#aegis guild

[thesonicstadium]

SEGA of America president and COO Ian Curran has published an initial reaction to the recent forming of worker's union 'Allied Employees Guild Improving SEGA' in the form of a letter to employees of the entire regional operation.

While a formal corporate response is still forthcoming, Curran's words in the letter could be interpreted as positive. The exec stated that "Union matters are new to me and SOA and we are investigating and considering the options available to the company" - however, he later made clear that "No SOA employee will be treated any differently whether they support or do not support unionization."

The letter, published by Axios journalist Stephen Totilo on social media, added: "Some of you may support unionization and some not. That is your legal right... We have a wonderful culture at SOA with a strong commitment to working together as a team. In my mind, it is the SOA employee culture that makes us such a successful company."

Next steps, as Curran is said to understand it, is for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to conduct a secret ballot of employees - in job positions selected by the NLRB - to determine if unionization will go ahead in a special vote.

Meanwhile, the AEGIS Union has been gaining support on social media from fellow union organisations and regional political figures. More on this story as it happens.

[no-i-will-not-shut-up]

omg the new weapons are so fun rifle mesmer is sending me

[charlataninred]

Do any of y’all play galaxy of heroes

[shebaa]

In purples and golds.

[tailschannel]

SEGA of America employees officially forms the largest union of its kind in the United States

With a result of 91 to 26, the Allied Employees Guild Improving SEGA, or AEGIS, has won its organizing election.

The guild, representing around 200 employees at SEGA of America's office in Irvine, California, now becomes the largest multi-department video game union in the United States.

AEGIS intends to contact the publisher for a bargaining agreement.

[iww-gnv]

Workers at Sega of America, representing multiple departments, have voted to form a union. With 91 employees voting yes out of a total number of 212 eligible employees, the Allied Employees Guild Improving SEGA (also known as AEGIS-CWA) becomes the fifth video game union in the United States and its largest multi-department video game union. The AEGIS union drive was announced in April but was a year in coming for the workers at Sega of America’s Burbank and Irvine, California, offices. AEGIS-CWA is the US’s fifth video game union overall, joining groups at Raven Software, Blizzard Albany, ZeniMax, and VR / AR game developer Tender Claws. In addition to being among the first video game unions in the country, AEGIS-CWA will also represent workers across a multitude of departments including brand marketing, games as a service, localization, marketing services, product development operations, product development, sales, quality assurance teams, and more, making it the largest multi-discipline video game union in the United States.

[badpanini]

absolutely NOBODY asked for this, but i happened across this clip of jackson publick as the monarch doing pentecost’s monologue from pacific rim and i blacked out and wrote down my ramblings about a crossover. this series is so good for a pacific rim au because there are SO many iconic duos and variety in character relationships:

okay so obviously hank and dean drift compatible, from the beginning to the very end. would be especially compelling for a hank + dean copilot situation with their season 6 onwards selves.

dermott and hank could also pilot a jaeger together but they wouldn’t be as good as if hank and dean did i think, because hank and dean balance each other out more while dermott and hank are sort of enablers of each others behavior and therefore not as aligned.

rusty and jj would be drift compatible in theory but they would fight and bicker and be HORRIBLE at piloting a jaeger because rusty would want to take control and fuck everything up but jj would like actually know what he was doing. and they would fight. so they have the neural link but they just suck at copiloting. also they could make their own jaeger, with jj taking over most of the project because he actually gets shit done while entrusting rusty to do some things for it (perhaps the shielding systems like palaemon) but he sucks at it and then it fails mid battle and they bicker more. they would probably name it some stupid shit like V.A.L.O.R. (venture aegis lethal offense robot) (yes i came up with that on the spot).

pete and billy drift compatible ooobbbbviously. could be some interesting “getting into each others brains/memories” shit there if you consider a link before billy remembered how he lost his hand.

THE MONARCH AND DR MRS OF COOOURSE. they would be so good at piloting a jaeger they would kick ass. the monarch would like have his own jaeger made specifically for himself and he would have a bunch of stupid shit built into it (e.g. ACID MAGNET!). dr mrs would be the level logical ‘chessplayer’ type pilot while the monarch has the energy and impulsivity for the actual combat.

