps into thinking they can bootstrap their way into wealth and prestige. It goes past wishful thinking into pure delirium, the game doesn’t engage with it seriously because it doesn’t have to, the only people who sincerely believe any of its tenants are morons and the clowns who sucker them.

[thefaiao]

Last year as a New Year's resolution I set out to play as many new games as possible for this year. I spend a lot of my time playing games as they are very endearing to me and one of my favorite ways to dive into in this life. I will now list all the games I played to completion this year. I am pretty happy with how many I managed to go through. Some I haven't necessarily finished as they are more open ended, but I'll still list them if I think I spent a respectable amount of time learning and toying with them. Anyway, vaguely in the order they were played: Final Fantasy IV Final Fantasy V Final Fantasy IX How Fish is Made Lethal Company Balatro Umineko When They Cry: Questions Arc Felvidek Signalis Papers Please Resident Evil 4 Metal Gear Solid S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat Arctic Eggs Zelda: A Link to the Past Zelda: Ocarina of Time Fear & Hunger Darkwood Umineko When They Cry: Answers Arc Resident Evil 2 Casion Inc. Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (All campaigns) Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines Merchant of the Skies STONKS-9800: Stock Market Simulator The Invisible Hand Offworld Trading Company UFO 50 WEBFISHING Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition E.Y.E: Divine Cybermancy Fallout: Sonora (with Dayglow DLC) Half-Life 2 Episode 1 The Age of Decadence Half Life 2 Episode 2 Citizen Sleeper Dark Souls 2 Black Mesa

Pretty good I think. I recommend this approach if you have any interest in games, to just play as many new ones as you can. Just pick a direction and keep going. This list is incomplete because I probably still can sneak in another two games.

If there are any games you'd like me to check out (More likely to happen if they are obscure and on the shorter end), I'd love to hear it. I think I will keep this pace for next year as well.

[distinguisheddwarffriend]

Today on Hobbit-Headcanons:

What would the company of Thorin Oakenshield enjoy about the Modern World?

One of my WIP transports the company to our world shortly before they're supposed to reach Rivendell, and into the apartment of my OFC.

So here is a list of things I think each character would enjoy about the Modern World:

Thorin: Google Maps, Siri (will totally argue with her like she's real), Shows like The Crown, Game of Thrones, but also Bridgerton, Democracy (yes you read that correctly), Rock music

Fili: Birth Control (can finally fuck around without risking the royal lineage), Superhero Movies (has an huuuhe crush on Black Widow), Tinder, Martial Arts, Feminism, Henley shirts to show of his muscles, bars & clubs

Kili : TikTok (LOVES cat videos, Top Content Creator about Archery, 'deep thoughts'/rambling, 'prank my uncle/brother with me', does EVERY challenge, accidental thirsttraps & flustered by the comments), Parkour, Man Buns & (Hipster-) Fashion, LGBTQ+ - Community , karaoke bars, team sports, the zoo

Bofur: modern music (especially pop songs with dirty lyrics), Tumblr (is no. 1 shit-poster), music festivals, arts&crafts blogs, Christopher's Streets Day

Bifur: Google Translate, Modern Medicine, Pain Medication, ASL, RomComs (trust me), helps out in an animal shelter, country music

Bombur: Cooking Shows (has his own Online Show), Kindergarten (he had so many children, the reprieve would be SO appreciated), international foodstuff to try

Dwalin: Guns, MMF, store-bought cookies, sport shows (AGRESSIVE fan for whatever team he randomly picks), Barbecues

Balin: Twitter (the political possibilities!!!), mental healthcare (he's sending the whole line of Durin he had no time for their shit), Spa Days, public schools, classical music

Oin: Modern Medicine (Duh), hearing aids, physiotherapy

Gloin: bitcoins, the stock market, Facebook (posts daily about Gimli)

Dori: hair tutorials, fashion shows, tracking devices (has totally microchipped a drunk Nori at some point)

Nori: hacking, movies with the lovable rogue as the MC (Pirates of the Carribbean, Deadpool etc.), spy movies (duh), the mafia (yes, he becomes a boss within weeks)

Ori: Wikipedia, public libraries, tutorials for EVERYTHING (knitting, cutting your own hair, how to talk to royalty, fancy war cries, you name it), fantasy novels, public schools

Bilbo: Food blogs, the "ignore call"-button, Instagram, university (will mayor in at least three subjects), museums

Gandalf: the Internet as a whole, email/ instant messaging, yard sales, modern weed, museums (has a knack for finding cursed items), adventure movies (after watching Indiana Jones he seriously debated obtaining a whip)

[ultimate-anime-tournament]

THE ULTIMATE ANIME TOURNAMENT BEGINS! featuring 384 shows spanning 60 years!

all matchups are listed below the cut, and the first polls will be going up shortly 👍

edit: made a google spreadsheet documenting all matchups and their wins/losses!

left side:

Majokko Megu-chan VS Soul Eater VS Turn A Gundam

Noragami VS Ranma 1/2 VS Shadows House

Captain Tsubasa VS Barakamon VS Ojamajo Doremi

Dr Ramune: Mysterious Disease Specialist VS Joshiraku VS Concrete Revolutio

Maya the Honey Bee VS Bocchi the Rock! VS Senyuu.

Angel Beats VS Golden Kamuy VS Initial D

Lucky Star VS Mononoke VS Assassination Classroom

Go! Princess Pretty Cure VS Shirobako VS Space Pirate Captain Harlock

Golden Time VS Death Note VS Ao Haru Ride

Food Wars VS One Piece VS Space Battleship Yamato

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K VS Blood Blockade Battlefront VS Poco's Udon World

Space Patrol Luluco VS Yu-Gi-Oh! VS Your Lie in April

Slam Dunk VS One Punch Man VS Candy Candy

Doraemon VS Akame ga Kill VS Black Clover

Space Dandy VS Sazae-san VS Bloom into You

Show by Rock!! VS Pokémon VS Restaurant to Another World

Uchouten Kazoku VS Tetsujin 28 VS Miracle Girl Limit-chan

Sally the Witch VS March Comes in Like a Lion VS Ground Defense Force! Mao-chan

Day Break Illusion VS Heidi, Girl of the Alps VS Zombie Land Saga

Yuri is My Job! VS Kimagure Orange Road VS The Seven Deadly Sins

Akudama Drive VS Future Boy Conan VS Land of the Lustrous

BanG Dream! VS Rin-ne VS Serial Experiments Lain

Snow White with the Red Hair VS Juni Taisen: Zodiac War VS The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Ranking of Kings VS Osomatsu-san VS Odd Taxi

Flying Witch VS Bodacious Space Pirates VS Shugo Chara

Yuki Yuna is a Hero VS Super Dimension Fortress Macros VS Spy x Family

Magic Kaito 1412 VS Kaguya-sama: Love is War VS Kingdom

Aikatsu VS Cells at Work VS New Game!

