#and the palicoes!!! love them so much

[northssketchbook]

Kulve Taroth armor from MonHun World my beloved <3

[codaynamics]

trying to tell me the big hairy bear-dogs are more interesting than a giant fatass iguana who eats herbivores whole like

jagras is bottom of the barrel early game trash and he's still got so much MH charm to him like. i dont give a fuck about anjanath but jagras is at least out here doing neat things.

the new leviathan is cool i guess but all i can think of is fucking jyuratodus and i hate that mother fucker.

show me more monsters like whatever that railgun dragon is, at least that's got something going for it that's really weird and quirky.

its not like it'll be a bad game or anything but im mostly just disappointed that we're not getting more monsters with gumption and fun built in.

and i dont buy any 'its just early game monsters' argument bc great maccao is right there. great izuchi is right there. qurupeco is right there. i could keep going, there's so many good, charming early game monsters in MH.

i'unno. the game will still be fun, and ill probably end up enjoying it anyway, but it's still disappointing to see the direction the mainline games are going from here on out ever since world's success.

[gavalaa]

Sketches of all my redone designs for my Phantom Thieves from my AU, Icarus! Lots of info down below on the cut, so if you want to know more about the details and inspiration, feel free to keep reading!

This includes Akechi’s design for his Princely/Robin Hood attire, BEFORE his Icarus attire you might have seen from my other posts! Check out the Icarus AU tag for more info! Icarus has a main focus on Akechi and his relationship to the thieves, but the AU is actually an entire rewrite with new designs, 3rd semester and epilogue/strikers/tactica stories, hence Zenkichi and Sophia’s inclusion.

Read below for individual info:

I decided to include more motifs towards their persona’s and general vibes; and also just my own personal touches haha.

AKIRA - Not much has changed, I really like his design overall. I raised his boots to be like Arsene’s and changed his neck area.

MORGANA - I hate the OG pill shaped head, his new design is based heavily on the shape of Palico’s from Monster Hunter. Added a little more nod to Zorro/His persona motifs and also just made him cuter! Little hamburger headed cat.

RYUJI - I made him a little bulkier and gave some more weight to his outfit overall. I gave him heavier boots and a slightly buffer build to relate back more to his sporty style.

ANN - honestly was never too big on her latex outfit, I wanted to call back to a personal favorite female lead; Christine Daae, and used one of the versions of her Don Juan costume as inspiration. I remember seeing Phantom live and in many stage versions of her character, the Don Juan scene was a pure moment of female control, and she was truly working the Phantom and controlling every movement on the stage. Her presence is commanding, and I thought it was a very fitting tribute to Ann’s character as feminine strength. (I’m absolutely not referring to the movie iteration of Daae btw.)

YUSUKE - I referred to some historical art and legend of Goemon to add more elements of design to his outfit. When I color them, I want to add some really strong pops of color to his clothing to really drive the aesthetics and artistry home.

MAKOTO - Another totally redid outfit, I opted to give her a design which relates back to Popess Joan, and also Anat. I gave her a clawed hand on her right side and an uncovered hand on her left as both a nod to Anat’s hand raised in iconography of her from art history, but also to show the duality of Anat’s title as both a goddess of war, and of love. It also relates to the mythology of Joan and her nature as both a leader and a martyr. I changed her mask to a Venetian Commedia mask as well.

FUTABA - ok. I’ll be honest. I never liked her skin-tight outfit, it just doesn’t match her personality at all. Also, the high tech Egyptian feel never really sold me. I totally understand the tomb thing, but I truthfully think a dungeon/palace which was more like… tech/nerd themed would have been much more “futaba” the inspiration for this new outfit relates back to her persona, the Necromomicon, as well as her nerdy personality, and her affiliation as Alibaba (Ali Baba.) I wanted to go more lovecraftian, long sleeves and patterning designed to look more like lovecraftian tendrils, and big baggy pants and her classic shoes to match. The patterning on her undershirt will resemble a rib cage, both as a reference to her deathly “tomb” iconography, but also to Lovecraftian and Necronomicon lore. I think she matches the description of a nerdy, techie DND dungeon master more than the initial outfit, so that’s the route I took personally.

HARU - relating back to some fashions from 17th c France, where Milady’s story (the three musketeers) takes place, I kept her design relatively similar. I just gave her a little more iconography relating to the three musketeers and that general timeframe.

AKECHI - in his pre-Icarus outfit, I’ve given him a princely sort of outfit befitting of his two faced nature, and edited it to relate to Robin Hood a little more. I tried to keep it sleek and just generally very concealing and layered.

SUMIRE - i gave her some iconography relating back to one of her personas, who is an inference to Freya. I also included some more nods to classic Cinderella, with fantasy gown elements. Overall, relatively similar.

ZENKICHI - again, relatively similar, I really like his outfit. I just opened up the face some to show more personality and spiced up the outfit generally to keep it matching. honestly, les mis/Valjean was a hard one, but I also think his character could be heavily related back to Edmond Dante (Monte Cristo.) so I gave some nods to that as well.

