#a lot of people were just casual fans of the franchise and are just unaware

[galactic-magick]

In light of the new game I do think it’s important to remember that a lot of people who aren’t on tumblr and twitter and other fandom spaces are completely unaware of what JKR has said and done (since most of the discussion about it has happened on those platforms), so don’t harass someone irl if they mention buying the new game and instead kindly explain to them the problems.

My friend mentioned to me today that they’re playing the new HP game and I told them about why JKR and the franchise is problematic and they were genuinely shocked bc they had never heard about any of it. They felt bad for not knowing and for supporting it, but basically just don’t assume the worst of people irl cuz sometimes they genuinely are just unaware and need to be educated.

[pansexualkiba]

Okay, now that it's over, allow me to explain the rationale for each and every one. Spoilers, of course.

The Sonic Bible was a fan favorite, as half the listed here are. I said "Which one did I miss" and you all said "Oh, remember when BDG said he never played a Sonic game?" and its treated as this big masterclass of trickery when really it's not. Tons of people are aware of giant media icons and don't interact with their source material. Pokemon is like, the biggest media franchise and there are Poketubers out there who have never played a Pokemon game. It's Plato's cave out here, and not playing a Sonic game isn't so much a reveal as it is the natural cadence of the video. A lot of BDG videos are like that. Or maybe I'm just fucking stupid, idk.

Shapeland was insane from conception to reveal. The long explanation about how such a model was difficult to implement, much less repeat. The giant timecard about how this was exactly what he did. Then the reveal that ShapeLand IS real, that it's a real park with real attendance numbers on a real date in actual history, that they could run this with ANY date - that was insane. That was iconic. No one does it like Kevin Perjuror.

The Dark Brony Double Life was insane because of the LACK of theatrics. To this day, my Discord status says "AND SO THE PONY CONSUMES ITS OWN TAIL." because of the spiralling nature of the concept of horse famous. Jenny foreshadows the reveal ONCE, and then casually just goes "by the way, I made Friendship is Witchcraft" and it utterly recontextualizes not just that video, but the other Pony videos she's done. She's not just a dedicated fan vis a vis her Star Wars and Harry Potter videos, no, she was HORSE FAMOUS, to the point that she had IMPERSONATORS. You all had a pick and you were right, good on ya.

Alex Lasarenko won last time, too. Tbh, its pretty good. The whole video was leading up to the reveal of Alex writing the Disney Channel theme, but slowly, the video becomes more than a deep dive. It becomes an obituary, a tribute, a biography of a late man who soundtracked a lot of kids' childhoods, with a single four-note melody. And Kevin decides to not let that define Alex's life, like he feels Defunctland might one day define him. And so, throughout this mystery-biopic, he plays Alex Lasarenko's music, and only ever tells you this once the time is right. And it flips the definition of Alex Lasarenko on its head, and THAT'S a reveal that has me on the brink of tears every time.

QAnon is a reveal, yes, and I'm glad you all recommended this one because I HADN'T seen it before. It's a sobering reveal, however. You're having a time, learning about the decline of flat earthers and you're learning how antisemitism and the like fuels most modern occultism and conspiracies, and then you're hit with how they're all at QAnon now, and you're explained the cult of QAnon, and this becomes historical horror. Because the history is now. And the horror is you can SEE the end result as it is. SEW isn't a sibyl, but goddamn was that a portent. With the way y'all were batting for it, I figured it'd be higher-rated. Ah well.

Waluigi, in my opinion, was an insane reveal because it wasn't just the reveal of the video - it was the reveal of a full SEASON. Of REAL LIFE. For those of you unaware of Polygon history (unlike me, who had an on-off crush on Pat Gill), Brian was some hairless Baltimore twink like some kind of emaciated harbor seal, and one day, he decided to grow a mustache. This was, as I'm sure you'll imagine, unpopular with his fanbase because he was a white twink in a suit. He had to publically go, in a video that season, "You aren't my friends and you have no say in what I do with my body". The Gilbertheads (they dont call themselves that) were INSANE over this mustache. And then he makes a Waluigi video, who was ALSO becoming a popular meme because... I assume Reddit or 4chan was responsible somehow. And you slowly realize, as the video goes on, ESPECIALLY when the words FMV tumble out of his lips, that, oh no, he's attempting to BE Waluigi. And then he opines about the nature of Luigi, after disparaging him the whole video. And behind him, fucking Vesti la Giubba from Pagliachi has been growing in volume. And he says "[...] I'm-a Luigi." so despondently it alters his color scheme, culminating in him shaving off the mustache ON SCREEN. Ridi, Pagliaccio.

People have said that the Victorious series finale infuriated them, and GOOD. Throught the mini-miniseries, Quinton had been casually stating the episode number, implying a finale was going to happen, potentially even gaslighting people into thinking "wait, WAS there a finale?" and since he reviewed the Victorious episodes as they came, you were ultimately left unsure. This is Quinton Reviews, the guy who dug up the very first Garfield newspaper comics and BECAME the foremost expert on Garfield (in what I like to call his Agatha Christie moment), of course he might be thorough enough to dig up some lost media finale. He found theslap.com, for god's sake. And then he introduces the finale. And the screen goes black. It's black for a little too long. And the lights come up. And he reveals his trick. Notably, he had never actually SAID what was in the finale, just alluded it happened, and subtly building up to it. And it never existed. And he WANTS you to feel enraged. Because that was the attitude at the time.