Blue Exorcist VS Sound! Euphonium VS Ashita no Joe

Re:Zero VS My Hero Academia VS Pani Poni Dash

Ouran High School Host Club VS Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai VS Children of the Whales

86 vs Erased vs Demon Slayer

Mashle vs Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt vs Bakemonogatari

Skip and Loafer vs Shiki vs My-Hime

Laughing under the Clouds VS Naruto VS Sakura Wars

The Vampire Dies in No Time VS Dragon Ball GT VS Fist of the North Star

Shadowverse VS Blue Lock VS Tamako Market

Legend of the Galactic Heroes VS Lycoris Recoil VS Tanaka-kun is Always Listless

Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple VS Sonic X VS Samurai Champloo

Cutie Honey VS Tokyo Revengers VS Parasyte

Kaiji VS Deca-Dence VS Clannad

I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss VS Digimon Adventure VS Charlotte

Kageki Shojo!! VS Majuu Senshi Luna Varga VS Stars Align

Love, Chunibyo, and Other Delusions VS Gintama VS Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits

Bubblegum Crisis VS Air VS Made in Abyss

Touch VS Fire Force VS Love Live! Sunshine!!

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer VS Sket Dance VS Himitsu no Akko-chan

Zatch Bell VS Little Witch Academia VS Gal & Dino

Parappa the Rapper VS Life with an Ordinary Guy Who Reincarnated into a Total Fantasy Knockout (Fabiniku) VS Talentless Nana

Nyanbo! VS Bomberman Jetters VS Do It Yourself!

Kochikame: Tokyo Beat Cops VS Nobody's Boy Remi VS Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury

Chika Ichiban VS Squid Girl VS Anne of Green Gables

Ikkyuu-san VS The Case Study of Vanitas VS Free!

Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story VS Chihayafuru VS So I'm a Spider, So What?

Aggretsuko VS Hakumei and Mikochi VS Mou Ippon

What's Michael VS Kimono Jihen VS Kiratto Prichan

Mushishi VS Uma Musume VS Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

Sabikui Bisco VS Dorohedoro VS The World Ends With You: The Animation

Un-Go VS The Case Files of Jeweler Richard VS Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure

Sonny Boy VS Tiger & Bunny VS Black Butler

A Place Further than the Universe VS Lupin III (all Parts) VS Tsuritama

Tari Tari VS Maoyu VS Buddy Daddies

Horimiya VS Akiba Maid War VS Cap Revolution Bottleman

Helck VS Play it Cool, Guys VS Revolutionary Girl Utena

right side:

Gegege no Kitarou VS Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood VS Urahara

D.Gray-Man VS Bakuman VS Devilman

Violet Evergarden VS Death Parade VS Speed Racer

Skull Face Bookseller Honda-san VS Mazinger Z VS Planetes

Aim for the Ace! VS Futari wa Pretty Cure VS Saiunkoku Monogatari

Comic Girls VS Galaxy Express 999 VS Dr. Slump

Wedding Peach VS Ronja, the Robber's Daughter VS Haikyuu!

Saint Seiya VS Mahoutsukai Chappy VS Yuri on Ice

Hikaru no Go VS Yona of the Dawn VS Mega Man NT Warrior

Black Lagoon VS Nichijou VS Space Cobra

Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles VS Stop! Hibari-kun VS She and Her Cat: Everything Flows

Space Brothers VS Gakuen Alice VS Dragon Ball Z

AKB0048 VS Kino's Journey -The Beautiful World- VS Musashi no Ken

Flip Flappers VS Hamtaro VS Daily Lives of High School Boys

Another VS Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju VS Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon

Gurren Lagann VS Hana no Ko Lunlun VS City Hunter

Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water VS Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun VS To Your Eternity

Kiteretsu Daihyakka VS Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun VS Noir

Bungo Stray Dogs VS Soreike! Anpanman VS Moomin

Hajime no Ippo VS Paranoia Agent VS Mobile Suit Gundam

Maison Ikkoku VS Yuru Camp VS Sherlock Hound

Great Pretender VS Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress VS World Trigger

Little Princess Sara VS Ghost Sweeper Mikami VS Keep Your Hands off Eizouken!

My Next Life as a Villainess VS Kirby: Right Back at Ya! VS Air Gear

Saint Tail VS Haibane Renmei VS Astro Boy

Crayon Shin-chan VS Tokyo Ghoul VS Hell Girl

Heaven's Design Team VS Neon Genesis Evangelion VS Kiznaiver

Servamp VS Akane-chan VS Yo-kai Watch

The Vision of Escaflowne VS Tsurune VS Sk8 the Infinity

The Promised Neverland VS Hime-chan no Ribbon VS Fruits Basket

Urusei Yatsura VS Dr. Stone VS Shaman King

Star of the Giants VS Cardcaptor Sakura VS Angelic Layer

Berserk VS Kodocha VS Ping Pong The Animation

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's VS Boys over Flowers VS Otherside Picnic

Monster VS Sgt. Frog VS K-On!

Aria VS The Rose of Versailles VS Beyblade

Natsume's Book of Friends VS Planet With VS Detective Conan / Case Closed

Nodame Kantaabire VS Kyou Kara Maoh VS Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans

Duel Masters VS Shounen Ninja Kaze no Fujimaru VS Hunter x Hunter

Mahou Shoujo Lalabel VS Carole & Tuesday VS Powerpuff Girls Z

Big Windup! VS Heartcatch Pretty Cure! VS Fighting Foodons

Gosick VS Ace Attorney VS Inazuma Eleven

Given VS The Prince of Tennis VS Cowboy Bebop

Code Geass VS Teppen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! VS FLCL

Wolf's Rain VS Reborn! VS Princess Tutu

Magic Knight Rayearth VS Romeo x Juliet VS Oshi no Ko

Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo VS Bakugan VS Jujutsu Kaisen

Yu Yu Hakusho VS Love Live! School Idol Project VS Trigun

Kimba the White Lion VS Waccha Primagi VS Toradora

Ultra Maniac VS Mahou Sensei Negima VS Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight

Visual Prison VS Steins;gate VS Inuyasha

Vinland Saga VS Assault Lily Bouquet VS Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day

Pop Team Epic VS Gingitsune VS Tokyo Mew Mew

Blue Period VS Higurashi When They Cry VS Fairy Tail

Chargeman Ken VS Shin Sekai Yori VS Chainsaw Man

Beyond the Boundary VS Silver Spoon VS Hyouka

Stitch! VS Mobile Suit Gundam SEED VS Symphogear

Kuroko's Basketball VS Pokemon Horizons VS Gatchaman Crowds

Ghost Stories VS Non Non Biyori VS Samurai Flamenco

Fushigi Yuugi VS Psycho-Pass VS Azumanga Daioh

Bleach VS Dragon Ball Super VS Ace of Diamond

My Neighbor Seki VS Mob Psycho 100 VS No. 6

Full Metal Panic VS Princess Principal VS Ya Boy Kongming!