SOPHIA - I turned her into a FINGIE!!!! I made her whole dress as a nod to her persona/to pandora’s tiles around her/the pillars. I wanted to make her small and almost unnatural since she’s an AI, and I thought having a little guy on the team would add some more variation.

[light-wolf]

So we got another Monster Hunter Wilds trailer yesterday and, contrary to what I expected, it wasn't just an extended version of last week's trailer and instead featured mostly new stuff, although I'd say it was more of a "Trailer 1, Part 2" than a proper "Trailer 2" since it still only focused on (what I assume) is the opening segment of the game.

The most notable new thing was the new Leviathan: Balahara. I'm not sure what to think of this guy, to be honest. It's just... kinda creepy. Which isn't inherently a bad thing, but Doshaguma is also an ugly bastard, and Chatacabra isn't much better. I don't dislike these designs by themselves, but I don't love any of them (yet) and as a group they don't exactly have the "vibes" that I tend to like about MH monster designs. It doesn't help that the only returning monster we've seen so far is Rathalos. The mystery thunder monster they teased seems cool but I can't really form an opinion yet. I think I just need to see one new monster that appeals more to my tastes and that will alleviate my worries about the monster design direction in this game. Thank Gog we have Seikrets though, I love their design and that gives me hope that we'll see more cool creatures.

Other than that? More vague story and "cinematic" stuff. I can't say that's what I want out of MH, but I'll reserve judgement for the time being. I just hope we can change our hunter and Palico's voices. Please, Capcom. Also please let me have a real beard, Rise's facial hair options were pathetic (the ones in World were alright but I still want more).

Beyond the trailer stuff, having crossplay is incredible news! It's what I expected based on other recent Capcom games, but it's great to finally have confirmation. I love that I'll be able to play with anyone who has the game regardless of platform. Now I'll keep hoping that we get a Switch 2 version so I don't have to buy a PS5. xD

We'll get our next trailer in August, in Gamescom, where they'll also have a playable show floor demo. I'm hyped to finally see some proper gameplay and see how the new mechanics work. Hopefully we get to see a new area too, I'm getting kinda tired of the Windward Plains after three trailers there. And of course, some cool new monsters! Our flagship monster, maybe? In any case, while I have a few concerns, I'm still really hyped for Wilds!

I might go back to Sunbreak in the meantime and resume the Anomaly grind...

[sfsolace]

Makinata Mondays: A Hakumei & Mikochi read-along

This is going to be a weekly series called Makinata Mondays, where i re-read my favorite manga: Hakumei & Mikochi! I'll try to give a brief plot summary, along with some screenshots and my thoughts on the chapter.

Chapter 1: Yesterday's crimson

Plot summary: This chapter sees Hakumei and Mikochi looking for the "Sunset Hawk"; a mythical creature that is said to grant people's wishes.

I won't tell too much of the the actual plot of this first chapter, because i think it's more satisfying to read if you go in blind. If anything in this post seems interesting to you, you should really give this manga a chance!

I love how stylized the bird is in the newspaper, reminds me of the icons from the Monster Hunter series. (On second thought, the outfits for the people in the manga also look like palico outfits)

As is the case with many serialized manga, the first few chapters still feel a bit different to the later sections, when the artstyle and characters had more time to solidify.

I really like this chapter as an introduction to the series, because it has all the features of a typical Hakumei & Mikochi adventure.

We see the contrast between the plucky Hakumei and the more quiet, reserved Mikochi. After already living together for a while at this point in the story, they know each other's habits and stregths and know how to look out for each other.

To me, the story focuses on the most important things in life: spending time with people you love, taking in the world around you and enjoying a good meal.

It never reaches Dungeon Meshi levels of cooking, but there is always these little moments of rest; when characters sit down and share a meal together.

I feel like each chapter has at least one mention of food or cooking and it places emphasis on really slowing down and enjoying eating in somebodys company, which is basically a core tenet of Dungeon Meshi.

Most people (myself included) regard Hakumei & Mikochi as an Iyashikei, or "healing manga". I watched the anime during a very troubled time in my life and feeling that sense of calm and community really helped me. Not to mention that the emphasis on actually enjoying mealtime instead of just wolfing down my food was something that i needed to learn.

Last but not least, i love these gorgeous full-page spreads. I'm always in awe when one of these comes up. The contrast and the realistic way animals and plants are rendered (compared to the "cutesy" artstyle of the rest of the manga) always takes my breath away.

See you next week for chapter 2!

Alright, thats my thoughts on this chapter! I hope you liked reading and if there is any way I can make this more entertaining to read/digestible; let me know!

Edit: In the manga there's these little addendum sections called "walking underfoot". I didn't have space to fit them in these posts, so i planned to make one big post with all of them at the end the volume. But on second thought, it would be better to post them week by week, so please look forward to those!

[kathuman]

I've been doing this on Twitter but I thought I'd add my responses here too!

