#This seems really fun so far!!! I'm only level 4 but still

[anghraine]

Disney-era Lucasfilm has given me essentially one film I adored (Rogue One, which also has my favorite SW ship and two of my favorite SW characters in Cassian and Jyn). It's also produced two more films that I very much liked (though only one of those still remains high in my estimation tbh), and a bunch of SW material that is not really the SW that plays in my mind, but at least fun and interesting to think about with the very glaring exception of TROS. I never had any investment in Legends, either, so for me the Disney era is not some huge loss.

I say all of this to emphasize that I'm not a kneejerk Disney SW hater. Nevertheless, I'm actually very disappointed with DLF's tendency to emphasize how ground-breaking and diverse and ~challenging some new SW media thing is without doing much to support the people involved or appearing to foresee that a fanbase prone to bigotry, nostalgia, and throwing screaming temper tantrums for decades on end is not going to react well. This is in no way an excuse for those fans, but DLF does not seem to ever predict how SW fans will respond despite their well-documented history of responding really badly to anything that remotely challenges them.

I love SW and I love my personal friends in SW fandom, but there have always been a significant number of vocally hateful and reactionary SW fans who manage to shape the discourse around basically everything in it. This is completely predictable. The fact that DLF seems completely unprepared for this reaction every time they give central roles behind and in front of the camera to women and/or POC, and also appears to do very little to support the actual RL marginalized people they hire when not just cravenly giving in to the worst elements of the SW fanbase (*cough*TROS*cough*) is incredibly frustrating.

Yeah, this is about DLF's poor handling of eminently predictable fan tantrums over The Acolyte which has just culminated in cancelling it after a bare eight episodes, but it's happened so many times at this point. The Acolyte was far from perfect but after how visibly unprepared DLF were for the raging bigotry directed at Kelly Marie Tran, John Boyega, and Daisy Ridley, or how weird people were about Solo, or the misogynoir surrounding the response to Reva in Obi-Wan Kenobi, or or or—they absolutely could and should have known that something like The Acolyte was going to need a lot of higher-level support to have any chance of success. At the very least there's no excuse for being surprised at this point.

And it feels a bit like it, and the actual people involved in it, were never really given a fair shot and the real higher investment is going to be in, like, Baby Yoda 4: Now With More Ewoks.

My friends and I just finished our first run of Jedi: Survivor, which we really, really liked, but there is definitely a tragic white boy protagonist propped up by POC and/or women (many now dead!) aspect to the whole thing that feels essential to its popularity. And it is frustrating and disappointing and all the more so because it's so eminently foreseeable at this point.

[shortpplfedup]

We Are Episodes 1-5: Just guys being dudes I guess

Well I didn't think this was the show that would bring me back to writing anything, but low stakes and baby steps I guess. As with most of the BL I've enjoyed lately, I originally had absolutely zero intention of watching this. A 4-couple 16-ep hangout BL from New Siwaj? Nothing in there I need. Then this photo emerged from the set stills...

...and suddenly I was listening. Not terribly attentively mind you, but my curiosity was piqued enough to give her a try. So I did, and 5 weeks in I've decided she can stay for now.

I wanna be clear: there is nothing happening in this show. This isn't a good or interesting show. This is all about guys being dudes, hanging out with their friends, making new friends, and liking each other. Occasionally some of them talk about Art. But the vibes are...intriguing is far too strong a word. It's fun. It's cute. The characters are cutouts but clearly drawn (that is definitely one of New's strengths, I always know who his characters are and they rarely surprise or confuse me). The situations they put them in are pure undiluted tropery, but it works somehow? The cast has a lot of charm, that helps. Aou is playing probably my favourite character of his ever. Satang is making aegyo work for him shockingly well. Winny is giving something inexplicably fun as a surly art student. Poom is a goofy delight. Godji is here being hilarious. Every character is somehow pitched perfectly for the vibe. I am endeared. Each of our 4 couples is playing in their own genre of romantic comedy, but it all pulls together and not apart for me because of the breezy vibe of the whole. It ain't much, but it feels like everybody was having fun making this, and I'm really responding to that right now.

Our trope troupe, in no particular order.

Chain and Pun

Let's start with the friends to lovers couple, because there isn't much happening here yet (methinks the reshoots have pushed their story back near the end). There are all indications that both are somewhat aware of how they might feel. Pun is kinda chaotic and dumb like a fox methinks. Chain is endeared. 1.5/4 hearts

Tan and Fang

Next up we have the loud and quiet pair. Fang mostly keeps himself to himself and Tan is LITERALLY incapable of doing that. Motormouthing a mile a minute, telling all his business, calling friend gatherings together to announce that he likes somebody (not that they're dating, just that he likes them). He's annoying. And Fang is endeared by that. Him agreeing to date Tan seems a little out of nowhere but there isn't any pretence or secrecy to Tan. What you see is exactly what you get, and Fang seems to like what he sees. 2.5/4 hearts.

Toey and Q

Our third couple are our grumpy/sunshine couple. Normally this level of cutesy would drive me straight up a wall, but I think what's saving it for me is that nobody's really denying their feelings here. Q grumbles, but Toey has him completely wrapped around his little finger, and they both kinda know it. I'm pretty sure these two would actually burn down the world for each other if it was required. 3.5/4 hearts.

Phum and Peem

Our enemies to lovers couple. Up until this week I did not understand what they hell they were doing with these two, but it's clicked into place now: you think Phum is taking advantage, but Peem wouldn't be doing a single solitary fuck of this if he didn't want to. He started this out by kicking that man in the nuts, he ain't scared. Once Peem's curiosity overrode his pisstivity, it was only a matter of time. Watching him wait this entire episode for Phum to kiss him, then slowly realize he was gonna have to be the one to do it himself was...*snort* 2.5/4 hearts.

[insane-weasel]

Me, with the objectively worst opinion: Oh...I liked the idea of a QPR Lila x Five.

I'm only halfway through S4, but I like it over S3. (Victor's son caused me to mentally block out like 90% of S3)

Review so far:

Luther's plot: 3/10. I'd love for him to stop being the butt of the joke.

Diego: 0/10. Horrible. You're going to make him a dad and tell me he is not like a super loving and caring father and show me any of that????? Why???? Is he always treated so bad by the plot. Stop making fun of him ffs. Oh, he's barely even chubby, but make fun of his weight. Oh, he's kind of concerned his wife doesn't love him...when she doesn't....make him seem paranoid and in the wrong when...like??? What? WTF is Diego's character.

Allison: 6/10 Thank you for not sticking with Allison is the bad guy...though why throwing any character progression...uh what's with her and Claire??? Are they gonna expand on the last 6 years??? Why 6 years??? Hello??? Anyway, her plot is passable so far. Not best, but....not S3 which is a win

Victor: Only solid 7/10 because he's really hitting me-core. Only characterization I'm kinda on board with. Actually, yeah, have Victor living a really moderate life at a bar. I think he should take you another instrument that isn't the violim. Though not a fan of how they're depicting his powers. I liked the more ethereal powers. Though no on Victor having failed relationships. He needs an awkward cute romance like Sissy? WTF was with that whole beginning? Like...anyway.

