#also just. better customization options in general for the base character

[sonknuxadow]

the thing about the character creator in sonic forces is that it was a really fun idea but the execution could have been so much better. i could fix him

[leidensygdom]

Hasbro's CEO is, once again, expressing interest in using AI at WOTC

Not surprising, but I think his own chit-chat about it (directed at shareholders, of course) is quite the read (derogatory):

"Inside of development, we've already been using AI. It's mostly machine-learning-based AI or proprietary AI as opposed to a ChatGPT approach. We will deploy it significantly and liberally internally as both a knowledge worker aid and as a development aid. I'm probably more excited though about the playful elements of AI. If you look at a typical D&D player....I play with probably 30 or 40 people regularly. There's not a single person who doesn't use AI somehow for either campaign development or character development or story ideas. That's a clear signal that we need to be embracing it. We need to do it carefully, we need to do it responsibly, we need to make sure we pay creators for their work, and we need to make sure we're clear when something is AI-generated. But the themes around using AI to enable user-generated content, using AI to streamline new player introduction, using AI for emergent storytelling, I think you're going to see that not just our hardcore brands like D&D but also multiple of our brands."

This directly fights against WOTC's already very weak claims about not wanting to use AI (after massive backslash from players anytime they had tried to get away with it), and does paint quite the bleak future for DnD and Magic the Gathering. AI usage doesn't really benefit the consumer in any way- It's like a company known for nice homemade cakes trying to tell you that factory made cakes are actually also good and you should be buying them too. The cakes aren't better. You can get those cakes elsewhere. The only person benefiting from factory made cakes is the one selling them, because they're the one saving time and money by making them that way.

But short-term benefits (through firing large portions of their artists and replacing them with AI made slop) outweighs any attempt to maybe get some trust from their already alienated consumers back. I also find it kind of incredibly funny and pathetic how this man claims to play DnD with about 30 to 40 people and "how every single one of them uses AI". I'm not entirely sure this guy is even aware of how DnD groups are usually sized, and how you would not have any physical time to do anything if you somehow played with 40 players on the regular (that'd be about 10 games!)

Anyways, as always, there's nice TTRPGs out there that don't absolutely despise their customer base nor are obsessed with cutting any remains of humanity out of their product to save a few cents. Play Lancer, play Blades in the Dark, play Pathfinder or Starfinder 2e if you want the DnD experience without the bullshit. Plenty of options out there that deserve your money far more than DnD.

[fatphobiabusters]

Pokemon Go added Body Type Customization in an update recently!! It's not just presets of Rail Thin - Moderate Thin - Fat either there are SLIDERS!! And separate face shapes!! It's been eight years sense launch but this is HUGE in terms of Pokemon Character Customization!

I'm surprised that Pokemon Go made that update (though also sad that it took them 8 years to include fat people). I think this makes the first Pokemon game that allows the player to play as a fat person. I hope that'll be an aspect they'll keep for future games, similar to how they gave customization options for generation 6 because the game was based on France, and then that feature was too popular for the game developers to not continue that for every game afterwards.

I don't have the game downloaded, but from the pictures and video footage I've seen, the body type options do seem to be better than the usual "We'll give you one fat body type and call it a day." These are two pictures I found on Google Images:

There's at least one fat body preset with different chest options, and then there's also a way to specifically change appearance aspects like weight, hips, chest, etc.

Fat people need to be represented in more video games, positive representation at that. The excuse I usually hear is "Well, if the game developers include fat people, then they'd have to update animations and clothing to fit the fat bodies! That's more work for the same budget!" And to that, I say: Stop trying to pretend this is just a matter of 'budget' when there's not a single game with player customization that only has fat bodies.

If it truly is so impossible to make video games with more than one body type and that's the sole reason why fat people don't exist in almost any video game universe, then why is the body type always chosen to be represented a thin body type? Game developers are perfectly capable of making a game with customization where the only body option is a fat body. So, why has that never been done? Why is it that every time a person makes a video game with only one body type available, it's Always. Thin.

You know why.

I could talk about this for hours and point out so much more BS rhetoric that fatphobes use to defend fatphobia in video games, but I don't want to spend my whole night writing an essay. Anyways, I'm glad that Pokemon Go has finally started to add some weight diversity to the game, even if this is 8 years late. Let's hope more game developers will do the same.

-Mod Worthy

[cripplecharacters]

Hello! I'm writing an amputee character who was an archer before losing part of his arm (amputated just above the elbow).

Basically, my question is: is archery something you really need two hands for, or could he adapt his style of archery to work with his disability? Is pulling back the bowstring using his stump by sort of hooking it inside the string feasible? If so, I assume a specially made "glove" would be in order, since most archers wear a glove to protect their fingers anyway.

I've also thought about a prosthetic; I know arm prosthetics are generally Not Very Good, especially for amputation above the elbow, but in my head I can see a certain shape of hook prosthetic working for archery, he probably wouldn't wear it outside of combat. Would that be easier or harder than just using the stump?

He's in his early twenties when he loses the arm, if that matters, and has been practicing archery for ~5 years, I know age can be a factor in adapting to acquired disabilities!

Sorry if this is more of an archery question than a disability question, haha

Hey!

[Disclaimer we don't have amputee mods]

Having two hands does help with archery but it's definitely not necessary (in fact no arms are necessary, you can learn to shoot extremely well using just feet). There's a few options;

An archer with a longer amputation can get an alternative grip on the bow or just tape it to their stump. That's what Jodie Grinham does. In my research for this I haven't found a single archer who would be using their stump to release the arrow, only hold the bow. I'm not saying it's impossible because I doubt that it is, but one seems clearly easier.

An archer with a shorter amputation (like your character) could use a strap to hold the arrow and hold the bow with their hand. I don't know how advanced technology is in your setting but there are custom releases that can be used for this, you can read about some of them here, or see a different one here (video). They're generally activated either by mouth or chin and the residual limb isn't really doing anything.

Some people do use prosthetics and they are usually specialized as a Holding Something type of aid rather than a regular hand with fingers and all. You can see one here.

There's no single answer on what would work, the only thing I'd say is very likely is that he would not be using his amputated arm to release the arrow.

He would probably find the thing that he tries first easier. If after his amputation he goes back to shooting and does it an alternative release because he doesn't have a prosthetic yet, he might have issues readjusting later. I'd guess that a prosthetic could be annoying for combat since it's additional weight, mostly if he's moving around a lot (not really if he's just sitting down and shooting from a distance).

I'd try to find an archer with a similar level of amputation and see how they go about it, since there will be a variety there (as there always is). I've noticed that most professional amputee archers don't use prosthetics, but for all I know it could be due to classification rules and list of allowed aids - either way shows that you don't need two arms to shoot a bow.