Sayonara, Zetsubou-sensei VS Puella Magi Madoka Magica VS Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song

[gender-trash]

THE VANCOUVER TRIP BOOK HAUL POST (in approximate order of acquisition)

from elliott bay book company in seattle:

google reviews lied to me there weren't any used books here. still, this bookstore was open fairly late and for this we must credit them. for some reason there's a thin line between "queer friendly bookstore" and "unsalvageably astrology-pilled woo dispensary" and elliott bay book co is kiiiinda straddling it. on the other hand they stocked swindles 2 AND the hands of the emperor so clearly SOMEONE working there has taste.

massy books:

the problem with becoming bookbindingpilled is i sometimes find myself picking books up from used bookstores purely because the binding is really nice, which is how i wound up with that book in the center of the top row. in my defense it's a folio society edition for cheap how was i meant to resist??

cross & crows:

the proprietress of this bookstore was really nice & chatted with me fairly extensively about the vorkosigan saga books :) for some reason i am under a wizard's curse to own extremely mangled mass market paperback editions of same; e.g. my copy of barrayar has had about a half inch eaten away from the fore edge on both front and back covers by some sort of bug. true to form, this copy of ethan of athos has a hole burned in the front cover.

white dwarf:

i walked in here hoping to buy some dumbfuck vintage pulp scifi with extremely inaccurate robotics content and i was NOT disappointed.

pulpfiction books:

tor books is periodically like "hey what if we do ANOTHER collection of chinese science fiction and fantasy short stories in translation" and every fucking time i open my mouth like a baby bird. product/market fit babey

macleod's:

google reviews described this as a cave of used books and they were NOT WRONG. this store was barely navigable with all the stacks of books on the floor and had a deranged bordering on nonexistent organizational scheme. lots of rare books with awesome binding. grading on sheer Used Bookstore Ambiance this was by far my favorite. i think that book on dutch golden age paintings weighs like ten pounds by itself.

the paper hound:

i didnt take any pictures of the shelf labels bc i was definitely flagging at this point but they were Deeply idiosyncratic <3 cute little store with quite a lot (especially for its size) of weird obscure shit pertinent to my interests.

(at this point i got on a bus, missed my stop bc i had no cell service and no way to check directions, got on a different bus, took the subway back to where i'd parked the rental car, took every possible wrong turn until i stumbled upon the hotel again, dropped off my books, and took the car to...)

carson books & records:

the checkout clerk commented on my eclectic taste and it was almost 10pm and i'd walked like eight miles while hauling around a suitcase increasingly full of books so i just said 'yeah'.

and now we play the fun game of "which of these are for fic research, which ones are for various hyperfixations, which ones are 'sequels' to nonfiction i really enjoyed, which ones i just thought Looked Interesting, and which ones are things i've seen recommended and hadn't managed to acquire yet"

[literaticat]

Noob question, as someone not in the publishing industry at all: why is middle grade so hard right now?

A combo of reasons, I'd say. First is just normal market fluctuation -- in kids books particularly, trends and things tend to go in waves. Like back in the day, HP ignited a passion for hardcover MG fantasies, which before then, sold bupkis. Those kids grew up and moved to YA, which blew up big time with Twilight and Hunger Games and whatnot. Those teens grew up and now they like Romantasy. When YA was at its height, you couldn't GIVE picture books away -- then there was a golden age of picture books. And on and on, etc.

Second, B&N is the largest not-online book retailer in the US. They cut the number of hardcover MG they stock to basically nothing but the BIGGEST hits (like, the new Rick Riordan, sure, but Rando McNewAuthor, no chance). This hurts discoverability, particularly for the McNewAuthor clan.

Third, I think the Pando really did a number on kids. More kids seem to be reading below grade level, attention spans are shot, etc. :-/ Hey, I get it, mine too, but still, that's a problem -- if 8-12 year olds aren't reading MG, who is? At least with YA, adults read it too (for better or for worse) but the vast majority of adults do not care about MG and certainly don't read it for pleasure.

Finally, the political vibe in this country right now is atrocious, if you haven't noticed. Absolute fuckwad assholes on school boards, "concerned mom groups" (haha) and right wing politicians pandering to them are threatening teachers and librarians, slashing budgets, rounding up books to ban them just because they are written by BIPOC and LGBTQ authors, or dare to mention climate change, or whatever... anyway, THAT'S A PROBLEM. Schools and school libraries are the BIGGEST market for MG books -- getting invited to schools, being placed on state book lists and summer reading lists, these things can make an author's career. But teachers and librarians are running scared these days; school visits are getting cancelled all over the place, and if they are afraid to even buy the books for the library because they might get fired, or they don't have the budget, or whatever... WELP.

[mxamalgam]

Silly Game Time: Who are some of your favorite alien (non-human *and* extra-terrestrial) characters? And what do you like about them?

They can be from sci-fi or fantasy, from other worlds or dimensions or realms. All that matters is that they're not from Earth and that they're not human in any traditional sense (and, most of all, that you find them interesting).

I fucking love Quark from Star Trek: Deep Space 9. He's a capitalist, misogynistic little fuck and they gave him a redemption arc where he finds out his mom is a better businessman than he'll ever be and he hates it and she starts fucking the leader of his entire civilization because she's so good at the stock market and the leader loves her so much he gives women rights and makes Quark's brother next in line. All while he's just there not getting redeemed at all. He's still a misogynistic little toad and he's watching everyone else do crazy shit like "I object to this" and then no one cares because he's not important.

[vijay01]

How Do I Find Stock Market Fantasy Games To Play? 

Are you looking for a way to earn money while having fun and learning at the same time? Fantasy stock market games offer the perfect blend of entertainment and education. A stock Market Fantasy Game simulates real-world stock trading, allowing you to build and manage a virtual portfolio without the financial risk. 

Not only do they provide an exciting and competitive experience, but many also offer the opportunity to win real cash prizes. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced trader, fantasy stock market games are a fun and engaging way to sharpen your investment skills while potentially earning money. But how and where to find these games? Let us take you through everything you need to know about finding Fantasy Stock App. 