Tommy Talarico, I'll admit, wasn't so much of a reveal as it was a deranged second video. Of course, that's if Tommy Talarico was the reveal in and of itself. A few eagle-eyed pollers may have noticed that I never specified WHAT aspect of Tommy boy was the reveal, and that's because Tommy Talarico is a rabbit hole that would make Frederik Knudson squirt across the room (go follow him on Twitch, he's an owl-themed VTuber now (Fred, not Tom)). He was never on Cribs. He bought his world records. He lies constantly for his own ego. He's a throwaway line on the first half of the video, and then HBG turns off the greenscreen and begins a long exposé on the son of a bitch. And every single line there is another bullet to the chest. It's its own brand of unhinged, and I respect everyone who got it to second place.

The Forgiveness of Jon (u/Rojom, 2020, Pencil on paper) wasn't really a reveal, so much as a notable piece of r/imsorryjon lore. In the same manner as Sonic, this isn't so much a reveal as it is the natural conclusion of the way the video was heading. One might CONSIDER it a reveal, as many will point out it's a direct contrast to the way Jon was depicted in all other works, up to and including the ending of the Sex Survey Results, but its a reveal in the way a final magnum opus from a long-dead painter is a reveal. However, perhaps that's all it has to be. Still a little ill-fitting for the poll, tho.

Anyways congrats to Alex-boy for winning a second time! :)

This is a sequel to this poll

EDIT: since i realize yall havent watched everything here like i have, here's all of them in a completely random order.

[re-vised]

I think we should talk about Nancy Drew

Hey. So I don’t post much here anymore. Sorry about that. But as a person who is somewhat of a gaming journalist, and Nancy Drew Game fan I wanted to talk about Nancy Drew: Midnight in Salem, which is launching very soon (about 6 hours from now).

For those of you unaware I’ll try and get you up to speed as best as I can. All jokes aside (bc tbh Nancy Drew is a bit of punching bag), I do in fact love Nancy Drew games. I’m a mystery fan, and a puzzle fan so it stands to reason that I fell in love with the series when I was younger. Herinteractive did some insane work, pumping out 2 games a year, leading it to currently having over 30 games in the series. But there has been a bit of a stir regarding the most recent entry: Midnight in Salem.

Midnight in Salem was first revealed, as the games were at that time, with a post-credit’s teaser in the previous game, Sea of Darkness. This is where we got the basic premise, and people started getting excited for a new entry. But on the eve of its launch, there is a lot of animosity flying around. It all stems back to the desire by Herinteractive to innovate.

Nancy Drew in its prior form was a point-and-click game. It makes sense I suppose, it’s first entry, Secrets Can Kill. So it seems that going forward into the 2010s, where point-and-click isn’t on trend, Her interactive saw fit to innovate by changing the formula. Seemingly the developer, looking to grab new audiences, hopes the changes will bring in higher numbers. Maybe it will, but in my experience this fandom is rather... shall we say insulated. The fandom is passionate and tight knit, but there isn’t any kind of movement of people into the fandom. Nancy Drew Games are well known, but there is already some stigma that lingers around the franchise. It’s perceived as girly, and casual. Is it deserved? I mean sure a bit yeah, but a move to a new engine will not change that. Hell, Unity has cheap devs not paying to have the Unity Ident removed, causing the engine to be associated with bad-quality games in some narrow minded individuals. The shift to Unity, would allow players to fully explore the 3D environments of the ND universe, but this means a lot more work. Work that Her interactive vastly underestimated.

The first obvious problem is that Her interactive had some vastly, inaccurate predictions of the work needed. It seemed to many that, whilst there might be *some* delays, that Midnight in Salem wouldn’t fall too far from the standard biannual schedule. In this case, Salem was set to release the year after it’s predecessor, giving a difference between the two of 9-21 months. With the upcoming date, it is being released just short of 55 months later. Now of course, delays happen. We don’t like them but they happen. But to have a game being kicked 4 years down the road is pretty crazy. It’s crazier if that four and a half year development time is that big a discrepancy from your initial projections. That’s just underestimation, and oversight like that has left some cold on the release.

Many are of course looking through a crazy lens. This game basically replaced 9 possible releases. People are giving an unfair view of this. As such people are wondering if it is “worth the time” spent on it, which I mean it won’t be. A game can’t really be that good that it is going be worth 9 games that’s unrealistic.

But could it all be worth it? Well no I don’t think so. Nancy Drew as a brand is not something that people have been itching to jump on. There are no COD bros who secretly wanted to jump on board but didn’t want to bc it was point and click. I think for the most part, Midnight in Salem will not bring in new fans to buy stuff, but some fans seem to be feeling a bit dejected.

Whilst I can’t abide the fans jumping on #NotMyNancyDrew, protesting the crime of changing the format, let’s be real, it is a step back. See the games looked good in their previous style, but creating a fully immersive 3D environment is pumping totally different, unused muscles, and it shows. Textures are unimpressive. Character models leave a lot to be desired. Simply put, the resources are stretched thin, and there are some obvious faults in the screenshots we have been seeing.

All in all Midnight in Salem is rather disappointing. In trying to capture more audience, Her interactive is doing a disservice to itself. It’s done so much work polishing point and click to a mirror shine, and seems to have thrown it away to pursue something that seems poised to fail. The backlash, whilst a little overblown, is not unjustified. Unfortunately with the backdrop seemingly being Her Interactive flagging as a company, this will probably fail. And as much as I do not want it to be the truth, the company as a whole might not be far behind

[winteriron-trash]

Ok, so that fanfic questions ask meme? You wanna do ALL OF THEM?!

YES, LET’S DO IT, HERE WE GO, PREPARE YOURSELF I’m copy and pasting answers I’ve already done just so I don’t have to retype them and there’s a break because god this got long. I might link this on my About Me post, cause holy shit I spent time on this

1. What was the first fandom you got involved in?

Actual fandom? Probably DC. That’s when I started reading fanfiction and really poked my head around online communities dedicated to media and all.