21 and 24 would tooootally be drift compatible but 24 would NOT want to be a jaeger pilot he would be like “duuude im not doing this we’re gonna die” and 21 would be like “dude are you kidding?!! we are SO doing this!! this is fucking awesome i’ve DREAMED of doing something like this!!” and he would be over enthusiastic and clumsy with piloting, partially because 24 isnt feeling it at first but after going for a test run he would totally start loving it. they wouldn’t be great but they’d end up successful in combat in an unintentional way.

to coincide with the events of the season 3 finale, they could have a “raleigh and yancy” moment that makes 21 averse from piloting for a while. he would blame himself for what happened and vow to train hardcore before ever stepping foot in a jaeger again.

the monarch, dr mrs, and 21 would 100% triple pilot (like crimson typhoon) and KICK CRAZY ASSSSS!!!!!! 21 would make them name it some shit like vice royal and it would have deployable wings that slice and stun projectiles and arm daggers like 21’s (and like striker eureka!). it would be that mustard yellow with the visor area of the head resembling bug eyes and the accents would be black and that horrifically bright magenta color.

during the blue morpho arc, the monarch and 21 could pilot a rogue unknown jaeger (like obsidian fury) and “vigilante” around while trying to keep their identity intact.

watch and ward would copilot a guild standard enforcer type jaeger, all black and uniformly made, with red accents and hella tech shit.

brock would be the only person to pilot a jaeger by himself without any repercussions on his health. unfortunately, it does take a lot out of him to do so in terms of exhaustion so he can only pilot in small bursts- but he beats the fuck DOWN for those short deployments. all of the OSI’s top agents are ‘trained’ to be drift compatible with each other but for the most part they just sit in the chair and make sure brock stays stable because he’s usually all they need to secure a situation.

let us not forget THE TRIAD!!!! they would definitely have a triple pilot thing as well, and orpheus would INSIST that they could pilot a “mech” - (i’m thinking, a golem-like husk made of rock/earth?) - all though MAGIC only, and it would take a lot of focus. orpheus would take the helm in terms of magic and actually powering the “jaeger” and making it move, al would be in control of magic projectiles and jefferson would do all the melee combat.

the concept of red mantle and dragoon copiloting is very funny to me so they can be a part of this too.

PLEASE feel free to add, to disagree, to suggest, ANYTHING!!! i may or may not doodle some of these ..

and if you read this far.. i love you, thank you.. we are kindred spirits

[videogamepoc]

by Michael McWhertor and Nicole Carpenter Workers at Sega of America voted Tuesday to ratify their first collectively-bargained contract with the U.S. arm of the video game company, granting new protections and raises for about 150 full-time and temporary employees. Workers in the union, known as Allied Employees Guild Improving Sega (AEGIS), won important concessions from Sega of America as part of the contract, including base-building raises for all employees, layoff protections, and a commitment to crediting people on games they’ve worked on, including early QA testers. It also affords employees in the union other protections, including letting workers pursue creative work in addition to their work at Sega and a guaranteed continuation of hybrid work. Workers will also receive just cause protections, joining Tender Claws workers in being the only ones in the North American video game industry to have them, organizers said. In the state of California, where Sega of America’s offices are located, workers are employed at will — meaning employers can terminate employees for almost any reason, provided that reason is not unlawful. These protections mean employers must follow a series of strict guidelines before getting rid of a worker, whether through firing or other means. Organizers for the union say contact negotiations between AEGIS-CWA and Sega of America spanned six months. [...] Workers at the games studio and publisher announced their intent to unionize in April 2023. The union partnered with the Communications Workers of America and voted to officially form a union the following July. AEGIS-CWA now represents employees across multiple departments at Sega of America’s headquarters in Burbank and its Irvine campus. Union employees work in a variety of roles, including brand marketing, localization, marketing services, product development, sales, and quality assurance.

[jinxekkotimebomb]

Happy 7th Anniversary to Xenoblade Chronicles 2! It's one of my favourite games of all time, despite its flaws, and it's so personal to me. It's helped me a lot with my identity and sense of self over time and it's a big reason Xenoblade 3 and Mio are so personal to my own identity.

I first played Xenoblade 2 after Xenoblade 1 first came out. It took a little to adjust to the tonal change from 1's more serious and emotional tone to what seemed like 2 being a sillier and goofier game on the surface. Despite that, I loved Rex's personality straight away, same with Nia.

The game starts off with a sense of whimsy and humour that really appealed to me at the time, and I still am really in love with the way the humour in the game works. It's silly but in a way that's nostalgic for me given the kind of shows and games I grew up with, like Pokemon for example.

I also loved the way the music brings you into the vibe straight away. Argentum Guild for example, has a very fun, happy, "we're on a new adventure, here we go!" kind of vibe. It drags you into Rex's journey straight away and also establishing reasons he's working so young, to repay his family.

Then the events with Torna, Malos and Jin in which Rex is killed and the tone shifts. Rex dies due to simple curiosity. He was just in the way due to trying to bond with the Aegis. I love how it shows the world's brutal nature so early after a typical happy RPG vibe the game starts with.

Pyra's first meeting with Rex has such a hopeful but emotional feeling, Pyra is just confused but also pitying Rex for his fate. However, Rex's hopeful nature surprises her, so she decides to save him by becoming one with him.