Day 1: This is Katts! She's about 30 years old, uses she/her, and is currently a member of the Research Commission

Day 2: Katts primarily uses dual blades but is also proficient with a bow! She prioritizes speed over strength in hunts and finds heavy weapons cumbersome. She always prefers to capture vs kill. I almost never draw her with her weapons so this bunny pic is all I have ^^;

Day 3: Katts likes to tailor her armor to the situation as much as she can but these are two of her most common hunting sets (however she wears a full helm in the field). For casual, day to day wear she is usually found in this modified version of the leather set

Day 4: This is Archimedes, Katts' palico and long time friend! He's a silly little guy but a surprisingly good judge of character and isn't shy of showing what he thinks of people. He's become a proficient healer as Katts is a reckless hunter. He will bite you if you hurt her

Day 5: Its gotta be Paolumu! After all they're soft, pink (or purple!), and grumpy XD Katts finds them cute and funny!

Day 6: Katts is very enthusiastic about botony! She love plants and flowers and keeps notebooks of the research she does in her free time. She's also interested in teas and likes to make her own blends (though this is slightly limited now that she lives in Seliana)

Day 7: Katts mom passed when she was young and she is estranged from her dad. She was raised by her grandmother, who trained her to be a hunter, though she passed when Katts was in her early 20s. She had few friends growing up and later made only a few acquaintance in the guild. It's not all bad news though! Since joining the commission she's made a few close friends, notably Alexst and the FTL, as well as the handlers and Tracker, etc. She's also developed a sort of father/daughter relationship with the Admiral who was slightly acquainted with her grandmother

Day 8: Katts generally prefers to hunt with just Archimedes but she often finds herself out with Alexst too! Honestly she IS willing to hunt with others some of the time if asked but won't initiate it herself

Day 9: Katts has difficulty parsing/accepting her feelings and an incredulity streak about love a mile long. She tends to push back when it feels like she's getting closer with these two out of fear and nerves. I ignore that and draw her smooching both her boys though :)

I enjoy the dynamic she has between both. The FTL is a more steadfast, reliable man and she really needs stability. The two of them often butt heads because she's reckless and overworks but that also helps her reign in those tendencies.

Alexst is unfailingly sweet and just totally candid about his feelings which let's face it she needs a lot. He's ridiculous and dumb which keeps her from staying in her own head too much, after all you have to keep an eye on him so he doesn't try and adopt a jaggris again

All three of them balance each other in fun ways I think! But, again, any sort of relationship would take a while to build so things are friendship only with a smattering of awkwardness for ages ^^;

That's what I'm up to now, I'll keep adding more as I go!

[aeoneris]

Setsuna's 30-Day Hunter OC Meme!

Glad to see people enjoying the meme I made, and I just finished mine up yesterday (30 days really goes by quick!). I decided to document my thread on Twitter here.

Presenting, Setsuna!

Day 1: Introduction

This is Setsuna Yukino. Age 25~30+, Nonbinary (They/She), Human. Born and raised in Kamura Village.

-

Day 2: Weapons

Setsuna specializes mostly in Insect Glaives and uses the Fox Halberd. On rare occasions though, they'll use the Mail Soulpiercer bow made from slaying Magnamalo.

-

Day 3: Armor

Setsuna's main armor set for hunting. There's a bit of the influence of the Wyverian twins, and even Master Utsushi- the fox mask is a gift from him, and Setsu habitually wears it on many hunts.

This is what Setsu normally wears on off-days. Or if it isn't this yukata, then a baggy jinbei/common workclothes similar to what the other villagers wear.

While there's the main outfit, there were 3 different sets worn throughout the Risebreak story.

-

Day 4: Buddies

Setsuna's buddies are Fuu the Shikigami Palamute and Kogitsune, the... nine-tailed fox who acts like a Palico for some reason?

Fuu was passed down to Setsuna when they were a child. In fact, he is older than his owner! He's a familiar face in the village, and everyone knows who this magnificent beast belongs to. A fiercely loyal guy.

Kogitsune's been acting as Setsuna's support ever since they saved him from a rogue pitfall trap years ago. He's their housekeeper, but occasionally helps with hunts. Setsuna decided not to question his existence, or why he acts like a Felyne. What matters is that he's a friend.

-

Day 5: Monsters

Setsuna is best associated with Mizutsune, being fox-like and lithe in battle. (But, if you asked, they actually enjoy hunting Rakna-Kadaki the most. Probably because it's like a big bug... And Setsu loves bugs.)

-

Day 6: Hobbies

Setsuna's favorite hobby is raising kinsects in their spare time. They've been doing this for many years, since childhood. They also love exploring and finding where rare endemic lifeforms live.

As for side jobs, Setsu often helps other villagers with tasks like physical labor. If they never became a hunter, they'd basically be living day in and out like this. Lowkey would be a workaholic, but they do take breaks often. (This art is a younger version of Setsu.)

-

Day 7: Family

Setsuna considers most of Kamura family, and they regard her the same. The Wyverian Twins are like Setsu's older sisters, and Yomogi, Iori, and Komitsu little siblings. Setsu also has a mother and father who are traveling merchants that sell Kamura's wares.

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Day 8: Comrades

Setsuna has a small network of friends she likes to hunt with most, but doesn't mind helping strangers if they'll have her. She especially enjoys hunting with a certain instructor. When it comes to gathering requests though, Setsu prefers to be alone.

