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fuckyeahgoodomens · 1 year ago

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Good Omens graphic novel update: April 2024

Admin & updates

PledgeManager

Earlier this month, we launched the PledgeManager, where shipping is being facilitated. If you missed it, you can read the initial announcement here. We have been adapting the FAQ page to add further recurring asks, so please do visit there if you have a particular query as a starting point. You can view this here. We are working through all queries received - some are taking a bit longer than others, as they need to be raised with PledgeManager, or others involved, so we appreciate your patience in these instances where we are yet to get back. The most common question, which we include here, is the sock sizes:

If you need to change your size, you have the ability to self-unlock your order and make any adjustments you need to. For socks that are part of a tier, there is a button to unlock and modify on the bottom of your receipt where you can alter your choice. If they were an add on, PledgeManager recommends that you remove the item from your cart and add it again with the correct size selected and complete their order to finalize the change.

Shipping

We are also aware of queries arising about the shipping rates themselves. While we have been open from the start of the project that shipping will be charged at a later date, we understand that the resultant cost has come as a surprise to some and that some prices are higher than expected. We want to be transparent on this: we have been working with our fulfillment partners on confirming product weights and the rates for shipping globally during the months since the project’s completion. The cost of doing this ethically - ensuring that everyone involved in the process from creators to those packing boxes is paid fairly, as well as ensuring the packaging is robust at this scale - is substantial.

We’ve done our best to minimise extra costs around shipping, while also not cutting any corners – we want your pledge rewards to reach you safe and sound. We have also subsidised costs across a number of territories, but costs for shipping to many locations remain high. The final thing we’ve done is lock in shipping costs now, a year out from fulfillment. We expect third party shipping costs to increase over the coming year, following the upwards trends across the board so far, but we will continue to absorb any subsequent rises.

We want to assure backers that the shipping does not include a profit margin for us, and every charge to our backers is something we’ve tried to minimise.

We absolutely understand that this is disappointing to many, and we endeavour to keep making the surrounding campaign the best it can be.

The timeline

The PledgeManager will run across 2024, and close at some point ahead of publication date (Spring 2025). When that date has been decided, we will give everyone as much notice as possible.

FAQ

As above, here is the centralised FAQ page. This will be updated over the coming year.

Cameos

Prior updates had noted the deadline for this has passed, however given the new publication date of the graphic novel, this has been extended slightly for God Tier and Archangel Tier backers. Please check your messages and emails if you backed either of these tiers and have not submitted your likeness.

Merch and more

Things are ramping up at Good Omens HQ, first of all with this delivery of one or two mugs at the warehouse:

We’ve also got David Aja’s print featuring Aziraphale, Crowley and Dog, in their glorious orangey hues which will appear in Serpent Tier+:

The trading cards are at the testing stage for game mechanics, while some of the early design prototypes are in for artist variants and we really can’t wait to start sharing these with you when they’re a bit further down the road. Almost there.

For those ready to capture your inner Pratchett and Gaiman on the page (Demon+), we have your notebooks:

More from Colleen…

We’ve continued to see gorgeous artwork arrive from Colleen and here’s one that slipped into our inbox this week:

And we thought we’d sign off this month with a glimpse at our favourite antiquarian bookshop:

#good omens #graphic novel #good omens graphic novel #wahoo!

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viradahlen · 3 months ago

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Some scattered thoughts about Wesker's character and STARS

Your worst sin is that you've destroyed and betrayed yourself for nothing" - Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Wesker grew up in an environment controlled by Umbrella. I like to think of it as an institute or orphanage. He must have felt lonely. He must have been alone.

This fact is not trivial because loneliness is thematic and yet ambivalent when it comes to Wesker's character. His relationship with other people and humanity as a whole is complex but fundamental to understanding his motivations. We know for a fact that he is not averse to being alone and even enjoys solitary walks through the Arklay forest. He also talks a lot to himself. But is his relation to aloneness one-dimensional?

He was human (and in some ways, he still is even after his death and rebirth). As a consequence, alterity interplay necessarily shaped his identity, even if he himself went so far as to cast away his humanity, deemed a weakness. This credo does not pertain only to Wesker. Alex Wesker, Dr. Marcus, Spencer, William Birkin, Sergei Vladimir... Umbrella's executives and higher-ups regard humanity as a dead end to be overcome with the help of science.

But unlike them, Wesker managed a small family team for almost 3 years. And unlike them, even after his rebirth, Wesker never really works alone.

I like to imagine how much inner conflict and cognitive dissonance the STARS era must have triggered. Can you really select people that you find highly capable, train with them, earn their respect and trust, and not care at all ?

Is it truly possible that he was but a cold monster, conditioned by Umbrella to destroy the world and embody the future of humanity ? An efficient tool that was taught how to identify valuable people and exploit their abilities ? Is Wesker just repeating with others what Spencer did with him ?

It’s an interpretation of the character. I find it too plain for my tastes. Wesker is a man of contradictions. He values freedom, is brilliant, and yet he is never able to think outside Umbrella's conceptual box. He values efficiency and yet seems unable to get rid of Chris and Jill. He obviously craves control and seems wary and distrustful, which is probably a result of Umbrella's smothering grasp on him since childhood, and yet he trusts Ada, Krauser, Excella and other people to carry out his plans, increasing the risk of betrayal. Wesker is multifaceted, and so is his relationship with humanity.

Wesker's education is undoubtedly orchestrated by Umbrella/Spencer. Conceived and planned by Lord Spencer and his colleague Dr Wesker, Albert’s education was designed to make him an active defender of utilitarian philosophy, though devoid of its moral aspect.

I believe the STARS, its inability to let go of the past, particularly Chris, reveals a failure in Spencer's plan.

Even if "little piggies" sounds provocative and unflattering, and even if he evokes "a family reunion" in an ironic way, there is still something along the lines of possessiveness that manifests itself here. When it comes to Chris, Wesker is the most ambivalent, helping him during the events of RE1, lamenting that he "cannot understand" his vision in RE5 and expressing his pride at every encounter.

The point is that Wesker almost never made a choice that wasn't designed or foreseen by Umbrella in his life. Even his suicide and following rebirth, a last-minute plan that was his way out of Umbrella (he symbolically steps on his glasses branded "property of Umbrella"), was overseen by Spencer. But he did choose the STARS members himself with no criteria forced upon him.

When he was given full latitude to build up a team from scratch, he selected talented people, sure, who displayed for most of them an unconventional profile and/or a sense of honor and justice. Chris was kicked out of the USAF, Jill's father is a notorious thief (and herself is suspiciously good at picking locks), Kenneth is a chemist, Richard Aiken lost his sister and wanted to protect others, Rebecca is caring and brilliant,... etc. Wesker's targeted people who were courageous, empathetic, and strong-willed. And yet, at this point, he didn't know what Umbrella's planned to do with them. He chose them freely, with no hidden motive at this point, without Umbrella interfering.

He willingly chose to surround himself with people who absolutely did not share his beliefs. He did NOT choose meek and/or plain people. He COULD have found competent AND cynical, less idealistic, less intelligent, policemen. People whose job was really just a job. But he chose them, introducing a risk factor as he was actually reporting to Umbrella. He chose people who follow their own moral compass, though they are less likely to be manipulated, are more difficult to lie to, and would rather not compromise. People with a sense of justice are often fierce and eager to defend their beliefs even though it's not in their best interest. They could have put Wesker in a delicate position, and, as a matter of fact, Chris, Forest, and Joseph were hated by Brian Irons.

So, why did he do that ?

If you listen attentively to Wesker's soliloquy in RE5, while he tries to pursue Chris as a clumsy octopus-like monster, I believe it makes sense if you consider he sees himself as a Messiah and a Creator.

Wesker states that he hates humanity. But before his experience with STARS, humanity was actually comprising his colleagues within Umbrella. He doesn't know the world even though his denial and inflated ego and probably his own suffering help him believe that he does. Umbrella taught him that people are worth less than nothing. (Though ironically, Umbrella's executives and accomplices, such as Brian Irons, probably reinforced Wesker's belief that humans were to be punished and corrected).

And so, when he loses his mind, he does not ramble, like a classic comic book villain, that humans are stupid or a lost cause. No. He laments that he sees "war and pestilence" wherever he goes. It is very telling : He desperately craves peace and he only sees the world as Umbrella taught him. And it's horrifying. He relishes on being a Creator, a Demiurge. A GOOD one. He wants to punish humanity AND start anew. That's precisely what Uroboros, a never-ending circle of life and destruction, encompasses.

Wesker doesn't only want humanity to face its long overdue punishment ("this winnowing"). He wants humanity to do better, to be closer to perfection, even though his method is totally irrational (as you could argue that he was the one bringing up War and Pestilence at its climax in their universe...).

He hasn't killed Chris, nor Jill, AND he EVEN confesses that he should have killed him YEARS ago. But why does he want his former pointman to understand ? Why is he OBSESSED about Chris "not understanding", if he isn't supposed to survive ?

I think that in Wesker's twisted mind, Chris represents what humanity should be at its best. Wesker fawned over his Tyrant because it was his creation. A new human, created by him, the first step to his new world. But Tyrant is soulless. Chris, Jill, and every member of STARS he chose, trained, and teamed up with, embodied values that he regards as worthy, honorable but not fitted for this corrupted world (according to him). If he calls out Chris on his self-righteousness, it's because Chris does good deeds in an evil world, which Wesker deems worthless because that's inefficient (utilitarian thinking). A drop in the ocean that changes nothing. However, the members of STARS (a name that evokes hope) had a soul. They were drops in the ocean. And they were his.

There is something so enticingly complex about a character who implicitely confesses that the world would be a better place if people were all as good and pure as the STARS members were, while he brutally killed them all in a way that reminds me of the sacrifice of lambs on behalf of a God that is supposed to be fair and good.

He is Frankenstein's beast and a coward and a man that preferred to be cruel (with the intent to be a Savior) than weak (and admitting he was only a pawn in Umbrella's grand scheme of things).

And so, he suffers from chronic backstabber disorder and delusions of grandeur. He believes that he had to escape humanity to punish them and save them, that he had the courage to do what is necessary for the greater good when he is, deep down, just a man. A man who is very angry, very hateful, a coward who walked a path of loneliness because it was much easier than to face the truth : The world can only be painted in shaded of gray and certainly not in black and white. But that would mean throwing away the great destiny that Umbrella designed for him (for Spencer actually, but he realized that at 50 yo...). That would mean that he is just a man, wronged, "manufactured", manipulated and slowly turning into a BOW. Their BOW.

Wesker, who blamed "loathsome humans" for turning the world into a cesspool, was actually one of these humans he so despises, partly because he never really abandoned Umbrella's mindset ("you're just another one of Umbrella's leftover" ie : a thing that belongs to them and doesn't think for himself which is TRUE).