2. What is your latest fandom?

I don’t know, probably Marvel? Maybe Riverdale, but I was a fan of the comics before so

3. What is the best fandom you’ve ever been involved in?

If I’m assuming this question is about the actual fandom and not the source material and the people in the fandom and its community as a whole? Probably the Percy Jackson fandom. Not really into it anymore so I don’t know the state of it now, but it was a pretty wholesome and positive community. Any community that calls it’s creator “Uncle Rick” has gotta be pretty dope.

4. Do you regret getting involved in any fandoms?

Oh lord save my soul for admitting I like this, but definitely Five Nights at Freddy’s. The indie gaming, creepypasta, underground subculture as a whole is something I regret getting into. Don’t get me wrong, I usually love the source material, but the fandom is just so bad. You probably know what I’m talking about, the fangirls who insist they’re insane and are in love with Slenderman or something.

But specifically on FNaF, lord, I don’t even know what the fandom is anymore. It’s a meme, a fetish, and a hellspace all at once. And I’m not gonna fucking lie, I’ve been in this hellhole long before any of that. Like, I can’t even try to escape it, I’m in it for the long haul. I was just someone who joined for the lore and now we’re here with fucking casual bongos and trash gang and fuck I didn’t ask for this. I can’t escape. I know so fucking much about the franchise it hurts my fucking soul. I remember when the FNaF 2 trailer came out and we were all micro-analyzing London Bridge Is Falling Down. I remember when Springtrap didn’t have a name and we called that fucking Spring Bonnie or Golden Bonnie. I survived that era and I have PTSD from it, trust me. I remember when we were naive enough to think FNaF 3 was the last game. I know what channels were born and what channels died because of that series. I know it all.

I’m sorry, I got off topic. BUT I DON’T GET TO FUCKING RANT ABOUT IT ENOUGH, FUCKING FUCKSHIT

Oh, and a lot of bandoms I was in too. I went through an alt phase where I’d only listen to shit like BVB, BMTH, MCR, PTV, SWS, and so on. Once again, that sort of fandom was the same as the indie/creepypasta in being ‘different’ and ‘insane’ and all that and I was no different. I was a weird fucking kid when I was like 13. I regret all of it.

5. Which fandoms have your written fanfiction for?

Marvel, DC, and a couple Riverdale. 

6. List your OTP from each fandom you’ve been involved in.

Not in many fandoms but

Marvel - WinterIronDC - SuperbatStar Trek Voyager - Captain Janeway/Seven of NinePercy Jackson - Solangelo

7. List your NoTPs from each fandom you’ve been in.

Marvel - Stucky, Stuckony, Romanogers, Clintasha, any incest ones, (save me for admitting this) SpideypoolDC - Any batboys shipped together, Bruce/Talia

And I don’t really have NOTPs for my other fandoms? Marvel and DC are really the only two things I’m invested in the fandom of. I guess you could count Wincest as well for Supernatural.

8. How did you get involved in your latest fandom?

What even is my latest fandom? Um, we’ll just say Marvel because I’m really not into joining fandoms much anymore. Honestly, I was a big DC fan who felt the need to hate Marvel because no shit. Eventually, I just got sick of the absolute shit movies DC had and I decided I had nothing to lose by just watching Iron Man. When I watched it I realized “wow, superhero movies can actually be good???” and I just binged the entire MCU in one month and was ready to see the next movie in theatres and I think I’ve seen every single MCU movie in theatres since Civil War? Definitely since Homecoming. I gave up on DC movies. The new Aquaman looks like shit, I’m so fucking pissed they redid Mera’s look when she looked perfectly fucking fine before and now she’s oversexualized and it’s gross. I’m excited for the new DC Batwoman TV show because I HAVE BEEN WAITING TO SEE A LIVE ACTION BATWOMAN SINCE THE DAWN OF FUCKING TIME

9. What are the best things about your current fandom?

Probably the Tony Stark Defense Squad. As a collective whole, I think the Defense Squad is one of the sweetest, nicest corners of the fandom. We’re incredibly kind to each other, write great meta and fic, and it’s just a great community. Of course, there are assholes, but you know.

I might get flamed for saying this, but also the HYDRA Trash Party corner of the fandom is actually really nice? Like, they understand consent and abuse aftermath and all the real shit better than the rest of the fandom, not gonna lie. Like, for as dark as the fic is you’d expect the people to be fucking nasties, but I have never met a rude HTP enthusiast. Or even one who’s unaware of how consent and whump work. They’re all very aware and kind. It’s bizarre, considering the source material. They get an awful rep though.

10.  Is there a fandom you read fic from but don’t write in?

Literally any fandom I’m in besides Marvel and DC. I think I wrote like 2 Riverdale fics. Getting into reading fanfic and getting into writing fanfic are two entirely different ballparks. I don’t really read that much fanfic anyway, especially not anymore. I read Marvel and DC, but even then. I think it’s hard because sometimes you can’t switch off the whole ‘reading like a writer’ thing. That’s why I enjoy classic literature. I’m a slut for some good ass prose and symbolism.

11. Who is your current OTP?

WinterIron, of ducking course.

12. Who is your current OT3?

I’m not really a fan of OT3s, to be honest, I find I’m personally pretty weak with writing poly relationships and I don’t really enjoy reading them because one character is usually focused on a lot more than the other two. But if I had to pick, I would say T’Challa/M’Baku/Bucky only because I am solely responsible for the creation of that abomination and you have no idea how much people begged me for a series after the first one, it astounded me.

13. Any NoTPs?

As before listed, Stucky, Stuckony, Spideypool, Clintasha, Romanogers

14. Go on, who are your BroTPs?

IronWidow is my top BroTP, but I also like WinterWidow as a BroTP. Stucky is good as a BroTP too, as well as Tony & Rhodey.