As long as you're basing it on some real life solution and not just giving him the magical bionic hand that works like a regular arm (or better) with no drawbacks you should be fine.

Hope this helps,

mod Sasza

[scriptlgbt]

How should I show that a character's nonbinary when they themselves don't know? Should I even do it if they'll just be misgendered the whole story?

They're born in the early 70s (when the main story takes place they're 22). They have trans relatives but I don't think they know there are options beyond (a) staying their AGAB, (b) transitioning to the other binary gender, or (c) drag, which isn't really their thing.

I want to make it deeper than "they think gender roles are stupid" but I don't know where to start in portraying an nb egg.

[I'm assuming a lot about the culture of the particular 70s you're referring to. My POV is that I am "canadian" and much of my own personal knowledge of transness in this era comes from research in US archives. YMMV when it comes to places outside the heavily American sphere of cultural influence.]

So first of all, the 70s had a bit of a renaissance of androgyny. A common thing I'll see in advice columns of the era is someone asking what to do as a customer service worker when they "can't tell" what gender they think someone is, because of their hairstyle and the way they are dressed. I imagine there probably were a lot of people who took refuge in that ambiguity. A fro, a pageboy haircut, all these are something that people of any gender (not necessarily every texture but I digress) could wear.

Secondly, I figured out I was nonbinary before I knew it existed, before I had the words for it. (Though the term genderqueer was the in vogue one in the community at the time I figured my stuff out.) It's just that I sort of saw it as, "hmmm, well, I feel kind of between these things." And I think I'd seen it as sort of "half-trans" until I really understood transness better. (Note: this was for like a week tops.) I also went through a period of time a few years before this where I just sort of saw myself as a crossdresser (not drag - just someone who chooses to dress and cut their hair as they are comfortable and feel happy), but like, that as my gender identity, if that makes sense. I didn't have access to community of other people who felt like I did in order to compare to. But at the time, this also meant that when I talked about my feelings with others, they wouldn't have the same hangups about what it would mean for them if they said they felt the same. There were a lot of people I talked to in 2011ish who basically said they experienced gender as I did, only, I don't think most of them would understand for another 4 years at least.

One day I'd like to post more info about nonbinary history (especially in the 70s), but I'm just dumping info at this point. Something I will suggest for more on the topic is reading Lou Sullivan's diary, and reading autobiographies from trans people who were alive then. Even when they weren't out, they still existed, and lived in a world where they were carving out spaces for themselves.

To my understanding also, a lot of trans culture at the time sort of distinguished "transvestite" (trans people generally? but who haven't accessed medical transition) and "transsexual" (trans people who have or are intending to transition medically). Trans people of every variety might change gender expression based on their outness or the safety they had, and this didn't make them less seen as trans per se. A lot of people who ID'd either way (though more for "transvestite") would have a variety of approaches to things like name and pronouns. If this were the dominant terminology of the time that I were figuring things out, I'd probably have called myself a transvestite, though I would have likely been questioning the transsexual label for a while and ultimately not been able to access medical transition. (Though it depends on when in the 70s iirc - there was a time earlier on where it was easier to access I believe, but I'd need to fact check.)

In terms of general nonbinary egg mode stuff, or at least egg for an era where being nonbinary is not widely known to be a thing, here's some 'signs' (some are just straight up "that's canon if you put that in") I've brainstormed.

admiring specific fashion trends and looks that are gender nonconforming or androgynous (especially celebrities - maybe glam rock musicians, Joan Jett) (Joan Jett was huge for egg me personally...)

finding a lot of different ways to express how they feel in words (the "man/woman in a woman/man's body" phrasing is something that has historically bugged me, but people have used it throughout history) (more examples, dependant on the person, "I feel just as un/comfortable in my body and the way people see me as I would if I'd been born differently." "It's not a wo/man's haircut, it's mine." "I feel like a guy among my guy friends and a girl among my girl friends." "I feel uncomfortable when I go out with my partner and we are assumed to be straight/gay, though I don't know why." "I really enjoyed breeches roles when I did theatre in high school." "It felt good when I was mistaken for a woman.")

referring to themselves in their head with neutral terms

having dreams where they are recognized as themselves

feeling at home around trans people and queer people in general

watching or listening to certain songs/movies/etc that feel Gender for them over and over again

some kind of fixation on facial hair/other body part or lack thereof

it feeling different when different people use gendered terminology for the character (ex: a conservative Girl Guide leader calling everyone "ladies" vs a gay man saying "hey girl"). this is usually to do with what it's assumed the speaker's assigned meaning to the word is.

Re: misgendering through the whole story. A really convenient way to curb this would be to just have the character feel like the way they are (mis)gendered is also a part of their identity, it just isn't the whole picture. Another thing I sort of thought of in my early years was like, if people think I'm a woman, at least they understand there is something off about it. Whether they think I'm a butch lesbian or intersex (which was very regularly assumed throughout my life, at least until the general public started to catch wind of genderqueer identities). It matters to me that they at least understand my approach to gender is queer.

Another approach would be to have the story written from a distant past tense where the reader knows the identity of the character, because everything is told in distant hindsight. This is my favourite approach personally.

-mod nat

[maleyanderecafe]

Broken Colors (Visual Novel)

Created by: The ⁍ Ink ⁌ Room

Genre: Horror/Romance

I've been waiting for this one from @inkly-heart for a while and it is very well made for a demo! From the easter eggs to the art style, it really does seem to go above and beyond. This game is an r18 game so while there's nothing of the sort in the demo so far, it is something to keep in mind of with future installments.

The story starts with the MC waking up and going to her job at a convenience store to meet their coworker, Ramus. Ramus is a snarky coworker that seems to dump all his work onto the MC. After meeting and serving some customers, the MC takes a quiz on a magazine as they wait, however are interrupted by Ramus who walks off to a party. From here, the options splinter off.

Daydreaming allows the MC to meet Dameon, a new customer that comes in after being rejected by his crush. Depending on the answer, it can go a couple of ways. Sympathizing with him allows him to develop a crush on the MC, with the MC attempting to make him feel better by complimenting him and reassuring him. After a nice conversation with him, he leaves promising to come back. At this time, he develops an obsession with MC and the item that they've given to Dameon becomes a sign of their love. The MC meanwhile is annoyed that they didn't ask for his name and heads home. After some intrusive thoughts about their family, they go to sleep, At night, Dameon breaks into the MC's place, learning their name and promising that they will meet later on. The MC can also just act normally with them or straight up ignore them, which either leads to a normal conversation or Dameon getting annoyed, and leads to being chased by DG in the alleyway.