I love the next sequences where we see firsthand on how Rex changes others such as Pyra but also Nia who realised Torna were going too far for her own liking and it helped her realise she needed to leave to go on her own path and find what she wants to do.

This is when the game opens up, and Gormott especially, is just nostalgic for me. The music, the exploration, it's all perfect to me. The game carries on in a similar fashion and I fell in love with it more and more. Then we start meeting the other cast members as the game progresses.

I love Zeke and Morag so much and how they balance the party out with a more serious mentor figure and the more playful but supportive one. They both play a big part in Rex's development and the party is like a big family, which is so comforting to me.

Nia's character is why the game is so personal to me though. I relate to so much to her situation, the way she feels she doesn't belong anywhere and has to alter herself and fake herself to be accepted around others. Despite growing attached to Rex and the party, she's still scared.

'What if they hate me?' 'I can't handle someone else I love betraying me.' She keeps her body and past to herself as long as she can due to this. She however, decides to finally be honest when she realises she can save others due to who she is and to her surprise they accept her.

Nia was one of the characters who helped me accept myself and gain confidence over time despite my unique circumstances and issues in real life and it's due to this that Mio felt representative of my real self more outright. She's Nia's daughter and has a lot of her similar traits.

However, she's more closed off and self deprecative due to her circumstances and struggle to trust others. She feels no one can understand her, so she doesn't even try. The others help her come to terms with herself by the end of the game though and the ways how represent my experiences.

Overall, I love Xenoblade 2 as it's a vital experience to me and my identity and without it I might not have progressed to become the person I am now and I'm thankful for it due to this. I love this game so much and I can't believe it's been out for 7 years now.

[dexjarxenoengage]

Three Plus Two: Xenoblade 2

Spoilers for Xenoblade Chronicles 2:

Every JRPG is going to have its stories, some anime tropes, FANSERVICE, a crap ton of flaws (but when is anything perfect to begin with) and their ragtag bunch of misfits. And that is ok. We’re all going to like different things. But that’s not what I’m here to talk about concerning Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (one of my favorite JRPG games of all time).

And no, it’s not talking about the “problems” Xenoblade 2 “suffers” from, we could be here FOREVER discussing that. No, I want to talk about the party of Xenoblade 2. If you remember my post regarding the Five Man Band and how Fire Emblem Engage uses the trope https://www.tumblr.com/jaredxenoengage/753270910703828992/the-five-man-band-is-among-one-my-favorite-tropes

While Xenoblade 2 does follow the Five Man Band trope, as their are 5 party members (Rex, Nia, Tora, Mòrag and Zeke, with Vandham and ironically, Jin and Malos as guess party members). For most of the game, up until the end of Chapter 4, the team sticks with the Power Trio Rex, Nia, and Tora. This is the Three Plus Two trope (best seen in Power Rangers Dino Thunder, its predecessor Ninja Storm, Jungle Fury, and Power Rangers RPM (for the most part). It’s where a power trio in a team evolves in the typical Five Man Band.

The team would expand later with two main party members (both of whom served as Rex’s rivals throughout his journey). Mòrag, Special Inquisitor for the Empire of Mor Ardain. While Mòrag was never evil, Mòrag (like most Sixth Rangers) opposed Rex because she did what she felt was right (because she saw the Aegis, Pyra as a threat to the world, and an Artifical Blade who looked like Poppi was causing trouble). But eventually, Mòrag settles her differences with Rex and eventually becomes fully devoted to Rex’s cause.

Zeke Von Genbu. Yeah. Zeke Von Genbu. The same guy that Rex fought and became his own undoing. Zeke is very much like Mòrag. As he is also royalty of one of the Kingdoms of Alrest, as the prince of Tantal. Zeke fought Rex to test his strength and intended to join him so that he could eventually meet Amalthus, who the party were going to meet anyways at Mythra’s (Pyra’s sister/original) behest.

Mòrag and Zeke are both far more experienced than Rex is both as Drivers and as citizens of the world of Alrest. Both fought against Rex before eventually joining his party. And most of all, they both, in a way, serves as mentors to Rex. After seeing his potential and his character, they both eventually choose to trust him.

Now what dynamic do each of the party members serves?

Rex is the Leader and main protagonist of Xenoblade 2. As a Driver and someone who lives in Alrest, Rex is very inexperienced in comparison to all of his other friends (Tora included despite not being a Driver yet, cause he couldn’t be without Poppi). So Rex in a bit of a in a pickle in his leadership spot.