15. Is there an obscure ship which you love?

Literally any ship I have. Yall I’ve been here since WinterIron was obscure. But to name a specific one I’m just gonna go with Pietro/Tony. I don’t know, I just had an idea I was writing for them and I was thinking about how much missed out potential there was between them. And with Pietro as a whole, but you know. Marvel has to kill off the only good Maximoff they had.

Oh, Natasha/Pepper too, but they aren’t as obscure, I guess.

16. Are their any popular ships in your fandom which you dislike?

Stucky, clearly.

17. Who was your first OTP and are they still your favourite?

Stony, and no. They fell apart for me, at least MCU-wise.

18. What ship have you written the most about?

By now, WinterIron, I believe. I recently passed my count of fics for Superbat.

19. Is there a ship which you wished you could get behind, but you just don’t feel them?

Pepperony, probably. I think it’s actually a cute and sweet ship and I like their in-canon moments, but I just can’t get behind reading fanfic of them? It never works out for me, I don’t really get it. It sucks because I do enjoy seeing their cute moments.

20. Any ships which you surprised yourself by liking?

I’ll do a different answer I thought of besides the first time I answered this. But Thruce was a big shocker for me. I didn’t even think about it during Ragnorak but then I saw an incorrect quote for it and I was like? Oh? This? This is a good, pure ship right here. The funny thing is, I actually wrote a fic with them as a side ship long before they hit it big so like, I was shocked when they came out of nowhere. But hey, I’m fucking here for it. I’ll probably never write it, but I’m here for it. 

21. What was the first fanfic you ever wrote?

Goodnight, My Angel. It was a Superbat fic and really sad, but I still love it.

22. Is there anything you regret writing?

Probably... You Deserve Love And You’ll Get It. No, I won’t link it because I hate it that much. I’m not even gonna talk about it.  It’s my most popular fic too why

23. Name a fic you’ve written that you’re especially fond of & explain why you like it.

Super dorky, but The (Un)Wanted Kiss. It’s my first finished chapter fic, and the first chaptered fic I did on Tumblr and it just brings me a lot of nostalgia. It reminds me of where I was as a writer when I started it and it was an entire fic spawned from people wanting more of a simple 500-word prompt and that just blows my mind. It reminds me of the power of fans and how much love and support I got from it. It really kicked me off as a “serious fanfic writer” I think.

24. What fic do you desperately need to rewrite or edit?

All You Are Is All I Need. That is a hot fucking mess. Probably The Red Halo too.

25. What’s your most popular fanfic?

*sigh* You Deserve Love And You’ll Get It

26. How do you come up with your fanfic titles?

I bullshit my way through them. My most recent fics have actually followed a trend of being named after songs.

27. What do you hate more: Coming up with titles or writing summaries?

Summaries. I always make them so fucking corny, I hate it.

28. If someone were to draw a piece of fanart for your story, which story would it be and what would the picture be of?

One Foot In Front Of The Other, probably. Just because I want more fem!WinterIron fanart. I can’t say what scene because spoilers but.... yeah, anything from that would be great, really.

29. Do you have a beta reader? Why/Why not?

Sort of. I make some of my friends like Pizza read over my shit before I post it, but that’s not often, only when I think I need it. I don’t just because I write a lot and I’d feel bad for constantly annoying someone with making them read everything I write. I hate inconveniencing people.

30. What inspires you to write?

The better question is what doesn’t. I never stop thinking like a writer. My brain forgot how to turn off that feature.

31. What’s the nicest thing someone has ever said about your writing?

Ummmm, I can’t think of an exact thing? I get so many beyond sweet comments and messages, it’s hard to pin down one comment. I think if I had to pick, I once got a message from someone on Tumblr who was old enough to be my mother complimenting me and telling me I didn’t write like a teenager and I think that was really sweet.

32. Do you listen to music when you write or does music inspire you? If so, which band or genre of music does it for you?

Yes, yes, yes, yes. And honestly, any genre. I listen to everything. Everything. But specifically, Emilie Autumn has inspired a lot ideas/fics I’ve written.

33. Do you write oneshots, multi-chapter fics or huuuuuge epics?

All of the above.

34. What’s the word count on your longest fic?

Around 23k, I think?

35. Do you write drabbles? If so, what do you normally write them about?

Yes, and whatever I get prompted for, really.

36. What’s your favourite genre to write?

For fanfiction, I guess romance? I mean, that’s really all my fanfiction is. Otherwise, I’ll write quite literally any genre I feel like. I go wherever an idea takes me. I’m character based, not genre or plot based.

37. First person or third person - what do you write in and why?

Third. I fucking despise 1st person. I just do. That’s an entire rant we ain’t here for today.

38. Do you use established canon characters or do you create OCs?

Usually canon characters. I only use an OC when I absolutely have to, to make the plot do the plot stuff.

39. What is you greatest strength as a writer?

Nothing. My writing sucks. All of it is shit.

40. What do you struggle the most with in your writing?

Everything. I screech the most about pacing and sentence structures though.

41. List and link to 5 fanfics you are currently reading:

Most of these are actually on my to-read list but whatever.

Winter's End by ali_aliska Winter is Coming (aka Fifty First Avengers Dates) by 27dragons, tisfan My Love is Vengeance by seikaitsukimizu The caged Hawk by asamandra Fertile Ground by 27dragons, tisfan

42. List and link to 5 fanfiction authors who are amazing:

27dragons tisfanChiaki_Hamano arianapeterson19 thepartyresponsible

43. Is there anyone in your fandom who really inspires you?

Not really? I’m not knocking any of the other ‘big names’ in the Marvel fandom, but I don’t really draw inspiration from other fanfic writers. Not for plot, and definitely not for writing style. I get inspiration from fanart I see sometimes, but it’s never one main artist who I stalk to be inspired, just whatever I happen across online.