And paradoxically, ironically, he betrayed and murdered in cold blood people that would have helped him make the world a better place.

#albert wesker #chris redfield #chrisker #“sure i am not human anymore but”#my feels #your honor I can be his lawyer but i wil plead fully guilty #would he hate me if he ended up in jail because i am a terrible lawyer

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judasrpc · 2 years ago

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THE MAJOR ARCANA

a collection of character development questions based on the arcana and their themes !! this is part of a collection of tarot-themed asks. if multi, please specify which muse(s) the question is directed toward !!

[THE FOOL] - Do they weight their options when making a decision, or do they impulsively make a choice?

[THE MAGICIAN] - Are they resourceful? What skills do they possess that help them navigate the world around them?

[THE HIGH PRIESTESS] - Do they meditate? Would they be considered "in tune" with themselves, or do they struggle with personal growth?

[THE EMPRESS] - Do they participate in or have a self-care ritual? If so, what does their routine look like?

[THE EMPEROR] - Is your muse a leader? If so, what kind of leader are they? Do they take a hands-off approach, or do they micromanage?

[THE HIEROPHANT] - What are important traditions to them, if any? Do they stay true to these traditions, or do they adapt them to fit their current situation?

[THE LOVERS] - What do they consider to be the "perfect partner", be it romantic, platonic, alterous, etc.? Is there someone like that in their life?

[THE CHARIOT] - Are they confident? If so, what makes them the most confident in themselves/their abilities?

[STRENGTH] - What are they determined to accomplish the most?

[THE HERMIT] - What does their inner voice sound like? Is it self-reflecting and introspective, or domineering and judgmental?

[WHEEL OF FORTUNE] - Do they believe in destiny/fate? If so, what do they believe their "purpose" is in this life?

[JUSTICE] - Are they a mediator, or do they prefer to step away from potential conflict?

[THE HANGED MAN] - Would they sacrifice themselves, literally or metaphorically, for those close to them? If so, what kind(s) of sacrifice would they make?

[DEATH] - What is their view on the cycle of life? Do they believe in reincarnation?

[TEMPERANCE] - Are they a patient person, or do they tend to act on impulse?

[THE DEVIL] - Which of the capital vices is your muse tempted by? (Pride, Greed, Wrath, Envy, Lust, Gluttony, Sloth)

[THE TOWER] - Are they a destructive individual (be it literally or metaphorically)? If so, how?

[THE STAR] - What is their health like? Do they consider themselves healthy, or do they feel like they could make improvements to better their health?

[THE MOON] - If they had to choose one trait to describe themselves, what would it be? Is it a genuine answer, or the illusion/persona they put on for others?

[THE SUN] - What makes them feel good? This can be happy, energized, revitalized, etc. It's all about good vibes, so what gives them to your muse?

[JUDGMENT] - What was an epiphany/awakening they recently had? Did they realize something that they've been naive to? Did they discover something about themselves? What happened?

[THE WORLD] - How would they define a utopia? What would it consist of, and do they see it as something achievable?

#rp memes #rp prompts #rp meme #roleplay prompts #ask box meme #askbox meme #inbox meme #character help #character development #rpc #rph #judasrpc

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kittenintheden · 7 months ago

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*dumps her random characterization and voice notes into your lap* here hope this helps

- Astarion speaks a little bit like a man removed from time and a little bit like an Upper City patriar, but not excessively so and not as a rule. Posh and embellished, but not completely avoidant of slang or casual swearing. Like a person who was once in a certain position in life, was ripped from it, and then spent a very long time in survival mode among people of lesser station/education. His mouth is often ahead of his brain. Many of his pricklier interactions are a direct result of trauma response. He longs to be in control, of his circumstances and of himself. His terms of endearment make subtle shifts from insincere and condescending to genuine and affectionate. When he feels threatened, he becomes distant and detached. He's funny, in both an awkward unintentional way and a very intentional witty way. He walks a razor's edge between a person who relies on his charms and an animal in a cage.

- Wyll is a deeply idealistic noble raised on tales of good knights and mighty heroes. His father was a soldier first, a noble second, and instilled in him a rigid moral code and high expectations for leadership. Those teachings led him to make a life-altering choice at seventeen years old that he was resoundly punished for due to manipulation and misunderstanding. Instead of becoming embittered, he cemented his dedication to his ideals and holds on to a sense of failure. He's eloquent and learned, with an abiding sense of chivalry and propriety. He's young, but not completely naive -- he has a firm personal code, but it's not immutable. Much of his conversation comes from stories he's heard or read that resonated with him. He is charismatic, friendly, and wants to believe in goodness. He's not above a cringe-worthy pun that he likely picked up from being around common folk.

- Lae'zel thinks non-githyanki beneath her, at least at first. Common is her second language and one she doesn't hold a lot of respect for -- she uses it to communicate and that's it. Her words are economic and blunt, but have a rich current of culture underneath. She is a soldier, but she is learned in the lore and ways of her people, and very proud of it. She does not deal in metaphor or hedging her opinions. She trusts her leadership and her queen implicitly. Her word is the truth (to her).

- Shadowheart is deeply mistrustful of people outside her cloister/belief system, which comes off as distance or aloofness. Her specific memories have been altered or removed, but all her core experiences and dedication remain. She's been raised in an environment that is very cult-like and spreads the idea that anyone unlike them is probably an enemy. Nothing is more important than proving herself to her parent-figure. Even so, she wants to connect. She wants to trust. Her communication is guarded and emotionally detached, until it isn't.

- Gale is extremely intelligent, but he's been removed from interacting with everyday people for a long time. His terminology tends to default to his book learning, which can come off as superiority. He has Gifted Kid Syndrome -- literally Chosen for his ability and knowledge, and experiencing a deep sense of, "Who am I if I'm not Chosen? What is my greater calling now?" He's used to his voice mattering, his expertise respected, but also internalized a sense of guilt and shame. He can err toward arrogance, but it comes from a place of wanting to make things better.

- Karlach was an Outer City street kid with what sounded like a reasonably happy home life and she ended up in the employ of a charming young entrepreneur who she completely trusted as hired muscle. That man betrayed her in an incredibly horrific way that she didn't see coming -- not because she's a fool, but because she wants to love people and he tricked her into loving him. She's spent a decade terribly lonely and literally untouchable by anyone but fire-immune fiends. She's cheery and optimistic, but it's largely a front to hide her hurt and sadness. Being a fighter is who she is, not only what she was forced to do. She believes her value is in her physical strength because she has no formal education or skills (she thinks). Her speech is casual, full of slang, blunt, crass, almost childlike (but she is NOT a child -- important distinction). There's a darkness in her she doesn't want to face, so she hides behind humor and affection. Still, when she loves, it is completely in earnest.

#bg3 meta #the tadfools #astarion #wyll ravengard #lae'zel #shadowheart #gale of waterdeep #karlach #writing advice #bg3 #kitten writes #kitten rambles

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felassan · 11 months ago

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Dragon Age: The Veilguard - known Character Creation info Part 1

[LINK TO PART 2]

This post is just a dump collection of info and snippets that came out about CC (& some related topics). if you've been following the news or reading posts here, it's not new info or anything, I just put it together in one place here for convenience. ( ˶´ ᵕ `˶ )

if you notice anything missing, pls lmk. there's a bit of repetition of info in places as prev posts on the topic overlapped.

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CC is vast [source] and immensely detailed [source]

We will enter CC straight after Varric’s opening narration [source]

You are given 5 categories to work your way through in CC: Lineage, Appearance, Class, Faction, Playstyle. Each of these has a range of subcategories within them. There are 8 subcategories within the “head” subcategory" in “Appearance” alone [source]

Lineage dictates things like race (i.e. human, elf, dwarf, qunari) and backstory [source]

Backstories include things like factions. Factions offer 3 distinct buffs each [source]

There are dozens and dozens of hairstyles [source]

There are separate options for binary and non-binary pronouns and gender [source]

“BioWare’s work behind the scenes, meanwhile, goes as deep as not only skin tones but skin undertones, melanin levels, and the way skin reacts differently to light” [source]

CC has a range of lighting options within it so that you can check how the character looks in them [source]

There are a range of full-body customization options such as a triangular slider between body types and individual settings down to everything from shoulder width to glute volume [source]. There are “all the sliders [we] could possibly want”. The body morpher option allows us to choose different body sizes [source]

All body options are non-gendered [source]

They/them pronouns are an option [source]

Rook can be played as non-binary [source]

Individual strands of hair were rendered separately and react remarkably to in-game physics [source]

Special, focused attention was paid to ensuring that hairstyles “come across as well-representative, that everyone can see hairstyles that feel authentic to them, even the way they render” [source]

The game uses strand hair technology borrowed in part from the EA Sports games. The hair is “fully-controlled by physics,” so it “looks even better in motion than it does here in a standstill” [source]

The ability to import our choices from previous games is fully integrated into CC. This will take the form of tarot cards - “you can go into your past adventures” and this mechanic tells you what the context was and what decision you want to make [source]

In CC we will also be able to customize/remake our Inquisitor [source]

A core tenet of the game is “be who you want to be” [source]

There are presets for all 4 of the game’s races (human, elf, dwarf, qunari), in case detailed CCs overwhelm you [source]

It is the best CC BioWare has ever made in a game [source]

The faction we choose will determine who we as protagonist Rook were before they were recruited to put a stop to Solas [source]

Certain conversation options are only available to Rooks of certain factions. For example, Grey Wardens get conversation options that are focused on the Blight, as they know more about it from other people. It also impacts how people talk to Rook (reactivity from characters and then faction reactivity from plots relating to that faction) [source]

Faction choice affects a lot of things [source]

There aren’t unique missions (I think this means like the playable Origins in DA:O), but faction choice does set the course for Rook for the rest of the game [source]

“body customization and morphing. From more muscular characters, to curvier builds, and just about any shape you want to give your character, there are all sorts of toggles to adjust so you can give them any figure you want”. “There’s even features that let you choose proportions, so you can alter their height, give them wider shoulders, and much more” [source]

There are makeup options [source]

There are tattoo options [source]

The hair uses a “Strand system” to “make them behave and move in a believable way for the different races” [source].