Five: 2/10 I don't hate it. But it is the worst five plot thus far IMO.

Ben: 5/10. Actually, I do think Sparrow Ben would be arrogant enough to be in Crypto. I don't like Sparrow Ben, but his depiction tracks. Still wish we could...have OG Ben........Second thought, hate Sparrow Ben. Though whatever, love interest, okay.

Lila: ...1?/10 I feel like the one person who didn't like Diego x Lila, and didn't think she'd settle down. I like a QPR with her and Five. However--How they're handling this? Awful. Also, her powers????? No more mimic. Boooooooooooo.

Klaus: 2/10 I wanted them to go angst with Klaus' immortality, but...ughh. Compulsive cleanliness and over anxiety about common fears is a legitimate way paranoia can develop...as a person with those kinda issues, but they do not depict them in any. Like I'm going to be honest, when you do have those fears to that level...you aren't sober or if you are...you're not looking well. But forget all that crap, why couldn't we have whatever story was Klaus bonding with Allison and helping raise Claire. Why was that the plot we had to be told about rather than shown????$

Other thoughts:

-Gene and Jean are like...10/10. Solid villains. Love em. Costume, actors, quirks--great.

-OH. My. God. Can Reginald stoooooop being a character.

-Music and set designs are a 10/10, costumes this season and apparel is a 2/10. What are some of these looks????

-Uh...The plot is kinda...feels like a fanfic that the author continues after 6 years, half-assed and wings, and has no love for the source material. Some parts seem so lazy. The stakes feel weak. There's traces of a great story...buried in there.

Overall, my theory for what happened: Umbrella Academy leaned into its comic book elements in the worst way possible. For that to have worked, a cohesive and fully fleshed out plot would need to be in place first then followed by a style of editing, composition and mise-en-scene, and then characters can play into cartoon styles.

The editing and filming have not changed between seasons. There's no style. Actually, they've gotten worse. The camera angles are painfully standard. If you wanted comic book, that camera needs to be at some different angles, but no, 3/4, eye level, always capturing same length. Whoever directed this? For shame. You don't use the foreground. You don't use the background. Everything happens on the same level and has the same amount of presence on screen. It screams "no time for flare, let's just get this done!"

So many of the BTS/production elements feel...rushed. If that wasn't the case, if this didn't have a painfully short filming timeline and they didn't have severe restraints compared to the last seasons...than...no one had any love for the series anymore.

[butchniqabi]

Hey if you're willing to share I'm curious to know what being a teacher has been like for you! I'm actually considering becoming a teacher but I know its mentally a lot, however I do love kids and teaching something to others has always felt like something I'd end up doing

so full disclosure im an after school teacher so i only get kids for 4-5 hours every day and its structured differently from normal school. teaching isnt my Passion per say and im a bit grumpy with my management rn so that sometimes shades the posts i make, all that being said i think it's alright! kids are great and funny as hell, but we have a very tough site because we're a tk-8th and its...A Lot. i wanted to be placed with older kids but i got placed with 2nd and 3rd graders, which is not Bad per say, but not really a grade level i feel 100% confident in teaching all the time. i feel like the job is very rewarding and fun, but also incredibly hard. a lot of our kids have really hard home lives and its hard to be the strong one sometimes, yknow? i think the hardest part of teaching so far has really been being Miss Amatullah, Teacher Extraordinaire all the time. when im depressed i still have to go in with high energy, even "easy" days (like today) are hard when i have to comfort multiple crying children and simultaneously maintain control of my classroom. i think flexibility is so so necessary and if you cant handle a sudden change of pace or energy, it's going to be really tough. loving kids is only a small part of being a teacher, because you have to be able to discipline kids too, which is REALLY hard for me because there are situations where if i was a parent i would be fine with the behaviour but as a teacher i cant let happen.

to wrap things up: yes it is a very rewarding profession but you cant always be robin williams and miss honey, and if you cant deal with that it might not be the right field for you (like me, i dont intend on doing this long term). it's fun and kids are great, but make sure youre doing this because you Want to, not because it seems like it would suit you. love of children alone isnt enough, you need to be able to manage a classroom, multitask while multitasking, be creative, understanding, and utilize all the emotional labor you are capable of squeezing out of yourself

[doubleddenden]

Did HoloJustice day 1 impressions, onto day 2

Cecilia

Before: pon, quiet or shy, german

After: pon, I was correct there, also German, but they literally debuted HoloEU with 1 vtuber and all the languages she speaks. I'm actually surprised at how hilarious she is. Her humor can be pretty subtle or dry but also out loud as well. Really cute and subtle accent, also short at about 5'3". Actually likes tea, unlike the BRIT. ALSO THE VIOLIN, insanely talented.

Raora

Before: light voice, the horny one, fake Italian (like how Ame is "British"), tall, likes Pokemon

After: deeper voice than expected, but still quite charming in combination with her actual Italian accent, and only 5'2" (perfect chin resting height). I knew the moment I saw her mascot she was a Pokemon fan, and her disdain for reading even solidified that lol (no seriously, for some reason a good chunk of us hate reading). She seems less "horny" like I thought she'd be, and is more "cultured" (although I am curious about all the Nerissa files) if anything so far, at least she hasn't gone Nerissa yet. Her art is actually professional level, and if I'm guessing correctly, Hololive might have hired another overqualified vtuber because WOW, and she wants to be a future Hololive "mama" (aka the artist that draws the actual vtuber before it gets rigged). Very sweet, I like her food ideas, although i am a bit saddened she does not like pineapple on pizza. I think most already know who she was previously, because it was almost a 1 to 1 transition basically, so I think it's a well deserved spot in Hololive. Here's hoping maybe Nintendo stops being Dicks and lets her play Pokemon someday. Also, it sounds like she's been auditioning for years, so big congrats to her for finally getting in.

These two might be my favorites of the 4 tbh.

Justice as a whole

They seem to get along well, and have a pretty fun sibling bond already with banter and razzing- surprised by the lack of Liz and Rao flirting tbh, every Gen has a "ship" that seems almost immediate.

Idk why I was worried that Cover was going to go too hardball on their lore with such an intense focus on cross Gen lore and interaction with Advent, because in actuality they're about as adorably threatening as Team Rocket's Jesse, James, Meowth, and Wobbuffet- but if they were the good guys.

I can't wait for the collab ban to be lifted, because I NEED all of them to collab with the others and especially Advent. I wanna know who their oshis are and if there's any EN side that normally aren't oshis to newbies.

A pretty fun set, although I think I need a bit more time to really get to know them before I pick a definitive favorite. At the least, Kiara finally has EU buddies to collab and visit with.

[mrhaitch]

HIHI Mr. Haitch! I’m back with more questions! But before we begin I hope your family is doing well since Haitch was/is currently sick and well I know how kids can pretty much pick up any illness and whine about it 1000 fold.