What are fantasy stock market games? 

Fantasy stock market games are online or app-based simulations that allow participants to engage in stock trading without using real money. These games mimic real-world stock markets by using live or simulated market data, enabling players to create virtual portfolios, buy and sell stocks, and compete based on the performance of their investments.

Participants start with a fixed amount of virtual capital and use it to trade stocks or other financial instruments, just like in a real stock market. The primary goal is to maximize the value of the virtual portfolio over time. Stock Fantasy App Development often incorporates elements of competition, with players competing against others for rankings or rewards, and in some cases, cash prizes.

What are the benefits of fantasy stock market games?

Here are some benefits of playing fantasy stock market games: 

Risk-Free Learning Experience

One of the key advantages of fantasy stock market games is the ability to explore investing without the fear of losing real money. Participants can practice buying and selling virtual stocks, gaining hands-on experience in a safe environment. This allows for experimentation, mistakes, and growth, making it an ideal learning platform for beginners.

Development of Strategic Skills

Fantasy Sports Stock Software allows players to simulate various market scenarios and test investment strategies. By applying fundamental and technical analyses, users can enhance their decision-making skills. This experiential learning approach aids in understanding the complexities of real markets and improving strategic thinking.  

Enhanced Confidence and Self-Esteem

Successfully managing a virtual portfolio can significantly boost self-esteem and confidence. Overcoming the challenges of fantasy trading instills a sense of accomplishment, preparing players to make informed, confident decisions in real-life investment scenarios.

Real Prizes and Rewards

Many platforms offer real incentives such as cash prizes or exclusive insights. Competing against others adds excitement, driving participants to refine their skills. The chance to win rewards provides motivation beyond educational benefits, making the experience both fun and potentially lucrative.

Staying Informed About Market Trends

Stock Fantasy App often integrates real-time data, keeping players informed of current market trends and events. This regular exposure helps users stay up-to-date with market dynamics, enabling better-informed decisions in both the game and real-world investing.

Promoting Financial Literacy

By simulating real trading scenarios, these games enhance financial literacy. Participants gain insights into portfolio management, market fluctuations, and investment strategies—critical skills in today's economy. This hands-on learning experience can make users more adept at managing personal finances.

Opportunities for Community Engagement

Many platforms foster a sense of community, where players can share strategies, tips, and insights. Engaging with other players encourages collaboration and creates a network of aspiring investors, enriching the overall learning and gaming experience.

Finding Stock Market Fantasy Games To Play? 

​Finding stock market fantasy games to play involves exploring various platforms that offer interactive and educational gaming experiences.​ These platforms often simulate real market conditions and allow players to develop their trading skills without financial risks.

1. Explore Online Gaming Platform

Many online services provide fantasy stock market games. For instance, TradingLeagues offers diverse games where players can earn rewards while learning about stock market trading. Additionally, StockPe presents a strategy-based virtual stock market game where users can create a team of stocks and participate in live tournaments.

2. Utilize Stock Market Simulators

Platforms like Wall Street Survivor and MarketDraft provide stock market simulators that allow users to practice real-time trading with virtual funds. These simulators enable players to test their strategies and improve their financial literacy in a risk-free environment.

3. Look for Educational Apps

Several apps are designed specifically for teaching users about trading and investing. For example, the Stock Fantasy Trading App includes a built-in trading academy and offers various learning tools. These apps often combine gameplay with educational content, making it easier for beginners to grasp market concepts.

4. Participate in Custom Competitions

Platforms like HowTheMarketWorks offer free stock market games where users can create custom contests tailored for their classes or social groups. This feature can engender a fun and competitive learning atmosphere while providing a practical experience in stock trading.

5. Engage with Community Resources

Joining communities on platforms like Reddit can provide additional insights into the latest fantasy stock market games and applications. Engaging with fellow users allows for the sharing of recommendations and strategies, enriching your experience further.

6. Review Game Features and Security

When selecting a platform for Sports Stock App Development, consider the variety of features offered, including community interaction, security protocols, and the educational resources available. For instance, TradingLeagues emphasizes a fair and safe gaming environment, ensuring users can trade confidently.

By exploring these various avenues, you can find suitable stock market fantasy games that enhance your learning and trading skills.

Conclusion 

The above mentioned details and information discusses how to find stock market fantasy games to play. Whether you're new to the stock market or an experienced trader, fantasy stock market games are a fun, educational, and rewarding way to enhance your financial knowledge and investment strategies.

FAQs

What are fantasy games based on stocks?

Stock market fantasy games are online simulations of stock trading in which players compete with one another to build the largest portfolios using real or simulated market data. Players purchase and sell stocks using virtual money.

How do fantasy sports based on stocks operate?

Gamers invest in stocks using a fixed amount of virtual money that they begin with. Players compete to assemble the most profitable portfolio as the game tracks the performance of these investments, frequently in real-time.

Are fantasy stock market games a way for me to make real money?

To add a rewarding and competitive aspect to the experience, several platforms do in fact provide actual cash awards, gift cards, or other rewards for top performers.

Are fantasy stock market games free to play?

While some fantasy stock games may provide premium features or competitions with entrance fees in exchange for bigger awards, many fantasy stock games are free to play.

[rhounaugh]

What is FFXIV Gil?

Gil is the main currency in Final Fantasy XIV and players can earn it by completing quests, guildleves, dungeons, duty roulettes or selling items to NPCs or on the Market Board. Gil can also be used to purchase equipment, food buffs, rumors in the tavern and even induce monsters to leave battle - though doing so could violate both EULA and ToS of the game. Individuals with expectations to know about Ffxiv Gil and other details can feel free to visit here https://www.mmogah.com/ffxiv-gil .

[tradingleagues]

Why Should You Play Stock Market Games to Improve Trading Skills in 2023?

What is Stock Market Game?

A stock market game, also known as a trading game is a simulated platform that allows players to trade stocks, commodities, and other financial instruments as if they were participating in the real market. But fantasy stock market games provide a safe and fun way for players to learn about the stock market, improve their trading skills, and test their strategies without risking real money.

Different Types of Stock Market Games

Mainly there are two types of stock market games available online, ranging from simple apps to more complex platforms.

Some stock market games focus on a specific market, such as the stock market or the cryptocurrency market, while others offer a broader range of assets. Some stock market games are free to play, while others require a fee or subscription. So we can classify the stock market games into two: Financial and Fantasy.

Why Should Everyone Play Stock Market Games?

By playing stock market games, you can:

Practice Trading

Execute different trading strategies without any risk

Learn trading without having a brokerage account

Improve trading skills

Read more "Why Should You Play Stock Market Games to Improve Trading Skills in 2023?"