There are 4 voices to choose from for Rook: two feminine and tow masculine (one American, one British for each) [source]

In CC, 'Lineage’ is the game’s parlance for race i.e. human, elf, dwarf, qunari [source]

We can pick Rook’s name, but the dialogue calls them 'Rook’ [source]

In CC we can “make a few key decisions that will impact how The Veilguard begins” [source]

“I really do think its our most feature-ful character creator ever.” [source]

All armor and clothing options will scale and mesh to any body type [source]

The character creator has lots of sliders for body parts and overall shape, none of which are tied to the voice or pronouns (she/her, he/him, or they/them) that you choose [source]

“Epler took special care to show off the extensive curly and textured hair options in the game, including several versions of braids and locs, noting that increasing these options in particular was very important to the team” [source]

You can change your character’s physical appearance at any time during the game, but not their class or backstory [source]

“Each individual class has some variability, too; even the mage class has some up-close-and-personal attacks, since a mage player character could still conceivably have an assassin backstory and would therefore need to have some attacks to accommodate that sort of career path” [source]

“ "We’ve spent a lot of time thinking about skin tone,” Corinne said. The character we made, a Black elf, seemed to glow in the bluish light of a nighttime scene, and under bright sunlight, I could see the richness of his color. Corinne: "We want to make sure that skin tone is reflected authentically” “ [source]

” “We have dozens and dozens of hair types,” she said. “And they’re fully affected by physics.” The quality and variety of choices I saw delighted me. The rows of bouncy, luxurious-looking hair of all curl types and textures (and yes, the annoyingly ubiquitous “Killmonger cut” was among the options, what can you do?) brought the biggest smile to my face in the hour I spent with Busche and The Veilguard.“ [source]

BioWare confirmed that even if you make your Rook a short king, the team has done work to ensure animations fit any character build [source]

“Dragon Age’s character creator has seen a massive glow-up” [source]. “The volume of choices you get here are frankly insane. As Epler noted, “you could spend forever here,” and he’s not kidding.” [source] The art and graphics teams spent a lot of time trying to make hair look amazing [source: the Discord]

In CC we can customise our “bulge size” [source]

Some more detail on the new lighting options to see how Rook looks like in CC when you make them: you can view them in “blazing forest sunshine versus the glare of an underground temple” [source]

“newly mobile, extra-hairy hair” [source]

Faction choice has statistical boons. For example, Shadow Dragon Rook deals extra damage to Venatori blood cultists [source]

Faction choice basically determines why Rook has been called to help in the fight against Solas [source]

All pre-determined character models in CC can be adjusted [source]

You can make a really tall dwarf if you want [source]

“Setting your previous world state is fully integrated into the character creator for Veilguard” [source: the Discord]

Inquisitor appearance will be re-created, there is no way to carry their appearance from DA:I into the game [source: the Discord]

Classes for Rook are not restricted in the sense that you can play any almost class, lineage and faction combination that you want. For example, a mage Rook can be a Crow [source: the Discord] (Fel note: it sounded like Rook cannot be a magic-wielding dwarf, even though the exception of Harding now exists) (Fel note: there is a mage Crow in one of the books)

“The diverse body and gender options make it an industry leader by a signifcant margin” [source]

“BioWare was keen to highlight the hair strand technology that looked very similar to that seen in FIFA and EA FC, also made under EA’s roof” [source]

“Fine tuning sliders that allowed for microscopic adjustments of nose angles, it was clear that a lot of options exist to get the smallest possible body parts exactly right” [source]

“There’s no specific genital customisation to be oversold as CDPR did but, much like Saints Row, there is an option for bulge customisation” [source]

Pronoun choice, gender identity, body type, and voice choice are 4 separate options, not tied together [source]

Height is customised on a slider [source]

Size is customized on a triangle like in Saints Row: the 'points’ are fat, slim and muscular [source]

The different lighting options are 4 different settings: clean, bright, dim, sunset [source]

In CC you can also try out what Rook looks like in their starting rags, in typical mid-game armor, and some level 50 gear (class appropriate for each one) [source]

There’s a way for you to modify your character’s look once the game has started if you want to make some tweaks [source: the official Discord]

You can be any class and choose any backstory/faction, any race, any gender [source]

The opening cinematic Varric narrates at the start of the game plays before CC. “Following character creation, Varric’s narration continues, revealing that he’s put together a group to stop Solas, having recruited our character and a handful of others so far.” [source]

Faction choice affects in-game moments between other factions and locations, as well as characters [source]

Re: using body sliders in CC - “It looked incredibly easy to maneuver around and create a body that is either close to that player’s real personage or their ideal fantasy self” [source]

“Our presenter said that each specialization was pretty much as deep as a job” [source]

“Many fans were subject to the horror of DA Inquition’s special green light, so BioWare made it where players could shuffle through a handful of backgrounds to see how their character looks in different lights. Body sliders for fully customizable bodies, other appearance changes like tattoos, and everything fans would expect from a modern Dragon Age character creator seemed to be there.” [source]

Rook always shares a background with 1 of the companions. Makes sense, the backgrounds are Wardens, Crows, Shadow Dragons, Mourn Watch, Veil Jumpers, Lords of Fortune, and that’s Davrin, Lucanis, Neve, Emmrich, Bellara, Taash respectively [source]

The CC team and character art team spent a lot of time working on making sure that hairstyles behaved appropriately, in a realistic way, and on representing a lot of different hairstyles [source]

“We were told that one of the three key pillars of the game was ‘Be Who You Want To Be.’” [source]

“Numerous selections for a wide variety of body types & skin tones” [source]

There is faction-themed gear to wear, like if you chose Grey Warden as a background, there is GW gear. [source: The Discord]

“As a faction, the Inquisition doesn’t really feature prominently in the story - your appearance options are more reflective of the factions and styles you’ll encounter in The Veilguard.” [source: The Discord]

body sliders + “a triangle for gradients of body types” [source]

“The team heard us loud and clear on hair styles”. Frostbite engine updates served them well. Hair moves with your body and reacts to the wind [source]

For pronouns and gender selections, everything you select is used in the game and in cutscenes [source]

They were asked about the customizability of Rook’s backstory. Rook has 6 different backgrounds that you can choose from. Each of them is tied to one of the major factions in DA:TV. “Each one sets up who Rook was before they were recruited by Varric. Well that sets out the broad events. As you go through the game, as you have conversations, either with members of your faction, other characters, you can define not just what those events were but what they meant to you. What was your motivation, what was the kind of person you are as you build up Rook. Because again, we wanna make sure that roleplaying is at the heart of this experience, and taking Rook, giving them background to ground them in the world and then letting you decide what that means, what that says about you, is also a big part of it.” “A lot of opportunities to really define who your Rook was and who they are now, so.” [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

They have taken a different approach on how we import our decisions into the game this time around. This is now fully integrated into the character creator. The devs believe that this serves a dual purpose. Corinne said that she playfully thinks of it as ‘last time on Dragon Age’, though it isn’t actually called this in the game. She noted that it has been ten years since the last Dragon Age game was released, so this aspect serves as a refresher on critical events as well as allowing us to remake those decisions that are critical to us. The system for doing this is very highly visual and uses the familiar tarot card aesthetic. “It’s a very visual and playful experience as you go through it.” It was very important to them that this system was built into the client, so that you can play this game entirely offline. No online connection is required, no linking to EA accounts is required – this was a big fan request.

Corinne added, “I don’t want to spoil anything by revealing what decisions you can import, but I will say that this [thinking about the decision import system and what decisions to include] has been a really interesting creative intersection for us, because on the one hand, this is a whole new adventure”. In this game we are in northern Thedas, in locations we have not been to before. This naturally affects “some of what will matter and what decisions they’re not using this time around, as far as decisions. But obviously there are some very, very clear connections to existing characters.” “It’s no secret that the Inquisitor is going to show up, so that’s a factor”. [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

In CC, Rook’s pronouns can be chosen. You can select both pronouns AND gender, as as Corinne noted, these are related concepts, but actually not exactly the same thing. Rook can be non-binary. The pronouns available are she/her, they/them, and he/him. [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

The Character Creator is very detailed and very deep. The team focused a lot on doing good hair and doing hair and skin tones respectfully. There is full body customization. They are going to show us a lot more on CC in the future, but at a time when they have the time and space to do so. [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

Q. How extensive are Rook’s decision trees for companions and NPCs throughout the game going to be?

A. “Huge. It’s a Dragon Age game. We wanna make sure you have choices, we wanna make sure you can choose your roleplaying but also choose outcomes of conversations, choose how events unfold. We wanna make sure that we also react to decisions you’ve made. So, for example, you may be talking to a follower who is an elf, and if you yourself are an elf, obviously you’re gonna have a different perspective on events than someone who is not an elf. Sometimes that means different conversation options. Sometimes that’s going to mean entirely deep dialogue trees. As well as based off decisions you’ve made throughout the game, so. Again, making sure that the game feels like the it’s noticing what you’re doing is a huge part of how we’ve written out the dialogue trees in this game.” [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

“There are quite a few, easily more than we’ve done before I think, tattoos from various cultures. We’re bringing the vallaslin back of course. There are a ton of different options, especially when we’re going into all of these new regions. Each region has its own kinda visual language for that. But yeah, we are bringing the vallaslin back, and then a couple of the characters have them, but we’ve kinda customized them a little bit, they’re a bit more specific to their personality.” [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

Corinne’s favorite thing other than the companions is the CC. “That CC, the makeup options, the range of sliders… I’m a qunari fan, so even just the way you customize the horns and combine that with the really great looking hair”. [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

The Inquisitor can be customized, “include some of our new customization options”. “Yeah, they’re gonna show up and they’re gonna be your Inquisitor.” [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

We will get to see the Character Creator before launch. “They are laying out a roadmap for what we are going to show and when we are gonna talk about it. So, yes, you will see it, as we get a little bit closer to launch.” [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

In CC, the body customization can be done for humans, elves, dwarves and qunari. Qunari hair options and horn options are rad. They acknowledged that it was hard to have nice-looking hair for qunari in DA:I. [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

“Related to this, your Lineage (human/elf/dwarf/qunari) gives you a lot of really unique dialogue options, so that’s a really lovely aspect of choosing your lineage as well.” “Each lineage, depending on the lineage you choose and the background you choose, there are some specific call outs to. For example, if it’s the Mourn Watch, them being a faction from Nevarra of mages, obviously your experience as a dwarf there is going to be different than say a human or an elf, so, there are also specific callouts tailored to those combinations with again, the intention of giving each lineage their own little flavor as to how they fit into that faction as a whole.” [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

“Rook’s last name is defined based on their faction, again, we wanted to tie that into your backstory, but also, there’s a name generator that can give you a selection of first names. Obviously if you want to make your own first name, that’s definitely something we support as well.” But if you always struggle during CC and name all your characters like 'Bob’ or something, you’re gonna be okay thanks to the name generator. [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

"some of what I saw behind closed doors, as well as the way the devs spoke openly about the passion for diversity, gave me a lot of hope for this installment." [source]

"A New Peak For Progressive Character Creators. My first thought as I watched the dev take us through Dragon Age: The Veilguard's character creator at Summer Game Fest was 'okay, everyone can shut up about Cyberpunk 2077 now'." "Dragon Age, as I've written about in more depth in my full breakdown, cares. It takes elements of Cyberpunk 2077 and Saints Row, plus its own creator from 2014's Inquisition which was then best-in-show and remains a contender even today. It acknowledges the trans experience in a multitude of ways, likely owing heavily to game director Corinne Busche being a trans woman and therefore able to inject a personal perspective that most other games lack." "The dev also made a Black woman during our gameplay demo" [source]

The world reacts to Rook’s lineage and backstory. There are unique dialogues or conversation options based on backstory and lineage. [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

There are glorious, fantastic dwarf beards. "I don’t know what magic the character art team did with the beards”, but they feel/look like how beards should. [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

On the slider for body type selection: “It looked incredibly easy to maneuver around and create a body that is either close to that player’s real personage or their ideal fantasy self” [source]

“Our presenter said that each specialization was pretty much as deep as a job” ((job - class)) [source]

“sliding a cursor across a triangle that can make your character stocky and chubby or tall and muscular or anything in between” [source]

#dragon age: the veilguard #dragon age: dreadwolf #dragon age 4 #the dread wolf rises #da4 #dragon age #bioware #video games #long post #longpost #solas #lgbtq+#this is a topic ppl care a lot about so here's the info (that I know of anyway #there could be more) in one place rather than spread across 90000 posts haha..