How do you deal with your kids nightmares? I remember making my dad wake up and wave one of my toy wands in my room to “scare away the monster” whenever I had a nightmare

Would you consider yourself a “picky eater”?

How many levels do you think you could do on the “beep test”? For reference it’s this running thing they do in high schools and you basically have to run to the other side of the gym before it beeps and the pause between the beeps get shorter and shorter

FUN FACT: in Chinese culture when a person has died we do a funeral but also for the first 7 weeks after the person has died everyone gathers at their home. So say if someone died on a Monday, the next 7 Mondays will be spent at the person’s home. It has to do with keeping the spirit company before they go to heaven and making sure the spirit knows how to get home.

1. Kisses, cuddles, and gentle rationalisations.

2. Absolutely not - I'll try pretty much everything.

3. Not really a runner. I did run a lot when I was in my late teens, but later found it a bit boring, and post-hernia I'm still not clear for high impact exercise for another two to three months (I've only just started weightlifting again but have to stop at around 25kg). Far prefer rowing for cardio. But if you want a score, you'll have to wait a while till I'm able to try it.

4. That's very sweet. I seem to recall there was a similar practice in some south American cultures except they kept the body in the home for people to visit, but they had to nix it as (due to climate change) the hot and humid weather caused the bodies to bloat and explode.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Sort of answer to your other anon, but feel free to add to it if you want hehe. For now I only know the show and only ship loustat, but that's because I think it's the most developed pairing so far. I kind of need a little time to get into ships, but I'm down for any and everything. I agree ships don't necessarily need to be moral, but I do believe they need to be compelling and help each other in a way, even if it isn't with every single thing. I have OTPs that had terrible moments, but grew into their best selves together. Loustat is usually a dynamic that I hate, because it happened too fast, it got problematic and dark pretty fast (in terms of number of episodes, not the years they spent together), they had other people, they spent a whole season apart... Reminds me in a way of those toxic, even abusive on-and-off couples, that always treated each other poorly, made each other worse, could never work it out, but for some reason kept going back together because "it's sexy" or whatever networks tried to sell. But Loustat subverted my expectations. They're not entirely like that, but I do think they have some of those characteristics. But in their case, it's explained because they both lived shitty lives. And the series show why they're that way and that they're sort of at war with themselves too and genuinely regret their actions. And unlike those other ships, they're a differently species that don't completely function like us and have forever to redeem themselves. Those other couples just felt like a repetitive waste of time without any depth. But the writers really do a great job. And we did see Loustat bounding, Louis trusting Lestat in a way he didn't with anybody else, smiling, having fun and a happy life as well, so we know the connection is there and it isn't just angst and sex. And there's the actors, who have some of the best chemistry I've ever seen anywhere. I'm down for any ship if they have that too, because I trust the writers and so far every duo seems to have amazing chemistry. Will the writing and chemistry be on Loustat's level? I don't know, but I'll have fun with whatever they give me for however long it lasts. This is the first time I feel like I don't even need to think or worry too much, I'm just waiting for more and to be surprised because they always exceed my expectations and I hope that never changes. I was pretty into Loumand at the beginning, I thought they had an ease, sensual, flirtatious vibe and it was exciting to see. But that was mostly the actors than the script and, after the first kiss, we don't see much of it anymore? No scene laughing, comforting each other, going out etc... We have the museum and bar scenes, but I wouldn't call them a Loumand moemnt because they were most about Armand's backstory and betrayal. I never shipped them as much as Loustat, I could have, but before it got to a point I could, it turned cold and distant so I moved on. On the other hand, Lesmand, is something I don't ship yet, but I'm excited because of 1) simply curiosity, everything I hear from the books sound like that's a pretty heated relationship, for better or worse 2) I also hear they're kind of mirrors and understand each other in ways others can't, so even with all the bad history they still sort of care for each other? And if that's true, it's a really interesting and unique dynamic to explore that we don't see that often 3) Sam and Assad really sold their chemistry to me on that scene they shared blood 4) relationships that are extreme as theirs seem to be, tend to result in great, intense, emotional, explosive acting and that's my favorite type... My favorite scenes on the show are the church scene and the hug and those are very intense moments as well. So if they can do something like that in their own flavor because I wouldn't want a Loustat copy, it should be fun to see. Even if it turns out to be like "omg, they're so terrible and I don't want them together not even for one episode" and I won't ship, I'll probably still enjoy it for the writing and acting.

:))

As said, shipping is a personal preference (thank you for detailing yours 🥰).

I am very sure the show will do something very distinctive for each pairing, and this is the only thing I‘d add here now - all these “ships“ are actual relationships in the VC, with their own history, and importance.

Personally I think that is amazing ^^ and I cannot wait to see them.

If I will write and/or read them? We‘ll see. But I think we‘re blessed that way, whether it fits personal preference, or not. 🥰

[oodlyenough]

alright I'm finally playing turnabout succession and despite how many big reveals i'd already been spoiled for the case is still surprising me in parts and clearly going to be quite long so i thought i'd put some thoughts together now

I'm not-quite-finished the MASON system chapter so no spoilers plz

some general notes:

I knew Vera Misham existed but not really anything about her or her father so that whole first trial was fun

I can't believe the glass hand statue I've seen in fanart a million times is the world's least ergonomic nail polish bottle ?!?!? lmfaoo ... nothing like the feeling of sharp crystal fingertips digging into your palms while you apply a... clear topcoat ... okay

Ema popping up in court with a Kristoph impression just to fuck with Klavier is the funniest thing in the world I love her so much. #1 hater

extremely generous of the judicial system to let disbarred lawyer phoenix wright design and run the new thing lmfaoooo

god willing they'll give me a chance to say 'i've spent the last seven years building up an immunity to atroquinine'

troupe gramarye is fucked up man LMAO i mean i kind-of guessed but i didn't anticipate the levels of it and i think we've only scratched the surface so far

i knew the names 'zak gramarye' and 'shadi enigmar' from fandom and never in a million years would i have guessed which was the magician stage name and which was his birth certificate name

i'm not sure what i'm meant to be thinking of zak so far. they alternate a bit between him seeming to be at least something of a concerned father, popping back up to will stuff to trucy and wearing her locket etc ...and him being physically violent, abandoning her in the first place and scheming to ruin phoenix's life a second time for no reason. I was pretty sure the victim from 4-1 was trucy's dad, and at the time I wondered if his plan was to undermine Phoenix in order to take custody of Trucy again, but so far it seems like he was just ... being a dick? lmao. I dunno; case isn't over so presumably more of that will come to light

still a big fan of valant, he cracks me up idc if he shot that old man. the game is telling me there was friction bc he was in love with thalassa but it's too little too late when i've already decided he has a weird gay thing with zak and also canonically he is capable of impeccable thalassa drag, so

drew misham being like "i left my reclusive 12 year old alone with a strange adult to discuss crime. it's ok though bc she felt an immediate affinity for a man she describes as the devil and agrees to keep secrets for" sir what the fuck do you mean !!!!! rest in pieces honestly

actually when we hit the bit about 'well vera doesn't like many people but she liked him', i was like "she liked KRISTOPH???" and @nowwheresmynut was like "maybe it was one of the gramaryes since she's a stan" and i was like "oh that makes sense". but it doesn't. it was kristoph. Lmfao. child whisperer

the MASON system is so ??? lmao... why does my inventory carry over from past to present lmaooo. phoenix invented time travel (real) (not clickbait)