Picking up a call with lead to Ramus telling the MC to deal with a delivery man that's coming over. Someone does come over to presumably rob the MC, but we find out that it's a prank from the delivery man named... Delivery Guy (or DG). After some small talk, Dameon comes in and greets both the MC and DG, telling DG that the person they confessed to rejected him in a rude manner. DG seems annoyed by the fact they treated his friend so rudely and goes to take care of the delivery. Dameon and the MC have a nice chat with Dameon falling for the MC. Afterwards, the MC goes to check on DG who scares them and finishes the delivery. The ending is the same as before where Dameon comes to stalk the MC in their house.

If the MC reads the newspaper, they will get a call from Ramus and then go home after, only to be chased by DG and pinned down. There are a couple of endings that follow this ending depending on choice.

Starting out, the game is extremely well made for a demo. This could just be because I'm biased towards the art style, but even so, the amount of details including how nice the backgrounds look, to the various cameos of other ocs they have, such as Angel on the magazine. I also like the little touches on the sprites when they emote, such as when they're angry there's a vein emote, which gives more personality. I also like the little changes to the nametags when each character talks.

The main yandere in this one is Dameon, or Stalker. The general idea with Stalker is presented in the story, where they generally jump from love to love, though in this game, they are specifically infatuated with the MC and seemingly refuses to let go. Dameon and DG have a sort of friend relationship, with DG "taking care" of those that disrespect Dameon and just generally being a serial killer. From what I remember, this might lead to a poly ending with the two in the future just based on how close they are, which is always interesting. Dameon is pretty much written to be a yandere, with his stalking tendencies, killings, though what is interesting is that he seemingly again jumped from person to person, but likely will stay with the MC based on the what's going on in the game. I am curious what happens if the MC doesn't gain Dameon's attention, since it will likely move towards DG's route of being more of a murder sim rather than specifically a yandere route. I'm also curious if Ramus will have a route as well or even get killed in the story.

That being said, I'm sure there will be much more characters that the MC will be able to interact with in the future considering the sheer amount of OCS that inkly has, as well as the various cameos that appear in the demo. I am curious how the interactions will play out and what the MC's relationship will be with them.

That being said, it's a very well made demo and I hope to see more promising updates in the future!

[ddwcaph-game]

Ask Guidelines Update

Now that I've cleared my ask backlog from the latest update, I've added the following to the FAQ:

To ensure a better response time from me, PLEASE LIMIT CHARACTER-RELATED ASKS TO 2 CHARACTERS. I might include other characters to my answer if I feel like it, but this will help me a lot in lightening my mental load when it comes to unanswered asks. I figure this is much better than restricting those kinds of asks entirely. I hope you understand!

Again, please keep in mind that I have trouble answering "favorite" asks in general unless it's something I've already established. It's not something I enjoy answering, and it'd be much easier for me to answer if a character would like something, rather than asking what their favorites are.

What's in the Next Update?

Anyway, before I decide how I'm going forward with Chapter 6, I’m also planning a smaller update later:

Extra ancestry flavor text

New NP option to ask Julie/Robert to pick you up even if your MC isn’t short

An entirely new discoverable secret for Tito Nestor that can help you with your sidequest

[T-Rex Tooth Replica] Souvenir will now give extra Max NP on successful Intimidation checks

Certain customization choices in the prologue are no longer considered NP choices.

A super special surprise!

The majority also seem in favor of the new Alternate Musical Scenes, so I might include that in the next update as well.

I'm also considering on reworking the [Five-Year-Old MC's Wish] Sidequests and change it to some sort of "bucket list" instead, so it's less restrictive to certain playstyles. Instead of specific objectives, you need to complete an X amount of goals (from a list of objectives based on your traits that you can do repeatedly), and you will gain additional EXP and NP for every milestone you achieve.

For example, MCs with the [Sweet Tooth] Trait will have "Eat sweets or desserts" as one of their goals. If you have a very high Manipulative stat, increasing/decreasing your Manipulative stat might also be one of your goals depending on your other traits.

I know it's hard to do with a mostly linear narrative, but I'm trying to add more emergent gameplay/mechanics to the story, so that you always feel like you're progressing towards something, and so that different playthroughs feel more unique to each other.

Bug Fixes

On another note, I just fixed a bunch of bugs (I fixed the first two secretly earlier):

Fixed certain clubs displaying incorrectly in the About Me section.

Fixed a bug in JM Sr.'s diary entry when a certain secret has been discovered.

Separated relative height choice in the prologue and moved to Chapter 2 to fix a bug with Dwarf/Halfling/Gnome/Goblin MCs being able to pick the [Tall-Blooded] Trait.

Minor edits/typo correction.

Roselyna is now approximately 2% more huggable!

[stalwart-spirit]

Final Fantasy XIV & Guild Wars 2

Normally I don't post stuff like this, however I thought it would be interesting to discuss in what I conder to be differences between both games which makes me enjoy them both so much.

FFXIV:

"Puzzle solving" combat (mechanics you have to come up with solutions for and react to).

Far more readable AoEs and mechanics (GW2 literally just has hollow circle outlines so it gets confusing when dozens of them are on the floor overlapping).

Better glamouring system (glamour prisms easier to obtain, GW2 transmutation charges can end up costing irl money if the free season pass runs out of them).

Better customization (more options even with a limited chargen. Hairstyle changes cost in game currency. ANY character changes cost irl money in GW2).

Photo mode (everyone in every game just wants to easily take screenshots of their char let's be real and GW2 does not have that).

Better raiding scene (easier to get into high end content such as raiding, GW2 it can be like pulling teeth at times to find groups. "You need experience for this job, but in order to do that you need a job to gain experience" sort of deal).

Less alt friendly but at the benefit of ALL CLASSES being playable on ONE character.

Constant updates to the graphics and textures, so the game does not look as old as it is (GW2 launched around the same time and REALLY looks its age, however pre-rendered cutscenes are looking great now).

Your character feels like your character in MSQ (GW2 your character speaks, replies mostly independently of your choices, thus at times it feels like you're playing someone else and not who you have developed yourself).

Better crafting (GW2 makes me wanna rip my eyes out and lots of people in the community agree that it can be costly and convoluted).

GW2:

Dynamic combat (things are happening on the screen all the time and is very fast paced with barely any breathing space which makes for some insane battle moments).

Active community in older content (part from base game dungeons, but Anet basically dropped those so fast themselves).

Better dye system for armors (multiple slots up to 4 on each gear piece, and a total of 642 dyes currently in game).

Account wide glamour and dye unlocks (unlock on one character, usable for all of that armor weight/collected dye).

Account wide item banking and currency wallet.

Satisfying achievement system (Rewards from achievements as well as scaling reward track for gaining purely just achievement points).