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thecoffinsys · 5 months ago

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Slay the Princess is the perfect demonstration of trauma, dissociation, and systemhood.

I NEED MORE PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT THIS. And it's NOT just for the reasons you may think. Yes, it is due to the multitude of voices, but that isn't all there is to systemhood. Slay the Princess dives into almost every fundamental stage of grief, trauma, stress, and body sensations regarding traumatic events that we as a collective have ever experienced. Stay with me.

SYSTEMHOOD

Not only does Slay the Princess display systemhood through the multitude of voices, inability to come to a conclusion on outerbody decisions, and having different methods of how to survive specific situations— it also displays systemhood through loss of time, depersonalization, loss of identity and sense of self, alters having abilities over the body that others do not, looping the same trauma over and over again, and rapidly splitting due to traumatic experiences — even down to not being believed by family members when you tell them something horrible happened to you.

The entire idea of jumping from one alternative world to the next after dying or making the incorrect choice perfectly displays a repetition of the same traumatic memory over and over again, the mind trying to logistically think of what could have been done differently as a means of coping with what really happened. When you fail to save the world in one reality, your mind restarts the entire scenario again, trying to find a better option to the mistake you've already made.

The Stranger rout perfect displays depersonalization, dissociation, loss of self and identity, and confusion regarding time. The second you step down a staircase, you completely and utterly forget yourself in the mundane action. Forgetting who you are, where you are, what your purpose truly is - and sinking deep within your own mind, until suddenly you're right where you are meant to be and have no memory of how you got there. It's so perfect in how it shows the confusion and distress.

This game is about becoming. whole. Gaining. A sense. Of self. And purpose. Gaining more perspectives, more understandings of what it means to be a person. (Oh my god I'm screaming)

In The Nightmare, the voice of the Paranoid displays perfectly symptoms of not only paranoia regarding trauma, but symptoms of OCD due to trauma. He has an ability that no other alter has, which is to keep their organs running by participating in his own compulsion. Which really displays how some alters have abilities that other do not, because to be a system, you must be fragmented. Several shards of glass attempting, to the best of their ability, to be a functional mirror- but never having the exact strength. And different shards will hold different capabilities than those who are smaller, weaker, and carry smaller and/or more specific burdens. Paranoid is a very big shard, I think.

Following that — mirrors are a huge motif of the game. Not only do you continuously see them in every rout, but you end each rout by finally looking at yourself and seeing you for you. And the more perspectives you gain, the less "you" you truly feel. You become tired, withered. But it is all in the efforts to "become whole". To make this being of perception finally understand what it means to be more than just broken worlds creating branching understandings.

In A Moment of Clarity, dozens of voices begin to cloud our understanding due to the very traumatic thing we experienced in the last world. A rapid split because of trauma! We become more broken; "losing ourselves". Now there are even more conflicting thoughts, feelings, and opinions regarding how we should go about surviving- and it displays our further descent from our sense of self. Which is ironic given the name of the ending!

And finally (but most definitely not finally, I could keep going on and on but no one would want to read all of that), The Narrator never believing you when you tell him you've been here before, have experienced horrors that he could never imagine, and have been through countless nightmares. But not only does he not believe you, he will also ridicule your idea, and go on to say "you failed because you didn't listen to me" or "you damned another world because of what you did". Puts the blame on us, once again. It's the same thing a lot of systems do experience in the real world. You try to reach out, you try to explain to someone you trust that something horrible happened to you, but you're met with disbelief and shamed for your own trauma. Made to feel like the guilty one when you are in fact the victim- the survivor. That one stood out to me very personally.

. . .

I really want to go on but this is already a billion paragraphs and I worry no one will even get this far. But this game means a lot to us as a system and as someone who experiences things very similar to what is displayed in the game on a daily basis. Slay the Princess might be one of our all time favorite games as of right now, especially considering the guy who traumatized us for 200 episodes straight is the main guy voicing the entire thing- that also helps with sentiment-

Uhhhh thank you for reading if you made it this far :]

#🩻 Tim's Posts #The Coffin System #did #did system #dissociative identity disorder #actually did #system stuff #slay the princess #stp #plural community #actually plural #plurality #plural system

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maybeelse · 7 months ago

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The Problem of Witches

"What is true power" is supposed to be one of those deep, philosophical questions with no real answer. It—and the thought experiments which grow on it like clinging weeds—are meant to become a mirror to the speaker's biases, to reveal how they think about the world. Let that be so.

To my mind, the answer is simple: true power is control of the context in which the world is understood. It is the ability to say "this is what the world is", and be heard.

It is intoxicating, and dangerous, and many-layered.

Seen through the fantastical lenses of works like This Is How You Lose The Time War and The Book of the War it is conflicting frameworks of the Commandant and the Garden or the Great Houses' anchoring of the thread (the creation of history with themselves at the center). It is the pinions which Exordia's Khai place in their subjects' souls, narrative prisons that make the Khai's success inevitable; it's Elden Ring's outer gods struggling for control of what the world will become.

In the real world it's the narratives which bind our comprehension of what the world could be, and what it is; and it's the processes which led to their current state. It's all of the choices that constrain the space of what's possible.

Perhaps this is an unsatisfying answer. Perhaps it is trite. Perhaps I'm just vaguely waving my hands and going "society's the real power, man! It's everything around us!" So be it.

In my own stories, there is magic: the ability to change parts of the world. Sometimes this is fundamentally altering part of the world (sunlight is a honey-thick liquid, that drips and stains and smells of sweet rot); more often it's changing the way something works (as long as you remember to chant these words once a day, your body will become soft and plump) or what part of the setting is like (things around the graveyard doll get spooky and sepulchral).

That's not an exhaustive list, by the way.

And then, there are witches, and the problems they create.

By the time a witchling becomes a small-witch, their existence has already begun to distort the world. Rules stop applying, or get more complex, or more conditional. There are loopholes.

Put too many small-witches in close proximity, and weird stuff happens. Things skew and break; points of disagreement or conflict gather narrative weight. There is always potential for escalation.

And then there are true witches. "A skin worn by a fragment of the Unreal", I said. "The hollow left behind by a hidden heart. Someday a sparrow will wear down the mountains which stand beyond the world and they will watch, uncaring." And then, lest I be misread, "their presence leaks into the world, corrupts narratives, stains souls. They become undeniable. Some call this a curse."

By their mere existence, they shape the world.

I've been grappling with the consequences of that ever since I started writing about them.

Because—think about it. What does that do to a world? What happens?

My forever-unfinished map of the City of Corrade shows that city as a series of thin bubbles, with buildings and forests and suns clinging to their pastel surfaces. Setting cast as a series of moods, as layers, as abstract bubbles of influence; a city seen through the lens of subway trains, connected-yet-disconnected. In many respects this is a concession to my writing; landmarks recur, and moods, but everything around them (and their relationships to each other) shift as easily as a dream's psychogeography.

That, then, is what happens to the people and places within a true witch's influence. They exist within her context, within her understanding of what the world is. In Corrade, capitalism only exists in the city's Downtown, whose striving spires cling tight to the Astral Witch's midnight observatory; the waves of gentrification and decay which lap at the city's client suburbs flow from the blended presence of several lesser true witches. Crossroads Station, HER orbital citadel, a relic of a long-ended war still ringed watchful angels, exists only because of the power slowly leaching from HER still-warm corpse.

And at their feet the lesser creatures squabble and struggle and try to thrive. Some become witches; most do not.

I grew up across the bay from San Francisco, all those years ago, and perhaps that tells you something of why I understand geography in terms of the great powers that affect it, of the titans whose movements shake the world and the fungal outgrowths of the lesser powers which serve their whims. Today I regard them as pathetic, all those child-kings clawing at the edges, desperate for more, for the glory of their unfinished apotheosis, for a final escape from reality's laws and constraints—but that's part of my witches, too. Abusers are fundamentally pathetic; powers grow so tangled in the context they create that they can never break free. They choke and die on their own success, still unsatisfied, still wanting more.

That hunger is all they are.

#worldbuilding #witchposting #essays #I have been very careful not to talk about capitalist realism here #or about marvel movies and the scope of possible narratives #but I'm sure you can see those shadows lurking just outside

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prettycottonmouthlamia · 12 days ago

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Analysis of a Boss Kill: A15 RELICLESS Sentinel 8 OP

To start off, you should watch this video. It's rad as fuck. High level Arknights play literally fucks. But I really want to talk about the Phase 1 kill because It's a great example of a million different factors coming together. So, let's talk Sentinel for a moment.

Sentinel doesn't introduce us to a Crazelyseon with fancy new abilities or anything, except for it's different movement pattern. This is actually a boon for this Phase 1 kill, as it means you don't need to retreat and redeploy the operators later or wait for the boss to cycle back. But it does change one thing in particular: the Dimensional Anchoring Pylon. It now makes the boss vulnerable for five seconds instead of the traditional 10. You have an extremely limited amount of time to get your damage in, and this means that your options for DPS are extremely limited. Given Crazelyseon's modest DEF of 1,875 and its fairly meaty RES of 50, this leaves one choice as the prime DPS operator: Degenbrecher.

Degenbrecher can do her entire S3 in that five second window, since the 10 slashes take about 3s to come out and the final slash comes out in less than 2. This is basically unmatched for the conditions we need. Wis'adel, if you time it almost exactly right, can get two attacks off if she is not on a seedbed, for comparison. Degenbrecher works really well with buffs of any kind, and two buffers are used in this clear: Heidi, and Shu. Shu is fairly self-explanatory since in a low-op clear she is a good source of healing because Crazelyseon does insane damage on A15, but Heidi might need some explanation.