I was going to write a whole thing about the disbarment trial and the investigation portion but this post is already enormous so it might be its own thing. I have deeper thoughts about that stuff from like a... broader game/storytelling pov. I will say I knew there was a flashback trial but I did NOT know you got so many investigation portions as Phoenix what a nice surprise 😭😭😭 I miss him

[saspitite]

Needlessly Pedantic Answers to Worldbuilding Questions that Don't Matter That Much to Begin With, Episode #1:

why is everyone in your fictional world an animal? what do they eat? are there any non-sapient animals? is it more of a "Zootopia or Beastars" type situation? how does anatomy change across certain species?

so as nobody may know, i write about a lot of fictional worlds and one of them is your standard diverse furry society. while these are quite fun to mess around with, they tend to bring up a lot of questions (that technically don't matter too much, i mean you're just telling a fictional story for god's sake) about how the world works. and there's especially a lot of questions raised in my case because my world doesn't just feature mammals, but also reptiles, birds, amphibians, fish, and so on, so you wonder how differently they live, if at all. i'm gonna be evil and answer all of those questions that exactly -2 people have asked today!

1: why is everyone an animal?

of course, the real reason is because it's fun to explore stories and create characters that aren't human, and it's especially a fun opportunity to experiment with character design! but for a more in-universe reason, the gods like to take inspiration from each other and will tend to build off of each other's ideas. this world was made by the wandering god Belet, who became inspired after visiting several worlds of other gods. they were curious about creating a world where multiple sapient species exist, since it was a common trend in other worlds for only one dominant species existing at a time.

2. what do they eat?

naturally, all species are vegetarian, although some areas of the world have gotten to the point of inventing artificial foods adjacent to plant-based meat. the idea of cannibalism or killing other people to eat hasn't really been explored due to being kinda... dubious. but i guess it's up in the air. although it may sound weird, the practice of selling one's own dairy products and other non-meat animal products is quite normalized. it's basically just seen as the same level of normal as selling any other food items you make.

3. are there any non-sapient animals?

so far? nope. but that might get retconned in the future, i dunno. i haven't published enough about this world so i'm still able to reconsider if i wanted to. but as of right now, basically every single organism from the animalia kingdom is anthropomorphized, with a few exceptions. (exceptions usually being organisms i have no clue how to anthropomorphize lmao)

4. is it more of a "zootopia or beastars" type situation?

to expand on this question, it's basically asking for more information on how society functions and how fucked it is, if at all. initially i said it was going to be a utopia of sorts- i retconned that, lol, because it seems like i can't ever write about a truly happy world. it's definitely one of my better worlds to live in, but it's by no means perfect. i wouldn't say it's Beastars levels of messed up (black markets selling dubious meat and carnal instincts telling you to eat your friends) but it's probably not as cutesy as, say, Zootopia is on the surface level, although i do like how it tackled systemic racism and whatnot. i guess it's somewhere in between. there isn't anything going on that's straight out of a psychological horror movie but there's definitely inequality and tension everywhere.

5. how does anatomy change across certain species?

outside of the very obvious base change of every animal becoming anthropomorphic and thus more human-like, there's a couple other changes, such as necessary internal anatomy shifting around so all creatures can live on land properly, plus the ability to be able to speak the same languages, stuff like that. arthropods are a bit trickier (like oh my god so much would have to change) but i usually just explain that they're built different and call it a day. for my sanity. cold blooded animals are able to somewhat thermoregulate on their own, but will still largely rely on their surroundings. if you're cold, they're cold. wrap your lizard girls in blankets. also, all animals are similarly sized, but some tend to be slightly larger/smaller on average depending on the species. like, an old elephant man is gonna be MUCH taller than a moth lady lol.

oh, and an extremely unnecessary addition that i only expanded on because of the fact that i had to face the logical issue of giving my reptile characters boobs: non-mammalian animals will still tend to have visible "breasts" due to having the general silhouette of a human, but they don't produce milk or function at all outside of looks. some non-mammalians prefer to get their "breast" tissue surgically removed due to the fact that it serves basically no purpose for them.

that's about where the biological similarities end, though. when it comes to reproduction, biological compatibility largely follows the same odds as it would in the real world, so you sadly won't see many wolf/komodo dragon hybrids hanging out. this also tends to be a source of interspecies-relationship discrimination, and not to mention eugenics...

some miscellaneous tidbits:

-in terms of technology and resources, i'd say this world is about as advanced, if not a little more than our own. it's no sci-fi paradise but there are some significant advancements made that definitely outdo us, such as the research and technology poured into environment conservation and space exploration (the latter of which may or may not be one of the main topics of a story i'm working on... :3)

-trans healthcare is also reasonably advanced, although that doesn't imply there's less transphobia.

-yes, there's probably some unique version of veganism in this world, but instead of not eating animals it'd be like... fungi. or certain types of plants. or maybe even animal products anyways, despite the fact that they're normalized, for one reason or another.

-ohhhh clothes work so differently depending on what kind of animal you are. but i cannot get into that here. not without going insane. just know that i have been thinking about it a lot. there are entire different kinds of clothing for certain body types, just not the definition of body type you'd initially think of. there's specific clothing for the winged. the tailed and the non-tailed. the quilled. the feathered. the slimed. its insane

[kozykricket]