[pangolinheart]

FFXIVWrite 2023 DAY 12 - DOWDY

Rhiki, Thancred, and Tataru go on a shopping trip!

I took this prompt in the direction of "generally unfashionable" and used it to vent my and Rhiki's shared sentiments about the design of Tank armor. I can almost always count on the gear designers for award winning mmorpg final fantasy xiv to disappoint me.

Rating: General Genre: Fluff, humor Characters: Tataru Taru, Thancred Waters, Z'rhiki Irhi (Warrior of Light) Word Count: 1,330 Content Warnings: None

“Oh, this is cute!” Z’rhiki held up one sleeve of the jacket to turn it on its hanger towards Tataru. “I love all of the orange parts! Ooh! And the waist is adjustable. And I think this scarf is actually attached….”

Tataru giggled as she watched Rhiki whirl around the shop excitedly. “I think it would suit you!”

“Right?” Rhiki beamed. It had been too long since she had gone shopping with friends – it felt like a lifetime ago. Recently she had been either busy, or trapped somewhere without a particularly expansive market. Sharlayan had very few redeeming qualities (at least in her opinion) – the food was bad, the people were rude, everyone was always reading or studying – but it did have a marketplace, stocked with enough wares that one could pass the time perusing them.

“I’m not sure how practical the color is,” Thancred pointed out. She had been a bit surprised that he had offered to come with them, but it seemed that even he had tired of sifting through dusty tomes with the rest of the Scion’s book club.

Rhiki rolled her eyes. “What do you know about practical color schemes. You wear white and then stand in spattering range of whatever you’re fighting!”

Their chatter must have drawn the attention of the shopkeeper, because all three noticed him hovering before Thancred could marshal up a witty retort. Seeing that he had caught the attention of potential customers, the middle-aged elezen gestured towards the jacket that Rhiki was still holding.

“Ah, this is from one of our latest collections: Moonward. It was inspired by the designer’s dreams of soaring through the stars. And I can assure you, it is very practical – every piece has been carefully tested for its durability in battle – not that you couldn’t wear it for fashion’s sake, of course. This jacket, for example, is perfect for hunters and ranged fighters. It’s warm enough for even snowy climes, it offers enough padding to protect you from the typical hazards of the unforgiving wilderness as well as any brief scuffles you may find yourself in, but is also flexible enough to allow for a wide range of motion, such as the drawing of a longbow’s string! Should the color not be to your tastes, we offer a range of dyed colors!”

Rhiki had returned to examining the jacket as the man spoke. “How do you think it would hold up against more than a ‘brief scuffle?’ Or if you were… closer to the action? Like with a sword?”

The shopkeeper’s pleasant, well-trained smile faded. “Not well, I’m afraid. I couldn’t recommend it for a swordsman. While the padding will protect from rugged environments and the occasional glancing blow, it isn’t enough to stop a swinging blade.”

“I see,”

Seeing her smile fade, the man quickly added, “However, I do have a set from the same collection that would serve you better in close-quarters combat.”

Tataru nudged Rhiki’s leg with an elbow, but looked towards the shopeeper “Oh, do you? We’d love to see it!”

Rhiki nodded along, hope in her heart.

“Wonderful, right this way, please.”

He led the trio past displays of richly colored textiles and dyes, weaving past mannequins draped in scholarly robes, towards the back of the shop.

“Naturally, Sharlayan doesn’t produce many warriors, but knowledge is knowledge and knowledge of armor is no different, so we try to keep some sturdier fare in stock. It’s greatly appreciated by the huntsmen who visit Sharlayan to accept or turn in bounties, many of whom seek more challenging prey than the usual game animal,.” the older man prattled as he walked. Tataru either listened, or made a good show of pretending to listen, and Rhiki tried to do the same, only pausing to look at a few items before taking quicker steps to catch up. Thancred, for his part, looked uninterested, his eyes listlessly roaming the shop.

“Here we are! The Moonward Fending Set! I expect you will find it well-suited, pardon the pun, to your needs.” He came to a stop in front of a row of mannequins lining the furthest wall from the entrance, and extended one arm in a flourishing motion.

“Ah.” Was all Rhiki said, the disappointment setting in almost immediately. Adorning the mannequin the shopkeeper had indicated was a heavy, silver cuirass with spiked pauldrons and a straight blue cape dangling behind it, apparently attached somewhere to the back of the collar. It wore matching flat-heeled sabatons that extended all the way up the leg before disappearing beneath the bottom edge of the chest piece. For reasons she couldn’t understand (certainly not fashion) there was no metal plating covering the arm, just a pauldron on the shoulder and a gauntlet that extended partway up the forearm. Between the two was only the white of the mannequin’s arm and two thin gold wires that crossed paths connecting them. At least there was a narrow golden belt slung across the waist so one was able to tell where the waist was supposed to be.

“Well, it certainly looks more… functional.” Thancred pointed out.

Functional? It doesn’t even protect your arms! She wanted to snap at him, but held her tongue. She didn’t want to offend the gentleman who was clearly trying to be helpful. There was no helping the forlorn look on her face as she stared up at the set, though.

She pondered what could possibly connect this design with the jacket she had been examining earlier to form a “collection”. They looked like they had been designed on different planets by two people who had never met nor spoken to each other.

Seeing her crestfallen expression, Tataru offered, “Maybe it will look better if you try it on?”

“Oh, yes,” The shopkeeper hastily tacked on. “Seeing it on oneself makes a world of difference! If you’ll step behind one of those curtains, I’ll see if I can find a set that might fit you!”

----------------------------------------------------------------------

“Well?” Z’rhiki said, stepping out from behind the curtain. Her tone was flat. She already knew how she looked.

Tataru looked her up and down, eyebrows drawn together in sympathy. “It’s not… that bad.” She tried to comfort her.

To her surprise, the curtain next to her rustled, and Thancred stepped out, having heard the snippet of conversation. He looked to her, then to Tataru.

“Tataru, I understand wanting to spare a friend’s feelings, but don’t lie to the poor woman.” He chided, though his eyes twinkled with amusement.

Tataru scowled at him. “Don’t listen to him, Rhiki. It’s not like it’s awful.”

She groaned loudly.

“You know, I don’t think it looks half bad on me.” Thancred said, examining himself.

Rhiki took a moment to actually look at him, gaze combing over the details of the armor.

“UGH! You’re right!” She lamented. Whereas the pauldrons perched awkwardly on either side of her, their spikes getting caught in her peripheral vision when she moved her eyes from side to side, on him they accentuated the strong line of his shoulders. The cape that only drew attention to her diminutive stature looked downright heroic hanging behind him. With the more defined muscle tone of his biceps and forearms, she could almost see what the designer might have been intending when constructing the outfit. On her the exposed skin just looked… silly. The light, shining silver even matched his hair. Damn him.