44. What ship do you feel needs more attention?

WinterIron, duh. I will not rest until WinterIron is the biggest ship in the Marvel fandom.

45. What is your all time favourite fanfic?

I’ve mentioned this fic before and honestly, it hasn’t been topped yet, but  In the Company of Monsters by Chiaki_Hamano. It’s not even a Marvel fic, and it’s not even a ship I like, but god, I fucking adore it. I’d love to write something like it, but with WinterIron if I had the time, I think the entire world and setting would fit WinterIron beautifully.

46. If someone was to read one of your fanfics, which fic would you recommend to them and why?

Well, that all depends on what they’re looking for in my fanfiction. If they’re looking for WinterIron, I’d probably tell them to start with The (Un)Wanted Kiss just because that’s one of my most loved fics and I think I did really well with it. But if they just want a general fic, A Great Connection is one I’m really proud of and I still get gushing feedback about.

47. Archive Of Our Own, Fanfiction.net or Tumblr - where do you prefer to post and why?

For just writing fanfic, Ao3. Tumblr can be a pain in the ass, and I don’t even use ff.net.

48. Do you leave reviews when you read fanfiction? Why/Why not?

Yes. But only if 1, I really, really loved it or 2, I don’t think the fic has enough attention. It also helps if the writer responds to comments. I don’t see the significance of saying “I loved this!” if the fic has dozens of other comments saying the same thing. As a writer, I know what comments writers prefer. Longer ones, deep comments pointing out what things they liked, and so on. However if I write a comment that long, I like to get a response because you know, I love seeing the writer talking about the elements of the story I liked. 

49. Do you care if people comment/reblog your writing? Why/why not?

Not really, to be perfectly honest. Yes, I love and cherish every kudos and note I get, and the sweet comments make me want to die of joy. But I write for me. Even when I take prompts, in the end, I write because it makes me happy. Yes, I love the validation. But even without it, I would still write. I do not write fanfiction for you, I share fanfiction with you. There’s a difference. Writing makes me happy. If I only cared about the validation, I wouldn’t have a folder reserved of fics I’ll never post but I wrote just because I wanted to. I write to write. The moment I start writing for validation, I might as well stop writing, because it’s not worth it.

50. How did you get into reading and/or writing fanfiction?

Ummmm I think I was just curious? I was new to internet culture, I saw fanart of Superbat and I discovered Ao3 and was like “wow, this stuff exists??? Words for free????? About my favourite characters being happy and dating each other??????????” and it was a downward spiral. I was like, 11 when I read my first fanfiction. I was obsessed with Superbat fanart, and I thought, what would it hurt to try actually reading it? Like, that was so taboo to me. And now we’re here. Tadaaaaaah

51. Rant or Gush about one thing you love or hate in the world of fanfiction! Go!

Oh, a chance to ramble. Yay. I’m gonna rant because I’m a rant-y person.

I think something that annoys me about fanfiction is not necessarily a probably within fanfiction, but rather the outward view of it. Fanfic has an awful rep within the real world. The one-time fanfiction really took centre stage was when Fifty Shades came out, which only hurt the platform by furthering the stereotype that it’s all porn made for horny freaks who just want to get off.

I should not be ashamed to say I write fanfiction. I should not feel childish saying it to myself. No one should. At least half of my ‘fans’ are nearly a decade or more older than me. It’s clearly not something that’s immature or silly. Of course, it can be, but any hobby can be dumbed down to a kiddy version.

But fanfiction at its core is ignored for what it really is. When adults talk about fanfiction they belittle it and only see a tiny subsection of it, ignoring what it’s supposed to be about. It’s about creating transformative works for media you’re passionate about.

Fanfiction gets a worse rep than other transformative works such as fanart or whatever. Writing as a whole does. Fanfic is painted as this utter trash.

I’ve read fanfiction that made me cry, laugh, feel shit. I’ve read fanfiction that tackled heavy topics. Even on a sexual standpoint, I’ve read fanfiction that was willing to write erotica that published authors wouldn’t fucking touch. Both in a kink sense, but also in terms of how the relationship functions. I’ve read shitty fanfictions, sure. But I’ve read fanfictions that were better than 90% of the published books I’ve read. Even fanfics I didn’t like.

To put fanfiction into perspective, the average YA novel (the age group fanfiction is generally but not always aimed at) is 70k words. I’ve read fanfiction that blows that word count out of the water. And it takes fucking skill to write something that long. It’s not just writing a bunch of porn or cute scenes, that takes serious world building and character arcs.

Fanfiction kills so many tropes that are common in YA and literature in general. I read a YA after reading nothing but fanfiction for a long time and I was fucking appalled? It was a popular YA too. I won’t name what one because you could literally imagine anyone and it’d probably fit. The characters were flat, the romance was outright manipulative and toxic, the plot was dull, even the writing itself was bland. This was the type of book years ago I would’ve loved. But compared to most (of course, not all. Shit exists, but I think in fanfiction, we’re able to better filter out the shit) fanfictions, it was fucking trash.

When I started reading fanfiction, I assumed it’d lower my standards. The first time I picked up an actual novel I was relieved, excited to not have to deal with the problems that are in unpublished writings. But I quickly realized it was the complete opposite. Fanfiction threw my expectations through the roof. I expect fiction to include representation, fresh plots, interesting characters, thrilling romances, and decent fucking sex scenes if they’re there. But it just wasn’t there. It all fell flat. As someone seriously into the writing and reading community I hear so often that it’s hard for plots to be original and you shouldn’t judge on originality, but then I read fanfiction written by fucking teenagers that’s fucking mind-blowing with plot twists and original ideas, and I have to wonder is it really that hard? It’s clearly doable, you just have to take away the fanfiction part.