Lets talk mob votes

Now, there are a lot of things in minecraft that I hear people complain about, and I think theres some fair critiques of the game to be made! There's even fair critique to be made about the mob votes, too! But... I'm here to give a clearer perspective on what mob votes really are, as most people seem to misunderstand their context and the actual premise of them... which is somewhat mojangs fault, I'll admit. I stand by critique being welcome as long as you are making informed critique. I'd argue being informed is more important than being constructive / offering alternatives! So lets get to the informing. You might be thinking that its obvious what the mob votes are. Mojang takes like, 3 cool mob concepts that they have, and make us pick only one. They make us vote, and only add the winner. That's a surface level understanding. The simplest part to debunk is a notion that I see often: that Mojang has these mobs entirely designed and planned out. I said concepts but most people don't seem to understand that these are just concepts, they aren't fully fleshed out. They want to know which ones the players like, so that they aren't spending time developing a mob that people don't care much for. They prefer to add what will make people happy! But... what about cases like the allay? It was designed far more deeply than the other mobs in the vote, which I will say was quite unfair. Well, okay, lets just... pretend they did a vote between 3 well-designed mobs. "Why not just add all 3?" people might say. They still... I... I don't think people understand that Mojang operates on a schedule, and tries to balance what they work on - minecraft is a game with a lot of different elements, and none should take the center stage above any other one. It isn't just their job to add mobs. If it was their job to add mobs and they only added like, 1 or 2 mobs a year, then yeah, it'd be really stupid. Though, I suppose my real point is that... if a mob works out good enough to be in their plans, it won't be in a vote. They won't just have a vote where they'll add all 3 because all 3 aren't necessary and they aren't reasonable. Lets take 1.20 for example. They spent time adding new mechanics for detecting where you click on a block for chiseled bookshelves, they gave both the camel and the sniffer fancy animations using the new keyframe system, and armor trims have a very fancy customizable system that makes adding more very easy! They changed up some things in the lighting engine, they're always doing under the hood changes. It's never a choice of "do performance fixes" or "add new content" because they... do both all the time! It's just that it usually yields a net zero. But that's a tangent Point is, yes they can indeed add all 3, but that would take away from the time they have to spend on the update. Mojang is a company that generally tries to avoid crunch, and has summer holidays. I am a supporter of healthy development environments, so I don't mind this. It means that things may take longer, but like. Do we really need all the mobs? Again, if they consider the mob important enough, it won't be in a vote. The vote is just like (Well, d'ya ever take time to think about what its like being at mojang? I bet ideas like the glare or copper golem are thrown around all the time, ideas echoing through the hallways... we only get to see just a few of them. So y'know, you can take that logic and say. well. they probably have WAAAY more than just 3 mobs that a few devs want to add, but they can't feasibly add all those mobs. So they of course just pick a few. 3 or 4. They develop those mobs in a basic level beyond initial concepts, and let the players pick between their little fun ideas. I'd bet that their best ideas are probably not put up into votes. They probably keep those ones locked down and prepare them for further design.) I bet they just... well. continue'd in self-reblog. Char limit-

[pocket-of-summer]

Chapter 5 - Author's Notes

It took half a year to complete this chapter 😂 But thanks everyone as always for your patience! Coincidentally, the date when I posted the first chapter 5 post was the date I started my new job...which is exhaustingggg I'm not sure how I even lasted 6 months so far, and it seems it'll only get tougher from here. Corporate grind for the 🤑... It's been hard for me to juggle my limited energy and time with this project, and even do other hobbies, but we're this far! I don't want to give it up even if the updates are slow and the quality isn't as perfect.

And we finally see the face of the person from the very first panel of the story...I wonder who she is??? (Ok I am so bad at any kind of story or mystery writing but this is my bad attempt at suspenseful foreshadowing😂)

▶Go to: - Continue to Chapter 6

Tsunozemimon appeared in this chapter, which is the last of the main characters' Adult levels! It took me a little while to settle on his design but I personally really like how it turned out in the end.

This was the initial design I had for Tsunozemimon. I guess the general shape is there but the feel is pretty different; I was basing it off Kabuterimon, the OG Adult-level insect Digimon, so the design looked a bit more...wrinkly(???) like the initial style of Digimon.

I do find the old wrinkly art style of Digimon iconic (newer designs tend to be more smoothed out), but I guess looking through my other Pocket of Summer Digimon designs, they look more in line with the newer smoother style (also with how newer Digimon designs have stronger resemblance within the same evolution line) so I wanted to smoothen Tsunozemimon out a bit too lol. It was fun to think about how to design him though! "Zemi" is Japanese for "cicada", but "Tsunozemi" is Japanese for "treehopper"/"thorn bug" which was a fun idea for an evolution.

Also, the enemy Digimon for this chapter is the official Digimon Tobiumon! At the time of writing it hasn't gotten to star in any anime/manga entry yet, so it was fun to get to draw it in action (and I had to wing the design of its Suckerfish Darts a bit).

Lastly, as a side note, I've received comments about the evolution sequences that the Tamers inspiration was cool 🥹 Thank you!! (If anyone hasn't seen them yet, check out the Digimon Tamers evolution sequences! I can't quite capture the same coolness in still drawings but I very much wanted to emulate the "skin texture on wireframe base" idea.)

Speaking of wireframes, the Digimon get their wireframes exposed when they are hurt badly in this story. I can't remember atm if other Digimon series did this? But maybe I just wanted to give myself excuses to draw more wireframes because they look cool lol.

Shellmon (chapter 2)

Tylomon (chapter 3)

Cephalomon (chapter 4)

WaruSeadramon (chapter 4)

Pangorumon (chapter 5)

Murexmon (chapter 5)

Tobiumon (chapter 5)

[inchidentally]

Maybe I’ve been reading too much fan fiction but part of my feels like it could really happen where Oscar assumes Lando is too cool or too wild for him and doesn’t push for more of a friendship. I remember Carlos and Daniel having no problem doing trips and social stuff or just hanging out more with Lando pretty soon after being his teammate. I feel like Oscar having been a fanboy he’s just assumed he would be too quiet and shy to join in Lando’s partying and cool friends.

(mental note here I'm speaking fully non-RPF and purely the real life friendships)

well I will weigh in and say that Carlos and Lando didn't start properly socializing (apart from golf, which was always in a group of 4 or more) until 2022 when he went for the wedding. before then yea, Lando's never minded third wheeling with Carlos and Isa like he does with Carlos and Rebecca but I don't really count that as much bc it's sort of like parents and child aslfglafg

and it was the same with Daniel - they didn't immediately bond and it was probably around the same time as with Carlos that they started hanging out more socially. it all makes sense bc Lando finally got old enough to have more in common with those guys and to fit in with their friend groups more. a 19 or even a 22 yo gamer/youtuber isn't going to have much in common with guys in their late twenties or thirties who have steady girlfriends (apart from F1 or sport) esp when Lando has always been young for his age. Lando hinted at wanting to visit Daniel's ranch like what, two or three years ago? and he only just now visited and only for one day during his winter break with his (very definitely close friend) Martin Garrix.

and it's worth saying here that an anon gave a very detailed rundown of just how much Lando and Max V have socialized for years to a degree he never has with Carlos or Daniel. same with George and Alex who he's also known for ages. so I'd say a lot can be said for people misinterpreting Lando's closeness with the F1 friends based on "bromances" rather than reality. car|ando is big business in fandom world, closely followed by dando - so that's the stuff that gets cherry picked out. but you could find the same content with Max, George or Alex.

Lando's degree of actual friendship with someone clearly takes a while for him to warm up to. and as another anon said (and as Lando said himself) he has an entire friend group from karting days who are no longer involved in racing who are his tightest friends.

so I think for those waiting for Oscar to maybe become closer friends with Lando socially, it was never going to happen after just one season! thankfully we have two more seasons to see where things go <3

as far as how Oscar feels or views himself I just feel like we're missing wayyyy too much authentic info about Oscar to make any conclusions! since it's what I do I'll theorize that it would be way less to do with Lando seeming "too cool" since Oscar's seen so much of Lando's content over the years to know that Lando would never classify himself that way lasfgljsahfa.