He smirked, and she found herself grumbling, “Shut up, Thancred,” despite the fact that he hadn’t actually said anything.

He laughed, but reached over to pat her on the shoulder, carefully avoiding the pauldron’s thorny protrusion. “Never fear, we’ll find something that fits you one of these days.” His self-satisfied grin flickered back to life. “Or, if we don’t, you can at least take heart in the fact that you can use the time the enemy spends laughing at you to catch them off guard!”

“Thancred!” Tataru scolded as Rhiki stormed back behind the curtain.

[wirewitchviolet]

StarCraft 2's story- Good or garbage?

I'm kind of lurking in the discord of a new RTS that's running a kickstarter right now. I don't know how strongly I want to endorse that because while what they have in the can looks darn good in terms of mechanics and gameplay polish and the people involved seem generally cool, I don't think anything at all is really pinned down otherwise. At the very least though it looks very "I'll make my own StarCraft 2! With blackjack! And hookers!" and I'm down for a game with that flavor of mechanics doing well when made by anyone other than, you know, Blizzard.

It's impossible not to draw comparisons when a game is pretty nakedly marketing itself as "we want to divorce the things we like about this one game from the monsters who made it" of course, and so now I'm thinking about just how powerfully terrible the writing was in StarCraft 2, but I'm not going to go off about it in some poor people who I don't know even have a writer yet's forums. I'm gonna ramble about it on my blog.

Now there's two ways to look at this one. We can look at the story of this game on its own, in a vacuum, or we can look at it as a continuation of the story of StarCraft. It's terrible by either standard, but let's start by looking at it as a continuation first.

Now, I'm not going to jump in here and just slap you with a novella long list of all the flagrant plot holes, direct contradictions, and unrecognizable characters if you actually go through these beat for beat. I've done so in the past. Might have done so on this blog. I mean when StarCraft 2 came out I was absolutely insufferable to everyone around me shouting about these things. Like... I don't even know how you can drop so many balls like that. Maybe they were doing that thing where they didn't even glance at the source material and were just poking around some fan wiki populated with random crap from tie-in novels and comics by people who were just going off on their own things... I do always have to mention though that whether by intent or incompetence they seem to have totally dropped the expansion's story from the canon, at least before 2's expansions came along years later.

But no, I want to focus on just basic themes and character arcs here. So the original base game of StarCraft breaks its story into three arcs, each from the POV of a character from one of the three playable factions in the game. This isn't the greatest structure for maintaining narrative cohesion throughout, especially when one of those factions is the communal hive mind of a big swarm of space bugs who at the end of the day just want to eat everything. And if I'm being brutally honest, there isn't a whole lot to write home about in the back third either. They kinda slipped back into old habits there and it's kinda just the sort of stock fantasy story you tend to get with games. Decadent ancient space elf empire ignores a big obvious problem due to hubris and a frankly incompetent leader, turns out their ancient traditions and prejudices are total BS, go quest for some magic rocks, have your big grand final battle where the hero self-sacrifices to blow up the monsters.

That first third though, and some threads that carry through the rest, have some good stuff going on. We've got a newly appointed magistrate (the unseen unvoiced player) and marshall (Jimmy) on some backwoodsy wild west sort of planet. They're pretty young and idealistic. Space bugs attack, they try to help, trying to help gets them in trouble with their higher ups who don't really buy the seriousness of this space bug invasion. Desperate for anyone to help fight the good fight, they fall in with a fringe militant cult leader (Mengsk) and his right-hand gal (Kerrigan) who he busted out of some government psychic supersoldier program. Jimmy immediately crushes on her, she doesn't reciprocate.

The gang goes along with all of Mengsk's plans, overthrowing the government to gain control of their armies and psychic experimentation programs to deal with these space bugs, and the level of moral compromise this involves gradually ratchets up until everyone finds themselves complicit in Mengsk killing the whole civilian population of the capital by having Kerrigan set up a psychic murderbug attractor and nobody bother's to evacuate her afterwards.

The other two realize they made a really bad choice of who to throw in with, smash up some major military hardware in the process of bailing on Mengsk as he's setting himself up as dictator for life, and eventually throw their lot in with the protagonists in the third arc, just kinda helping out while they do the whole deal of defying the orders of the ancient space elf council, learning the magic arts of the misunderstood outcasts, flying a big spaceship into the main brain controlling the space bugs. Kerrigan meanwhile gets converted into a space bug/human hybrid super soldier which... honestly feels like it's setting stuff up for a big showdown that just kinda never happens.

Still, we've got characters, they've got arcs. Mostly we have Jimmy (and the silent player character) learning the hard way that long-established power structures tend to be too inflexible to be helpful, and you should never trust anyone openly seeking personal power because they will just exploit everyone around them. It all even roughly follows the classic 3 act structure (and I mean, there's literally 3 acts mapping to that too, just that act 2 is all shown from a villain's perspective). In other media, this is sort of just the bare minimum, but games rarely bother with characters growing, changing, or having real setbacks that make them question things along their way.

This was followed up with the expansion, Brood War, which mirrors that same structure. One long story arc for each of three playable factions. Space elves largely doing standard fantasy beats, middle third switching to a villainous POV so radically different the main narrative gets largely put on hold, and some really good stuff with threads stretching through the whole thing.

Here the villain interlude is that it turns out Earth in this setting is run by full-on fascists, they caught wind of everything going on in this region where there'd previously been a big rebellion, and swing back in to clamp down again. They don't interact with the actual protagonists much (generally, they see the space nazis sweeping in and run off to lay low), so we mostly just have them swooping in and quickly mopping up Mengsk's little newfound dictatorship, with the actual story being the relationship dynamic between the guy in charge (DuGalle), his right hand man he's known forever (Stukov), and a local rebel welcoming them with open arms (Duran). Long story short, Duran's actually a double agent and very gradually pits the other two against each other. DuGalle eventually has Duran kill Stukov thinking he stabbed him in the back, realizes that's dumb, ultimately fails at his whole invasion, and in the epilogue kills himself, which if you read the relevant bit of my FF14 summaries, you know is how I like my stories about clear nazi analogues to end.

In the main narrative though, we pick right back up from the big heroic sacrifice with the bummer of a reveal that killing the primary brain of the psychic space bug collective didn't really get the job done, because some of its secondary brains (refreshingly not a concept pulled out of nowhere, these were firmly established to serve the dual purposes of having clear military targets for a giant pile of bugs, and a way to actually have enough characters for dialog exchanges in that third of the story) are trying to put the band back together. In their current disorganized state though, Kerrigan is no longer a semi-autonomous corrupted bug minion, but totally has her free will and sense of self restored, while still being all chitinous and at least somewhat capable of commanding the other bugs.