Why Heidi? It's pretty much all about skill cycles, although she does also do a pretty good job of buffing too: the 9% Attack buff from her Talent does a lot of work in a game-mode where all Operators have 23% more ATK from the IS4 buffs. The Dimensional Anchoring Pylon takes 40 seconds to charge fully, and makes Crazelyseon vulnerable for 5 seconds. The Pylon will start immediately charging after the skill is used (EDITING NOTE: Missed this the first time because the bar was stuck in the green of a deploy tile!), so the cycle is 40 seconds.

Since Heidi's skill is active for 10 seconds and has a 20 SP charge, meaning she will have a cycle time of 30 seconds. Good!

Sora's cycle is 75 seconds typically (30 + 45) which is quite bad for what we're doing. If she gets the refund, she will have a cycle time of 48 seconds, which is just shy to have her skill ready in time. In addition...Sora is actually less impactful! With her talent and her Inspiration buff, Heidi gives 687 ATK to Degenbrecher, while Sora only provides 541 ATK. Sora's benefit is her long duration, not the size of her buff! So she's flatly worse in every regard.

Civilight Eterna's skill cycle is 70 seconds, so too long for what we're doing. Even though she might also do some true damage, she provides less ATK to Degenbrecher and the true damage isn't enough to make up the skill cycle lost.

Skadi Alter does provide more ATK at 760 and the benefits of true damage on her skill. However, tragically, her skill cycle is still too long at 55 seconds. "Does the five seconds matter?" Yes! If you watch the video closely, the third burst on the boss (the first one for phase 2) finished just before the boss teleports! You're on a timer to get your damage in, and the extra 10 seconds Skadi Alter would need over two bursts can't be spared. There is also the additional factor that this is IS, and Heidi is a 5-star operator compared to Skadi Alter's 6-stars. This means she costs 6 less Hope overall, and Hope management is really important in IS4 as a whole.

So basically, Heidi is the only buffer that will work here. Heidibrecher is basically the gold standard for A15 Sentinel as a result. I hope they're fucking nasty.

Ela is also a really powerful damage support here, not just because of the 35% Fragile she provides powering through the boss's 15% Damage Resistance, but she is also important as a sub DPS to Degenbrecher. Thanks to the attack interval reduction on her S3 reducing her attack interval to 0.5 seconds, she can actually attack 9-10 times depending on timing against the boss. She doesn't do as much damage as Degenbrecher, only about 35% of Degenbrecher's damage, but that 35% damage is important.

Heidibrecher alone isn't enough to defeat the boss. Even with Shu's help, the combo only does 176,713 damage in total over the two bursts, only 75.3% of the damage needed to force a phase change. You could wait and do a third burst since you know you have the time, but Crazelyseon's pattern is way more erratic in Sentinel, so it's best to get it done in the time you can. Ela ends up making the damage in damage.

This phase change is insanely close: Ela and Degenbrecher do, together, 238,738 damage to the boss. It's a combination that does 102% of the bosses HP. You only have 4,844 damage in overkill. It's impressively clean. You can drop exactly one Ela attack, but not anymore than that.

The clear in general fucks and I really enjoy it. Angelina is a deeply silly operator and the combination of Ela / Wis'adel / Ines / Angelina to effectively deal with all the enemies is super cool. Trapping Shattered Champions in the blue box gives me fucking stomach acid. They move at 2.5 tiles a second! That has to be insanely hard to just eyeball.

The math for everyone will be down below. I don't know how many decimals Arknights keeps track of, so there is some very small rounding errors. For example, my final attack damage for the first burst's Degenbrecher final attack damage is one point off what is displayed. That's a rounding error of 0.00985% but it felt wrong to not mention it! I am a doll most at home in spreadsheets after all.

Degenbrecher ATK (Base): 758 Degenbrecher ATK (Stage Buff): 932.34 Heidi ATK (Base): 381 Heidi ATK (Stage Buff): 468.63 Heidi ATK (Trait + Talent Buff): 548.2971 Heidi Inspiration Buff: 603.12681 Degenbrecher ATK (Heidi Talent Buff): 1,016.2506 Degenbrecher Total ATK: 1,619.37741 Crazelyseon, the Ascedent of Cosmoi DEF: 1,875 Crazelyseon, the Ascendent of Cosmoi DEF (Talent): 1,312.5 Crazelyseon, the Ascendent of Cosmoi DR: 0.85x Ela Fragile: 1.35x Degenbrecher Slash Damage: 6,749.49007086440625 Total Slash Damage: 67,494.9007086440625 Final Attack Damage: 10,147.7383840861875 Total Skill Damage: 77,642.53909273025

w Shu

Heidi ATK (All Buffs): 665.4546 Heidi Inspiration Buff: 732.00006 Degenbrecher ATK (All non-Inspiration Buffs): 1,249.3356 Degenbrecher ATK (Total): 1,981.33566 Degenbrecher Slash Damage: 8,628.4164777339375 Total Slash Damage: 86,284.164777339375 Final Attack Damage: 12,786.230785222125 Total Skill Damage: 99,070.3955625615

Total Damage from Degenbrecher: 176,712.93465529175

Ela ATK: 755 Ela ATK (Stage Buff): 928.65 Ela ATK (S3 + Heidi Buff): 1,848.0135 Ela ATK (Inspiration Buff): 2,451.14031 Ela ATK Damage: 2,911.267810305 Ela Attacks (Burst 1): 10 Ela Total Skill Damage: 29,112.67810305

Ela ATK (S3 + Shu + Heidi Buff): 2,080.176 Ela ATK (Inspiration Buff): 2,812.17606 Ela ATK Damage: 3,656.987.15193 Ela Attacks (Burst 2): 9 Ela Total Skill Damage: 32,912.88436737

Total Damage from Ela: 62,025.56247042

Total Damage to Crazelyeon: 238,738.49712616175

#arknights #integrated strategies #heidi #degenbrecher #the five second wonder sisters

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littlepeakydevil · 19 days ago

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Series Masterlist

Summary: They call him the Devil. They tell her to stay clear of him. They warn her that he'll steal her soul. But Lily Callaghan came to Small Health fleeing monsters and unspeakable trauma. And her soul seems but a small price to pay in exchange for the things that Tommy Shelby has to offer her.

Word Count: 781,335

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, smut, references to past sexual assault, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, canonical major character deaths, codependency, and polyamory including threesomes. Please heed the warning sections at the beginning of every fic or chapter for more details.

Notes: While all fics can be read as standalone pieces, those listed here are interconnected and can also be read as one long series. This series follows the canonical events of the show.

Part 1: These Devilish Intentions

They strike a deal on a bridge in the dead of night. It is sealed. It is done. It is everlasting. It is the beginning of something neither of them ever expected to find.

Part 2: Does the Devil Have a Heart

Tommy loved her from the first moment he saw her. Though it would take him a while to actually realize it.

Part 3: Teach Me How

Lily wants Tommy to teach her something.

Part 4: Barren

Lily receives some news.

Part 5: Not Afraid of a Little Blood

When an incident occurs that leaves Lily horribly embarrassed, Tommy has to find a way to reassure her that a bit of blood is of no consequence to him.

Part 6: The Shovels Against the Wall

Tommy isn’t sure if he can forgive himself after a nightmare causes him to lash out with unintended consequences.

Part 7: Stitched into Skin

Tommy wants to get a tattoo of Lily's name.

Part 8: Thunder

Thunderstorms bring bad memories.

Part 9: Bound in Blood

To some, the blood bond is as sacred as marriage.

Part 10: Red Right Hand

Trouble comes to them in the form of a crate of stolen guns, a bloodthirsty inspector, and a blonde barmaid.

Part 11: Don't Look Back

Families are complicated.

Part 12: Bloodied & Broken

An incident at the betting shop nearly costs Tommy far more than just a few shillings.

Part 13: Dance of Darkness

Tommy’s latest plan brings with it many unexpected dangers. Some new, and some from what was thought to be the long forgotten past.

Part 14: Everything

Lily doubts her place in Tommy and Grace’s life in light of some new developments.

Part 15: Accepted

Lily and Grace bond over the knowledge that the Shelby matriarch will never fully accept them.

Part 16: Lady of the Various Sorrows

Lily is finally forced to come clean to Tommy about her inability to have children.

Part 17: Not Yours

John says something regarding Lily's relationship with Charlie that cuts deeply.

Part 18: Moth

Lily has a rather uncommon phobia.

Part 19: In the Bleak Midwinter

A tragedy occurs that threatens to truly break Tommy and Lily beyond repair. With threats coming at them from every direction, they struggle to survive while the agony of loss is still howling in their bones.

Part 20: Smoky Kisses

There's nothing like some smoke in the lungs to make the head spin.

Part 21: The Shadow of the Abattoir

Mistakes, both those from the past and those still yet to be made, threaten to alter Tommy and Lily's lives forever.

Part 22: This Misery We've Made

Tommy's personal life is starting to cause issues in his ability to rise up in political spaces, forcing him to make a choice that has the potential to fracture his relationship with the woman he loves.

Part 23: No More

Lizzie's announcement at dinner reopens some old wounds.

Part 24: Dirty Little Secret

After so much recent hardship, Tommy just wants to do something nice for his lover.

Part 25: My Darling One

Tommy overreacts when he learns of the crush his secretary has on his lover.

Part 26: Do You Love Me

They are entangled down to their very souls. So intricately that it is hard to know where one ends and the other begins. Lily has often wondered if either she or Tommy could survive separation. She supposes now she will finally get to find out.

Part 27: Fuss

He always gets so worried every time she gets sick.

Part 28: Still Here

The trauma of almost losing each other is not easily healed.

Part 29: Back From Under the Ground

As their dealings with their enemies reaches new dangerous ground, a blow in their personal life threatens to finally bring Tommy and Lily to their knees.

Thank you for reading! Please consider leaving a comment, reblog, or like. I always appreciate feedback and love getting the opportunity to interact with you and hear your thoughts!

#tommy shelby #peaky blinders #tommy shelby x oc #lily callaghan #lily callaghan x tommy shelby #peaky blinders oc #tommy shelby fanfic #love me where i'm most ruined #masterlists

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loveanalyst · 20 days ago

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Random Disjointed Thoughts About Evolvers In LaDS.

This got long and I ended up like Austin Powers overthinking time travel!

Just How Common are Evolvers?

We have this quote from the game:

"A special superpower only possessed by a small portion of the human population"

but that doesn't really help. Small is relative. Right now there are an estimated 8 billion people on earth. If half of one percent (0.5%) had Evol, that would be Forty Million Five Hundred Thousand evolvers (40,500,000). To help you visualize, Michigan Stadium can hold a hundred thousand (100,000). You would have to fill that stadium 450xs to fit that number.