Buy once, play forever, no subscription (each expansion being the only purchase for each release, as well as the older Living World "post-patch" content) so more obtainable for general pop. who don't want to sign up for another subscription service.

New characters can hop into ANY expansion or just ignore them completely and dive into whichever content needed without having to clear an MSQ beforehand.

Generally more alt friendly (at the cost of irl money for extra character slots, as there is a max of 5 on paid accounts)

Better Player vs Player scene as well as the edition of World vs World (giant map skirmish with 3 "servers" constantly battling for domination in each season, literally running in huge groups to take over enemy castles or defending your own)

NOTE: Any instance of having to use irl money to get things in GW2, you can also convert your in game gold into their gem currency to purchase items in their store, but the exchange rate can be kinda wack.

Neither pros or cons for either:

GW2 has horizontal gearing & leveling, with 80 forever being the max level, thus gear never becomes outdated, thus making it easier for people to hop into many forms of end game content as it is released.

FFXIV has vertical gearing and leveling, which gives a goal in mind each time the new level cap is set and new gear levels are added in order to run content, so an insentive to keep active and have a goal to work towards.

GW2 has build options for each class, allowing different styles of play without the restriction of traditional roles (Tank, Healer, DPS), however there will typically always be an accepted meta build for each depending on type of content, and can cause issues of unbalanced parties when lacking specific roles.

FFXIV does not have builds, and each class plays in a specific way allowing for less flex in how each are played, but allows for FAR more security when running content, as well as allowing more focus to be placed on interesting fights with fun mechanics in my opinion.

[satoshi-mochida]

Metal Bringer launches this winter - Gematsu

Roguelite action game Metal Bringer will launch for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam this winter, publisher PLAYISM and developer Alphawing announced.

Here is an overview of the game, via PLAYISM:

About

Samurai Bringer, Alphawing’s previous game, is a Japanese roguelite action game released in 2022, where you play as Susanoo and defeat world-famous Japanese samurai as you collect combat techniques to create your own fighting style. It has received over 800 reviews on Steam with a Very Positive rating. Metal Bringer is the second game in the Bringer series, and this time, the setting is completely different—in this game, you fight in a science-fiction world with androids and giant robots in horde-based combat that’s even more satisfying than the last game, and of course, your combat actions will evolve as you fight.

The Story

“The sky is blue, infinitely high, and infinitely vast… Whose words were these again…? Ah, I remember… It was about a virtual reality Rudra told me about. A fairy tale. How many years has it been since humanity took refuge underground? No one alive has ever seen a blue sky. And now, I’m trapped in the depths, in a small, lifeless room. Just how long have I been here…?” A young girl named Suria wakes up in a laboratory and finds out that she has been put in cyrosleep for 1000 years without her knowledge. In order to search for the rest of humanity, she builds Labor with her trusty Buds, and sends them off to investigate…

Highly Customizable Player Characters and Arms

Build and control android soldiers called “Labor”, or have them pilot giant machines called “Arms”. Each and every Labor and Arms you build is highly customizable. You can change the color and appearance of their features, or swap out parts to change their fighting styles. The sheer variety in character customization will allow you to create and fight with the mech of your dreams.

The More You Play, the Stronger You Get

Labors can be strengthened by installing over 150 different types of apps. Apps can be obtained by defeating enemies, but you lose all installed apps when you fall in battle. However, by analyzing an app’s data, you can carry it over to your next Labor, allowing you to perform better each run until you can freely trample all over your opponents with ease.

Obtain Enemy Arms Parts on the Go

Even the most powerful Arms will eventually wear down, but when that happens, you can use Arms parts left behind by the enemy. What’s more, you can analyze the blueprints of powerful Arms parts over the course of the game, which unlocks various customization options.

New Technologies, Both Visual and Audio

This game uses the same retro art style as Samurai Bringer, but just like Samurai Bringer, it also implements a real time pixel art generating system, and will also feature the newest raytracing technology for beautifully lit environments. The music too is made with the newest technology, as it is played in real time and changes according to the situation.

Character Designs by Suzuhito Yasuda

The protagonist Suria and the keyart were designed by Suzuhito Yasuda, and on the writing team, we have Sami Shinosaki on board! The pixel art portraits for Suria are drawn by illustrator kutsuwa.

Suzuhito Yasuda (Twitter) – Illustrator, manga artist, and character designer for multiple popular games and media, such as Durarara!! and the Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor series. Creator of the ongoing manga series Bootsleg and Yozakura Quartet (serialized in Monthly Shonen Sirius).

Sami Shinosaki – Novelist. Known for the novelizations of the Armored Core and Fire Emblem series.

Word from the Developer: Takahama Makoto from Alphawing

Hi, I’m Takahama, the development director of Metal Bringer. It’s been one year since we announced the game during last year’s PLAYISM Game Show, and in order to fully realize our original concepts, we’ve scrapped and rebuilded the game many times to improve it. At first, you might struggle to survive with your weak Labor and slow Arms, but gradually, you’ll gain more and more power until you eventually become unstoppable, with incredible mobility to match. This game is one where you can experience the thrill and satisfaction of growing stronger. We’re preparing a new playable demo right now, which will be showcased at PAX West 2024 and Tokyo Game Show 2024. Please stop by to try it out!

Watch a new trailer below. View a new set of screenshots at the gallery.

Release Window Trailer

English

Japanese

[hayatheauthor]

Websites And Writing Apps Every Author Needs In 2023

In today’s day and age, technology is everyone's best friend, and the number one writing tool for authors. Gone are the days when writers would hunch over blocky typewriters and leisurely type out a manuscript. Authors are now evolving, and while typewriters and pretty journals might make for stellar aesthetically pleasing posts, they aren’t as accessible and convenient as the technological advancements that have taken the world by storm.

Modern-day authors have swapped out papers and ink for laptops and AI, allowing us to type out thousands of words without having to worry about our pens drying out.

However, this convenience comes at a cost.

Our app stores are flooded with so many options that it is easy to lose track of the best writing apps. This is why I have taken the initiative to compile a list of the websites and writing apps every author needs in 2023— categorized by different writing stages.

Websites And Writing Apps To Help With Fantasy Worldbuilding

Worldbuilding is possibly one of the most essential pre-writing steps a writer takes. It helps you develop a concrete idea of the story you have come up with and creates the foundation of your book.

Poor worldbuilding and a lack of visualisation can make your ideas get lost in translation and make a concrete fantasy world seem confusing for your readers.

This is why before you jump into telling your story, you must first establish the building blocks of your tale. There are two applications that I believe can help you achieve this. Whether it be generating names, creating fantasy maps or more, here are two websites and web apps to help with worldbuilding.

