#and I'm pretty sure that this artist is going to see the backlash they received because they're getting beat up in the comments

[rainbow-burst]

... Okay

[baskeigh-ball]

Ignoring the fact that ibis had the ai paint feature a couple years before this whole ai fiasco, after seeing your post, I decided to try it out to see if it really held up. I already knew what you said made no sense, as even stuff like ai painting requires heavy human input that isn't just someone typing a prompt in a thing and looking through thousands of images and somehow still calling it 'art'. Really, it's just some weird advanced bucket.

The ibis ai paint... really sucks. I'm pretty sure it hasn't even been touched since it was added. No matter what I did, I got random colours and whatever colours I had put there looked like it were from a filter, not to mention how my lineart bled everywhere like it was blurred out.

Ibis isn't problematic for adding that feature as not only was it added ages ago, but it was also just a gimmick only added because a few more popular paid programs added them, like Clip Studio Paint. I highly doubt even the company took it seriously considering how poorly built it is. This is actually the one time I'm glad some feature in an app sucks so much.

Another reason why ibis isn't problematic by the mere feature alone is that, when you look at the artists making content during the time of that update, it was received with humour. It was something fun to try, but ultimately dismissed for actual artwork, as nobody would use it to fully paint their works. Nowadays we see something slapped with the words 'ai' and think that it's instantly bad due to the latest issues with it and big corperations/ certain production companies but it isn't. It's just a lot of people abusing what was previously some fun gimmick, which it can still be, and for certain apps, still is. Nobody throws pitchforks at character ai, after all.

You can tell just by the size of this that I'm procrastinating on something. Ima go and let this rot away in your askbox now lol

You really thought this would fade away in my ask box, mwahahaha /j

I wanna start off by saying thank you for holding me accountable, I will admit that I got buzzworded pretty hard in this situation lmao

This information came as a surprise to me-- I was seeing posts pop up within the past week complaining about the ai feature on ibis, so I assumed it was recent. As it turns out, after reading your ask, I discovered that I got a few wires crossed! Because yes, the auto paint feature I referred to in my post has been around for years now, and was never taken seriously anyways

So that was my bad (and yea ur right it's completely unusable, lmao)

But as it turns out, the feature that people have been complaining about DID come out recently. It was called the AI Example feature, I think the idea was that you make a simple drawing and the AI adds 99% of the detail and color, which I've seen a bunch of other programs do.

...and then it was immediately removed due to some pretty major backlash, which, duh

^ This is the only evidence I can find of the 11.2.0 update that included the AI feature on the actual site; their update history stops at 11.1.0. But there's also the news page about the removal of the update, so it's not like they're trying to pretend it never happened.

So tl;dr, I jumped on the hate train a little too quickly and never did enough research to figure out what the actual update was, and that it's been removed by now anyway (which I couldn't have known until today, ofc, but i did kinda post that thing about ibis today so it's still a pretty major oopsie)

I think I can say with confidence now that I agree, ibis paint isn't problematic to use-- they made a mistake with this update, but they actually listened to their users and removed it LITERALLY the next day. So, thanks for letting me know! I'll also edit my last post to prevent any misinformation, just in case people make the same mistake I did :]

[fereldanwench]

i'm still holding off final judgement until the gameplay today, but seeing some stills on twitter kind of helped me solidify what i found so off-putting about the style in the companion trailer

although before i post those, a few counter arguments because i'm already tired of ppl bashing the ppl who aren't vibing with it, and my head is clear enough to put these thoughts down:

"cinematic trailers rarely look like the actual game" - true to a point. however: 1) typically cinematic trailers strive to look like a higher definition version of the game, which seems to be the opposite here. in the case of DAO and DA2, i would say the cinematic trailers actually strived for more realism, not stylization, as that was the trend at the time. 2) this is a cinematic trailer, but it is also done in the game engine so it's not unreasonable to assume that the end product is gonna look somewhat similar 3) this was supposed to be their best foot forward so suddenly going "don't worry, it's gonna look better in-game" is just a bad marketing move. it's not on the audience to give this company the benefit of the doubt (particularly in light of all the shit that has gone down there in the past decade)

"not everything has to be super realistic!" - agreed! not liking elements of this particular style doesn't mean i'm opposed to stylization in DA at all. i think DA2 is much more stylized than DAO, and not only does it look nicer, it looks more distinctly dragon age. DAO visually is also very generic, especially for its time. i still love the almost painterly look of DA2, even all these years later

and i think DAI has issues with the character models, especially the uncanny valley disconnect between the really stiff animations and realistic faces (having played it within the past year, they've aged pretty roughly), but in terms of environment and armor and whatnot, it did build off the style presented in DA2 in a way that effectively modernized it for that era. it did go for a more realistic look, but it was cohesive and still distinctly dragon age