But what he lacks (initially) is skill, he makes up for it with his heart and strength of character. Rex serves as inspiration to others. Despite their initial backlash, during the brief time Torna was using Rex to retrieve Pyra, Nia does show a little bit kinship with him. So Rex (initially) dying at Jin’s hands and Malos threatening to dispose the Argentum Trade Guild’s Salvagers as “thanks” for helping them causes Nia to defect Torna. It’s also at Rex’s behest that convinces Nia to stay with him (and Tora) on the Journey to Elysium.

And all of this is WITHOUT talking about how much of an impact he has on Pyra and Mythra. Speaking of whom, as the Aegis of the team, Pyra (mainly Mythra) is the driving force behind the journey to Elysium. It was Mythra’s idea to take Fan La Norme (Haze)‘s invitation to meet Amalthus (they were already going to meet him anyways). And as the Aegis, Pyra and Mythra are one Alrest’s most powerful Blades.

And later in the game, Rex gets Roc (Vandham’s former blade), exclusive access to Nia as a Blade, as well as Pneuma and the Master Driver abilities (that gives Rex the ability to use the Blades of his fellow Drivers, save for Poppi). Despite Rex’s initial inexperience, by the end of the game, he has the most blades locked to him, and the ability to use every non Poppi blade).

Nia is the Lancer of the team. The Lancer the one who serves as the Leader/Hero’s second in command and/or foil. Nia is more of the pessimist compared to Rex’s optimist. Nia is the first to question Pyra’s quest to reach Elysium (which she was right about, for the most part). And (ironically) when Rex was going to give up the journey after Pyra and Mythra are kidnapped at the end of Chapter 6, at the start of Chapter 7, Nia is the very first person to give Rex a piece of her mind.

As far as being foils in their powers, Nia’s Blade is Dromarch, a Water Blade that serves as a parental substitute for Nia. Dromarch is more of the Advisor, and is one of (if not) the most knowledgeable party member. Making him more of the smart guy in terms of his role when talking about the Blades.

Not many Lancer type characters are healers (which would be more of The Heart’s role), but where Nia shines in being the Lancer to Rex AND the Aegis girls is that she is a Flesh Eater. Making their dynamic similar to Jin and Malos, a fellow Flesh Eater and Aegis Blade respectively.

Tora is more of a “smart guy” than what most make think. Say what you will about his perverse behavior towards Poppi, but Tora would have to be intelligent enough about Drivers and the tools need to make Poppi to be able to make her at all. In fact, Poppi’s role in Team Aegis as a whole is very crucial to success of Rex’s team.

For example, Tora teaches Rex about the elemental powers of the Blades. Helped him and Pyra escape from Brighid and form a plan to save Nia after she was captured in the aforementioned battle. Tora (albeit with Mòrag’s advice) was able to use Poppi to escape from a prison in Tantal that negates Blade arts in Chapter 6. In the trip down Spirit Crucible Elpys, Poppi being an Artificial Blade allows her to use Arts perfectly fine. And finally, Poppi is a key player in stopping Amalthus’s control over the Titans.

Poppi’s gameplay as a whole serves similarly to the smart guy because she is more customizable than any other Blade in the game. Her versatility gives her a use in battle no one else has. This is especially true in Chapter 7.

Poppi’s overall character is that of the Heart though. It’s Poppi who manages to succeed in reaching out to Rex when he was going to quit his journey to Elysium after the Aegis is taken away from him. Nia and Brighid were unable to cut deep into him, but Poppi succeeded. Poppi also convinces Jin to hear out Brighid’s request to learn about herself in Chapter 8, and she has the most emotional moments on the whole.

Now normally, Vandham’s role would be the Big Guy. His seize notwithstanding, Vandham is very much a Mighty Glacier that hits hard with his Wind Blade Roc. All of Vandham’s stats (save for agility) are really good in the brief time he’s at your side. Unfortunately, the Big Guy suffers from a Fatality Syndrome. And in the case of Vandham, it couldn’t be cured.

Vandham’s role in chapter 3 is to be the mentor. Vandham teaches Rex how to Topple with his Anchor Shot. Vandham teaches Rex about the world of Alrest through the harsh realities of the Blade System. And Vandham, above all else, taught Rex to fight his own war. A lesson that would stick with Rex for a long time.

The reason why this JRPG team is a Three plus two dynamic is because of Vandham’s death. Once he died, it was back to the Power Trio of Rex, Nia and Tora.

This is where Mòrag would fill the role Vandham left behind. Mòrag is every bit of the experience Driver as Vandham was despite being a mercenary in the grand scheme of things. If you don’t consider Tora to be the smart guy of the team, then consider Mòrag in chapter 6. Her knowledge over the events in Alrest leads her to be the one to question Amalthus’s role in the plot. In the same chapter, she was the first to realize that the King of Tantal may had different plans for them (her fears were proven right).