I have YA novels sitting on my sheld I know I’ll never read and enjoy because fanfiction just made my expectations too high. Which is good in a sense because I pray some of these amazing writers, when they get older will go on to write mind-blowing original novels and I hope that this generation of writers will put out great literature in ten to fifteen years, but for now I’m just… underwhelmed. I think it’s why I read a lot of classic literature too. Shit was better back then.

And yet despite all that, fanfiction is still made to look like shit in the modern media. It sucks so badly for fanfiction writers not to look like serious writers. I could publish one book, have it get the amount of attention my biggest fanfic got and be considered a serious author. My biggest fanfiction currently has 40k notes on Tumblr. Imagine if that were a published short story. It’d be a fucking hit. And there are others that make my numbers look small. And yet it’s brushed aside as unimpactful.

I think a lot of that stems from the fact that fanfic writers do generally start out younger. I’m 16. Others either are or were my age. But age does not equate to skill in writing. Sure, that is a factor, but it is not the entire story. I know a 14 yr old who writes some of the best prose I have ever seen. And even if younger fic writers aren’t on level yet, fanfiction is what’s helping them grow as a writer. But because we’re teenagers, we’re turned away just because of that. Even more specifically because we’re teenage girls (for the most part, I’m not saying other genders and/or age groups aren’t writing/reading fanfic) and we all know how society feels about them. It’s just a fucking shame that fanfiction can’t be respected for the legitimate form of writing it is because of the stigma. I’ve seen fanfic writers say they aren’t real writers because of the stigma, it’s awful. We feel the need to tear ourselves down for an admirable hobby. I can’t say my favourite book is a fanfiction I read, when I has every right to be a valid answer.

We’ll cut this ramble off here because wow I really went on didn’t I.

[gamerzcourt]

The Trials And Tribulations Of Being An Overwatch ProThe Trials And Tribulations Of Being An Overwatch Provideo games

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The Trials And Tribulations Of Being An Overwatch ProThe Trials And Tribulations Of Being An Overwatch Provideo games

Unaware that the Overwatch League’s main camera was broadcasting him live to audiences watching around the world, London Spitfire player Joon-yeong “Profit” Park–one of the team’s big stars–looked straight into the camera and threw up the middle finger, with a cheeky smile to boot. He wasn’t flipping off viewers; he flipped the bird to his team watching from Blizzard Arena’s dugout area. Profit later said he made the gesture in response to jokes from players and coaches off-stage. He didn’t expect the gesture to be broadcast to the world, but it was. While many found it funny–even London Spitfire owner Jack Etienne joked about it–Profit was fined $ 1,000 and had to apologize for his actions.

Profit’s on-camera slip-up is a microcosm of the issues esports players face in the spotlight. When Blizzard Entertainment announced the Overwatch League in 2016, it touted the clear-cut “path to pro,” which would allow any player with a high enough rank to get noticed by Overwatch League teams. Overwatch League’s path to pro would turn ladder warriors into global superstars, but the speed at which people were elevated from casual players to public figures created unique challenges. While newfound fame for esports players does have major upsides, some players have struggled with the challenges of being in a global competitive gaming league–namely a lack of anonymity, language barriers, and long training hours, all of which are difficult pressures to prepare for.

Profit’s infraction was on the lower end of the seriousness scale, and yet it was still something that impacted him: “I will take the time to deeply reflect upon what I say and do to make sure that nothing like this takes place again,” he wrote in his apology. “I’m sorry [to] the fans that I have let down through my actions.”

In November, 2018, Daniel “dafran” Francesca retired from the Overwatch League, before the 2019 season even began. That retirement didn’t stick and, days later, dafran tweeted that he would still play with the Atlanta Reign in the upcoming season, and that he wasn’t really going to retire. “I messed up, don’t know what to say except sorry to the community, my fans, and ATL,” he wrote. “It wasn’t [a] jebait, sometimes I have these days and make dumb mistakes.”

Just after the 2019 season’s first stage, dafran retired from the Overwatch League–for real this time. He’s staying with the Atlanta Reign, but as a full-time streamer. For dafran, it wasn’t life in the public eye that was the problem; instead, it was being a public figure specifically in the Overwatch League. And he’s not the only one. Washington Justice general manager Kate Mitchell stepped down from her position in May. Dallas Fuel DPS player Hyeon “Effect” Hwang retired from professional play, but not before the team’s assistant coach, Christian “cocco” Jonsson, left his position. Do-hyung “Stellar” Lee also left Toronto Defiant for “personal reasons.”

“In the end, you see a lot of people in Overwatch that are facing an immense amount of challenge,” Mitchell told GameSpot. “Numerous players have negative public events unfold because they’re not used to the level of attention and pressure.”

Given the Overwatch League’s long season–five four-week stages–players must adapt to the pressures of the space away from already established support systems. “”With the amount of emotional stress and endurance, it’s a marathon,” Los Angeles Gladiators player Aaron “Bischu” Kim explained in an interview conducted for GameSpot’s Building Overwatch League series. “It’s so easy to get burnt out. There’s tons of players that really didn’t know how to balance life.”