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Day 9: Bond

Kamura prides itself on the fact that their greatest hunter and the village instructor are locally known as a legendary power couple. You might catch them running across the rooftops on the way to their next mission. Setsuna and Utsushi are professionals, but rest assured... They are very much in love. Painfully so. There is not a bond that is stronger than the one between master-and-disciple-turned-lovers.

Here's a link to the first fanfic I wrote about Setsuna and Utsushi, if you're interested in their story. The thread also has the rest of my fanfics about them, in order.

-

Day 10: Food

Setsuna tries to have a balanced diet, and will eat almost anything they're offered. Lately, they've grown a sweet tooth because of Yomogi and Komitsu. However, if you asked, sashimi is their "favorite" food because it's the only thing they know how to prepare.

To be clear, Setsuna... cannot cook. Not even if their life depended on it. But they're oblivious to the fact. Everyone goes out of their way to stop them from trying to cook. The instructor is even stumped on how to teach Setsu...

-

Day 11: Inventory

Setsuna likes to travel light and only brings what's needed for every mission and hunt, like a few potions and rations. They're pretty handy at finding materials to make useful things on the spot when it gets tough.

-

Day 12: Symbolism

Setsuna is often represented by "the snow of winter melting to give way to spring", a chrysalis, or a snow-faced fox.

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Day 13: Music

Here is Setsuna's playlist, all songs that remind me of them or their relationship with Utsushi.

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Day 14: Habits

Setsuna tends to look a certain way when they're pensive or lost in thought. It's something like concern or even at times a "resting bitch face", and makes them intimidating to people who don't know about it. Also has a habit of being sleepy after eating.

-

Day 15: Half-way Free Space!

Setsu is a surprisingly good singer, but the quickest way to make them stop is to point it out... So if you'd like to keep hearing it, don't say anything at all and just enjoy it.

-

Day 16: Motives

Setsuna never actually wanted to be a hunter while growing up. They were content with being an everyman of the village and living day to day with no real aspirations. But around the age of 19, they were stirred to act...

After witnessing the aftermath of a monster attack that took away a friend's life. Wanting to know how to protect others, Setsuna finally reached out to the only person they knew that could help...

Utsushi knew of their potential for a while, but only took them up as a disciple when they were ready and serious about being a hunter. Setsuna studied under him for about 5-6+ years before the start of Rise.

Here's a link to "Cocoon", a fanfic about Setsuna's backstory, if you're interested in the details.

-

Day 17: Temperament

Setsuna was used to being ostracized at a young age, and though it doesn't really happen anymore, they got used to it and don't really care about what people think about them. So if anyone had an issue with them, they would just calmly assess the situation.

They'd rather avoid confrontation as much as they can. But that being said, if someone really came at them... Well, there always comes a point where Setsu gives off a weirdly intimidating aura, so sooner or later, someone will back down.

-

Day 18: Happiness

Seeing a smile on a client's face after a job well done, watching their kinsects grow up well, spending time with the instructor... These things make Setsuna happy. The fact that tomorrow could bring these things makes life worth living.

... Also, on rare occasions, a really good smoke.

-

Day 19: Aversion

Setsuna doesn't feel comfortable with people who are too abrasive, who look down on others, or aren't very humble. And of all the things they really hate, it's the idea of not being able to fulfill a promise.

-

Day 20: Trauma

When Setsuna was a child, their grandfather left on a journey and never returned. The void that he left behind slowly changed them into a person who couldn't take risks and had no aim in life. At least, for a time...

Things are much different now. Eventually, Setsuna learned to embrace life's whats and ifs by their own hands. Their body is covered with scars from their time as a hunter, but they learned to accept every single one as proof of surviving risks taken.

-

Day 21: Fear

I mentioned that Setsuna hates "the idea of not being able to fulfill a promise." But actually, that hate is an irrational fear. They can't handle the possibility of leaving behind unfinished business.

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Day 22: Spirituality

Setsuna seems lax, but there is something fervent about the way they deeply respect the balance of nature and their part in the cycle of mortality that surrounds hunting. They always offer a tiny prayer of thanks for the life that they take.

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Day 23: First Impressions

When people first meet Setsuna, they tend to get bewitched and intimidated by her presence. Is she royalty or something? There's just something about her. But as soon as she opens her mouth, people are taken aback by how oddly friendly she is. It often leads to awkward first conversations, where even Setsuna is confused about what's going on. As people get to spend more time with her, they'll find that she's just an offbeat, but benevolent fellow. It's strange that this is the type of person who became Kamura's savior, and there would probably be conflicting tales about the Fierce Flame if it weren't for Master Utsushi regaling everyone in fine detail about her efforts.

-

Day 24: Facade

Setsuna is genuinely an open and amiable person, but when it comes to certain situations... Well, Setsu can try to hide their feelings, but it's noticable when something is bothering them. There are certain complicated emotions that Setsu has trouble conveying in a straight-forward manner. Not because they want to hide them, but because they physically/mentally have trouble with it. Only their closest friends and partner know to give them time and space to speak.