Yes, I know they would be spread through the world, so you may not have a lot in one area at any given time, but the implications are still there, especially in more heavily populated areas.

Not to mention there are (what seems to be) endless types of Evols. Some may be "harmless" but with things like light, fire, gravity, and the vagueness that is energy manipulation, Evol powers can do hella damage! To think that only "sane" or "good" (relative of course) people have it is cray cray. So, I wonder how Linkon and the rest of the world keeps superpowered chaos to a minimum. The more Evolvers the less manageable it would be.

Speaking of vague Evols, how TF does the weapon alteration Evol work. I don't remember if it was in a chapter or a memory, but one of our co-worker's Evol is that she can alter and enhance weapons. That gave me about 87 new questions about Evol powers. Like, is it only protocore weapons she can do that with? What is she "enhancing" or "altering"? Can she manipulate materials or just the energy? That's such a specific and esoteric power...

Moving on, do deepspace hunters double as cops for altercations or crimes that involve evolvers? Unless it's a requirement, not all police officers would be evolvers. (especially if only a small percentage of the population falls into that category) Which would put them at a disadvantage when dealing with the public regardless of how common it is. Mc and Xavier respond to a call dealing with non-Evolver humans that were using modified, black market, protocore weapons. To be fair, the victim called for hunters, so it's not like they called the police and got hunters...however, even if he had, would the police be able to handle something like that? I suppose, each police force could have an Evolvers unit like Homicide or SWAT in real life. Actually, they could even use SWAT as the name! Special Weapons And Tactics covers it pretty well!

Then it makes me think of fairness in terms of competitions. Like, obviously the guy with the gravity Evol is good at basketball, he could throw it from another building and still make it. Heck gravity manipulation would work wonders for most sports! You could "cheat" so easy. I put "cheat" in quotations because, is it really cheating if your using a god given ability? Basketball players aren't cheating by being naturally tall right?

Whhhhich brings me to another thought. It's been stated in the story that we can see Sylus' Evol. The "red and black mist" is mentioned quite a bit.

How about others though? I think it's fair to say Caleb's evol invisible but for artistic reasons (and so the audience knows what's going on) it sometimes has visual effects (like in the homecoming wings chapters).

I figure Xavier has a choice in whether his can be seen considering some light waves are invisible to the human eye. That opens another can of worms, imagine something happening and not being able to tell who or where the source of Evol is. Then again, even with a visible one you still may not know where it's coming from. Sylus wasn't even close to that guy when he evoled him out of existence.

Then you've got people like viper that make me wonder if Evol is something "natural" or if it's something that started appearing in humans as a result of the deepspace tunnel.

Which came first the Evol or the Tunnle?

I don't know how old viper is supposed to be, but it seems like he was born with Evol. I knoew it didn't manifest for several years, but it seems to be something that was always a part of him and not acquired from an outside source.

If people are born with Evol when does it usually manifest and how do they learn to control it? Is it like a Harry Potter thing where there's a system on the look out for it. There don't seems to be schools or programs dedicated to it as Caleb, and Mc, and Zayne all went to "regular" schools and universities. Then I wonder if evol is something that can be inherited from the parents. If so, would they inherit only one of their parents evol, both, or develop one of their own? Is it a dominate or recessive gene? How would I add Evol to a punnett square?!

Speaking of Harry Potter I'm not even going to touch or think about how Evolver supremacy, discrimination, and/or oppression play into things. >_< Oi Vey, can you imagine an Evolver Caste System? Because I can and it's stressing me out!

Running away from that thought, if Evol was a result of the deepspeace tunnel, I wonder how people who previously didn't have Evol only to develop it later realized what was going on. It was probably like a toxic waste superpower scenario right?

Finishing off the Viper and his "Serpens Class Evol" topic, I find it hard to believe that only humans have Evol. Our DNA isn't far off from a plethora of animals, and if a human can have "evol genes that were homogenous with with snake DNA" I'm sure some type of evol equivalent exists in the animal kingdom somewhere. I mean heck, wanderers come in animal form so why couldn't evolvers.

With the animal class Evols, it begs the question of just how much they "cross-over" into animal territory. Viper has a forked tongue, the ability to regenerate, and venom. Add a lil more visuals and we could be be creeping into Bestars territory!

ALLLLLLLL that to say, I hope we get a little more info on the origins and rules surrounding Evol.

Hope your brain is't fried like mine now!

#Evol #love and deepspace #lads #l&ds #lads sylus #lads caleb #lads zayne #lads xavier #lads rafayel

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wolfislost · 3 months ago

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Living As Alterhuman: Passion and Convinction.

As discussed by @baumarius the following is an explanation and description of how I feel about my alter humanity.

I'll be referring to level 3 of your 3 level framework, or the “so what” of being alterhuman. How it impacts me, how much I care, whether my expression is limited by my environment.

To start, I pursued psychology aggressively. I studied it for 5 years in preparation for university. This was before I knew that the label of alterhuman existed. I was searching for the nameless thing I knew to be wrong with me. Seeking answers to why I felt so twisted and shameful inside. Why I had strange thoughts, struggled with my self worth, and could never fit in among my peers. I learned a lot from psychology, and started therapy during those 5 years.

I also learned that I was a werewolf. An alterhuman. At least partly as a result of exactly those feelings I was seeking to understand. My place in this community was a huge piece of the puzzle.

So, how do I feel about it? What does it mean to me?

Peace mostly. Acceptance. A means to love myself more completely. A way to understand and accept the parts of myself I spent a lifetime pushing away. It gives me confidence. Makes me feel at home in my skin.

It definitely changes the way I view myself in relation to human society. I've always felt a bit like an outsider, and felt the pressure to socialise more. To conform. To be liked by my peers. It bothers me less now, knowing that I have a good reason to feel a little estranged. I don't exactly fit in most humans' view of the world, whether it's psychologically or behaviourally. Of course that makes friendship all the more valuable. The people, both human and not, who choose to understand or at least accept me as I am.

It can absolutely be hard at times, not being understood. Having to swallow my instincts so I can go unnoticed. Or worse, having to wrestle with my prey drive while in public. The separation that exists between me and humanity is both a blessing and a curse, to some extent. These days though I lean more towards it being a blessing.

I haven't made any drastic life decisions around my alterhumanity. Although it does have a place in my relationships, and my work life as an artist. I'm currently a member of a wildlife group, the largest one in my country, and I'm looking forward to getting involved in some of their projects. Protecting and caring for the ecosystem is part of being alterhuman for me. It's why I garden, and why I immerse myself in the woods at every opportunity. I'm not religious, so the woods are as close as I get to any holy ground.

I wouldn't describe myself as passionate about my alterhumanity. I'm invested in building a life where I can express it authentically, and I'm clearly motivated to share and talk about my experiences here. But It's not exactly coming from a place of passion. It's more a place of comfort. I feel comfortable in what I am, and want to continue to be comfortable. Hence my choice of friends and my criteria for where I want to live.

It's all very practical I suppose.

I'm predominantly interested in building habits, structures, and systems that will allow me to be myself. Access to nature, the privacy and freedom to celebrate the full moon as I choose, the ability to channel my experiences into my work, being able to vocalise and be authentic around friends, even publicly wearing stuff like pins and collars- or painting my nails. Practical ways that I can express my identity and continue to exist largely unhindered.

It’s what I'm working towards right now. After three years of pursuing this bachelor's degree, I'll pivot into making art full time. Figure out how to save for a place to live somewhere out near the trees. Carve out the time to pick back up my interest in ecology, and maybe do some activism in that area. My goals have been extremely clear cut for the last few years. After a long time being unable to envision a future for myself, I'm more than determined to see this through.

More than anything, I'll chase this dream of an integrated life. Even if I fail, I'll know it wasn't for lack of trying.

So I guess THAT'S my conviction.

The will to live, as I am.

You ask, at one point, what this would all look like in an ideal world. To tell you the truth, I'm not entirely sure. I've spent most of my time since joining the community, focusing on “realistic” methods of integration. Essentially all the things I mentioned earlier. I think my ideal world is still very possible. I don't particularly want to share the details of my alterhumanity with strangers, so public acceptance doesn't concern me.

I suppose my most far fetched desire is for an offline community of alterhumans in my area. Everything else I can attain simply by working for it, learning skills or amassing funds. But I can't spontaneously generate alterhumans nearby. I’ve only met one other, and it was by coincidence. There is a vast gulf between the digital and physical spaces. Online, information and possibilities for connection are rampant. In person, not so much. Being public about that kind of thing is too big of a risk for most. The privacy that protects us also keeps us separated.

Again though, my ideal world is largely attainable. Time in nature, channeling myself into my work, getting fangs, finding people I can express myself around, all very achievable. I think that's important to acknowledge, because a lot of us feel like a comfortable or authentic life is beyond our reach. It may not be perfect in every way. There are going to be times where human responsibilities come up unexpectedly and encroach on my freedom. But it's still a life worth pursuing.

A huge thank you to @zith-ipeth , @beastlybardou , and @dovspeaksbeast for sharing their own journeys and visions of the future. I still consider myself new to the community, but so much of it is having others to look to and learn from. Thank you all.

#otherkin #werewolfkin #otherkin community #alterhuman #otherkin experiences #response #otherkin thoughts #therianthropy #alterhumanity #alterhuman community #otherkin writing #therian community

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onigiriico · 2 years ago

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Mikoto audio drama (t2) - English TL

[ links: Spotify | YouTube ]

Mikoto-ing again 🫡 I know I say this like every other post, but I 100% recommend listening to the audio alongside the translation! On one hand the VAs just did an amazing job on this, and on the other hand I also feel like it'll. probably make the switches more obvious than I can convey in text lol

Little disclaimer about the way I translated the DID terminology here: I know the correct term in English is "alter", but in the JP audio they're consistently referred to as "personalities" (人格 / jinkaku) while the closest Japanese equivalent to "alter" seems to be 自我 / jiga, from what I could find. I generally try to stick as closely to the JP terminology with my translations as possible, so I mostly went with "personality". I really don't want to offend anyone here so I hope that's a somewhat okay choice ahshbsdj

Okay. Okay that got lengthy. As usual, if you find any mistranslations, have questions, etc etc feel free to send me an ask or hit me up on Twitter where I drop by, like, once a month 😅 And now without further ado:

⬇️ translation under the cut ⬇️

(Es enters)

E: Mikoto…

M: Ah… Hi, Warden-kun.

E: You… are Mikoto, right?

M: Uh… What are you talking about? It really feels like it’s been a while, doesn’it? How have you been? – Huh? What’s that…? Chains? Oh, no. Take them off!

E: I refuse. You’re too dangerous. Physical restrictions are necessary.