So as the whole expansion plays out, and the perspective shifts from the space elves doing some real desperate migration and defense because the plan to save their home world from the big bug invasion ultimately failed, through the nazi invasion, and ultimately to the POV of the secondary bug-brain you'd previously played as who'd been buggified Kerrigan's baby sitter essentially, now forced into taking orders from her, we are mostly dealing with this big hanging question of whether she's really good and trustworthy again, or secretly still under bug control, or if she's good for now but any minute that hivemind could properly come back online and take her over again. And of course, Jimmy's all angsty and pining because he never got over that one-sided crush.

While there's plenty of red flags about her being trustworthy over the course of things, the narrative actually manages to play things close to the chest well enough for the ultimate reveal to be a pretty fun twist. She absolutely 100% is fundamentally herself again, it's just that for a series of mostly pretty well-justified reasons, she absolutely hates every other character in the story. Either they've been trying to kill her, they abused and manipulated her, or they've totally objectified her. Or they're nazis who just showed up, who you don't really need a personal reason to want to kill, but just for good measure they're trying to revive and mind control the central bug mind, so, yeah, that's a threat. So at the last minute the whole thing just reveals itself as a big elaborate revenge story with a fairly strongly gendered theme about being denied agency and being othered, where the actually quite clear-headed just ruthless girl wins.

And then, a decade later, we get StarCraft 2. And what's the main narrative of StarCraft 2? We spend the whole time focused on Jimmy, who has somehow gone from this young idealistic biker/space cowboy with thinning hair, talking like a hippie and bouncing around getting in way over his head trying to rescue people from space bugs by just lending a hand to whoever else seems interested in doing that and crushing on this girl Kerrigan who couldn't be clearer about not liking him back to uh... some sort of gruff jaded old former military general with a bunch of old war buddies, a drinking problem, and a full head of hair, cruising around on his big personal battleship saving various worlds from the big space bug threat pretty much singlehandedly, and hoping to rescue his love interest Kerrigan from space bug mind control, with the help of some kind of prophesied magic space rocks you can build a big totem out of. It even completely de-buggifies her in the end, leaving a helpless little naked girl to chivalrously scoop off the ground and carry to safety. P.S. She's white now.

This isn't like, "oh whoops, we forgot the main character lost one of his boots at the end of last season" nitpicking. This is doing complete 180s on the character arcs and backstories of the central characters here. Kerrigan not needing to be rescued from zerg corruption is the ENTIRE point of Brood War's story. Which also establishes there's no longer really a zerg threat of any sort beyond what she personally wants to tell her mindless bug pals to do. And really, even if you want to de-canonize all of that for whatever reason, tacking a "hero saves the girl" ending onto the story we had in the base game of the original StarCraft still just does not work. You're taking a story whose whole theme is "putting faith in the wrong sort of person has serious consequences" and then turning around and going "actually no it doesn't."

And you know, speaking of Mengsk, it's a much lesser point, but StarCraft 2 depicts him like he's some sort of grandiose emperor from some ancient dynasty. Big imperial palace, little silver spoon in his mouth prince of a son who wants to break from his family's legacy, the whole nine yards. Again, this both fundamentally misunderstands his part in the whole central narrative, and everything that happened to him in the expansion (where not very long at all after his big power grab the UED showed up and completely took him apart, and would have executed him but Kerrigan prolonged that to watch him squirm). And when did he have this kid of his? With who? And where is Jimmy getting all these war buddies? He didn't have'em at the start of things or he wouldn't have had to join up with Mengsk. And his war buddies from that war would just be the magistrate and the surviving protoss characters who act like they barely know him here.

So, no. This does not hold up at all as a continuation. How about if we just look at it in a vacuum then?

Nope, still bad. It leans heavily on a backstory we don't get to see. And I don't mean we're missing a ton of StarCraft 1 flashbacks. I mean, we have all these "old buddy" characters, especially Tychus, but we don't get into how they became friends or do anything to show how they still are, so there's no real emotional stakes to where that ends up going. We start with him drinking his life away in a bar over how he misses this apparent old girlfriend, but we never get into the history between them and even the depressed drinking never comes up again past that shot. We vaguely establish some bitter history with this Mengsk guy, but that never really leads anywhere at all. We just kinda have these various vague and generic handwaves at Standard Protagonist Backstory Stuff. Then we actually dive into things, and it's this very episodic affair where you just hop around from planet to planet either showing up to rescue people or showing up to collect a magic rock to help build the magic Toblerone that cures being half-space-bug. And I mean, I already covered how this sort of simplistic no tension, hero always wins, collect all the treasures for victory sort of narrative is the general baseline for game writing, but other people have been trying to move things forward the last couple decades and this is just sitting at the starting line with a princess to rescue.

Now to be fair, the original StarCraft absolutely also had questing around for magic rocks. The protoss have a totally magic rock based electrical grid, the overmind wanted to eat their special magic rocks to make them more vulnerable, the last protoss mission even had a big ancient temple that did an energy blast, but that one just killed all life on the planet outside of its immediate vicinity, which feels like a more grounded thing for an ancient alien artifact to do than... vaporize/purify space bugs and leave everything else alone. And it wasn't scattered in little bits everywhere.

And then of course there's the expansions to StarCraft 2... well the good thing here is they're so divorced from anything in the original game, and even from the base game of StarCraft 2 that you don't have to worry about them messing with the legacy. I mean, OK, Heart of the Swarm has this whole weird reset where we have Kerrigan mostly human again, just so she can go on a big spirit journey and bug herself up again, so that she's strong enough for her ultimate goal of... showing up to take down Mengsk... again. And you somehow end up with a zergified version of Stukov which... OK that's just the weirdest possible way to double back and recanonize that expansion. I'm not sure that Kerrigan and Stukov were ever even really aware of each other's existence, and he died to a bullet through the head in a military base with no zerg anywhere near it. I mean, unless you remember that Duran was a double agent working for Kerrigan. Except the thing there is if you know the plot of the secret epilogue mission you'd know he was ACTUALLY one of the secret ancient aliens who created both the protoss and the zerg just pretending to a horrible bug monster spy for Kerrigan, in turn pretending to be a normal human. And that's a pretty obscure detail I'd forgive someone for missing except that literally in the mission where you're playing as Zerg-Stukov, the whole reason you're playing as Zerg-Stukov is that Kerrigan is busy doing one of those things where the two wizards fire big energy blasts at each other like some kind of tug-of-war with weird phallic overtones, and the big energy phallus she's trying to squish back is FROM Duran, in his revealed-himself-to-be-that-whole-mess glory. They remembered one thing only to get it wrong basically.