Azgaar

Azgaar's Fantasy Map Generator is a free web application that generates interactive and highly customizable SVG maps based on Voronoi diagram. Fantasy map generators generally require a lot of time and energy to completely plan out your world, but with Azgaar’s fantasy map generators, you can readily customize any of their free templates.

They offer a plethora of options for writers to explore, from different map colours and themes to worlds created in various environments.

One thing I love about Azgaar is how accessible their templates are. You can easily change the location names, landscape and map settings with a click or two and also experiment with different templates until you create a map that is perfect for your world.

If we’re talking about fantasy map generators every writer should know of, then Azgaar is definitely one of them.

Donjon

Are you a writer who just got started with their worldbuilding? Do you feel stuck with the overwhelming amount of things you need to do before you can write your story? Don’t worry, all of us have been there. But with Donjon you can readily create almost every aspect of your fantasy world.

From names to maps and demographics, Donjon provides creators with a plethora of services. Unlike most applications, it also helps you create globes and detailed city/area scapes and maps. This is a tool I find particularly useful for when your characters are exploring a new area that you can’t visualise well.

And the best part? It isn’t just for authors! Donjon has different tools for writers, game makers, and more— allowing creators of all kinds to make their worlds that much better.

If you ever feel stuck during your world-building, then definitely give Donjon a try and comment down below the tool you found the most useful.

Websites And Writing Apps To Help With Your Writing

Writing your book is one of the most thrilling stages of creating a novel.

But nowadays it can be really hard to find good writing tools that are free and help you accomplish your goal with no hitches. I can’t tell you how many times I ended up losing my work as a fanfic writer writing on websites that haven’t been updated in years! This is why it’s so important to write your book on a proper, reputable application.

Grammarly

Let’s be honest, if you’re someone who’s into writing then you’ve probably heard of Grammarly at least a couple of times. However, what many writers don’t realise is just how beneficial it can be!

Most writers use Grammarly as an extension on their writing application so that it can correct their small errors while they write, but they don’t bother to use the Grammarly editor. You might be wondering ‘but Haya, what’s the difference?’

The Grammarly editor provides you with more options and tools to help better your writing. You can set your writing goals, such as your target audience, tone, etc. and even get access to more detailed suggestions that focus on aspects like passive voice, and adverbs.

Even if you choose not to get Grammarly premium, the editor still highlights the premium suggestions which can help you understand where you’re going wrong.

Overall, Grammarly helps you edit your chapters and polish your writing with ease.

Google Docs

If you’re one of the people who doesn’t see the point in paying for Word, then Google Docs is for you. It gives you all the features of a word document online. Docs also allows you to use extensions and add-ons that can help you elevate your manuscript. Some of my favourites are Scribe Writer, highlighter tool, and Spellright.

One thing most people don’t know about Google Docs is that you can use the voice typing tool. If you’re an author like me, then you often think of the perfect pieces of description at random moments in the day and have to scramble to write them down before you forget. The same can be said for dialogue, plot points, etc.

This is why Google Docs is so convenient. It allows you to speak your thoughts and types it out in a document that you can readily edit at your own time.

If you’re looking for a website or writing app to use as your main editor for your manuscript, then you should definitely consider Google Docs.

Websites And Writing Apps To Help With Your Editing

Hemingway Editor

If you’re an author writing for a certain age group, Hemingway Editor is the best website for you. Hemingway Editor shows a grade for your writing and gives you suggestions for ways to improve your manuscript. Just like Grammarly, it gives you various suggestions for your writing.

It also highlights the areas of concern in different colours so that you can easily make your way through your work depending on which aspect you would like to edit (whether that be SPAG, sentence structure, etc.)

If you don’t want to pay for Grammarly’s premium option then you can use Hemingway Editor’s free editorial suggestions.

Reedsy

Don’t want to do your edits by yourself? Hire an editor from Reedsy.

Hiring a professional can be a difficult process, and oftentimes we don’t even know where to start. You can acquire a list of professional editors that work with your genre with one click of your mouse. But how do you know if they have the right experience and credibility?

With Reedsy you can easily get in touch with great editors who have not only worked in your genre but also have a client list of credible authors with books similar to yours. This helps make sure you select an editor that knows what they need to do and how to get it done.

Reedsy also provides authors with professionals who can help them in every step of their writing process, whether that be cover designing, proofreading, or more.

Websites And Writing Apps To Help You Get A Literary Agent

Querying can be a daunting process. I know this from personal experience. But you can make this process a little easier with the right websites and writing apps. I’ve seen tons of different websites promoting tools that will supposedly help you get an agent within one week. I’ve also seen several authors who used said tools and came up empty-handed.

Querying is a very subjective process— what is a perfect fit for one agent might not be the right thing for another. This is why it’s so important to reach out to the right agents so that you don’t end up wasting days chasing after a literary agent who doesn’t even work in your genre.

Listed below are two websites and writing apps that are essential to find a literary agent.

Querytracker

Querytracker is possibly the most important tool for querying authors. It allows you to easily find agents in your genre, research their backgrounds, send out queries, and track your queries all in one page. This cuts down on the time most authors spend creating colour-coded spreadsheets.

I got my first literary agent from Querytracker, and am currently using their services to secure another agent.

Querytracker’s biggest advantage is its reputation. Their database consists of established literary agents who have worked with bestselling authors as well as the top publishers in the literary industry. You can readily access data about these professionals with one click and never have to worry about scams or fraud.

Their newsletter also gives authors updates about agents who have recently reopened their query boxes and resources that can help you better your query.

Found an agent you want to reach out to? You can easily check Querytracker’s success story interviews and take a look at the query letters of authors who signed a deal with your agent.

Manuscript Wishlist

Getting out of an agent’s slush pile is possibly the hardest part of querying. I know many authors who send out dozens of cold queries to agents in their genres, just to end up with a list of form rejections. The reason for this is simple— if you approach an agent as just another name on your list, they will treat you the same way.

This is why it is so important to properly customize your queries. There’s no need to sing praises about their past work and drone on about how perfect they are. The goal is to hook your agent with a compelling introduction to your manuscript and reel them in with a genuine paragraph about why they would be a good fit for you.

But how can you personalise your query letter? With Manuscript Wishlist!

Manuscript Wishlist is a website tool that helps authors target and personalize their queries. It operates as a website (manuscriptwishlist.com) and a hashtag (#MSWL). Agents use MSWL to share topics and story ideas that they would like to see in their query inbox, literary pieces they are fond of, and a brief intro of themselves. This gives authors the insight they need to effectively send out a personalised query.

Getting an agent can be made easy with Querytracker and Manuscript Wishlist.

Conclusion

I hope this list of the best websites and writing apps every author needs will help you in your writing journey. Be sure to comment your favourite writing tools to help your fellow authors prosper.