M: Umm… (laughs) What are you saying, restricting someone who can’t even hurt a fly?

E: You really aren’t aware, huh…

M: Well, I mean… I do get it. I… go out of control while I’m asleep, right?

E: …

M: The others told me about it. How I got into a fistfight with Koto-chan and whatnot.

E: Seems like it, yeah.

M: I wonder if it’s like… some kind of sleepwalking…? After all, I’ve been losing sleep more and more often recently… Man… It’s really troublesome, isn’t it?

E: Mikoto…

M: The others are all scared of me. I can tell by looking at the way they act. Because I read the room.

E: …

M: It’s pretty tough, isn’t it? (laughs) Ever since I came here, so much has been happening that I don’t understand…

E: … You really… do laugh when you’re suffering, huh?

M: Huh?

E: You don’t get angry. You don’t scream. You laugh, like it’s a minor inconvenience.

M: Ah… I guess so. I might have that kind of trait.

E: …

M: Usually, if you just laugh and pretend, things work out in the end, right? I’m pretty good at that. Making things work out to the best of my abilities.

E: Is that so…

M: (laughs) …But… it’s not coming to an end. All of this. With things I’ve never even heard before, the whole ti—

E: …

M: —the whole time… I have to make all these irritating experiences…!

E: You came out, huh.

M: Hey. Looks like you haven’t gotten a beating yet, Warden brat.

E: …!

M: Hah? What, are you scared?

E: Like you didn’t get beaten by Kotoko…!

M: Hah. That was just because she caught me off guard. We went at it again while you were asleep, and it’s not like I lost there.

E: Multiple personalities… Am I right with the assumption that the you I’m talking to right now is another personality of Mikoto’s?

M: Well, I guess that’s about right.

E: I see. What do you want me to call you?

M: Huh? You’re accepting this pretty readily, aren’t you. Wouldn’t the whole multiple personalities thing normally raise some eyebrows?

E: Yeah. I also didn’t think it was real, at first.

M: Figures. If it wasn’t me, I wouldn’t believe it either. I’d just think it’s a lie someone came up with to get away with murder.

E: But Milgram acknowledges that [it is real] in your case. I simply accept that as the truth, and develop my thoughts from there. So? What do you want me to call you? Your name.

M: No clue about that. Just call me whatever.

E: … For convenience, I’ll be calling you John.

M: Sounds like a dog’s name.

E: It’s derived from John Doe, the name given to unidentified bodies. Do you like it?

M: Can’t say I’m very fond of the way you’re flaunting your knowledge.

E: … Anyway. You’re acting pretty calm today, aren’t you? I thought of you more like a monster of some sort. I wasn’t expecting to have such a proper conversation with you.

M: Don’t get cocky! If not for these chains, I would’ve beaten your face in by now, brat.

E: Ohh, scary, scary.

M: Hmph.

E: John, you are not a prisoner of Milgram. The fact that Milgram’s usual restraints are ineffective against you is more proof for that than anything. Milgram has judged that Mikoto is the prisoner, and you, as his alter, are an exception.

M: Huhh, I see. So that’s why you believe that there’s multiple personalities.

E: That’s why I thought I would try and talk to you as a key witness today. I’m rather glad that you’re being cooperative.

M: But, you know… This isn’t a good thing, probably.

E: What do you mean?

M: I (boku) might be trying to disappear.

E: …

M: Evidently, the time I (ore) have been fronting has been getting longer, so this “me” has been able to stabilize. Isn’t that the reason we can talk properly?

E: …

M: If I had stayed a monster… maybe that would be better.

E: …

M: What?

E: You’ve turned out to be much more rational than I expected… I’m surprised.

M: I’m a university graduate, after all.

E: (sighs)

M: As for alters… Why do you think they’re born?

E: In precise terms, it’s called dissociative identity disorder – generally speaking, [it refers to] when a person experiences severe pain or stress, and a new personality is created to try and isolate [the original personality] from the resulting trauma.

M: Yeah. I… probably come out to ease the stress Boku experiences. The fact that I come out for longer just means that Boku is constantly under extreme stress.

E: Stress… Namely the environment of Milgram, right?

M: Right. Especially the fact that you judged against forgiving Boku is causing a lot of stress. That’s why he’s entrusting me with his heart.

E: I see.

M: Not like I can blame him. From his point of view, he’s being blamed for a crime he can’t even remember.

E: If that’s the truth, then… you’re the one who committed the murder?

M: Yeah, it’s me. I killed them off.

E: …

M: So Boku really didn’t do it.

E: Can I ask… why you killed them?

M: They annoyed me.

E: Who did you kill?

M: Just someone who was walking around nearby.

E: … How many did you kill?

M: Can’t remember. I was first born back then, you know. It’s kinda fuzzy.

E: How can you talk about that so calmly?

M: (sighs) According to the law, how would this go for Boku?

E: With a psychiatric evaluation, there’s a chance of a reduced sentence, but depending on the number of victims… the death penalty might be inevitable.

M: …! I– I’m the one who did it! Boku was just sleeping!

E: Is this really something that works that conveniently?

M: Just put yourself in Boku’s shoes for a moment! He was bottling up all his stress! He kept dealing with it all by himself the whole time, until it exploded! It’s not like he just decided that he wanted to hurt somebody!

E: …

M: He’s not the type of person who could do stuff like that! He always looks out for others, always reads the room, always tries to get along with people around him! He can’t do stuff like that… He was on the verge of exploding! That’s why I was born. It’s obvious, isn’t it? Boku didn’t do anything!

E: Even if that’s true… Even if it wasn’t what Mikoto wanted – someone’s life was still lost.

M: …!

E: Even if it was you, John, who was in [your body at the time] – there’s no way for you to prove that. At the very least not in a way that would be accepted in court. It could still be judged that you’re pretending—

M: You…!! What do you think?

E: I…?

M: I’m the one who did it! Boku didn’t do it! You know that because of Milgram! I don’t care about the law, I want to know what you think!

E: …

M: Please… forgive Boku. I’m the one who did it.

E: … I can’t… judge that right away. It’s not something that I can easily decide to forgive. In fact, Mikoto’s mental footage was so violent… it’s unforgivable. That’s how I judged.

M: That could also just be a fake or owed to the multiple personalities, right?! Boku really isn’t at fault! I’m the one who killed them!

E: …

M: Are you really satisfied [with the unforgiven judgment]? He turned into a murderer overnight!

E: What you did could still be considered a sin, though!

M: …! … I think… I might be the person Boku wishes he was. The person who stubbornly stands his ground, who doesn’t cry himself to sleep from stress, who gives people their payback. If I, the “ore” personality, hadn’t been born, I’m sure Boku would have reached his limit and fallen apart.

E: John… you…

M: It’s true that I was the one who wanted to destroy everything… and the weakness of Boku, who couldn’t stand up for himself all alone, might have been the origin of that. But… that’s all there is to it. Is that a sin?

E: I’ll be considering that after this.

M: After talking to you, I get that you couldn’t forgive what I did. And I’m fine with that.

E: …Yeah. That’s right.

M: The one Milgram is supposed to judge is Boku – Mikoto, right. He’s not me – so, not John.

E: Precisely.

M: Please, forgive Boku. If you don’t… I’m sure he won’t be able to deal with this any longer.

E: “A sin committed by another personality isn’t a sin”... you’re telling me that’s how I should judge?

M: Yeah. If you forgive Boku… I’ll disappear.

E: …

M: That’s right. I’ll have to disappear eventually, anyway… Disappear, and take all of it with me. I… was born to protect Boku, after all.

E: You were… born for it…

M: Yeah. If it’s for Boku, I’ll… do anything.

(machinery whirrs, bell rings)

E: John…

M: W…what? A dog’s name?

E: Mikoto…?

M: Warden-kun, you own a dog? What breed? No, wait, let me try guessing first– A toy poodle? Actually, maybe you surprisingly prefer the ugly-cute kind… like a French bulldog!

E: … No…

M: A pug, then?

E: It’s not the name of a dog!

M: Ehh… Then what…?

E: … It’s the name of your… friend.

M: (laughs) I don’t know anyone like that~

E: … I bet you don’t.

M: Huh…?

E: Prisoner no.9, Mikoto. Sing your sins.

#milgram #milgram music videos #mikoto kayano #milgram mikoto #milgram es #translation #fan translation #I'm crying can't every Milgram vd be this quick to translate /hj

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stillness138 · 4 months ago

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So Jinzee's video about the trailer brought me to a realization, it's kinda neat that Ciri has an association with the cat school in the light of this new direction.

Everyone is still screaming crying throwing up that Ciri having undergone the grasses is way too lore breaking but here's the counter argument again; her entire plot in the books is about her and only her getting to decide what to do with her life and with her body.

And not to get derailed too much but diverging from what Sapek or even cdpr themselves said before doesn't have to be a bad thing. Think about Thronebreaker - it's a great adaptation of Baptism despite not literally having the same storyline or the same characters because it's ultimately about the same things, a perilous journey to save what you care about the most, familial relationships and a family-like unit brought together by circumstance, how much war sucks. I think this new game is going to be about autonomy, something looming over Ciri's entire book arc. And again, it's okay to "break lore" in service of a good, meaningful story that still carries the spirit of what Sapek was trying to say; the witcher books certainly aren't about "adult women can't be turned into witchers", they are about, among other things, family, abuse, and making choices.

Jinzee in her video proposes that perhaps the lynx school is going to be a group of people who choose whether to undergo (likely altered/adjusted, re: the future potential of Uma's uncursing) mutations and that made me think about Gezras and the story of the cat school in gwent. Because it doesn't appear in the ttrpg it seems it was written specifically for gwent by the mysterious lorekeeper, so it is cdpr approved at least. I talked about Gezras quite a bit already (here, under Thaler) and concluded that his and the cat school's story is beside revenge about reclaiming the trial as something that gives mistreated people means to protect themselves. Autonomy and even ability to choose. It's not perfect in the cats' case, not at all, these are back alley mutations that leave them fucked up forever, but the concept is not unheard of.

I don't think Ciri would have forced anyone into it. The lack of much of a choice (Geralt does talk about choice being a factor in the trial but is it a real one when you're a literal child given up by your caretakers) is what makes it an abuse cycle and she's had enough experience with abuse - and with falling into a spiral where she becomes a perpetrator - to avoid doing it again (she also has an on-page mini arc of getting out of that spiral, with Vysogota, but it would be interesting if the game explored her history, especially the years spent in the Arthurian world). Maybe her mutation will be a one-off like i initially thought, but if not, choice is a word already attached to her by the game director and indirectly by the trailer itself. That girl's autonomy is a point in it too. She believes she has to sacrifice herself but only because she's been told as much by people around her. In that sense it's personal for Ciri, and probably why it's the plot of her first trailer to begin with.