I think it would more come down to Oscar saying that he's a very mellow, lower energy guy and spends most of his time with Lily or his own friends in small groups in private rather than at events or clubs etc. now! a lot might still change as Oscar relaxes into his F1 role and starts getting more invites from the rest of the grid. I'd personally like to see that bc he deserves to flex a little and stake his rightful place among those guys!

but as of right now, Lando's energy levels and the type of fun he has doesn't line up with Oscar's. Lando also lives a very blissfully happy bachelor existence and that's not rly 'conducive' for a guy in a ltr. and Oscar hasn't been in Lando's life long enough to start popping up at golf or padel with his friends of 4+ years.

but considering everything Lando, Oscar, Zak, Andrea etc etc have said about what perfect teammates they make for each other, and that F1 is Lando and Oscar's number one priority in life for the foreseeable, having an F1 bond is pretty damn strong??

oh and unless he relaxes a lot more I don't see him jumping on stream with Lando. he's so carefully cultivated a friendly but not hugely accessible relationship to fandom that something as unpredictable as a stream seems way too out of character.

I feel like I veered all over the place w this anon but it was a bit difficult for me to answer!!

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Paramount Animation Annecy drop...

Turns out, they seem to be keen on doing animated features that aren't based on massive IP. Adapting smaller properties and such, things that didn't already get movie adaptations, truly original stories, ya know?

Projects that were in our orbit for a while, such as SUPERWORLD, got a mention. REAL PIGEONS FIGHT CRIME is still on, as is Leo Matsuda's former DreamWorks picture YOKAI SAMBA, and MUTTNIK from Ron Howard's Imagine Entertainment, but everything else announced today is new. All of those sound like they could be pretty cool. I've wanted to see Matsuda take on a picture after doing the Disney Animation short INNER WORKINGS, whose design and style were unique to a lot of what that studio has put out over the past decade. MUTTNIK sounds great, too. I'm a sucker for a fun space adventure, and it's about a naughty dog, so... Yeah, Paramount, please give me this one.

There's DROPZ, which Variety called an E.T.-esque adventure directed by Rob Letterman and produced by Will Ferrell and... Bad Bunny, of all people. Paramount Animation/Nickelodeon Animation head Ramsey Naito describes it as a story "infused with fashion", a "cultural statement" for the family audience. So is this the cosmos meets apparel? What do they mean by "fashion", haha.

ONCE UPON A MOTORCYCLE DUDE looks like another trip to the "fractured fairy tale" well with a MAD MAX-esque twist, about a princess described as a "bad ass", and a "post-apocalyptic motorcycle dude" who have to take action when their kingdom is in danger. This also sounds like a lot of fun, and the first thing I thought of... For whatever reason, was the final part of the SPYRO: YEAR OF THE DRAGON level Charmed Ridge... Where the fairy princess goes off with a magician cat on a motorcycle, GREASE-style. (Hey, GREASE is a Paramount movie, too!) Only a producer is attached, so this one looks to be in the baby stages.

SWAN LAKE is also on the rails, from writer Kourtney Kang. Even though we have SWAN PRINCESS and a Barbie direct-to-video adaptation, hey, why not? What's another way they can tell this story? All we know so far is that it's "modern". Modern day or modern in attitude only?

Before we can get to those, 2025 and 2026 are filled with the sequels and franchise entries: SMURFS Again, SPONGEBOB 4, the first of those 2D AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER movies, PAW PATROL 3, and MUTANT MAYHEM 2. This is nice news after it seemed like Paramount Animation put the kibosh on more original and more risky animated films, and especially after how they quietly dumped UNDER THE BOARDWALK and THE TIGER'S APPRENTICE.

But that's the thing, when the IP wells run a bit dry, you gotta have something different waiting for you. It's been frustrating watching Paramount trip its way through trying to sustain a run of animated movies, post-DreamWorks distribution deal. After how well SPONGE OUT OF WATER did in 2015, it was false start after false start, and lots of blunders in-between. MUTANT MAYHEM was a real bright spot, though, and TRANSFORMERS ONE looks pretty fun. They screened the whole thing at the festival to pretty positive reactions, so that's nice.

If I were to guess when they could all be coming out, should they reach production...

2026-2027 I'd say would be the earliest, for a movie like SUPERWORLD or REAL PIGEONS FIGHT CRIME. YOKAI SAMBA, too, since that was on the boards at DreamWorks as far back... As like, 2018? I expect those three to be out first. DROPZ sometime thereafter.

Then 2028 and beyond for the rest, the films that don't have directors attached. MUTTNIK, MOTORCYCLE DUDE, and SWAN LAKE...

We shall see, but this line-up is great, has some really cool talent involved, and it'll be nice to see this stuff balance out the well-established TRANSFORMERS/NINJA TURTLES/SMURFS/AVATAR stuff.

[lilyblackdrawside]

TfN 4 all done, was a lot of fun once again.

(this got a bit far in the tooth)

Felt a bit easier than previous ones, sadly Andoain took a break this time. They could've shoved him in between waves 1 and 2 of Trial 1 for sure. Break the pattern a bit.

Or in Trial 2 where he would've looked really out of place, but would've been funny with the given squad.

Trial 1 was easily the worst one with the two most unlikeable bosses (for different reasons) in the game. But at least it was just Trial 1 so it wasn't that bad.

Trial 2 was alright. Still quite easy, though Rat King's spectacularly super-powered Rook Blast took me off guard when it oneshot my tankiest operators.

Trial 3 let me have some fun with aspd stall in Normal and then for Orientation and Spectacular I pivoted a bit. The given squad here might seem like it would be the big carry point, but in hindsight I'm not sure about it. Trial 3 was the only one where I used a different EC Unit (the SP one) just to get its extra mission done. The given squad has a Vanguard anyway, though she was incredibly bad at actually making DP. Given that I hardly even used one of the three, I could've probably handled it by going Free Squad, but it's not like the three were bad. One of them just needs some getting used to.

Trial 4 disappointed me up front and was ultimately fine. Too easy for a Trial 4 all the way through. Wave 1 is nothing, Wave 2 isn't that bad and Wave 3 holds all the difficulty due to tight spaces. I didn't have to bring any particular operators for just a single wave, they all had meaningful roles on each one.

Closure's Gifts were very lopsided. I consistently stuck with Lightened Load which at Level 3 gives +1 DP/s and -8 cost on all operators. This is huge and frees up space that you would otherwise need for Vanguards. It might seem like it'd only matter for the first wave on any trial, but it gets your DP back up really quickly after you redeploy at the start of a wave and on the second or third, any heavy operators you have will be at their highest cost and all that DP regen really comes in handy.

As I've said, I used Preheated Core for Trial 3 and it's alright. Like, it almost doubles your SP regen (-0.2sp/s for Wave 1, +0.8sp/s after that) and that's really good! It's great! But I didn't feel it. It definitely did something though.