Mòrag’s experience and battle prowess makes her a Genius Bruiser. As the Flamebringer and with one of the twin jewels of Mor Ardain: Brighid, her prowess as a Driver and experience as Special Inquisitor of the Empire makes her an invaluable member of the team once she finally accepts her role as Rex’s ally.

In fact, Mòrag is the only Driver of the team (Vandham excluded) to not have some unique aspect about her as a Driver. Rex is the Driver the Aegis, Nia is a Flesh Eater, Tora is a Driver with an Artificial Blade, and Zeke is a Blade Eater. And even if Mòrag gains access to Aegaeon later on, awakening him is optional. So Mòrag is simply a powerful and effective Driver all on her own.

And then there is Zeke. While I say he is the heart overall as far as the Drivers are concerned (which is best exemplified late game), Zeke also has some Big Guy traits, as well as Sixth Ranger traits.

Zeke is undoubtedly the tallest member of Rex’s team. Zeke is also the most boisterous in terms of personality. And if it’s not Rex getting hit the butt monkey moments, or Tora and Nia in some cases, then it’s definitely Zeke. Unlike Vandham, some of the other tropes you find in the muscle characters (besides the fatality syndrome) are found in Zeke.

Now where does Zeke fit in terms of being the heart? IMO, Zeke has some of the most heartfelt moments and scenes in the game when he isn’t just being played for comedy. Zeke willing opening up about his Blade Eater status and backstory serves as the moment Nia finally comes clean with Rex about her own backstory (and her Flesh Eater form later). Zeke is one of the most caring members of the team and his relationship with Pandoria is really heartwarming and tragic with his backstory in mind.

And as for the Sixth Ranger trope, he would have played this straighter if Vandham was still alive. Even if his Eye of Shining Justice ability is NG+ only, Sixth Rangers often get some the cooler powers and abilities if the Red Ranger doesn’t have them, and this is no exception.

Now when we look at the Organization of Torna, they follow a similar team structure to Rex and his party members. Once it all comes together, you begin to see who serves as a counterpart to who. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ThePsychoRangers

Jin to Rex: True, Malos is the Aegis, thus making him the evil counterpart to Pyra and Mythra. But in terms of roles in the team and their story, Jin is meant to be the foil to Rex. Jin represents the person Rex could have become if he was driven to despair.

Jin’s former Driver and love interest Lora died at the hands of Amalthus. On top of losing some of other friends in the Aegis war, and problems with the Blade system leads him to hate the world and wish to see it burn.

Because Jin is a Flesh Eater, he has some foils towards Nia as well. But again, Jin is more meant to be Rex’s counterpart. And their interactions throughout the story makes this clear.

Nia to Malos: Nia inadvertently became Rex’s second in command after their meeting and her eventually break up with Torna. Much like, or not, how Malos follows Jin’s lead, Nia is the one who always questions Rex’s every move. Whereas Malos tainted Jin with his despairing influence that also consumed Amalthus, Rex’s influence was slowly changing Nia for the better.

In chapter 7, Nia’s Flesh Eater healing powers serve as a direct counter Malos’s destructive capabilities when his Aegis powers are restored. She can act as Rex’s Blade together with Pyra and Mythra as well.

Malos is an Aegis who follows the lead of the Flesh Eater Jin, while the Flesh Eater Nia has to back the Driver of the Aegis: Rex up.

Akhos to Tora: Akhos and Tora don’t any interaction, but I’d say their roles are similar enough to warrant the comparison. Tora isn’t a master strategist guy like Akhos is,but he’s knowledgeable enough to allow Poppi to even exist and be a key player in Rex’s journey. Akhos serves as the eye in the sky for Torna and does it effectively.

Patroka to Mòrag: Both Patroka and Mòrag are both the female powerhouses. But Mòrag is more levelheaded and skilled, while Patroka is more brash and quick to lose her temper.

And Mikhail to Zeke: finally, both Mikhail and Zeke are the regular butt Monkeys of their respective groups. The two of them have more depth than their silly butt of jokes give them credit for. Lastly, but by far the most important part, they are both Blade Eaters with conflicts towards Amalthus. This becomes apparent in Chapter 9.

And that is my take on the team dynamic of Xenoblade 2.

[punching-fade-rifts]

While there wasn’t anything at the 2023 Game Awards about Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, there was a small protest group outside the building that was about unionizing in game development and the large amount of layoffs this year in the industry. BioWare isn’t mentioned by name but Keyword Studio’s union is mentioned ! Here’s my scans of their brochure they were handing out if anyone is interested!

Updated to add alt text for those with screen readers

[begin alt text]

The Game Awards 2023: The Best Year for Games

The Worst Year for Game Workers

Protesting a year of layoffs

[next page]

The 2023 game industry: $188 billion in revenue

9000+ Layoffs (source: LA Times, videogamelayoffs.com)

…and that’s surely an undercount. It’s hard to overstate just how disastrous this has been for the workers who actually make games and for the health of the industry as a whole.