"people reacted like this to DA2 and DAI's trailers too" - no, they did not, lmao. DA2's trailers were the reverse--they looked more realistic than the actual game. now there was some backlash against the stylistic choice in the actual game. i remember david gaider talking about it in a panel at dragon con in 2012--apparently ppl were upset that the companions looked like they were made with cosplayers in mind, which i thought was an interesting criticism. but no, the trailers did not get this sort of response.

and DAI's trailers used a lot of in-game footage, and the cinematic ones were both pretty accurate to the game and well-received by the audience. DAI's marketing was also absolutely bonkers and nonstop for like 9 months before the game was released, which in hindsight i think was way too much, but in terms of visuals, we knew exactly what we were getting.

"you guys just think anything with a style to it looks like fortnite" - lmao, okay, yeah, describing it as fornite is probably unfair and inaccurate, but i know for me, i kind of use it as a shorthand to reflect my general dissatisfaction with the way so many 3D styles (in both games and movies) just have this bland, cartoonish look to them. the pixar-ification of everything. i just don't like it.

and the logo with the bright purple and overly smooth text doesn't really help here either. i think a less saturated and darker purple paired with a grungier font would also help in making this feel like less like fornite season 3458345: dragon age avengers.

plus it was originally gonna be a live service game and i think that it still has some of that dna artistically

SO ANYWAY

these stills, which i think are also in-game engine but im not entirely sure if they're from cinematics, gameplay, or just renders but they seem to be in-line with the trailer:

and seeing emmrich and to a lesser extent neve in these pics solidified why the stylization didn't work for me on a visual level (never mind it being paired with the light-hearted planning-for-a-silly-little-heist vibes)

so when i first saw the trailer, and i saw varric, i was like "nice"

he looked like a higher definition, older version of a DA2/DAI hybrid of his model. he looked really good. i thought harding looked good, too. it did take me a minute to realize who she was, but it really wouldn't be a DA trailer if we weren't left wondering who tf a returning character was lmao (remember the confusion over alistair's appearance in one of the DAI trailers? this is actually tradition now)

but as the trailer goes on, the style doesn't even stay consistent--it just gets progressively more cartoonish right up to emmrich, which is the exact moment that made me go WHAT

he looks like a cartoon character. the hard lines in his face, the stiffness of his hair, his overall proportions--he looks like he should be a villain in a pixar movie. like i'm digging his overall vibe and as a concept of a character design, i love it. but this execution of it next to fellow old wrinkled man varric looks so off

and then we go right into davrin who is beautifully rendered and designed--he doesn't look out of place next to varric or harding

some characters have the soft, wispy hair while others have hair that looks like a hard shell with lines carve into it. some characters have finely detailed wrinkles while others have thick, cartoonish ones. some characters have realistic proportions while others have more exaggerated features.

stylization is only effective when it's purposeful and consistent, and from what i've seen so far, it's not. it's all over the place.

so there's my thesis about why i dont like the art direction in the trailer lmao

and like i've been saying since it dropped, i am reserving full judgment for the gameplay reveal, but based on the other stuff bioware has teased, i'm not expecting this aspect to change too much. i've seen other ppl who were on the fan council thing say the tone in the game is more in-line with the tone in the other games, so maybe that'll help smooth out this disconnect

[daturanerium]

What happened with tpp? I've tried looking it up but I'm still a bit confused.

yeah sure no problem! thanks for asking, i'll try to explain it the best i can :)

on september 14, penumbra announced their new official artist on twitter.

unfortunately, their new artist has a history of posting racist and transmisogynistic artwork in the penumbra fan community. [edit additon: this post does a really fantastic job of breaking down exactly why. i'd suggest taking a look at it!]

when the artist was called out for not addressing their past artwork controversies, they refused to take accountability and instead said that they "like to draw goofy stuff as a fan".

fans showed their disappointment for the hiring and asked penumbra to reconsider, or at least address, their choice.

as soon as the controversy got popular, the artist released a statement on twitter apologizing. (however, i am noting here that from what i can tell the offensive art is still posted--they have not removed it, nor have they added any sort of disclaimer on their original post. take that as you will.)