Strength in Numbers is one that I didn't think much of when I looked at, but the regen does add up. You have a very high deployment limit of 9 in TfN, which gets upped to 10 if you have this. You're going to have somewhere from 6 to 9 operators on field usually, maybe even the full 10 and 60 to 90 health regen is actually quite a lot. That's as much as a max level Pot 5 Skalter on S2 with an AH in range heals! (105) But what's the point? Do you need that health regen? I never even brought a Medic for most of this stuff. And that's not even mentioning its extra mission where you have to deploy 50 operators in one trial with it active. I'm not doing that.

Progressive Overclock has been here for like the third time. It was decent a few times, when the stages accomodated it and when it gave better buffs. This time, I at most kept like one or two operators on field between waves and one of them was usually Skalter, who doesn't even benefit from the 20 aspd. If the buff was +40% atk and +40 aspd I'd still not consider it, because I wouldn't want to twist my squad and deployment around it, but at that point it'd at least be a meaningful buff, but getting +20% atk and +20 aspd for putting yourself in a bad position just isn't worth it. Its extra mission is probably fine if you just do it in Trial 2, but I saw that there is a way to get 10 operators into the second wave: Use the given squad and have a 1 star operator or Skill 2 Nearlter, all of which you can deploy without needing deploy limit space. So I figured I'd try to clear that mission on Trial 1. There, I could put up a meaningful group of operators to benefit from the buff but what I hadn't accounted for was that to keep all operators into the next wave, none of them could be deployed in the center. It's technically possible, but so ass that I'm not bothering with it.

It wouldn't be fun and I got all the rewards anyway by just clearing all trials and getting the other missions done.

Good Trials for Navigator, looking forward to the next one.

[sudoscience]

Finished The Indigo Disk last night, so time for some more PokéThoughts:

For costing more than half the price of the base game, I feel like the story could have been longer. I'm certainly not done playing the DLC yet (still haven't caught the Loyal Three, for example), but I finished the story in ~2 days. The base game probably took me about a week? To be fair, I did start the DLC with a full team of Lvl 100 Pokémon, so that probably saved me a lot of time.

Similarly, for being called "The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero", you really don't spend that much time in Area Zero. Again, this is likely due to having a late game, high level build. Part of the reason it took longer in the base game is because you don't have Koraidon, so you can't just jump and fly to get where you need. Also, I just immediately used the warp point to get to Research Station 4 instead of walking through all of Area Zero again. I hope I didn't accidentally skip any fun interactions, but with how much Game Freak tries to railroad you into doing the plot how they want you to (see my previous post about the DLC), I feel like if there were any cutscenes there, then you just wouldn't be able to use the warp points for... reasons.

That being said, what time you do spend in Area Zero is just as awesome as the first time you go there in the base game. The new music is great, too.

Speaking of new music: Celestial (Remix by Toby Fox)?! Leave it to Toby to make an Ed Sheeran song actually good, I guess.

Performance wise, it's comparable to the base game, maybe slightly better? Only clipped into a mountain once. Haven't noticed any other glitches so far, but it does occasionally seem to run a bit sluggishly. (And it continues to suffer from a lack of voice acting.)

Koraidon can fly now!!! Wish there was an option to invert the y-axis, but it can fly!!! Also, you can BE your Pokémon now!!!

Spoilers?

I like how they tell you Blueberry Academy is in Unova, but it's not, like, attached to it at all. It's just an island. They could have said any region, and it would have had negligible impact, imo. (But I am saying this as someone who hasn't actually played Gen V, so maybe there were things I missed.)

Well, okay, I think it did have one effect. I haven't played B/W, but I know Unova is supposed to be based on America, so when one of the NPCs mentions "BBQs", I was like, "Oh, that's cool. They have barbecues here instead of picnics." Nope! Stands for Blueberry Quests.

Terapagos being tiny when Kieran first pulls him out was the funniest shit

It broke the fucking Master Ball?! It can do that?!

Still not sure I really understand how the Stellar Tera Type works. I know it's not every type at once. I'm not sure how that would work either. Wouldn't they just cancel each other out?

I don't feel like the game did the best job of communicating how much time had passed. Carmine (and later, Kieran) always being like, "You really kept me waiting". I literally did not??? But also, Kieran saying, "I looked up to [Player] for so long", meanwhile I'm pretty sure that, at most, one in-game week has passed since I first met him. I guess if I had played the first part when it first came out, it would've felt like a longer time. (It was probably supposed to be at least a few months in-game.)

Also makes it a little hard to buy into his motivation being his desire to beat me in battle. Wait, maybe that makes it more believable, actually. "You're still bitter about that?" "Yeah? It was just last week..."

But, again, I would be perfectly happy to let him have Ogerpon. He has a personal connection to it! If I keep it, it's probably just going to stay in one of my boxes. (It is pretty cute, though.)

Despite the lack of hugs, I found the ending acceptable. I do still wish you could have hugged Kieran, though. Or at the very least, when he says, "Can we be friends again?", you should have been able to say something like, "What do you mean 'again'? We're still friends!"

[aikoiya]

Dave the Diver - Improvement Ideas

Don't get me wrong, DtD is way fun, but there are a handful of things that I feel are holding it back from being even better.

1. As much as I enjoy the farm, it's very difficult to get a lot of crops from it, so I think it would be a great idea to be able to upgrade the seeds the same way that the seaweed seeds can be. This would increase yield with each level, thus making it easier to stockpile ingredients.

2. Another thing is a way to get more Artisan's Flames. I've been struggling with getting enough & I've noticed that so have other players. So, some way to get more or even double the amount you can get per day, would be great.

I read a comment somewhere that actually sounded like a decent solution. They suggested that Bancho Sushi & the Branch could get separate flames. So, you could get up to 5 at Bancho's main bar & a potential 5 more from the Branch.

3. It seems that while initially winning the Seahorse races nets you a decent amount of Bei, you don't get nearly as much afterwards.

Which, honestly feels dumb. While I could understand it if they'd simply cut the amount of Bei that you get after by half, reducing it to what seems to be only about 5-10 Bei just… it really doesn't incentivize players to continue playing the minigame.

Speaking of the Sea People games, the level 2 of the card matching game just feels rigged because your opponent gets a match during every round. Narratively, that's impossible unless the character was cheating. I'm sure that there's a way to win, but it'd require also always getting a match every round as well. Again, this doesn't incentivize players to continue playing this minigame either.

However... what could be interesting would be if he actually was cheating & Dave could call him out on it with proof. Possibly by using the underwater camera or something. Then, either revealing that the 2nd level matching game is rigged or the dude swears to never rig the game for Dave again so long as he doesn't show anyone the picture. After which, none of the matching games levels are rigged anymore. Though, of course, still with increasing levels of difficulty.

4. More sidequests in the Sea People Village even after beating the game.

5. Just an actual post-game. The game itself is actually pretty short, but despite this the gameplay is so addictive that I find myself craving more content, so I’m hoping that the DLCs will give extra stuff to do other than watch my cash go higher, train my staff, & enhance my dishes.