I think it's also worth bringing back the "degrees of feeling jealousy" meme that was going around in certain fan circles. Setsuna is really funny when trying to keep a straight face.

-

Day 25: Change

I mentioned it before on Day 16, but Setsuna originally didn't want to be a hunter. At that time, they were a lot more lonesome and estranged, yet paradoxically having a doormat habit of doing things for others just to feel important.

Nowadays, Setsu is much more vibrant and friendly, with every action full of intent. Even if they are still a bit odd in some ways, they're someone you can rely on and trust.

Appearance-wise, Setsu used to have short hair around the time they first started training under Utsushi.

-

Day 26: Criticism

Those old habits of being a doormat die hard, and Setsuna does have issues with taking on a little too much at once. While they do follow through with everything, due to that fear of ever leaving anything unfinished or not fulfilling a promise...

They can really have a habit of draining themselves after everything's over. They are working on taking things one step at a time, and sharing any burdens with others they trust.

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Day 27: Atmosphere

Setsuna knows the Shrine Ruins like the back of their hands, since they've been exploring it since they were younger. But after being deployed to Elgado, they've really come to be fond of the Jungle area. They do well with any kind of weather, but they love the gentle sun after a light rain. Or even a sun-rain, itself.

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Day 28: Rest

Setsuna seems to have the ability to be awake at any time they're needed. They usually wake up at sunrise, but they also enjoy staying up under moonlight and sleeping in when they're free to do so. They also tend to take quick naps usually after a meal.

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Day 29: Dreams

Setsuna hopes they'll always be able to help others through the art of the hunt, even if it means traveling the world. But if it comes to that, they hope they'll always be able to come home to Kamura, and be by Utsushi's side. It's more a promise, than a dream.

Well... There's a chance that Utsushi will make sure he's always by Setsuna's side, whether they like it or not, so the dream of helping others can happen without any worry. For better or worse.

-

Day 30: Ending Free Space!

Setsuna's favorite kinsect is a Pseudocath named Hasu. Thank you for reading about my hunter, and sharing the 30-Day meme!

[elendsessor]

words cannot describe how much i adore worldborne’s tail rider system

i already love the idea of having what would normally only be enemies suddenly partner with you in every media ever (ik chacha and kayamba are technically the first but they’re pretty much the replacement for palicoes (and felynes are mostly neutral to begin with so)) but small monsters being confirmed to have a language of their own and the way you have to work for your palico to learn to communicate with them??? some paper mario shit pretty much?????? and having them fight on your side???? AND YOUR PALICO CAN RIDE AROUND ON THEM DURING COMBAT??????

but best of all is getting the tail raider signal in iceborne because it turns a great mechanic into an avengers assemble moment but with little guys :)

[stormee-jiiva]

The Flame of Peace

Can you tell what happened today lmao, I also ate my fingernails so now I can't type properly and I write on impulse on the tumblr app so rip there's probably so many mistakes lol I'm onto Sunbreak soon hopefully :>

@auraee I summon thee fellow hunter B) come get some food

Edit: AAAAHHH I FORGOT TAGS 😭

Monster Hunter AU!

Hunter!Kyōjurō Rengoku x Hunter!MC

Warnings: not at all proofread

Kyōjurō paced amongst the people of Kamura, His older styled Rathalos armour glittering with every distant flash of lightning. You'd been gone for hours, 2 hours, 34 minutes and 29 seconds. 30, 31, 32, 34-

"They'll be okay lad." Elder Fugen spoke, breaking Kyōjurō's counting streak. He moved his gaze from the stone tiles at his feet to the towering elder at his side, eyes shimmering with emotions. Worry, Love, Fear, all swimming amongst glistening hues of red and gold. Elder Fugen smiled a reassuring smile before Kyōjurō resumed his pacing.

The source of The Rampage had been found. Two Elder Dragons now identified as 'Wind Serpent Ibushi' and 'Thunder Serpent Narwa'. The two had somehow been able to resonate with the resident twins Hinoa and Minoto, they'd been the cause of countless years of pain and destruction for Kamura amongst other nearby regions... and now, the guild was sending you to deal with what was left of them after the previous encounters.

Kyōjurō started to pace slightly faster, brows pinching just those few millimeters further with each passing minute. Kamura was relying on a single person with their palico and palamute at their side to defeat two gods. And yet somehow this wasn't an uncommon occurrence. Few could forget the tales of hunters across both The Old World and The New taking on legendary beasts with only their palico at their side. Of course that knowledge did nothing to quell Kyōjurō's worry. Not many tales tell of the multitude of hunters that fell before they could reach such a level. You'd achieved so much already, Kyōjurō could only pray that this wouldn't be your final battle.

Senjurō watched his brother wear his boots into the stone, at this rate scorch marks would start to embed themselves into the rock below his feet. Instead of watching his dear brother wear his armour down with worry alone, Senjurō decided to turn his attention to the great red bridge that stood before Kamura's gates. At least the skies were clear now, that was surely a good sign. Although Senjurō had to admit he too was becoming concerned, it had been close to 3 hours now, if not longer.