But yeah, otherwise that one's just so wild a departure I don't even know what to say. There's just... named zerg characters? They're all like bug centaurs? Because we need people to talk to and they just totally forgot they had cerebrates to get around that problem? Instead of the ancient ancestral zerg being like, psychic ringworms gradually specializing their hosts over generations, here they're like... talking dinosaur puppies who steal each other's "essence" to get huge? Past a point there's so little resemblance to the source material that I can't even be mad. And then the protoss expansion just kinda decides that the whole casting the dark templar out of their society over irreconcilable religious differences is something they've actually done like... 3 or 4 times? So we've got the outcast invisible jedi and the outcast robots and the outcast Darth Vader wannabes with some sort of society-wide ordered queue where there's exactly one person directly ahead of everyone they're allowed to kill to move up in the world. Oh and we're claiming this one robot centaur is Fenix somehow. Despite Fenix being very dead, and this robot centaur neither having that goofy muppet-y orc voice nor the overwhelmingly positive attitude. And he also somehow doesn't notice that he's a robot centaur and not a guy in a life support pod inside a robot spider. They also expect us to believe this little naked twink turned into this pile of steroids and shoulderpads somehow:

Oh! I almost forgot but also there's this thing called the Khala and it's unambiguously this set of religious teachings defining a caste system and such... but then here someone watched Avatar so we're retconning that into some sort of psychic spiritual network you connect to through your hair. You don't plug your hair in though it's just like a wifi antenna. Also it only works if you're part of the main society that keeps throwing other people out none of these other people have hair wifi. Also like the entire deal here is that protoss just are not psychic, it's their one flaw. There's this whole thing with them representing physical perfection but being held back by being a bunch of very religious idiots, while the zerg are mentally perfect what with the hive mind but physically just, like, a ringworm, so the ultimate life form their creators really wanted to create requires the zerg to take over the protoss, or just going screw it and hybridizing the two in a lab. Again, this is one of those really obscure details, it only comes up in the weird backstory in the manual that doesn't even get touched on in the game outside the one secret mission in the expansion... but here we have the same scene both acknowledging that deep lore and totally contradicting it.

But yeah, taken as their own independent stories... well... what stories? Kerrigan wants to be a big buff bug lady so she can depose a jerk she already deposed, and she does that. There are no complications or twists along the way. "Artanis" has to go collect all the protoss the in-group don't count as people, because Satan got into their hair wifi and anyone who didn't just get a haircut turned evil. So he goes and does that. Again, no complications of any sort along the way. Also no real ideological conflicts.

The deal with the robot protoss is some idiots went "hey what if we took all of our greatest most celebrated heroes and we copied their minds into robots in their entirety" and then got super confused that they still, you know, want to be treated as people with rights and such and not just mindless robots. So, you know, simple fix there. Then the... actually just evil ones are... lead by John DeLancey. Everyone likes him. So, problem resolved? And the dark templar are already befriended from before, so nothing's needed there besides going to their homeworld to pick them up. Their uh.... home world everyone already evacuated to and then that was compromised and their leader was replaced with puppet and then everyone maybe died? But yeah they're fine.

So then after all the racism is solved forever by just... deciding not to do that anymore, Kerrigan jumps in some kind of magic pool to transform into a giant naked golden angel, and she does this to become the embodiment of purity of essence we apparently need (which also purges all zerg-ness I guess?) and... look there's no easy way to say this. It turns into Homestuck. That whole convoluted thing from Homestuck where there's this eternal cycle of universes being created by light and dark themed people teaming up to create the next one and in theory kind of operate as it's gods but not if they don't feel like it... we're just ripping all that off wholesale for this complete asspull of an ending. And then everyone shoots space satan in the face. He's a big squid. And then Kerrigan turns back into a normal human girl so she can go on a date with Jimmy. Oh and then there's a third expansion recycling the scrapped plot from that action game they were going to do back on the N64 or whatever but I learned how awful the company was before getting curious enough on that one.

It's just bad. Even by game writing standards, it's bad. And I didn't even get into how bad it is with women in particular. We've got the big doe-eyed scientist who needs to be rescued from the scary bugs and then oh no it turns out she got bit by a bug and now she's turning into one and has to be put down (and no, this has never been how that worked). Then we've got Kerrigan who aside from needing rescuing and purifying and coming out naked has this whole expansion to herself where in theory she's totally in charge and self-directing every decision, but every time you click anywhere the confirmation is just her getting all pouty and whiny? Like a toddler you're telling to put shoes on so you can go to the doctor or something? Like, is it just me? Is it the direction? Is it the voice filter? Was the actress just miserable in the recording booth?

Then she's got this little bug girl assistant who hangs down from the ceiling, kinda like the adjutant from the original StarCraft, but instead of being all detatched and robotic she's all uwu pwecious? And the protoss campaign just kinda keeps turning women into mouthpieces for Satan. It's... a whole thing.

So yeah, badly written stories all throughout, no matter how you slice it. No continuity, no consistency, no character arcs or tension, just be the big cool action hero, do some getting the band back together stuff, collect some magic rocks and ritual circles, purify this girl here with the big magic circle (3 times no less) and then whatever there's space Satan. It's a mess... did I even have a larger point with this?

Probably not, but it was entertaining I hope? Maybe throw a little cash my way?

[engshoujosei]

Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

6 volumes (in English as of 4/18/2023, ongoing)

Licensed by Seven Seas

A light-hearted manga about a girl transported to her favorite video game world with her magical bearsuit equipped--based on the original light novel series, also published by Seven Seas! (Now an anime!) 

Fifteen-year-old video game addict Yuna is set for life: she funds her shut-in lifestyle by playing the stock market and then spends every other free moment playing her favourite virtual reality MMO. After a game update, Yuna receives a way-too-cute bear outfit that’s super overpowered! There’s no way Yuna would ever wear something that embarrassing, but after being sucked into a fantasy world, she might not have a choice!

Related Series 

Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear (Novel) (Adapted From, licensed by Seven Seas. The manga is listed as female demo on mangaupdates because it is published by a company that targets women/housewives *shrug*.)

Status in Country of Origin 

9 Volumes (Ongoing)

Tags:

Adapted to Anime

Adventurer/s

Based on a Novel

Battle/s

Cheat Skill/s

Costume/s

Fantasy World

Fight/s

Game Elements

Isekai

Kind Female Lead

Mage/s

Monster/s

Protagonist Strong from the Start

Transported to Another World