While other esports grew organically from grassroots scenes, like League of Legends’ continuous growth since its release in 2009, the Overwatch League popped up fully-formed not too long after the game’s launch. Though many of the players had participated in smaller Overwatch tournaments–namely, OGN’s Overwatch Apex event in South Korea–and sometimes other esports, the jump to the Overwatch League was a major lifestyle change. The Overwatch League’s franchised structure helped the transition from amateur or semi-pro Overwatch player to full-time esports pro, offering players a minimum salary of $ 50,000, benefits, and housing. But even with help from the teams and the league, it’s a major change for the players. Even those who do have experience at tournaments, it’s never been on a stage as big as the Overwatch League’s. The Overwatch League is one of the more involved leagues in esports–a custom-built arena, with the promise of one in each team city, high-profile sponsors like Toyota, and major broadcasting rights deals that bring the competition to the likes of ESPN and ABC. Since the beginning, the Overwatch League has been positioned for the spotlight, and some players weren’t ready.

Since the beginning, the Overwatch League has been positioned for the spotlight, and some players weren’t ready.

It’s a challenge that professional sports leagues have spent decades perfecting–and they’re still working on it. Professional athletes have notoriously tough schedules with lots of travel. Even the NFL, which has been around since the 1920s, still hasn’t gotten it right. An ESPN report from mid-April said that the NFL has even agreed to a three-year research grant to study how to use “a mathematical approach” to make better schedules, for instance. The Overwatch League has no such history behind it; many of the players are new to it all, too. The league’s front office is certainly thinking of these things–and has provided support, like a player summit with media training–but players are still working out life in the public eye, adjusting to both the good and bad of it all.

“If you make Major League Baseball, you’ve already been traveling, living in hotel rooms, and traveling on buses in the crucible of the minor league before,” former Washington Justice general manager Mitchell said. “There’s no massive professional infrastructure [in minor league esports]. There isn’t a ton of institutional memory and knowledge of how to navigate spaces.” Blizzard has positioned Overwatch Contenders as a minor league of sorts, but many players don’t find it an adequate preparation for the Overwatch League; with most events held online. Online tournaments certainly have value, but it doesn’t prepare players for a life in front of a camera broadcasting on a global stage.

“In the Overwatch League and most esports, these are brand new spaces where we don’t really have best practices for how to thrive in these jobs yet,” Mitchell added. “That’s something we’re all figuring out together, and that’s a tremendously exciting thing. Being able to try and set down a culture here at [Washington] Justice that’s inclusive and understanding was my favorite part of this role, and it’s also part of the challenge.”

Understanding life in the public sphere, specific to the Overwatch League and the new kind of celebrity it creates, is one of the biggest hurdles for up-and-comers. The Overwatch League’s players have a situational kind of fame that’s akin to internet celebrity–an umbrella term Dr. Crystal Abidin, digital anthropologist and author of “Internet Celebrity: Understanding Fame Online,” defines as “high visible,” personality-backed media content that’s native to the internet. “High visibility can be attributed to fame or infamy, positive or negative attention, talent or skill, or something else,” Dr. Abidin told GameSpot.

Overwatch League pros’ fame is based on a number of factors, but that celebrity isn’t predicated on a surge of virality that fizzles away; instead, it’s sustained. It’s a level of internet celebrity that’s closer to influencers–“careerist internet celebrities.” But, of course, not all Overwatch League players elevate their celebrity to influencer status. There are some players in the league who aren’t necessarily looking to create a “brand” out of their skill. They just want to play the game. The balance between these players’ desires–to just play–and the expectations of teams and the league–for them to be personalities, too–can cause misalignment that leads to the pressure and burnout that players face.

Players, like many on Seoul Dynasty, Houston Outlaws, Atlanta Reign, or Los Angeles Valiant, have secondary pursuits, like streaming or vlogging, on top of their day jobs of playing video games at a professional level. A lot of these players practice what’s called micro-celebrity. This means micro in their reach, typically to a specific demographic, and in what’s shared, as in a micro-look at the personal details of a person’s life.

We follow Overwatch League players because we like to watch someone playing the game we play at the highest level. We keep following them because we feel connected to them in some way. Maybe they play for our city’s team. Maybe they’re entertaining. Or maybe they play the same hero we do. There’s definitely an aspirational aspect to the celebrity, but it’s the perceived interconnectedness of influencers, Dr. Abidin said, that draws people in.

Esports stars are uniquely positioned in their fame, as opposed to, say, traditional athletes, given the “micro”-ness of their celebrity. Players are accessible. “You can’t get onto the basketball court and LeBron James is playing beside you,” Immortals and Los Angeles Valiant PR manager Jen Neale says. “It’d be very rare that you’re going to play a pick-up game and he would be there. But if you’re high enough [on the ladder] in Overwatch, you can play alongside these players.”

Will Partin, a doctoral candidate researching esports at the University of North Carolina, said that accessibility is partly what makes the esports celebrity so appealing to fans. (This is in comparison to more traditional celebrity, which is predicated on a person’s status and skill, but also in how they’re perceived as untouchable or elusive.)

Image via LA Valiant Twitter

Los Angeles Valiant team manager Mike Schwartz said most players on the team are embracing life in the public eye, with support from the Immortals staff. According to Schwartz, Los Angeles Valiant is “proactive” in preparing its players for both the pressures and benefits of being a public figure, setting up scenarios where players can succeed not only in Overwatch, but in life.

“It’s just about making sure that the players know how to answer questions and be their honest, true selves,” Neale said. “But not to a point where they’re giving away the farm and unveiling their deepest, darkest secrets. It’s a really unique atmosphere to have to manage and it’s constantly evolving.”

Players in the Overwatch League are still learning to live as internet celebrities–and that comes with conflict. A number of players were suspended and fined in the inaugural season because of bad behavior, including boosting, an act where a player helps artificially inflate another’s skill level, and trolling in game. Eight players have been fined so far in the Overwatch League’s 2019 season, preceded by plenty more in the first.