It seemed however his fears would not last, as he saw you appear before him on the bridge, your stride full of both pride and fatigue. "Brother!" Senjurō called out to notify his brother but Kyōjurō had already stopped in his tracks upon seeing you cross the bridge, your loyal hunting buddies at your sides. His eyes almost couldn't believe what they were seeing, you were here, you had returned to him alive and well. Kyōjurō clumsily ran towards you if only to feel you in his arms again, to be sure that you were really here.

You giggled as Kyōjurō's arms wrapped around your form and spun you around. "Hehe well hello to you too My Flame." You'd quietly said to him as you embraced your fellow hunter. The Rampage was over for good, Kamura has been freed of calamity and your flaming lover was in your arms again.

Now that certainly calls for a feast.

[luvsavos]

Oh damn…yeah on the “Aiden has killed a guy” thing we definitely disagree 😅 I gotta say, the concept of turning INTO an Elder Dragon is seriously something else…and it’s so neat that you also LOTG…I was like “hey how come at the end Aiden’s a solemn and then you see him at the beginning of World and he’s like “heyyyyy”. And she’s like “probably trying to be cool”. Still love how he sees you sitting alone and is like “absolutely not :)” ah, hold on, lemme continue this in another ask 😅

worry not this is absolutely wonderful i love talking in depth/length about characters like this<3

honestly my main backing for saying he's had to kill someone is two things: a) i like to make my faves suffer and having to kill another person would weigh VERY heavily on aiden, b) guild knights already do that as is, so while it's definitely FAR more likely that aiden was tasked with Just going around to help protect people, it Is a possibility and i use that to my advantage to make him suffer<3 i'd say he's fine but [gently pats the top of his head] this bad boy can fit so much repressed trauma in it LMAO

aiden was, i believe, the second instance of someone getting poofed into an elder dragon by vodrem; everyone else was just normal monsters (shang was an anjanath, and ended up keeping the alt form because he looked like the anja that raised him, the admiral was a tigrex, the huntsman was an acidic glavenus, the tracker was an odogaron, the seeker was the other elder dragon, an eo garudia; i don't THINK there were others but this was over a year ago and my memory is fuzzy</3 achilles also ended up getting poofed into an elder dragon at some point after the guild arc part 2, a xeno and then safi'jiiva, after aiden got spooked back into the fatalis form and let him drain some of his energy to speed up the molting process. he also ended up keeping the safi form, albeit by choice, so now he's just kinda this fucked up Black Dragon Lite™️ safi with primarily black colouration and dark red mottling and purple energy, i actually have a drawing i did of it somewhere as a ref for my friend, he is Very Pretty😌) i chose fatalis primarily because of how heavily i associate aiden with fatty (thanks iceborne) but also since i thought itd be interesting to explore a kind and outgoing and bubbly character like him grappling with the innate violence and rage of a fatalis... yet again making him suffer LMAO. to give him credit, he's done a good job at it, mostly because he typically just ends up being an oversized skittish cat who refuses to actually use any of the fatalis capabilities (save for flying, which he does admittedly enjoy). pancaketalis<3 i'll draw him fatalis'ed eventually, once i figure out how to texture the burn scars since they wouldn't be all that visible bc of the black scales

i definitely see aiden as the kind of person who doesn't, like, really Want to Let others see any solemness or whatnot from him most of the time; he's energetic, excitable, social and outgoing, and wants to maintain that---he doesn't want people to worry over him, i think. after all, he's usually the one that's trying to cheer everyone else up and support them, which may sort of be a way to try to deal with his own issues, in a way? me too buddy me too

i also adore how he's introduced in world, i think it's part of what got me to like him so much tbh. him immediately gravitating towards the one person sitting alone that didn't appear to have anyone else but their palico around with them, because everyone should feel included and welcomed, and while everyone else is already eating and talking away the player character is just sorta There, so of course, he strikes up a conversation, because that's what he does<3 nobody gets left out or left behind

(sidenote: i love that the fatalis pre-cutscene mirrors the intro cutscene. chefs fucking kiss im so normal about that)

[inkedmyths]

NO MONHUN NEWS ALAS I AM WASTING AWAY Sunbreak's final update isn't even a week old Ink shut up

Well, in any case, I've started my new file for the upcoming comic. I'll be making and posting refs of Sae and their Palico and Palamute at some point in the next day (not rn I have to go to work in an hour)

Took so many screenshots during the intro. So many. Too many, really. I need to write down the relevant info in a document and decide what's actually useful for the intro comic.