Want to learn more about me and my writing journey? Visit my social media pages under the handle @hayatheauthor where I post content about my WIP and life as a teenage author.

[siliconcat]

Hiii I love your art! What website do you use to make keychains/phone charms?

Hi! There’s 2 I use primarily, Zap creatives and Vograce.

Zap (based in England) has better value for small charms, and sometimes you can get discounts depending on what you order. Both sites do this rotation of sales every 3 days, so with the right timing, you can get things very cheap. However, Zap is not without a lot of downsides. For one, it has a charge for every additional design after 6, and you can only pick between total count quantities of 1, 25, 50, and so on. Economical shipping can take up to 12 weeks, and courier shipping is like $25. Also, (very recent problem, just happened with this batch) the colors vary after reordering even if the same artwork is used, in the right photo below, new is on the left, old on the right. The colors are very bold which I like, and discrepancies from the original artwork are normal and to be expected, but not at this scale. Very noticeable in characters with brown skin 🤨. Also I submitted a complaint ticket and didn’t hear back until a week later and after I had to bother them.

Vograce (based in China) is better for the 2.5 in, and generally has very good public communication and care for their customers. The price for the 1 in. option and 2.5 in are about the same, so it is slightly more expensive per unit (don’t be fooled by the initial ppu, there’s a ~50% discount after orders of like 25 or something I forget exactly). However, you can submit as many designs and quantities as you’d like, I usually link a google drive for them. I have noticed the dpi is not as high, however I am comparing their 2.5 to the 1 in from Zap so maybe they have that capability idk. Color wise, they recently just made a big deal about upgrading their machines and I can say they are pretty spot on. They tend to be slightly more saturated (notice Marisa’s boots and patchouli’s hair below), and a little darker (you can’t tell the difference between dark red, dark blue, and black). Shipping is also better, the middle option for shipping is much better and only extends the time by like 2 days from the rapid transit.

Vograce is the company I use for stickers as well, as their fancy glittery metallic whatever ones are the same price as the regular ones and go for about $3 for 10 stickers. Very good value, I have no idea how water resistant they are but they are coated.

I’ve been kinda mad at Zap lately especially for the Marina blunder so I’m thinking of switching to Vograce even though it’s pricier. I just need to check their printing resolution and all that.

[self-loving-vampire]

Been playing a little bit of Guild Wars 2 with the girlfriend (husband joining us shortly as well).

To no one's surprise I am playing a necromancer.

I have a few thoughts about the game but also feel like I haven't seen that much of it yet despite already being level 50. Still haven't done any dungeons or anything.

You level up truly insanely fast in this for some reason. One time I even went from level 41 to 45 all in one single XP drop and I still don't even know what I did to get that.

Some positives:

1- You don't actually have that many buttons to press. In some other MMOs like this (FFXIV being the one I played most recently) you have a whole lot of cooldowns, three-part combos, mobility skills, and just stuff you're supposed to press in a specific order in order to contribute optimally. Here it's pretty simplified to just 10 buttons, half of which come from your equipped weapons and the rest having limited predefined roles.

Consequently, the buttons you do press end up feeling a lot more substantial and distinct. There isn't really an action I have seen so far that feels like strictly filler.

2- You get to make some choices about your character's backstory and motivation during character creation, and these choices seem to come up in quests as well. This is not entirely unusual in single-player RPGs but the other MMOs I have played tend to avoid that sort of thing entirely. Another rare thing is that some of the story quests also have some branching paths.

3- I really like that it's not a subscription-based game, and even seems to have a very solid free to play version. I still think the lack of a mount during that is rather evil but still way better than subscriptions.

4- You seem to have a decent amount of options for customizing your playstyle, with multiple talent lines to pursue, different weapon types giving you very different skills rather than just having different stats, and eventually also things like specializations.

This is especially nice relative to FFXIV's complete lack of anything remotely similar, with all characters of a class always having all of the abilities for said class (as long as they did their quests). According to a friend the logic there was that people would become toxic over other players having sub-optimal builds and mandating them to use only the most effective skills, which is 100% something that happens but this is still a trade-off I don't really like.

5- I like how a few of the zones are in active war, with NPC armies invading towns and attempting to capture them while players gather together to defend them.

6- My flesh golem turns into a fucked up zombie shark when I go underwater.

The negatives:

1- The game's presentation and world so far seem pretty much just "okay" in my opinion. It's not generic (haven't even seen an elf or anything yet), but it's also not particularly inspiring to me so far. Maybe when we get to see those elder dragons things are going to pick up? Zhaitan definitely looks like an awesome villain for a game to have but simply hasn't arrived yet.

2- Similarly, a lot of the zones are large enough and include so many different sub-zones that so far they haven't quite managed to have the most coherent central identity the way zones in games like WoW or OSRS do. This isn't all that bad but still affects the way I think about them. Maybe this also gets better once I get further away from the "green hills and forests"-type starting areas (although I feel like I have seen like three or four areas with that aesthetic already).

3- The materials gathering for crafting seems to be somewhat unbalanced. You level up so fast and get sent to new zones so quickly that you soon begin stockpiling crafting materials that you don't have the skill to use because the first tier of them seems to last all the way to maybe rank 75? It's as if the game used to have a slower pace that was more in line with that but now you just zoom past the stage where you're collecting tier 1 materials before you gather enough to move up to start using tier 2 materials.

That would also explain why I haven't crafted anything worth using so far. I'm getting significantly better stuff just from questing as I level.

[msbarrows]

Had a ton of fun last night playing the newest No Man's Sky expedition, Aquarius. Decided that since it was focused on their new fishing ability and items, this was clearly an expedition the shark-headed character I'd created during the previous expedition should undertake. Since I know one of the common rewards in expeditions is generally more inventory slots, I had him grab the pretty custom solar starship he'd put together but not done anything with yet. Threw what I could at in terms in additional storage space and technology before sending him into the expedition.

It didn't take very long to get him off the starter planet and into space, and hen on to the next star system, after which summoning the anomaly was unlocked. I'd put in enough time identifying all the fauna on a couple of planets for nanites that he was able to purchase his solar starship back right away; didn't bother getting his multitool, as it was just a barely-modified-yet Atlas Staff and he could just claim that for free again at the quicksilver vendor.

Still loving things like the new space station designs, which sometimes turn out spectacularly well. Also the new world flora/fauna items from the Worlds Part I update, which I'm always delighted to see.