One the more severe infractions was when Los Angeles Gladiators streamer Félix “xQc” Lengyel was dropped from his former team, Dallas Fuel after being suspended and fined multiple times for his actions while streaming–which included using a homophobic remark and “racially disparaging” emotes. These are actions go beyond just a struggle to adjust to public life.

Elsewhere, Overwatch League players have been punished further for infractions well beyond adjustment problems. Former Boston Uprising player Jonathan “DreamKazper” Sanchez was dropped from the team for allegedly abusing his status as a player in the league to take advantage of an underage fan. DreamKazper’s actions can’t be considered a gaffe triggered by life in the spotlight; instead, it’s a player directly using his newfound power and fame in a predatory way to exploit his fans.

For the struggle of life in the spotlight, Atlanta Reign support player Dusttin “Dogman” Bowerman told GameSpot that some of the stress of the Overwatch League is mitigated by just turning off social media. “It’s a lot easier to turn my brain off when it comes to social media and focus more on the game and controllable factors, rather than social media,” Dogman said. “It’s easy to let that impact you.”

Fellow Atlanta Reign support Steven “Kodak” Rosenberger agreed: “I have to take a lot of care about what I do and write on social media,” he explained. “Everybody is looking at Overwatch League players and keep judging them, but I guess that’s normal once you hit the highest stage in a profession.”

Stress has unique ways of being expressed–it’s different for everyone. In the Overwatch League’s inaugural season, we saw players and staff burnout. Multiple players and coaches have spoken out about it. Florida Mayhem coach Vytis “Mineral” Lasaitis took time off during the season to address burnout. New York Excelsior DPS Kim “Pine” Do-hyeon cited an anxiety disorder for his mid-season break.

“The biggest challenge is not letting the stress break you,” Houston Outlaws general manager Matt Rodriguez said. “People talk about ‘gamer moments,’ but they do happen, especially to people under extreme stress [or] not thinking straight. I think when a player snaps or says something they regret, it can haunt them. Trying to keep your cool all the time to avoid any bad press or media is definitely a challenge, and there is a lot of pressure to make the right decisions and represent yourself well in all situations.”

No player is immune to the emotion and stress of competition; even the most composed of players have their moments. Take, for instance, Houston Outlaws’ Jake Lyon, often seen as a face of the league. The Overwatch League’s camera crew cut to Jake after a particularly rough map loss against league titans New York Excelsior. Jake is visibly upset–with a balled up fist and his head in his hand–before he slams the desk. It’s a rare scene of emotion from one of the more stoic players in the league. Fan response was mixed. Some were worried about Jake. Others liked seeing raw, authentic emotion.

“Thanks to everyone who reached out to offer me support,” Jake wrote on Twitter after the match. “I’m doing fine, just had an emotional response to a rough series. Luckily, I have great teammates around to pick me up when I’m down.”

It’s not only what players expect out of themselves that cause these outbursts of emotion. Outside pressure, perceived or real, seeps in. Sometimes it’s an “angry dude out there ready to shit talk you after every loss or to tell you to quit the team because you’re the reason they failed,” according to Rodriguez. Other times, it’s more subtle. It’s internalizing what others are telling you–a lot of unseen emotional labor that’s often ignored when the real work of the job is written off.

Dr. Abidin said viewers or followers don’t always remember about players is that there is real work “beyond the fun and frivolity of their craft,” even beyond the labor of managing emotions. There’s also, then, the push-and-pull of competition vs. corporation. “Teams are interested in cultivating their talent not just as elite players, but, in essence, influencers, whose popularity can ultimately be monetized on behalf of team owners,” Partin added.

Partin said that it’s not necessarily good or bad, but just something that needs to be acknowledged: “Do you invest time and resources into self-branding, or do you just focus on practice? Which one is more valuable? Or what’s the right balance?”

Creating a stable infrastructure for players is essential in adapting to newfound celebrity and stress of the job. Without it, teams will only see more and more players racking up demerits on the Overwatch League’s discipline tracker, which was introduced in December as a way to name-and-shame players that have been punished for bad behavior.

Each organization has a different way of helping their players adjust. Seoul Dynasty operations manager Annie Cho explained that the team provides a safe environment for players to be open about their emotions, approaching each player’s needs individually. Dallas Fuel’s Taylor said a core part of the structure is creating future stability–setting players up for long-term success. Some teams have private chefs, a way to alleviate some of the stress of life outside the game. Teams have psychologists, trainers, and mentors, resources becoming increasingly common in esports organizations involved in other games, too.

“Our coaches are very understanding,” Dogman added. “Generally, we work things out as a team. A lot of it is internal [things] that we really work on together.”

Many players have spoken about how surreal it is to have fans, people who recognize them on the street. People who support them unconditionally. It’s exciting, and many players are thriving in that environment. Los Angeles Valiant, in particular, created a community-like fanbase–it helps that Blizzard Arena is based in the team’s home city–that’s built around the team. The roster has held everything from fan meet-and-greets at the Immortals campus to a Valiant fan-art showcase.

Seoul Dynasty players Jehong “ryujehong” Ryu and Byung-sun “Fleta” Kim’s lives have “drastically” changed since joining the Overwatch League, and not just because they’ve moved to Los Angeles from South Korea. “I really didn’t feel like I was a celebrity in [Overwatch] Apex,” Fleta said. “But once I joined Seoul Dynasty, even before the league started, it felt like people noticed me more. Now that’s been tremendously increased.”

Kodak added: “You can inspire a lot of fans and people who look up to you by being a good person and not doing the wrong thing, [by] showing them that everything is possible if you just try hard.” A few Los Angeles Valiant players are reveling in it, too: “[The players] just really appreciate these people coming up to them and telling them how awesome they are,” Neale said. “Who wouldn’t, really?”

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