Thoughts so far, upon my brief beginning of replaying

Ended up choosing a Healer Palico. My main file I had a Fighter, then picked up a secondary Healer. This playthrough I'd like to keep the Palamute, so main healer it is

The Hunter seems to be having a forshadowing nightmare about the incoming rampage at the beginning, so hey! Basis for them having something Weird going on

GOD SO MANY TUTORIALS. SO MANY. GO AWAY SCREEN POP UPS

Absolutely no lead into "Oh No Rampage" fwjshssg yeah. Just right off the bat This Is The Issue

Surprisingly a lot of character in the NPC's that's easy to overlook. Hence my million billion screenshots

I fucking. Forgot Utsushi refers to Wirebugs as "bodacious bugs" at some point. Your Honor I love him so much

As expected I suck ass at longsword right now. It's not too difficult inherently? But it feels SO wrong to use. I'll figure it out though

Something very weird about not immediately changing weapons upon being handed the long sword

I'm not doing any training lmao. Learn on the job! If I die, I die

[threefandomsinatrenchcoat]

I love the cooking palicos so much. Soup cat. Oven cat. Now this poor little baby. I just love them. So much. I'm crying.

[light-wolf]

Now that I've had some time to process yesterday's trailer and all the new info, let's talk about Monster Hunter Wilds!

Ok, so right from the start the game seems much more "cinematic" than usual. I was actually surprised to see them spotlight the story/cutscenes/characters so soon since they usually wait until later trailers for that. We might get a bigger focus on the story this time. The tone seemed a bit too... serious? dramatic? I don't know, it felt a bit off for MH, but it's still far too early to jump to conclusions. To be fair, the trailer debuted in a PlayStation event so maybe they wanted to cater to that audience. I'm sure there will be plenty of the campy humor we're used to, so I'm not concerned.

What I'm not so sure about is our hunter and Palico talking. Sure, our hunter had (optional) voice lines in Rise, but they were limited to gameplay. Having the hunter actually engage in conversation with other characters worries me a little, because I've always felt that MH is one of those games where the player character works best as a blank state. Even some of Rise's voice lines felt wrong to me because they implied a certain personality for my hunter, one that wasn't necessarily the one I imagined. The other reason I'm concerned about this, is that it will very likely further reduce the amount of voice options for both hunters and Palicoes (if we even get options at all) and that makes me sad (I'm not a huge fan of the voices from the trailer), but I'll reserve judgement until we have more details. It's up to Capcom to prove me wrong.

About the other characters, I know Gemma is getting lots of attention (understandably), but I just want to say that I love Alma's design, she's so pretty! Also having MH4 characters (possibly?) returning is great. Cool stuff all around!

I'm very curious about the supposed seamless integration of story and gameplay. Breaking the traditional hub>quest>hub loop that we've always had makes me nervous, but it could be interesting. I wonder what it means for multiplayer, though. How will it even work? The way World implemented it was very criticized, so I hope Capcom has a better solution now.

The dynamic climate/seasons/whatever looks very cool, and I love the amount of small monsters and how they all interact. Large monster herds are also interesting, but I need to see how that works in actual gameplay.

Speaking of large monsters, I don't really have much to say about the two they showed. Probably early game monsters, so not the most interesting (and not the most memorable designs ever either), but they're not bad. Doshaguma has a very fucked up skrunkly face but it's growing on me. Chatacabra looks pretty fun and is my favorite of the two so far. Always cool to see more Amphibians.

We finally have a name for the raptor mount! Seikret! I LOVE these guys and I hope we're able to customize them. They seem like a natural evolution of the Palamutes (RIP) and I love them so much and I need to pet them and cherish them forever. Also them letting us bring two weapons to a hunt has interesting implications, but I need to know how it works exactly before getting hyped.

Other gameplay thoughts: I kinda hated the slinger in World so I groaned when I saw it was back, but we'll see how it works this time. Not sure what to think about Focus Mode and the wounding system, I really need to see actual gameplay before judging. Honestly I feel that way about almost everything, it's all too unclear still.

Overall, the trailer left me with a lot of questions, but I'm still incredibly hyped! Luckily we know we'll get more info during Summer Games Fest next week (including a new monster!), so it'll be a short wait this time!

The biggest question (for me) remains if this thing will be on the Switch 2, which would be the ideal scenario for me. Please Capcom I'm begging you. If that's not the case, I'll probably get a PS5 (there are a few other games I wouldn't mind having access to). I'll have to get a new console either way, but I have some money saved just for that.

That's it for now! Looking forward to next week!

[sonorous-eisfyl]

Frosting never really got a palico companion, so he's mostly grown up hunting alone or with another hunter. He definitely would've loved to have one but probably never got one since he already struggles a bit in the self care end even as he grew older (the housekeepers he appreciates a lot, since they make it so he has a few things less when it came to living. he also just really likes to pet the felynes)

Arguably it'd help him with everything, and probably wouldn't mind, but he never really gets around to it. Maybe by Wilds he does? but otherwise his only other companion beside his kinsects (and wirebugs) is a Palamute during Risebreak to help alleviate strain for long distance. Granted he doesn't actively hunt as much, but he still gets out there

He also doesn't own a cohoots- he likes them a lot though. Big sucker for the multiple cohoots that Lawrie owns and Will pet them

[oldsyphiliticseadog]

I really hated Monster Hunter Rise initially because it was so much easier than MH3U and MH4U, but now I'm very grateful that it's easier because I can actually play it. It's not quite the same experience, but it still lets me do what I love: learn the dance of combat so I can murder really awesome creatures.