The fishing expedition was fairly straightforward and reasonably fun; nice simple mechanics on how it all worked. The skiff is marginally disappointing - it's a static item rather than something movable like an exocraft, but at least it gives you a way to summon a (relatively) stable surface to fish from anywhere. I say relatively because it does pitch and yaw in strong seas; it was weirdly amusing to pull back into 3rd person view and watch my character sliding around on the deck as it moved. Also, while the skiff has a reasonably generous 60 slots of cold storage for your catch during the expedition, it has a measly 10 once you're finished. And that can only be accessed from the skiff; it doesn't cross-connect to, say, your nutrient processor. Have fun inventory juggling even more for any fish-based cooking!

One of the quests during the expedition required catching fish that can only be caught during storms. Also most of the goals required being out fishing for long enough that you'd have to live through multiple storms anyway, unless you were very lucky about which cold and/or hot planets you did those particular ones on. What I hit on doing, after I'd built my quest-required underwater base, was to build a small fishing hut structure that rose up above the water (thankfully the power hotspot I'd found to build the base at was right at the foot of a seamount that rose most of the way to the surface). You can stand in the hut and be considered indoors and out of any weather by the game, yet still be able to cast your line through an open archway into the water. I eventually realized it'd work even better with a bit of an overhang above the arch, so I could move right up to it and still be considered to be under a roof. Had a lot of fun building a couple of different shelters this way, the other on a hot planet perched on the edge of a tiny island overlooking a drop off to deep water.

Will I spend much time fishing in future? Eh. It doesn't really grip me. But it's nice to have the option, and does give me one more reason to build bases in or beside water. And one more feature to make sure my water-side bases incorporate.

[oftlunarialmoon]

Luna’s TOP 10 Jewelry Making Tips + Ideas!

Ciao lovelies! As you may already be aware, one of my favorite crafts is jewelry making, and I’ve been making fun bracelets, necklaces, brooches, and other jewelry for as long as I can remember. Over the years I’ve learned a lot about the hobby, and picked up a lot of tips and ideas along the way. So for today’s post, I thought I’d share 10 of my top tips and ideas for jewelry making, along with photo examples!

Luna’s TOP 10 Jewelry Making Tips + Ideas!

Design Tips:

Tip #1: If you’re having trouble developing a design, try working from a theme.

Sometimes it’s hard to narrow down exactly what you’re envisioning as a piece of jewelry. On that note, something that helps me a lot when I’m coming up blank on a design is to pick a theme at random. Something general enough to work from, but specific enough to help narrow down my options. Example themes I’ve used in the past include: sweets, Blue (Jurassic World), Draculaura (Monster High), Clawdeen (Monster High)....etc.

Tip #2: To further simplify the design process, try choosing 2-3 colors to work with.

If you’re still stumped on your design, make it easier to choose by selecting 2-3 colors to stick to in your design. Of course, highlighting beads in white, black, or metal colors, don’t really count towards these colors unless you want them to. Example color combos I like: pastel shades of blue, pride flag color sets, color sets based on specific characters…etc.

Tip #3: Picking a pattern can help the harmony of a design.

A great way to simplify and bring a design together is to pick a pattern to work off for your colors and shaped beads. Repeated patterns work well to help a design become cohesive. I enjoy alternating colors of beads, shapes of beads, or even opaque vs transparent types. There’s a lot you can do with patterns in a design, even morse code or secret messages!

Tip #4: Symmetry does NOT guarantee a better design.

I know in daily life, we often associate symmetry with beauty or nicer works, but in jewelry and other art forms, symmetry does not mean the design will automatically be a better one. When starting out, it’s okay to feel more comfortable making symmetrical designs, but it’s also perfectly fine to branch out. You can achieve asymmetry with special beads or charms to highlight each side, or even with different words in letter beads.

Tip #5: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different techniques, materials, etc on your designs.

One of my biggest set-backs in this hobby was my issue with a perfectionist mindset, I always want each piece to turn out perfectly, and that’s not realistic, especially when trying out new techniques, designs, or materials. Accepting that some pieces may be just practice attempts is very important.

OTHER IDEAS:

Idea #1: Upcycling old items is a great way to find hardware for the hobby!

One of my favorite things to upcycle in jewelry making is old keychains! I can use them as clasps at the end of bracelets or necklaces. I can also upcycle old jewelry for parts like lobster claws, ring bases, jump rings, chains, etc.

Idea #2: Simple Brooches can be made with Thumbtacks/Pushpins!

If you also like to craft charms for brooches or pins, you can give them the backing they need with pushpins or thumbtacks hot glued to the back. For the pin backing, you can use old pin backs, or use craft foam cubes for the stoppers. I have made a few brooches in this style, including this Popsicle one shown in the example photo.

Idea #3: Custom shaped pendants can be made with pipe cleaners and beads, or other forms of wire and bead combos!

A fun touch for a custom necklace is a one of a kind pendant made from pipecleaners (or other wire) and beads for decor! I made this peace sign pendant (shown in the example) from black pipecleaners and beads in a purple theme. Pipecleaners are easier to work with than other wire, but if you have wire cutters or pliers, other wire is always an option! Even wire upcycled from old spiral notebooks, like in THIS old OFT tutorial.

Idea #4: Using a similar technique to idea 3, you can also make Rings!

Along with custom pendants, did you know you can even use the pipe cleaner and beads method to make rings? In the example photo, I used a fuzzy pipe cleaner and some cute beads. As long as you tuck in the sharp pipe cleaner edges, this idea is safe for regular wear and use. This can also be done with other wire, but honestly for comfort’s sake, I would recommend the pipe cleaners instead.

Idea #5: Don’t be afraid to scavenge for cool pendants!

If you’re more inclined to want to make very unique and one of a kind designs (like me), you’ll probably avoid buying craft store charms and pendants in favor of something less common. I have found that party favors, dollar store toys, old keychains, vintage jewelry, pop tabs, and much more, make awesome charms and pendants that are especially unique! In the example photo shown, I used a plastic party favor eyeball from Halloween and pierced it with an awl. After that, I simply had to thread the elastic cord through and then make the rest!

What do you think of my ideas + tips? Do you have any to share? Leave them in the comments below, I’d love to hear your tips for making jewelry!

Now for the absolute most important part….

STAY AWESOME!! And LOVE YOURSELF! Each of you has such a unique impact on this world, and this world needs you in it. Try to give yourself a bit of love each day the way you do for others! And stay your truest, awesomest, self!

I’ll see you in my next post, video, or whatever comes next!

[dailycharacteroption]

Experimental Weapon Prototype Mechanic (Mechanic Alternate Class Feature)

(art by Nano-Core on DeviantArt)

 And so we reach the end of the mechanic alternate class features with “experimental” in the name (though there is one other), and we end off with the sister option to armor: I present to you experimental weapons!