More layoffs means more competition for fewer open positions. More competition means lower wages and burnout. Burnout and lack of positions force workers out of the industry.

All that talent, gone. And those that remain still suffer! The work piles up in fewer desks, you don’t know if your next. These are poor conditions for working, let alone for the creativity and care needed to create games.

[next page]

Welcome to The Game Awards 2023: She’ll of an Industry Edition

This year has been full of amazing games from Hi-Fi Rush to Armored Core VI.

Unfortunately, the workers creating these games have seen the worst layoffs in decades.

We’ve lost our livelihoods, our colleagues, and our passion. We’re forced to accept lower pay or leave the industry, joining an exodus of talent that grows by the day.

This year has been nothing less than a crisis for the industry.

But we can fight this. Over the last two years, workers have been organizing into unions to defend themselves, and building worker cooperatives to create the spaces we deserve.

We need to keep up the pressure to prevent the collapse of the real industry: the workers that make it.

[next page]

Anti-Union Retaliation

Unions are finally here! They took the industry by storm in 2022 and beyond, but the fight is not over.

Keywords Edmonton United and the Allied Employees Guild Improving Sega (AEGIS-CWA) have been harassed and threatened, and even subjected to illegal targeted firings for daring to stand up to the bosses.

Generative AI

Generative AI is built on the stolen art, writing, voices, and even bodies of artists and actors, and companies aim to use it to replace them.

Even programmers that work on AI aren’t safe. Code-generating AI is here, and threatens to make junior positions even scarcer.

And while these systems have been pushed to replace labor, workers have still needed to fix the generated material, because it’s not that good.

Games are an artform— we should not be automating away human creativity

[next page]

Fight Back

Unions

Tip the balance of power in your workplace! As a union, you can fight the whims of shareholders and save you and your fellow workers’ jobs and dignity!

No more security escorts as you clean out your desk. No more getting locked out of the office without notice. No more finding out you’re unemployed from a press release.

Talk yo your coworkers, party up, level up, and prevail!

Worker Cooperatives

Worker cooperatives are owned and operated by workers. This is a great alternative for workers who are tired of the traditional corporate model and want to take control of their creativity and labor.

Game co-ops are gaining around! Check out KO_OP, Soft Not Weak, Black Flag, Future Club, and more!

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What You Can Do

1. Wear our pins into the theater! Don’t let security take them, but record them if they do!

2. Post about the layoffs with #TheGameAwards, so it can’t be ignored!

3. Talk to your coworkers privately about unionization- the more people are unionized, the easier it gets and the lore leverage we have.

Learn more at cohost.org/gwsc

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[sasquach-scratches]

Eolan Roche

Alias: Edouard

He/Him Breton 29 (Planemeld Arc), 36 (Current)

Citizenship: Daggerfall Covenant Alliance War Rank: Corporal

Titles: Tamriel Hero, Emeric's Champion, Monster Hunter, Fighter's Guild Victor, Undaunted, Magnanimous, Kingmaker, Hero of Wrothgar, Stormproof, Numinous Aegis

Class: Templar Weapon Skills: One-Handed and Shield, Two-Handed Armor Skills: Heavy World Skills: Lycanthropy Guild Skills: Fighter's Guild, Undaunted Crafting Skills: Blacksmithing, Provisioning

A Breton warrior from Evermore, though being a man of few words, this is a detail that is rarely divulged. As terse and intimidating as he may be, he is a man of honor and virtue that only draws his blade when absolutely necessary.

His bearing suggests he is of noble birth, something that is seemingly confirmed by his admission to once being part of an illustrious knightly order in his home city. The details are sparse, but they suggest he left when his more romantic ideals of chivalry clashed with the reality of knighthood.

He once roamed High Rock as a mercenary for a good part of a decade, never staying in one place for too long and rarely showing his face. His travels came to an end when, after presumably crossing the wrong person, he was tricked and abducted by the Worm Cult and offered as a sacrifice to Molag Bal.

After his miraculous escape from Coldharbour, he took the role of the Prophet's champion without hesitation. As natural as a decision as it was for him, it was no secret that a major motivator was the apparent youth of his fellow Soul Shriven.

With the other candidates being a teenaged Argonian with anger issues and a Khajiit that didn't seem to be all there, it was clear that he was the only one qualified for a leadership role in his eyes.

Naturally, this was something that caused friction between him and his headstrong companion. Though he made his disapproval for her methods and illicit activities very vocal, he nevertheless offered unwavering protection and guidance to his young wards.