meanwhile, harley takagi kaner, one of penumbra's creators who is a POC and transmasculine, posted a twitter thread about "morally superior" "bullies" and not letting people grow from their mistakes. [PERSONAL OPINION DISCLAIMER: i get the point they were trying to make, but i feel it is not applicable to this situation because the person in question did not immediately take accountability for their actions and thus did not show any evidence of "change" until their controversy went public and they started receiving serious backlash. also, calling fans asking for an address on racism "bullies" is NOT a good look in any capacity. end personal opinion disclaimer. ]

harley has since deleted only the first tweet of their thread, seemingly sticking to the rest of it despite the fans begging them to reconsider and listen.

as of right now (september 18, four days after the announcement), penumbra officially has not released any sort of statement or apology. harley's most recent tweet is the last tweet in their controversial thread.

this entire situation has alienated tons of fans who were online to witness it or that have heard about it through the grapevine (including myself). many popular tiktok cosplay accounts in the tpp fandom have announced that they will no longer be creating tpp content. fans on twitter and tumblr are leaving without plans to return. (i've heard rumor that tpp has lost over two hundred dollars in patreon money, but i haven't seen an official source for that so take it with a huge grain of salt). fans are just as upset (if not more) about harley's "bullies" response as they are about the hiring. penumbra's lack of response is deafening--we don't know what it means, but at this point it's been four days. many former fans are assuming that they are lying low and waiting for this to blow over (i sure hope not, but clearly they have disappointed me before). we'll wait to see what happens, but in the meantime, i'm not planning on listening to the first episode of season four when it airs and neither are a lot of people.

hopefully this makes sense! i'm going to post it in the tag because i know a lot of people who aren't on twitter are unaware and/or confused. if you or anyone else has questions feel free to reply or shoot me an ask. <3

[EDIT: changed my description of harley. i genuinely had no idea they are a poc—i’m not super involved in the fan spaces outside of listening to the show, so my knowledge of the writers is pretty limited. i didn’t even know harely had come out until last week. thank u for correcting me in tags!]

[arabian-batboy]

did u see that the arab writer who’s gonna write the talia story mentioned smthn about like. jayt*m on twitter and now everyone’s collectively shaming her or smthn idk i think i’m going to go insane. cause on one hand it’s weird and i get where ppl r comin from but on the other, shes not writing either of these characters and i’m pretty sure she’s the first arab woman to write talia, an arab woman who is often depicted in a racist manner.

Yeah, I definitely had a Tyra Banks "we were all rooting for you!" moment when I found out.

I'm quit disappointed on her, however I don't think it should take away from our happiness that an Arab woman is going to write Talia for the first time ever and hopefully help with undoing all the racist treatment she suffered from since that's a completely separated thing, but at the same time I don't want her (or any other writer that thinks like her) near any of the Batkids.

With that being said, I'm really shocked about the amount of people who are jumping her (I already had 7 asks this morning calling her names/cursing at her), considering that before all of this she was relatively unknown? Yet so many popular accounts on both Tumblr and Twitter are going on this witch-hunt against her when they all have said nothing about other DC artists/writers who also ship Batcest and have done more work at DC than her (from the top of my head, there's the popular Marcus To who also publicly ship Timj*y, yet everyone was sharing and fawning over his Batfamily art from Urban Legends just last week)

Just to clarify, I'm not defending her at all, her shipping them is still nasty and I hope that she will realize why that is through the criticism she's currently receiving, but at the same time I'm not here for selective shaming and I definitely don't want her upcoming comic that will hopefully do a mistreated Arab character justice to flop when other DC's creators (who either also ship Batcest or do other offensive things) don't get half of this backlash.

[irinasaki]

Firsts | Ushijima W.

A/N: Hey, how are you guys? I hope you are doing well. Now, indulge in Ushijima! Reblogs are appreciated. If I missed any tags, don't hesitate to tell me.

"Are you sure you're okay being seen with me? I know I've asked this for like the nth time today but I'm not-I'm not anyone special, you know?" And he doesn't. He knows that you don't do anything special; you're not a model, not someone world-renowned for something you're really good at (even though you should, in his opinion), not anyone worth remembered by millions.

But you're you and to Ushijima, you're pretty special already, "Yes, it's fine. I love you. Why would I act as if I'm not in a relationship in front of the camera and the fans?"

Even if you have been listening to his words, those three words always get to you. It wasn't like your boyfriend of five years doesn't say it often because he does, it was more like you can't get used to him being blunt. And if things between you two go south then, his bluntness would be the worst thing he has ever possessed.

"Don't just say it so freely, Waka. I might think that you wouldn't let me go anytime soon." You chuckled, brushing away his words, too scared to get used to something so temporary.