Rest below cut because pretty sure only one of y'all actually cares about MH.

The biggest changes are in how informative the map is, how many monsters are present at once, and how few items need to be kept track of. When I do G-rank hunts in MH3U, my inventory is meticulously organized and nearly full right out the gate. Potions, materials to fuse into potions, hot/cold drinks, energy drinks, paint balls, flash/sonic bombs, traps, tranqs, combo books, dung bombs, demon/armor potions, attack up claw, full restores. Everything is placed in the same spot each time, organized so I can quickly reach exactly what I need in an instant.

With Rise, I don't need to do that. Paint balls and hot/cold drinks don't even exist. Some of the other stuff probably also doesn't. There's so much less to juggle. They introduce new items collected from the map, but I don't know what they are and am not compelled to learn. Only new thing I'm taking with me is the damn palico and palamute. Tried leaving them behind, but if it's possible, I couldn't figure out how to do it. I've never used them before. MH3U doesn't introduce companions from the beginning and by the time they showed up, I was already accustomed to hunting solo. At that point, they were nothing but a nuisance.

They are useful though at distracting the monster to give me time to heal and whatnot, and they also do damage and support. If I get well enough to play 3U again, I'm gonna level up the shakalakas and maximize their support skills. I think I need them to finally beat Dire Miralis. All my previous attempts I couldn't deal enough damage before the time ran out.

Other big new thing is wyvern riding. I don't like it. 3U is my favorite by virtue of being my first and having the most hours, but it doesn't have the mechanic of jumping on monsters that 4U introduces. Yeeting myself onto monsters is much more fun than 3U's underwater combat. Wyvern riding sucks in comparison to 4U's (and MHG, iirc) mounting. Especially when I keep missing the opening to ride them because I have to sheathe first.

[flygonscales]

I’ve made myself sad by thinking about Pokémon Mystery Dungeon but also game conservation in general. As I said in my last post, my second hand 3ds broke. To be honest I’m not to broken up about that. It’s a decade old piece of tech. What I am broken up about are the games that are now inaccessible in their original format. I can’t play Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate anymore. I feel so lucky that GU is on the switch for old world goodness but, like, I can’t walk around the everwood. Or listen to the different guild hall tracks. Or climb up Heaven’s Mount. My ace Palico is gone. And I can’t even restart again.

Similarly, I’ve lost my Pokémon mystery dungeon explorers of Darkness save. My partner Gara the torchic. I don’t think I realised how much that game meant until now that it’s gone. Or Grovyle? Or Marill and Azurill? Even Bidoof. I know the story was leading to a dramatic separation, I’ve listened to ‘Don’t Ever Forget’ many times. But not like this? I wasn’t done. And like before, I can’t even start it again without buying another 3DS destined to fail.

It feels so bad that these games are being lost due to only being on the 3DS. What makes it sting more is that GU got on the Switch and not 4U as well (I’m no game developer but porting a fourth gen monster hunter from 3DS to Switch can’t be that difficult, seeing as they did GU), and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon could be ported too. I even have online already. I’d pay more for online if it meant Pmd explorers. I’ve looked into playing other older games on the switch, it seems to have a good e-shop for those sorts of titles - resident evil 1 remake, devil may cry, rune factory 4 special. The framework is there. But for each game ported up to better, newer hardware, there’s many that aren’t.

If I can go back into the PS2 library for games that I’ve played on our one (that was also a wedding present for my parents, they’re cool like that) I would like to mention SSX Tricky. I’m not usually a sports game or dance music fan but I absolutely love Tricky. It’s easy to get the controls, hard to master, that commentator is great, great characters, the tracks are so fun and all very different and it has such cool crazy energy. This game deserves to be preserved! But it’ll be gone soon, locked onto old discs for broken consoles.

This also feeds into my feelings towards Silent Hill. Never played any of the games, listened to the SH2 soundtrack and watched enough video essays on the topic to obsess over the games though. If Konami can put the Metal Gear Solid games on switch, they can do Silent Hill. I don’t want a high fidelity remake, I want to play the original, not only because i find the lower quality graphics scarier in a ‘mind filling in the blanks, nothing is scarier’ kind of way. And I don’t have £60 for an old game on an obsolete console.

I just get such strong feelings of sadness and anger when these amazing games, not even obscure games, are stuck on old hardware. And for most of them, I don’t even want a remake. I want to come home and see all my friends and listen to the music in these virtual places! Please, I want ports of these games so I can play them with as close an experience to the original!

(I realise piracy exists and yes that is a valid method and games can be preserved that way too. While not all bad, I place a bit of value on playing the game the way it was intended on the console. I’ve played quite a few gen 3 Pokémon ROMs. They were how I got started with mainline Pokémon. I’m never going to forget the first time I played emerald. But I never got the music working. And I played using WASD keys. And the screen was a lot bigger than a Gameboy. And then I got a DS and played Pokémon sun, and everything really clicked. Games are at their best on the hardware they’re designed for, but some or most of that can be captured by porting them up. eg. MHGU. I’d much rather show my support for these ported or remade games that may not exist otherwise by buying a new port than pirate them.)