And i guess the best closing words i can muster is that it also is just that, a first trailer - we don't know the plot of the game and can only speculate what it's going to be about and how it's going to explain the trial and even the medallion for that matter. Not to have expectations too high because cdpr is definitely prone to comically wasting their potential, but so far it's really not looking bad. The ground for good storytelling and even apt political commentary is there, we will have to wait to see if they walk it.

#the witcher #the witcher 4 #shut up elis #think about it. autonomy. choice. female protagonist. polish studio.#and then sapek sues them or something for yoinking plot points from his new book xd

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liyazaki · 2 years ago

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"specially abled" and "disabled" are absolutely, unequivocally not interchangeable terms. & yeah, it actually is that deep.

I wish my autoimmune disease made me specially abled instead of regularly ill. I'm a pro now at managing constantly-changing treatment regimens, coordinating monthly (if not more) doctor visits & endless bloodwork, but alas- that's not a superpower. it's the day-to-day reality of living with a disability.

I can only speak as a someone who was relatively healthy before I got sick, but the mourning period I went through was brutal. getting diagnosed with an incurable disease brings a metric fuckton of grief with it, requiring a huge perspective shift.

I'm an intensely independent, self-reliant person- sometimes to my own detriment. unsurprisingly, coming to terms with this new reality was no small task.

when I was finally diagnosed, I made a playlist (my go-to coping mechanism). I played one song on a loop because of its namesake line, & it still packs an emotional gut-punch for me: "I needed to lose you to love me."

I was angry at my body for 'failing' me- for having zero control over such an all-important outcome (my health). I had to reconcile myself to the reality that my life was different now. I had to lose my old view of myself to love the new version that needed more sleep, more sick days, more accommodations.

it took me years to get comfortable using the term "disability" to help describe what's now a big part of my lived experience (especially since mine is invisible). it went from being a foreign term I could've never imagined using for myself to my bridge to self acceptance.

(note: I have my own complex relationship with the term, as do most people. I’m talking about the harm in equating terms here, not implying that anyone should use these words to describe themselves. that’s entirely up to the individual.)

there's nothing romantic about my disease- a quality that "specially abled" imbues for me. do I- & all disabled people- have special abilities, valuable experience & unique skills? you bet your ass we do. one has absolutely nothing to do with the other.

every person has the right to choose the terms they're comfortable with to describe their experience. for me? treating "disability" like a dirty word 1) glosses over (if not entirely erases) the very real, life-altering struggle inherent to my condition, & 2) muddies the waters, potentially making it even more difficult for disabled people to get the accommodations we need when we need them.

using terms like "specially abled" isn't some evil, awful thing, though. if anything, it tells me that the person is trying to be delicate & respectful with their word choices. I genuinely appreciate that, even if it's misguided (in my opinion).

when in doubt? listen to how people describe themselves. honor them by using the same descriptors (unless they tell you otherwise). choose to believe people when they tell you how terms affect them.

forgive yourself if you don't always get it right- who does? perfection isn't the point- effort is the point. kindness is the point. respect is the point. how we get there is as varied as people, but it starts with the words we use.

#disability #disabled #disabilities #autoimmune #autoimmune disease #i'd say 'back to our regularly scheduled ql programming' but it was a take in the ql community that prompted this so-#back to kind respectful programming (manifesting)#mor rambles

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odium-amare · 2 months ago

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50 Shades of Manacled (Honest Review)

Since the rise of fame for this (previously a Dramione fanfiction) body of work, thanks to the fanfare of TikTok and social media, I decided to give this story a shot. Disclaimer: This was my first Dramione story, and I’m not heavily invested in the Harry Potter universe. However, I’m always open to trying new things.

‘Manacled’ was treated like the second coming of Jesus. I could see through reviews, videos, and Reddit that many hearts underwent many powerful, life-altering transformations.

My curiosity was piqued. The fanfic had 77 chapters and a total of 370,515 words. I managed to finish the story.

Normally, I wouldn’t do an honest critique of fanfiction because, like many, I prefer to treat fanfic as fanfic. Seeing as how the author has endeavored to make a pretty penny out of it and revised the title as ‘Alchemised,’ this work of fiction is now free real estate for me to comb through with my thoughts.

Broken down into 3 parts:

The Good/Okay-ish

If you’ve read about anything related to this story, then you will know that it contains rape; a lot of rape. Unexpectedly, I had no problems with the non-consensual aspect of this fic (which many people did and I understand.) I have no morality issues with non-consent between two MCs in general in a fictional setting. It’s even a guilty pleasure, and I thought Manacled incorporated this dark concept well into the plot. On another note, I see people excusing Draco and his actions because he “had no choice” because of so and so.

Firstly, Draco was deliberately portrayed as overpowered - bordering on Gary-Stu levels of abilities. Voldemort, on the other hand, was written as a weakened and dying cripple.

There is always a choice and as another reviewer pointed out, Draco chose to rape. Let’s not skirt around that.

The incorporation of the rape and breeding causes was written out to make the torture porn even torture porn-ier.

The writing knows how to grip your attention and keep you reading. It was entertaining enough, and this was probably why the fic has kept the attention span of a lot of readers.

Narcissa was one of the few characters that was interesting. Her and Lucius’ presence added seasoning to the fic. The idea of her ‘spirit’ inside her portrait looking out for the people she cared about was nice.

Ginny was the best character. She’s flawed (like anyone else) but unlike our titular heroine, Ginny was likable and…owns up to her shit, and doesn’t gaslight those around her. Then she does the single best thing towards the end of Manacled. One of the few parts of the story that didn’t make me want to gouge my eyes out like Astoria did with Hermione. More on Ginny later.

The Mediocre/Bad

The setup of the bleak and dismal atmosphere was well done - at first. You then realize the bleak and dismal atmosphere is increasingly layered with misery, macabre, grotesque, and affliction every single chapter just for the sake of it. It got heavy-handed and corny fast. Eventually, it came off as if you gave black-eyelinered Bella Swan a Word document and a keyboard to write.

The author loves these words and phrases:

‘Her throat tightened’

‘Thin smile’

‘Smirk,’ ‘Sneer’

‘Bitter smile,’ ‘Bitter’

‘Rage’

Other repetitive words/phrases you’ll have to read at least three times a chapter.

The author also loves to drill down the fact that Hermione is having a panic attack, mental breakdown, or schizophrenic episode at least once a chapter. You will have to read detailed articles about the ins and outs of Hermione crying/wailing/sobbing. Excessive and tedious essays of her every waking thought and activity. It’s rather impressive. I like to think I’m an empathetic person, but if you end up making me want to get a shovel and bury a character for crying, you’re probably doing something wrong.

The story has three parts. Part 1 which set the present scenery - done alright. But then all that skid down the ski slopes (level difficulty: very steep) the moment the flashbacks started. The author thought it was a good idea to format the flashbacks as 38 chapters in the middle. There were indeed flashbacks, info dump and even filler. As I expected, there was no way this long-winded fanfic could content itself with only one epilogue; there were three epilogues.

Why was the fic so egregiously long? Because there’s an avalanche of redundant context, purple prose, and exposition/journalistic essays about Hermione’s panic attacks and tears. The despairing torture porn has all the subtlety of a car crash. The writing was questionable, and this would’ve been bearable…if I didn’t want to slaughter the main characters. So, this takes me to my next part - The Horrendous.

The Horrendous

Hermione is similar to your run-of-the-mill YA heroine. It’s like indulgent, fast food. The heroine was the perfect recipe for self-absorption, martyr complex, a perpetual victim (the war doesn’t excuse this because I’ll get to it,) obtuseness and hypocrisy. In every single other scene, she obstinately refuses to listen to reason. She zigzags between moping, feeling sorry for herself, and doing something stupid because she’s thick in the head. (Exhibit A: Foraging scenes. Exhibit B: Makes 100 ‘lie’ promises to people and throws herself into danger because of reasons.)

The author insists Hermione’s not supposed to be a saint, but she sure goes out of her way to depict Hermione as this Saint Theresa-like character. Otherwise, the cheapened, demonic portrayal of other male and female characters sans Draco wouldn’t have been necessary. When things don’t go Hermione’s way and predictably, end up disastrous - she falls back into moping and feeling sorry for herself.

She has airs about morality, but then creates bombs that kill hundreds/thousands of people to save her boyfriend - in the name of true love. She has no problems being self-serving when it suits her or killing others for that matter. But of course, she’s against the evil-devil-schevil Voldemort and whatever ‘bad guys’ being evil-devil-schevil cause they’re the antagonists and she’s the Saint Theresa protagonist. It’s cyclical, it’s old and it’s exhausting.

To clarify more about the depiction of the side characters that are not our titular hero & heroine, all of Hermione’s canon friends like Harry, Ron, etc were portrayed as theatrical, out-of-character demons. See, these buffoon caricatures should have listened to poor, pitiful Hermione (because plot) and because of the 8.2 billion people on Earth, Saint Hermione is the only one with common sense. They hated Jesus because he told them the truth. Sorrows and prayers.

Astoria - your residential, obligatory Regina George - the foil to Saint Jesus Hermione. Naturally, she was written as slipshod, rage bait for the readers to have another female to hate, crow and shrill once her head was sliced off. No, literally. The nature of how her character was written was so cartoonishly absurd, the blonde cheerleader from your early 2000s rom-com was Shakespearean compared to Manacled’s Astoria.

There was an attempt to make the plot complex. That fell short when the deux-ex-machina moments, weird plotholes and explanations made zero sense. I took a look at the author’s blog, and there was a post on how she confirmed Hermione rationalizes everything she does. That makes sense. I can see that the author too, likes to rationalize everything she writes and any critique she receives, so I’m sure all her plotholes made sense inside her head.

As for our edgy, Death Eater boyfriend - He’s a sociopathic murderer. But at least he has that self-awareness. Somewhat. His full-time job is glaring in ‘rage,’ ‘sneering,’ or killing everyone and anyone that’s not Saint Hermione. Sometimes, he’s horny and ‘pushes himself’ into Hermione. His part-time job is ‘looking at Hermione possessively.’ But you know. The girlies eat that up, and obviously, that shit sells.

More on Ginny. What a finale. What an ending for Voldemort and so fitting that it’d be the person you least expect to finish off the major antagonist. By the end of the novel; she is the only sensible and badass character who tries to warn her dumb friend from running off with the wicked, bad boy, but naturally, the dumb friend doesn’t listen. Oh well.

In conclusion: The main characters were insufferable. And therefore, I didn’t enjoy the story. In the author’s defense, she did mention a few times that the characters’ actions were irredeemable themselves. A happy ending wouldn’t have been realistic.

With the atrocities both Draco and Hermione committed exactly like the antagonists, they should’ve been killed off as well.

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