Maybe something to do with the Gadons provided that isn’t already planned for a possible sequel. Maybe the introduction of mythical fish or something. I dunno.

If I'm being really super greedy rn, I kinda wanna see the game's content double if I can. Maybe even more stuff for the Dredge DLC that possibly has some story to it other than essentially fish for abominations & make bank.

Also, more VIPs. I liked the story I got with the ones in the game so far & I'd like to see more. I also liked having a new thing to work towards. Just get creative with it, but not too gimmicky.

6. Certain sections of the fish farm just don't seem to multiply very quickly. Meaning that I honestly don't get much fish out of that section & it tends to require 2 or more days for it to happen.

Similar with the Glacial Passage section. So, while I understand that as places with more end-game fish, those parts of the fish farm are naturally gonna take longer, I'd appreciate something to help it feel a bit less tedious is all.

7. More fish & recipes. I go over it here: More Fish & Recipes

Things like Dolphinfish, Blackthroated Perch, Flying Fish, & Surmai. Also, actually being able to hunt some of the photo fish like Opah & Oarfish. Opah especially, because apparently it has 7 different textures of meat & I believe that they're served as part of a set. Lancetfish & Oarfish would also be very interesting because their meat is gelatinous, so evidently, they're good for flavoring foods by rendering their fats. Like in Paella & Nikogori. And, apparently, the heart of an Oarfish is super freaking delicious, so maybe that could be a drop? Though it'd be cool if Cobra or Bancho turned out to be superstitious. Though, I could see Bancho being belligerently so. Like, he believes the superstitions, but he's also effing ready for it. Like, he takes the superstitions seriously, but he'd also unafraid & prepared.

Also, maybe a few more Lionfish dishes like fried lionfish & seasoned lionfish. As well as a warning about how devastatingly invasive they are. In fact... around where I live, we have a Lionfish Restaurant Week where certain restaurants will serve Lionfish. Each day is a different restaurant. So, maybe do something like that. It'd functionally be just a Lionfish Party, but it'd have a bit more of a side-story to it. Like, it would basically be part of an effort to get more people to be willing to try it. Heck, maybe it could be sponsored by EcoWatcher?

Also, gumbo & Luisiana-style crustacean boils & bouillabaisse & crab omelet & lobster bisque & jambalaya. Apparently, Angler is also good when pan-seared.

Oh... & a while ago, I had this incredible seafood dish. It was fabulous! Tomato jam topped pan-roasted grouper stacked ontop of a feta cheese soufflé, resting on a bed of garlic braised spinach, & a citrus butter drizzle to decorate the plate... It was heavenly.

And, you know what? The blue crab claws were pretty great, too.

Maybe even an introduction of some deserts like Seagrape Jelly or Latok Mochi. But I definitely think that Shark Fin Soup is an absolute must. The fact that it wasn't there to begin with is weird.

8. At least use the proper terms for the sushi. Most of the sushi we see is just Nigiri. So, it'd be nice to see it be called that.

9. Also, how cool would it be to be able to use Buckbeans to brew their own beer & ale then serve it at the bar? Or even Latok Wine?

10. More parties. Personally, I'd like to see Lionfish Parties, Cephelapod Parties (featuring squids, octopi, & nautiluses), maybe Egg Parties (I mean, there was a Cucumber & Curry Party), Crab Parties, Puffer Parties, Ray Parties, Seahorse Parties, Eel Parties, ect. But most definitely a Lobster Party & I'll tell you why in a bit!

10. 1 final Crab Trap upgrade that doubles the number of Crustaceans that you can get from them.

11. Now, the Godzilla DLC was really small, but entertaining. And I get why, limited time. However, that doesn't stop me from wishing that there'd been a bit more stuff, ya know?

Admittedly, the fact that the game gives you 3 new dishes is nice & so is the new collectible. But I was kinda hoping for a new area. I mean, there are still 2 whole sections of the Fish Farm still offlimits. (Unless it was just unfortunate numbering or it was cut.)

However, the moment that Godzilla ripped Ebirah's claw off, my immediate thought was something along the lines of, "That would make for such an amazing Boss Ingredient! I wonder what it'd make & if they added a Lobster Party to maximize profit!"

So... Yeah... a little disappointed.

Like, I didn't expect some long, sprawling story, but at least some new 'long'-term goals to tide me over would've been nice. Heck, I'd even be happier with a massive dump of new dialogue from the characters to read through!

—

Extra Credit: While these things aren't technically necessary, I feel like it makes the game a bit more fun.

Part of the reason that these ideas aren't as big as the other ones is because I understand that adding them might kinda break the game.

1 that I'd personally like to see is the ability to take 2 guns to dive & the way I'd balance it would be if doing so reduced the amount of weight that you could carry.

In the end, I think that I'd take the reduction because then I could bring both the Steel Net Gun & a Tranq gun with me & basically not have to worry.

Another thing I'd add would be the ability to make Harpoon Tips. Or at least the Enhanced Harpoon Tips & upon doing so, you'll only find that level of Harpoon Tip underwater.

Same with the guns. If you have a Steel Net Gun, then Small-Large Net Guns stop appearing. If you have a Tranq Mosin-Nagant or any other 2nd stage Red Sniper, then the 1st stage Red Sniper will also stop appearing. And so on & so forth. However, if you have a Death Sniper, it won't stop the Mosin-Nagant from appearing because it's still relevant.

An interesting idea I just had was being able to upgrade your Headlamp first with a UV Light or even the Sea People Necklace, then again later with the Divine Tree Fruit. I know that would take away from some of the difficulty of the game, but to be fair, the developers already did something similar before with the Dive Knife being able to mine ore, so I don't think this would be too terribly far out of the realm of possibility.

Another cool idea would be getting an accessory that doubles the amount of spices you get from the red pots. Like a Salvage Knife Charm.

And maybe, just maybe, introduce someone who can combine accessories. Specifically the Eco Gemstone Bracelet & the Salvage Knife Charm into a Treasure Hunter Charm. Perhaps combine the Shark Teeth Necklace with the Octopus Weapon Charm to create a Deep Sea Warrior's Charm. Could also combine the Eco Poison Resist Bracelet with the Eco Health Bracelet to make an Eco Survivalist's Bracelet. Could also combine the Dolphin Necklace, the Sea People Bracelet, the Octopus Bracelet, & the Sea People Necklace to get a Diver's Charm Bracelet.

And maybe the final upgrade could be to attach the Treasure Hunter Charm to the Eco Waterproof Bag to get a sort of Eco Salvager's Bag.

And maybe start adding actual treasure chests with treasures inside. Not necessarily Sea People treasures though. Just, like, historical artifacts, pirate treasure, stuff like that. Kinda like some of the stuff you can haul up in the Dredge DLC.

Maybe even being able to find antique furniture that you can either sell or fix up & use as decorations at the bar.

Just some ideas.

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