Overall, he appears to be a righteous and self-possessed man, but the reality is that it is merely a projection. Internally, he is constantly plagued by self-doubts and is often lost as a leader. He also carries the trauma of losing his soul to the King of Brutality, and often falls to existential crises regarding his Soul Shriven status and identity after death.

These issues were compounded as his wards began to come into their own. His perceived obsolescence combined with buried traumas that resurfaced as he revisited his home city led him to go as far as to infect himself with lycanthropy just to get an edge in combat.

Wracked with immense guilt over his "fall" while desperate to remain a valued protector to his companions only served to drive him further over the edge. Soon he would realize that his true self could not remain hidden away forever.

One Tamriel

As cracks began to show, Eolan's charges would prove themselves to be the true companions he so desperately needed. He was assured that he was much more to them than a simple guardian; he was a dear friend, and how "useful" he was to them wouldn't change that. For the first time in a very long time, he felt loved.

With trust came the desire to be open. He was known, as he truly was, without fear and worry. With that weight gone, he allowed himself to be proud of his friends and how far they had come.

With that came acknowledgement that his place wasn't necessarily as their champion. When his world and the worlds of his companions merged, he was content to be a humble hero of the people, leaving the world-shaking heroics to his hot-headed companion.

With the support he needed now his, he cast aside Hircine's blessing. With his soul where it belonged, he felt whole again, even if his old body had long since rotted. No matter what, he was still here, still himself, and he wasn't going anywhere.

====

Yet another one that took much, much longer than I thought it would lol. I did learn some new things when working on this tho

Some outfit notes!

Planemeld Arc Armor (all Breton Heavy)

Some notes on scars, cause I decided that they couldn't just Be There with no explanation lol Also cause I forgot:

-Right Arm- Grazed by trap (different from thigh)

I am once again gagged by not wanting to give away too many details about the character. I think I did an okay this time though.

Fun fact about his casual outfit post-One-Tamriel: he can't actually wear the outfit in-game because it looks weirdly big on him, but I wanted to draw him in something other than his usual ensemble so he'd stand out more from his earlier look.

I was thinking of giving him a makover for the High Isle arc but tbh I kinda gave up ESO in general after I got sick of the decline of the main quests lol

[arisenreborn]

Going to start posting some of my pawn lovers guild qotd answers here for archival purposes (and to fondly look back on the Pain).

Todays question was... well, I think it was something about what music would play in a fight against them which turned into "Design a Boss Battle" 😂

Emrys Boss Battle

Okay so he’s a pain in the ass. He’s taken the form of the dragonsplague dragon evolution pretty much; similar features but a little more physicality to him, bigger than a drake (not as big as Grigori), very sexy and fucked up. More aerial a bit like a wyvern, he’s frustratingly fast and fights like an archer/thief: pelting you with briney arrows that leave corrupting puddles where they hit for a small period, or darting in close and lashing you with his tail or talons before dipping back out. He shouldn’t be able to move so fast for something so damn big. 

Poisons, fire breath, duh, but it has a cool briney effect to it and will have an acidic-like effect around it (similar mechanically to poison really). He’ll occasionally control one of your pawns. Higher chance of dragonsplague infection just fighting him in general.

I like to think he wanders the world and is kind of a “random” encounter. Gonna segue a second about the music: Lux Aeterna is the inspiration but definitely a twisted up version that ‘grows’ with every encounter; it starts out discordant and hard to pick up on the melody, with sort of Silent Hill-ish vibes woven through it. With each encounter (three MAIN encounters depending on how each fight goes) it grows in intensity, frenzy, and drama. It becomes more ‘clear’ but also more ‘violent’, the final version has an aspect of ‘anxiety/fear’ - a creature torn between fight or flight. 

Getting him in a ‘downed’ state in the first two fights is just him hovering feebly closer to the earth and making him an easier target.

Each encounter can be ‘failed’ or ‘succeeded’, failure is him flying away, success obviously when you defeat him results in him basically divebombing the ground which almost seems more like a kamikaze/escape…he crashes and bursty-melts into a plaguey, brine-like substance in the ground you shouldn’t touch until it gradually goes away -will have the same effect as genuine brine. You get exp but frustratingly no loot, alluding to the fact he’s not actually gone yet. Each success grows the difficulty (and music) of the next encounter. 

You probably get garbled dragonspeak also: mostly just cursing you as the Arisen, the second fight gives you a ‘you won’t take … from me…’ as he fades away. 

Third fight will be the most intense - and he’ll try to escape often. He’ll lose -some- of that physicality and be more of a dick to hit without magic/enchanted weapons. A lot more briney attacks, can control up to two pawns if you’re not quick about dealing with the first one. 