We’ve all wanted a cool sci-fi weapon at some point, a real big gun or laser sword or something similar, and with this option, not only do you have one, but it is uniquely your own, something you custom build to be better than any other weapon of it’s class.

Much like the armor prototype and even the experimental vehicle, this option let’s the character improve one or several different designs for advanced technological weapons. Some may have additional doodads bolted on which grant additional abilities, while others may simply allow the preexisting technology to be used in a new or novel way. There is no flat upgrade to damage though. For that you have to rebuild your experimental weapon with a newly acquired weapon as the base.

In any case, we’ll soon see exactly what these weapons and their wielders are capable of.

 Like other experimental prototypes, this weapon has so many quirks and extra bits that it’s impossible for anyone else to use. It also takes the form of an advance melee weapon, heavy weapon, or longarm, one such category the mechanic learns to use effectively.

By tuning the weapons output to the form of an enemy, adjusting one’s aim to target weak spots, or other esoteric methods, these engineers can calibrate their weapons to be effective against a single foe of their choice.

If their weapon uses battery power or ammunition, they master how to fit more inside it, cycling out old batteries, storing extra ammo in a way to offset the weight, and so on, effectively doubling their capacity.

With special armatures, stripping down unnecessary weights, and the odd anti-grav generator, these mechanics can effectively wield their weapons with one hand, no matter how big they normally are.

Where things really get interesting is when they get to add special qualities to their weapons, which can range from an easy-access magazine for faster reloading, a longer handle to let a weapon be used to block, and so on. Obviously some modifications wouldn’t make sense, so keep that in mind.

Later on, they can apply two of these modifications, which expands to include projected force integrated into the weapon. Or they can choose to replace one with an extra critical effect, which has an ample list that expands later on. Unlike other abilities that add a second critical effect, however, you get both critical effects at once, rather than picking one each time you crit with the weapon. At the zenith of their ability they can change these modifications on the fly, though they must still pick one basic one.

Speaking of on the fly changes, these mechanics also integrate four weapon fusion circuits into the weapon which can be switched between fairly quickly, letting them change their weapon further with technomagic to suit the situation.

They also integrate tech to switch between damage types, essentially transforming the weapon into a modal one, or adding a third damage type to an already modal weapon. They can even have both active at once.

The most powerful of these mechanics can improve the calibration circuits to save the data from multiple foes at once, reactively switching between settings as they swing at that foe. Of course, one must take the time to set up the targeting data one at a time, but this can make them quite effective against multiple foes at once.

This option promises not only some increased damage, but also a lot of versatility, not just due to the bonus abilities you can grant, but also in you initial weapon category choice. Perhaps you want a plasma sword with multiple blades that can block strikes, catch and disarm other weapons, and more, or maybe you want a heavy laser cannon that can unleash every element under the sun? The sheer number of options is truly staggering, so if this appeals to you, by all means give it a try!

 While many characters may name their weapons or show some level of affection towards them, to these mechanics, their weapon truly is their baby, their brainchild. Now obviously they don’t all express animistic feelings towards their weapons, it can be an interesting quirk of the character. It can also be fun to keep track of the various marks and models of weapons (or armor, or vehicle) that experimental mechanics create and tinker with.

  Since ancient times, the yithians were a mighty advanced people, capable of not just sending their minds out across time and space, but also developing advanced weapons with which to fight truly alien horrors. However, some young yithians feel that their technology has stagnated in the modern era, and seek to improve further to protect their strange people from any and all threats, even improving upon their storm coil weapons.

 Despite their clear superiority to similar weapons, the prototypes of many experimental engineers never see the light of an assembly line, being too complicated and gimmicky for the average consumer to use. However, clearly some such designs survive critique in some form or another. They say that petrol converters were one such weapon, able to convert their pyrophoric fuel into acid on the fly to burn foes in another way.

 Piboqa the entu symbiote has always been fascinated by the way living weapons form a sort of symbiosis with their wielders, particularly those with natural telepathy. As such, they have begun cultivating a neural lash, utilizing genetic modifications of their own design to try and improve upon the creature. Where exactly this leads, Piboqa has no idea, but they are eager to see it through.

[thedarklordsnicklefritz]

Okay I finally started actually playing bg3 instead of just messing around with the character creator. Here's my thoughts on the game so far until I had to stop from headache:

- The character creator is really cool, and probably revolutionary. There's like 350 skin color options. I appreciate that your gender identity is separate from the body type you choose, and that you can select any of the genital options with any of the the body types.

But I was kind of underwhelmed with the face options (although good on them for the diversity range of the face options they had) and that they were locked to the body types. And the body types basically boiled down to small feminine, small masculine, big feminine and big masculine. And the feminine bodies came with boobs, nonoptional.

I do get that there's a lot of limitations like with the facial mapping and clothes and hardware etc, the whole game file is like 10x as big as the largest game I have on the switch. So I don't think it's unreasonable that they didn't work more on that. But still. It would be nice to not have to have tiddies without also having to have ManFace™️ and more mixing and matching of features in general.

-I spent an embarrassingly long time deciding what I wanted to play. (I took a nap rather than make a choice. Twice.) Hopefully I don't regret going with the custom background instead of dark urge.

-I haven't played a lot of current video games. Or even in general. So it's a really weird mix of familiar since everything is based on 5e, but also in a very unfamiliar way.

It doesn't help that I'm using a switch controller so the buttons are labeled different

- I was so caught up in the euphoria of effectively playing d&d without having to schedule it with other people, that for a moment I forgot I had to play in the Forgotten Realms

- I'm really tired of "fantasy racism". It's not interesting or compelling. It takes a complicated and layered real world issue and boils it down to a charicature that absolves people of any self-reflection. (This isn't necessarily unique to the Forgotten Realms, but they're definitely a big contributor to the whole "Elves hate dwarves!" being so popular in the genre.)

- I'm very proud of myself for freeing shadowheart in the tutorial level. It's great having a cleric in the party. But *gestures above*

- I decided on playing a bard (that seemed like the most conducive for vampire pegging, plus I like having skills! And it seemed like for a wizard playthrough it's better to play as gale since you'd get more wizard specific content) and I'm just running around in my silly little outfit. No strength or constitution to speak of, but rolling great so far

-except when some kid pickpocketed me.

And then I tried to gently intimidate him and Wyll is like WOW are you proud of yourself for (unsuccessfully) scaring a child asshole?

I wasn't actually going to feed him to a bear! I was just messing with him and trying to rile him up a bit. I don't see you getting our stuff back!

-Wyll is very cool.

Or at the very least he's a nice break from the girls constantly fighting.

-I've only died once so far which is some kind of miracle

-But also this is like the first map and I'm already lost and I have no idea what I'm doing

-The headaches are probably going to be a recurring thing I may have to figure out some different settings or something