You wish it wasn't though. You had met the opposite hitter during the 2021 Olympics when you were asked to assist Coach Hibarida with the team and after a few late-night talks about the sport and whatnot, the rest was history. To say that you weren't in love with the man was a lie because you were. But seeing the very few times that you've spent with each other, you weren't too sure if he feels the same amount of love that you do.

And it just added to the fact that your relationship was kept away as a secret to everyone. You didn't want to have him be a part of the backlash you might end up receiving and so this was the solution you came up with. He was fine with it, of course up until last week when he had helped you through your fear by going public.

"Why? I'm only saying it because that is what I feel. Why should I not say it when it's true?" He says, hand gripping onto yours to make sure that as he tells you this, you feel it as well, "I won't hide you away if you're trying to protect my reputation because I know you, (y/n). Also, you have every right to think that way when I am dating you with the intent to marry you."

In a matter of seconds, you're a blushing mess. How could he say that when there's a press conference just beyond the door you're a few meters away from? How is it that he can make you feel overwhelmed with love with just a few words?

"Don't say something you can't easily take back."

"But I won't? Either way, in just a few minutes, they'll know who my heart belongs to and if they have anything bad to say about it then, I don't want to hear it," Ushijima began to rub circles with his thumb around your hand, his free one digging through his pockets, "Rather, I'd like to hear what you have to say. I did just tell you that I have the intent to marry you and I am a man of my word."

"Waka, stop it! You're making me cry and I don't want the people in there to see your girlfriend with smudged make-up, that'd be embarrassing!" You lightly hit him on the shoulder, trying so desperately to stop the tears from falling, "And I especially don't want to mess up the look those make-up artists did on me."

"You'll look amazing regardless. And this has been going on in my head. So please listen before you say anything," You nodded, hiding away your face with both of your hands, "First of all, show me that pretty face. See? Beautiful as the day I met you."

"Wakatoshi! You'll be the death of me. We've got to face the media in about two minutes and you're killing me with your words!"

"Please don't. I still want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"I wasn't even being literal!"

"What I'd like to say is that I'm happy that I met you and that I got to be your firsts for everything. And if you had never accepted then I would have only known volleyball and not love. You are a gift that I'd like to and will protect until the end," Ushijima opened the small royal blue box, and there it was. A round-cut diamond engagement ring with smaller stones glued to the sides. It was beautiful and you didn't trust your voice so, you stayed silent. You didn't want to ruin anything, "Will you marry me so that we could continue sharing the rest of our firsts?"

"Yes! A million times yes. Why would I ever deny you of this when I want you just as much!" You threw yourself at him, with Ushijima catching you in a tight hug, "But you gotta do it right, Waka! I can't tell our friends or our kids that you proposed to me in a hallway!"

"Our kids... That sounds nice. Of course, you only deserve the best, love." The two of you then part, his hand slipping the ring on your finger as the other wiped away the stray tears.

• • •

The press conference started a few moments after you have calmed down. They had asked a lot of questions regarding his career and his current statistics, which were all relatively easy to answer but when it came to his relationship status, you squeezed his hand from under the table. He squeezed as equally tight to remind you that he would be there with you.

"So everyone's curious, who's the lucky person that's got the Ushijima Wakatoshi walking inside a high-class jewelry store?" The reporter asked, "Does this mean that you're in a relationship, Ushijima-san?"

"Yes," It was a short answer that got everyone bustling for more information, "I was there to buy a ring so, of course. I am in a relationship and I am happy."

"(l/n)-san, we could tell that you were crying earlier. Were you as equally happy for Ushijima-san that it brought you to tears?" Another asked

"Ah, well..."

"She is. After all, we are engaged," You then hesitantly showed the ring, nervous to everyone's reactions, "I had asked for her hand a few minutes ago, just outside this room. But I will properly propose, maybe in a more private and personal setting. And if there are any negative comments about her then, I will not hear them. We have been together for five years and am in love with her."

"Waka, you're making me cry again!" At this everyone laughed and afterward, proceeded to give the both of you their best wishes.

"Ushijima-san, Ushijima-san! Any plans if ever you're going to retire?" There's a pause in the air and as you were about to tell the journalist that he'll only face it once he gets there, the olive-haired man beside you spoke.

"If I ever retire..." He then faces you, as if you had asked the question yourself, a rare smile on his face, the same smile he shows whenever you're too occupied to notice, "I'll be full-time yours."

"Roses are red, violets are blue. I am in love with you and I don't know what to do. So, hold me tight and don't let go."