However once in his downed state he’ll actually slouch down on the ground on all fours, and his ‘heart’ will be revealed, a cavity in his chest leaking out what looks like a woman wrapped in black and red tendrils and fleshy sinews.

Yeah, it’s Olivia, though she looks a bit, yanno, like she’s become the pseudo-heart of a plaguedragon. So you’ve gotta attack her while he’s downed and you will hear him make… awful awful sounds when you do. He may even beg you to stop. 

But you won’t, of course, and once you’ve broken his heart sufficiently he’ll gradually crumble to mist and dust with the final words "Olivia... forgive-..." and leave you with all the gold and wyrmslife crystals you could have hoped for, you monster.

Also a ‘Corrupt Dragon’s Aegis’, idk what it’s stats are (probably not *super* different from the usual) but it’s probably neat. And depressing. Probably a description along the lines of ‘A shield once carried by the brave Arisen of another world…’ Finally, a wolf fang necklace… (it was a gift Emrys gave to Olivia. It can be given to an NPC for high +40 affection)

The description on the necklace is: "It seems to exude an aura of love, whoever once owned it treasured it dearly."

[liquidstar]

baby guild :)

aka the timber scouts! they're basically just a bunch of kids in a sort of guild prep-course. so, not a real full official guild, but functions like one. all the kids have different woodland animal gimmicks to go with the scout vibe. They have a very loose shared uniform too, they're pretty much allowed to customize however they want as long as they keep the white button-up, brown outerwear, dark brown bottoms, and brown boots. also like a lot of kids in other guilds, their weapons are toys or otherwise "safter" items. But that's pretty much all! They aren't super deep characters, but more general info still under the cut :p

Name: Ceres

Name Origin: Dwarf planet named after the goddess of agriculture and motherly relationships

Pronouns: They/them

Age: 29

Guild rank: Guildmaster

Weapon: Pocket knife

Ethos (Power): Aegis (The ability to cast a protective shield around others but not themself)

Flaw power is based on: Their tendency to put others first, in a way that makes them a pushover.

Notes: Suffering.

Name: Aquila

Name Origin: The eagle constellation

Pronouns: They/them

Age: 12

Guild rank: 1 star

Weapon: Hula hoop

Ethos (Power): Aerial burst (A powerful burst of air created with their wings)

Flaw power is based on: They're flighty and feather-brained

Notes: Birds just wanna have fun

Name: Procyon

Name Origin: A star in canis minor, the name technically means "before the dog" but refers to the raccoon family

Pronouns: He/him

Age: 11

Guild rank: 1 star

Weapon: hacky sack

Ethos (Power): Scaling (He can climb any surface)

Flaw power is based on: His rowdy uncontrollable nature

Notes: Yeah he can kick the hacky sack while on a wall, no big deal.

Name: Kochab

Name Origin: Beta Ursae Minoris- brightest star in the little dipper

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 11

Guild rank: 1 star

Weapon: Honey dipper

Ethos (Power): Honeymelt (She can turn solid structures into a more gooey form with the consistency of honey)

Flaw power is based on: Her sluggish listlessness

Notes: Wait until you meet mama bear

Name: Vulpecula (Val)

Name Origin: The "little fox" constellation

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 11

Guild rank: 1 star

Weapon: Jump rope

Ethos (Power): Tactful sense (Heightened senses for what's going on around her)

Flaw power is based on: Her desire to control everything around her

Notes: She's the first on track to getting a second star (according to herself)

[spicyseal]

In July, the Allied Employees Guild Improving Sega, aka AEGIS, won their election to form a union. Now Sega of America management refuses to bargain in good faith, and have threatened to lay off 40% of their union workers. Disheartened, but not surprised to see yet another example of the immense corporate greed in America today. Spread the word, and stand in solidarity with AEGIS 💙

[tailschannel]

SEGA of America workers vote to organize, becoming the largest video game union in the United States

In a historic move in the video game industry, a supermajority of workers at SEGA of America announced their intention to unionize.

The Allied Employees Guild Improving SEGA, or AEGIS (a spin on SEGA's promotional tagline, "it takes AGES"), will represent 144 employees across numerous departments at SEGA of America's office in Irvine, California.

In association with the Communications Workers of America, the newly-formed video game union will have the unique distinction to become the largest of its kind in the United States.

In a statement, the union's goals are the following:

Higher base pay for all, following industry standards, with raises tied to the cost of living and inflation.

Improved, stable benefits for all, including healthcare, retirement, remote work opportunities, and more.

Increased, clearly outlined opportunities for advancement.

Balanced workloads and schedules, and defined responsibilities for all positions.

Adequate staffing of departments to end patterns of overwork.

A motion to vote has been filed with the United States Labor Relations Board, as workers await for SEGA of America to voluntarily recognize the labour organization.